How Bears are adding unique D-line wrinkles to elevate Montez Sweat, pass rush in 2024

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Bears' defensive line enters training camp as the team's biggest question mark ahead of the 2024 season.

The Bears watched defensive tackle Justin Jones leave in free agency while edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue remains unsigned on the free agent market. General manager Ryan Poles only made minor additions to the defensive line this offseason. The Bears drafted edge rusher Austin Booker in the fifth round of the 2024 draft and signed situational pass rusher Jacob Martin but have otherwise been quiet on that front.

Poles said he and the font office would consider adding another veteran defensive lineman during camp, but that would only happen after they evaluate the current roster in pads.

If the Bears don't add another veteran defensive lineman, they will enter the season relying on DeMarcus Walker, Gervon Dexter, and Andrew Billings to provide the required disruption opposite Montez Sweat.

But head coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Eric Washington have also been in the lab installing some new wrinkles to their rush plan that should help further unlock Sweat and those around him.

"We want to have flexibility," Washington said Tuesday after practice. "I’ll say this — we want flexibility where we can align [Sweat]. We want to utilize his skillset against the offensive line and not just specific to one position. First of all, I really appreciate the fact that he’s embracing that challenge and everything he’s doing to make his game as well-rounded as possible."

In their search for flexibility, the Bears are experimenting with moving Sweat from the left side to the right side and kicking him inside to tackle when necessary. Sweat has played 3,395 snaps in his career, but only 75 have come inside.

Moving Sweat around the line will allow the Bears to shift the offensive line's protection and free up one-on-ones for other members of the line.

"Oh, it’s awesome," Billings said of the plan to move Sweat around. "Offensive line don’t know where to go, and we know exactly where they’re gonna go. It’s like, alright, he’s gonna be on this side? Then I’ve got a one-on-one on this side now. Offensive line, they’ll have to flip the whole call because he’s going to be somewhere else. I think you see players like that on defense, that’s something the defense has to grow around, but we’re going to do that."

But the Bears are also tinkering with Billings.

With Jones leaving in free agency, the Bears only have three defensive tackles who are locks to make the 53-man roster: Billings, Dexter, and Zacch Pickens.

Last season, the Bears started Jones at three-technique and Billings at nose tackle. They subbed in Dexter mainly at three-technique and Pickens at nose.

But this season, the Bears want all three defensive tackles to be flexible which includes Billings playing three technique when called on.

"I'm playing three-technique a little bit this year, too, so I'm learning as I'm going," Billings said.

"For me, it's honestly more weight on my hands. At nose, I'm hands first. I've just gotta focus on just blowing up the guard now instead of the center, really."

It's a change that Billings, who had 23 pressures and a pass-rush win percentage of 11.7 last season, loves.

"I like it. It's less rules," Billings said with a smile.

The Bears' defense has dreams of becoming an elite unit this fall. They have one of the best back sevens in the NFL. That's a unit that should get better if second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson takes the expected leap.

But the Bears' defense will only go as far as their defensive line can take them. If the Bears can get pressure with four, their defense should be able to continue to build off the success it found during the back half of last season.

But if Sweat doesn't get help from Dexter, Billings, and Walker, the Bears will have to rely on Eberflus' deep bag of blitz packages to create pressure. Those worked at times last season, but the Bears' defense only found its footing once Sweat arrived and they could consistently get pressure with the front four.

The Bears' defensive line could wind up being its Achilles' heel in 2024, but Eberflus and Washington have a plan to elevate the pass rush to ensure it has more bite even if Poles doesn't add another veteran during camp.

Those wrinkles could wind up determining whether or not the Bears meet or exceed raised expectations this fall.

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