Signing Grady Jarrett was something the Chicago Bears didn’t need to think about for long. Mere hours after the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle was released by the Atlanta Falcons, he signed a three-year deal with Chicago. He felt the love right away. The intent was obvious for the Bears. Interior pass rushers are hard to find in the NFL. Even at 31 years old, Jarrett has shown he can still be that disruptor in the middle that opposing offensive lines must account for. Throw in Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, and Dayo Odeyingbo, and this could be the best group Jarrett has played with.
However, his value goes beyond that. One thing that was evident for years in Atlanta was Jarrett’s leadership. He was a team captain every year and a tremendous influence on his teammates. Everybody loved him. There could be no doubt he’d be such a great sounding board for young guys like Dexter and Austin Booker. It appears the defensive tackle isn’t wasting time. Video surfaced on Instagram of him and the rest of his new teammates working down at the University of Miami. It doesn’t take long to see he still has that wicked first step.
Grady Jarrett should serve as a great example for Dexter.
The young defensive tackle made great strides last season, finishing with five sacks. His power, length, and motor were on display constantly. The primary thing holding him back from a true breakthrough has been his first step. Many believe it’s still too slow to maximize his pass rush potential. That is where Grady Jarrett can help. His explosion off the snap is one of the reasons he’s been among the best in the NFL for a decade. If Dexter can apply even a sliver of that same quickness to his own game, he could become devastating. Either way, it is great to see Jarrett hasn’t wasted any time building chemistry with his new teammates. Everybody seems dialed into making this season a good one.
