Bears need offseason help at safety, while linebacker and cornerback look strong

One area of the Chicago Bears roster that may not need much investment this offseason is the defensive back seven. The Bears’ linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties are… solid.

So rather than split linebackers and defensive backs into separate articles, I decided to combine them into one.

Make sure you check out my previous breakdowns of the Chicago Bears defensive linemen and edge rushers.

Let’s take a look at what GM Ryan Poles might do a linebacker, cornerback, and safety in free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.

Linebackers

We’ll start with the linebackers because this will be quick. Honestly, this might be the strongest position group on the roster. It’s hard to find anything that needs repair.

Poles invested heavily in this position last offseason when he signed Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards in free agency, then drafted Noah Sewell on Day 3 of the draft. And let’s not forget about Jack Sanborn.

Consider the linebacker room ready for 2024.

Cornerbacks

If linebacker is the strongest position group on the Chicago Bears, cornerback might be second.

Poles has made significant investments at cornerback since becoming the Bears’ general manager, including Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson, who were both drafted in the second round of their drafts. They’ve shown tremendous potential as elite corners after rough starts to their careers.

Terell Smith, drafted by Poles in the fifth round last year, has flashed starter potential in the limited snaps he took in his rookie season.

There’s only one thing that should be on Poles’ to-do list for cornerbacks: paying Jaylon Johnson whatever it takes to keep him in Chicago for a long time. It’s not a stretch to say that Johnson played like the best cornerback in the league this past year, racking up a career-high four interceptions and earning a league-best 90.8 PFF grade. He deserves to be paid as such.

Johnson has said he wants to stay in Chicago, and in his end-of-year press conference, Poles was adamant that Johnson was part of the long-term vision. Hopefully, the two sides can iron out their differences on the business side of things and get him locked in for the foreseeable future.

Safety

Safety is where the defense’s back seven gets a little shaky. Long-time Bear Eddie Jackson is entering the last year of his contract. He hasn’t played well since a season-ending injury in 2022, and the Bears can save nearly $12 million in cap space if they release him, according to Spotrac. That makes it a smart business move, but his production must be replaced. Despite his struggles, Jackson is not a bad player.

Fortunately, the Bears have good options in both free agency and the draft. Arguably, the best safety entering free agency is Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, with a market value of just over $18 million AAV, that may be too pricey for Poles.

Jordan Whitehead of the New York Jets would be a more affordable option. So would Jeremy Chinn from Carolina. Chinn didn’t see the field much in 2023 due to an injury, and the Carolina Panthers were a complete mess, but he still has a high ceiling and could be the kind of guy who needs a change of scenery to break out.

If the Bears enter the draft still needing a replacement for Eddie Jackson, they’re in luck. The 2024 class of safeties looks pretty good. Barring a trade to the back of the first round (which seems unlikely), Chicago won’t get one of the top safety prospects, but there are some good options on Day 2.

Calen Bullock from USC and Beau Brade from Maryland are popular names, but a prospect that I think is being slept on is Utah’s Cole Bishop.

You can read more about him here in one of my mock drafts, but the short and sweet version of it is that he’s tall, solidly built, and surprisingly fast. He could probably be drafted in the third round unless he goes crazy at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and he very well could.

Which linebackers, corners or safeties do you think the Chicago Bears should pursue in free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft? Sign up for a free user account and share your opinion in the comments. If you’d like an ad-free Bears Talk and access to our exclusive content, consider leveling up to a premium account for just $3.49/mo or $29.99/yr. We’d love to have you! Bear Down!