The Chicago Bears have been active in free agency regarding their defense. Particularly the secondary. They started with Tre Roberson a couple of months ago at cornerback. Then they brought back safety Deon Bush before signing his former Miami teammate cornerback Artie Burns, a former 1st round pick of the Steelers. Now GM Ryan Pace has struck the bargain bin again, securing 26-year old safety Jordan Lucas.
With no definitive move at that position, it feels like this is a maneuver by the Bears to add more competition opposite Eddie Jackson. In truth though, this feels more like a depth move with special teams consideration. Lucas is a former 6th round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2016. He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018 where he quickly established himself as a standout in the third phase.
Dave Toub, the Chiefs special teams coach became a quick admirer.
“He’s a leader, he’s a vocal leader and he leads by example,” Toub said. “Then we met, and he was able to carry over. And he’s a smart guy, he’s instinctive and he just fit in.”
Chicago Bears can trust Lucas to help their cause
One of the understated losses for the Bears this offseason was DeAndre Houston-Carson. While he was always a reserve at safety, he’d carved out a strong role on special teams during his time in Chicago. Lucas will be able to fill the void he leaves behind. On top of that he has more starting experience than Houston-Carson did. Lucas started four games in 2018, making 32 tackles while grabbing a sack and an interception. He’s an aggressive downhill hitter and athletic enough to survive in coverage.
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Maybe the Bears feel he never got a fair shake in Kansas City. Or perhaps they just think the obvious. He’s a competent backup who can be a regular fixture on their kickoff and punt coverage units. Either way, it’s a quality move for minimal money.
