NEWSLETTER
I’m digging the Bears’ signing Desmond Trufant as a player on a one-year “prove it” deal.
To be clear, I’ll miss Kyle Fuller. His steady play and consistency since 2017 helped solidify one of football’s best defensive backfields. But I think Trufant’s presence can provide some short-term stability at cornerback.
The addition reminds me a bit of the team’s signing of Prince Amukamara before the 2017 season. Trufant’s injury concerns are more pronounced than Amukamara’s. But at their core, each player’s signing represented a roll of the dice on an experienced defender whose play has been a strength when healthy.
With that in mind, Trufant can’t be the Bears’ only newcomer at cornerback this offseason. And while I wouldn’t venture to expect a splash signing, there are prudent ways to address the position. Let’s discuss two of them.
The Draft
If you twist my arm hard enough, you could convince me that taking a cornerback with the Bears’ first first-round pick since 2018 is the right thing to do. I want to be perfectly: I won’t go down easy. Not when the Bears have other needs. And certainly not when I might have other prospects at other positions higher on my board. But I need my arms to type, and Chicago needs cornerback help. So I’ll give in before I hit that pain threshold if push comes to shove.
There is a path in which Patrick Surtain II is the best player on the board when Chicago goes on the clock with the 20th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. If quarterbacks, offensive linemen, and offensive skill positions go off the board early and often within the first 15 picks, it’s possible that a player of Surtain’s ability falls down the draft board. And if Surtain is undeniably the best player on the board, then you take him — unless some team wants to knock your socks off with a trade offer. Considering the Bears’ needs throughout the roster, maybe Surtain falling to 20th would be a best-case scenario no matter how it’s sliced.
Beyond Surtain, there are a number of intriguing prospects who could be available in Round 2 and throughout the later rounds.
When they weren’t drooling over Rashawn Slater, the Bears’ brass could’ve been checking out Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II at the Evanston pro day. Shaun Wade (Ohio State) was supposed to be the Buckeyes’ next big stud corner, but inconsistency plagued his 2020 season. Washington’s Elijah Molden put a stamp on his season with a trip to the Senior Bow. Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr. is another prospect corner with NFL bloodlines who will be on draft radars this spring. There are options, to be sure.
Free Agency
Between the deals Fuller and Patrick Peterson signed, the Bears could bring on a starting caliber corner at a cost-efficient price that fits under the salary cap.
For instance, A.J. Bouye is a player the Bears had an interest in signing during a prior year’s free agency. He’s something of a reclamation project at this point. But one the Bears could trot out there in a competition for a starting job. Same for Casey Hayward, who is entering his age 32 season after a poor showing in 2020. But, again, because the Bears are likely to be looking to make a move that saves money, maybe they’ll roll the dice on a bounce back.
In the End…
Ultimately, I simply can’t shake the Bears’ inexperience at such an important position.
Thinking about the lack of experience gives me the shakes. Jaylon Johnson, Kindle Vildor, and Duke Shelley — Chicago’s top three returning cornerbacks — have a combined total of 16 career NFL starts among them. That’s the kind of factoid that might keep you up at night. Now, imagine how the Bears’ defensive coaches feel. Yikes! No wonder they were quick to move on Trufant. And even still, the inexperience could still keep you up at night if you allow it to linger.
But at least there is still time (and avenues) to address a position group that suddenly looks like a need.
