Chicago Bears free agency: Safeties

Tashaun Gipson, 25

I like hearing stories about players like Tashaun Gipson. He was an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. He worked hard and became a starter.

Gipson is one of the few good stories to come out of Cleveland.

At 5-foot-11, 206 pounds, Gipson is a little small for the position (which is probably why he went undrafted), but he is a big ball hawk. He has fourteen career interceptions.

Gipson has the ability to force a receiver to alter his route, yet keep his eyes on the quarterback, ready to jump the pass.

Gipson is also smart enough to be left in a single safety formation and make the proper decisions. He can diagnose a play quickly, and fast enough to cover a lot of ground.

There are a couple of things that teams are critical of when it comes to Gipson. First, he is a below average run defender. That has a lot to do with his size.

Second, Gipson has an injury history. He tore his ACL and missed the final five games of the 2014 season, and he spent the 2015 getting back to form.

The Chicago Bears got a pretty good rookie season from Adrian Amos in 2015, but he did not have much of an impact turnover-wise. Gipson would help in that area.

Gipson’s size and his run defense will keep him flying under the radar. He would fit in very well in a rotation in Chicago. He could shore up the safety spot, and he can stay healthy with fewer snaps.

Next: He is not only big, but also fast