The retention of Kyle Fuller was a foregone conclusion for the
Chicago Bears brass. He'd earned a new deal and there was no way Ryan Pace was letting him go to the Packers. However, the somewhat anticlimactic signing that shortly followed that move was the new three-year deal for fellow cornerback Prince Amukamara. People weren't entirely upset with the decision. Amukamara had played solid throughout most of 2017. It's just that handing $9 million a year to a 29-year old who didn't have an interception?
It feels like the Bears could've done a little better had they tried. Well, as it turns out they did. A few weeks back the Tennessee Titans made a big free agency splash when they secured former Pro Bowl cornerback Malcolm Butler. It wasn't a huge surprise. The team is run by a GM-coach combination with deep ties to the Patriots. That familiarity and $12.2 million per year made it an easy decision for him.
However, it's not like they didn't have competition for his services. The biggest threat according to Sports Illustrated was none other than the Bears.
Chicago Bears brass tried to swipe Malcolm Butler
This is quite the revelation and explains why it took longer than normal for the Bears to lock up Amukamara who insisted his desire was a return to Chicago and nowhere else. It's clear now Pace wanted to see if he could land a guy with a Pro Bowl and two rings who is a year younger. Not bad thinking. Sadly, like previous attempts by Pace to get a top corner in free agency, he didn't bring enough cash.
In 2016 he made a play for Janoris Jenkins but was outbid by the New York Giants. Last year he tried to get Stephon Gilmore but was undercut by the Patriots. To be fair he made the highest bid for A.J. Bouye that same year but Bouye preferred Jacksonville. Now he got outbid by the Titans for Butler. Some guys can't even buy a break.
That said one must applaud Pace for his persistence. He made a strong effort to upgrade the Bears secondary. It didn't quite work out but he still managed to keep it as strong as it was last year. That's was a smart GM does. Maintain the status quo while always seeking upgrades when they're available. Still, it would've been interesting to see what a Fuller-Butler combination could've done on the back end of that defense this year.
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