Whether the Chicago Bears add another pass rusher or not, defensive end DeMarcus Walker wants to be the leader of the group.
When talking about the needs the Chicago Bears still have, pass rusher is at the top of the list. Last season, the Bears were awful at getting to the quarterback. Not only did they struggle to sack quarterbacks, but they also struggled to touch them. They ranked at or near the bottom in quarterback hurries and quarterback hits.
Fans and analysts expected general manager Ryan Poles to address that area. Poles had the highest amount of salary cap space in the league, nearly $100 million. He also had 10 picks in the draft.
However, Poles avoided the pass rusher spot. He signed DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green. However, he decided to load up on defensive tackle in the draft instead of picking up a pass rusher.
The thought around the league is that the Chicago Bears still have a need at pass rusher. Walker, Green, Trevis Gipson, and Dominique Robinson apparently are not enough.
Even head coach Matt Eberflus stated that the team was looking for another pass rusher.
That is one position we are looking at and potentially we could get that done.
No matter who is added, Walker wants to be the leader
Whether the Bears add a pass rusher or not, Walker wants to show everyone that he is the leader of the group. He seems comfortable to take on that role.
Walker has been vocal during OTAs and in the recently completed mandatory minicamp. He won’t shy away from talking. All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson likes the energy Walker gives off.
D-Walk is high energy. He’s gonna call you out. Just (to) have a guy like that, first year, don’t care about the face, just comes in, he loves football and he’s ready to call guys out, hold guys accountable.
One of the things missing from the Chicago Bears is accountability. If a player messed up there wasn’t anyone there to call him out on it.
We saw a lot of that under former head coach Matt Nagy. There was an increase in not only the number of personal fouls but the timing of them. Many times we saw the defense make a big stop on third down or force a turnover, only to have it reversed because of a personal foul or even a regular penalty.
Under Eberflus, though, that changed. After ranking among the most-penalized teams the past several seasons, the Bears ranked fifth in fewest penalties in 2022.
The defense still needs the player on the field to be vocal both on good and bad plays. Walker will be that player. He signed a three-year, $21 million deal so he’ll be around for a while. It’s his fourth team in four seasons so he feels comfortable knowing he’ll be in Chicago for multiple seasons.
Additionally, as I mentioned there are new young players in the middle of the defensive line. While there will be more depth and talent there, they are young. Someone like Walker can mentor them. That relationship is critical for the pass rush to excel. If the guys in the middle do their jobs the pass rushers will have an easier job of getting to the quarterback.
Walker doesn’t care about how bad the Bears were in 2022. This is a new year so whatever happened is in the past.
Forgot about that crap. Man, honestly (after) the first few weeks, you see what we’re working with, what’s the cause of that. But this is the 2023 Chicago Bears. We’ve got a whole new identity…that’s going out there willing to fight and lead…Last year’s done.
Whatever the Chicago Bears do between now and Week 1, Walker will prevail as the leader of the group. He brings accountability back among the players and will always have them up for any challenge this season.
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