Number 2: Will Kevin Byard be an upgrade from Eddie Jackson?
The Chicago Bears parted ways with popular veteran safety Eddie Jackson this offseason. While Jackson has been great for the Bears, at this point of his career injuries have kept him from producing consistently. While he still did well on the field, he missed 13 games in the past three seasons. It was time to part ways.
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In his place, Poles signed Kevin Byard. Byard is a Pro Bowl and All-Pro safety just like Jackson. Poles and the Bears hope that the secondary did not lose a step having Byard on the roster instead of Jackson. Chicago’s secondary is ranked among the best in the NFL.
The Chicago Bears ranked number one in interceptions last season. That happened despite a weak pass rush. The Bears ranked 26th in quarterback pressure and 31st in sacks.
There is hope that Byard connects well with Jaquan Brisker in the same way Jackson and Brisker connected. So far, Brisker is happy with Byard.
KB has a lot of football IQ, a lot of veteran football IQ that he has brought to the team. Us both, we’ve been playing free and strong safety all of our careers. Just playing left and right, the quarterback can’t really sense where we’re going to be. Really just gives a different look.
Hopefully, Byard continues his good play and solidifies the secondary even more. Just having him healthy and on the field will be a step up. If he has stellar play, we could see the return of the Chicago Bears’ Monsters of the Midway.
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