Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been hearing it from the fans about the lack of focus on the edge rusher position, but he was able to get at least one position group in a really good spot.
ESPN looked at multiple aspects of the Bears' offseason, from the biggest surprise move to the most underrated one. The site also looked at the move that would have the most impact on the team: rebuilding their safety position with free-agent signing Coby Bryant and rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman.
"Can the back seven of the defense carry the weight for what the Bears lack up front? Chicago prioritized the secondary by signing and drafting safeties Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman, respectively. They also added speed they believe can change games (e.g., linebacker Devin Bush). But if the Bears still struggle to generate pressure with their pass rush (31st in 2025), can the team's DBs once again produce a high number of takeaways that gets the offense back on the field? The Bears ranked ninth in scoring last season and will rely on their offense to put up a lot of points to win games. Whether that happens -- along with its revamped safety and group of linebackers carrying the weight for what they lack along the defensive line -- will determine how far the Bears go with the NFL's most difficult strength of schedule."
Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman could make or break this Bears defense
Bryant is a young veteran coming off a Super Bowl title with the Seattle Seahawks, so he knows what a great defense looks like. He will match up with what former Bears All-Pro safety Kevin Byard did in terms of creating turnovers from his position.
Thieneman is a different beast, with blazing speed and athleticism that have made him one of the best value draft picks this year. He will be able to play in the box to stop the run and pressure the quarterback while also creating turnovers in pass coverage.
Read more: Caleb Williams certainly got a lot of help from Bears with these offseason moves
Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was blessed by Poles with two versatile defenders who can play in the secondary and help in multiple other ways. This is a Bears defense that might have some questions up front, but Allen doesn't have to worry about Bryant and Thieneman at all.
Add us as a preferred source on Google