Roquan Smith (ESPN + Top 10 Inside LB)

iueyedoc

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Way too many people can't get past draft pick used on them and how they played their rookie season. Its stupid but it is what it is. First impressions last. How many years will Eddie Jackson get a pass? No one wanted to listen when I said his production would drop off a cliff when we lost Adrian Amos. Now that we lost Kyle Fuller the secondary is going to get worked even harder and Eddie will have even more responsibilities.
Easy on the self falacio, Al Bundy.
 

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Way too many people can't get past draft pick used on them and how they played their rookie season. Its stupid but it is what it is. First impressions last. How many years will Eddie Jackson get a pass? No one wanted to listen when I said his production would drop off a cliff when we lost Adrian Amos. Now that we lost Kyle Fuller the secondary is going to get worked even harder and Eddie will have even more responsibilities.
Never properly replacing Callahan at NB is much more impactful to EJ than not having Amos. That and scheme and the way Pagano was using him closer to the LoS and covering the slot
 

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Never properly replacing Callahan at NB is much more impactful to EJ than not having Amos. That and scheme and the way Pagano was using him closer to the LoS and covering the slot
That is exactly the point. Responsibilities changed when we no longer had a versatile safety that could be played interchangeably. Fuller and Jackson routinely combined to bait quarterbacks into bad passes they picked off. That disappeared the moment Amos was gone and now without Fuller expect even more pressure on the secondary.
 

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That is exactly the point. Responsibilities changed when we no longer had a versatile safety that could be played interchangeably. Fuller and Jackson routinely combined to bait quarterbacks into bad passes they picked off. That disappeared the moment Amos was gone and now without Fuller expect even more pressure on the secondary.
Think it has more to do with Pagano than Gipson. Gipson has the ability to play both spots as needed. Chuck was more limited with Ha Ha but not so with Gipson
 

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I’d also say with Goldman coming back the bears should see fewer 3rd and shorts and the pass rush will have more 3rd and long opportunities. Seems like the bears were always in 3rd and 5 or worse on defense because they were getting gashed on the ground. Not saying I’m not concerned with the secondary, but I do expect more from the pass rush this season which will obviously help out the secondary
 

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I’d also say with Goldman coming back the bears should see fewer 3rd and shorts and the pass rush will have more 3rd and long opportunities. Seems like the bears were always in 3rd and 5 or worse on defense because they were getting gashed on the ground. Not saying I’m not concerned with the secondary, but I do expect more from the pass rush this season which will obviously help out the secondary
I forgot how terrible they were against the run last year, especially the first like 5 games of the season. here's hoping they get pressure up front again finally.
 

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Think it has more to do with Pagano than Gipson. Gipson has the ability to play both spots as needed. Chuck was more limited with Ha Ha but not so with Gipson
There is no way I can ignore that. Fangio definitely deployed safeties in a different manner than Pagano. Pagano didn't really try to confuse offenses much at all while Fangio would routinely place Amos as a SS, FS, Linebacker and on rare occasions even picking up the responsibility of a nickel. Amos was a large factor in why the defensive backfield was a mine field for quarterbacks.
 

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There is no way I can ignore that. Fangio definitely deployed safeties in a different manner than Pagano. Pagano didn't really try to confuse offenses much at all while Fangio would routinely place Amos as a SS, FS, Linebacker and on rare occasions even picking up the responsibility of a nickel. Amos was a large factor in why the defensive backfield was a mine field for quarterbacks.
Yeah, nothing gets the attention of a QB more than a guy with 1 INT in his 1st 51 games and 3 INT's in 4 seasons. Are you seriously going to start your Adrian Amos love fest again.
 

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Yeah, nothing gets the attention of a QB more than a guy with 1 INT in his 1st 51 games and 3 INT's in 4 seasons. Are you seriously going to start your Adrian Amos love fest again.
I don't expect you to understand why a single player that doesn't have gaudy stats can still be the lynchpin of a defense's versatility. However being that you're a fan of the Bears and know the history of the 46 D its incredibly ironic. Since, you know...Doug Plank was a SS.
 

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Roquan is easily a top 3 guy. With the first team all pro snub last year, I can see him playing with a chip on his shoulder and playing lights out.
 

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I don't expect you to understand why a single player that doesn't have gaudy stats can still be the lynchpin of a defense's versatility. However being that you're a fan of the Bears and know the history of the 46 D its incredibly ironic. Since, you know...Doug Plank was a SS.
And Doug Plank was nothing more than a favorite, sledgehammer of a player of Buddy Ryan's that he named the defense after. He didn't use the 46 other than a blitz package until 1981, Planks last season as a Bears starter. The Bears ranked 14/28 in points and 19/28 in yards that season. After his being released the Bears went on to rank 5th, 3rd, 1st, 1st, 4th, and 1st the next 6 seasons. But I agree, Amos is about as much a lynch pin as Plank was, which is to say not at all. I have never seen so much hand wringing over such a forgettable replaceable player.
 

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Roquan is easily a top 3 guy. With the first team all pro snub last year, I can see him playing with a chip on his shoulder and playing lights out.
If only he had Amos at SS, he would be a shoe in for DMVP.
 

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If only he had Amos at SS, he would be a shoe in for DMVP.
Think you’re replying to the wrong guy. I never mentioned Amos.

Roquan had stats last year that warranted 1st team All Pro. It’s a big year contract wise. Lots to be excited about as he’s an ascending player.
 

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He was a great pick and he is an elite player. I would like to see them blitz him a little bit more this year. I know they love to drop him in coverage because he has that rare ability, but he can also get to the QB. He had 5 sacks his rookie year and for some reason they got away from blitzing him.
 

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If you count out Goldman last year and Hicks the year before, its been since 2018 the Bears had their true defensive front healthy and starting.

Keeping Hicks healthy won't be easy, but if we can get Hicks, Goldman and Nichols together for close to 16 games Smith is going to ball out.
 

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If you count out Goldman last year and Hicks the year before, its been since 2018 the Bears had their true defensive front healthy and starting.

Keeping Hicks healthy won't be easy, but if we can get Hicks, Goldman and Nichols together for close to 16 games Smith is going to ball out.
Plus Edwards was really good last year. Then hopefully we can get some good play on a limited basis from tonga/pennel/blackson
 

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