Chicago Bears 2011-12 Season Breakdown: Linebacker Position
Published by Jake Perper on February 14, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Lance Briggs called himself and Brian Urlacher “vintage” linebackers.
The “vintage” linebackers were both voted to the Pro Bowl this past season and performed at a high level.
They both understand they only have so many years to get this unit to the Super Bowl.
Nick Roach played alongside the two Bears stars and played pretty solid.
He got the edge over former Bear Pisa Tinoisamoa, who wasn’t re-signed last offseason after suffering another knee injury.
Brian Iwuh was considered the fourth linebacker and provided the most depth, but he was waived/injured halfway through the season.
The Bears have decisions to make with many of their young linebackers.
Dom DeCicco, J.T. Thomas, Jabara Williams and Patrick Trahan are all young players who don’t have much experience on defense.
Will the Bears add some depth to the position this offseason?
Where They Stand
–Brian Urlacher: The 12-year pro was voted to his eighth Pro Bowl after posting 102 tackles and three interceptions in 16 games started. He isn’t the same player he once was, but he is still really steady in the middle of the field. He is capable of reeling in a big interception or making a hard-hitting tackle. He doesn’t have the same speed to be a consistent pass-rusher, though. He will start his 13th season as the Bears’ middle linebacker this upcoming season.
–Lance Briggs: Was voted to his seventh Pro Bowl alongside Brian Urlacher. The nine-year pro appeared in all 16 games, racking up 105 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles. He was consistently bringing opposing players down behind the line of scrimmage. He was a big reason the run defense was so steady. He will be set in stone as the starter next to Urlacher.
–Nick Roach: Started 16 games for the second time in his five-year career. He made only 38 tackles, but that was because the Bears chose to go to the nickel package for most of the third downs. Going to the nickel package brought in D.J. Moore or Corey Graham. Roach was pretty steady and put himself in the right spot to make some big plays. Roach will be the third linebacker on the field unless the Bears decide to bring in some competition.
–Dom DeCicco: The undrafted rookie out of Pittsburgh converted from safety to provide depth at the linebacker position. He made 12 tackles on special teams. He will likely stick because of his contributions on special teams, but will get an outside chance to compete for a linebacker spot.
-Patrick Trahan: Appeared in five games making one tackle on special teams. Has a chance to stick on the team, but would be strictly used on special teams.
–J.T. Thomas: He was placed on IR due to a back injury he suffered in preseason play. The sixth-round pick was arrested yesterday on misdemeanor charges, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was charged with possessing less than 15 grams of marijuana. He could now be considered a long shot to make the roster after this mishap with the police. The only thing that really helps his case right now is his contract, which runs through 2014.
–Jabara Williams: He joined the team on Oct. 27 for special teams help after Brian Iwuh was injured/waived. He made two tackles in five games. He will have to prove his worth as depth if he wants to stick. The Bears certainly like him, but expect some competition at the position.
Chicago’s Free Agents
N/A
Targets in Free Agency/Draft
Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, 2-3 round projection
Tank Carder, TCU, 3-4 round projection
Why Drafting a Linebacker Would Be Beneficial
A lot of the free-agent options at linebacker are older than what the Bears want. The Bears want solid depth behind Urlacher and Briggs, so just in case they go down they have someone to go to. They also want that player to have a future with the team, so possibly down the road they could take over for one of the Bears’ star linebackers.
Trevathan is an outside linebacker who is a little undersized, but could fit in the Cover-2 scheme.
Carder is an inside linebacker who really excelled at Texas Christian University and has a chance to shine in the pros.
The draft will be the perfect place for the Bears to add some potential at the linebacker position.
Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.
Read more Chicago Bears news on BleacherReport.com
