When discussing the best safeties in the NFL, Bears safety Eddie Jackson is a name that should always be in the conversation.
bearswire.usatoday.com
This article reads, "It’s no secret that Jackson saw a dip in production last season.
But that was due more to the Bears moving him to strong safety, where he wasn’t able to roam centerfield and make the kind of game-changing plays that had become expected after his first two seasons."
I certainly never heard "Pagano moved him SS". Rather I thought I heard it indicated they both (Dix/Jackson) played Safety without specific roles of FS/SS. This article reveals Jackson played more of a FS 51% of the time. Article makes it sound like he was moved to SS, not that he received more Box reps.
No defensive player has more touchdowns than the five totaled by Eddie Jackson since 2016. Quick reminder: Jackson entered the NFL in 2017. That fact remains true even as Jackson not only is without a touchdown in 2019, but is without an interception or fumble recovery 11 games into the season...
www.nbcsports.com
Per Pro Football Focus, here are Jackson’s snap percentages as an in-the-box safety vs. as a free safety in his career:
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
Box | 26% | 17% | 29% |
FS | 62% | 72% | 51% |
Sure, Jackson is better used in the FS role. But being an offense can steer away from Jackson, it's good for the team if Jackson learns how to play in the box too. Still, we hope Jackson plays the FS role a lot more this year.