Where the Bears Will Turn to Replace Yannick Ngakoue

DeMarcus Walker looked like he'd be a vital starter when he came to the Bears.

He's been important in a rotation, but lost his starting spot when the Bears traded for Montez Sweat. Now he's going to start again as a result of Yannick Ngakoue's broken ankle.

The Bears veteran figures to be the player on the field with starters in place of Ngakoue but it could also be more of a team effor to pick up some reps their sacks leader had been getting.

"It's not just about the guys making plays on the field," Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones said. "Even in practice and in our meeting room, these guys are over there talking. The ends are talking, the ends are coaching each other up. Yannick and Tez (Montez Sweat), they're all talking to the younger ends making sure that they're understanding what's going on and what they're seeing.

"I'm just ready to see them play."

The return of second-year defensive end Dominique Robinson to the active roster will mean some reps for him in the rotation.

"Dom's been working really hard these last couple weeks," Jones said. "He hasn't been playing but in practice he's been balling.

"So for him to go out there and show what he can do again, I'm excited for that opportunity for him."

If Robinson looks better it could be because of work Ngakoue did with him. In fact, he helped everyone by teaching them his pet pass rush move.

"Yannick has a good edge presence and obviously he's known for his cross chop, so that's something that I think a lot of people studied him and I think added to our own repertoires," Walker said.

In terms of the actual starting spot, Walker shouldn't have a problem stepping in because he had lost his starting job only because they brought Sweat on board. 

No hard feelings about losing the starting spot because he played plenty of reps anyway. Actually, despite being the player who got moved out of the starting spot with Sweat's arrival Walker has played 65% of defensive plays according to Sportradar. That's the most he has played in any season for his career by 76 plays.

"It's just football," Walker said. "Things are going to happen. A lot of things might not go your way. That's just life. It's about how you respond.

"It was something for me to sit back and learn, get more healthy, and now just gotta bring it and put it on the field."

The qualities Ngakoue brought to the rush are not easily replaced, however.

One quality he had is definitely lacking among subs who would get more reps.

"He brings a different type of speed and agility to the game," Jones said. "Tez is the more powerful guy. He's still fast off the edge but really powerful. Yannick is the more speed and agile guy off the edge. We're missing that.

"But he's been training the guys that are behind him the whole time as if they're getting ready to start every week. I'm not really worried about the drop off."

Besides Robinson, that could also include more outside reps from rookie Gervon Dexter. Although he is a tackle, the Bears have already had him play end 54 out of his 317 reps. So they could easily increase this.

Some of the loss can be made up through players knowing and working within the scheme better, which is on coach Matt Eberflus. The rest will be just changing player reps. Considering how Sweat's lack of plays against Detroit at the end of a 31-26 loss riled everyone up, it could mean their main pass rusher getting more reps, as well.

"We're going to shake some things up and we're going to get guys in certain spots, but I'm excited to see my guy (Robinson) work with his opportunity," Jones said.