LAKE FOREST, Ill., — As the offseason went on, it was clear that the Chicago Bears were going to have to make some moves at linebacker. With T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell hurt, and Tremaine Edmunds on his way out, Chicago needed to fill some pieces at the position.
They did so early on in free agency, and Ryan Poles targeted a specific trait — speed.
Hours after the team re-signed D'Marco Jackson, they added once again by agreeing to a deal with linebacker Devin Bush. The Bears got faster at the linebacker position which is exactly what Poles told us they wanted to do while at the NFL Scouting Combine.
"I just want to continue to improve our defensive speed," Poles said back in Indianapolis. "I think we saw that a little bit Green Bay and some of the games down the stretch. I want to improve our defensive speed overall. So those are some of the factors we're going to look at."
Bush is a former first-round pick who ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine back in 2019. He's quick not only with his straight-line speed but also laterally, too. And he's good in pass coverage, something that Edmunds struggled with. When Edwards returns from his injury, it's crucial that the Bears have some speed around him as well as a good linebacker in coverage.
Bush is coming off a career year with the Cleveland Browns, finishing with 125 total tackles, two sacks, seven tackles for a loss, and three interceptions. He brought back two of those interceptions for touchdowns.
But linebacker wasn't the only spot the Bears addressed that speed.
Chicago reached a deal with versatile safety Coby Bryant who is coming off a good year in Seattle, helping the Seahawks win the Super Bowl. He has experience playing both free and strong safety as well as being a defensive back in college. Bryant is also a quick safety with a playmaking ability who Chicago likely sees potential in for Dennis Allen's defense.
Getting a guy like Bryant when you had a need for four safeties is a good start. Now, the question will be whether they still try to retain Kevin Byard or not. Either way, Bryant brings some speed and versatility to the secondary, which is something they have wanted in Allen's defense.
The Bears had some big needs to fill on this side of the football and time will tell if they got it right. But it's clear they are shifting the focus to specific traits that fit what Poles and Allen want.
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