Can Dominique Robinson Correct Rookie Season Disaster?

Defensive end Dominique Robinson promises we'll see different player wearing No. 91 this year.

If it's true, Tuesday should be the first indication because it's the day pads are donned.

"Pads are everything because you know it's hard to—talking about offensive linemen—it's really hard to block a defensive lineman with no pads," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "It just is. And it's hard to block them in the run game, too.

"But once they get pads on it's a little easier for those guys so we'll get a true evaluation next week."

Robinson got demoted from starter after his rookie season last year, as did fellow starting defensive end Trevis Gipson. With Gipson it was different, because he has shown he can be effective rushing the passer in the past.

""Honestly, I feel totally different."

_{-Second-year edge rusher Dominique Robinson}

In Robinson's case, the leap from college receiver to defensive end and then NFL defensive end starter came rather suddenly. As a fifth-round pick he was a project type, anyway, and then had to start.

He learned last year the hard way about the NFL. No sacks after 1 1/2 in Week 1, when he also had his only two quarterback hits of the year, will tend to do that.

"You feel like just because you have athleticism, you can get by, and then you can only get by so far," Robinson said. "And then that cuts off because they start to catch on to what you're doing, the tackle or whoever you're going against starts to catch on."

They caught on with Robinson right away after that win over the 49ers.

"Big time," Robinson said. "That first game was a lot of athleticism and then I tried doing the same thing the next week and it didn't work as well.

"It kind of just went downhill from there. I had some flashes within games where I was in the backfield doing stuff. It wasn't where I wanted it to be at."

Flashes don't work in the NFL. Sacks, forced fumbles, turnovers are the requirement.

"I feel like I was fortunate enough to show flash one game that I can be on this level and do this, but I wasn't able to sustain that through the season," Robinson said. "It showed my youngness to the game as the season went on."

He got into a rut with his technique.

"Didn't use power at all, even during practice—that was something that me and (tackle) Braxton (Jones) both talked about once we came back for OTAs," Robinson said. "We didn't help each other at all with that, because he kind of struggled with that and I didn't use it at all."

Jones had his trouble at left tackle when pass rushers used the bull rushed him and freely admitted it. In practice, Robinson wasn't doing it against him. So Robinson was actually doing a disservice to the defense and the offense.

"It was one of those things where we went up against each other almost every day in practice and it never happened," Robinson said. "That definitely has changed within these early practices. That's just one thing that I took from last season that definitely has to be different."

The question is whether that can change to the right degree and quickly enough, because the Bears will be watching the practices with pads coming up. GM Ryan Poles will have the agents for players like Justin Houston, Jadeveon Clowney and Yannick Ngakoue on speed dial.

"Honestly, I feel totally different," Robinson said.

It's more than a physical feeling, even though he has added weight and is in the 260s.

"I'm more confident for sure," Robinson said. "I feel more comfortable in the building, in the room. I'm a little more vocal than I was last year just because I've been here. I understand the defense. I understand what coach Flus and (defensive coordinator) Alan (Williams) want us to get done."

Gipson sees it in his teammate.

"Dominique has worked extremely hard," Gipson said. "Man, he's a freak of nature, if I'm being honest. His pass rush has improved. He's always been in great condition and shape.

"He's getting better, man. He's taking that jump, and I'm excited to see what he does this year."

At the suggestion of coaches, Robinson sought out help on his own. He worked under former Colts pass rushing great Robert Mathis and pass rush coaching specialist Brandon Jordan to improve his technique.

He can lean now on more defensive assistance from Bears veteran defensive end DeMarcus Walker, the free agent acquisition who has emerged as one of the team leaders.

"I love him, man," Robinson said. "He's a good guy. He brings the energy, honestly. He's that guy. He's very vocal. He comes to work every day. When it comes to being on the field, he's going to talk and he's going to make those guys work, he's going to make us work. He's a guy that's holding everybody accountable.

"He's a true leader, honestly. And that's not taking anything away from (tackle) Justin (Jones) because Justin and him together are like two peas in a pod. It's crazy with how great of leaders they are and how they hold people to standards because JJ is on the interior, D-Walk is on the outside."

When they had Quinn, they had a quiet leader but one who commanded respect. When he left, they had each other, a group of young pass rushers.

"We needed that last year and we didn't have that much," he said of the leadership. "We were all trying to push by. It's going to be different this year."

Now he needs to show what he learned or can do because the demand has been great for the Bears to sign or trade for a defensive end. Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles have both hinted it might happen.

"Aw man, that don't bother me at all," Robinson said. "I understand that this is a business. I was here last year when they was bringing a dude every other week."

They brought in Taco Charlton after the trade of Quinn and it didn't work out. All the defensive ends on the roster last season combined for 6 1/2 sacks.

"It is what it is," Robinson said. "If they want him (a pass rusher) in, they want him in. If they don't, they don't.

"I know what I need to do to be here and I'm going to continue to do that. It is what it is. I'm not in that discussion."

The Bears would rather not have that discussion, and Robinson this year has the opportunity to make them forget about it.