NFL Free Agency’s first major wave has come and gone and the Bears (for the first time in years) were not overly active.
Ryan Pace made some shrewd signings to help shore up some of the weak spots on the roster and ensure that they would be set up to take Best Player Available in the NFL Draft.
With that being said, there’s still a need for depth at the Outside Linebacker position behind Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, but the rest of the roster has really been set up for success moving forward.
One of the shrewd signings Pace made was former Green bay Packers safety, Ha’Sean “HaHa” Clinton-Dix.
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Bears signing safety HaHa Clinton-Dix to one-year deal. (via @RapSheet + @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/Jn0nktbtqe
— NFL (@NFL) March 14, 2019
Clinton-Dix brings incredible upside to the table and joins the team on a cheap one-year deal for $3.5mil.
While Clinton-Dix may contribute to an incredible safety duo with former Alabama teammate Eddie Jackson, there’s still a need for a long-term solution at the position as the contract is only for one year…
Matt Miller, Lead NFL Draft Writer at Bleacher Report, released a 3-round mock draft this morning.
Link to full mock draft: https://t.co/UzDUOr7wxm
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 25, 2019
In this mock, his selection for the Bears’ first pick at #87 overall helps address the long-term solution at safety. And it’s a damn good one.
Miller Has Bears Drafting Amani Hooker
Amani Hooker may need to be a name that Bears fans familiarize themselves with over the next month.
Hooker is an athletic safety with prototypical size, length and build to succeed at the NFL level. While he does have some limitations to his game when it comes to man coverage and sticking with the shifty receivers, he possesses elite ball skills.
While Hooker isn’t regarded as a top-10 talent coming out of Iowa, he’s a well-balanced player with tremendous upside in the right system.
Pace has proven that he doesn’t need a top-5 NFL Draft pick to find great talent. If Hooker is there at the #87 overall selection, it should be an easy decision for Pace to make…
It provides a long-term solution at the position to have under a cheap rookie contract for the next four years, provides depth at the position, and allows Hooker the chance to be coached up before taking on a starting role.
And what better coach to provide a young, moldable, high-upside talent like Hooker than Chuck Pagano? The man who is known as the “Ed Reed Whisperer”.
If Pagano can take Hooker and develop him into the player many scouts think he can become, the Bears could have their dynamic safety duo for years and years to come.
