Ex-Bears Safety Becomes Second Former Starter Cut This Week

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix had a solid season playing alongside a top five Chicago Bears defense in 2019. Clinton-Dix signed a one-year deal for $4 million with $2.5 million guaranteed with the Dallas Cowboys in March, and he was expected to compete for the starting spot at safety. Instead, he was released Thursday in a move that surprised many.

Clinton-Dix became the second player who started on defense for the Bears in 2019 to get released early this offseason after signing with a new team. The Las Vegas Raiders also released veteran defensive back Prince Amukamara in a move that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Clinton-Dix started all 16 games for the Bears last year, while Amukamara started 15 games each of the past two seasons with Chicago. The Bears could currently use some depth in their secondary, and naturally, Twitter began calling for a few defensive reunions.

Follow the Heavy on Bears Facebook page, where you can weigh in on all the latest Bears-related breaking news, rumors, content and more!

---

Should Bears Try to Add Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for Depth?

The Bears signed safety Tashaun Gipson to replace Clinton-Dix this offseason, and he and Deon Bush have been competing for the starting slot opposite All-Pro Eddie Jackson. No starter has been named, but many fans and analysts have already encouraged the Bears to try to re-sign Clinton-Dix to be a backup/plug-and-play guy in the secondary. Clearly, he’s no longer starter material, but he’s a savvy veteran who had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries playing on a defense loaded with play-makers. It may not be a bad idea, depth-wise.

He already knows the defense and the personnel, and he has no major injuries (that we know about, anyway). If he comes in for a tryout and looks healthy, why wouldn’t the Bears bring him in during a season where depth means more than ever? Clinton-Dix had a decent season in Chicago last year; the entire defense regressed, but he was a capable role-player.

---

Should Bears Flirt With Bringing Prince Amukamara Back?

After the Raiders released veteran corner Amukamara, fans and Bears beat writers alike made a similar call: go shake the tree and see if he’s worth re-signing. Amukamara would no longer start; rookie corner Jaylon Johnson and Kevin Toliver have been competing for the starting spot, and one of the two will likely be out there Week 1. But after Artie Burns went down for the season with a torn ACL, Chicago’s secondary became a bit more thin. Bringing in a familiar face on the cheap wouldn’t be the worst idea, would it?

Amukamara’s play definitely fell off last year, but he is well-liked in that Bears locker room, and he could be an invaluable veteran presence for the likes of Johnson. Plus, he still had his moments in 2019:

READ NEXT: Bears HC Matt Nagy Literally Gets a Feel for TE Cole Kmet’s Strength: [WATCH]

0 Comments