Previewing the Chicago Bears cornerbacks for 2017

Let’s take a look at the evolving cornerback position for the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2017 season.

With their first preseason game in the books, the Chicago Bears will continue their quest to build the best possible football team for the 2017 regular season. We at Da Windy City are taking a look at who might be on the final 53-man roster when the season starts on Sunday, September 10.

We’ve previewed the whole offense and the front seven of the defense to this point. Now, we’re going to check out the future of secondary, starting with the cornerbacks.

Corners for Hire: Amukamara and Cooper

Heading into free agency, fans and sources around the league anticipated the Chicago Bears making a run at top free agent cornerbacks like Stephon Gilmore or A.J. Bouye. On one hand, such a move aimed to shore up a position ravaged by injury and lack of significant depth in 2016. And perhaps more than that, the Bears simply needed better starting cornerbacks than Tracy Porter and even a healthy Kyle Fuller.

So when the Bears passed on the big names and ended up with Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper instead, it was widely viewed as a failure by Ryan Pace.

After all, Amukamara has struggled with injury issues since coming into the league with the New York Giants. If he hadn’t, he very likely might still be playing there. And Cooper, though a Pro Bowl alternate, got picked on a lot opposite Patrick Peterson, leading to some unflattering numbers.

But the Bears felt comfortable enough with their evaluations to think that they’d be worthwhile pickups. And so far, it’s fair to think that they’ve made the cornerback room much better already.

Don’t expect Amukamara and Cooper to both make the Pro Bowl like Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings did in 2012. That said, they’ll upgrade the cornerback position, and the entire defense, if they just play within themselves.

Who Survives?

Furthermore, in signing both Amukamara and Cooper, the Bears set in motion some fierce competition within the cornerback room. Assuming that six cornerbacks will end up on the roster as per usual, who’s going to join the top two?

In this regard, many eyes are straining toward 2014 first-round pick Kyle Fuller and his return from a season-ending knee injury last season. He’s already at a disadvantage in not being a Ryan Pace-regime player and not fitting the press-man coverage schemes Vic Fangio favors. But his pedigree and athleticism have afforded him one last chance to prove himself.

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And he’ll need to because there are a lot of other young corners jockeying for position in the cornerback room too.

Bryce Callahan and Cre’Von LeBlanc, while dueling for the starting nickel spot, have the capability to play outside in a pinch. And the young Deiondre’ Hall, though primarily at safety, has the versatility to play corner if he isn’t one of the better safeties on the team. And don’t forget about lesser heralded guys like Sherrick McManis and Johnthan Banks. McManis is a valued special teams ace who was named a Pro Bowl alternate last year. Banks, meanwhile, could battle for snaps on the outside as a backup.

And don’t forget about lesser heralded guys like Sherrick McManis and Johnthan Banks. McManis is a valued special teams ace who was named a Pro Bowl alternate last year. Banks, meanwhile, could battle for snaps on the outside as a backup.

Aside from the starters, none of these players is a lock to make the team. And it’s quite likely that this will be a dogfight that lasts until the very last day of cuts.

Final Thoughts

Just from a health standpoint, the Chicago Bears are better off even at this point than they were last year. As such, the team can hopefully afford to let this “healthy” competition run its course and end up with a solid group rather than being forced to play unproven rookies like De’Vante Bausby and Jacoby Glenn.

Next: Defensive grades for the Bears' first preseason game

Whether or not the made the free agency splashes fans wanted, the Bears did improve this offseason at cornerback. Sure, saying that being average is better than being bad isn’t saying much. But the Bears corners don’t need to be great to succeed in this defense, especially if the front seven plays the way it can. They just have to make the plays that come to them and create opportunities for turnovers when they can. Unspectacular, but effective.

That kind of play would be enough to help the Chicago Bears become a top-ten defense again.

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