We at Bear Goggles On have decided to count down the days until the Chicago Bears’ regular season opener on September 13th against their arch-rivals, the Green Bay Packers. As of today, there are 92 days until the big day, giving us a reason to give you a profile on the Bears’ biggest free agent acquisition this off season, #92 Pernell McPhee.
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With a new look coaching staff, things are changing at Halas Hall. The Bears’ offense under head coach John Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase will certainly look a little bit different, but nothing compared to the changes to the defense under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
As you know, under Fangio, the Bears are transitioning to a 3-4 defense. With a roster full of players who are probably best suited to be a part of a 4-3 defense, the Bears needed to find players this off season who can help ease this transition. Enter McPhee, who the Bears signed to a five-year free agent contract worth nearly $39 million dollars right at the beginning of the free agent period.
The 26-year-old McPhee spent the first four years of his career with the Baltimore Ravens, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. McPhee had a lot of success with the Ravens, but only started in six games in those four years. While he was primarily a back-up player, McPhee grew into one of the most important players on the Ravens’ defense.
McPhee has a great combination of size (6-foot-2, 274 pounds), speed, strength and athleticism that made him an absolute weapon in the Ravens’ 3-4 defense. They were able to line him up all over the field, as his array of skills allowed the Ravens to use McPhee as a weapon in many different ways.
While he was primarily listed as a defensive lineman (playing both DE and nose tackle), McPhee was also the primary back-up for Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil at the outside linebacker positions, and even saw some time at inside linebacker. McPhee has incredible versatility and shines as performer in the 3-4 defense. He is exactly what the Bears needed in this defensive transition.
What to Expect from Pernell McPhee in 2015
Right now, the Bears list McPhee as a linebacker. With his obvious pass rushing skills, I expect that means that they are going to primarily line him up as an outside pass rushing linebacker. That being said, the Bears’ defense is not exactly loaded with talent, and they have very few talented players who are best suited for the 3-4. When it comes down to it, I expect McPhee to play a lot of roles in the Bears’ defense.
He finished last season with 7.5 sacks in his part-time role, so I think 12-14 sacks is realistic if he is primarily a pass rusher. He has a natural pass rushing skill-set that allows him to get consistent pressure on the quarterback. Along with McPhee, the Bears actually have some nice outside pass rush options with guys like Willie Young, Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen and others.
Oct 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Willie Young (97) tackles Atlanta Falcons quarterback
Matt Ryan(2) after a short gain as defensive end Lamarr Houston (99) pursues in the fourth quarter of their game at the Georgia Dome. The Bears won 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
If the other pass rushers can transition to Fangio’s 3-4 defense well, it could allow McPhee to use his versatility to help the team in other ways.
McPhee does have some nice skills against the run, so I would not be surprised to see him getting time at defensive end or even inside linebacker. That may hurt his raw numbers a bit, but it would allow McPhee to make even more of an impact for the Bears.
Now that a team has finally committed to him in a full-time role, McPhee has a chance to be a star. He has a ton of talent, and he is obviously going to get the opportunity. He is arguably the most important player on the Bears’ defense, and I would not be surprised if he ends up being the best player on that side of the ball this season as well.
Next: Breaking Down the Bears Roster: Willie Young