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The Broncos defense will look familiar to John Fox on Sunday and presents a fresh reminder of how quickly the coach can build a top-notch unit on that side of the ball.
The Broncos were 31st in the NFL the year before Fox was hired and quickly vaulted up the rankings, and now they're ranked No. 1. The Bears already have made clear and tangible improvement in their work in progress with new personnel certain to be added in the offseason.
What's evident is Fox and his coaching staff are not afraid to try different parts in search of the best fits for now with an eye toward the future. Rookies account for 21.6 percent of the snaps on defense with nickel cornerback Bryce Callahan, an undrafted rookie from Rice, the latest to get a shot.
With Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning sidelined, Callahan will not be tested by the league's all-time leading passer, but he will see some talented wide receivers when Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders move inside to the slot. It's a challenge the Bears believe Callahan is up to four weeks after he replaced veteran Sherrick McManis in the sub package.
It's a job the quiet but confident Callahan raised his hand for in June when he went to secondary coach Ed Donatell and asked for a chance to try the nickel. Tim Jennings was manning the spot at the time and McManis and Demontre Hurst were ahead of Callahan on the depth chart so reps were few and far between.
"But he was pretty natural and he was picking it up quick," Donatell said. "I said, 'Oh, OK, you've played this before.' Bryce said he had not and I asked him three times. 'You've played this before, right?' He's a quick study."
Callahan's intelligence combined with good change of direction and good body balance caught the attention of the coaches and it's not that he never had covered the slot before. Callahan wasn't used as a nickel back at Rice, where he intercepted six passes as a freshman in 2011 and finished his career with 13, tying for the second-most in school history. But the Owls had a call in which Callahan would play man coverage on the opponent's best receiver, following him wherever he went. A lot of times he wound up inside covering the slot and that prepared him for what he's doing now.
Rice defensive coordinator Chris Thurmond wasn't surprised to learn Callahan volunteered for a chance to play nickel. While he wasn't too vocal in the Owls meeting room, everyone paid attention when he had something to add to the conversation.
The Owls had a couple of ways to defend against stacked wide receiversand one was for a cornerback to line up on the receiver on the line of scrimmage but wind up taking the second man.
"So we were in a meeting one day and Bryce says, 'What if we mix it up? One time take the off guy, next time we take the point guy,' " Thurmond recalled. "What a great idea."
His progress hasn't been perfect. Callahan, who was promoted from the practice squad before the Week 8 game against the Vikings, slipped inside of Rams wide receiver Brian Quick in the third quarter Sunday in St. Louis, thinking he had a line on quarterback Nick Foles' throw. The play went for 37 yards. Next time, he says he's going to maintain proper leverage on the outside shoulder.
"What you like is he wanted to make a play," Donatell said. "And he thought he could make a play. He is just getting used to how good guys are in the NFL."
Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas, who scouted Texas for the Saints last college season, was pushing for the Bears to land Callahan. He was on the draft board, but the Bears knew there was a chance they wouldn't select him. Donatell called Callahan during the draft and began a hard push to land him as an undrafted free agent. General manager Ryan Pace got involved. So did Fox. It made sense for Callahan, who signed for $7,500.
Callahan's size at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, isn't ideal, but Donatell is more concerned with play speed and how physical a player is and says bigger players don't push the rookie around. Plus, Callahan has a 431/2-inch vertical jump, an indication of his athleticism.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he doesn't shy away from a young player at the position even though many of the best nickel cornerbacks are seasoned. He called Carlos Rogers with the 49ers the best he has worked with, a veteran by then after six seasons with the Redskins.
"In a perfect world, you get a really good player in there," Fangio said. "Hopefully, Bryce will develop into that. I would rather have a good young player than an average veteran."
That is why the Bears don't have fear giving less experienced players a shot.
bmbiggs@tribpub.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ssentials-biggs-spt-1122-20151121-column.html
The Broncos were 31st in the NFL the year before Fox was hired and quickly vaulted up the rankings, and now they're ranked No. 1. The Bears already have made clear and tangible improvement in their work in progress with new personnel certain to be added in the offseason.
What's evident is Fox and his coaching staff are not afraid to try different parts in search of the best fits for now with an eye toward the future. Rookies account for 21.6 percent of the snaps on defense with nickel cornerback Bryce Callahan, an undrafted rookie from Rice, the latest to get a shot.
With Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning sidelined, Callahan will not be tested by the league's all-time leading passer, but he will see some talented wide receivers when Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders move inside to the slot. It's a challenge the Bears believe Callahan is up to four weeks after he replaced veteran Sherrick McManis in the sub package.
It's a job the quiet but confident Callahan raised his hand for in June when he went to secondary coach Ed Donatell and asked for a chance to try the nickel. Tim Jennings was manning the spot at the time and McManis and Demontre Hurst were ahead of Callahan on the depth chart so reps were few and far between.
"But he was pretty natural and he was picking it up quick," Donatell said. "I said, 'Oh, OK, you've played this before.' Bryce said he had not and I asked him three times. 'You've played this before, right?' He's a quick study."
Callahan's intelligence combined with good change of direction and good body balance caught the attention of the coaches and it's not that he never had covered the slot before. Callahan wasn't used as a nickel back at Rice, where he intercepted six passes as a freshman in 2011 and finished his career with 13, tying for the second-most in school history. But the Owls had a call in which Callahan would play man coverage on the opponent's best receiver, following him wherever he went. A lot of times he wound up inside covering the slot and that prepared him for what he's doing now.
Rice defensive coordinator Chris Thurmond wasn't surprised to learn Callahan volunteered for a chance to play nickel. While he wasn't too vocal in the Owls meeting room, everyone paid attention when he had something to add to the conversation.
The Owls had a couple of ways to defend against stacked wide receiversand one was for a cornerback to line up on the receiver on the line of scrimmage but wind up taking the second man.
"So we were in a meeting one day and Bryce says, 'What if we mix it up? One time take the off guy, next time we take the point guy,' " Thurmond recalled. "What a great idea."
His progress hasn't been perfect. Callahan, who was promoted from the practice squad before the Week 8 game against the Vikings, slipped inside of Rams wide receiver Brian Quick in the third quarter Sunday in St. Louis, thinking he had a line on quarterback Nick Foles' throw. The play went for 37 yards. Next time, he says he's going to maintain proper leverage on the outside shoulder.
"What you like is he wanted to make a play," Donatell said. "And he thought he could make a play. He is just getting used to how good guys are in the NFL."
Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas, who scouted Texas for the Saints last college season, was pushing for the Bears to land Callahan. He was on the draft board, but the Bears knew there was a chance they wouldn't select him. Donatell called Callahan during the draft and began a hard push to land him as an undrafted free agent. General manager Ryan Pace got involved. So did Fox. It made sense for Callahan, who signed for $7,500.
Callahan's size at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, isn't ideal, but Donatell is more concerned with play speed and how physical a player is and says bigger players don't push the rookie around. Plus, Callahan has a 431/2-inch vertical jump, an indication of his athleticism.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said he doesn't shy away from a young player at the position even though many of the best nickel cornerbacks are seasoned. He called Carlos Rogers with the 49ers the best he has worked with, a veteran by then after six seasons with the Redskins.
"In a perfect world, you get a really good player in there," Fangio said. "Hopefully, Bryce will develop into that. I would rather have a good young player than an average veteran."
That is why the Bears don't have fear giving less experienced players a shot.
bmbiggs@tribpub.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ssentials-biggs-spt-1122-20151121-column.html
