Monday, January 21, 2013
Tucker's impact on Melton
By Tim Kavanagh
In the wake of the Chicago Bears' hiring of Mel Tucker to fill the role of defensive coordinator for the club, we pondered what this could mean for the team's impending free agents on that side of the ball (most notably MLB Brian Urlacher). But in addition to driving the personnel strategy this offseason, Tucker's impact on Chicago's defense will obviously be felt on the field this fall.
ESPN NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert pulled up some stats from Tucker's past five seasons, noting that the percentage of snaps on which he called for a blitz has plummeted from a high of 37.4 percent in 2009 to just 20.4 percent in 2012. In order to generate an effective pass-rush with just the front-four, talent is needed at those positions, which may drive the club towards a new contract with DT Henry Melton this offseason. An impending free agent, Melton would draw a one-year salary of $8.306 million in 2013 (per numbers published by NFL.com) were he to be franchise-tagged, but the two sides may agree on a multi-year pact instead.
