Bears hope Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker can bring out the best in each other

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Bears veteran safety Kevin Byard was waiting in coverage as a pass from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams came his way in an offseason practice recently.

Byard stopped in his tracks, hauled in the football for an interception, turned the corner to his left and ran toward the end zone as members of the Bears defense followed behind him. It was a glimpse at the type of game-changing play that Byard has produced over the course of his eight-year NFL career – and exactly what the Bears hope he can bring to their budding defense .

With a void at safety in early March and strong options available on the open market, the Bears wasted little time in making their move. They signed Byard to a two-year deal before free agency had even begun, as Byard was available to sign immediately because he had been released by the Eagles.

Since Byard joined the Bears, they've been forming plans to maximize his effectiveness alongside third-year safety Jaquan Brisker. It seems that may include having Byard and Brisker play interchangeable safety roles at times in the secondary.

“That's what the league is now,” Byard said. “You want guys to be versatile. And I think it's a lot for just for quarterbacks and things like that. Like, as you watch film, teams are looking for any type of keys or clues to tell what type of defense these guys are going to run. So, we don't want to be able to give that away. We want to be able to be versatile and try to make it hard for offenses.”

Byard, 30, is a two-time All-Pro who played seven-and-a-half seasons for the Titans before being traded to the Eagles last October. It was soon clear that Philadelphia would be a short-term landing spot.

Byard signed with the Bears hoping to prove that he can still be a premier player in the NFL. He has four or more interceptions in five of his eight seasons, including eight picks during a stellar 2017 campaign.

Brisker, who turned 25 in April, has proved himself as a stout presence in the box in his first two NFL seasons. He has 209 tackles over 30 games his first two years in the league. Brisker also has a pair of interceptions to his name.

Brisker is eager to showcase his top form alongside Byard this season.

"I feel like the Bears haven't gotten the best version of me yet,” Brisker said. “I feel like it's going to happen this year. Just having me move left and right, but having both of us move left and right, is going to be good for the both of us. We get the best of both worlds, which is good. It's going to show a lot of what I can do in the back end at free safety, my range. Obviously, you guys see it out there, but you're going to see it more this year. My range, how I can make more plays on the ball. The box, that's the easy part."

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .