Chicago Bears: Ha Ha injury an opportunity for Denmark

The Chicago Bears revealed some injury news that could present an opportunity for one of their rookies.

Last season, the Chicago Bears experienced terrific health. While they had a few players miss some games here and there, they were fortunate enough to not have to endure any long term injuries to any of their key players.

If the team is going to make a run at the Super Bowl as they hope to do, they will need to enjoy similar good health. However, with training camp less than a week away, it was reported that Ha Ha Clinton-Dix could very well find himself on the player unable to perform (PUP) list to start the season.

Clinton-Dix is expected to play an important role as the replacement for Adrian Amos at strong safety, alongside free safety Eddie Jackson. So while it’s important that he gets healthy (and all signs point to this injury not being a serious or long-term thing) it could also present an opportunity for one of the team’s rookies, Stephen Denmark.

Recently, I highlighted how Denmark could very well be the strong safety of the future, as Clinton-Dix only signed a one-year deal. While the seventh-round pick out of Valdosta State was selected as a cornerback, he is the prototypical strong safety from a physical standpoint.

Denmark will need to improve on his technical skills as a cornerback if he hopes to succeed at the position, as he is still fairly raw. Strong safety could offer a much smoother transition for the 6-foot-3, 220-pound physical specimen who runs a 4.46 40-yard dash.

He seems best suited as a strong safety to pair with Jackson for the long-term, and with the injury to Clinton-Dix, it may give the Bears an opportunity to give him a look at the position.

Yes, they currently have DeAndre Houston-Carson behind Clinton-Dix on the depth chart, but Denmark could very easily get some reps at the position in camp.

First, while it is suspected this will be a short-term injury for Ha Ha, injuries can be unpredictable and can sprout up at inopportune times. It would be in the team’s best interest to give themselves depth and other options at the position.

Second, it would be wise to see whether Denmark might be able to make the transition to strong safety. Without the injury to Ha Ha, Denmark would not have the opportunity to get many, if any, reps at the position. But with the injury, it opens the door for the Bears to give him a look. With a contract extension looming for Eddie Jackson, a young, cost-effective option to pair with him makes a lot of sense.

So while the injury to Clinton-Dix is not necessarily the news Bears fans wanted to hear, there is at least one silver lining.