Examining the future of the Bears’ safety position

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Rahimi & Grote Show 19 min 3 speakers 3 chapters transcribed

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What is the current state of the Bears' safety position?

Leila Rahimi 0:00

This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 670 The Score. A happy Wednesday to you. Yeah, when we were giving grades, Big Cat gave his out and he said 89. Here we were thinking we were being reasonable. Those Gen Xers, man. You're included in that. I was about to say, I'm an exennial. I'm right on the cusp. Exennial. It sounds like a... You know what it sounds like? The next great show on that new series you just created streaming. Netflix Max Minus.

Marshall Harris 0:28

Oh, Xenial.

Leila Rahimi 0:29

Plus Minus. Yes.

Marshall Harris 0:31

Two-thirds to the third power.

Leila Rahimi 0:34

That thing. Max. I feel like all of that. Also, the 2012 Ravens. Joe Flacco was the quarterback. I think he's actually a better quarterback this past year than he was then.

Marshall Harris 0:43

No. He had a postseason run for the ages. Go look at his postseason game log.

Leila Rahimi 0:47

That was the origin of elite.

Marshall Harris 0:49

It was elite.

Leila Rahimi 0:50

Well, the discussion surrounding it, anyway.

Marshall Harris 0:52

I don't think Joe Flacco can keep this up over the course of a next contract, but he did win a Super Bowl and was Super Bowl MVP. Yeah.

Leila Rahimi 0:59

13 years later, here we are. It's nice to bring this stuff up in a way that's humorous and fun because, once again, the Bears had what I would deem a successful season. There's no other way around it. And the price of successful seasons, unfortunately, means everybody else wants the guys that you had on your team. There's no better example of that than trying to figure out what happens in the secondary. To steal a David Haw headline or a pun on the run.

Marshall Harris 1:28

I'll give it to me.

Leila Rahimi 1:29

The safety position isn't safe right now.

Marshall Harris 1:36

Anything but safe, open parentheses, T-Y, close parentheses.

Leila Rahimi 1:39

That's the next show on Netflix Max Minus Plus Minus.

Marshall Harris 1:44

To the third power.

Leila Rahimi 1:45

Streaming.

Marshall Harris 1:46

Gotta have that little three in the corner.

Leila Rahimi 1:48

It's a working title.

Marshall Harris 1:51

No, but listen, I looked up, you know, the next day because I can't wait. Can't wait!

Leila Rahimi 1:59

Monday, I was like... Another old school 2010s team. Bart Scott. Jets.

Marshall Harris 2:05

Jets. Can't wait. That's probably up there with anything is possible as far as post-game things that were said that you'll never forget.

Leila Rahimi 2:13

Yeah. Kevin Garnett was correct, by the way. Anything is possible. Yeah.

Marshall Harris 2:18

I think I've toned mine down to most things are possible. But after watching this Bears team this season, and after watching what they were able to do in year one of Ben Johnson, and having contributions from guys at that level. Understand this. Kevin Byard, who's now a free agent, coming off a two-year $15 million deal, Layla, he was All-Pro for the third time. Do you understand how long it had been since he had been All-Pro? 2021. So six seasons later, he gets to be All-Pro again, first team.

Leila Rahimi 2:47

That was a two-year contract that he signed in 2024, $15 million. Like, Ryan Poles is talking today at Hallis Hall, and everybody knows I've been critical of a lot of Ryan Poles' draft choices and, frankly, many free agent ones and some trades. So that's everything. That's everything. But what I will give him a lot of credit for, and frankly, I would have signed him to an extension after this season. I just wanted to wait until after this season. Whatever. Point being, he gets credit for that specifically. That Kevin Beyer contract was savvy. It was smart. You took advantage of a team who is more dysfunctional. This is a guy who clearly had a lot left in the tank. Two years, $15 million was that contract.

Leila Rahimi 3:30

What a deal. What a steal. To be All-Pro, to have led the NFL in interceptions, he was a massive part. I believe more than a third of the Bears turnover, right at a third of the Bears turnover ratio. They had 22 turnovers in the regular season. Byron had seven interceptions. So when you consider that, he was not only significant to the product, he was a game changer. And now you've got to ask yourself, can you sign him? Do you have enough money to also allocate for a guy who you drafted in Jaquan Brisker? That was your first draft class. And we know the injuries have been a problem. We know he missed a lot of the season previous because of that concussion. I do think it was the right call because that rest was the right thing to do for Jaquan.