4 things to know about new Bears SS Jordan Lucas

The Bears added safety and special teams ace Jordan Lucas in free agency. Get to know Chicago’s newest defensive back.

The Chicago Bears have a vacant starting safety spot to fill following the departure of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and it could be the Bears’ newest strong safety Jordan Lucas.

Lucas will be competing for the starting strong safety job opposite veteran Deon Bush, who the Bears recently re-signed this offseason.

Here are four things to know about the Bears new strong safety:

1. Lucas won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs

Lucas, a former sixth-round pick by the Dolphins, was traded to the Chiefs in 2018, where he served as a strong safety and special teams gunner. But he was also part of a Chiefs team that won the Super Bowl in 2019.

Lucas is going from one Super Bowl-winning team to a team just fighting to make it back to the playoffs with the Bears.

But believe it or not, there’s actually no Matt Nagy connection. Nagy had left to coach the Bears the same year that Lucas was brought into Kansas City.

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Free Agency: Grading the Bears’ signing of SS Jordan Lucas

The Bears brought in reinforcements at safety and special teams with the addition of Jordan Lucas. How does his signing grade out?

The Chicago Bears brought in reinforcements for the secondary with the addition of veteran safety Jordan Lucas, who was signed to a one-year deal.

Lucas comes to the Bears after two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he had seven tackles and one pass defensed in 14 regular-season games in 2019.

Following the departure of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the Bears are looking for his replacement opposite Pro Bowler Eddie Jackson. Jackson figures to return to his natural position at free safety, which means newly re-signed Deon Bush will battle it out with Lucas at the strong safety spot.

Bush figures to have the upper hand when it comes to winning the starting job, but Lucas will certainly provide competition. Also, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bears turned to the NFL Draft for safety assistance.

While Lucas will be competing with Bush for that starting job, he also served as a valuable special teams contributor with the Chiefs. Lucas played 63.3 percent of Kansas City’s special teams snaps in 2019, and he played 47 percent of them the year prior. Expect him at the very least to provide depth at safety and to be a valuable asset for Chicago on special teams.

Lucas comes at an affordable price — a one-year prove-it deal worth $1 million — and he’ll get a chance to compete for the starting safety job opposite Jackson, as well as provide some special teams assistance. Another low-risk, yet average signing for the Bears.

Grade: C+

What do you think, Bears fans? How would you grade Chicago’s acquisition of Lucas?

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Report: Chiefs DB Jordan Lucas to sign with Bears

The Lucas Locomotive is headed to the Windy City.

Another member of the Kansas City Chiefs has found a new home. This marks the fourth member of the Super Bowl LIV team to sign elsewhere.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chicago Bears have signed DB Jordan Lucas to a 1-year deal worth $1 million. Lucas joined the Chiefs ahead of the 2018 season as a trade acquisition from the Miami Dolphins. Kansas City sent Miami their seventh-round pick in 2020 and the Chiefs received Lucas in return.

The team was dealing with significant injuries at the safety position, with both Eric Berry and Daniel Sorensen out indefinitely. Lucas would step in and start four games for Kansas City on defense, however, he was unable to claim a full-time role.

The #Bears signed SS Jordan Lucas to a 1-year deal worth $1M, as the former Chief has a new home.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 22, 2020

While Lucas contributed on defense in his arrival, his biggest impact came as a special teamer. In his two seasons with the Chiefs, Lucas played a combined 485 snaps on special teams. In 2019, he appeared in 14 games, mostly as a gunner.

Lucas was in Kansas City after Matt Nagy had already left, so you can rule out that being the driving factor behind Ryan Pace’s decision to sign him. This appears to be a depth and special teams signing for the Bears.

Unfortunately, Lucas’ contract won’t qualify the Chiefs for a 2021 compensatory draft pick. Kansas City sought an upgrade at Lucas’ spot on special teams, signing Antonio Hamilton on a one-year contract.

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Bears sign former Chiefs SS Jordan Lucas to 1-year deal

Just a couple of days after re-signing safety Deon Bush, the Bears have brought in some reinforcements in the secondary with Jordan Lucas.

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Just a couple of days after re-signing safety Deon Bush, the Bears have brought in some reinforcements in the secondary.

The Bears have signed former Chiefs strong safety Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal worth $1 million, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.

The #Bears signed SS Jordan Lucas to a 1-year deal worth $1M, as the former Chief has a new home.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 22, 2020

Lucas had seven tackles and one pass defensed in 14 regular-season games in 2019. He added one tackle in three postseason appearances. Lucas has also proven to be a valuable special teams contributor, which certainly gives him a better chance of making the Bears’ 53-man roster.

While Bush is believed to have the upper hand when it comes to landing the starting job opposite Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson, Lucas provides some depth at the position. Before today, Jackson and Bush were the only safeties under contract for Chicago. You also have to believe that the Bears will still look to target a safety in the NFL Draft next month.

More than anything, the Lucas signing is a clear indication that the plan is to move Jackson back to his natural free safety position, where he thrived in his first two seasons.

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Chiefs can re-sign 4 pending free agents without breaking the bank

These four players won’t be terribly expensive for the Kansas City Chiefs to re-sign.

The Kansas City Chiefs will have a lot of tricky roster decisions coming up over the next few weeks. As we approach the new league year in March, the 2020 90-man roster will begin to take shape. Brett Veach and the Kansas City front office will have the opportunity to bring a few players back without breaking the bank. Some of those players were contributors in the Super Bowl LIV run, while others had their seasons ended too soon. Here’s a look at four players the Chiefs can bring back inexpensively.

CB Keith Reaser

Reaser was previously with the Chiefs during the 2017 season. He had his big standout game during Patrick Mahomes’ debut against the Denver Broncos. Ahead of the 2018 season, Reaser suffered an injury and was waived with an injury designation.

Eventually, Reaser joined the fledgling Alliance of American Football league, where he proved himself on the Orlando Apollos. He had 12 tackles and three interceptions in eight weeks before the league shut down operations. After the AAF folded, the Chiefs signed Reaser to a one-year contract worth $820,000 for the 2019 season. Reaser suffered a torn Achilles during training camp practice and his season was over before he had a chance once again.

The Chiefs are set to lose Bashaud Breeland, Kendall Fuller and Morris Claiborne to free agency. Reaser has inside-outside versatility at the cornerback position, which will be valuable to the Chiefs in 2020. He also is a stud special teams player which he proved during his first stint in Kansas City. The Chiefs can bring him back on a prove-it deal assuming he makes a full recovery from injury.

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