How Will Bears Starting Safeties Do Against the Run?
During this offseason, the only starter on the Bears’ defense that was up for free agency was safety Adrian Amos. The Bears’ front office eventually decided to let Amos go free. To fill the void, Chicago signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to a one-year deal. Clinton-Dix is another big name added to an already star-studded defense, and should make a significant contribution to this unit. However, one red flag on the former Green Bay Packer and Washington Redskin is his tackling ability.
Inserting Clinton-Dix in to the Bears’ secondary definitely helps their pass defense. But, what about their run defense? Clinton-Dix will be paired with All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson. Both are natural free safeties, and seeing that Jackson is an All-Pro, it’s pretty certain that he’ll stay at that position. This means that Clinton-Dix will be moved to strong safety.
The one-time Pro Bowler has been known to be a liability as a tackler against the running game and short passes. With that being a weakness, let’s hope that the dominance of the Bears’ front seven can mask Clinton-Dix’s vulnerability.