Cubs News: DC Dennis Allen on Grady Jarrett: "Just put the tape on"

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - 15 hours ago

CHICAGO - When searching for a defensive coordinator, head coach Ben Johnson wanted a seasoned defensive mind who was on the same page as him as far as having an aggressive mindset.

That is precisely what he has found in Dennis Allen, who stated he wanted Chicago’s defense to be “tough” and “nasty” next season.

“Tough, nasty, hyper-competitive, play with a swagger, play with a chip on their shoulder. I think that’s kind of been the hallmark of the best defenses that I’ve been around,” Allen said. “I think that’s been a hallmark of a lot of great defenses that have been here in Chicago and so, I think that’s what we’re looking for.”

The defensive line lacked overall physicality and big plays throughout much of the season. They struggled to apply pressure up the middle and did not get in the backfield as much as they needed to.

However, the additions of Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in the offseason were specifically to address this.

“We’re never in the position that we’re just satisfied with where we’re at. We’re going to continue to look for areas that we think we can improve this defense, (but) I do think we made some improvement in that area obviously with the addition of Grady (Jarrett) as an interior defensive tackle,” Allen said. “Dayo, I think one of the things that he does exceptionally well is I think he moves inside and passing downs and rushes really well from the interior. So, I do think we have some options in there and certainly, to me, that’s one of the main points of pass rush. Everybody talks about these speed rushers off the edge. But really, it’s about the interior pocket pressure that you have to have and that allows guys like Montez Sweat to be able to have some success coming off the edge.”

While Odeyingbo is more of an up and coming player with minimal experience in the league, Jarrett has established himself as one of the premier veteran interior defensive linemen in the NFL. He is a leader on and off the field and has a propensity to get in the backfield. In fact, Jarrett has recorded at least eight quarterback hits every season since 2016.

Last year marked his sixth season with at least eight tackles for loss and 30 solo tackles.

“Quickness, athleticism, those are things that he really has. He can play with leverage. He’s not a real big guy. But, he does a great job of playing with leverage. So, rarely do you see him get knocked off the line of scrimmage. There’s some things I think we can help him with from a fundamental technique standpoint to get him to even play stouter on the line of scrimmage,” Allen said. “Just put the tape on. This guy plays extremely on every single play. So, rarely do you see him not running with great effort to the football and I think he plays the game with a relentless attitude. I think he’s going to be great for our room.”

A veteran leader like Jarrett can also serve as a mentor to some of Chicago’s younger players like defensive lineman Gervon Dexter. Dexter is going into his third season. While he was projected to have a breakout season his second year, that did not come to fruition. In the first five games, Dexter recorded four sacks. However, in the 10 games he was active after that, he only managed to record one sack.

Jarrett is someone who Allen feels can really make an impact on a player like Dexter.

“I think Grady’s the ultimate professional and I think with any young player, having someone that you can watch, not necessarily how they play but how they conduct themselves on a daily basis and what it takes to be a pro in our league, I think that’s important for a lot of young guys,” Allen said. “Dexter (is) one of them, but I think there’s others that (he) can have a heavy influence (on) more in terms of how to be a pro as much as how to play the game.”