Thread: Bears positional analysis: Defensive line

Bears positional analysis: Defensive line

Second of a 10-part series

A strong case can be made that Julius Peppers had the most dominant season by a Bears defensive lineman since the heyday of the 1985 Super Bowl champions.

In that era, Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael were at the core of one of the best lines the NFL has seen, at least in the Super Bowl era. Peppers didn't do it alone, but he didn't have any teammates this season that are going to vie for a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day like he potentially will if he continues to play at a high level.

The eight sacks Peppers had don't tell the story of his play. It's the second-fewest he has had in a season in the last seven years. Now you know what former defensive coordinator Greg Blache meant when he said sacks don't matter. Peppers would have liked to have had a few more, and it was a little surprising to see him get only two through the first nine games, but no one was complaining about his performance through the first two months of the season.
He consistently handled double-teams and played the run at a high level. The whispers when he left Carolina were that he took plays off but if that was an issue with the Panthers, it wasn't after he signed his record-setting Bears contract that included $40 million guaranteed. Free-agent fixes are difficult to find and for a Who's Who of misses, look at some of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder's big-dollar busts in recent history, including $100 million defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, the top dog in free agency from the previous year. But general manager Jerry Angelo rolled the dice here and he hit.

Now, the Bears will look for a new position coach for the group after Eric Washington departed Monday to take the same position with the Carolina Panthers. For him, it was an opportunity to spread his wings after working two seasons with Rod Marinelli.

Roll call: Anthony Adams, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Henry Melton, Julius Peppers, Matt Toeaina, Corey Wootton

2010 overview: The biggest question for the line entering the season -- and maybe the most pressing issue for the defense as a whole -- was whether the Bears could find someone capable of taking advantage of the solo blocks on the opposite side of Peppers. The safety position was a bigger question for the defense, but you can't underestimate the need on the line. Mark Anderson was given first crack at the job and he got the start in the season opener against the Detroit Lions. Rather than perpetuate a mistake like the team did with Anderson in the past, when it became apparent he wasn't fitting in, they released him Oct. 5. He was expendable because one-time utility lineman Israel Idonije had nailed down the job.

The only player who has been moved around more on defense during the Lovie Smith era has been defensive back Danieal Manning. But Idonije possesses the ability to do more than just reshape his body as needed for a move from tackle to end or vice versa. It's probably not fair to call him a late bloomer at 30 because he didn't have the opportunity before. He was used as a role player and was valuable in that role, also performing well on special teams. He was a solid two-way end and it mitigated the loss of Alex Brown, who was released for financial reasons after the Peppers signing. Idonije filled the role well.

It was interesting to hear the Green Bay Packers praise the play of nose tackle Anthony Adams prior to the NFC Championship Game. It was also very telling. By nature, the position doesn't produce much in the way of statistics, but he proved long ago to be a shrewd free-agent signing. Adams is a dependable and durable two-down performer and quietly he's one of the real leaders in the locker room, making him a priority to re-sign as he's an unrestricted free agent.

The talk of Peppers' arrival impacting Tommie Harris was just that -- talk. Harris was limited to six starts as Matt Toeaina took over the role for the majority of the season. At 27, he's not the same player he once was and he won't be again. But just as the former first-round draft pick did a year ago, he showed signs of being a disruptive force down the stretch. Is it a sign that Harris is finally coming on? It's unlikely the Bears will view it that way, as they did after the 2009 season. Harris believes he has quality football left in him. Where he plays it remains to be seen.

If Marcus Harrison, a third-round pick in 2008, was a disappointment in 2009, he was a dud this season. He dressed for only five games and while he was used some at end, it looks like he's near the end of the line. He has had difficulty getting in shape and you have to wonder if he'll be like many picks before him who hung around for too long. He could be given a training camp to prove himself or else.

Henry Melton emerged as a contributor from the 2009 draft class and showed well in some situational pass-rushing situations. He has the versatility to play inside and outside and the Bears have to be looking for him to make a significant jump into next season. The same goes for fourth-round draft pick Corey Wootton, who earned playing time at the end of the season and likely will be a trivia-question answer as the last player to sack Brett Favre and end his career.

By the numbers: Harris is owed a $2.5 million roster bonus in June and has a $500,000 workout bonus, meaning the Bears will have to pay him $3 million before the first snap of the 2011 season to keep him. With the expected return of a salary cap, that will be difficult for the organization to justify based on his performance over the previous two seasons. I can't remember a practice Harris missed during the season, and if there were any it wasn't more than a couple. So health -- at least in terms of being available for practice -- wasn't an issue. There were no complaints about his work ethic either. It's performance related.

Free agency/draft priority: You're not going to find a draft where Angelo isn't putting a priority on defensive linemen. It's a way of doing business for him and there are two areas of need. Melton and Toeaina should get a shot at taking over the three-technique position, but a young player to groom there will always be something to watch for simply because it's the signature position of the defense. A situational pass rusher is also a need because Melton and Wootton haven't proved they're consistent enough. But overall this is a medium priority shading toward low. Consider, though, that the Bears have selected an end in eight of nine drafts under Angelo. There is no such thing as having too many pass rushers.

Player to watch: Melton is the most intriguing player and maybe the one unknown that can make the greatest impact. Depending on what they want to do with him -- he split time between tackle and end -- he could lock down a starting tackle job and replace Harris or become the situational pass rusher that has been missing since Anderson disappeared after his 12-sack season in 2006. Melton is explosive and has the natural raw tools you look for in an edge rusher. He could make the middle rounds of the 2009 draft, which also produced wide receiver Johnny Knox and nickel back D.J. Moore, really special. Or he could fade into obscurity like so many other young players have when their moment to grow has arrived. He's an exciting option and it will be interesting to see how he looks when the offseason ends.

Looking ahead: Peppers made such a major impact on the line that it's fair to assume he will be dominant again in 2011. For the Bears to be better, they need to find a situational pass rusher than can add pile up some statistics in third-and-long situations. Replacing Harris, if he departs, won't be as big of an issue simply because they made the first step this season by changing his role so dramatically.

Bottom line: The front will drive the defense again in 2011, making the additions of Marinelli and Peppers in consecutive years look like the top free-agent additions Smith hailed them to be.

Next: Offensive line.