Bears veteran defensive end aiming to become more productive and reliable following rejuvenated offseason

It's been widely established that the Chicago Bears defensive line is going to have to rely heavily on the development of the young pass rushers , but the veterans in the room will still be leading the charge and one in particular is looking to prove his worth to the rest of the unit.

The Bears already have one star veteran who proved to be a difference-maker during the second-half of the 2023 season and the player lining up opposite the line of scrimmage has been working to improve his game in a big way this offseason.

Veteran defensive end DeMarcus Walker is the other clear starter off the edge entering his second season in Chicago and is eager to get off to a fast start with the rest of the defense and avoid what happened to him in 2023.

"The first 11 weeks was definitely humbling," Walker explained while addressing the media after Monday's practice. "I feel like I was about 75 percent healthy. I was able to take care of my body... and I was able to get more balanced [by the end of the year]."

"Just continue being effective," Walker added. "Because, you can be a dangerous man if you win outside and inside. Having that mindset and those goals, I believe that will help not only me but the team as well."

That stats definitely back up what Walker was describing. During the first 11 weeks of the season, Walker recorded just 1.5 sacks, six QB hits, and 17 combined tackles. Over the final six games, Walker had 2.0 sacks, 10 QB hits, and 13 combined tackles. That's the level of play he's looking to start the season at this time around.

To help with that, and as Walker hinted to, the Bears are looking to get creative with the veteran pass rusher and how they utilize him on the front. This is something where having a great defensive line mind like Eric Washington comes in handy. During Monday's practice, Walker was seen working inside and on the edge. Being able to use him all over the front can help mix up looks the defense can show against an offense.

"I think it's always good. He's an effective guy in there and he can go in and out," Eberflus explained . "When you have that versatility, you can match him up on different people. Some guys, you can't do that.  Some guys aren't very good when they go in there and you can't match them up, which is always good if you get a long player in there, like a [Gervon] Dexter against a guard or center, that's always a good matchup."

Moving Walker around the formation will also open up more opportunities for players such as Austin Booker, Jake Martin, and Dominque Robinson to rotate in off the edge during the game while Walker helps take some pressure off guys like Zacch Pickens and Andrew Billings inside.

"You get those guys on the field too and push me inside, you can continue putting pressure on the quarterback," Walker explained.

Getting a full offseason under his belt with his edge rushing partner on the other side of the line of scrimmage for the first time will also help lead to a noticeable difference.

"I love moving across the line, doing stunts with my inside linemen, and it just gives me a chance to get the terminology right," defensive end Montez Sweat said over the weekend. "I was just talking to D-Walk today about just what's his signals that he might use on the field and that type of stuff instead of coming in when the ball's already rolling, and we can get some of these things done in the preseason and hit the ground running when Week 1 comes."

Walker even took his preparation to the next level this offseason working with NFL stars at the position during the sack summit and specifically noted that learning from New Orleans Saints pass rusher Cameron Jordan and Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby made him more motivated to return to camp to show what he learned.

Walker's confidence seems to be evident going into the 2024 season and likely the reason why the coaching staff and front office neglected adding another veteran pass rusher to the mix during the offseason. They believe he's ready to take the next step and he's willing to show that he's capable of doing it.

Related: Montez Sweat says Bears' rising youngster is 'waiting to blow up' and it will make the defense elite if he does