In what can only be described as a strain in the groin, the Chicago Bears’ cornerback depth is getting thinner by the week.
What looked like a true strength to enter the season, the Bears’ CB room may have
been top 3 in the league.
- CB1: Jaylon Johnson – Pro Bowler and All Pro. Enough said.
- CB2: Tyrique Stevenson – young, talented, and meteoric. He was showing vast improvement to start the season.
- NB: Kyler Gordon – one of the most underrated and versatile defensive pieces in the league. He is as good at tackling behind the LOS as he is covering a ball deep.
- Immediate CB Depth: Nashon Wright, Terrell Smith, and Nick McCloud – three fantastic players to have as backups, each with starting level traits.
- Deep CB Depth: Josh Blackwell (re-signed right before start of season), Jaylon Jones, Zah Frazier – all young and capable of growth and helping out in a pinch.
That is nine players that you could stack up against any other team’s best nine and feel like you come out on top. However, those nine have been whittled down to four.
Terrell Smith had a season ending injury in the preseason. Jaylon Johnson had surgery after a week 1 injury to help with a persisting issue he had in training camp. Zah Frazier is sitting out this season while he deals with personal issues. Kyler Gordon has played all of 2 games as he battles a persistent groin injury. Now Tyrique Stevenson will be sitting out against Baltimore with a hurt shoulder.
That’s the Bears’ top 3 CBs, their best backup, and a young depth piece all out for this week (and some into the future). What was once viewed as a strength, is now possibly a liability.
So where does that leave us? If the Bears made no subsequent moves, this is how I’d picture them entering Sunday’s matchup against the Ravens:
- CB1: Nashon Wright – Wright has been up and down, but has largely been important while stepping in for an injured Jaylon Johnson.
- CB2: Jaylon Jones – Jones has been a solid player for the Bears starting 5 games across three seasons.
- NB: Nick McCloud – McCloud has filled in for Kyler Gordon and has had an uneven performance so far.
- Depth: Josh Blackwell – Blackwell has mostly played Nickel during his career, but may need to be flexible in case of emergency.
Four players isn’t enough to have when going up against the likes of Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman. So what should the Bears do?
Should the Bears add another CB via trade, free agency, or call up one of their practice squad players?
It may seem obvious at first to just sign whoever is available off of the street – but a glance at the list isn’t inspiring:
- Asante Samuel Jr. – Good and young, but recovering from a bad injury.
- James Bradberry – See above, except for the young part.
- Corey Ballentine and Kevin King – Not good enough for Green Bay, not good enough for us.
- Stephon Gilmore – Old and picky, but might be the best option in FA.
How about the practice squad?
- Dallis Flowers – Flowers is a 28 year old CB with 24 career games played and 5 games started. He has 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR, 39 tackles, and 2 TFLs in his career.
- Dontae Manning – Manning is a rookie UDFA with an elite last name. Besides that he had two INTs in college and can do flips like Kyler Gordon.
Who are some reasonable trade targets for the Bears?
- Titans CB Roger McCreary – The 25 year old has had a solid season with Tennessee and has recorded an INT and 2 PDs. McCreary could likely be had for a mid-round pick.
- Jets CB Michael Carter II – At 26 years old, Carter has 2 career INTs, and 26 career PDs. Carter could likely be had for a late round pick.
- Seahawks CB Riq Woolen – The biggest name on this list is Woolen who, while having a down year was previously a Pro Bowler in his rookie season. After early season rumblings about his availability he could be a target for a CB needy team. I would suspect he would be had for a 3rd round pick.
What would I do? At this point, I am not eager to spend draft capital on the position, given that Stevenson and Gordon might only be out for one more game. However, those injuries do heighten my concern. So I would do the following:
- Call Stephon Gilmore and
- See if he is in shape.
- See if he wants to compete with the Bears.
- See if he is willing to play for cheap (less than $2 million)
- If Gilmore is not an option, I would call up Flowers as extra depth. He has been a solid pro in his career to this point and would likely fill in nicely for a game or two.
But hey, if the Bears can get a guy like Woolen or McCreary cheaply, I’d absolutely consider that too.
Now it’s your turn! How do you think the Bears should address the CB position? Sound off in the comments!
