The Chicago Bears did not spend much time addressing their defensive needs during offseason.
Sure, the offseason is still ongoing and there is plenty of time for the Bears to address their need along the defensive line. But, as the Bears' roster is currently constructed, the biggest move that the team made on defense was bringing in veteran safety Kevin Byard on a two-year deal.
Byard is set to replace Eddie Jackson in the Bears' secondary but is coming off a season where his production dropped considerably after being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in-season. That would be the reason why Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports called the signing the worst of the off-season.
"The Chicago Bears. He was an All-Pro safety not long ago, but Kevin Byard struggled after being traded to Philadelphia last year. When he became a free agent this offseason, the Bears quickly pounced on him, signing the former Titan to a two-year deal worth something like $15 million."CBS Sports
When Byard was acquired by the Eagles during the 2023 season, the former All-Pro safety was asked to be the hero of Philadelphia's struggling secondary. There is no question that Byard showed regression with the Eagles last season but not to the extent that his signing by the Bears can be described as the worst of the NFL's offseason.
Kevin Byard's deal with the Chicago Bears is not as bad as some believe.
The only question that Bears fans should have regarding the Bears' decision to sign Byard is why did the team jump out ahead of the market, especially since it seemed they were bidding against themselves with a two-year deal.
But, placed in a secondary that includes Pro-Bowler Jaylon Johnson and an ascending safety in Jaquan Brisker, Byard could find success with the Bears as he looks to go back to his ballhawk ways that he had with the Tennessee Titans.