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With free agency and the NFL draft completed, the core of the Chicago Bears 2015 roster is in place. There may be an undrafted player who makes the team via mini-camp, like RB Senorise Perry and CB Al Louis-Jean did last year, or a free agent signing of a cap casualty late in the preseason, but for the most part the roster is in place. Over the next few weeks I will be breaking down the Bears depth chart at every position.
I was tempted to combine DT/DE for this position preview since plenty of the Bears defensive linemen will play both inside and out, but I will focus on the players who will primarily play defensive end. Jay Ratliff is a tough case, since he was projected to start at NT, but after the release of DE Ray McDonald he may end up starting at left DE, so I included him under both positions. The Bears just aren’t deep enough at DE to not have Ratliff start there. His versatility is a huge plus for the Bears who have almost all untested players behind Ratliff and Jarvis Jenkins at DE. The Bears have a few young players who could step into the 5-tech DE role, but most likely Ratliff and Jenkins will be the starters and handle the majority of the snaps.
There are rumors that the Bears may ask Lamarr Houston to play DE, but despite being listed at 300 pounds Houston hasn’t weighed that much since his rookie season in 2010. Last season Houston was playing at 265-270 before he got hurt so there is little chance he can get to the 285-290 range ideal for a 3-4 DE. Veteran Jared Allen could maybe play the 5-tech on obvious passing downs, but will most likely only play DE when the Bears switch to a 4 man front.
Position Previews: QB | RB | WR | OT | OG | C | TE | DT | DE
2015 Bears DE Depth Chart:
Projected Starters
Jay Ratliff
Lost in the Bears disastrous 5-11 season last year was the Pro Bowl caliber play of veteran DT Jay Ratliff. According to Pro Football Focus, Ratliff was the 6th best DT in the NFL last season with a 20.5 overall grade. He had 7 sacks in just 11 games including a 4 sack game against the Dolphins in which he was unblockable. Ratliff will be 34 years old by the time the season starts, so the Bears shouldn’t expect too much from Ratliff but he has the most experience in a 3-4 scheme on the defense. He made 4 consecutive Pro Bowls as a NT in a 3-4 scheme with the Cowboys (08-11), that Ratliff has said is very similar to Fangio’s scheme. It’s actually more of a 3-4 / 4-3 hybrid popularized by Wade Phillips on the Cowboys squads that Ratliff was a part of. Ratliff is probably best suited at DT, but after McDonald being released Ratliff is clearly the best possible option at DE. The Bears need to be careful not to overwork Ratliff due to his advanced age and injury risk, but he should be able to make sure his D-linemates know what they are supposed to do. Ratliff also has the size and versatility to play either NT or LE and should spend plenty of time at both this season. Hopefully a few young players will step up at both NT & DE to give Ratliff enough breathers to keep him healthy all season.
Jarvis Jenkins
Jenkins, 27, has started 33 games for the Redskins with 58 tackles and 5 sacks over the last three seasons. It’s misleading to judge a 3-4 defensive end by his stats, as his main responsibility is to take on double teams and free up linebackers to make plays. At 6’4, 310 pounds Jenkins has good size for the position and has been a solid run stopper for most of his career. Jenkins did struggle last year, according to Pro Football Focus, coming off his worst season as a pro with the 3rd worst grade in the NFL among 3-4 DEs (-16.8). Despite his low grade, the Bears need size and depth at the defensive end position and the 1-year, veteran minimum contract they signed Jenkins for carries no risk if he doesn’t play well or the Bears find a better player elsewhere. With the release of Ray McDonald, the Bears need Jenkins more than ever and he’s almost a lock for a starting gig at RE unless a younger player like Sutton or Ferguson make a significant leap.