Cubs News: Sweat learning under Washington, talks Dexter’s physical transformation |
LAKE FOREST, I.L. - Things changed in Chicago last season when edge rusher Montez Sweat was acquired via a trade with the Washington Commanders. The defense struggled in their first eight games, and the team’s record was a dismal 2-6.
Still, Sweat sensed a hunger with this group that is still present now going into training camp. “When I got here, I felt the hunger group. I felt the resilient, humble group, people that (weren’t) scared to sacrifice for the man beside them and want to pay for the man beside him,” Sweat said. “So, I think that’s why we elevated as a group, and (I) plan on doing the same.” In the nine games Sweat played with the Bears last season, he had the opportunity to play alongside defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The Pro Bowl defensive end was a powerful force on Chicago’s defense, recording four sacks before suffering a season-ending injury in the Bears’ victory against the Detroit Lions. In those few games, Sweat and Ngakoue were able to play together, and Sweat was able to learn from his experience. “I was a fan of Yannick before I even got here. So, to share a room with him was pretty cool, and just to practice with him and see some of his techniques, the way he approached the game was also a learning tool for me,” Sweat said. “But, it was great playing with Yannick. I think my production and his production was on the same line.” Chicago's defensive performance in the second half of the season has earned them the expectation of being a top-five defense. But Sweat does not seem concerned about outside expectations. He says the defense is just trying to improve and help the young players learn the new defense under defensive coordinator Eric Washington. “We just trying to get better every day and not necessarily pick up where we left off because it’s a new year,” Sweat said. “We’re bringing back a lot of guys, but we also got some new guys. So, just bringing the new guys that we got along and help learning the defense.” This season will be the first time since 2019 that Washington has served as a defensive coordinator for an NFL team. While head coach Matt Eberflus has stated that he will still call the plays, Washington has been using the offseason and training camp to install his defensive scheme, which Sweat has taken a liking to. “I just like the attack mindset … We rush the pass on the way to stop the run. So, it’s not like, be in a box or anything like that. I just like that attack aspect,” Sweat said. “There’s different ways that we could create blitzes and stuff like that. But, at the end of the day, you want to bring more than they can handle.” Washington started his NFL coaching career as an assistant defensive line coach for the Bears in 2008 and 2009 before becoming the defensive line coach in 2010. He would go on to serve in that role for the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2017 before becoming their defensive coordinator in 2018. That was short-lived, however, and he went back to becoming a defensive line coach, this time working for the Buffalo Bills from 2020 to 2023. Last season, he also served as an assistant head coach. Washington’s preferences for the defensive line is something that Sweat has taken note of and appreciates. “He’s very hands-on. You can definitely tell that he likes to be around the D-line. He likes to be around the big guys,” Sweat said. “So, he’s very hands-on. He’s giving his pointers every now and again. So, he’s a (defensive) coordinator. But at heart, I really feel like he’s a D-line coach.” Players grow and learn every single game as they have more reps. This is certainly the case for Sweat and this promises to continue as he learns under this defensive line-minded defensive coordinator. “My whole game really all around. I feel like I’ve grown every year even and I’m still growing,” Sweat said. “(There’s) certain things in my game that I know I wasn’t doing as a rookie and (there’s) certain things I’ll be doing this year I wasn’t doing last year. So, every year you grow as a player. Experience is probably one of the best tools that you can have as a player.” Another player who should benefit from Washington’s background and knowledge is second-year defensive end Gervon Dexter. There has been a lot of talk about Dexter in the offseason and his increasing role in the defense this upcoming season. Sweat has certainly noticed his physical transformation, which should help him become a more physical player. “He definitely made a transformation in his body. But, I always expected big things out of Gervon. He’s just waiting to blow, honestly,” Sweat said. “It’s helpful, especially a guy Javon-size and actually a guy that moves with the type of ability that he can. It’s definitely a (nice) tool to have beside me.”
