Post Cards From The Edge.....Rusher; Training Camp Preview

[soulman]

Chicago Bears 2021 training camp preview: Edge Rusher

By Usayd KoshulSun Jul 18 2021

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(Photo: Dylan Buell, Getty)

The Chicago Bears will enter training camp in just over a week at Halas Hall with the hope that the pass rush will be much upgraded compared to the 2020 season. The Bears struggled mightily at times to get to the quarterback in 2020 and despite Khalil Mack, there was no consistent threat unless it was on the defensive line.

An overhaul of the coaching staff this offseason included a new outside linebackers coach as the organization opted to promote Bill Shuey, who spent two seasons as an assistant linebackers coach under former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. Chicago also added veteran Jeremiah Attaochu this offseason and signed undrafted free agents Charles Snowden and Caleb Johnson. The team also retained LeDarius Mack, Trevis Gipson, and James Vaughters.

Shuey used minicamp and OTA's as a way of getting back to basics, something that the Bears missed out on last year due to lack of on-field work. When the Bears report to training camp, the pass rush will be firing on all cylinders, especially since everyone is expected to show up healthy.

"I’ve always thought of these five weeks as an opportunity to really set your foundation," Shuey said this offseason. "Fundamentally, schematically also, but also fundamentally. The small things that you start, and then build off of, in my opinion, when you do face adversity, you usually come back to that foundation and those fundamentals."

Much of the same will remain on the surface. Mack and Quinn will start for the second straight season, hoping to stay fully healthy and each post double-digit sacks. Gipson and Attaochu will provide some additional depth, while Vaughters and Snowden could play a role on special teams.

According to Over The Cap, between Mack and Quinn, Chicago is investing a combined $29.34M in both pass rushers for 2021. Expectations were high last season but Quinn underperformed and many felt like Mack's production could be higher.

Ahead of training camp, let's breakdown the edge rusher position for Chicago.

SLIDE1 of 7

Khalil Mack

(Photo: Stacy Revere, 247Sports)

"He’s an interesting guy because he’s so intrinsically motivated to be the very best," Shuey said this offseason. "But he’s a great player and he works hard, extremely hard."

Mack enters his fourth season in Chicago and after starting 32 games over the last two seasons, he'll enter 2021 with the hope of having his first double-digit sack season since 2018. The ability to convert speed to power has always been a strong aspect of Mack's game, who's considered to be the best edge rusher in the NFL. Pro Football Focus ranked Mack as the sixth-best player in the NFL while giving the eighth-year edge rusher an overall grade of 92.3 in 2020. 

Quarterback pressures, blitzes, and QB hurries were also down for Mack last season, something many attribute to a less aggressive defensive scheme. Targeted just six times in coverage, Mack allowed four completions and a completion percentage of 66.7 percent. 

Under defensive coordinator Sean Desai, expect Chicago to deploy a more aggressive pass rush, something that will give Mack the opportunity to get after the quarterback more. The outlook for Mack is simple: If his back and knee injuries don't affect him in 2021, he'll have an opportunity to put together his best season since 2018 from a production standpoint. 

SLIDE2 of 7

Robert Quinn

(Photo: Jonathan Daniel / Staff, Getty)

The clear consensus when discussing players who underperformed for the Bears in 2020 is that Quinn was the biggest disappointment, especially after signing a five-year deal worth $70M in free agency, only to register just two sacks and six quarterback hits, battling injuries throughout the year.

2021 is a make-or-break year for Quinn. Chicago could designate Quinn as a post-June 1st cut in 2022, creating an additional $12.9M in cap space according to Over The Cap. The Bears also have a number of younger edge rushers like Trevis Gipson and Charles Snowden as developmental pieces that could push for playing time. 

Quinn earned a big contract with the Bears last offseason due to his ability to be a pure pass rusher that consistently registered double-digit sacks, the last of which came in 2019 when he totaled 11.5 with the Dallas Cowboys. The way Chicago used Quinn last season could also be attributed to his major decline in production. Traditionally, Quinn has excelled as a 4-3 defensive end with his hand in the dirt. Under Pagano, he was to be a 3-4 outside linebacker, commonly known as a standup pass rusher. 

"First and foremost he needs to take care of his body and be ready to go," Shuey said this offseason. "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, there is some work to be done there and Rob knows that. I think the relationship that we have together we can maybe just inch him a little forward and get him back to the production that he was accustomed to getting."

With Shuey now leading the outside linebacker room, Quinn's role could be slightly different in 2021. He isn't the main pass rusher for the team but could take on the role of a more situational pass rusher, leading to a decrease in snaps depending on how Chicago uses the 11 year veteran.

SLIDE3 of 7

Trevis Gipson

(Photo: © Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports, 247Sports)

Gipson's impact was limited his rookie year but that's also because the Bears played him in just seven games. Entering year two, he'll have an opportunity to emerge at OLB3, giving Chicago a solid rotational pass rusher behind Mack and Quinn. 

Throughout college, Gipson mainly played as a defensive end in a 3-4 defense but he'll continue to transition to becoming a pure outside linebacker with Chicago. Gipson's rookie season was about getting some reps but really laying the foundation for a transition that will take place throughout training camp. 

"Trevis played defensive end a lot in a three-down front in college so he was inside in a three-point," Shuey said this offseason. "So bringing him outside and playing him in a two-point stance, that was the first time that he did a lot of those things. Working with him last year, the important thing was that he was spending the extra time watching a guy like Khalil, Rob Quinn, Barkevious last year and James Vaughters, guys that have been around for a while and looking at their approach to understand what it's going to take for him to make that transition to an outside linebacker."

Continued development as a pass rusher in 2021 means Gipson will have an opportunity to start in 2022 but pushing for some serious playing time throughout the upcoming season should be an option as well. 

SLIDE4 of 7

Jeremiah Attaochu

(Photo: © Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports, 247Sports)

When Chicago inked Attaochu to a two-year deal worth $5.5M, the goal was bringing in a veteran to provide additional depth and an insurance policy for Robert Quinn. With 20.5 career sacks and 10 starts over the last two seasons, Attaochu will have a quality role on defense and special teams. 

Attaochu's contributions shouldn't be overlooked. Last season with the Denver Broncos, Attaochu played in 38 percent of snaps on defense and had an impact on special teams. After spending two years in ex-Bears DC Vic Fangio's system, defensive coordinator Sean Desai believes that Attaochu can play a solid role, in developing some of the Bears' younger talent. 

"He adds a veteran savviness to the room which serves as a good complement because we got some vets in that room and so again, to get him inculcated into our culture and bring him along, and he’s got some history in terms of some of the things that we do and some experience there, so that’s going to help him," said Desai this offseason. 

Attaochu isn't a lock to make the roster but his veteran experience does give him an upper hand compared to guys like Charles Snowden and LeDarius Mack, players who could find themselves on the practice squad in 2021. 

SLIDE5 of 7

James Vaughters

(Photo: © Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports, 247Sports)

 

Entering his third NFL season, Vaughters has served as quality depth for the Bears over the last two seasons. Playing in 17 career games, his production is about what you'd expect from a player who's played in 25 percent of snaps on defense over the last two seasons. 

2021 was expected to be a year where many thought Vaughters could play a bigger role on defense. The development of Gipson and the veteran presence of Attaochu could prevent this, which means Vaughters faces an uphill climb to make the Bears roster. 

Vaughters could end up being a special teams contributor in 2021, especially after playing 34 percent of snaps on special teams last season. Should the Bears decide to carry five edge rushers, it's likely that the final spot will go to Vaughters, simply because of his familiarity with the Bears defensive system.

At just 6-foot-1 and 256 pounds, Vaughters needs to add some more strength in order to consistently fight off bigger offensive lineman and create plays for himself. This is an area of the game where he struggled over the last two years. Besides his ability to contribute to special teams, whether or not he really sees significant defensive snaps could be predicated on how much strength he's added this offseason, something that will be easy to see going to against a revamped offensive line in Bears camp. 

SLIDE6 of 7

Best of the rest

(Photo: Icon Sportswire, Getty)

 

Chicago also has three undrafted free agents who will be eligible for the practice squad: Caleb Johnson, LeDarius Mack, and Charles Snowden. LeDarius, the younger brother of Khalil Mack spent the 2020 season on Chicago's practice squad but still faces an uphill climb to make Chicago's roster. Johnson and Snowden signed with Chicago following the conclusion of the 2021 NFL Draft. 

LeDarius Mack

Watching the younger Mack's tape while at the University of Buffalo, it's clear that a transition to inside linebacker may be needed as the Bears continue development. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, if Maack wants to be an effective pass rusher, he'll need to add more muscle to his frame, something that will allow him to convert speed to power. If he's really added extra muscle to his frame this offseason, this should be noticeable as he enters year two with the Bears. 

Charles Snowden

Many were surprised to see Snowden go undrafted but the 6-foot-6, 243 pound edge rusher possesses length and the ability to effectively change direction, making him a darkhorse candidate to make the Bears roster in 2021. Highly productive over a four-year period at the University of Virginia, Snowden totaled 191 total tackles, 30.4 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks, showcasing growth each season as a player. In the event that Snowden is beat out veteran players like Attaochu or Vaughters, he should be a must-stash practice squad candidate. 

Caleb Johnson

Playing four seasons at Houston Baptist University, Johnson started as a true freshman but is also the first player from Houston Baptist to sign an NFL contract. Now facing an unprecedented climb to make an NFL roster, Johnson is the biggest enigma in the room but did showcase solid coverage skills throughout his college career, something that could be his calling card throughout training camp. 

SLIDE7 of 7

Biggest Question

(Photo: © Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports, 247Sports)

We mentioned on the opening slide how Chicago has invested $29.34M in Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack. With a secondary that has some holes, especially at the cornerback position, Mack and Quinn will need to emerge quickly as one of the NFL's best pass-rushing duos if the Bears want to have a top defense in 2021. 

Both pass rushers combined for just 11 sacks last season, a number considered to be underwhelming, especially since Chicago's justification for signing Quinn was to upgrade the pass rush after the 2019 season. 

We know that Mack has dealt with injuries over the last few seasons but the bigger concern here is Quinn and many wonder if his age is becoming a factor in his ability to continue performing at a high level. At 31 years old and with a new defensive coordinator, the red flag is that Quinn could see a reduced role in 2021. Mack did participate in mandatory minicamp but Quinn was a limited participant, something to keep an eye on throughout the duration of training camp. 

Film over the last few years has shown that on an individual level, Mack and Quinn can produce. The main goal for Chicago in 2021 is simply to get both pass rushers playing at a high level collectively, benefitting a defense that seen some changes this offseason. 

Edited July 20, 2021 by soulman