Big opportunity for Bears' Bostic, Jones
The upside to Lance Briggs' season-ending groin injury is that the Bears will get a better idea of whether young linebackers Jon Bostic and Christian Jones are good enough to build around in the future.
At 34, in the final year of his contract and after playing just 17 games over two seasons, Briggs is no longer a part of the Bears' future.
But Bostic, a second-round draft choice last year, has flashed big-play ability. And the big, fast, athletic Jones already has started two games and played extensively despite going undrafted this year.
The development of Bostic and Jones might not matter to the current coaches because they could all be gone after the season. But if the two youngsters show continued development, it would be one reason to keep the current staff.
Bostic has produced some flash plays but also has disappeared at times. He started twice this season at strongside linebacker and once in the middle, and he started nine games in the middle last season when D.J. Williams was hurt.
Now he will get a chance to be the full-time starter at Briggs' weakside spot, which is considered Bostic's best position.
"There's benefit to a guy being able to play at one position and be good at it," defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. "Sometimes you have an opportunity and sometimes you don't. At this point, it's good for him to be settled into (that) role."
Bostic claims it doesn't matter what linebacker spot he plays, but his physical attributes translate best to the weak side.
"Jon has good instincts," Tucker said. "He's got good speed. He runs, and he hits, and he's strong at the point of attack. He has good movement skills in coverage."
Because their speed and athleticism make them ideal for playing coverage in nickel alignments, Bostic and Jones both have gotten a lot of work in those situations when Briggs was out with a rib injury earlier in the season.
They will continue to do so.
But to fill Briggs' shoes, Bostic also must be the tackling machine that Briggs has been for more than a decade, and coach Marc Trestman is confident he has the tools to step up.
"He's got great quickness and suddenness to be able to react and respond in zone coverages, as well as fit the line of scrimmage," Trestman said. "He's a very sudden and instinctive player in that regard."
Bostic's 11 tackles at Detroit elevated his season total to 62, 1 fewer than Briggs and now third on the team behind safety Ryan Mundy, who has 81.
Jones is 10th on the team with 43 tackles, even though he has just two starts, one on the weak side and one on the strong side, during the injury epidemic at linebacker earlier in the season.
Although somewhat raw, Jones has earned more playing time, especially along with Bostic as the other nickel linebacker.
"He's got a lot more experience, and he knows the defense, and he knows what we're asking him to do," Tucker said of the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Jones. "He's played a lot of football - (and) a lot of snaps in practice, so he's grown quite a bit.
"He's played a lot in games now as well. It's exciting to see a young player like that develop and grow in a short period of time."
Aside from the obvious physical skills, Jones has endeared himself to the coaching staff with his approach to every aspect of becoming a better professional.
"Christian is a really hard worker," Tucker said. "You just look at the guy and watch him and say, 'This guy's got some really good athletic ability.' But he has a very strong work ethic, and it's day in and day out. It's not just every now and then; it's every single day.
"When you get a guy like that, (who) is willing to work and has the talent, a guy like that has a chance to develop, and that's what we've seen on him."
With Briggs out, the Bears will get to see a lot more from Jones and Bostic.
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