Waiting Game Might Continue at Safety
If it seems like Bears GM Ryan Pace is taking an awfully long time to address the team's tattered safety position, he is.
It's common for many general managers to treat this as an undervalued position, Eddie Jackson and his $58.4 million contract being the exception to the rule.
However, last year Pace did not sign Tashaun Gipson until April 30, after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Gipson has no deal yet and played for $1 million last year. They could do much worse than bringing Gipson back. When they actually address this is a key.
With two interceptions last year and seven pass defenses, Gipson wasn't perfect but playing another year in their defense could do him a lot of good. He had a 95.3 passer rating against and the 66 tackles he made were the most he has had since 2013 in Cleveland. Sportradar says he was responsible for three TD catches last year.
Waiting until the draft again could invite others in as they fill out the rosters in the second week of free agency or later. Dallas has been combing the unsigned safeties and invited in two coming off Achilles tears, Malik Hooker and Damontae Kazee. That's risky considering the injuries.
The Bears do have other safeties under contract beside Jackson and Deon Bush. Key special teams contributor DeAndre Houston-Carson remains unsigned. The Bears have Jordan Lucas and Marqui Christian under contract, after neither had roles last year. Christian was on the practice squad and Lucas opted out after signing as a free agent.
With those players already in the fold, it's possible Pace just waits until after the draft to see if he can find another fourth-round gem at safety like with Jackson or a fifth-round pick like he did with Adrian Amos. Bush was a fourth rounder, as well.
Even if they were counting on the draft, they might do well to sign Gipson and ensure they have a veteran in place until a draft pick can take over.
There are plenty of free agent safeties still available because there hasn't been a rush to sign them, but they not high-quality performers. There are only a few premium quality starters.
If the Bears decide to go to free agency, Justin Simmons of the Broncos is the premium player on the market and the Bears are not going after him at a projected annual salary higher than they gave Jackson.
Cleveland's Karl Joseph is available, a 28-year-old strong safety who has a projected value of $8.2 million. So he would also bust their budget.
The rest of the crop is full of aging or overpriced players.
Hooker once would have been a premium free agent safety and is only 25, but the Colts starter has had hip and sports hernia surgeries, an ACL tear and meniscus tear in addition to his Achilles issue. Kazee is only 28 and hasn't had the same kind of injury history as Hooker beyond the Achilles.
Here are other top candidates out there:
Xavier Woods
Probably the best name on this list in terms of potential at just 26. Dallas' starter experienced a nightmarish season in coverage in 2020, giving up a 137.1 passer rating against. However, at 26, it's likely he'd bounce back after passer ratings allowed of 79.1 and 79.0, and completion percentages allowed of 72.7% and 60% the previous two years. Much of his trouble has been blamed on the scheme of Dick Nolan, who was defensive coordinator one season and fired. Woods averages over 60 tackles a year and has five career interceptions.
Josh Jones, Jacksonville
Now 27, he finally got to start regularly for the first time last season for 13 games, produced a good total of 83 tackles with an interception and one pass defense. He's more of a traditional strong safety type.
Kenny Vaccaro, Tennessee
Another traditional box safety, he has 10 career interceptions and 44 pass defenses at the age of 30, but remains a consistent tackler with missed tackles at an 8.8% or lower each of the last three years. He had passer ratings against of 114.7 and 115.7 the last two years, which is scary, and has a past including three concussions according to NFL injury reports.
Shawn Williams, Cincinnati
The former Bengals starter was benched last year and had 12 interceptions from 2015-19 with 26 pass defenses. He has allowed a passer rating over 100 three straight years.
Bradley McDougald, N.Y. Jets
He missed nine games last year with a shoulder injury and is now 31. With 10 career interceptions and 43 pass defenses, McDougald had a passer rating against of just 58.8 in 2019 but fell off dramatically to 110.1 last year according to Sportradar. He also had double-digit percentages for missed tackles each of the last two years.
Duron Harmon, Detroit
The former Patriots backup became a starter with the Lions last year. He has 17 career interceptions in eight years as a sometimes-starter for the Patriots and two last year for the Lions, but his missed tackles and passer rating against ticked up dramatically last year playing for the struggling Lions defense instead of for Bill Belichick.
Tre Boston, Carolina
It's still unclear why no one considers giving Boston a long-term deal. Like Gipson, he plays well enough to deserve it. Now 29, Boston finished a season for the Panthers with a career-high 95 tackles. He had four pass defenses and an interception, while his passer ratings against have been respectable in a range from 74.9 in 2019 to 95.0 last year and 90.7 in 2018. He has allowed 10 TD passes in three years.
Dean Marlowe, Buffalo
The 29-year-old backup strong safety is 6-1, 208 and started seven times in five seasons. His career somewhat mirrors Bush's with the Bears, and just like Bush he made his first career interception last year, then added another last year for good measure.
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