Safety is going to be a position that might undergo some serious change this offseason. This isn’t a shock with no less than three players set to hit the open market. Included are starter Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, primary backup Deon Bush, and special teams contributor DeAndre Houston-Carson. This at least opens the door for a possible new addition. Perhaps somebody who can compliment Eddie Jackson a little better.
This is not to say Clinton-Dix was bad. He was a solid player in 2019. However, his presence in the secondary did more harm than good in regards to Jackson. Both players can be classified as free safeties. Neither really has the skillset to drop down into the box and play the run. Since Clinton-Dix was never known for his tackling, this forced the team to put Jackson more in that role. Thus robbing the defense of his All-Pro coverage ability.
Nick Shook of NFL.com seems to think the Bears will shift their focus next month and sign somebody who is a much better fit for that job.
CHICAGO BEARS: Vonn Bell, safety
“The Bears have very little cap room to work with, and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to do much of anything at their current position. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is in search of a big payday in free agency, meaning Chicago will need to address the position in some form. Without cutting someone to create space, this isn’t likely to happen, but Bell might sign at a lower number, at least.”
Eddie Jackson and Vonn Bell would be a perfect blend
Nobody wants to admit it, but the Bears lost something when Adrian Amos left last year. His ability to drop into the box and handle run-stopping duties around the line of scrimmage was sorely missed. Signing Bell would enable the defense to get back what they lost. He’s never been flashy in terms of making impact plays, but the veteran is one of the most consistent and dependable strong safeties in the NFL.
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In the past four years, Bell has never had fewer than 83 tackles in a season. He also has eight sacks, proving he can be highly effective as a blitzer. Something Chuck Pagano will gravitate towards immediately. The lone drawback is his ball skills. Bell has just one interception in his career. Not ideal. There is no question the Bears would be sacrificing something with his addition, but the potential return in being able to get Jackson back to primarily patrolling the back end is a price worth paying.
