Previewing the Chicago Bears safeties for 2017

Looking ahead at who will make the team at safety, and how they’ll perform, for the Chicago Bears in 2017.

Who’s going to make the final 53-man roster for the Chicago Bears? And what can we expect from them this year? We at Da Windy City have been previewing every Bears position group before the 2017 season to address these questions.

On Saturday, we started looking into the secondary by breaking down the cornerback position. Now, for our penultimate preview, let’s talk about the intriguing prospects for this year’s group of safeties.

Bringing in the Ballhawks

The Bears’ search for stability and playmaking at safety has endured since the days of the oft-mentioned, oft-injured Mike Brown. Last season was no different, as Bears’ safeties proved themselves legendarily bad at making plays on the football.

To address that issue, Ryan Pace brought in two safeties with the skillset to turn things around at the position.

First, they signed former Houston Texan Quintin Demps, who broke out last season for a career-high six interceptions, which led all NFL safeties. Then, they spent a fourth-round pick on Alabama star Eddie Jackson, who picked off nine total passes while at Alabama. Like Demps, his high water mark for interceptions for a season is six, which he did during an All-American junior season.

So far in training camp, they’ve continued showing a knack for making something happen when they’re around the football.

And if the Bears’ first preseason game was any indication, Jackson looks like he’s ready to be a factor closer to the line of scrimmage as well.

Not bad for a guy that was facing questions about his ability to be a physical tackler.

After Jackson’s strong preseason debut, the Bears rewarded him with first-team reps on Saturday’s practice. What has long appeared inevitable is slowly becoming reality: Jackson’s upside as a playmaker will soon make him the team’s starting free safety. Whether he starts the season alongside Demps remains to be seen, but even if he doesn’t, he won’t need to wait long.

And with Demps and Jackson potentially playing alongside one another, the Chicago Bears could field a safety pair with more playmaking ability than any since Brown and Chris Harris roamed the defensive backfield together.

Tough Choices Coming

Of course, Jackson’s emergence also has a ripple effect on the immediate and ultimate futures of the Chicago Bears’ safety position. If Jackson starts and stays healthy next to Demps, that means that a few returning players could see a change in their role. Some very well could be fighting just to make the roster.

Chief among the players affected by Jackson’s strong play is third-year pro Adrian Amos, the incumbent starter at free safety.

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On one hand, Amos has been durable at safety, starting every game for the past two seasons. Furthermore, Pro Football Focus tabbed him as the Bears’ secret superstar heading into 2017, citing his tackling ability and relative improvement in coverage.

While one appreciates the optimistic view of Amos, let’s not pretend that availability, tackling and being in the general vicinity of a pass make him a good player. Looking at another set of numbers, he’s allowed passer ratings of 127.9 and 117.5. And he hasn’t recorded an interception in his two seasons.

After Amos, the remaining safeties on the roster offer promise but no certainty of production.

Harold Jones-Quartey wasn’t much better than Amos in coverage, allowing a passer rating of 125.1 in 2016. Last year’s fourth-round pick Deon Bush still needs to harness his physical gifts and physicality into something more consistently useful. Fellow 2016 fourth-rounder Deiondre’ Hall is switching from corner to safety and has yet to stand out in camp. And guys like Chris Prosinski and DeAndre Houston-Carson should not be playing unless they’re doing so on special teams.

While Amos might just be demoted, guys like Jones-Quartey, Houston-Carson and Prosinski are competing to stay in Chicago. Demps, Jackson and Amos should make the team, and their mid-round status and potential protect Bush and Hall for now. From there, the Bears will probably only keep one special teams ace. And if Jackson does stop the revolving door at free safety, time could eventually run out on Amos, Bush and Hall down the line as well.

Final Thoughts

The Chicago Bears didn’t draft a safety as high as people might have liked, but ultimately, it may not matter. In fact, some believe Jackson could’ve been a first-round caliber talent had he not broken his leg. If he plays like one, the Bears might get the steal of the draft for a second straight year. And Demps, in theory, will provide solid all-around veteran play, as he prides himself both on playing the ball and making tackles.

While Amos offers more experience and hitting ability, he can’t touch what Jackson does as an instinctive playmaker. Arguably, no one on the roster, not even Demps, can. Therefore, the Bears should not hesitate to play Jackson over him if they deem that the right decision.

Next: Defensive grades from preseason opener

It’s too early to know how good the hoped-for Jackson/Demps pairing will be, but it’s a reasonable guess that they’ll be far more impactful than Amos and Jones-Quartey were last year. And if the front seven provides consistent pressure to offenses, they’ll have plenty of chances to make game-changing plays.

Put it all together, and you might see the Chicago Bears being an elite defense once again in 2017.