Chicago Bears 2017 free agency: Players they should target

Jairus Byrd, S (6-foot-0, 205 pounds)

Okay, stay with me for a moment. I know Byrd stunk it up with the New Orleans Saints. So much so that he lost his starting spot and ultimately any spot. The Saints will release Byrd on the first day of free agency so he is available.

More from Da Windy City

• Juan Soto appears headed to the Yankees which is not a big blow Chicago Cubs offseason
• 3 takeaways from Chicago Blackhawks shootout loss to Nashville
• Chicago Cubs in the middle of chaos that is Shohei Ohtani’s free agency
• The Chicago Cubs are on a roller coaster of emotions chasing Shohei Ohtani
• Chicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidates

What happened to Byrd was embarrassing. He signed the biggest contract for a safety ($54 million) when he signed with the Saints in 2014. Things obviously didn’t work out, so now he moves on.

The Bears should get a very discounted contract with Byrd. His reputation as one of the best safeties took a hit, so teams won’t be after him with the same fervor they had back in 2014. As a result, whoever signs him will get a motivated player. He was one of the top safeties just a couple of years ago, and he could do it again, and at a bargain price.

Another thing in the Bears’ favor is the fact that he could be a leader for the other safeties. He could help them adjust to the NFL life and what to do on the field. The Bears have some young safeties, and I suspect there may be one or more safeties in this draft, and Byrd could be the perfect guy to show the youngsters how to play on and off the field.