Chicago Bears Predicted to Land CB Stephon Gilmore in Free Agency
Will talented cornerback Stephon Gilmore be a free agent target for the Chicago Bears this off season?
The Chicago Bears have a lot of cap space to work with this off season. According to Over the Cap, they have nearly $54 million under the cap to work with, and that is before the Bears make a decision on Jay Cutler. Whether the Bears move on from Cutler or not, they figure to be major players in free agency.
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While this roster has a lot of needs, the secondary stands out as one of the biggest. The Bears’ situation at both safety and cornerback is ugly. They will not be able to fix everything this off season, but they need to address their issues in the secondary in free agency and the 2017 NFL Draft.
Former NFL quarterback and current NFL Lead Analyst for Bleacher Report Chris Simms recently put together his landing spot predictions for the top free agents available this off season. Simms has the Chicago Bears signing talented free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Here is what he had to say about the fit.
"Aaron Rodgers two times a year.Matthew Stafford two times a year.Any questions about why Chicago’s pass defense needs an upgrade? Head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio are too proud to watch those two quarterbacks pick them apart again in 2017.They’ll attempt to leverage some of that projected $59 million in cap space to lure a cornerback to Chi-Town. Stephon Gilmore should be their guy; he’s scheme-diverse and veteran enough to understand all the coverages Fangio loves to run.He’s fast enough to cover the deep ball, too. In this division, that’s a big plus."
The Bears undoubtedly need help at the cornerback position. Kyle Fuller simply is not a reliable option. Tracy Porter is a decent veteran, but he is not a guy who is going to help them in the long-term. The Bears have some talented young guys (namely Deiondre’ Hall and Cre’von Leblanc), but their ability to contribute is mostly based on projection.
Landing Gilmore would give the Bears a true number one at the cornerback position. He is a strong man-to-man defender who would give them a legitimate chance against the top-tier receivers in the NFL.
Listed at 6-1, 190 pounds, Gilmore is a big and long cornerback who can compete against the freak athletes at the wide receiver position. Vic Fangio is known to love having size at the cornerback position. Gilmore certainly fits the bill.
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Gilmore is an aggressive corner who is not afraid to jump a route. They does tend to get him in trouble at times, but for the most part, his aggressiveness is a plus. His natural ability is impressive and Gilmore also shows impressive ball skills. He will go up and get it with the best of them.
The Chicago Bears could undoubtedly use a guy like Gilmore in their secondary. He is a tough and confident competitor who would bring some much-needed upside to a major position of need. The Bears have a strong defensive front seven, and with an improved secondary, could find themselves having a rock-solid defense.
Adding Gilmore to the mix would help the entire secondary. A starting pair of him and Porter is at least above average compared to other teams in the NFL, and together they would take a ton of pressure off of the Bears’ less impressive mix at safety.
The major concern here is price. Gilmore is believed to be looking for a contract that will make him paid as one of the top five cornerbacks in the NFL. That means paying him about $14 million per year. No matter how you look at it, that is a big risk.
That being said, Gilmore is talented enough to command that kind of pay-day. It would be a huge commitment by Ryan Pace and company, but like I said before, Gilmore would be an incredibly valuable piece for the Chicago Bears defense. Will they be willing to pay him that kind of dough? We will find out soon enough.
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Also of note as it relates to the Bears, Simms predicted wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to sign with the Tennessee Titans. Based on need and the players involved, a swap of Jeffery for Gilmore in free agency would be a win for the Bears. Obviously, it would be nice to see them get both high-level players.