Great Compeition on Dline...............
August 18, 2011
Competition fueling deep D-line
By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 8/18/2011 7:44 PM
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – The Bears were pleased with how starting defensive linemen Julius Peppers, Israel Idonije, Anthony Adams and Matt Toeaina performed last season.
But that didn’t keep them from bolstering the position by selecting Stephen Paea in the second round of the draft and signing free agents Amobi Okoye and Vernon Gholston, a pair of former top-10 picks.
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Amobi Okoye is competing for playing time at the three technique position in camp.Okoye, Paea, and veterans Marcus Harrison and Tank Tyler are challenging for playing time at tackle behind Adams and Toeaina, while Gholston, rookie Mario Addison and second-year pro Nick Reed are battling for reps at end behind Peppers and Idonije.
“One thing I really like is the competition,” defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said Thursday at training camp. “It’s day-to-day. They’re breathing on each other’s necks, and they should be. It’s a bunch of good talented men in there.”
Even a veteran like Peppers has noticed the impact the new players have made on the defensive line.
“I think we could be great,” Peppers said. “If everybody continues to work and continues to grind like we have been doing, the sky’s the limit for this group because we have so much depth and so many guys who can play.”
Okoye joined the Bears July 30 after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Houston Texans. He recorded 138 tackles and 11 sacks in 62 games after arriving as the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft.
The 6-2, 315-pounder possesses the ideal speed and quickness to play the three technique position in the Bears defense, and he displayed those traits while recording two sacks in last Saturday’s preseason opener.
“You can see the movement, especially the feet,” Marinelli said. “He’s got acceleration. I think you saw that a little bit last week. He made a nice move. Now it’s just about the day-to-day grind. That’s what this whole thing’s about; the toughness of mind to play this system. He’s coming along well.”
Marinelli expects Okoye to continue to perform on a consistent basis. “It’s every day,” Marinelli said. “The routine is a grind and you’ve just got to respond to change. Things may change, but we don’t, and that’s what you learn as you get going. I like how he’s working so far.”
Gholston signed with the Bears July 29 after playing his first three NFL seasons with the New York Jets. The 6-3, 260-pounder was released in March after failing to record a sack while appearing in 45 games.
“I think he’s gotten better,” Marinelli said. “It’s not the gigantic leap. It’s the small things from maybe his takeoff to what he’s looking at to getting to an edge. I thought his best day of practice was [Wednesday]. He’s progressing and you just stay positive with him, keep working with him, believing in him and it’ll come.”
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Paea also is improving while getting reps at both the three technique and nose tackle positions. “The first three days of the week I really saw a nice job, especially his take off and his pad level is coming around," Marinelli said. "He did some solid things in the game.
"For a short guy, he still stands up. So we’ve got to get his pads down a little bit. But he’s gotten to the good stuff. He’s a tough, tough guy and works. He’s a real good worker, so I enjoy that.”
