Chicago Bears Quietly Snuck A Visit With Notable Name During Williams Circus

This Chicago Bears regime seems to have no problem multitasking these days. That is not a bad thing. One would think GM Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and the rest of the team brass wanted to stay focused on Caleb Williams when he arrived for his private visit earlier this week. That wasn’t the case. It turns out the Bears brought in other top draft prospects at the same time, taking them all out to dinner. It was already reported that Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner and Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton were there, too.

As it turns out, that wasn’t all. Albert Breer of The MMQB revealed on Instagram that another notable name quietly joined the group. That was Kamren Kinchens. I speculated weeks ago that Miami’s safety would grab the Bears’ attention due to his excellent instincts and ball skills in coverage. His 11 takeaways from the past two years prove as much. While not a premier athlete at the position, he has the intelligence and mental makeup to become a capable starter in the NFL.

Projections have him going early on day three of the draft.

The Chicago Bears’ interest in Kinchens comes down to Kevin Byard.

They recently signed the former All-Pro as a free agent, believing he could fill the void left by Eddie Jackson’s departure. The problem is he turns 31 this year. It isn’t certain how much gas he has left in the tank. If the Bears feel 2024 might be his last season, it makes sense they’d want to invest a draft pick at safety as long-term insurance. Kinchens isn’t the same caliber of athlete, but that hasn’t stopped Matt Eberflus from finding productive players at safety in the past. He’ll find a way to use them if they have the instincts and awareness.

Kinchens’ 4.65 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine set off alarm bells for many. It was known he was never the fastest guy but that is worryingly slow. To his credit, he improved the time to 4.57 at his pro day, but the evidence is hard to deny. Drafting him means you accept he can’t cover the same amount of ground as Jackson could. He’s sort of the safety version of Jack Sanborn. What he lacks in pure talent, he makes up with determination, intelligence, and knowing how to make plays.