Brad Biggs, Sean Hammond, and Phil Thompson answer 5 big questions about the current state of they Chicago Bears for the Chicago Tribune:
4.True or false: The pairing of Dillon Thieneman and Coby Bryant at safety is an upgrade over the combo of Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker?
Biggs: True. Byard brought a lot to the table in terms of high-caliber play, tremendous instincts and leadership. Bryant probably plays with a little more range, and while he doesn’t have the same level of veteran experience, that was a good signing. Take the playoffs out of the equation, and it’s hard to point to many instances last season when Brisker consistently made big plays. The Bears have more range on the back end now, and that will give Allen increased flexibility.
Hammond: True. Thieneman’s versatility and athleticism should be an upgrade over Brisker. Former Bears coach Matt Eberflus loved the physicality Brisker brought to the safety position, but [defensive coordinator Dennis] Allen wants more versatile players on the back end. Thieneman should be a better scheme fit for Allen’s defense. Losing Byard’s leadership will hurt, but Bryant should be able to fill his role on the field, if not off it. Bryant has played only two years at safety, so in some ways he’s still just scratching the surface.
Thompson: That’s hard to answer without seeing Thieneman play a down of pro football. But I’ll say it’s true — in the long run. It’s absurd to suggest a pair of newcomers to Allen’s defense will immediately match or exceed Byard’s football IQ (he led the NFL with seven interceptions) or Brisker’s run support and blitz game. But given time, Bryant’s and Thieneman’s smarts, speed and adaptability should eventually win out.
Like Thompson, I’ll say that it depends but for a different reason.
Byard was an All Pro safety with 7 interceptions last year. Those don’t grow on trees.
Turnovers from Byard and Nash Wright are what kept the Bears defense respectable last year. Neither is on the team now and the Bears are going to have to make up for the loss. That means probably by being better in literally every other way.
Could the Bears be so much improved that they are better at safety than Byard combined with Brisker, a hard hitting player with a bad concussion history? Certainly the combination of Thieneman and Bryant will allow Allen to do more with the defense in terms of disguise and they will probably be more multiple. But that’s going to have to go a long way towards making up the deficit, particularly with a suspect pass rush.