The Chicago Bears held an introductory press conference for their new coordinators on Thursday. New head coach Ben Johnson has brought in offensive coordinator Declan Doyle and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
Allen is a very well-respected coach in the NFL. He previously was the head coach for the Saints for the past three seasons and was the defensive coordinator for the Saints from 2015-2021. He also had an earlier stint with the Saints from 2006-2010 as a secondary coach.
Allen will be given command of a defense that does have plenty of talent, especially within the secondary. However, there are indeed some holes that need to be filled for this defense.
In his very first press conference as Chicago Bears defensive coordinator, Allen explained how his defense will be “an aggressive, attacking style defense.” Allen seemed to give a major hint to the Bears front office for what area the defense needs help in, that would be the defensive line.
Dennis Allen is pleading for help on the defensive line
In order to have a very aggressive defense, the defensive line needs to find a way to get to the quarterback. Allen is known to have a blitz-heavy, 4-3 defensive scheme which would require much improvement on the defensive line. Allen seemed to be pleading to the Chicago Bears front office that they are gonna need some more help on the defensive line.
From CHGO Bears via X:
“Dennis Allen reiterated Ben Johnson’s remark on the NFL being a QB-driven league, but shared his perspective as a DC:
“How do we affect the quarterback? We can be as great as we can be covering everybody, but it’s not going to matter if we can’t get to the quarterback.” ”
Allen explains that getting to the quarterback is gonna be the most important aspect of this defense. Applying pressure to the quarterback would lead to sacks, forced fumbles, and mistakes from the opposing quarterback. Even though the Bears secondary has a lot of talent, it will not matter as much if the defense cannot get pressure on the quarterback.
Pressuring the quarterback has been a major flaw of the Bears’ defense in the past few seasons. Montez Sweat is an incredible pass rusher but he needs more help. An edge rusher opposite him would be a great addition to the Bears starting defense.
The Bears must add an edge rusher in free agency or early in the draft
Many big-name edge rushers will be available in free agency starting in March and the Bears desperately need to add one to bolster this defense.
A fan favorite choice could be none other than Khalil Mack. Mack was a massive fan favorite during his time on the Bears and a force to be reckoned with. In his last two seasons with the Chargers, In 2023 he had 88 quarterback pressures. He also had an 86.3 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, his highest since 2020, when he was still with the Bears. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the top edge rusher free agent for the 2025 class. Bringing “The Mack Attack” back to the Chicago Bears would be absolutely awesome. A defensive line including, Mack, Montez Sweat, and Andrew Billings would be really fun to watch.
Chase Young could also be a cheaper option for the Bears, as he has ties to Dennis Allen. Young played for Allen during the 2024 season. Young had a total of 66 quarterback pressures and a pressure rate of 14.6 percent. When healthy, Chase Young is a very aggressive player with still a lot of upside. A potential reunion for Young and his former head coach could be very interesting.
Other potential edge rushers the Bears can go for include Marcus Davenport, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Hassan Reddick. They could also draft a pass rusher in the upcoming NFL draft. Regardless, an edge rusher is one of the biggest needs for this offseason. Improvement on the defensive line could no doubt turn Allen’s defense into a top defense in the NFL.
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