Washington on Hardy and Booker ahead of roster cuts |
CHICAGO - Defensive coordinator Eric Washington came into one of the best defenses in the league with talented players like Pro Bowlers edge rusher Montez Sweat and cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
What has stood out to Washington, however, is how Sweat has stepped into more of a leadership role. “He’s very willing to (give) the benefit of his experience not just with the guys in his position group, but (Montez) was actually speaking to the offensive line about how he sees protection concepts and how he looks to assert himself as an edge rusher. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that in my 17 years,” Washington said. “But, just the fact that he went over to (our) offensive tackles and gave them some feedback as far as what he’s trying to do and what they can anticipate, I thought was really cool. So, it speaks to the leadership and he also understands that we have to be the sum of our parts. The group has to be good. Our offensive line has to be good for us to accomplish our goals as a team.” Johnson has also stepped up in his leadership role, mentoring some of the other younger cornerbacks, like Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson. Stevenson is coming off of a strong rookie campaign with four interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a tackle for loss. His size at over 200 pounds also works because he is able to maintain his speed, something Washington could not truly appreciate until seeing him in person. “Tyrique’s size, for a corner, is a tremendous asset for us, especially when he’s at the point of attack … His break is exceptional,” Washington said. “Once the ball is in the air, Tyrique can go from a back pedal situation, once the play has kind of declared itself, he can really close and make plays on the ball. So, when you see that live and in-person, live action as opposed to on film, it really jumps out at you.” While Stevenson had a strong rookie campaign last season, Gordon did not have the season he wanted after breaking his hand. He has also been working through injuries in training camp. Nonetheless, he was able to play in Chicago’s preseason victory against the Cincinnati Bengals and made sure to make his presence known. “His reputation is outstanding. When you look at his body of work, he missed a little bit of time,” Washington said. “So, to have him back out on the practice field and to watch how impactful he was during the game last week not (only) as a blitzer, as a coverage element and just as a person who’s able to make tackles in the open field. He’s a top-tier talent. He takes what he does very seriously. He has a lot of pride in his performance, and I’m glad he’s on our team.” Like any defense, Chicago also has some young talent with players fighting to make the roster. One of them is linebacker Daniel Hardy, who has turned some heads during training camp with his energy and effort. Washington explained that effort, energy, and ceiling are all factors in determining who stays on the roster, which should favor Hardy. “(He) has really stood out as far as what we’re asking that position to do, especially from a rush standpoint. He’s been extremely active. The energy has been high. He’s gotten quality wins in critical situations and his effort has been phenomenal,” Washington said. “Everything that we start from an evaluation standpoint starts with hustle and I don’t know anybody that stood out as much as he has.” 1 guy I’m excited for tonight; Daniel Hardy Rookie defensive lineman Austin Booker, who the Bears drafted in the fifth round of the draft, is also fighting for a roster spot. After having the game of his life in Chicago’s victory against the Buffalo Bills with 2.5 sacks which ties Hardy for the most in one game out of any of the Bears’ first three preseason games. But the next week against the Bengals, he only had two tackles and no sacks. His spot on the roster seems very much in question, although he does have a very high ceiling. “What I wanted to see Austin do was just gain every single day as far as his assignments, get him in live competition, watch him compete against our o-line and just watch him just continue to make progress and then really look at him during the live competition,” Washington said. “The week before, he really flashed and the previous week against Cincinnati at home, it was a little quieter performance. It doesn’t mean that he took a step backwards. But, he just didn’t have the splash plays that he did against Buffalo.” The deadline for NFL teams to make their official 53-man roster is Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 3 p.m. So, players like Hardy and Booker's performance against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, Aug. 22 (7:20 p.m. / FOX 32 or NFL Network) could decide whether they make the team or not.
Hardy has been a one man wrecking crew this preseason.
I think that if we balls out again, he locks himself in for the 53-man pic.twitter.com/A1GrDhLdCf
