Enhancing Eddie Jackson's Ability a Major Bears Goal
Considering what the Bears paid Eddie Jackson this offseason, it's a bit surprising the Bears want to see more from him.
Now with a $58.4 million contract averaging $14.5 million, Jackson is the highest paid player ever the Bears have drafted.
"We talked about drafting and developing and he's a prime example of that—one of the elite safeties in the NFL that's just young and going to continue to get better," GM Ryan Pace said.
So now that they have him locked up, the Bears need to show they can let him play.
It hasn't been that simple of a matter. Jackson last year became a victim of his own success, when quarterbacks began avoiding his portion of the field.
"When you're a talented player like that and you have those abilities, you're not always going to get the same amount of chances," defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said.
It led to a drop from six interceptions to two. It was never going to be easy for Jackson to step up beyond the personal success he had in 2018. Pro Football Focus had given him a grade higher than any safety since 2006 for that season.
The Bears blame themselves for part of Jackson's drop off last year. The fact they made him the game's highest paid safety indicates how much they believe they can alter how they used him enough to return his numbers to 2018 level.
"We all know that he's got rare instincts, he's got rare anticipation and range and ball skills," Pagano said. "I've gotta do a better job of making sure we accentuate those things and put him in position to make plays, because he's a playmaker."
Jackson can take his game to another level in the opinion of Pagano, a very elite level on par with past NFL greats like Ed Reed. He has to reach a point where he's not just a concern of quarterbacks but he's in their heads.
"A lot like Ed Reed, and he's watched a lot of tape, Eddie has, and he's gotta figure out ways to mess with quarterbacks and make them believe one thing and then flip the script on them," Pagano said.
Part of the issue last year with Jackson was his use and the larger number of plays they put him close to the line of scrimmage. They no longer had Adrian Amos, who could do it, and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix didn't seem capable of a 50-50 swap-out in that regard.
"To be honest, I think that number has been thrown around a lot," safeties coach Sean Desai said.
Desai said it will be part of Jackson's game regardless of if the number of times is less with new safety addition Tashaun Gipson on board.
"So that versatility for anybody, and we talk about it in our DB room all the time, having that versatility and the ability to play different roles and different positions usually benefits not only the individual, but also the team," Desai said. "And I think Eddie has shown he can do it. He can do it at a high level."
The numbers don't lie, though, and possibly Jackson's only negative statistics besides the interception decline are the missed tackles he had. He missed on 15.5% of tackle attempts in 2019 and in 2018 on 17.7%, according to Sportradar, the NFL's official stat partner.
"He's strong enough. He's physical enough. He's tough enough to be down there," Desai maintained. "He can play those routes really well when he's down there. So it's just another tool in his toolbox for excelling."
Players who get a huge pay spike might need closer scrutiny just to make sure they're not backsliding. The Bears don't expect this from Jackson, based on the leadership they've already seen in him.
Teammates naturally gravitate to Jackson, and they did it before he was an All-Pro or made more money than he can figure out how to spend.
"He's such a charismatic guy," Desai said. "He's got such a great personality and obviously he's got demonstrated results on the field. So when you get that combination, I think your voice matters more now.
"Does that mean he needs to be the most outspoken guy or anything like that? No. I think everybody leads in their own way and whatever style is suited for him is best and I think people respect him when he does talk."
Ryan Pace saw the leadership aspect in Jackson all along.
"Just coming from the program he came from, it's very natural for him," Pace said. "He's a natural leader. It's easy. He backs it up with his play."
The Bears hope to make it easier for all of this to come out on the field this season.
They've paid too much to treat it otherwise.
Eddie Jackson at a Glance
Alabama S
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 204
Key Numbers: Quarterbacks targeting Jackson's area of the field in the last two seasons have had passer ratings of 40.5 and 57.6 for those throws.
All-Pro Chances: 2.5 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most.
2020 Projection: 4 interceptions, 8 passes defensed, 64 tackles.
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