Bear Digest

Roquan Smith Needs Help and Big Pay Day

The Bears are no doubt looking at inside and outside linebackers this week at the Senior Bowl because they lack many classic 4-3 types on their roster beyond a player as skilled as Roquan Smith, who is due a big contract extension.

Gene Chamberlain

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Matt Eberflus wanted to be safe when introduced to media at Halas Hall, and keep his thoughts on the team's roster to himself.

What the Bears think of linebacker Roquan Smith already was apparent as board chairman George McCaskey chose Smith and running back David Montgomery to single out for commendation at the Matt Nagy/Ryan Pace firing announcement.

Eberflus couldn't simp[y ignore questions about a player even the owner recognized as important to the franchise's future.

"There's a lot of guys that excite me. Roquan is certainly one of them," Eberflus said. "I'm not going to get into details for every single position and every single player, but yes, there's a lot of talent, a lot of guys that play the game the right way, and we certainly need to improve how we're doing that, but that's part of the process."

Smith is due a contract extension sometime before the 2023 season and there is much speculation it could be the highest yet for an inside linebacker in the NFL, so it's natural Eberflus wasn't going to touch the topic and drive up the asking price.

Eberflus later did compare Smith to the way Derrick Brooks was used in the Tampa Bay cover-2 scheme, which indicates the Bears would think of him as a weakside linebacker in their new scheme.

As such, the Bears would need a middle linebacker and also strong-side or Sam linebacker to fill out their new 4-3 alignment. They really lack those players on the roster.

They'll be looking closely at linebackers at the Senior Bowl, Pro Days, the combine and all-star games. Here are the linebackers at the Senior Bowl.

National Team Linebackers

Terrel Bernard, Baylor

Excels at chasing from an off-ball linebacker role who could be considered as a weakside linebacker according to NFL Draft Bible. He'll make plenty of plays as a blitzer and is good making plays despite misdirection by the offense, but does sometimes struggle getting off blocks. He made 317 tackles in four years, including 31 1/2 for loss and also had 16 1/2 sacks. Intercepted three passes and broke up seven while recovering three fumbles. Regarded the eighth best linebacker in this class by NFLDB.

Darrian Beavers, Cincinnati

Good size for a middle linebacker at 6-3, 242, originally was a Connecticut player for two years before transferring. He made 230 tackles with 13 1/2 sacks and 27 1/2 tackles for loss. Also made three interceptions, three forced fumbles, five pass defenses and two fumble recoveries. Labeled as very aggressive by NFL Draft Bible, and susceptible to fakes, but an effective weakside linebacker who can become a starter. Some would consider him more of an inside linebacker in a 3-4 one-gap scheme like the Bears had been using, but his range and speed indicate he could be a 4-3 middle linebacker as well. He fits the role well as a real defensive leader on the field. He had a 2020 shoulder injury that was serious but recovered from it.

Mike Rose, Iowa State

Considered a traditional strong-side linebacker by NFL Draft Bible, he is size-wise where Brian Urlacher was as a rookie at 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, but obviously not with that kind of speed. NFLDB sees his best role in a 4-3 one-gap scheme. A player who uses his size well both in terms of height and physicality. He had 324 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups and six interceptions for the Hawkeyes. He also made 8 1/2 sacks and is said to display very sound technique as well as a high amount of energy at all times, in fact to the point where he may need to tone it down a bit. NFLDBs guesses he won't fit well in a man-to-man scheme.

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Kyron Johnson, Kansas

A 6-1, 235-pound player who was used both as a linebacker and as a pass rusher. He has excellent mobility, he made 193 tackles, including 22 1/2 for loss, and 12 1/2 sacks. He had a real nose for the football and also an ability to strip the ball as he had eight forced fumbles and pass breakups to go with three fumble recoveries. His size makes it more likely he'll be at one of the inside position in an NFL 3-4 or Will or middle in an NFL 4-3.

Jesse Luketa,  Penn State

Experience playing both on-ball and off-ball adds to his value, as does his size and speed. A Canadian player, he is 6-2 1/2, 251 with solid tackling fundamentals and an ability to quickly diagnose plays. While he as played off the ball, he has less experience at it. NFL Draft Bible suggests he may need to develop if used this way. They also say he needs to improve at shedding blocks. Regarded the 14th best linebacker in the class by NFLDB, Luketa had 151 tackles, 11 1/2 for loss, an interception and six pass defenses in college.

Sterling Weatherford, Miami (Ohio)

A versatile player projected both as an NFL strong safety or linebacker, he is 6-4, 221 pounds. He played safety and his speed was such that they had no problem using him in single safety positions. He could be an inside linebacker in a 4-3 as a situational player but would need to add weight to be an every-down player at linebacker. He made 209 tackles, 10 1/2 for loss, with 19 passes defended, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and three sacks. NFL Draft Bible considers him a safety.

Chad Muma, Wyoming

A classic middle linebacker in every sense at 6-3, 242. He was a successor to Bengals middle linebacker Logan Wilson at the school. He made 266 tackles, including 19 for loss, to go with 5 1/2 sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Ranked sixth at linebacker by ESPN's Mel Kiper, he is considered strong mentally at the position and NFL Draft Bible regards him as the best tackler in this class of linebackers. Beyond the normal Mike skills, NFLDB sees him as an excellent A-gap blitzer. Weaknesses detected were in carrying tight ends or wide receivers down the seam in coverage, something difficult even for established pro Mike linebackers.

Chad Asamoah II

Good size (6-1, 228) and skill for a weakside or Will linebacker and playmaker. He is ranked seventh by NFLDB among linebackers and has 168 total takles in a three-year career. He also made 12 1/2 tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception. NFLDB sees impatience as his biggest problem, largely because his athleticism has him always forcing the issue and making plays. So that's not necessarily a bad thing. He has played well both in man and zone coverage and more than anything need some developmental time because he only played three years in college.

Troy Andersen, Montana State

A truly remarkable 6-4, 235-pound player. He was FCS national defensive player of the year. When he started out at Montana State he was a running back and linebacker. As a sophomore he became a quarterback. He ran for 1,412 yards on 206 attempts with 21 touchdowns, threw for 1,195 yards on 115 of 208 with three touchdowns and seven interceptions. Then he focused just on defense and became a force in the middle and team leader. Last season he made 137 tackles, including 14 for loss, and two sacks with two interceptions. NFL raft Bible considers him the 15th best linebacker prospect but with the athletic potential to rise up the charts despite playing against smaller school competition.

American Team Linebackers

D'Marco Jackson, Appalachian State

A 6-1, 230-pound, very experienced inside linebacker who lacks the pass coverage experience against more sophisticated passing attacks that a 4-3 middle would need to make an immediate impact, but does have the athleticism to do it. Regarded as the 19th best linebacker prospect in the class by NFL Draft Bible, he made 291 tackles, including 35 for loss, and 11 1/2 sacks. He broke up 14 passes and picked off three passes.

Channing Tindall, Georgia

He was a self-made starter who backed up a good deal of the time in college. He finished with 108 tackles, 12 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. Named the fifth best linebacker on Mel Kiper's top 10 list, he enjoyed a strong final year. NFL Draft Bible considers him the 13th best linebacker prospect. His physical ability is apparent all over the field as he sheds blocks adeptly and is sound in his tackling technique. As a result, they also view him as a potentially strong special teams player. NFLDB sees a need for him to develop better at reading the offense and playing faster. He was said to be slow to the mark at reading plays at times.

Aaron Hansford, Texas A&M

Regarded as the ninth best outside linebacker prospect by Mel Kiper and 17th overall among all linebackers by NFL Draft Bible, Hansford has prototypical size for an inside linebacker at 6-3, 240. If it seems he arrives rapidly to make plays, there's a reason. He started his college career as a wide receiver for four games and had three receptions for 39 yards before converting to defense and adding weight. He made 157 tackles, 18 1/2 for loss, with seven sacks, six pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. The perceived knock on his game is simply lack of experience at the position. He'll also be a bit older on draft day, 24 years old, but his skill set makes it apparent if a team has patience they could have a solid linebacker at any one of three positions in a 4-3.

JoJo Domann, Nebraska

A 6-1, 230-pounder who probably could be used as a middle linebacker. He is called by NFL Draft Bible "one of the best coverage linebackers in the nation." At Nebraska he made 208 tackles, including 26 1/2 for loss, with 5 1/2 sacks, three interceptions and 15 pass breakups. He had a real nose for disruption with nine forced fumbles, and with three fumble recoveries. He doesn't handle blockers well according to NFLDB but was disruptive because he played different positions, from outside to slot. The pass coverage skills could get him a specific use, largely in passing situations for the middle of the field or an extra linebacker in short yardage situations replacing a defensive back. His coverage strength is said to be in zone.

Damone Clark, LSU

Fourth-best linebacker in this class according to Kiper and 10th best on the chart for NFL Draft Bible, Clark has ideal middle linebacker size at 6-3, 245. He made 249 tackles, including 23 for loss, and had 10 sacks. He also broke up four passes and intercepted one. Expect him to test well at the combine because NFLDB says he has great straight-line speed and an ability to carry the tight end on seam routes deep. His tackling ability and hand usage is near the top of his class, but NFLDB sees problems with his play recognition and mainly with being overly cautious. A high-character player, he wore the No. 18 jersey for LSU which is their leadership number.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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