In the sixth of nine position previews in advance of training camp, coach Rod Marinelli discusses the Bears defensive line.

How would you characterize the defensive line in general in terms of talent and depth as a group?

Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli works with tackle Marcus Harrison during an OTA practice in June.

The first thing I would say about them as a group is that they’re good students. They’re anxious to learn. I really have picked up on that. As a group of guys, they’re extremely bright and conscientious, and there’s a nice blend of veterans and youth. They also seem to be really close. The thing I’ve been most impressed with is how they’ve embraced the work ethic and the tempo that we want, so I’m excited about that. That’s a plus. They’re a veteran group with good talent.

After initially studying the players on tape, you had a chance to work with them throughout the offseason program. What are your impressions of them now after having actually coached them?

I think they all can be really outstanding pass rushers. They’re all working very hard and they’re smart. As you know, a big part of this package is that the four down linemen have got to put pressure on the quarterback. That’s when this package is working. You blitz when you want to blitz, not because you have to. I feel comfortable. As a group, they’re in really good condition. They’re lean and they’ve got good speed.

I noticed that you changed the sign on your meeting room door from “defensive line” to “rush men.” Is that all part of the mentality you’re trying to create?

Yes. You choose the words that represent what you want to do. Words are critical and words are empowering. Defensive linemen are looked at like they’re defending something. We don’t want to defend. We want to be on the move. We want to be up field. We want to pursue. We want to disrupt. You can’t do any of that by defending. So the words describe exactly what we’re trying to do.

What type of message are you trying to convey to your players when you’re teaching them?

We want to create havoc and chaos under an umbrella of discipline, if that makes sense. So we’ve got to disrupt and do all these things, but we’ve also got to be gap-oriented. We’ve got to play our gaps, we’ve got to do our assignments, we’ve got to contain when we’re supposed to contain. We have to do all of those little details. We’ve got to be extremely detailed at this position, and there’s nothing too small. They all count. The simplest things are the most important things.

Individually, how special of a player is Tommie Harris and how integral a part of the defensive line do you anticipate him being this season?

There’s no doubt about [his importance to the defense], and I’ve known that since before I got here. His reputation has always been good. I’ve always watched him on tape. You need an under tackle in this system. He becomes a creator. If he gets a one-on-one, he’s going to win. But now you’re making things come to him, so it starts creating for the other players. He’s one of the key spokes in the whole defense.

How would you assess the Bears defensive ends, specifically Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown and Mark Anderson?

I like them a lot. Wale is a veteran who’s in tremendous shape. He’s lean and he’s smart. He’s a 60-plus sack guy in his career. We’ve got to get him back up there and get those numbers again. It’s the same with Alex. These guys do everything well. They can stunt, they can rush, they play the run well, they’re tough, they’re smart and all of them have a great upside.

What have been your impressions of Marcus Harrison and what type of potential does he have?

His potential is out of this world. He is a big, athletic man who moves well. He wants to be really good and he works hard. We have a nice group of tackles. What you do in the offseason is work really hard to give them skills, and now they’ve got to use them in training camp.

What have you seen to this point of top draft pick Jarron Gilbert?

It’s tough to say because we haven’t practiced in pads, but you can see that he’s got a feel for this stuff. He’s a big man who can make himself small. I don’t know if that makes sense. But he’s got really good knee bend. He’s a tall man, but he can play low because all the power he’s got in his hips comes from him being a good knee-bender.

Israel Idonije is a versatile lineman who has played both end and tackle. What type of role do you envision him filling this season?

We’re going to just let him compete for a job and then see how it all shakes out. He’s a guy who could play under tackle, he could play nose tackle in a pinch. He’s an inside pass rusher in our nickel and he can play end. He’s also a great special teams player. You just don’t usually see guys like that.

Dusty Dvoracek has been plagued by injuries, but he’s been productive when healthy. What are your impressions of him?

He’s tough, he’s detailed. It means everything to him. It means everything to all these guys, but he maxes out every snap. It’s something you really like, and they handle it correctly. They all know how to compete. I want these guys to come in and work, compete and prepare, and we’ll try not to put limitations on anybody. They’re all good players and the competition is fierce, which is what you want.