Chuck Pagano is certainly taking his time settling in as the new Chicago Bears defensive coordinator. Already several of Vic Fangio’s former assistants are gone with two of them, secondary coach Ed Donatell and outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley joining him in Denver. It’s clear that Pagano aims to almost completely overhaul the staff with coaches of his own choosing.
That’s nothing unprecedented. Such things tend to happen when a coordinator is lost and an outsider is brought in. The Bears don’t seem perturbed by the situation. They have confidence that Pagano knows what he’s doing and will build a strong staff. There are a number of rumors out there about who may or may not join him but nothing significant yet.
However, there is a growing belief that his first addition could be near. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and reported first by Football Scoop, Kansas State defensive coordinator Ted Monachino may depart his position to join Pagano for the third time. The two previously worked together in both Baltimore and Indianapolis.
“Talk around the league is that the Bears will hire Kansas State defensive coordinator Ted Monachino, likely as a linebackers coach. Monachino spent last season as a senior defensive analyst for his alma mater, Missouri, and was the Colts defensive coordinator under Pagano. He also worked with Pagano in Baltimore, where he coached the Ravens linebackers.”
Ted Monachino has his critics but Chuck Pagano knows where he does best
Most people these days remember Monachino for his ugly two-year stint as Colts defensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017. They finished 30th in the NFL both years. To be fair he had exactly zero good players on that defense so it’s little surprise they struggled. Yet even during that time, his expertise with linebackers shined through.
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Monachino started his work at that position in 2010 running the Ravens outside linebackers. That job expanded two years later to all the linebackers. During his stint, Terrell Suggs experienced the most productive stretch of his career with 45 sacks in five seasons. That’s despite missing eight games in 2012 with injury problems.
Also among the accomplishments for Monachino was transforming C.J. Mosley into an instant success in 2014, sending him to a Pro Bowl as a rookie. Even journeyman veteran Daryl Smith, who never really shined in Jacksonville, had 388 tackles and nine sacks in three seasons working with Monachino.
Last but not least? Longtime rotational pass rusher Erik Walden, who never had more than six sacks in a season prior to 2016, had a career-high 11 during Monachino’s first year as defensive coordinator. The guy gets results. So it’s exciting to think what he might be able to do with Roquan Smith, Danny Trevathan, Leonard Floyd, and Khalil Mack. Or even just two of those four.
