Thread: Bears positional analysis: Safeties

Bears positional analysis: Safeties


Eighth in a 10-part series

In one of the deepest safety drafts in years, the Chicago Bears didn't have a 2010 pick until the third round after sacrificing their top choice in the Jay Cutler trade and shipping their second-round pick to Tampa Bay for the late Gaines Adams.

How much of a difference would it have made had the Bears not dealt for Adams? Consider that when that pick came up -- 42nd overall -- four safeties already were off the board. Eric Berry went fifth to the Kansas City Chiefs and Earl Thomas was drafted 14th by the Seattle Seahawks. Both look to be stars in the making. Philadelphia drafted Nate Allen 37th overall and the Browns followed by taking T.J. Ward with the next selection.

So what would the Bears have done differently had they held the pick at 42? With safety clearly the No. 1 need on defense, they could have targeted Morgan Burnett there, but it's also possible they could have gone in a different direction.
Burnett, a Georgia Tech product, is who the Bears hoped to draft at No. 75. But the Green Bay Packers traded up to draft him at No. 71. That left the Beards with Major Wright at No. 75, and he looks like a good young prospect. He wound up being the seventh of eight safeties drafted in the first three rounds:

5th overall: Eric Berry, Kansas City

14th: Earl Thomas, Seattle

37th: Nate Allen, Philadelphia

38th: T.J. Ward, Cleveland

49th: Taylor Mays, San Francisco

71st: Morgan Burnett, Green Bay

75th: Major Wright, Bears

76th: Chad Jones, N.Y. Giants

It looked like Wright quickly would be in position to win a starting job and when he started making big plays on a daily basis in training camp, that became a real possibility. Then, he suffered a minor groin muscle injury. After that, he fractured an index finger in the preseason opener. But Wright was someone the coaches clearly trusted because with the Bears clinging to a 19-14 lead in the final two minutes of the season opener against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field, Wright was on the field in place of the veteran Chris Harris. Then, Wright suffered a badly pulled hamstring muscle the next week at Dallas trying to run down Dez Bryant on a punt return that went for a touchdown, and he was out until November. He was never in the mix for a starting job after returning, but the arrow is pointing up and it's important to note the faith the coaches had in him.

Roll call: Josh Bullocks, Chris Harris, Danieal Manning, Craig Steltz, Major Wright.

2010 overview: After changing starting safeties 41 times in his first six seasons (that's one change every 2.3 games), Lovie Smith announced the Bears would "invest" more in the position. That meant drafting Wright and then trading to re-acquire Harris the day after the draft. It was more than the team had done in previous years. The Bears tried to throw late-round draft picks at the position year after year and that approach only fueled the carousel.

2010 Major Wright, 3rd round.

2009 Al Afalava, 6th round.

2008 Craig Steltz, 4th round.

2007 Kevin Payne, 5th round.

2006 Danieal Manning, 2nd round.

2005 Chris Harris, 6th round.

2003 Todd Johnson, 4th round.

2002 Bobby Gray, 5th round.

Harris is the one player from the group to pan out. Afalava should have been replaced by free agent Josh Bullocks early in 2009. Manning was moved around so much that it was no wonder he never looked comfortable. Left in one place this past season, Manning put down some roots and he and Harris started all 16 games. They became the first pair of safeties to start every game for the Bears since Mike Brown and Tony Parrish in 2001. Harris picked up an All-Pro vote from Sports Illustrated's Peter King and had a pretty solid season. He finished fourth on the team in tackles and tied for the team lead with five interceptions. Remember, Bears safeties had just one pick in 2009. Add in two fumble recoveries and he picked up right where he left off.

Manning once again was a model of durability. He has missed only three games in five seasons and he turned in a productive season after a rocky start to the offseason when he was upset by the low tender he received as a restricted free agent. He was fifth in tackles and had one interception while remaining a threat as an explosive kickoff returner.

When Wright returned from his injury after the Bears' off week, he subbed for both Harris and Manning, manning the free safety spot. At 5-11, 206 pounds, Wright has the tools to be a skilled free safety. He has good instincts, tackles well in space and is a good hitter. He needs to improve, and it looked like he played too deep at times, but that could have been the scheme and not him worrying about being beaten over the top. He's going to have to prove he can handle the rigors of a 16-game season, too. Otherwise, what good will an injury-prone safety be for a defense that for the longest time couldn't stop swapping out its safeties?

Bullocks and Steltz were pretty much relegated to special-teams duties and while Bullocks was sixth in special-teams tackles, Steltz was inactive for seven games. It looks like the player the club once touted as a future starter could be headed out.

Free agency/draft need: This all depends on what the Bears want to do with Manning, one of their own free agents. He is one of 14 players slated to be an unrestricted free agent. The Bears approached Manning about a contract extension at the same time they worked out deals for long snapper Pat Mannelly and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina. They couldn't reach an agreement and one source said Manning is aiming for a major pay day. He always has been a player Lovie Smith has coveted and Manning's physical skills are a big reason why. He might be the most athletic player on the roster. But after 56 starts over five seasons, it's fair to wonder if he's instinctual enough for the position. Manning had five passes defended in 2010 and that is the most since his rookie season in 2006. He has eight pass breakups over the past two seasons combined. Ideally, you want a safety around the ball that is in the air more than that. But Manning has real value. He's durable and you can't find a lot of fault with what the Bears did on defense. Plus, he's a standout on special teams. So the question becomes how much is he worth? Maybe the open market will be the best thing to determine that.

Harris had to restructure his contract for the Bears to complete the trade for him, essentially meaning he took a pay cut from what he was going to earn to return to the Bears. In the restructuring, a year was cut off the contract and now he's entering the final year of the deal with a $500,000 roster bonus due. It's his hope the bonus will spur the Bears into making him a multi-year offer. Harris was a steadying influence. But he will be 29 before next season begins so a big deal probably isn't likely. If the Bears pay Manning, can they pay Harris, too?

You've got to figure Wright is penciled in as a starter for 2011. General manager Jerry Angelo has found out what it's like to get caught shorthanded at the position. Ideally, the Bears would like both veterans back, but the decision might not be completely up to them. With the money Manning is seeking, it would be surprising if he didn't end up exploring free agency. Then, he'll have a decision to make.

Looking ahead: Center Olin Kreutz and defensive tackle Anthony Adams look to be top priorities as free agents the Bears would like to bring back. After that, they need to prioritize where Manning fits into the picture moving forward. If he departs, they're going to need to consider bringing back Bullocks on a modest deal or exploring other options, and there will be plenty in free agency. Wright has a chance to be a pretty good player. Former Bears secondary coach Vance Bedford coached him at Florida, and Bedford has raved about Wright time and time again. No, he doesn't want to put him in a class with Mike Brown, but that is because Brown was a special player and a special teammate. That doesn't mean Wright can't be an impact player in his second season. For the Bears defense to get younger and better, he needs to be.

Bottom line: Wright has to prove he can remain healthy and one of the veterans needs to remain consistent starting next to him. Will it be Harris or Manning? With Harris under contract, signs would point to him, but remember that Smith always has seemed to have a special spot for Manning.

Next: Wide receivers.