| Biggs: Breaking down Bears' defensive tackles
Biggs: Breaking down Bears' defensive tackles
brad biggs
Part 4 of a 12-part series
There are a couple things that make the idea that Lovie Smith could turn to Rod Marinelli to be his next defensive coordinator interesting.
The first is that Marinelli might not be interested in that role. He turned down a chance to go to the Seattle Seahawks as a defensive coordinator last season, and his agent Frank Bauer (who also happens to represent Smith) said last week at the Senior Bowl that he didn't think it was a job Marinelli wanted.
Also consider that Marinelli was hired a year ago by Smith to fix the defensive line. A strong case can be made that the job hasn't been completed. Now, Marinelli can only work with the talent that he has, but the Bears still are not where they need to be on the line. Taking the man Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo widely believe to be the best line coach in the league away from that task could raise more questions about the defense.
Photo: Marcus Harrison could be the key to the Bears' improvement on the defensive line. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty)
It all starts at the point of attack, and with that in mind we present the fourth installment of a 12-part daily breakdown of the roster.
Defensive tackles
Roll Call: Anthony Adams, Dusty Dvoracek, Jarron Gilbert, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Henry Melton, Matt Toeaina.
2009 overview: Here's one of the most common things said about the defense over the last two-plus years: If Tommie Harris can regain his Pro Bowl form, it will instantly make the rest of the defense better. If, if, if. It's unrealistic to think Harris will be the player the Bears were banking on when they signed him to a $40 million extension two years ago, a contract that has an actual value that is considerably lower. Now, that's not saying Harris was ineffective last season. In the second half of the season he was more consistent and showed more than occasional flashes of being a disruptive force in the middle of the defense. The problem for Harris, who had arthroscopic knee surgery last spring, was that it took so long to get to that point. There was an awkward benching by Smith in late October at Cincinnati, but Harris was better the rest of the way. Not a Pro Bowl player, but better.
Harrison's season can only be classified as disappointing. He showed up at training camp so out of shape that the team placed him on the non-football injury list until he could get his act together. The Bears talked about Harrison having a first-round grade when they found him in the third round in 2008. If that's the true grade they had on him, then he has badly underachieved. The hope was he could be paired next to Harris as a nose tackle, but he was inconsistent. Anthony Adams was the most consistent and best interior lineman, but given the way he has been treated, expect the Bears to look for an upgrade again. Dvoracek never could provide it and now he's done, out of contract and facing a legal issue in Oklahoma after an alleged drunken incident. Never mind that he never has been able to stay healthy. Idonije turned in a solid season on the inside. Gilbert never really got a chance and neither did Melton. Toeaina was around for depth and rarely had an opportunity.
By the numbers: Doubting the productivity of Adams? He led all linemen with 42 tackles, a distinction that previously has belonged to Adewale Ogunleye or Alex Brown. He made seven tackles for loss, tying him with Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs behind Harris (10) and linebacker Nick Roach (10).
Free agency/draft priority: This depends on what the team decides to do with Gilbert and Melton. If one or both wind up playing end, there is going to be a need for some depth. Dvoracek will not be back. Toeaina is probably a toss-up. The Bears could bring him back, but they haven't played him so why not look for a new part?
Player to watch: Harrison. Sure, Harris is the one who can make the defense go as the under tackle, but Harrison is entering his third season and it's time for the light to turn on. The problem is he has some knee issues that haven't been as well-documented as the one that Harris deals with. The Bears have got themselves into a real mixed bag with some players who have physical limitations. Harrison needs to prove he can be a reliable starter. If he doesn't, his future with the organization can't be long. He's going to be on the hot spot to improve.
Looking ahead: Harris reminded everyone at the end of 2009 that he will be surgery-free this off-season for the first time in three years. That's significant because he hopefully will arrive in training camp fresh and ready to go. Still, the Bears have to be smart with how they use him. He's the motor to the defense.
Bottom line: It's unrealistic to expect the kind of production Marinelli got from his line in Tampa Bay here. The Bears don't have the same personnel and the man can only work with what he has. Still, the Bears have to be much better on the defensive line to make the scheme work and prevent Mike Martz and Jay Cutler from feeling like they have to score 30 points every week.
Next: Wide receivers.
 | 
Linear Mode
