Bear Digest

Bears 2024 Training Camp Preview: Is Last Line of Defense in Safe Hands?

Safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard are viewed by the Bears as ideally suited to complement their strong cornerback contingent but there are questions.

Gene Chamberlain

James Conner gets past Jacquan Brisker to the goal line last season in a Bears win. Brisker gave up 10 TD passes the last two years says Sportradar.
James Conner gets past Jacquan Brisker to the goal line last season in a Bears win. Brisker gave up 10 TD passes the last two years says Sportradar. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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There are a few ways to squander the advantage provided by three or four standout cornerbacks in a defense and one is lack of an pass rush.

Montez Sweat keeps this from happening to the Bears.

The other way is to have problems at safety. Too many big plays can occur because of poor safety play. The Bears think they have this addressed, as well.

There are reasons to believe they do, yet also reasons for concern.

Kevin Byard has the Bears thinking they'll start camp with a proper veteran replacement for former Pro Bowl player Eddie Jackson in former Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard. 

"The character, the way he holds himself, the accountability, self-starter, he's just an uplifting person to be around, which is very cool," said safeties coach Andre Curtis.

Byard always answers the bell, hasn't missed a game with an injury since coming to the NFL and has 28 career interceptions, 27 with Tennessee and one with the Eagles.

The Bears haven't had a safety with that many interceptions since Gary Fencik. He had a franchise safety high of 38 and Richie Petitbon had 37. No other safeties has made as many as Byard has.

"He's one of those pro's pros," Curtis said. "He's a man's man, and he kinda knows how to step and accelerate and work out. His attention to detail has been good.

"I expect him to be himself and be the best version of himself. He's been pretty good for awhile."

Yet, Byard is 31 now and had a sub-par second half to the season playing for the Eagles after being traded by Tennessee. And the Eagles cut him for cap purposes before he land in Chicago.

Are the Bears getting last year's Byard, who had a 102.1 passer rating against, or the one who had nine interceptions over the two previous seasons?

They also think safety Jaquan Brisker is on the verge of a "breakout" type of season as his role has changed a it. No longer will he be required to go into the box all the time as a smaller linebacker. He'll get to play the ball more.

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"My next step is just showing what I can do, and that's in the front end and the back end, creating turnovers, more forced fumbles," Brisker said. "I've showed what I can do in the box, but now it's time for me to show what I can do playing free safety also, really just putting it all together and having the best version of me."

Brisker has been a vocal leader and energized player but he hasn't been an efficient player in his first two years.

Two straight seasons of being required to be a box safety resulted in high tackle totals with 104 and 105. Yet, he did get nine pass breakups last year while giving up six TD passes, increasing his career TDs allowed to 10.

Brisker has had passer ratings against of 98.6 and 110.6 according to Sportradar.

"He's really determined and he's learning to concentrate," Curtis said. "Year 1, Year 2 ... Year 3 for a DB is a big uptick, because now he's learned it and now he's getting the volume of reps, of seeing it, which is pretty cool. That just makes things happen so much faster for him."

Brisker thinks this idea of letting him play in back more often and swap out box responsibilities with the 31-year-old veteran will work.

If it doesn't, they have the deepest safety group they've had since early in the Matt Nagy era after adding Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore to Elijah Hicks.

"I think the depth is improved," Curtis said. "These guys (Ryan Poles and staff) have done a good job of acquiring guys, bringing guys in just to add depth and speed and knowledge and wisdom, and adding all that cool stuff to our group."

On paper it looks formidable. It needs to be this way in reality to complete a strong defensive picture.

Bears Safety Outlook

Starters: No. 9 Jaquan Brisker, No. 31 Kevin Byard, No. 30 Tarvarius Moore

Backups: No. 22 Elijah Hicks, No. 36 Jonathan Owens

Roster Hopefuls: No. 26 Quindell Johnson, No. 38 Douglas Coleman III, No. 25 Adrian Colbert.

Strengths: Experience within the system and otherwise as Byard has been an NFL starter eight seasons and Brisker for two. Their tackling can also be regarded as a strength as Brisker had 209 tackles the last two seasons while Byard has six seasons th 84 tackles or more and has not had more than 6.7% missed tackles since his rookie year. Their safety depth is solid, as well, and this is important because it's a position often injured with the Bears in recent years.

Weaknesses: Byard's speed must come into question with him being 31 years old now. Brisker's ability to avoid the big play is a worry. While they have depth, two of the players are new to the system.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.