Chicago Bears: Crucial, updated offseason storylines to watch closely
By Usayd Koshul
4. Competiton at cornerback
When the Bears added Tre Roberson and Artie Burns in free agency, many thought that they would be done adding to cornerback. Then came in the NFL Draft and the Bears spent a second-round pick on Jaylon Johnson.
Right now, many expect the Bears to have three starting cornerbacks in 2020: Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine, and Johnson. The real competition will occur when the Bears are looking for depth. Besides Roberson and Burns, the Bears also have 2019 sixth-round pick Duke Shelley and Kevin Toliver.
Between Burns, Toliver, and Shelley, Burns has the most starting experience with a total of 32 starts over a four-year period when he was with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He should be considered a lock to make the Bears roster because he can certainly contribute on special teams and continue to mentor guys like Johnson who are the future of the Bears defense.
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If Shelley makes the roster, he’s likely doing so as a slot cornerback that still needs some time to develop before he can take over for Skrine, who’s due $6.1 million dollars in 2020 and then is signed through the end of the 2021 season because his contract will void on February 22nd, 2022.