He may not have been the big name Chicago Bears fans were waiting for, but the addition of veteran safety Kevin Byard was important for the organization. He will be able to step in and replace Eddie Jackson alongside Jaquan Brisker, giving the defense a much-needed veteran presence on the back end. The former All-Pro is known best for his ball-hawking skills, which head coach Matt Eberflus covets more than anything at all three levels of his defense. So, it was a natural fit from the start.
The Bears released their latest episode of 1920 Football Drive on YouTube. It covers the entire free agency process, including every key addition they made from Byard’s signing to the Keenan Allen trade. It was here the team provided an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the first meeting between player and head coach. The first thing Eberflus mentioned was his excitement at the leadership Byard would bring to the secondary. Byard’s response confirmed that feeling, stating he was already in contact with several teammates and planned to join them for work in California.
Kevin Byard knows what his role will be.
He gets to play the centerfielder position. His job is to patrol the deep part of the field, using his instincts and range to make quarterbacks pay for testing the Bears deep. This is something he has excelled at during his entire career. While he might be 30 and on the downside of his prime, there is no reason to think he can’t still be a playmaker. People criticize him for his down season in 2023 with only one interception. They tend to ignore how he was forced to play on two struggling defenses.
Such is not the case in Chicago. Matt Eberflus had the Bears defense playing excellent football in the second half of last season. He is one of the best defensive play callers in the league with a knack for creating turnover opportunities for his secondary. Remember, Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson each had four interceptions. Kyler Gordon had two. Jackson and Brisker had one each. If Byard has any gas left in the tank and plays like the player he was in 2021 and 2022, he’s going to have a big bounceback season.
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