The Chicago Bears had a chance to trade for a big-name cornerback, but decided not to trade for Joey Porter Jr. Porter ended up being traded to the Cowboys for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Chicago Bears missed on Joey Porter Jr.
Now, the Bears might be regretting it, according to Ben Solak of ESPN. Solak feels that Porter was the Bears' chance to improve the secondary. Without adding him, he does not see it being good enough.
“I implored the Bears to trade for Joey Porter Jr. in this column last month,” wrote Solak. “He's a Cowboy now, and I'm not sure another corner of his caliber will reach the market. But this secondary (and larger defensive roster) makes it challenging -- if not impossible -- to stack the Bears up as a legitimate contender, even if Caleb Williams picks up where he left off on offense.”
The team is struggling at cornerback, without a doubt. Jaylon Johnson is playing his worst football at the worst time. Tyrique Stevenson is on the verge of being benched in a contract year, and the Bears are asking fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad to play both the slot and outside.
It is easy to see the room looking bleak, with no room for improvement. However, it is notable that the team could be getting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon this week. When healthy, Gordon has been one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL. The issue is that he played three games last year and has not been healthy this year.
If he comes back and plays as he used to when healthy, it will obviously give the Bears a huge secondary boost. Beyond that, Muhammad would no longer be shifting in and out of the slot. He would get to focus on the outside, which is where he played in college. The team would not have to bring in Stevenson anymore, because Muhammad would not be sliding into the slot.
So, the Bears could improve at one of the outside cornerback spots and in the slot. They would also be able to keep Cam Lewis as a depth safety, which should improve that room as well. The biggest need from there would be Jaylon Johnson. Johnson has been a disappointment, which has been a big surprise.
Perhaps it is the moving pieces around him. Perhaps he just needs a few weeks to get back on track. The Bears need him, and then they could look fine for passing on Porter.
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