Bears turn to Turner
In quest for better pass rush, undrafted free agent will get shot at defensive end
In an effort to find a pass-rushing spark after Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije, Barry Turner figures to be next up.
The undrafted rookie free agent from Nebraska was promoted from the practice squad Tuesday, and that move probably wasn't made with the thought of having him watch Sunday's game against the Redskins at Soldier Field from the sideline in a sweat suit. Chances are good Turner will take the place of rookie Corey Wootton, the fourth-round pick from Northwestern, in the rotation.
The Bears have struggled finding impact, undrafted free agents in recent years, and Turner is the next to get his chance. He has the frame, at 6 foot 3, 259 pounds, and the traits coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli look for in pass rushers.
Turner had a solid outing in the exhibition finale at Cleveland with a sack and made a nice pressure and hit at San Diego. He has impressed coaches in recent weeks and it was an easy decision to have him replace Charles Grant, who was out of shape when he was signed to take the place of Mark Anderson.
While you have to simulate rushing the passer in practice, defensive line coach Eric Washington believes Turner is ready. With bag work the linemen practice all elements — get off, approach, move area and finish. They desperately are looking for something who can put that combination together in a game.
"He has tremendous athletic ability," Washington said. "He has worked extremely hard and we're anxious to see what he can do in a live situation."
Wootton got only six snaps last week against the Seahawks, one-third of his work total the week before at Carolina.
Turner might project better as a right end than Wootton, but the Bears really don't know what they have in the player scout Ted Monago discovered. Turner set a Nebraska freshman record with six sacks in 2005. He was in school five years as he got a medical redshirt as a senior with a broken leg. He had 5 1/2 sacks last year for the NCAA's No. 1 scoring and pass efficiency defense.
The Bears brought him in for a pre-draft visit, but they were the only team to show interest. One national scout said he had a knock for underachieving, but said he fits the scheme the Bears run.
"Coming from being a free agent, it's a really hard route," Turner said. "I'm here. I made it. I'm going to get an opportunity. We'll see what happens."
bmbiggs@tribune.com
