I feel better about the Bears today, Wednesday, than I did this time on Tuesday. Chris Harris isn't perfect (far from it), but at least I know what he does. Is Major Wright and Al Afalava half the secondary you want next season? How much would you expect from those two, if they started on Week 1?

My answers: No and no idea. Wright was the 75th overall pick in the draft; expectations have to be adjusted accordingly. And since Afalava (a sixth-round pick) played better than a sixth-rounder, some Bears fans got excited about his potential. However, starting the season with those two would make me, just a simple Bears fan, nervous; and I can only imagine how it would feel to rest my job on their ability to cover the deep middle. Jerry Angelo is doing a lot of hiring and firing in the the scouting department underneath him; it would all be for naught, if the Bears -- and the secondary is a big part of that -- doesn't play better.

With Harris, we know what we're getting. And he's probably the Bears' best safety, right now. It's encouraging that basically everone has the same assessment of Harris. Despite some flaws, there shouldn't be any surprises.

Even back in the good ol' days of 2005, Harris has been consistent. In 2005, the Bears were headed to the playoffs and Harris was a rookie. Football Outsiders broke down the Bears defense, and they had a lot of good things to say about him. They complimented his way to play near the line of scrimmage and get off blocks.

FO also said the best thing about Harris' role in the pass defense is that you don't notice him; however, because he lacks ideal speed, they were concerned with his skills against the deep ball.
FO's Michael David Smith wrote: "Harris especially shines in the red zone, where he can concentrate on what's in front of him and not worry about being beaten deep."

Years later, Harris is the same guy (ESPN Insiders only). Harris is still a big hitter, a smart player who knows where to be, but someone who isn't the quickest or the fastest.

Compared to Danieal Manning, and some of the high-end athletes that can't figure out Cover-2 or deep middle, I'll take someone being in the right place for a change. Even if he's not there as quickly as others.

Plus, at least, I know what to expect.