Chris Conte is the projected Bears starter at Safety - and that is a big problem

When Bears GM Phil Emery signed veteran safeties Adrian Wilson and M.D. Jennings to short-term deals, and when Chicago drafted young safety Brock Vereen, I was very satisfied. In fact, I was very joyous. I was not joyous because I expected Wilson or Jennings to become elite safeties - I was joyous because I thought that one of them would replace arguably the worst safety in Bears history - Chris Conte. Now, in case you didn't know, Chris Conte is flat out awful. He blows coverage, takes terrible angles to the football, and can't be paid to make a tackle.

Remember this, Bears fans? Yeah, this one still hurts.

Week 17 - Packers 33, Bears 28 - Aaron Rodgers hits Randall Cobb with 38 seconds to go to send the Packers to the playoffs in the winner-take-all game against the Bears. Randall Cobb was as wide open as possible to make the catch. Zack Bowman, who was guarding another receiver, catches Cobb, but it's to late.

How did Randall Cobb get so open in this 4th and 8 play that still stings the hearts of us Bears fans since Sunday, December 29, 2013? (Yes, I actually remember the date. I was on a cruise at this time with my family, watching the game, watching 4th down and 8 with 38 seconds to go.) Okay, back to the question.

How the heck did Randall Cobb get this open?

Bears safety Chris Conte (#47) decided to play zone coverage while everyone else played man.

What happened in Week 11? (Redskins 45, Bears 41)

Cornerback Charles Tillman is covering Redskins receiver Aldrick Robinson while expecting Chris Conte to have the deep zone covered. Tillman keeps a large cushion, but Conte incidentally bumps Robinson and falls down. The receiver has the balance and focus to stay in the play, and Robert Griffin III delivers a ball just out of Tillman’s reach.

In other words, Conte decides to fall down while the Redskins score. See the guy on the ground in the corner of the end zone as Robinson catches the ball? Yeah, the dude on the ground is Conte.

Let's look at another Chris Conte mistake that gives the Redskins an easy touchdown.

Notice how late Conte is to the ball. By the time he registers that the pass is coming to Washington tight end Jordan Reed in the corner of the end zone, Griffin has already made the pass, and Conte is left in the dust. The delayed Conte reaction caused me to start shaking my head and slamming my fist on the wall.

Let's look at another Conte mistake against the Packers (a different game this time).

Look at  the bottom of the GIF. You see Jermichael Finley for the Packers (#88) and Chris Conte (#47). Look at the blown coverage by Conte leaving Finely wide open for Rodgers. These mental mistakes and terrible angles to the receiver and to the football are things I'm constantly seeing from Conte. Game after game, Conte makes these awful mistakes that end up costing the Bears in the end. Look at Week 17 against the Packers. And all these other GIFs. 

Classic Conte. Way late to the ball. Rodgers had his receiver wide open because Cotne was doing who knows what out there instead of covering a receiver.

I think it's pretty established that Chris Conte takes terrible angles to the ball and is the king of blown coverage. 

Now let's talk about Conte's failure to tackle. Chris had numerous missed tackles last season, not something a starting NFL safety should be doing on a game-by-game basis.

Look at this:

Chris Conte is in a position to tackle the Packers' Randall Cobb in the open field.

Here's what he does instead:

Oops.

Now watch Conte here in a game against the Lions. Not only does Conte miss the tackle, allowing the Lions' running back to gain extra yardage, but he completely falls over. Conte is the only guy that touches Reggie Bush in the picture. Notice how I said "touches", not "tackles", "hits", or even "delays". 

How do you think Conte will fare against this Adrian Peterson guy and his stiff arm? Not so well, I'm afraid.

Watch Peterson (#28 in purple) absolutely destroy Conte wtih a sick stiff arm (#47 in white). 

If you want a better look at that, here you go.

At this point, Chris is officially done. AP > Conte. Who knew?

Conte also can't make an interception for his life. Even when the ball comes right to him, Conte still lets the ball go through his hands. Remember the Week 17 game against the Packers when Conte let an interception go right through his hands? The ball went to Packers wideout Sam Quarless, and that ended up being a big completion that led to a Packer touchdown drive. If Conte makes the interception, the Bears win the game, win the division, and make the playoffs. Instead, Conte does this.

I mean, 47 in blue has the ball coming right to his hands. Instead, he opens up his arms, misreads the ball, and the Rodgers pass goes through the open, outstretched arms of Conte, and the ball goes right to Sam Quarless (#81 in white and that gawky yellow color).

So let's look at the four facts we've established about Chris Conte.

1. He blows coverage, allowing for opponents to constantly complete long passes against the Bears secondary.
2. He takes terrible angles to the ball, creating missed tackles and (again), allowing for opponents to constantly complete long passes against the Bears secondary.
3. He can't make a tackle for his life. Conte is the king of missed tackles.
4. He can't record an interception for his life either. Even when the ball comes literally right to him, he STILL lets the other team get the ball.

Now, please, don't get the wrong idea. This post is not meant to bash Chris Conte. It's meant to show that the Bears have absolutely no depth at the safety position. If out of all the people in the world, the best possible Bears starting FS is Chris Conte, THAT is a problem. Some people think Conte would be a formidable backup safety. I think he shouldn't be on an NFL roster.

Seriously, where is the depth? We're cutting safeties as if we are deep there, when, in reality, SAFETY IS OUR WEAKEST POSITION. If you don't believe me, then refer back to the GIF and all of the other GIFs following. We need to get deep at safety, or it's going to be another long year for Mel Tucker and his secondary.