New Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai and his revamped coaching staff — which only returns secondary coach Deshea Townsend — will get their first chance to work with players on the field this weekend at rookie minicamp.
Desai and his position coaches — including Townsend, defensive line coach Chris Rumph, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey and inside linebackers coach Bill McGovern — spoke with the media Wednesday about the state of the defense following the draft.
Here are four things we learned in advance of their lone opportunity to convene before organized team activities begin later this month.
1. Defensive coordinator Sean Desai said the Bears like the depth of players they have at cornerback as the competition begins to fill two open positions.
Among the biggest stories on the Bears defense leading up to the season opener Sept. 12 will be who is going to replace veteran cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine, who were salary-cap casualties this offseason. The pair had a combined 16 seasons and 247 games of experience between them.
Eight-year NFL veteran Desmond Trufant, who was hampered by injuries the last two seasons, is among the leading candidates to fill the outside spot opposite Jaylon Johnson. Desai said second-year cornerback Kindle Vildor, a fifth-round pick out of Georgia Southern in 2020, proved he belonged in the NFL in limited reps last season and will be given a chance to compete both at the outside and nickel openings.
Tre Roberson and Artie Burns, who both suffered injuries before the regular season started last year, Duke Shelley, who saw some time at nickel last year, and 2021 sixth-round pick Thomas Graham Jr. are among the others slated to compete. The Bears also still could sign another player to add to the mix, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reporting this week the team checked in on free agent Steven Nelson.
“We’ve got enough depth where we’ll be able to solve that problem,” Desai said. “It’s a good problem to have because when it’s an open competition I think you get the best out of all the players on your roster.”
Secondary coach Deshea Townsend also noted Vildor performed well in one regular-season and one postseason start last year.
“If the expectation of Jaylon from Year 1 to Year 2 is high, you expect the same thing from him,” Townsend said. “The things that makes it great about that kid, Kindle, is how he works. He’s always texting asking about ball. So it means a lot to him.”
2. The coaches are eager to get nose tackle Eddie Goldman back on the field.
Eddie Goldman opted out of the 2020 season with a high-risk designation for COVID-19, but the Bears expect his return this season.
They’re getting back a player who has started 63 games in five seasons and was named a Pro Bowl alternate in 2019. The 6-foot-3, 318-pound Goldman has 153 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 12 1/2 sacks and 20 quarterback hits in his career.
“Obviously, to get a guy who has some proven history in this league and played at a high level, that is exciting for all of us,” Desai said. “Again, we’ve got to make sure he gets back and we see him play football because none of us have seen him play football in a year.”
The Bears stayed in contact with Goldman while he was away, but new defensive line coach Chris Rumph said he is ready to get to know him in person.
“Hopefully with Eddie Goldman it’s like riding a bike,” Rumph said. “He’ll just pick it back up and start pedaling again. He probably won’t be able to pop any wheelies right now, but eventually he will be able to pop some wheelies. So I’m just excited to get him back in the building.”
The Bears also drafted nose tackle Khyiris Tonga in the seventh round this year as depth on a defensive line that includes returning starters Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols.
3. Desai hopes the relationship between safeties Eddie Jackson and Tashaun Gipson will continue to grow in Year 2 together.
The Bears re-signed safety Tashaun Gipson last month to a one-year deal after he had a solid season in Chicago. Gipson, who is entering his 10th NFL season, had two interceptions, seven passes defended and 66 tackles in 16 regular-season games and eight tackles and a sack in the playoff game last year.
Gipson was the third starter alongside Jackson in three years, and Desai said the continuity this year should benefit the Bears.
“When Gip and BoJack are back there and they’re communicating and handling all of the coverage assignments, that helps because now they know how each other plays,” Desai said. “They know what each other’s preferences are and how to take care of different issues on the back end and I think that’s the biggest growth that we’ll see there.”
4. Count Bill Shuey among the people who thinks Robert Quinn can be better than he was in 2020.
Bill Shuey replaced Ted Monachino as the outside linebackers coach, but he’s been with the Bears for three seasons, first as a defensive quality control assistant and then as the pass rush analyst/assistant linebackers coach.
He has established relationships with the Bears outside linebacking corps, and he knows a major priority this year is to help Robert Quinn move past one of the worst seasons of his career. Quinn had 80 1/2 career sacks before he came to Chicago — including 11 1/2 in 2019 with the Dallas Cowboys — before recording a career-low two in 2020 after signing a $70 million deal.
“Rob and I have a good relationship, and obviously he would be the first to tell you that his production last year would not measure up to his standards,” Shuey said. “And so first and foremost, he needs to take care of his body and be ready to go. I have confidence in Rob as a professional that he will be doing that.
“There are some subtleties into his game that we can look into. Obviously, a guy that has over 80 sacks in the NFL, it’s not like there is something broke there, I don’t think. He’s got the ability, he has the clear production. Then my job would be to make sure he’s put in a position where he can make more plays, and I think he’s looking forward to doing that. I also think it’s going to be balancing out the reps and the timeliness of getting him into games in the right situations where he can be at his best.”
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