What more DBs on the field could mean to Bears defensive scheme

"And I think I said this the other day, our job as coaches is to find the best 11 to give us the best opportunity to play successful defense, whatever that package is. Is it three linebackers, is it two linebackers, is it five DBs, six DBs, and that could vary from week to week?"

Asked about the dime usage, Edmunds had Edwards on his mind. The Bears weakside linebacker comes out when the sixth defensive back comes on the field.

"I’m a linebacker, man," Edmunds said. "I want my other linebacker on the field with me."

No doubt Edwards would appreciate the support, but like Allen said, nothing is set as far as the Bears using the scheme a great deal. But they've used it so much in training camp you get the idea they must have this highly placd in their plans.

"It’s a different personnel (group), something we have under our belt," Edmunds said. "If we need to use it, we can use it.

"I’m pretty sure my guy T (Edwards) wants to be out there, too. That’s football. Obviously it’s a matchup type of game. Whatever coaches think is the best matchup, they’ll put us in positions to make the best plays. We’ve got a lot of different guys that can play a lot of different positions. It just gives somebody else an opportunity to come out there and play a position. Whether it’s dime, whether it’s nickel, I’ve got extreme trust in whoever’s out there."

Then again, maybe sometimes it would be Edmunds coming off the field, instead. The two linebackers have switched positions at times in OTAs and training camp. If Edmunds was weakside, he'd come off.

"That’s out of my control," Edmunds said. "I’m gonna do whatever they put me out there (for). Whatever position is out there, whatever they want me to play, I’m going to do my thing. I’m going to leave it up to the coaches."

It likely would be Edmunds in the middle because the flipping is aimed at bolstering their flexibility for depth purposes. If that's the case, they're taking one of the best linebackers in the league off the field.

While Edmunds admits there is merit to the dime packages, they also can leave the Bears exposed against running gams and in the screen game. Tight end screens to bigger receivers, in particular, can flourish against a six-DB package.

"Whichever one coach thinks is best for us on that particular play or that particular series, I’m all for," Edmunds said. "It just gives us the flexibility to do different things. We have different calls in certain personnel groupings. Whatever one that he calls, I know we’ve got the guys that can get it done."

It's all a part of the cat-and-mouse game between offense and defense evolving the way it has over the years in the NFL.

When passing games were on the rise over the past decade, the dime packages seemed a good way to cope with them. This especially seemed the case prior to last year.

However, Saquon Barkley's big year and the return of running games to prominence might just force some teams to shelve that dime look in favor of a more traditional two-linebacker nickel scheme on third down or in passing situations.

Perhaps Edwards and Edmunds can rest easy as they don't rest on the side. It doesn't seem like the wisest use of defensive personnel to settle on six defensive backs when the one thing the Bears defense must prove after last year is they can stop the run again. Their collapse to 28th in the league last year led to a major part of their downfall after a 4-2 start.