Filling The Void At Safety
Earlier this week, the Bears announced the release of two veterans. Cody Whitehair and Safety Eddie Jackson. The moves were expected. Whitehair was benched after being ineffective at center. Watching Lucas Patrick get injured had to be hard on the long-time veteran, and the coaching staff passed over Whitehair. Eddie Jackson was never the same player fans loved after foot injuries, and his cap hit would have been a burden as Ryan Poles continues to rebuild the roster.
While Whitehair was relegated to a reserve role, Jackson was still in the starting lineup, and finding his replacement is urgently needed.
According to rumors, the Bears seek to fill needs at center, edge, and wide receiver in free agency. Cap room is tight despite freeing up more than $24 Million with the release of Whitehaie and Jackson. While the raw numbers, according to the website Over The Cap, show Just under $67 Million, a closer look is required.
The team must set aside about $12 Million to cover rookie contracts. Another $8-10 Million will be held in reserve to add players to the roster during the season, replacing injured Bears. That leaves Poles $45 Million. Jaylon Johnson needs to be resigned. Signing Johnson to a three-year extension with voidable years on the back end would create a cap-friendly deal for 2024.
Ryan Poles will look to the draft to continue building the roster. Expect to see some trades to add draft capital. The ability to land a second-round pick in this draft could go a long way to fill the Safety spot. The top five safeties in this draft are ranked from 33 to 58, so seeing Poles add one or two picks in the second round would help.
All player rankings in this article courtesy of CBS Sports.
Tyler Nubin Rank 33
Nubin was a 5-year starter for Minnesota and a local kid. He grew up in St. Charles, Illinois. Nubin earned first-team All-American and first-team All-Big 10 honors in 2023. His 13 interceptions set a Minnesota record during his career. Nubin could join former teammate Terrel Smith on the Bears roster. His physical style of play should make him effective in the box, stopping the run. And his coverage skills rank him as the top available safety in 2024.
Kamron Kinchens Rank 36
Kinchens is short at only 5′ 11″ especially compared to other safeties in this draft class, but he hasexcellent coverage skills and a knack for making big plays.
Javon Bullard Rank 43
At Georgia, Bullard showed a knack for reading routes as well as anticipating throws. Does extremely well in zone coverage.
Calen Bullock Rank 47
One of the tallest safties on the board standng 6′ 3″ Bullock demonstrated great ball-hawking abilities. Considering how the Bears defense led the league in interceptions in 2023, Bullock would be a great fit in Matt Eberflus’ defense.
Other Available Safties
Demani Richardson, Texas A&M; Tykee Smith, Georgia; Jaden Hicks, Washington St.; Jaylin Simpson, Auburn.