Chicago Bears: Underrated defensive free agents to sign
By Usayd Koshul
4. S Karl Joseph
Over the last two offseasons, Chicago has signed veteran safeties to one-year deals, with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Tashaun Gipson being starters alongside Eddie Jackson. With Gipson set to hit free agency, Chicago will likely have a new face starting next to Jackson.
While the safety market this year features a plethora of options, no player seems more intriguing than Karl Joseph. As a former first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Joseph spent 2020 with the Cleveland Browns and started just eight games amassing 67 tackles and one interception.
Bringing in Joseph on a cheap deal would allow for Chicago to finally have a true strong safety next to Eddie Jackson. Furthermore, for the Bears, they could sign Joseph to a two or three-year deal that pays him four or five million dollars a year. It’d be a win-win situation for both sides. Joseph gets some job security and a chance to start for the foreseeable future while Chicago figures out a position that’s lacked continuity over the last two seasons.
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Overall, Joseph would be an intriguing name to monitor. With 49 starts over the last five seasons, his starting experience is too valuable to ignore for the Bears. For a defensive unit that’s set to experience a resurgence under new defensive coordinator Sean Desai in 2021, Joseph is a perfect fit for what Desai wants to do on the defensive side of the ball.