Just months after signing a lucrative deal to join the Chicago Bears, former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant suffered a knee injury in training camp that will have him sidelined for the next 4-6 months.
Of course, injuries are never good news, and there's no reason whatsoever to hold any grudge or ill will toward a guy who played a crucial role in their Super Bowl-winning secondary. He made a business decision, and the Seahawks probably wouldn't have come even close to the three-year, $40 million contract he got.
Even so, as unfortunate as this news is, and as much as there was no way of knowing this injury would happen, his injury was another vindication of general manager John Schneider's approach to this offseason.
The Seattle Seahawks were ready to move on from Coby Bryant
Not only did the Seahawks save plenty of money by letting Bryant go, but they also seemingly found a replacement right away. TCU's Bud Clark has looked the part in training camp, and he's even gotten extensive run with the first-team defense in nickel sets.
Granted, he may not play or get that much run now that Nick Emmanwori is back from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. But even if that's the case, the rookie second-round pick should be a big part of this team's plans for years to come.
Bryant is looking at a long time on the shelf. The Bears hope he can still take the field in the playoffs, assuming they make it that far, and they'll certainly miss his ball-hawking and coverage abilities, especially after overhauling most of their safety room between seasons.
He got his career going as a nickelback, but couldn't quite figure things out, especially against the run. Switching positions may have savaged his career, and he's coming off a career-best season in which he held opposing quarterbacks to a 78.4 passer rating, had seven pass breakups, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and four interceptions, the third-most in the league.
Bryant was supposed to play a big role in Dennis Allen's secondary, joining rookie first-round pick Dillon Thieneman as their defensive quarterback against the pass. Knee injuries are tricky and tend to linger, and they might be better off erring on the side of caution and shutting him down for the whole season.
As for his successor in Seattle, Clark entered the league with a strong pedigree as a turnover-forcing machine. His strong nose for the ball should help him get on the field often, and he'll have some big shoes to fill to replace someone who created five giveaways last season.
Letting Bryant go would've probably been a huge blow to most teams, and while they didn't know for a fact they'd get Clark to replace him, this team clearly has a strong eye for versatile defensive backs who can do a bit of everything at a high level.
It's still early, and he has yet to play a single actual snap next to Emmanwori. But if the early returns are an omen of what's to come, the Seahawks could have the best safety tandem in the league in no time — and at a more reasonable price.
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