ASU Football: Will Sutton's role with the Chicago Bears

Defensive tackle Will Sutton made a habit of causing offenses a lot of headaches during his time at Arizona State. It's something the Chicago Bears hope Sutton will bring to their team in 2014.

Last season the Bears defense was a far cry from the stout defenses that fans in the windy city are used to. Chicago ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing defense allowing 161.4 yards per game. The Bears also struggled to impact the quarterback, tying with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the lowest sack total in the NFL (31).

Much of that struggle had to do with the defensive line which was plagued by injuries. The Bears lost defensive tackles Henry Melton and Nick Collins to season-ending injures. The injuries forced defensive end Corey Wooton into the tackle rotation and as a result the Bears defense suffered.

The bears addressed their defensive problems by adding defensive ends Lamarr Houston, Willie Young and Jared Allen in free agency and then adding Sutton and Ego Ferguson from LSU (second round, 51^st overall) in the draft.

Sutton should be able to at least see the field in his first season with the Bears but it will be as part of a defensive line rotation and not as a full-time starter.

The Bears have plenty of defensive tackles to use in their defense. Even though Melton is now with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago still has Collins as well as Stephen Paea and Israel Idonije in the rotation. Sutton will also have to compete Ferguson for playing time.

Sutton's weight is an issue but he's been working on it and is supposedly down to around 290 pounds. If he can keep his weight down and gain back the explosiveness that made him so effective in 2012, Sutton should have no trouble finding a place in Chicago's defensive tackle rotation.