It looks like the defense that finished in the top-10 in scoring and yards allowed is bringing back all four starters in the secondary. (Assuming the Bears will match any offer Kyle Fuller brings in, or extend hin.)
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports the Chicago Bears are re-signing cornerback Prince Amukamara, who will see a second season in the Windy City after making good on the one-year “prove it” deal he signed last offseason. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but it’s possible that a multi-year deal is in play. UPDATE: Some of the terms, which look good for Amukamara, though the guarantee will be less than this:
Source tells me Prince Amukamara's new deal with the Bears will be for three years and $27 million.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 14, 2018
And an update within the update – the guarantee is pretty sizable. Clearly the Bears did not want him to get away:
I was told the guarantee was in the $18 million range. https://t.co/SgzkSMQYHD
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 14, 2018
Amukamara missed the first two games of the season while dealing with an ankle injury suffered in the team’s third preseason game, but emerged as the kind of solid and dependable cornerback the team has been searching for since GM Ryan Pace arrived in Chicago. He started 14 games and played on 80.4 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Only Eddie Jackson, Kyle Fuller, and Akiem Hicks saw more playing time than Amukamara, who earned an 81.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, and ranked as the 41st best cornerback among the 121 qualifiers.
Teams were hesitant to challenge Amukamara in 2017 and he hasn’t come away with an interception since 2015. However, Amukamara’s coverage skills were better than average, and he was a willing, able, and productive run defender. Bringing back a well-rounded cornerback to team with Kyle Fuller, on whom the Bears placed the transition tag on last week, seems like a good plan in the Bears’ efforts to maintain continuity for a defense with its arrow pointing up.
The Bears have been active in free agency on Tuesday, with most of the heavy lifting coming on the offensive side of the ball, with two new receivers and a tight end. But it was only a matter of time before Pace and the front office turned their attention to the defensive side of the ball.