Bears made a move at the trade deadline but still have one pressing need on defense with limited options to address it
Bears should consider looking into some free agent options at CB again.
The Chicago Bears turned out to be buyers before the NFL trade deadline, but not in the way many fans expected. Regardless, the Bears went out and found some depth for the defensive front and did so in a low-cost manner with some solid upside.
The Bears traded for former first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, sending only a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns, while also getting a seventh-round pick in return. For a 26-year-old rotational pass rusher, that’s not a bad deal at all for Chicago and gives the pass rush another player behind Montez Sweat and Austin Booker.
It turned out to be the only trade made by Chicago with the 4:00 pm EST deadline now behind us. Which means the Bears feel comfortable about the rest of the current roster for now, but one need is still pressing on defense that could still be addressed. And the options are limited.
Bears could explore CB options off the open market after the trade deadline expired
While speaking with the media on Monday and answering questions about the upcoming deadline, Bears head coach Ben Johnson noted “you can never have too many pass rushers” but he also said “you can never have too many cover players on the back end, either.”
A pretty notable statement to make considering the lack of depth in at the cornerback position. It wasn’t as dire of a need as the defensive end depth, which is why the Bears made a move to add another edge rusher, but it’s still something to consider looking into improving.
Last week, the Bears went out and signed C.J. Gardner-Johnson to man the slot with Kyler Gordon on the injured reserve. Chicago also got Tyrique Stevenson back from injury on the outside. Yet, the secondary still got embarrassed against Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins on Sunday with Stevenson allowing 168 yards and Nahshon Wright allowing 73 yards and a touchdown on the outside.
Since losing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson earlier in the season, who’s hopeful to return late in the season, Stevenson has largely lived up to the role as the team’s #1 corner and Wright has made some big plays attacking the football. At the same time, both players allow far too many big plays on a weekly basis that are killing the defense.
Dipping back into the open market is the only viable way to find an upgrade at the position at this point, if the Bears deem it necessary. It’s a shallow pool of talent, but some options are out there.
The obvious name is Asante Samuel Jr., who was cleared to play earlier this week by his doctors coming off spinal fusion surgery in April to repair a neck injury. The former Chargers second-round pick is looking for a new home for the remainder of the season after totaling six interceptions and 37 pass deflections in his first four seasons.
Just to throw another name out there, recently released cornerback Beanie Bishop could offer some intrigue. The former Pittsburgh Steeler was a fan favorite after his rookie season but fell out of favor after the made some veteran additions to the room. Last season, Bishop allowed three touchdowns but had four interceptions. He mainly played the slot, however, which would give Chicago three slot player once Gordon returns, but the versatility could be fun to deploy with those three.
But, with Stevenson back and Gardner-Johnson added to the room, I could see the Bears keeping this same core for another week and see how things look with after making an addition to the pass rush. Plus, this defense will have Gordon back soon and hopes to have Johnson back for the final push.
Chicago Bears News
Bears aggressive swing for a pass rusher ends up being less aggressive than many hoped, but it gives the team exactly what it needed
The Chicago Bears have traded for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
