Today marks 38 days from the time that the Chicago Bears will kick off the 2015 regular season against the Green Bay Packers. Of course that means our Countdown to Kickoff series continues today with a profile on the player who wears #38. That player will be rookie safety Adrian Amos.
The Bears selected Amos in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. Amos joins the Bears after a successful career as a defensive back for Penn State University.
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Amos was a three-year starter, and four-year contributor at Penn State. He started his college career primarily at the cornerback position, but primarily made his mark later in his career at safety. Amos will not produce much against the run, but he is a good pass defender who can fill in at safety or slot cornerback. A guy like that can easily stick for many years in today’s pass-happy NFL.
What to Expect from Amos in 2015
New Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio typically plays with one high safety playing a “center-field” role. That safety is expected to cover the deep part of the field in the pass game and be the last line of defense.
Expect the Bears’ 3-4 defense to primarily feature one high safety playing deep, and that play must have good coverage skills. Amos is a guy who can cover a lot of ground, and his coverage skills are impressive for a rookie. On the surface, he seems to be a perfect fit to be the single-high safety in Fangio’s defense, which is likely why the Bears targeted him in this draft.
Nov 23, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions safety Adrian Amos (4) covers Nebraska Cornhuskers wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (18) during the fourth quarter at Beaver Stadium. Nebraska defeated Penn State 23-20 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
Obviously, as a fifth-round rookie, nothing is guaranteed for Amos. Free agent addition Antrel Rolle will certainly hold down one safety spot, but the other is up for grabs. Veteran Ryan Mundy would appear to be the favorite for the open slot, but his skill-set is similar to Rolle’s. Perhaps playing a more coverage safety opposite of Rolle would make sense for the Bears this season.
If that is the case, Amos will primarily battling second-year player Brock Vereen, and also guys like Sherrod Martin and Anthony Jefferson. Mundy, Vereen and Martin have the NFL experience that Amos simply does not possess, but none of them were drafted by the current regime. It would be in the best interest of the organization for Amos to step up and win the job.
While I am sure the Bears will give Amos plenty of opportunity to win the starting safety job opposite of Rolle, I am not betting on him starting right away. It is probably best for both sides if Amos is given an opportunity to learn the NFL and Fangio’s defense slowly.
He is a talented player who could fill a major role in the Bears’ defense as we move along, but he should not necessarily be expected to step up and contribute right away. Amos is a perfect fit to fill the deep safety role in the Bears’ defense, but it is just fine if he is not ready to assume the responsibility Week 1.
Next: Projecting the Bears Defensive Starters