Zip City wrote:I think you're underestimating just how much they've already improved the defense over last year
They've gotten a lot of depth. No stars. I like the Lamarr Houston signing but he actually had fewer sacks than Peppers did. He can hold an edge, he spends a lot of time in the backfield but I don't see where that guy with 10-14 sacks a year is coming from. Is it a DT? Could be but that guy isn't on the roster yet. So then they signed Willie Young:
Young made 15 starts last season in Detroit, totaling 47 tackles and three sacks. Like Houston, his sack totals are far from impressive. But the Bears are gambling that they can tap into Young’s potential. And in the early parts of last season, Young showed an ability to be disruptive off the edge.
Again, disruptive isn't good enough and on most teams Young wouldn't be a starter, he might be for the Bears though. Then you have MD Jennings and Ryan Mundy who, if they're your starting safeties you're in trouble. The departed Major Wright might actually be better than Jennings. That's scary. I'm not sure where you see the improvement so far. Houston is younger than an aging Peppers without the huge cap hit, and he probably holds an edge better than Peppers but that's an incremental improvement. Young is a project with talent but he was a 7th round draft pick, his ceiling is only so high. That all being said the moves have been absolutely what they needed to do and the re-signing of DJ Williams might be the best move of all because Jon Bostic looked like a bust and who the hell knows what Shea McClellin is going to look like at linebacker. Now it's said that Bostic is really a weak side linebacker but he will compete with McLellin at strong side and maybe move over to the weak side next year replacing Briggs. Again, if healthy, Williams could be the saving grace. I haven't even mentioned Briggs who when he came back was fat and bad. I'm assuming he'll be in shape for camp but he's hardly a given at his age.
So again, they do have more depth but they need stars. Honestly they need a impact safety immediately, probably a corner who can spell Tillman when his inevitable injuries happen, and as of right now they have no natural 3 technique DE. I do think they can get some of those positions filled in the draft but Emery has yet to show he can draft defense so who can say they will? Are they better than last year? They're going in with the same two CB's, basically the same linebackers, two new DE's one of whom probably won't start (Young) and don't forget they probably won't re-sign Corey Wooten who actually played well at end before he was moved inside and pretty much sucked, although the effort was there. Are they better? I don't think so but the draft will the tell the tale.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved