Chicago Bears: Marcus Cooper Gives Team Much-Needed Playmaker at Cornerback
The Chicago Bears have signed free agent cornerback Marcus Cooper to a three-year contract. Signing Cooper was a smart and necessary move by the organization.
Entering the off season, the secondary was arguably the biggest need for the Chicago Bears. Their situations at both cornerback and safety left plenty to be desired. The Bears have not fixed everything in their defensive backfield, but they have a nice job of adding talent to both positions.
Early in free agency, the Bears signed safety Quintin Demps and cornerback Prince Amukamara. Both Demps and Amukamara are solid veteran players who solidify the Bears secondary. They do not bring a ton of upside or long-term value, but both Demps and Amukamara are immediate upgrades over what they had.
On Saturday, the Bears continued to add to their secondary mix, signing cornerback Marcus Cooper from the Arizona Cardinals to a three-year deal. If Demps and Amukamara bring the stability, Cooper is the high-upside add.
Cooper spent last season with the Cardinals, after playing with the Kansas City Chiefs for the previous three years. He was always a talented, but inconsistent cornerback in Kansas City, but really put his game together with the Cardinals last season.
Cooper was a fantastic cover corner on the outside for the Cardinals. He showed incredible natural man-to-man skills and came away with four interceptions on the season. Cooper was even named a Pro Bowl alternate.
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The Bears take a shot on Cooper after only one season of major production. There is certainly some risk in this move, but there is a lot to like here as well.
Cooper is listed at 6-2, 192 pounds, which gives him ideal size for the cornerback position. Even more importantly, Cooper has extremely long arms which allow him to make plays on the ball from odd angles and get great extension on his initial punch.
He had a ton of success with the Cardinals last season who were able to take his raw talent and show him how to be a good football player. Can John Fox, Vic Fangio and the Bears coaching staff do the same? I would bet that they will.
Fangio loves having size and athleticism at the cornerback position and Cooper certainly has those traits. He showed impressive press coverage skills in Arizona last season and that is undoubtedly what the Bears are looking at here. In their 3-4 defense, the Bears love to beat up receivers at the line of scrimmage. Cooper has strong press coverage skills that will undoubtedly come into play.
I like this move a lot for the Chicago Bears. In Cooper, they find a cornerback who can not only help them in 2017 but also in the long-term. Prior to signing Cooper, the Bears top two cornerbacks were Amukamara and Tracy Porter.
Next: Remaining Free Agents Bears Should Target
Both are rock solid number two corners, but neither have the upside to be a number one. Cooper may not end up being that guy, but he certainly has number one cornerback upside. This is a fantastic high-upside signing at a major position of need for the Bears here.