Rent-A-Safety Approach Serving the Bears Well
The Bears still haven't replaced Adrian Amos, but their use of rent-a-safety seems to be the next-best option.
With the reported signing of Tashaun Gipson by the Bears, it would appear their problems at safety are now over because they're plugging in another experienced safety to a defense and it really was the last hole on that side of the footblal.
Still, this isn't a player who has been as productive over the years as what they've had since Amos began to flourish or even a player the level of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix last year.
At least it looks this way when you go by Pro Football Focus grades.
Clinton-Dix had PFF grades of 71.5 or higher each of the last three seasons and these are solid marks. Amos was the darling of PFF with a 90.9 grdae in 2017 and 82.9 in 2018 before going to the Packers last year and earning a 76.5 in a new defensive system.
On the other hand, over the course of his career Gipson simply hasn't been to this level based on what is supposed to be an objective standard.
He has had a few high marks like in 2014 with Cleveland when he achieved a 79.2 and then in 2018 and 2017 with Jacksonville when he attained 70.7 and 76.2, but in between has had seasons where he really struggled. One was last year.
In pass coverage Gipson gave up 19 completions on 26 attempts according to PFF. He made three interceptions. The grade they gave him of 59.3 was something more in line with what the Bears had from the Harold Jones-Quartey and Quintin Demps era at safety.
Gipson's fit also as a safety who can go down in the box to provide run support has to be questioned because he's never been a player who made a lot of tackles. He averages 56 tackles and made only 51 last year.
Clinton-Dix, on the other hand, averages 87 tackles a year while Amos and Jackson have been in the 60s and 70s consistently.
Also, Gipson is coming off a hand fracture and lower back fracture which have to be concerns at any position with the potential for big hits and high-speed tackles as safety.
This is hardly the ideal acquisition for the Bears but at this late of a stage in free agency and with the experience factor Gipson provides, they could have done a lot worse.
A lot worse would have been going with the group they already had: Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Jordan Lucas, Kentrell Brice and Sherrick McManis.
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