Emma: Bears Showing Commitment To Shoring Up Special Teams
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) Lost amid far too many failed kickoff returns and opponents sprinting down the sidelines was a John Fox gem of a quote.
"At the end of the day, you're not designing coverages that your punter is a major factor of the coverage," coach Fox said in early November following another special teams breakdown by his Bears.
Without context, this reads as one of many great Foxisms dropped in Year 1 with a new regime. But this line came with a great deal of buried honesty, planted in a defense of his trusted special teams coordinator, Jeff Rodgers, whom he brought from Denver.
Fox was attempting to convey what should've seemed obvious at times -- the Bears' problem in special teams had little to do with coaching; it was a matter of poor personnel. Pin that one on years of poor drafting and roster maneuvering by general manager Ryan Pace's predecessors, namely Phil Emery.
Players taken in the middle and later rounds of the draft were mostly moved out of Halas Hall, and signings to the bottom of the roster were inconsistent. Fox felt that Rodgers wasn't to blame.
"He's definitely a very capable coach," Fox said of Rodgers. "I don't have any concerns in that area."
Ever since the departure of Dave Toub, arguably the best special teams coordinator in the NFL, the Bears have struggled to find an identity with the unit. Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News produces comprehensive rankings of the league's special teams each season, and Chicago has ranked 23rd, 26th and 12th in the three respective years since Toub left.
The Bears' 12th-place ranking was a positive step forward after moving on from Emery's hand-picked coordinator, Joe DeCamillis, with Rodgers doing his best to bring the unit cohesiveness.
To the credit of Pace, the Bears are committed to valuing special teams more than Emery ever did. During his three-year tenure in Chicago, Emery used the bottom of his roster for experimental players, with a revolving door bringing in stranger after stranger to Halas Hall.
Emery worked like a mad scientist as Bears general manager, looking to find a splash with the bottom of his roster. Instead, that compromised positions devoted to sustaining special teams. Pace is working differently.
New priorities from Pace are showing in a commitment to building special teams, with some key roster pieces for 2016. Sam Acho was re-signed on Monday for a one-year deal, keeping depth at linebacker and a special teams standout who had eight stops last season. Sherrick McManis was given two more years primarily because of his special teams ability, with 71 special teams tackles in 78 games.
Deonte Thompson was brought in last season to be the Bears' kick returner, and he earned another year with his consistent play. Thompson averaged 29.2 yards per kickoff return, second-best in the NFL last season.
The Bears also re-signed key special teams standouts like Chris Prosinski, who was third on the team in special teams tackles, plus Jacquizz Rodgers and Marc Mariani. Additionally, Chicago solidified its special teams with a new long snapper, Aaron Brewer, who came from Rodgers' unit in Denver. The Bears have also expressed interest in Broncos special teams standout Omar Bolden, who will meet in Lake Forest this week.
It's only March, with more moves to come. The Bears will keep looking to bolster their special teams.
Ranking 12th in Gosselin's special teams rankings was nice progress that represents the Bears' late-season improvements with the unit. Rodgers got sustained play from his special teams. By comparison, DeCamillis brought his Broncos a seventh-place ranking in his first season out of Chicago, and Toub's Chiefs were ranked ninth.
What often brought the Bears so many special teams blunders in the past was a general manager failing to value the bottom portion of his roster for such a key component. Rather than getting cute, Pace is using roster spots to ensure his special teams will be among the NFL's best.
Now, it seems the Bears are committed to special teams success.
Chris Emma covers the Chicago sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
