Bears Blitz

Published by Ross Read on January 23, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

NFL free agency can be an opportunity to grab a proven impact player who can help bolster one side of the football. Given the Chicago Bears‘ recent defensive struggles, it’s New England Patriots free safety Devin McCourty who should be their No. 1 target this offseason. 

Before addressing why McCourty is the best fit, we must look at why it’s wise to pass on Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston. 

Both Suh and Houston are terrific defensive superstars, but they come with a hefty price. 

Suh wll be looking for a contract in the neighborhood of Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. He signed a seven-year, $95.2 million contract extension in October of last year. 

Houston’s teammate Tamba Hali makes nearly $11.5 million and Houston will look for about the same.

Those figures are just too much for the Bears to take on right now for one guy. They have to look into spending money smart and not so freely. 

McCourty is not only the more economical option of the impact defenders, but he’s also the most realistic to get and fits a major need. At 27 years old, he’s a smart investment going forward. 

Looking at the 2015 cap hits at safety, per Spotrac, the Bears can possibly bring in McCourty at a shade under $10 million a year.  

Over The Cap projects the Bears to have $27.644 million this offseason. This allows the Bears to bring in McCourty and still allocate money to other areas of need on the roster. 

New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes to run an attacking 3-4 scheme specializing in relentless pressure around the line of scrimmage, looking to force turnovers and create points. 

Force turnovers and create points? Enter McCourty who has 17 career interceptions in five seasons. 

As Fangio puts together a front seven looking to disrupt the line of scrimmage, he has to trust his corners more in man coverage and have a single high safety who can provide help over the top. 

San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid has seven interceptions in the last two seasons in Fangio‘s defense. McCourty can provide even better range than Reid in the same system. 

Free safety is a more glaring need on this roster than defensive tackle or outside linebacker. Jay Ratliff has experience playing nose tackle in a 3-4, the Bears have a group of linebackers who can step up under Fangio‘s tutelage and the NFL draft has a deep group of interior defensive linemen and outside pass-rushers to fill the void. 

Pairing McCourty with Ryan Mundy would give the Bears a solid veteran tandem. Outside of cornerback Tim Jennings, the Bears have a group of young corners who will greatly benefit from experienced players around them in the back end. 

In the past, former general manager Phil Emery looked to land the biggest fish on the market whether he was a team fit or not. New GM Ryan Pace is now responsible for correcting Emery’s mistakes including ones of free spending. 

Instead of spending a good chunk of available money on a position that can be addressed in a smarter, more economic way, the Bears should bring in McCourty who’s entering the prime of his career and build in front of him. 

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