How Eddie Goldman Can Become a Centerpiece in the Chicago Bears’ New Defense
Published by Matt Eurich on May 4, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Every good defense needs a centerpiece, and when the Chicago Bears were dominating on that side of the football in the 2000s, middle linebacker Brian Urlacher was the face of Chicago’s 4-3 defense.
Defensive stalwarts like Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs are no longer with the organization, but the Bears may have found a centerpiece for their new 3-4 defense in second-round pick Eddie Goldman.
To compare Goldman to any of the names above is unfair for a variety of reasons, but with the organization transitioning from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense this offseason, the former Florida State Seminole has a chance to become a focal point in the middle of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s 3-4 scheme.
Bears legend Dick Butkus announced the team’s pick in the second round, and the Hall of Famer gave Chicago’s selection of Goldman his approval, according to Chicago Bears radio network sideline reporter Zach Zaidman:
Coming out of high school in 2012, Goldman was a 5-star recruit, according to Rivals.com, which listed him as the seventh-best recruit in the country. He joined Jimbo Fisher’s squad that fall in Tallahassee and played sparingly his freshman year before becoming a force up front for the Seminoles in 2013 and 2014.
His numbers do not jump off the page, but he showed improvement each season and was an integral part of Florida State’s championship run in 2013.
Chicago will not expect Goldman to step in immediately and become a dominant force along its defensive line, but his skill set suggests he can develop into a centerpiece in the team’s new defense if given the opportunity.
So how can Fangio and the Bears get the most out of Goldman?
Utilize His Versatility
Goldman is listed as a nose tackle, but he has the versatility to line up both inside and outside, according to Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei:
Goldman spoke to the media Friday night after he was selected and confirmed Pompei’s tweet.
“I think I can play anywhere on the line in the NFL,” he said, according to the team’s official Twitter account.
He has the size (6’4″, 336 lbs) of a prototypical nose tackle in a 3-4 look, but he is surprisingly quick and athletic. He does a nice job of attacking in the run game, and he should help a Bears defense that allowed 137 rushing yards per game under former head coach Marc Trestman between 2013 and 2014.
He spent most of his time at Florida State playing nose tackle, but he also has the ability to line up outside at the 5-technique defensive end position.
ChicagoFootball.com’s Hub Arkush praised Bears general manager Ryan Pace for the selection of Goldman, and he compared the Florida State product to former San Francisco defensive end—and Fangio protege—Justin Smith.
“The best comp for Goldman is I mocked him at 15 with the 49ers as the heir apparent to All-Pro Justin Smith,” Arkush wrote. “Smith was good as a Bengal, but it was Vic Fangio who made him an All-Pro when he got to San Francisco and it would appear Fangio has found his Justin Smith for the Bears front.”
On the surface, the comparison sounds a bit off base considering Smith weighs just 285 pounds. But the two are both stout against the run, and Smith—like Goldman—can play both inside and outside.
In order for Goldman to live up to the Smith comparison, he will need to improve his pass-rushing skills.
He has good hands and a solid bull rush, but if the Bears want him to get pressure from either inside or outside, he will need to add to his arsenal of moves. At the collegiate level he was able to get production purely from his strength, but he will need to learn how to gain leverage and how to better utilize his athleticism.
Many draft experts, including Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, criticized Goldman’s pass-rushing ability, but Goldman thinks he can be a force against the run and the pass.
Fangio has had success in the NFL turning guys such as Smith, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks into feared pass-rushers, and he might be able to do the same with Goldman.
At this point, it looks like he will be two-down player to begin his career. But in Chicago he will have a chance to not only learn from someone like Fangio, but he could also benefit from playing with someone he has tried to model his game after.
Use Jeremiah Ratliff as a Mentor
Early in the scouting process, Miller compared Goldman to current Bears defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff.
“Goldman may not be as quick off the ball as Jay Ratliff, but their positional versatility and power foundations are very similar,” Miller wrote. “Like Ratliff, Goldman may be moved around and become a bit of an anchor for the defensive line.”
According to the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Patrick Finley, Goldman wore No. 90 at Florida State to honor Ratliff, and he is excited for the opportunity to work alongside him, saying, according to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com:
When I got the call [from the Bears], that was one of the first things I thought about was actually being in the locker room with him. It will be great. During the draft process I met [former NFL lineman] Andre Gurode and he said that Jay Ratliff was one of the best guys he ever went up against. I just look forward to learning a lot from him and playing alongside him.
After Chicago selected Goldman, Ratliff welcomed him to the team:
Ratliff was a seventh-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2005, but he quickly developed into one of the league’s best interior defensive linemen. He was named to four Pro Bowls between 2008 and 2011 and was named an All-Pro in 2008 and 2009.
He played both the 0-technique nose tackle position and 5-technique defensive end position in Dallas’ 3-4 defense, and he could be someone Goldman leans on for help as he transitions into the NFL.
There is no guarantee Ratliff will take the young defensive lineman under his wings, but at the very least, Goldman will be able to learn from Ratliff by watching how he performs in practice and on game day.
Use Him to Re-establish an Identity on Defense
During Trestman’s two-year run as the team’s head coach, the Bears struggled mightily on the defensive side of the football.
When Pace took over as general manager back in January, he talked about re-establishing Chicago’s identity.
“When you think about the Chicago Bears’ identity over the years,” Pace said, according to Dan Durkin of CBS Chicago, “it’s tough, physical defense, and we’re going to get back to that.”
The Bears have lacked that identity since Urlacher’s departure after the 2012 season, and while Goldman is not the flashiest player on the field, he has the right attitude and sounds willing to work on his craft.
If Goldman is willing to embrace whatever role Fangio puts him in and if he is able to lean on a former All-Pro like Ratliff, he has a chance to develop into a centerpiece in Chicago’s new 3-4 defense alongside guys like outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and cornerback Kyle Fuller for years to come.
Statistical information courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and NFL.com. Combine numbers and measurables courtesy of NFL.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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