There is a terrific story from 16 years ago. The Chicago Bears needed a pass rusher in the worst way going into the 2010 season. All-Pro Julius Peppers was set to become a free agent. He was the difference-maker they desperately needed. So Bears head coach Lovie Smith decided to do something unconventional. He traveled to North Carolina to Peppers’ house and met with the defensive end in person. That gesture was a key part of helping seal the deal. It appears the new Bears regime took a page out of that playbook in their efforts to land Coby Bryant.
Having lost Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker to free agency, the team needed help at safety. Bryant was coming off a career-best season helping the Seattle Seahawks win the Super Bowl. His versatile playing style was something Dennis Allen could make great use of. The trouble was the Bears weren’t the only team interested in him. That meant they might have to get a little aggressive to land their guy. According to Bryant on Up & Adams, that included a somewhat rude phone call in the very early morning.
The Bears took a slight gamble with that move on Coby Bryant.
Some people would hate being hounded by phone calls so early in the morning. It wouldn’t be the greatest first impression. Luckily, Bryant felt flattered by the gesture. The risk paid off. While he undoubtedly had a strong market, it became clear the Bears wanted him and had the type of defensive structure that fit his abilities to perfection. Just like that, the team had nabbed the best safety available in free agency, and at a pretty reasonable price, no less. Bryant’s $13.33 million per year fell outside the top 10 for safeties.
It gave the Bears enough wiggle room to also bring in defensive tackle Neville Gallimore to shore up their interior pass rush and linebacker Devin Bush for speed. While those three moves won’t magically transform the defense into one of the NFL’s best, they certainly made it faster and more versatile. If the Bears can deliver a strong draft next month, this unit should be considerably improved from last season. Finding Bryant’s wingman will be part of that objective.
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An interesting risk is being taken.
The Bears seem content with the belief that they can find another starting safety in the upcoming draft. That isn’t totally crazy. Most experts agree that this safety class is strong. Three players are projected to go in the 1st round, with as many or more likely to go in the 2nd. Chicago has three picks in that range. It is hardly difficult to believe they’ll use one of them on a guy they think can click with Coby Bryant. If anything, they will seek somebody who mirrors his own ability.
They’ll want good size, good speed, and the versatility to play deep coverage or around the line of scrimmage. Having two safeties capable of that ensures it’s impossible for offenses to know where to attack. They can’t key on one guy or the other. This wasn’t an advantage the Bears had last year. Everybody knew Byard would be in coverage and Brisker would drop into the box. Smart offensive coaches quickly found ways to attack their weaknesses. The Bears intend to erase those advantages.
