Safety Concern for the Chicago Bears—Pun Intended!

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

• Danieal Manning: Drafted by the Bears to be in the defensive backfield, Manning has looked lost when playing free safety and what is worse, he hasn't gotten any better since we started playing him there. How can I be so sure? Let me prove it.       
  
  Super Bowl Sunday. Bears vs Colts. Bears are winning. Danieal is put in it free safety for a couple plays and gets burned for a long touchdown after letting Reggie Wayne run right past him. I don't know if he thought there was someone behind him or what, but it was ugly.
  
  Fast forward to the final game of this past season against the Texans. Second quarter. Manning lets Andre Johnson run right past him and then make a catch without any Bear being within 15 yards of him. Same play was run, same action taken by Manning, same result, but two full seasons apart.

Either move him to nickle/kick returner or shoot me now... PERIOD.

• Craig Steltz: Took over for brief periods when Mike Brown went down with a couple injuries. He made a nice interception at the goal line against the Lions (I know, they lost every game, but an INT is an INT) and showed some flashes.
  
  But in his brief time, he made me cringe every time he tried tackling someone in the open field. I mean, he could not wrap up and bring a guy down if his life depended on it. Steltz was literally run over at one point by the Vikings Adrian Peterson.
  
  I know Peterson is a beast, but anytime a running back trucks you and leaves tire tracks, you have to know you are doing something wrong. 

• Al Afalava: A sixth round pick out of Oregon St., Afalava is known for his hitting more than his coverage skills (If you youtube him, there is a great video of him leveling some guy from Oregon).
  
  But, of course, he also has trouble finishing tackles in the open field.  If he makes the team, which I believe is a long shot, Afalava will be joining up with fellow Hawaiian boy, Olin Kruetz.

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