Matt Eberflus made the message crystal clear from his opening press conference. The
Chicago Bears defense was going to be focused on takeaways moving forward. That is the epicenter of his philosophy. Teams that force more turnovers and give up fewer often win the most games. To that end, the team has begun seeking out defensive players that might help. One name that fits this vision they surprisingly haven't gone for is Damontae Kazee.
The 28-year-old safety was a 5th round pick in 2017 for the Atlanta Falcons. While he didn't play often, he still managed to impact games with two forced fumbles. That was a sign of things to come. A year later, in 2018, he exploded for seven interceptions. He quickly became one of the best ballhawks in the league. Over the past four seasons encompassing 53 games, he has 12 interceptions and five forced fumbles. That included two interceptions and two forced fumbles last
season for the Dallas Cowboys.
Damontae Kazee lives for taking the ball away.
Eberflus' defense is tailor-made for him. The idea of getting him and Eddie Jackson on the field together would give the Bears something unique. Two guys with great instincts for the football. Suddenly opposing QBs would have to pick their poison. Either throw at Jackson or throw at Kazee with a reasonable probability they're going to snag one of those passes and take it the other way. Also, outside of two or three rough performances, the veteran safety is a reliable tackler.
Best of all, he is likely to come cheap. Kazee signed for the minimum in Dallas last season. He'd likely prefer a raise of some kind, but it would be pennies even then. The Bears don't want to overspend but still want players that can contribute. He fits the bill. The odds are good he will still be available following the draft. If Chicago doesn't add a safety during the weekend action, he'd make for a solid late addition.
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