New coordinator says Bears defense has talent, football IQ

Khalil BOURBONNAIS, ILL. — Mack poured into the backfield Thursday at the Chicago Bears’ practice, stretched up and deflected Mitchell Trubisky’s pass before making the interception.

It sure looked like the same old defense, even if the defensive coordinator has changed.

Chuck Pagano replaced current Denver Broncos coach Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator and knows the pressure is on him considering he’s taking over a unit that ranked first in numerous major defensive categories last season.

“We all know what we signed up for,” Pagano said. “Players and coaches, we understand what the expectations are. It’s really change the changeable, except the unchangeable, right? And remove whatever’s not good.

“So we’re going to work our tails off and do the best we can day in and day out.”

Bears defensive players insist any changes they’ve seen to their successful defensive scheme through a week of training camp have been easily picked up and are positives designed to make the Monsters of the Midway even more difficult to attack.

“It hasn’t been that huge of an adjustment,” second-year linebacker Roquan Smith said. “At the end of the day, ball is ball and there are only so many calls you can run.

“The defense is not too complicated, so I don’t look at it as a huge change.”

Fangio had a reputation for playing it safer with coverages and blitzes than Pagano, but this came with different personnel and a different team. While there have been changes, Pagano sees the Bears as capable of handling anything he throws at them.

“The football IQ is off the charts in the (defensive) room,” Pagano said. “Obviously, coach Fangio did a great job of building that. They built one heck of a roster and again they put together a group of men and we’ve got depth at all three positions, all three levels.

“They love ball but they’re smart. And so coming in it’s been easy to implement and put the scheme together and we’ve thrown a lot at them and a lot’s stuck. So that’s a good thing.”

Pagano said any success at picking up the scheme goes back to the players’ commitment in offseason work.

“I’ve got to earn their trust, they’ve got to earn mine,” Pagano said. “We all understand that. So that’s just over time, where if you’re willing to invest and put that time in, player, coach-to-coach, coach-to-player, then the sky is the limit.”