The Chicago Bears made the biggest move of the trade season, which is a lot to say, considering that Quenton Nelson and Kirk Cousins also found new homes. Unfortunately, they didn't do anything else after acquiring Jeffery Simmons.
To be fair, it's not like Ben Johnson's team needed that much help. They're 7-2, have played winning football more often than not, and have shown that they can be competitive even when they're not at their best.
That said, they still need some help at cornerback. Considering that, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen should reach out to Marshon Lattimore, who's still a free agent and might have something left in the tank.
The Chicago Bears should host Marshon Lattimore for a workout
Lattimore played under Dennis Allen for years. Allen was his defensive coordinator from 2017 to 2021 before taking over for Sean Payton as head coach. The struggling Saints traded Lattimore to the Washington Commanders, and that was the beginning of his downfall.
Admittedly, his best days are far behind him, and there will always be some durability concerns with him, but it's not like the Bears have anything to lose here. They can host him for a workout and see where he's at.
Lattimore is a proven veteran who's already familiar with Allen's defensive system. He would be a plug-and-play addition for the final stretch of the regular season and the playoffs; they can even have him there and ramp him up slowly for a month before throwing him into the fire.
The Bears' defense has overachieved, and Simmons' addition obviously makes them a force to be reckoned with. Then again, Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have both been liabilities on the boundary, and adding some outside help might be just enough to motivate them and push them to take a leap forward.
Lattimore could also help mentor star rookie Malik Muhammad, who's missed the past couple of games with an injury but has looked like a draft steal for most of the season. This is a young team, but veterans also matter.
This looks like a no-brainer low-risk/high-reward situation. They clearly don't need Lattimore to be his old Pro-Bowl self, but he might give them just enough to elevate their floor and help hide some of the team's liabilities in coverage. And if it doesn't work out or if he's not in game shape, there's no long-term or big-money commitment.
There's no downside to this.
| More Bears on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google