Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff (90) against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The Lions defeated the Bears 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has quite a rebuilding project on his hands. In the next phase of our Chicago Bears Roster Review, we look at the players who are currently on the Bears roster. We’ll look back at their 2014 season and look ahead to how they might fit into the team’s plans in 2015.
Jeremiah Ratliff, DT, 33
2014 Review
2014 was a mixed bag for Jeremiah Ratliff. Despite injuries limiting him to 11 games last season, he was still able to record 6.5 sacks and looked like the Bears’ best defensive lineman at times. He showed he could still be downright dominant at times, even though he was in his 11th year as a pro. Jeremiah Ratliff was sorely missed during his injury, not only for his aforementioned ability to get after opposing quarterbacks, but he was pretty stout against the run as well.
Jeremiah Ratliff joined the Bears in November of 2013, after being waived by the Dallas Cowboys less than a month earlier. It didn’t take long for his presence to be felt, as he wound up playing in 5 contests that season and starting 4. Despite learning a new scheme late in the season, Jeremiah Ratliff was still able to tally 1.5 sacks that season. The Bears resigned him to a 2 year contract just prior to Free Agency last year, and he is signed through the 2015 season.
2015 Outlook
I’m not sure where Jeremiah Ratliff fits into Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme, but I am sure he’ll fit somewhere. Conventional wisdom says that he will likely hold down the nose tackle position in the new 30 front, a position where he excelled and made 4 Pro Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys prior to joining the Bears. Jeremiah Ratliff is getting a bit long in the tooth and I think his Pro Bowl days are almost certainly behind him, but I think he should be able to put together one more solid season and provide the Bears with a decent stop-gap for 2015. Any predictions beyond that get more than a little bit hazy. The biggest concern for me is his ability to stay healthy for all 16 games, which he has struggled to do so far in his brief Bears tenure. Jeremiah Ratliff’s recent injury history makes depth an obvious concern, but the Bears should still be able to address that in the tail end of Free Agency and/or the upcoming NFL Draft.
What do you guys think? Does Jeremiah Ratliff have one more year left in the tank? Where does he fit in the new defensive scheme? Can he stay healthy for all 16 games? Let me know in the Comments…