Bears seem set at safety
INDIANAPOLIS — Despite talk that the Bears might be in the market for help at safety, either in free agency or the draft, coach Lovie Smith believes that position is in good shape with Major Wright and Chris Conte as the starters
“I think I’m on record of how I feel about Major Wright,” Smith said of the 2010 third-round draft choice. “I think he’s a good football player, a good football player who hasn’t had an off-season with us yet, truly.”
Despite missing five games with a hamstring injury as a rookie, Wright was in on 31 tackles. Last year he started 11 games (eight at free and three at strong) and tied for second on the team with 3 interceptions. He was fifth with 78 tackles.
“I’m just as excited about Chris Conte,” Smith said of last year’s third-round pick. “We made moves of going a different direction on a couple players last year because of Chris Conte. Chris has a lot of range. He can do a lot of things.”
Partially because of Conte’s early emergence, the Bears cut veteran safety Chris Harris and relegated another veteran safety, Brandon Meriweather, to the bench. Conte started nine games at free safety, despite missing the final two weeks with a sprained foot and ankle and was 10th on the squad with 47 tackles.
“I just don’t think we’ve been in this good of a position at the two starting safety positions (as we are) right now,” Smith said. “But, at the same time, we do need to provide more depth. Craig Steltz is a free agent. He’s done a super job in every role we’ve put him in since he’s been here.”
Steltz, a fourth-round pick in 2008, started the final four games last season and had 37 tackles in the final five contests, third best on the team.
Same as always: When Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips began his search in January for a general manager to succeed Jerry Angelo, the job came with the proviso that Lovie Smith be retained as the head coach #8212; for the 2012 season.Thursday morning at the Scouting Combine, Smith said he doesn#146;t feel any more pressure to win this season under new G.M. Phil Emery than he has in the past.#147;Every year I#146;ve been a head football coach and pretty much, (even) as a position coach, I felt like we had to win the next year or else,#148; Smith said. #147;There#146;s a standard that we#146;re going to try to get accomplished. That hasn#146;t changed at all. #147;As far as a new G.M. (ital) having (end ital) to keep me, I don#146;t think any of the (candidates) looked at it that way. Hopefully they looked at it as a great situation they were coming into with a team that two years ago was in the NFC championship game; a team that was 7-3 this past year before injuries happened.#148;Injuries or not, another 8-8, out-of-the-playoffs season could cost Smith his job.