Chicago Bears: 3 players most at risk under new GM

Chicago Bears could flip Eddie Jackson for picks

The harsh reality is that whoever takes over for the Chicago Bears will have a daunting task ahead of them. They will enter a situation without a franchise quarterback on the roster (and really no good option for 2021), a struggling offensive line, and very limited salary cap space.

While the team does have a first-round pick this year, after not having that luxury the last two years due to the Khalil Mack trade, they’re going to need a whole lot more to get this thing turned around quickly.

Unfortunately, other teams aren’t in the business of giving away quality draft picks unless they get something substantial in return. Perhaps one of the Bears best tradeable assets is safety Eddie Jackson.

While there is no questioning his talent, it’s fair to question the value of a ball-hawking safety getting paid $58 million over four years (with $33 million guaranteed).

The problem is when the defensive line isn’t getting the kind of push and pressure they have in the past, Jackson is not nearly as effective. And for a safety whose strength is not that of a box safety, he needs to benefit from the pass rush to create havoc in the defensive backfield and cause turnovers. A new general manager may not agree philosophically with the idea of paying a free safety that much — especially considering the analytics favor paying your cornerbacks — and so he or she may look to deal Jackson for a haul of draft picks.