Chicago Bears 2015 Position Preview: Inside Linebacker
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
DeDe Lattimore
UDFA from last season who was active for seven games last year and contributed on special teams but didn’t see any defensive snaps. Lattimore is a bit short (6’0 | 237), but was a hard-hitter in college and has experience playing in the middle of the field. In college he was stout against the run and showed good timing on blitzes, two skills that will give him a shot to make the Bears roster this season. His lack of height and just mediocre speed (4.63) could limit his effectiveness in coverage though and Lattimore will have to prove he can cover NFL tight ends to see consistent defensive snaps. Lattimore has a legit shot to earn a back-up role and could at least contribute as a run-stopper in short yardage situations.
John Timu
Smart, instinctive player who makes up for his lack of elite speed by reading plays accurately and understanding where the ball is going. Timu navigates very well in traffic with a strong punch to keep lineman off of him and the ability to shed blockers and take down the ball carrier. He is very effective between the hashes and may be one of the better run stopping ILBs on the Bears already. His tackling technique is outstanding and he rarely misses, though isn’t considered a big hitter.
Timu is also very strong in zone coverage. He’s a former high school QB and seems to have an innate ability to read opposing QB’s eyes and make plays on the ball in short-zone coverage. Timu also has better than average hands which resulted in 6 INTs in his college career. A two-time team captain, Timu was the leader of a very good Huskies defense (3 1st round picks in 2014) and his ability to read opposing formations and react accordingly could have a lot of value for a Bears team without much experience in a 3-4 scheme.
As an undrafted free agent the odds are certainly stacked against Timu, but his experience in a 3-4, elite instincts, and solid work ethic give him a shot to earn a backup ILB role. It will probably come down to special teams. The Bears ST unit was really bad last season and if Timu can be a force on coverage units he could earn a roster spot and eventually work his way into defensive snaps at ILB. New HC John Fox has mentioned the need to improve the leadership in the locker room which bodes well for a 2-time captain like Timu.
Jonathan Anderson
Rookie UDFA who was productive as a starter for TCU in 2013 (66 tackles), but TCU only uses 2 linebackers in their base 4-2-5 scheme and Anderson lost his starting job as a senior to Paul Dawson (3rd round pick, CIN). He still saw the field often as the primary back-up last year (30 tackles) but also made an impact on special teams. Anderson is a bit undersized (6’1 | 233) and struggles to shed blocks, but is one of the fastest LBs on the Bears roster with a 4.51 40-time and excels in coverage which is a question mark for most of his competition at ILB. Best case, Anderson could earn snaps as a sub-package LB on obvious passing downs. His special teams experience could pay off as well, as Anderson will have to make an impact on special teams to earn a roster spot.
Jonathan Brown
Spent most of last season on the Bears practice squad after 3 consecutive years of all-conference play for the Illini. Brown is undersized (6’0 | 238) and lacks speed (4.87) but was a very productive player in college with 3 seasons of over 100 tackles. He has very good football instincts, likes to hit, is a sure tackler and plays with a non-stop motor. Brown’s lack of size will make it hard for him to beat NFL blockers and his lack of speed could be a major problem in coverage. He’s a long shot to see any defensive snaps, but has special teams experience and could earn a role if he can make an impact on the Bears special teams unit.
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