The Chicago Bears’ secondary appears to be set with safeties Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos already under contract to go along with the expected returns of cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara.
HOWEVER, just because a situation is believed to be good doesn’t mean it can’t be better.
With that in mind, a new free agent target has emerged for the Bears in the form of Green Bay Packers safety Morgan Burnett:
Two teams, per source, to watch in pursuit of Morgan Burnett: Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. Could be more. #Packers free-agent safety is going to have a market.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) March 14, 2018
Burnett is the kind of versatile defender who could fit in a variety of roles no matter the defensive system. In Green Bay, he was in a leadership role responsible for pre-snap calls and checks. And after the snap, he could be found doing everything from playing center field as a deep safety, spending time within the box as a safety-turned-linebacker, and even sliding over to cover tight ends and wide receivers in the slot.
The Packers would probably prefer to re-sign Burnett, but the 29-year-old safety with 102 games of experience that dates back to 2010 has never played a full 16-game season. That likely will play into the team’s decision-making progress.
If Burnett walks, he’ll be the third high-profile defensive back to leave town, following Casey Hayward and Micah Hyde. Hayward has thrived with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers since leaving Green Bay and has evolved into one of the league’s best cornerbacks. Hyde turned in a productive year in the Buffalo Bills secondary, helping that team break a lengthy playoff drought on the strength of its defense.
While the Packers defense struggled as a whole, Burnett’s play was something of a silver lining. Considering that Vic Fangio is a branch off the tree of former Green Bay DC Dom Capers, you’d think the Bears’ defensive coordinator might have a plan for Burnett should Chicago make a play and sign him. They would just need to hold off the Packers and a slew of other teams to do so.