Al Harris could revive another former Cowboys defender if the Bears make one smart proposed training camp signing
The Chicago Bears are less than a month away from the start of training camp and should start considering some last minute additions to upgrade the roster. Safety Donovan Wilson would be a smart option to look into.
The Chicago Bears are less than a month away from the start of training camp and over the last few weeks head coach Ben Johnson has been evaluating the state of the 91-man roster based on what he and the staff saw during the spring.
That means, the closer we get to camp and after camp gets started, the Bears could explore making other roster moves to upgrade various positions on the roster.
Fans are still begging for a pass rusher addition off the edge, for example. That could happen once the coaches get a full evaluation of what they have in camp. Another area the Bears could use an upgrade at is in the depth of the secondary.
Proposed signing for the Bears could add some much-needed depth to the secondary
Chicago dealt with multiple injuries to its secondary last season and understand better than anyone how important depth can be at the cornerback and safety positions. Currently, the Bears are a little thin at the safety position going into camp.
The Bears replaced Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker with Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman as the two starters at safety. But, for depth, the only additions that the Bears made were veteran Cam Lewis and UDFA Skyler Thomas, along with bringing back Elijah Hicks. It’s an okay group behind the two starters, but one proposed addition could elevate the competition in that room.
CBS Sports played match-maker with a few free agents still on the market and linked the Bears to former Dallas Cowboys starting safety Donovan Wilson. The former sixth-round pick started 75 of 98 games for the Cowboys over the course of seven seasons, yet remains unsigned going into training camp.
Signing Wilson would continue the trend of DBs coach Al Harris bringing in one of his former Cowboys defensive backs. Harris had success with that formula last season bringing cornerback Nahshon Wright to Chicago and revitalizing his career. He could easily do the same with Wilson while adding another veteran to push the room.
Donovan Wilson fits what Dennis Allen wants at the safety position
The decision to part ways with Byard and Brisker was a tough call for the Bears to make. The reasoning behind it is due to the fact that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen wanted to get faster and more versatile at the position. Wilson is a player that can fit that bill as well and prevent any fall-off for Chicago if someone happened to get hurt.
Last season alone, Wilson logged 487 snaps at free safety and 305 snaps in the box while totaling 71 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass deflections. It was a solid season, but a step down from the kind of production he had across the board under Al Harris. From 2020-2024 under Harris’ coaching, Wilson recorded 371 tackles, 13.0 sacks, and six interceptions proving he can produce in coverage and also attack the quarterback.
“The 30-year-old Wilson is a versatile safety who is capable of making plays in the secondary and at the line of scrimmage. He has eight career interceptions, 13 career sacks (that includes two seasons with at least 4.5 sacks), nine forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries and 20 tackles for loss.”
Brian DeArdo
CBS Sports
Wilson is the ideal backup safety for what Allen and Harris are looking for out of the position. I would be on board with this signing if the Bears wanted to upgrade the level of depth behind Bryant and Thieneman.