There were more than a few people who have lambasted the Chicago Bears safety position for years. In fact many local fans and media were doing it before it was trendy with the national folks. Regardless it came as a substantial shock when the team yet again again bypassed the opportunity to take one high in the draft.
The streak remains alive with the Bears having not taken a safety above the third round since 2006 (Daniel Manning). Over a decade. If people wonder why the situation got so bad, that’s why. Then again sometimes the philosophy of an organization doesn’t place a high premium on great safeties. That seems to be the case with GM Ryan Pace.
His attention has remained focused on the front seven, instead using free agents and mid-to-late round picks to fill in the gaps. He has confidence that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can make due with what he has.
Chicago Bears safety position underrated?
In Pace’s defense, he’s not entirely mistaken on that. Fangio actually has a history of turning such types of players into above average contributors. Of the five Pro Bowl defensive backs he coached during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, four of them were either free agents or later round draft picks. This could be why Andy Benoit of the MMQB stated that the Bears are considerably higher on their current crop of safeties than others outside Halas Hall.
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#Bears are higher on their safeties (Amos, Demps) than local media and fans. Why they didn’t address position until Round 4.
— Andy Benoit (@Andy_Benoit) June 5, 2017
Quintin Demps is one thing. The veteran is coming off a career year with six interceptions in Houston. Adrian Amos is another. A former fifth round pick, he’s lingering mediocrity for most of his time as starter. Perhaps the Bears believe he’s ready to make the leap now that his role will likely shift alongside Demps. Hard to say.
At the same time the team has steadily stockpiled the position with similar types. Eddie Jackson, Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson are later round draft picks. Solid athletes with intriguing traits that are worth developing. That sounds nice but it’s little reassurance for Bears fans who’ve had to watch crummy safety play for almost a decade now.
They can take some semblance in knowing this. Since the year 2003 there have been seven safeties selected in the fourth round or later who went on to become Pro Bowlers. So it’s not entirely unheard, especially since Vic Fangio has coached two of them in Dashon Goldson and Antoine Bethea.
