The 3-4 Transition Mock Offseason

Re-Signing

QB Jay Cutler 5 years 82.5 million/45 guaranteed

The injured groin may shorten the deal to protect the Bears, but Cutler was on pace for 4500 yards, 32 TDs and 16 Ints and had made the changes and bought into the system as we had wanted. I doubt the Bears want to take the risk with a rookie when they have the offense in place now.

OG Matt Slauson 4 years 13 million/5 guaranteed

Slauson has been solid at LG and provided a veteran presence. With his physicality and versatility the Bears should do everything in their power to keep him.

DE Cory Wootton 4 years 20 million/8 guaranteed

Big, versatile and a good fit for the 3-4 defense he has been the Bears best DLmen this season despite playing out of position.

CB Tim Jennings 4 years 24 million/10 guaranteed

He is younger, healthier and more reliable to play 16 games a season. Added to the fact that he creates turnovers and is a willing tackler makes him the CB to keep.

S Major Wright 4 years 14 million/5 guaranteed

Wright and Conte have struggled, but some of that can be blamed on the DL, and Wright creates turnovers and plays the run well.

DT Henry Melton 1 year 4 million/1 guaranteed

Melton's market should be pretty slow considering he cannot do football activities until May and the Bears can take a year to evaluate. Melton may not be a perfect 3-4 DE, but I see him in a pass rush role from all over the field on the DL like Randy Starks or Mo Wilkerson.

CB Zack Bowman 1 year/vet minimum

Solid depth with great size.

OT Eben Britton 1 year/vet minimum

Cheap veteran depth that can play multiple positions.

OT Jon Scott 1 year/vet minimum

Cheap veteran depth that can play multiple positions.

LB Blake Costanzo 1 year/vet minimum

Cheap veteran depth that can play multiple positions.


Release/Not Re-Sign

DE Julius Peppers

Whether it is injuries or age he cannot get to the QB and he makes 18 million next season. The Bears need to move on save the 11 million an re-invest in younger players.

CB Charles Tillman

He is a great player and a ring of honor Bear, but his physical decline has made him unreliable and he continues to get banged up and having nagging injuries. The Bears cannot trust his health enough to re-sign him for good money. I am going to hate to see Tillman go as much as I hated Urlacher, but it is better to say goodbye to a player a year early than a year late.

RB Michael Bush

He makes way too much for 2-3 carries a game.

C Roberto Garza

He is the weak link on the line and age has left him with little but experience to get by on.

LB. D.J Williams

Younger and cheaper players can fill in the depth positions.

LB James Anderson

He can cover, but that is about it and I have not been impressed with him against the run.

DT Nate Collins

Injuries and lack of size make him unneccasserry in the new defense.


Free Agents

I think the Bears should take the Indianapolis Colts approach to a more rapid transtion in siging 4-5 mid level [4-6 million dollar] free agents instead of making the Julius Peppers type approach. Emery has shown that he will sign reasonable starting level free agents [Bushrod, Bennett] and will try and draft the stars.

CB Alterraun Verner [Tennessee] 5 years 35 million/17 guaranteed

Verner has been a defensive revelation for the Titans who already have big money invested in other secondary positions. He provides youth and speed to the Bears secondary and should be able to match up with the #1 WRs.



DE Linval Joseph [NY Giants] 5 years 32.5 million/15 guaranteed

Joseph is big and physical, but he moves well enough to be a 3-4 DE and at 6'5" 323lbs. he provides the size against the run that the Bears have been missing.



DE Arthur Jones [Baltimore] 3 years 7.5 million/3 guaranteed

I think health concerns will keep Jones price tag down, but he can provide versatile and experienced depth to the Bears DL as they transition to a 3-4 defense.



OLB Jason Worilds [Pittsburgh] 4 years 16 million/6 guaranteed

The Bears need to find a value OLB that can allow a draft pick to develop and so they do not force Washington or McClellin into the starting line up if they do not deserve it. Worilds is a solid veteran that can consistently pressure a QB and is strong against the run. He gets a similar deal to Erik Walden did this season.



C J.D Walton [Denver] 2 years 4 million/1.5 guaranteed

I think the Bears want Boggs to be the center of the future, but they protect themselves with a veteran in Walton who has starting experience and is starting to get healthy.




Draft

1[12] NT Louis Nix [Notre Dame] 6'3" 340lbs.

Nix is a dynamic NT talent that offers more than a simply plug in the middle. He combines size and movement skills like Vince Wilfork and Dontari Poe. He can come in and anchor the NT spot and provide much needed size and power and enough pass rush to be a factor. Regardless of a switch to a 3-4 defense the Bears need more size in the middle to collapse the pocket and portect the LBs.



2[44] OLB Jackson Jeffcoat [Texas] 6'5" 255lbs.

The Bears pass rush from the outside has been terrible this season and they need to add more dynamic players to the pass rush group. Peppers will be released and McClellin is a bust so a true pass rusher is needed. Jeffcoat is a dynamic athlete and has the length, speed, and power to be consistent threat. By standing him up you remove some of the concerns about his long and lean frame. Jackson can compete with McClellin and Washington to start opposite the veteran Worilds.



3[76] S Tre Boston [UNC] 6' 210lbs.

Conte and Wright on their best days seem to be average and on their worse days they are far worse than that. The real concern is the incredible regression of Chris Conte this season at FS. Boston has the athletic ability to play FS and the tackling to play at SS and he can come in and offer competition at both spots.



4. QB Bryn Renner [UNC} 6'3" 230lbs.

Renner has a ton of physical ability and he has been hurt this year by the Tar Heels offense getting killed by the NFL draft. Renner has the toolds to develop with Marc Trestman and he will provide developable depth behind a recovering Cutler.



5. DE Brent Urban [Virginia] 6'7" 295lbs.

Has the size and length to be an effective 3-4 DE and has expereince in the system playing at Virginia. The Bears need as much depth as they can get to assist in the transition. We saw what a lack of depth did this season.



6. RB Veneric Mark [Northwestern] 5'8" 180lbs.

The Bears need another weapon out of the backfield and Mark provides a player with good speed and elusiveness that can also catch the ball.



6. NT Mister Cobble [Kentucky] 6' 340lbs.

Cobble is a 2 down NT that offers little dynamic ability, but he has the size and base to be a backup NT in case Nix gets hurt and to play in short yardage. Losing your big NT often kills a 3-4 defense so the Bears add another layer of depth.




Depth Chart

QB: Cutler, Renner, McCown
RB: Forte, Ford, Mark
FB: Fiametta
WR: Marshall, Jeffery, Bennett, Anderson, Wilson
TE: Bennett, Maneri, Onubon
LT: Bushrod
LG: Slauson, Brown
C: Walton/Boggs
RG: Long, Britton
RT: Mills, Scott

DE: Wootton, Jones
NT: Nix, Paea, Cobble
DE: Joseph, Melton, Urban
OLB: Worilds, McClellin
MLB: Bostic, Costanzo
MLB: Briggs, Greene
OLB: Jeffcoat, Washington, Bass
CB: Verner, Jennings, Frey, Bowman, McManis
FS: Conte, Boston
SS: Wright. Steltz, Walter

We need a QB before round 4. This annual madness at a position the Bears are supposed to be set at needs to stop. This is three seasons in a row & an NFCC game Cutler will or has missed time from injuries.

I'd love to see what you'd think for a 4-3 version.


Oh, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bears slid Slauson over to center and then drafted a new LG...

Teddy KGB said:

I'd love to see what you'd think for a 4-3 version.


Oh, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Bears slid Slauson over to center and then drafted a new LG...

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QB early, especially after yesterday.

I'm not trying to sound sarcastic or anything, but why do people want to switch to a 3-4 so bad?

What makes 3-4 a better scheme than 4-3?

I'm not sure why there's so much talk about moving to a 3-4 either. But if we did...who are the candidates out there for DC?

Maneri was released today Windy.

Solid article. IMO the 3-4 is a lot closer than posters on here think.

Choisauce said:

I'm not trying to sound sarcastic or anything, but why do people want to switch to a 3-4 so bad?

What makes 3-4 a better scheme than 4-3?

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I'm no expert, but one of the biggest advantages of a 3-4 is it's a lot easier to disguise pressure and blitzes. It also gets more athletes on the field that can run which is pretty big in today's passing league.

resign Tillman and move him to safety? it's worth a shot over what we have now

Choisauce said:

I'm not trying to sound sarcastic or anything, but why do people want to switch to a 3-4 so bad?

What makes 3-4 a better scheme than 4-3?

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I really don't think its a desire to move to a 3-4 as much as it is a gut feeling that Emery is headed that way based off the Shea Mac pick... Its not that I wanted the Bears to go to a 3-4 at all or think we should do it to help out Shea Mac.... I believe as the OP does that Emery desires to move us to a 3-4 defense based off the Shea pick and only stuck with the 4-3 Defense in place this year cause he had to use this offseason to fix up our offense.

I do not think Emery will make the 3-4 transition in one offseason as described by the OP, but I think it is where he will push us.... him saying we are not going 3-4 is just a smokescreen IMO.

We shall see what happens, but my gut has been saying Emery wants us to run a 3-4 like the Pack which does just enough to allow an explosive offense to win the games.

Choisauce said:

I'm not trying to sound sarcastic or anything, but why do people want to switch to a 3-4 so bad?

What makes 3-4 a better scheme than 4-3?

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Both defenses have strengths and weaknesses. The main one that I've heard that makes the most sense is that it allows more depth in a spot that can help on special teams. It also allows more confusing in blitzing, but being an Eagle fan under the late Jim Johnson I saw some really creative blitzes from a 4-3 front. Then again, he always ran one DE as a 'joker' where they could move anywhere much like an OLB does.

I'd maybe look at an offensive mind like Chip Kelly and the fact that he's a big advocate for a 3-4. IMO he likes the 3-4 because he dislikes gameplanning against a 3-4. It allows more pure variations. If you sent 4 on ever play there's a wide variety of places where that 4th guy can come from, so it always keeps the OL guessing and honest.

Ares said:

I really don't think its a desire to move to a 3-4 as much as it is a gut feeling that Emery is headed that way based off the Shea Mac pick... Its not that I wanted the Bears to go to a 3-4 at all or think we should do it to help out Shea Mac.... I believe as the OP does that Emery desires to move us to a 3-4 defense based off the Shea pick and only stuck with the 4-3 Defense in place this year cause he had to use this offseason to fix up our offense.

I do not think Emery will make the 3-4 transition in one offseason as described by the OP, but I think it is where he will push us.... him saying we are not going 3-4 is just a smokescreen IMO.

We shall see what happens, but my gut has been saying Emery wants us to run a 3-4 like the Pack which does just enough to allow an explosive offense to win the games.

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I'd like to see them mix it up like Ryan does with the Jets or I like Windy City Liars hybrid idea.

Alterego said:

resign Tillman and move him to safety? it's worth a shot over what we have now

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I just don't know if Tillman will ever be able to play close to 16 games again.

He could not finish a close game yestersay that we needed to win.

Runruffshod75 said:

I'd like to see them mix it up like Ryan does with the Jets or I like Windy City Liars hybrid idea.

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Actually just look at the 4-3 Under that Seattle runs:



It's a hybrid scheme through and through.

The problem with the Bears is they really have no DTs now. Melton, who probably wouldn't fit a pure 5 technique role is an unknown coming back from ACL surgery. Who else can do it? Peppers? At his salary you can't have him go inside.

You also have to think you don't need 3 DL, you need 6-7 to fill out the full roation and you'd have to get the OLBs to make it work. In short it's a 2-4 year DL front 7 makeover that can be ugly while transitioning.

Pegger said:

Actually just look at the 4-3 Under that Seattle runs:

It's a hybrid scheme through and through.

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Basically yes I've talked about this with WCL a few times since the offseason, & I'd like the idea of adding big physical CB's & Safeties to it.

great post. I'd be all in. I think there is a slight possiblity we transition to 3-4 this off season. May have decided to keep 4-3 around this year to just ease coaching transition and keep the big money vets happy.

great mock btw too... Some great 1st round DT prospects this year... Sutton, Johnson, Nix, and Hageman

Emery said the 3-4 is not happening as it would require an entire draft and FA dedicated solely to making the transition and would not be of great benefit.

Tjodalv said:

Emery said the 3-4 is not happening as it would require an entire draft and FA dedicated solely to making the transition and would not be of great benefit.

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Not that I'm for a switch to a full 3-4 but Emery isn't going to take the podium with a number of players on a defense that do not fit a 3-4, at a time when they thought they had a shot at the postseason, & say something like they're switching to a 3-4 next year that none of your really fit into. He said he planed to have Lovie as the long term coach & implied that Urlacher would also retire a Bear in a manner that had Urlacher & the fanbase thinking he would have been offered to a deal longer than 1 year.

That said I don't think they do it & if they do make a change I'm putting my money on a hybrid or 4-3 under. No more 4-3 over base Tampa 2.