On Saturday, February 17, Lester Wiltfong Jr. of SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron discussed five free-agent options for the Bears. Among the most prominent was Darnell Savage, whom the Packers selected 21st overall in the 2019 NFL draft.
“Savage will be 27 when camp begins and is a former first-round pick of Green Bay,” he wrote. “During his five seasons with the Packers, he has started 69 games and made nine interceptions. Last year, he missed seven games due to a calf injury. Savage is a strong, if not great, player, but his overall play is superior to Jackson’s because he has similar ball skills and plays the run and tackles better.
Darnell Savage Quality, Affordable Option for the Chicago Bears
Savage was occasionally chastised during his first five seasons with the Packers, but advanced metrics reveal one of the league’s most talented safeties last season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Savage finished the year as the 15th-best safety among 95 players who saw enough snaps to qualify for the position. He has also been consistent in terms of health, appearing in 72 of 83 games during his NFL career.
Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals and Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are two imminent free-agent safeties who might jump into the Bears’ secondary as exceptional playmakers on Day 1.
However, as Wiltfong pointed out, their compensation demands may price Chicago out of other positions that will require major investment, such as a three-technique defensive lineman, another edge-rusher with Montez Sweat, and a No. 2 wide receiver option next to DJ Moore.
“Yes, the Bears have about $70 [million] in cap space, but a team can only accomplish so much with that kind of money. Wiltfong wrote, “They can’t give a player a big contract to fill a need in every position.” “According to [Spotrac], Winfield’s new contract should be worth approximately $18.4 million per year. If the Bears sign a great edge player, I don’t see them spending that much on a safety.”
Savage played last season on a $7.9 million fifth-year option that the Packers activated to keep him on the roster through 2023.
Jaquan Brisker is the leader of the Bears defence. Following the departure of Eddie Jackson
On February 15, the Bears announced Jackson’s release, along with offensive lineman Cody Whitehair.
Jackson appeared in and started 100 games for the Bears over seven seasons in Chicago. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2018 and to the Pro Bowl in both 2018 and 2019. Jackson most recently signed a four-year contract with the team in January 2020, totaling $58.4 million.
With Jackson’s departure, Jaquan Brisker takes over as leader of the Bears’ safety room. According to Pro Football Reference, the second-year athlete has started 30 games and totaled 209 tackles, 11 pass breakups, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions.
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