Dennis Allen Reportedly Planning A Big Change To Bears D-Line

The offense might be getting most of the attention in training camp, but not enough people talk about what is happening to the Chicago Bears' defense. The organization has run variations of the classic 4-3 scheme for years, be it a Cover 2 or Tampa-2 as Lovie Smith and Matt Eberflus ran. There was a change from 2015 through 2021, which became a 3-4, but changed back in 2022. The initial assumption was that the new defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen, would maintain a similar system. It is fast becoming clear that is so far away from the truth.

Allen is anything but conventional. Over the years, he's earned a reputation for being far more exotic than your average coordinator. While he may run a large part of his scheme from a 4-3 alignment, he has a tendency to shift things around based on personnel and situation. If you think he will play it normally this season, then you're in for a rude awakening. According to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune, Allen has something special planned for this season that Chicago hasn't really seen in a long time.

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen isn’t afraid to mix things up, and his push to utilize five-man fronts on occasion will help the Bears remain unpredictable and tough to deal with. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. is on board. “It’s one-on-one,” Dexter said. “Anytime you have a group of five good rushers against five offensive linemen, I like our odds with the type of players we have in our room. I think it’s great.”

Dennis Allen continues to demonstrate intelligence and common sense.

Most defenses deploy either a four-man front or a three-man front. You usually never see a five-man front unless it's in college. What are the benefits of this? The simplest answer is that five-man fronts make it easier to stop the run. You have more mass along the line of scrimmage, and gap control is less challenging. It is also known for great flexibility, adapting to various offensive formations. One must not forget the Bears share a division with two of the best rushing offenses in the NFL. Detroit was 3rd last year, and Green Bay was 6th. That doesn't include Baltimore (1st), Philadelphia (2nd), and Washington (4th), who are all on the schedule this season. Dennis Allen understands the daunting task in front of the Bears. Pass rush concerns won't matter if they can't stop the run. If sheer personnel won't do it, it must be with formations.