This is something I don't recall seeing last year.  We have Isaiah Irving, an OLB, lined up very wide in coverage responsibility yet he blitzes off the edge.  Meanwhile Kylie Fitts drops into coverage on a TE.   I realize this is all backups but with Lynch hobbled again on his 3rd injury since signing with the Bears (he seems destined to take McPhee's place) these two are the leading replacements.  Fitts is clearly comfortable in his backpedal and cutting underneath the route.  Irving adjusts into a Wide 9 alignment before the snap but is too easily pushed around the QB, of course they aren't in pads.   Fangio appears to be mixing it up a bit with the younger and faster OLBs.  

https://twitter.com/i/status/1021394079672930304

I can see a lot more looks this year, especially with the team not really addressing the opposite OLB slot from Floyd. I hope one of them stick, but it would be harder to scheme against if you don't know who is coming. I think that was the problem with Young/Houston, etc. They were pretty one dimensional, but if we can have different guys blitzing without losing coverage, that will make us that much harder to play against.

I like Fitts and I hope he sticks.

I just want to remind everyone that all base defenses, 3-4 or 4-3 rush 4 on a base defense.

SO if Floyd is usually going to be that 4th guy, the pass rushing of the other outside linebacker is less important.

If you're going to blitz, or bring someone unexpected, it could just as easily come from the middle.

Im not saying that the other OLB wont rush the passer, he will, but the two OLB positions are not interchangeable, and the one opposite Floyd will do a lot more coverage and run support than pass rushing. And they'll be off the field in Nickle, Dime and 3rd down anyway.

The guy opposite Lawrence Taylor was not another Lawrence Taylor.

I think Lynch ends up not making the team, I do not remember if they gave him any guaranteed money or not. I think when R. Smith gets on the field he will be a regular blitzes. Also they will have some blitzes coming from the S position. So they will be creative with their sacks if they are limited to Floyd as the only true pass rusher from OLB.

7 hours ago, Stinger226 said:

I think Lynch ends up not making the team, I do not remember if they gave him any guaranteed money or not. I think when R. Smith gets on the field he will be a regular blitzes. Also they will have some blitzes coming from the S position. So they will be creative with their sacks if they are limited to Floyd as the only true pass rusher from OLB.

Lynch signed for 1 year, 4 million, with 1.25 guaranteed.  He is by far the 2nd most established pash rushing OLB on the team.  Granted—that ain’t saying much.  He’s competing with guys named Fitts and Irving while Floyd is an injury risk.

What Bears Fan NYC says is true—the 2nd OLB is less important.  That being said, he still needs to be a threat to sack the QB.  Sam Acho has had 4 sacks in 3 seasons with the Bears.  He’s not a threat.  

17 minutes ago, bradjock said:

Lynch signed for 1 year, 4 million, with 1.25 guaranteed.  He is by far the 2nd most established pash rushing OLB on the team.  Granted—that ain’t saying much.  He’s competing with guys named Fitts and Irving while Floyd is an injury risk.

What Bears Fan NYC says is true—the 2nd OLB is less important.  That being said, he still needs to be a threat to sack the QB.  Sam Acho has had 4 sacks in 3 seasons with the Bears.  He’s not a threat.  

yup.

no team is without holes, and our defensive roster is looking better than it has in a long time.

We could still use a good DE, and of course an all pro at almost any position, including OLB.

I think next year we will have a complete defensive roster, but Fangio has enough to work with now too.

 

1 hour ago, BearFan NYC said:

yup.

no team is without holes, and our defensive roster is looking better than it has in a long time.

We could still use a good DE, and of course an all pro at almost any position, including OLB.

I think next year we will have a complete defensive roster, but Fangio has enough to work with now too.

 

Does he have enough to work with?  We had a top 10 defense last year.  But we had a top 10 defense before Trestman took over.  That demise can easily be blamed to the change in defensive personnel.  But it also had to do with our fast paced offense.  

Fox was super conservative.  Run.  Run.  Pass.  Punt.  4th and inches?  Punt.  Milk the clock.  This helped our defense a ton. 

This year everyone’s thrilled that we return our entire defensive back-field . . . That had 8 interceptions and few forced turnovers.  We rely on our OLB’ers to generate pressure, and they are an unproven bunch.  The only proven star of the defense is Akiem Hicks—every time I see him in a highlight real I swear he’s going to blow out his knee.  

 

They should resign Willie Young.  He is still out there.  

Peace

39 minutes ago, Connorbear said:

They should resign Willie Young.  He is still out there.  

Peace

Young or Lamar Houston. Houston actually was getting to the QB in his limited time late last year. Hard not to like Young though.

I’m totally waiting for us to sign Willie Young.  I’m thinking he’s not ready to practice yet.  The only other possibility is that we genuinely believe we have something in some of our young guys.  Although—I’m highly skeptical about this. 

Houston did look good with the Bears at the end of the year.  But he was cut by the Bears.  Cut by the Texans.  Then the Bears have no interest in signing him.  I suspect his career is over.