Examining Whether Bears Pass Rush Plan Can Really Work

The potential addition of another defensive end by the Bears is no mere matter of finding a supplemental player.

The Bears have had an almost cavalier approach to the position throughout the offseason, as if they think it unimportant. Their plans for an interior rush are well thought-out and strategically sound, except there are problems here as well.

Adding two rookie defensive tackles might eventually help but it's entirely possible Zacch Pickens and Gervon Dexter need a little time to develop.

Here are the biggest problems with what they've done on the defensive line.

1. DeMarcus Walker

They've talked about Walker like he is a starter and they have had him lining up at OTAs as a starter. Yet this is a player who started 13 games in six seasons. His high for starts was six games last year in Tennessee. It's when he had a career high of seven sacks. He'd never made more than 4 1/2 in his first four years playing in Denver.

Walker might be a sack force waiting to happen, but the test of time in the league suggests otherwise. He didn't have enough playing time and couldn't break into the lineup for Denver because they had Bradley Chubb and Von Miller on the edge and at 280 he was more of a 3-4 end for them. He never had more than 4 1/2 sacks for Denver. Finally he got away from the Broncos 3-4 and as an end/3-technique with Houston in the scheme the Bears now play had two sacks.

He finally produced as a pass rusher back in a 3-4 with Tennessee last year and now is back in the 4-3 exactly like he played in with Houston when he didn't succeed.

It wouldn't be a shock if Walker can be a force off the edge. He had the second-most sacks in the country his final year at Florida State with 17.

In assessing Walker for Pro Football Focus in 2019, Daniel Rymer wrote "...DeMarcus Walker was a pass-rushing beast at Florida State. In his final college season in 2016, his pass-rushing grade of 88.2 ranked 14th out of 397 qualifying edge defenders (his primary position in college). If we consider the fact that a player’s pass-rushing grade in college is pretty good at predicting his pass-rushing grade in the NFL, then we shouldn't be surprised if Walker turns out to be a very good pass-rusher for the Broncos."

However, Four seasons in Denver and one in Houston said otherwise. Then he finally surfaced in Tennessee to some extent.

The Bears had this as a basis for a three-year, $21 million deal. This should show any small amount of pass rush ability is valued in the league.

2. Rasheem Green

He has been about as mediocre as Walker with four sacks averaged per season and only seven over his first three years. The thing with Green -- like with Walker 00 is he had 13 the last two years so it's possible he's starting to know more about pass rushing as his career has progressed. That's what happened with former Bears edge rusher Leonard Floyd, as he produced 29 sacks in three years after leaving the Bears with 18 1/2 for his first four years. Considering the spotty nature of his career so far, Green is properly paid at one year, $2.5 million, $850,000 guaranteed. He'd be a spot starter or backup who appears as part of a rush rotation.

Green has had more starting experience than Walker and played more outside than Walker with 2,142 plays over tackle or outside the tackle and just 370 as a B-gap tackle.

In Green's and Walker's cases, the Bears appear to have signed part-time type players who hit their high points last year. Whether that was part of a trend or a peak before another drop remains to be seen.

3. Trevis Gipson

In three Bears seasons he showed promise, but hasn't had a breakthrough type of year. This leaves him at at the same level of Green and Walker, if not lower. He hasn't had the versatility of Green and Walker because he hasn't been a three technique and is too small for this. This year they're looking at him on both sides of the line for the first time. Gipson had a career high of seven sacks two years ago in another system. Although he had a decent run-stopping season in 2022, he didn't finish in the pass rush with only three sacks. It's questionable whether he can retain a starting spot in a contract year.

4. Dominique Robinson

The only way to put it is Robinson vanished after his 1 1/2-sacks start. If he had a year like he had as a rookie during his third season, there's little doubt he wouldn't even be an option this season.

• No sacks after the first game

• No quarterback hits after the first game

• One tackle for loss after the first game

• A total of 23 tackles over his final 16 games.

They knew Robinson was a project and they were right. You just have to wonder if they knew how much of a project he would be.

5. Interior Rush

The idea they can get a pass rush up the middle to make their edge rushers more effective is fine if they have the interior rush men. Justin Jones' totals of nine pressures, two QB knockdowns and four hurries, to go with three sacks and seven QB hits are fine for a backup player but not the starting three technique. Then they're backing him with two rookies. If they get similar production from Jones this year, the rookies will need to play huge roles because they're expecting the interior rush to make up for their lack of edge talent.

Bottom Line

They spent on needed linebackers in free agency but for all the money they had available it seems they could have definitely found better edge rushers in free agency. Any drafted pass rusher they would bring in was going to need time to adjust to the NFL, anyway. Now they're left groveling for castoff edge rushers from the late free agent heap. Their plan of getting pressure on the interior to benefit the edges—or working inside out with the rush—had better work if they don't add another edge rusher, or they're going to need safety Jaquan Brisker leading the team in sacks again.