A Chicago Bears personnel executive has thrown a little extra gasoline on the fire that is the Adrian Amos-Ha Ha Clinton-Dix debate.

Bears director of player personnel Josh Lucas explained that he believes adding Clinton-Dix, a former Packer, to replace Amos – who signed with the Packers in free agency – is an upgrade for the Bears based on the last four years of on-field grading.

“We’re not just saying this right now because he’s here and Amos in Green Bay. We have consistently graded Ha Ha as a better player than Amos for four years. We played against him twice a year. For that to happen, it really solidified the pro side of it,” Lucas said, via Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.

The comment is nothing if not candid. Personnel executives rarely publicly compare current and former players in such a direct way.

Amos, a fifth-round pick of the Bears in 2015, started 56 games in Chicago over the last four years. He signed a four-year deal with the Packers in March.

The Bears eventually signed Clinton-Dix to replace him. A first-round pick of the Packers in 2014, Clinton-Dix made a Pro Bowl in 2016 but steadily regressed over his final two seasons in Green Bay – leading GM Brian Gutekunst to deal him to Washington at the trade deadline last year. Despite giving up a fourth-round pick to acquire him, the Redskins weren’t able to match Chicago’s one-year offer to retain him.

The swap has added another layer to the Packers-Bears rivalry this offseason. It will be interesting to see who made the better choice; the Packers in adding a young, reliable safety at significant cost, or the Bears in snagging a talented but often unpredictable player on a one-year deal.

It’s possible both sides could win. Amos is exactly the kind of big-play preventer the Packers needed at safety in Mike Pettine’s defense, while Clinton-Dix could shine playing next to Eddie Jackson at the backend of the Bears’ talented defense.

Either way, both teams believe they’ve upgraded at safety this offseason. The 2019 season will reveal which team got the evaluation right.