Thread: Bears positional analysis: Linebackers

Bears positional analysis: Linebackers


By Brad Biggs

Fourth in a 10-part series

Brian Urlacher has had better seasons as the middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, but never before did he need to have a good season like he did in 2010.

The quarterback of the defense proved he could come back after missing nearly the entire 2009 season, and Urlacher returned to play at his usual high level. The proof was in the Pro Bowl selection he received, his first since 2006.

It's not surprising Urlacher rebounded like he did. Back issues plagued him in the seasons after the Super Bowl XLI appearance and Urlacher had discovered a way to manage his body entering the 2009 season. He moved fluidly during training camp and looked good in preseason. That's why it was such a stunner when a dislocated right wrist in the first half of the season opener at Green Bay ended his season.
But unlike other serious injuries that sideline a player for an entire season, the wrist wasn't a big deal once he healed from the surgery and rehabbed. When he came back this year, he moved just the way he did in the offseason the year before. He easily led the team in tackles with 146 and also had a team-high 11 tackles for loss and 13 passes defended. He added four sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and three recoveries.

His effort is certainly a good sign for the defense moving forward, even if it's an aging group. More on that in a little bit.

Roll call: Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Brian Iwuh, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Urlacher, Rod Wilson

2010 overview: While Urlacher returned to all-star form, Lance Briggs was named to the Pro Bowl for the sixth consecutive season as he continued to play at a high level despite missing the Seattle game and most of the Washington game in the middle of the season with a knee injury. Briggs remains the best outside linebacker in a 4-3 scheme in the league and hasn't shown signs of fading even though he turned 30 during the season.

While defensive end Julius Peppers revamped the defense for first-year coordinator Rod Marinelli with the impact he had on the pass rush, the strength of the unit remained the linebackers. They play fast downhill and that enabled the Bears to be the second-ranked rushing defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 90.1 yards per game. Linebackers combined to force eight fumbles.

Briggs finished second in tackles with 121 and the race would have been closer had he not missed time. As well as he and Urlacher played, multiple scouts were very impressed with the play of Pisa Tinoisamoa through the first half of the season. One suggested Tinoisamoa, a two-down player who came out for nickel back D.J. Moore in passing situations, was playing as well as anyone on the defense. It was nice to see him emerge after knee injuries cost him all but two games in 2009. But injuries again caught up with him and he missed four games and wasn't the same player in January that he was in October.

Hunter Hillenmeyer, slated to be a backup and core player on special teams, was placed on injured reserve in Week 2 after he suffered the effects of a concussion. It was a curious move because Hillenmeyer suffered the injury in preseason and there were questions about him before the start of the regular season. Still, the Bears made the decision to release Tim Shaw, a stalwart on special teams who set a franchise record with 30 tackles in 2009. With Hillenmeyer out, former Bears linebacker Rod Wilson was brought back.

One of the reasons Shaw was cut loose was because the team believed Brian Iwuh could be productive on special teams while also being better on defense. He proved to be a decent replacement for Briggs when he missed time.

Nick Roach lost out on the starting strong side job to Tinoisamoa but managed to get six starts and was valuable on special teams. He has been a solid role player.

Free agency/draft priority: While this doesn't look like a need position, it is because Urlacher, Briggs and Hillenmeyer are the only linebackers under contract for next season. Hillenmeyer's situation looks tenuous, at best, considering his history of concussions. He didn't agree with being placed on IR when he was, and the extra caution the team showed then could lead the Bears to part ways with him instead of paying him $1.8 million in 2010. What kind of decision will be made with Tinoisamoa? Urlacher turns 33 in May. Briggs is 30 and Tinoisamoa turns 30 in July. Will the Bears want to invest and roll the dice with a player who has had some durability issues? Eventually, the Bears need to get younger at this position but they haven't drafted a linebacker who has turned into a player for them since Briggs in 2003, the year before Lovie Smith arrived. The reserve linebackers are at the core of Dave Toub's special-teams unit, but with the return of a salary cap, the Bears will need to have players on their rookie contracts, especially backups.

Looking ahead: This will be a strength of the defense once again, but what path the team chooses to fill the strong side position will be interesting. It's unlikely Tinoisamoa and Roach both return. The Bears could re-sign one of them and then draft a player with an idea toward grooming someone to fill in eventually.

Bottom line: Urlacher looks to have enough spring in his legs to remain at a high level for a couple more seasons and that's a very good thing for the defense, but some fresh blood is going to be needed soon.

Next: Running backs.