When OTAs and minicamp have ended and the Bears go into a period of about six weeks of dormancy until training camp, it will be interesting to see what personnel changes or additions occur.
Already, GM Ryan Poles has said he wanted to see what their running backs group looks like before wading into a group of ball carriers with injuries or age or both as issues. The same could be expected at the edge rusher position, where they're counting on young players who haven't produced yet as rotational relief for Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo.
The Bears have $14.7 million under the cap left according to Overthecap.com. This is after getting back a bit through the contract extension's structure given to Joe Thuney. It's actually less because that figure doesn't include the money they need to spend for three second-round picks who will sign at some point.
These two are not the only positions where a free agent often is mentioned as a possibility. The other is safety.
Even though the Bears have plenty of safety depth, what they might not have is a starter who is ideally suited to handle a key role in their new defensive scheme.
There is a greater emphasis in Allen's scheme on single high safety because they'll use a higher rate of man-to-man coverage.
Jaquan Brisker's availability after three concussions in three years isn't so much the question here, although that could eventually be something to consider. Starting safety Kevin Byard will be 32 years old this season.
Can they be comfortable with a player his age in a role under so much pressure to handle such a large area of open space in the secondary?
It's not a stretch of the imagination to think Allen and safeties coach Matt Giordano have been scrutinizing this spot in OTAs to get a better idea of the hand they're holding.
Perhaps it's why Byard sounded so uncertain about his own future during his OTAs press availability when asked about a contract extension because his deal expires after 2025 and if cut now or after June 1 he'd provide $7 million in cap savings while the team would eat $1.5 million in dead cap space.
"I'm grateful and I'm totally truly blessed to be able to go into my 10th year in this league," he said. "That was always my goal when I was a rookie, say I want to play 10 years, but to be in this space, and to still be playing well is truly a blessing. I'm just taking it day-by-day, just having a lot of fun."
Maybe a more telling situation was what Allen said about Kyler Gordon when simply asked about his versatility.
"Does he go outside and compete at outside corner? Does he compete some at safety?" Allen said. "I've told him that he needs to be learning both of those spots. We'll figure out where that second position is where he can go and compete. Hopefully we can find some more playing time for him.”
Why they would want to move a player so valued at the critical slot cornerback position to safety can only mean they're concerned about this position.
“He's played more outside corner, so obviously that would be the comfort level," Allen said. "Some of the things that I see him do and the way that he fits in the run game tells me that he could be a fit with safety also."
They could simply be thinking about Brisker's concussion situation, as well.
The safety situation seems more like someone worrying about something just because they have nothing else to worry about because it's nowhere near as dire as the running back or edge spots. And if they thought Gordon could play safety, why would they even consider going into the free agent market for one.
Either way, there are a few experienced safeties in the market and here's what they would find if they ventured this way.
Marcus Williams
This is Dennis Allen's former starting safety with the Saints. He only left in free agency when the Ravens paid him $70 million over five years after 2021. Spotac.com has his market value projected at $14 million but that's based largely on his previous salary being so high. At 28 years old, he isn't too old yet but hasn't performed like one of the game's best safeties.
After his career-best 71.1 passer rating against when targeted, he was at a career worst 117.2 in 2023 and then last year ballooned to an abysmal 148.4 passer rating against.
He has 20 career interceptions and 56 pass defenses in eight seasons but had injury issues cut his total starts to 10, 11 and nine games Baltimore and has played only one full season, that in 2018 with the Saints. He has missed 24 games in his eight years. He also got benched at one time last year.
Julian Blackmon
A safety many Bears fans on social media love but his career has been built on playing in the old Matt Eberflus Colts scheme and then another like it while the Bears are moving away from two-deep safety dominance. Blackman is only 26 and his Spotrac.com market projection is $8.06 million a year. He has had shoulder injuries the past two years and in 2021 had a torn Achilles.
Byard has been a much more sure tackler than he is. Blackmon has only had one season when he missed less than 12.8% of his tackle attempts, according to Stathead/Pro Football Reference. He missed 14 tackle attempts last year while Byard has never missed more than the 7.8% he missed last year.
Blackmon's passer rating against has been 103.2 or higher in every season except 2023, when he had a ridiculously spectacular career low 46.6 for 15 games.
Justin Simmons
The Falcons free agent has a $5.78 million market projectionand is in his ninth season. The former Broncos standout had a run of five straight season when he was either Pro Bowl or All-Pro or both end last year in his lone Falcons season. He's the same age as Byard so there doesn't seem to be much gained by looking here. But he has missed only eight games in seven years. Then again, Byard has never missed a game due to injury.
Jordan Whitehead
He returned to the Buccaneers last year from the Jets after he was originally part of Tampa Bay's Super Bowl win following the 2020 season. A pectoral injury and getting injured in a car accident caused him to miss five games. Whether with the Buccaneers or Jets, Whitehead has always had strong coverage numbers, with a passer rating against of 86.5 or lower four straight years until ballooning to a 125.5 last year. He's still 28 years old and projected at $4.5 million a year. He had a two-year deal when he returned to Tampa Bay last year but according to Spotrac.com the second year was voided.
