NFL Notes: Bears, Dolphins Address Depth

Darwin Walker was a solid acquisition for this time of the year to answer an uncertain situation at a key spot within the Bears’ defense. 

The defensive tackle position is critical to the Bears’ defense in terms of getting pressure on the quarterback and creating some disruption in the gaps against the run.  The Bears have Tommie Harris coming back, but lost the other three components in their four-man rotation – Tank Johnson, Ian Scott, and Alfonso Boone – during the off-season. 

They signed former 49er Anthony Adams to help add experience within the rotation.  Adams plays with a lot of effort to disrupt gaps, but is undersized and can be pushed around.

The addition of Walker solidifies the rotation inside to complement Harris.  Walker has good quickness and can create interior pressure on the quarterback. On the downside, Walker fell out of favor in Philadelphia due to inconsistency – especially with his effort against the run.  He tends to lose focus at times on the field, which highlighted frustration from the coaches in Philadelphia.

Dolphins Add Anderson:  It wasn’t a bad move by the Dolphins to take a flier on former Raider tight end Courtney Anderson.  Anderson is a good athlete with speed to make plays in the passing game, but struggled last season with his hands.  One positive from last season was his development as a capable blocker. 

Cam Cameron’s offense relies heavily on production in the passing game from the tight end position.  Anderson provides that ability if he can regain consistency catching the ball.  They signed David Martin away from Green Bay this past spring.  Martin has the athleticism to create a lot of favorable matchups in the passing game.  Martin is coming off a productive year with the Packers and has the ability to make a lot of plays in Cameron’s offense, but has had a lot of durability problems over the years. 

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