Buffalo Bills CB Stephon Gilmore is expected to land in Chicago this off-season.
The Bears desperately need a defensive back, hell a couple of them would be ideal. After finishing tied for
second-to-last in the league in interceptions and limping to an embarrassing 3-13 record, Chicago finds themselves in the most important off-season of recent memory.
With roughly
$53 million in cap space and more expected to be free up with the departure of
Jay Cutler, and possibly
Alshon Jeffery, the Bears are in a position to spend. Luckily for them there are
several intriguing young defensive backs expected to be on the free agent market this year. Specifically, cornerbacks.
The 27-year old Trumaine Johnson leads the list with his 2016 pay nearing almost $14 million. Other interesting players include
Morris Claiborne, the sixth overall pick in 2012, and
Dre Kirkpatrick who was 17th overall in that same draft. Another note worthy name is
Prince Amukamara, he was taken 19th overall by the Giants in 2011. All of these players have high potential but seemingly haven't been able to reach their full stride in the pros.
Another cornerback, who also has high potential and has already displayed it several times in the NFL, was recently selected as the next big free agent for the
Chicago Bears ... his name is Stephon Gilmore.
In a
recent article by Chris Simms, NFL Lead Analyst for Bleacher Report, he predicted Gilmore would be the perfect fit in Chicago and expects the Bears to pursue him heavily.
Any questions about why Chicago's pass defense needs an upgrade? Head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio are too proud to watch those two quarterbacks pick them apart again in 2017.
They'll attempt to leverage some of that projected $59 million in cap space to lure a cornerback to Chi-Town. Stephon Gilmore should be their guy; he's scheme-diverse and veteran enough to understand all the coverages Fangio loves to run.
He's fast enough to cover the deep ball, too. In this division, that's a big plus.
Gilmore was also selected in that infamous 2012 draft, he went 10th to Buffalo. That year Chicago chose 19th and selected Super Bowl Champion Shea McClellin (insert eye roll here).
Many analysts had them connected to the young corner from South Carolina.
The thing that makes Gilmore different from the rest of the free agent corners is his NFL experience. He has a few solid years of tape playing as a true #1 cornerback, however 2016 was rough. Not only was the head coach of his team fired, but Gilmore took a big step back and looked lost out on the field at times. Many analysts have agreed that he appeared to lack mental focus, something that could be easily fixed with a new home.
With 197 tackles and 14 interceptions in just 68 games, it's clear Gilmore has all the physical tools to be an elite player. And ... it looks like Ryan Pace will have an opportunity to bring him to Chicago and pair him with Fangio.
Sounds like a match made in heaven. Stay tuned.
