There may be no more heated competition on the 2017 Chicago Bears roster than at cornerback. The team has added three new faces to the mix in Marcus Cooper, Prince Amukamara and B.W. Webb. This is in addition to the returns of Bryce Callahan and Johnthan Banks. Even with the recent cutting of veteran Tracy Porter, they still have 12 corners on the depth chart. That means by the beginning of September at least six of them will be gone. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune says one casualty will be when the Bears cut Kyle Fuller.
When he got drafted back in 2014, many hoped Fuller would be the heir apparent to Charles Tillman. Of course history shows such hopes are often foolhardy. After a strong rookie year, Fuller regressed for much of 2015 and then suffered a knee injury that knocked him out for all of 2016. He no longer has the aura of protection recent first round picks get. The GM and head coach who drafted him are both gone.
Never mind that the competition he’ll be facing is much stiffer than the last year. Biggs believes there are just too many factors playing against him.
Why the Bears cut Kyle Fuller
“My hunch is that Fuller is not on the Bears’ roster when the season begins. He doesn’t hold any trade value right now because he didn’t play a single down last season. The Bears have been busy adding cornerbacks to the mix and I imagine it is a priority for them in a draft that is deep at the position.
You could certainly make the case the team has more or less moved on from Fuller already. I don’t see him being in their plans for 2017. But the Bears have yet to see him out on the field and maybe he looks like a completely different player when the voluntary offseason program kicks off later this month. The team certainly has no rush to make a decision on Fuller.”
Of course there is always the chance he could rebound but it’s hard to feel any such optimism. Fuller was inconsistent before he got hurt and knee injuries are always dicey for cornerbacks. Many have continued to champion the idea that he might make a successful transition to safety, an area where he’d have greater odds of sticking. Biggs squashed that too though.
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“Some folks I have chatted with have pointed out that Fuller has a thin lower half and that would make the transition to safety difficult for him. It’s one thing to be a willing tackler in run support as a cornerback. It’s another thing to fill a run lane as a safety.”
Down to the last strike
The reality is Fuller controls his own fate over the next five months. He could easily sway a lot of people if he comes out strong in training camp and the preseason. He’s still young and on a cheap contract. Chicago is holding out hope that he may yet turn things around. There have been enough glimpses to indicate he can play with the best. It’s all about health and consistency with him.
Many have already written his tombstone though. Another failed draft pick by former GM Phil Emery. They’ve been dropping like flies lately. Former second round pick Ego Ferguson was the most recent victim. Fuller would become the second first rounder to get sent packing in a two-year span after Shea McClellin left a year ago. It would take quite an effort to overcome these doubts. Effort some feel isn’t in Fuller at this point.
Only time will tell.
