Matt Eberflus Dropped Another Hint On Bears’ Roster Plans
Matt Eberflus isn’t going to divulge information on specific players the Chicago Bears may or may not target moving forward. That would be irresponsible. However, the head coach continues to make his parameters for what he covets every time he’s been asked. That continued on Friday ahead of the team’s 14th game of the season against the league-leading Philadelphia Eagles. Obviously, every team looks at them as the new template for how to build a Super Bowl contender. Eberflus is no different.
He has connections to that franchise. Nick Sirianni, their head coach, was his colleague with the Indianapolis Colts. Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham also had a significant hand in building that roster as their former director of player personnel before coming to Chicago in January. Their players embody three key traits that Eberflus plans to prioritize as well. Adam Hoge of CHGO picked up on it.
Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles have harped on physicality from the second they arrived. Speed as well. They see both as essential to success in the NFL. The most interesting characteristic is length. This marks the second time the Bears head coach has mentioned it. That seems important.
Matt Eberflus has history on his side in this argument.
His defenses in Indianapolis were the primary reason he got hired in Chicago. All one has to do is look at their best players to understand why the head coach holds this viewpoint. Star linebacker Shaq Leonard stood 6’2 with 34-inch arms. All-Pro defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is 6’6 with 34-inch arms. Pro Bowl cornerback Kenny Moore, despite being only 5’9, had arms almost 33 inches long. All three were highly athletic for their positions too. So yeah. It is easy to see why Eberflus is a big proponent of those characteristics.
That should make the upcoming off-season interesting when putting those factors into play. Chicago is expected to target a defensive lineman in the 1st round, depending on where they pick. With the margins between names like Will Anderson and Jalen Carter so slim, it’s crazy to think something like arm length could determine who the Bears ultimately go with. For what it’s worth, Anderson is expected to measure over 33 inches. So it may come down to where Carter lands.
Either way, Matt Eberflus made it clear that length is a big focal point of the Bears’ future. Keep that in mind as you set your off-season boards.