When talking about a Chicago Bears camp battle down in Bourbonnais, almost everybody will immediately look to the two kickers. True to form, Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro have already begun traded heavyweight shots. Fry went 9-of-10 on his first day. Pineiro went 7-of-8 on Sunday. Then Fry fired back with 8-of-10 on a rainy Monday. It’s been good stuff, but it’s hardly been the only roster competition that has experienced serious back-and-forth moments.
One spot that is starting to garner serious interest is slot cornerback. This position had been largely locked down for the past four seasons by Bryce Callahan. That security was lost when the cornerback left for free agency in March. He’s now reunited with Vic Fangio in Denver. That leaves the key spot between Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara up for grabs.
Most assumed that it would go to veteran Buster Skrine. The Bears signed him to a three-year deal in free agency after the New York Jets let him walk. They seemed rather high on him thanks to his physical style of play, athleticism, and durability. However, at least one person wasn’t quite content with that sort of status quo.
Sixth round pick Duke Shelley, a cornerback out of Kansas State, hasn’t wasted time making his presence known on the field. He’s constantly around the ball and making life tough for every receiver he lines up against. It would appear the two players have since taken to elevating their play as a result.
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Skrine and Shelley epitomize benefits of Chicago Bears camp battle
This is precisely what the Bears were hoping to see. Competition. While it may prove frustrating to one or another player in regards to who gets the job, it’s a win-win situation for the team. If both players are performing well, then it means the depth of the position for the Bears is strong. That means if one guy starts but gets hurt, the other can quickly step in and there will be a limited dropoff in quality of play.
Beyond that, this will likely earn playing time for both. If each has enough ability to make plays in practice, it makes sense to find ways to get them into games. Who will win this battle? That remains to be seen. Skrine likely still holds serve due to his experience but it would be a considerable mistake to count Shelley out. He hasn’t allowed anybody to ignore him since practices began in May.
The preseason will be the decisive battlefield where this gets decided.
