State of the Chicago Bears: Defense (Part 1)
By Will DeWitt
Where does the Chicago Bears’ Defense sit heading into the 2021 offseason?
After placing together consecutive seasons inside the top-10, the Chicago Bears’ Defense took a step back in 2020. Chuck Pagano is gone, and Sean Desai is now in charge as the team’s new defensive coordinator. However, let’s assess the talent that Desai will have to work with. What are the biggest areas of need, and which positions need more attention than others?
In this episode of The Chicago Audible, Will DeWitt and Nicholas Moreano continue their annual “State of the Franchise” series where they take a deep dive into every position on the team.
This week’s show is focused on the first three defensive units: Defensive Line, Outside Linebacker and Inside Linebacker.
Take a listen as the guys share the current state of all three positional groups and begin setting the table for the biggest talking points and moves that will dominate the offseason. The guys will share the strengths and weaknesses for these positions, and what must improve in order to improve in 2021.
Additionally, they go through another round of “Pass or Play” where they determine the fate of players whose contracts are up. In this show, they discuss whether or not the Bears should re-sign: Barkevious Mingo, Josh Woods, Manti Te’o, James Vaughters, Roy Robertson-Harris, Brent Urban, Mario Edwards, and more.
The guys also dedicate some time to discuss how Eddie Goldman’s return will impact the front-seven, whether or not Bilal Nichols can take yet another step forward, what Chicago should do to keep its depth at defensive line, how much gas Akiem Hicks has left in the tank, and much more including if there’s any remaining hope for Robert Quinn to become the player the Bears thought he could be.
So how can Chicago improve its defensive production, which slipped into “average territory” last year, next season? And how should the team address some serious personnel decisions?
As always, the guys at The Chicago Audible, have you covered.
Did you miss our State of the Chicago Bears’ Offense?
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