The Chicago Bears caught a lot of people by surprise when they came to terms with veteran safety Tashaun Gipson last week. Not so much because of the player he is but more because of the timing. It took place so quickly after the NFL draft. One had to surmise it had been in the works for some time. Gipson was surprisingly cut after just one year with the Houston Texans on April 27th. Just four days later on May 1st, he was a Bear.
It turns out this wasn't an accident. Apparently GM Ryan Pace, his scouts, and the coaching staff have had eyes for Gipson longer than people realized. During his first conference call with the Bears media after officially inking his deal, the 30-year old revealed the team had actually expressed interest in him as far back as the spring of 2019.
Unsurprisingly, he took a solid three-year deal from Houston for $22.5 million on March 12th when free agency got started. Two days later, the Bears signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to his one-year deal. So it would appear Gipson may have been the guy they wanted but the money didn't work out. This time it did.
Tashaun Gipson was lured to Chicago by Buster Skrine
One man that Gipson credited for recruiting him to the Bears was starting slot cornerback Buster Skrine. The two were teammates with the Cleveland Browns where they played defense and special teams together. They have a tight relationship. Getting to play with Eddie Jackson was also an obvious bonus. As to who might've spearheaded the push to sign him last year? It's possible defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano and secondary coach Deshea Townsend had hands in that.
Pagano was a defensive backs coach in Cleveland for several years in the 2000s and also worked for the Baltimore Ravens. Townsend was a starting defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers most of his career. Both have strong ties to the AFC North. So they likely heard a lot about Gipson when he was a top free safety for the Browns. Pagano also went against him for two seasons as head coach in Indianapolis when he'd signed with Jacksonville.
So there is definite familiarity involved with this move.
