Should the Chicago Bears steer clear of Trumaine Johnson in free agency?

The Los Angeles Rams are officially moving on from cornerback Trumaine Johnson after revamping their secondary. Should the Chicago Bears pursue him now that he’s hitting the market?

The Rams are having themselves a day.

First, they signed former Green Bay Packers and current free agent cornerback Sam Shields who was intent on making his comeback. Following up that move, the Rams agreed to deal for five-time Pro Bowl corner Aqib Talib.

The Denver Broncos dealt Talib to the Rams for a fifth round pick.

What does this mean for the Bears? Well, for one, they now have an option to pursue one of the biggest names in all of free agency — cornerback Trumaine Johnson. But, as big as his name is, should Ryan Pace really go all out in effort to sign the seventh-year pro?

While some of you may have heard all about the big play ability from Johnson, Pro Football Focus had him ranked as their 68th overall cornerback for the 2017 season. For the record, there are 32 teams in the NFL. Each team starts two corners on the outside, plus an additional corner in the slot at times. You do the math.

One huge reason the Bears may use caution in regards to pursuing Johnson is due to the gambles he takes. Because he is such a ball hawk, he takes a lot of risks — kind of like Marcus Peters, interestingly enough, although Peters is a better tackler.

Also according to Pro Football Focus, Johnson has missed an astonishing 50 tackles since entering the pros. That’s a very, very large number — good for fifth-most during that time span.

To be fair, Johnson does have the fifth-most interceptions in all of football since his rookie year. So, if the big plays are worth it to Pace, then I suppose he makes an offer.

While some aren’t too crazy about the idea of signing Johnson, I don’t mind it — for the right price. However, there are sources out there reporting he may wind up with the San Francisco 49ers and I highly doubt it will be for a cheap deal.

Now, look, we’ve all been surprised before when it comes to free agency. It could seem as though a player is set to sign somewhere, and last minute he ends up in a totally different spot. So, don’t count on Johnson to the 49ers — or even the Oakland Raiders — just yet.

Must Read: Ranking Top WR Targets

For Pace, the bottom line is this: Is he worth the risk? That’s the question he and his staff will have to answer through a lot of thought and research.