| | By John Clayton
ESPN.com
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- Eight seasons have passed since the Chicago Bears sent a defensive player to the Pro Bowl. Talk about a "No-Name" defense. Only three starters remain from their 1997 defense; half of the departed no longer play professional football.
A franchise once known as the Monsters of the Midway has been the NFL's version of the Invisible Men. This year, judging from the sounds of the smacking of helmets and shoulder pads at Bears camp, it's appropriate to scream a warning of "It's ALIVE!"
|  | | Rookie linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) shows off his 4.4 speed in chasing down receiver Bobby Engram (81). |
Not since the 1980s has the Bears defense growled. Chicago spent a
staggering $26 million this year on four players -- defensive end Phillip Daniels, cornerback Thomas Smith, safety Shawn Wooden and rookie linebacker
Brian Urlacher.
"We've been at the bottom of the division, and for good reason," Bears coach Dick Jauron said. "I believe that we've closed that gap. How
much, I don't know."
Jauron knows defenses can't be changed overnight, so he's starting
this unit's transformation out slowly. First, he worked on the players' minds, limiting their work in pads during the first four days. On Tuesday, he started to unleash them a little at a time.
On goal-line plays, linebacker Sean Harris fired his body at backs, rejecting their attempts to score. Smith played with the same aggressive style that made him one of the AFC's best cornerbacks while with the Buffalo Bills. And Urlacher? He ran until he could find somebody to hit.
Of all the new additions, Urlacher is the one fans will watch the most closely. At New Mexico, he was a freak-like, 250-pounder who played free safety, helped the offense on pass routes and even returned punts. Jauron is making him a linebacker and eventually will move him into the legendary middle linebacker spot once ruled by Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary.
For now, Urlacher is a work in progress. It was the Bears' first day in full pads, and Urlacher was allowed to run around and hit people. Hitting them from the linebacker spot instead of the free safety position was different.
"I'm still kind of confused," Urlacher said. "Linemen get on me
so quickly. As soon as they snap the ball, linemen are on me. That's my
biggest adjustment, trying to get off the blockers. I'm going to have to use
my hands more and learn how to throw them off."
Jauron is working with Urlacher closely on getting off blocks. At
free safety, he was used to being eight to 10 yards behind the line of
scrimmage. The only initial contact he would make came when he would blitz
and bowl over offensive players.
"He's going to make some errors, but he's such a good athlete and
good football player, it makes no sense to have him watch," Jauron said.
"He's good enough as an athlete that he can make an error and recover to
make a play."
Urlacher's 4.4 speed in the 40 is evident on virtually every play he is on the
field. What's amazed some of the veterans is how quickly he has picked up
some of the schemes. Coaches tell him the beginnings of some defensive
concept and his instincts take over enough to fill in the blanks on what he
doesn't know.
|
“ |
(Urlacher) is going to make some
errors, but he's such a good athlete and good
football player, it makes no sense to have him
watch. He's good enough as an athlete that he can
make an error and recover to make a play. ” |
|
|
— Dick Jauron, Bears head coach |
If anything, Urlacher symbolizes all the Bears tried to do on
defense this offseason: speed, quickness, power. Those were the qualities
that Jauron wanted to fix on a unit that ranked 29th in the NFL last season.
"One of the things management did was go out and fix some of our
problems from last year," linebacker Barry Minter said. "Thomas Smith
gives us a physical presence at cornerback. Phillip Daniels (a 6-foot-5,
290-pound defensive end) has been improving his sack totals every season. Shawn Wooden is a tough player who is smart."
Said Jauron: "We didn't have enough playmakers, so when we played real good teams, it showed."
While the biggest question about the defense is whether it will become a
monster this year or next year, there is no questioning its speed. Smith,
Walt Harris and converted running back Jerry Azumah give the Bears plenty of speed at cornerback. Daniels should help with the pass rush. And Urlacher will run.
"The biggest thing I will have to worry about is if I get my hands on a tight end at the line of scrimmage and let him get by me," Urlacher said. "Fortunately, I have the speed to catch up, but it won't look too good."
Jauron understands that and will be patient. On paper, he agrees it might be the most improved defense in the NFL. Paper means nothing on a football field, though.
"From the start of last year to now, we've had five changes to our starting lineup on defense," Jauron said. "That's a significant number."
Perhaps the first of the group to challenge for a Pro Bowl spot is
strong safety Tony Parrish, who has been performing with quiet excellence for two years.
A jump from 29th to 15th in the defensive stats would be a nice accomplishment this season.
"That's why I can't wait to play," Jauron said, "but nobody knows what's going to happen this year."
John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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