Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo sat down with team sock puppet Chicagobears.com‘s senior reporter Larry Mayer to chat about a number of topics. Among those topics is one that has been kicked around forever – the safety position. Check out this exchange:
"LM: Do you see the Bears upgrading the safety position in free agency or the draft, or would you be comfortable starting the season with players currently on the roster?JA: Right now we would be comfortable starting with the present cast of players at the position. Certainly it’s a much talked about position. I’m talking about the safeties and the corners, and we’re going to look hard at that. We did sign [cornerback] Tim Jennings, a young player with talent that has familiarity with the scheme. We looked at a veteran safety, but we felt that we wanted to pass on that. We just didn’t feel the timing was right. So we’ll just wait and see. Again, you’re not going to field a Pro Bowler at every position, and you don’t have to. The players that we presently have we feel good about. But we always want to create competition and better depth."
Don’t throw Tim Jennings at the fans and say that you’re addressing anything other than special teams. That doesn’t do anything for me. With regard to the veteran safety position, I am guessing that JA was referring to the Bears’ flirtation with Antrell Rolle at the start of Free Agency. That would have been something. Instead, the Bears chose to make their splash with Julius Peppers and a couple of offensive players, leaving a gaping hole in the secondary.
When Jerry says that “you’re not going to field a Pro Bowler at every position” you have to laugh. I am not asking for Pro Bowlers, I am asking for a basic level of competency. Is that too much to ask for? Is it asking for too much for players who know their assignments and can be in the correct position?
This is in stark contrast to what Lovie Smith said about the need to “invest” in the safety position. I guess that investment will come in the draft. I profiled the top choices here, but with their first selection at #75, the top choices will be long gone. And Bears fans will be left wondering why their opponents are able to score long touchdowns while a rookie safety is wondering where he was supposed to be on the last play.