Middle of line becoming worry
DT potentially may be position of priority in free agency, draft
In light of the way things have broken down the last few weeks, don't be surprised if the position becomes a top priority in free agency and the 2007 draft.
The Bears are built on defense, and defense is built on line play. There's no such thing as a great defense without a great defensive line, and that is true whether the scheme relies on gap-shooting linemen or big, beefy run-stuffers lining up in a 3-4 or a 4-3 front. It all starts up front.
For the Bears, that means having a front four that can put pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz. The team gives up size for speed and pass-rushing skills in its scheme. The defense is at its best with the dangerous interior presence Tommie Harris provided at the three-technique, shading the outside shoulder of guards.
Johnson fits the profile of a three-technique pass rusher, even though his position is nose tackle. Ideally, the Bears want a three-technique type playing the nose because shooting gaps and getting upfield provides the big-play capability the defense relies on.
That's why the combination of Harris' season-ending hamstring injury and Johnson's off-the-field troubles threatens to undermine a dream season and the future. The two players now starting on the interior of the defensive line are Ian Scott and Alfonso Boone. Both are heading to unrestricted free agency in the offseason.
Harris recently underwent surgery to repair a ruptured hamstring and isn't expected back before training camp next year. He was viewed as the Bears' top offseason priority before the injury. With one year left on his contract after this season, the Bears figured to try to lock him into a long-term deal.
That's no doubt still the plan, but the long-term impact of the injury has to give the team pause. Will Harris be back to full strength at the start of next season, or will it take some time for him to regain top form? Might it be another year before he regains the ability that put him in the Pro Bowl?
Johnson also might have been in line for a contract extension, but now he might be viewed as trade bait. Will his problems lead to his release during the offseason, when the team would have options for replacing him? Certainly, the Bears can't rely on him after an erratic 18 months that featured three arrests, a mysterious injury and an assortment of bad decisions.
Scott and Boone are aware that the Bears like to identify players they want to keep and approach them with offers of contract extensions to get better long-term value by rewarding guys early. Will they become priorities now? Will the team's previous lack of interest have an impact?
''Of course, I want to be here,'' Scott said. ''This is my first time going through this stuff. I like playing football, and all I can control is going out and doing what the coaches want me to do. At the end of the season, everything will fall into place and God will take care of the rest.
''The biggest thing is getting to the playoffs and winning in the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl. The rest of it will take care of itself.''
Playing defensive tackle in the NFL takes a terrible toll on the body, especially with undersized guys. The Bears' medical questions at the position don't end with Harris. Third-round draft pick Dusty Dvoracek effectively has been a redshirt this season after being put on injured reserve with an injury to his left foot, but he is expected to be in the mix next season.
Antonio Garay, who is getting repetitions beside Israel Idonije in obvious pass-rushing situations these days, had enough talent coming out of Boston College in 2003 to be a first-day pick, but injury concerns led him to fall to the sixth round (195th overall) before the Cleveland Browns selected him. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2004 and spent last season on the Bears' practice squad.
''For me, these next two weeks are going to be big,'' said Garay, who has a year left on his contract after this season. ''In Chicago, you have to be a pass rusher. You have to get to the quarterback and make plays. That's what I plan on doing.''
The Bears matched the four-year, $7.5 million offer sheet Idonije signed last offseason with the Buffalo Bills and turned him into their jack-of-all-trades. He has been playing with sore shoulders from his role as the wedge-buster on special teams and had been used sparingly at defensive end until being moved in at tackle recently.
So why would anyone have doubted Grossman? His four games with a sub-40 passer rating are the most among NFL starters. And while he has had ratings higher than 100 five times at Soldier Field, it was there that he put up a 1.3 in Week 13 against the Vikings.
''People have bad football games, and he had a few in a row and people were on him,'' said defensive tackle Ian Scott, who was teammates with Grossman at Florida. ''He has been able to bounce back a couple of times. In the NFL, everything is pretty much week-to-week. Sometimes you make mistakes, but that is why it's a team sport.
''It's not about one player, and it's not like we lost four games in a row. He just had some bad games. And when you compare it to what he was doing earlier in the season, it was a big drop-off, so that is what is so alarming. But he's a great football player, and I'm happy to see him play well.''
''Oh, man, I'm excited for him,'' Jones said. ''The guy works hard. He deserves it. He's a great running back. He plays well on special teams, really takes pride in his job. He's one of the most valuable players on this team. And he's a leader, he leads by example. Any time you have a guy like that ... they mean a lot to your team.''
The Lions had suspended Cullen, their defensive line coach, for the season opener against the Seahawks. But after Cullen met with commissioner Roger Goodell on Dec. 1 in New York, the league suspended him for another game, citing conduct detrimental to the league.
On Aug. 24, Cullen was arrested on suspicion of indecent and obscene conduct after police said he drove nude through a fast-food takeout lane in Dearborn, Mich.