There were plenty of intriguing free agents available on the market this year. While the Chicago Bears didn’t have a ton of spending money, they had enough to make one or two significant additions if they wished. Sure enough, their biggest swing came early when they signed veteran safety Coby Bryant to a four-year deal. That wasn’t the position many expected them to target, but with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker both being free agents, it did make sense. Bryant was coming off a terrific season in Seattle, where he had four interceptions and helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. Why him, though? That came down to Dennis Allen.
After spending last season using mostly players acquired during the Matt Eberflus era, it made sense that the new defensive coordinator would want guys who better fit his vision. Bryant’s versatility to play coverage and around the line of scrimmage seemed like an obvious fit. However, it went deeper than that. Head coach Ben Johnson revealed the underlying reason it had to be Bryant specifically.
“It’s something that DA brought up as we’re going over self scout over the last month and a half was (that) the best defenses usually have two or three trained killers,” Johnson said. “It’s that you usually don’t have 11 of them, OK, but you got two or three that are tone setters that can really elevate the play of everyone around them.
“When we watched the tape, we felt like that jumped off when Coby was on the field. He’s a guy that comes out, whether he’s playing quarters, playing the post, playing down in the box, he’s coming down, and if he sees somebody, he’s looking to light them up. There’s certainly some things to his game that we’re going to look to improve. That’s like that with every player. And yet, we feel like he’s got a really solid foundation with his play style that’s going to naturally just percolate with the rest of the guys.”
Dennis Allen isn’t wrong about that.
If you look back through the Bears’ history, you’ll notice that their best defenses did indeed have those three or four trained killers. In the 1980s, it was Gary Fencik, Wilber Marshall, and Dan Hampton. Then, in 2005, it was Mike Brown, Lance Briggs, and Tommie Harris. Lastly was 2018. It wasn’t hard to see that Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, and Adrian Amos were the guys offenses were the most wary of. The current Bears haven’t really had anybody who fits that profile, though Austin Booker might be blossoming into that role.
The bottom line is they needed more of two things. One was speed, and the other was grit. Great defenses have plenty of both. Dennis Allen had those crucial pieces in New Orleans for a good three or four-year period with Cameron Jordan, DeMario Davis, Malcolm Jenkins, and Tyrann Mathieu. Assembling those pieces took time, though. It is hoped the Bears can find another one or two in the upcoming 2026 draft. It’s a strong possibility with four picks in the first three rounds.
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You can pinpoint certain players who fit the mold in this draft.
If the defensive line is the way they’re looking, then defensive end Zion Young from Missouri fits the mold. Not only is he big and strong, but he has the motor and nastiness to make life hard for blockers on every snap. At defensive tackle, Christen Miller of Georgia displays the kind of throwback physicality and violence you need in the middle of your defense. Need something similar at linebacker? Jacob Rodriguez of Texas Tech has often been referred to as a heat-seeking missile with knock-back power on his hits.
Most of the time, it’s about the mindset. Some guys just seem to revel in doling out punishment. The trick is finding them and determining if they also have the talent to play in your scheme. It isn’t easy to strike the right balance, which is why building great defenses is so difficult. Dennis Allen at least understands the blueprint and has the Bears focused in the right direction. The question remains whether this front office is capable of landing the talent necessary.
