Biggest remaining Bears needs brushed aside by analyst for minor one

Safety is unsafe for the Bears, Edwards says.

"The defensive tackle spot is interesting, because the Bears have a lot of talented players without production and a few older players, but nothing in between," Edwards wrote. "Safety is the clearest position of need with an aged Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker starting with little more behind them."

It's a definite need for the future but unless the Bears are planning to find a long-term solution at the position among the unwanted and unsigned safeties, this is nowhere near the need a third edge rusher and extra running back are.

Edwards is right seeing need, but he needed to look longer term. The Bears do need safeties under contract for 2026 because they have none. However, for this season the top three backups all have enough NFL experience that they would be able to get by without an issue.

Most teams don't have Day 1 or Day 2 safeties as their backups. If they are fortunate to have those players, they're probably starting.

Elijah Hicks has started 15 games in three years, a very good amount for a backup seventh-round draft pick. Hicks is coming off his best Pro Football Focus grade, one which had him at No. 39 out of 171 safeties PFF graded. He had been near the bottom of the league last year.

Jonathan Owens also came in above the midpoint in those safety grades at No. 78. His duty was more in line with what a strong safety would play and he filled in during short yardage and goal line situations. PFF ranked his run support among safeties at fourth in the entire league.

They also have Tarvarius Moore, who has 13 starts and 72 games played to his credit, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has talked about rookie free agent signing Tysheem Johnson as a possible safety project.

This group is plenty of support.

There's no denying Byard is getting older but he has stayed healthy. Brisker said at minicamp he's healthy after three concussions in three years.

He was on social media again this week after the defensive backs had gotten together for off-field workouts on their own.

Often-injured Julian Blackmon heads the list of those available. out and at a very low price they could be decent pickups.

However, signing another backup for this season rates as overkill considering their current depth.

They'd be better off focusing remaining salary cap space on another edge rusher when their only options after Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo are unproven Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson, or possibly Daniel Hardy.

Even at running back they are understaffed more because after D'Andre Swift the remaining backs have 225 carries in NFL games between them over eight years -- Roschon Johnson and fourth-stringer Travis Homer.

Another safety is a need for 2026, in terms of draft picks and higher quality free agents than any of those currently dwelling on the island of misfit defensive pieces.