The Chicago Bears will have a plethora of young cornerbacks to choose from in free agency this year leaving absolutely no reason why fans shouldn't see a huge upgrade at the position.
With the whole world on their knees for Aaron Rodgers, Bears fans are looking at the fact that he's only 33 years-old and likely to play at least another five years. If Chicago is going to have any shot at winning the division, consistently, they will need to fill the gaping holes at defensive back. Specifically, the cornerback position.
Since the retirement of Charles Tillman the Bears have lacked a dominating presence at corner, to say the least. Tracy Porter has shown some flashes, but he's getting old fast. Kyle Fuller went from a first-round talent to a cut candidate. Bryce Callahan, an emerging nickelback, has failed to be on the field consistently. Cre'von LeBlanc showed potential by leading the group with the 59th best cornerback grade on Pro Football Focus, but if your top-graded player is 59th there are issues. Especially when Rodgers and Matthew Stafford are in your division and only one team in the entire league finished with less interceptions than you last season.
Each rookie defensive back selected by Ryan Pace last season got a chance to play this year as well. The group of three was highlighted by Deiondre' Hall, a long-corner out of Northern Iowa. The highest graded player in the group ended up being the lowest draft pick, DeAndre Houston-Carson. He received a whopping 64.6 from PFF which is considered "below average." The other two finished with "poor" grades. Not that surprising when looking at their fourth-round or lower draft selections.
In addition to safety, if the cornerback position was upgraded for next year it would really make the front seven shine. With Pro Bowl level talent on the defensive line and in the linebacking corps, the Bears defense could return to greatness if they had a shutdown corner paired with a new young safety. Selecting a safety at #3 is a huge possibility and adding a shutdown corner in free agency is also quite intriguing considering the young group of talent. Here are five free agent corners you could see wearing orange and navy next season.
#5. Prince Amukamara JAX
After getting a one-year deal worth over $5 million, Amukamara didn't intercept a single pass for the Jaguars. He was the third highest paid corner in the free agent pool after coming off a couple good years in New York where he had a total of 21 pass deflections and four interceptions in '14 and '15. Amukamara is only 27 years-old and the overall horrid play of Jacksonville's team last season could be a reason for his decline. A change of scenery could suit him well, especially a destination in the NFC because he knows the receivers well after spending five years with the Giants. The drop off in his play should also allow for a nice discount.
#4. Morris Claiborne DAL
A cut candidate for Dallas last season, Claiborne played in just seven games this season. Those games were played at a high level but he's has only four interceptions in four years with the Cowboys. A former sixth overall pick, it's clear Claiborne has all the physical tools to excel in the NFL but he isn't there quite yet. His previously high draft stature combined with his flashes of elite play last season could make contract demands difficult in Dallas. He's also only 26 years-old.
#3. Trumaine Johnson LA
The highest paid of any 2017 free agent cornerback, Johnson is a long corner at 6'2" and he's likely too expensive for Los Angeles to re-sign. At 27 years-old he's still quite young and he had 11 pass deflections and one interception in 14 games last season. Outside of his hefty price tag, a hesitation with Johnson is his injury history. After playing five years in the league he's never finished a 16-game season.
#2. A.J. Bouye HOU
Argubably the top free agent cornerback on the market, Bouye emerged last season after previously going undrafted out of Central Florida. On a team with THREE other first-round selections at corner, Bouye got his chance to shine in 2016 after injuries plagued the Texans' defensive backfield. He went on to finish as the third highest-graded cornerback in the NFL and has been recently identified as one of the top players in the league. At just 25 years-old Bouye will be a great addition to any team, but his price tag won't be cheap. If he gets out of Houston he will be looking for a payday and that's kind of risky considering he's only started a total of 19 games and all of them were with a defensive front that included JJ Watt or Jadeveon Clowney.
#1. Stephon Gilmore BUF
And my personal favorite, Mr. Gilmore. After playing five seasons with the Bills, Gilmore has several games full of highlights that prove he has the talent to be a number one cornerback in the NFL. At 6'1", 190lbs, he also has the size to compete with the bigger receivers on the edge. A tenth overall pick out of South Carolina, Gilmore was one of Mike Mayock's favorite players coming out of the draft and was routinely linked to the Bears but went nine picks earlier. Gilmore had a strong start to 2016 but his play went off a cliff, just like Rex Ryan's job, as the season progressed. Considering his potential and the extensive tape he already has available on him at the NFL level, expect Gilmore to be a prized addition to any team at a somewhat reasonable price. Hopefully Chicago.
