Bear Digest

What a dream offseason for Chicago Bears defense looks like

Analysis: This ideal approach to fortifying the Bears defense doesn't come with a 245-pound edge rush terror but restores their run defense, which had caused their decline in 2024.

Gene Chamberlain

Andrew Billings' return from injury should boost the Bears defense immediately but they need to tweak some spots.
Andrew Billings' return from injury should boost the Bears defense immediately but they need to tweak some spots. / David Banks-Imagn Images
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An ideal Bears offseason includes fewer adjustments to personnel on the defensive side than the offensive side.

It's not even close. The money needs to go to offense.

Ben Johnson already discussed what he thought of the defense.

"Personally, we struggled with that defense here for both games that we played them in 2023," Johnson said. "That was a huge deal, knowing that as much as I struggled staying up at night trying to attack this defense, I knew what that was capable of." Now he's brought in coordinator Dennis Allen with a scheme similar in some ways but more aggressive with its use of man-to-man coverage and pressure.

Some changes are needed and while everyone looks at their pass rush pressure, the real key for this defense was not their sacks totals. They improved from next to last to top half of the league at 16th with 40 sacks.

Their run defense dropped from 10th to 24h in a three-week period coinciding with the loss of Andrew Billings and also safety Jaquan Brisker, who was good in run support Their pass defense then began a gradual decline once the run defense dipped. Fix the run defense and the pass defense improves.

Here's how a dream Bears offseason looks fitted to the scheme they're now going to play.

Defensive Line

Starters: Montez Sweat, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, Matthew Judon (free agent)

Key depth: DE Austin Booker, DE Landon Jackson (draft pick), DT Shemar Turner (draft pick), DT Jarran Reed (free agent)

They're going to want to focus the big spending in free agency on offense so a defensive end who fits into the scheme as a stout run defender and pass rusher is necessary. Judon nearly came to the Bears in a trade and they can get him for about $4.5 million on a one-year deal according to Pro Football Focus projections. A bigger edge who can play the run and rush the passer, he'll also be likely to bounce back after his Falcons season was rather blah. He had 78 tackles for loss and 58 1/2 sacks in a six-year span and would be a good two-year plan for the position while younger players develop and take over.

They then land Landon Jackson of Arkansas in Round 2 at No. 41. He's another bigger defensive end who rushes the passer and stops the run at 6-7, 280. Jackson didn't excel during the Senior Bowl but that format is set up to benefit wide-nine types and stand-up edge linebackers more than it does defensive ends who line up over a tackle and both rush and stop the run. Jackson was a terror against the run and rushing the passer for Arkansas.

This fits the mold for a Dennis Allen defensive line as they always have had one 280-pound plus defensive end and one 260-270 pounds, like Sweat. The Saints never had a defensive end on the roster who was lighter than 261 pounds from 2018 until Allen was fired.

The defensive line needs to stop the run while also improving as pass rushers, and drafting Turner gives them another possible playmaker at 3-technique in Round 3. They'll hope in his third year, Pickens makes the advances they expected last year in his second season. If not, they could look for a low-level free agent the way they did last year with Chris Williams and Byron Cowart.

Most of the offseason projections see the Bears looking to fortify their edge rush and pass rush in general. The team is as concerned or even more worried about strengthening their run defense because before it went down the drain their pass rush looked sufficient last year. Then they lost the run defense with Andrew Billings' injury and the pass rush soon followed.

Reed is available for $6 million a year, according to PFF, and would be a good fit in a three-man defensive tackle rotation. He was a part-time starter last season in Seattle and would be ideal in the defensive tackle rotation to complement Billings and Gervon Dexter without taking up cap space they need at guard and center.

Linebackers

Starters: T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn

Key depth: Noah Sewell, Cody Simon (draft pick)

The big debate at this point would be whether Edmunds' big cap hit must go. He makes plays. He might be a better fit for this scheme than he was for the Tampa-2 style.  Edmunds produced four interceptions, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble in 2023. He was getting the job done but the defense's overall struggles against the run dragged down his season. His contract still has two years left on it and not one, so anticipate they'll retain him for at least a season.

Allen and Johnson both counted Bears linebackers as players who impressed them when they faced the Bears and Edmunds had the second-lowest missed tackle total of his career, so maybe the opinions that Edmunds needs to go aren't quite valid.

"The two linebackers are excellent ballplayers," Johnson said. "They're quick to diagnose and react."

Drafting Simon, the Buckeyes linebacker, would bring them someone at a higher level than their backups and also better athletically than Sanborn. He finished with 112 tackles, including 12 1/2 for loss, and was a terror in the playoffs. There is speculation he may have raised his stock from Day 3 to bottom of Day 2. The Bears might have that extra third-round pick if Ian Cunningham is hired by the Jaguars.

Secondary

Starters: Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Kyler Gordon, Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson

Key depth: Elijah Hicks, Terell Smith, Malachi Moore (draft pick), Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell

The secondary had it right last year but Byard's age and a switch in schemes can make safety a need position. Jaquan Brisker's health status also does, although they've said he's fine now. The scheme is a real concern because it calls for plenty of single safety alignment with man-to-man coverage. Is Byard going to be up for this at age 32 this year? He could be because he's always been in the best of shape, but the speed/hitting factor is going to be more extreme than when the Bears safeties played two-deep alignment extensively. Moore, the Alabama product, is projected as a possible fifth-round pick by NFL Mock Draft Database and could fit in as a 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety of the future.

They couldn't be better suited for the future at cornerback unless somone came into camp and surprised as a replacement for Jones.

Next: The dream offensive offseason

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.