Kevin Byard Claims Dennis Allen Is Spitting Image Of All-Time Great

Kevin Byard has played for some great defensive coaches in his career. Most of them fall into the same categories as far as aggression. They will blitz on occasion but prefer to rush with the traditional four whenever possible. However, Byard has also seen the rarer breeds of coordinators who love to attack. They'll fire off blitzes at every opportunity, using all sorts of creativity to get a free man to the quarterback. That gives Byard some credibility when evaluating what type Dennis Allen is for the Chicago Bears.

Is he as aggressive as the experts say, or is it overblown? According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Byard sees Allen in the same pool as one of the greatest coordinators in NFL history.

The defense has won many of the early camp battles. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has brought an aggressive mindset. Byard ranks Allen just under legendary coach Dick LeBeau as far as most aggressive coordinators for whom he's played. "We want to play tight coverage on the outside, so yes, he's going to be aggressive and obviously I think we got the horses up front to be able to do it," Byard said.

LeBeau spent 29 years coaching in the NFL. During that time, he produced a top-10 defense 13 times, including five #1 rankings. His calling card was a bevy of exotic blitz packages. LeBeau was known for bringing the heat between 30-40% in every game. For an idea, only five teams crossed the 30% mark last season. LeBeau was a unique breed.

Kevin Byard recognizes what Allen is about to do.

The safety spent two years playing for LeBeau in 2016 and 2017. In that second season, Kevin Byard racked up a mammoth eight interceptions, earning All-Pro honors. It must've been a gut punch when the coordinator retired after that year. Byard remained a great player but never quite achieved the same heights. He had to have wondered how different his career might've been had he gotten a few more seasons with LeBeau. It seems rather poetic that he's getting the chance to play for somebody similar, like Allen. Opportunistic safeties have thrived in this defense for years. No wonder Byard seems so excited. He knows what this type of defense can do when it's run correctly. Allen will not let opponents get comfortable with sustained drives. He will attack. If players do their jobs, the defense will win more battles than it loses.