Oct 17, 2013; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Stephen Morris (17) and defensive lineman Olsen Pierre (91) after the game. The Miami Hurricanes defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 27-23 at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Prospects for 2015
Pierre’s best shot at making the roster rests in a mixture of his own ability and the lack of clarity with the rest of the Bears’ defensive line.
The Bears’ defensive line is rivaled only by the team’s linebacking corps as the hardest contingent to figure out on the team. The Bears have a host of players – David Bass, Jarvis Jenkins, Jamil Merrell, Cornelius Washington, Brandon Dunn, Ego Ferguson, Eddie Goldman, Jeremiah Ratliff, Will Sutton and The Swamp Monster – competing for defensive line slots, and Jared Allen, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston project as outside linebackers who occasionally will rush from a more traditional 4-3 defensive end look.
Sep 28, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Olsen Pierre (91) against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
That’s a lot of names for Pierre to wade through, but I think he has a slim shot at making the roster. Ratliff is guaranteed a starting spot if healthy, and Goldman seems likely to start or receive heavy playing time at nose tackle. The rest of those names, though, are weak. Bass is undersized. Jenkins is more of a back-up. Merrell is a non-entity. Washington projected more as a pass rushing outside linebacker coming out of college, but with the logjam there, who knows where he’ll play. Ferguson and Sutton were drafted as 4-3 defensive tackles. Dunn is nothing special, and The Swamp Monster – who I hope makes the team just so I can keep calling him that – is a nose tackle.
Opposite Ratliff, would could play defensive end or nose tackle and has a shaky injury history, the other defensive end spot is wide open, unless Houston is shifted to defensive end, as I think he should be.
None of that disheartening litany means Pierre is a lock to make the team; far from it. He actually fits right in with the ill-fitting parts that make up the Bears’ defensive line. Just from a numbers stand point, I’d guess he doesn’t make the roster, but he’s got a chance due to the confusion surrounding the defensive end position.