The Chicago Bears already lured a former divisional rival to the Windy City. And even though the addition of WR Kalif Raymond may not be as impactful, bolstering the team while hurting an NFC North rival is a double win.
Now, GM Ryan Poles might repeat that approach, this time to bolster the defense with a Minnesota Vikings star. Harrison Smith is still a free agent, and the Bears could certainly use some help at strong safety.
The Bears Should Make a Run at Harrison Smith
The Bears' secondary will look quite different next season. They lost safeties Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Kevin Byard III, and cornerback Nahshon Wright. They signed Super Bowl champion Coby Bryant, but he's a free safety, and Smith would be an upgrade over both Cam Lewis and Elijah Hicks.
Granted, the Bears might need to do some financial juggling to pull this off. According to Over The Cap, the Bears only have $243K in available cap space, so they will have to either wait until their post-June 1 designations free more space or make some moves to accommodate any other free agent. Spotrac projects Smith's market value at $10.75 million, so that might be a little challenging.
Smith has spent his 14-year career in the Twin Cities, so that's another factor to consider. Getting him to jump ship and commit the "ultimate sin of joining a divisional rival" might not be easy. It would, however, be a huge win for Dennis Allen's defense.
Last season, the 36-year-old veteran made 15 appearances, including 12 starts. He had 54 total tackles (37 solo), three tackles for loss, two QB hits, one sack, ten passes defensed, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. He's a hard-hitting, do-it-all safety that would provide some much-needed veteran leadership and punch for the Bears.
While Pro Football Focus gave the defender a 68.9 overall grade, which ranked 31st among 89 eligible strong safeties, his numbers against the run were much better (71.5, 28th). Smith had 14 run stops, ten total pressures, three pass breakups, and opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 81 when facing him.
Given Smith's age, he's obviously not going to be a long-term solution at the position. That said, the Bears' Super Bowl window is wide open right now, and he's the type of proven veteran who can help this young team push through in the second year of the Ben Johnson era.