One of the toughest losses the Chicago Bears suffered this offseason was safety Adrian Amos. A dependable starter since he was drafted in 2015, he left via free agency back in March. The feeling was he’d command a high price on the open market. One the Bears didn’t feel comfortable paying. With a large contract destined for Eddie Jackson in 2020, it was a tough but necessary sacrifice.
Seeing him sign with the Green Bay Packers though. That was the hard part. Things only got more complicated when the Bears found their replacement. None other than former Packers Pro Bowler Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. When news of this hit, a lot of Green Bay fans laughed. They felt Chicago had seriously downgraded. After all, Clinton-Dix had regressed to a point where he was traded by them to Washington.
So how do the Bears brass feel about the switch? Director of Player Personnel Josh Lucas was asked that question during his appearance at the 100th anniversary celebration. His answer didn’t leave a lot of room for misinterpretation.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix clearly superior to Amos in one aspect
There are arguments going back and forth on this subject. Both have certain levels of merit. However, there is one aspect that can’t be disputed. The NFL is a game built around big plays. The more you make, the better your chances of winning. Clinton-Dix may have his faults whether it be his tackling or poor angles, but he has a firm grasp on that part of the game.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Since 2014, Clinton-Dix has collected 14 interceptions and forced four fumbles. Since 2015, Amos has three and three in each respective category. It’s plain as day that one is far superior to the other when it comes to making big plays. Amos is a sound, dependable player who he doesn’t have the natural ball skills to change games in key moments.
Clinton-Dix does. Now this is not to say the Bears were down on Amos. They made it clear they thought highly of him throughout his time in Chicago. The point they were trying to make is they feel the defense did not take a step back at safety in any sense. It should be at least as good as it was last season, if not better.
