Even without Fangio, Bears dominant defense has staying power

Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com Philadelphia Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood fumbles on a 2 point conversion during the Bears loss to the Eagles 16-15 in the NFC wild card game Sunday, January 6, 2019 at Soldier Field in Chicago. — Steve LundyDespite coordinator Vic Fangio’s departure to become the Broncos' head coach, it’s impossible not to be optimistic about the future of the Bears’ defense.

Nickel CB Bryce Callahan and S Adrian Amos are the only two among the top 12 defenders who aren’t under contract for next season. But the cause for optimism goes much deeper than that because the defense has been built with an eye toward sustained success. Nine of those 12 players are under…