Even with the sixth-most available cap space, the Seattle Seahawks had to be cautious in free agency. They knew that they had to save money for Jaxon Smith-Njigba's and Devon Witherspoon's contract extensions, and replacing some of their departed players would hurt their compensatory pick formula.
That's why general manager John Schneider had to make some tough calls and let crucial players walk away in free agency. That includes Coby Bryant, who will now be given the tough task of replacing Kevin Byard III, the league leader in interceptions, with the Chicago Bears.
The Bears gave Bryant a three-year, $40 million deal that included $25.75 million guaranteed. Joining an up-and-coming team as an undisputed starter and with that type of money was certainly an easy decision to make, but time may show him that it wasn't the right one.
Former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant won't solve the Bears' defensive issues
On the surface, Bryant's numbers might look better next season. Bears defensive backs coach Al Harris has helped multiple players post career highs in interceptions, but he's also turned them into major liabilities against explosive plays. With him, DBs tend to gamble too much, and they're often burned and exposed.
Bryant is coming off a solid season for the Super Bowl champions. He picked off four passes, had seven passes defensed, 66 total tackles, four tackles for loss, forced one fumble, and had 14 run stops. That may not be the case in Chicago.
Even with some minor free-agency additions, the Bears' defense lacks talent, and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen struggled to make the most of the hand he was given last season. Adding Bryant to the mix should help, but they still don't have an established pass rusher, and their secondary is banking on two banged-up veterans like Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson.
Bryant will go from playing for two defensive masterminds in Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde to playing for a team that had to bank on multiple late-game heroics and comebacks to make up for the defense's miscues. They gave up 373.8 total yards per game (27th), 134.5 rushing yards per game (27th), and 24.4 points per game (23rd).
Also, he will go from playing next to a game-wrecking safety like Nick Emmanwori, the ultimate wild card guy in the secondary, to having to be 'the man' in Chicago. He may not be able to live up to those expectations without Emmanwori wreaking havoc around him and giving him the freedom to take risks and make plays.
The Bears won't sneak up on anybody in 2025. They will now play a first-place schedule and have to prove they weren't just a one-year wonder, like so many teams before them. The Seahawks, on the other hand, should do just fine in his absence.