The Chicago Bears remain optimistic that something can get done with cornerback Kyle Fuller. Recent rumors have painted the situation clearly enough. GM Ryan Pace says the franchise tag is still on the table but indications are it won’t be used. At the same time, Fuller wants to stay in Chicago and is interested in working out a long-term deal. It comes down to finding common ground on a price.
That said the risk remains real that he could leave in free agency. Everybody remembers what happened with Alshon Jeffery last year. So it would be a bad idea for Pace not to make contingency plans in case the Fuller negotiations come up short. That includes doing his due diligence on the incoming NFL draft class for replacements.
Seems the Bears are enacting that way of thinking. Chris Emma of 670 the Score revealed that the team is planning to meet both of the top cornerbacks at the scouting combine.
Denzel Ward met with the Bears at the Combine. He hopes to be the latest Ohio State cornerback to thrive in the NFL.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) March 4, 2018
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Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson met with the Bears this week in Indy. He posted eight interceptions in 13 games last season.
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) March 4, 2018
Denzel Ward and Joshua Jackson offer solid Kyle Fuller backup plans
The cornerback class for 2018 is headlined by a two-headed monster in the form of Ohio State’s Denzel Ward and Iowa’s Joshua Jackson. Each comes with rather different skill sets but both are intriguing in their own ways. Ward is looked down on (literally) for his size at just 5’10”. Although that might be his only weakness. There isn’t a corner in the draft who can match his combination of speed, fluidity, and pure coverage prowess. Many already compare him to Denver Broncos Pro Bowler Chris Harris Jr.
Jackson can cover well enough but his game is more about taking the ball away. This past year, his first as a full-time starter, he snagged eight interceptions and returned two for touchdowns. He’s got coveted size at 6’1″, is a good athlete and demonstrates outstanding awareness and vision for finding the football in the air.
Suffice to say both players can ball.
What teams aren’t yet certain of is whether either of them is worth a top 10 pick. The Bears, picking #8, are among them. That’s why they wish to interview both. Get a sense of their football mentalities and intelligence. They certainly don’t have to worry about physical ability. Both corners showed up big on the field. Ward blazed with a 4.32 in the 40-yard dash while Jackson delivered a 4.49. They got the goods.
While the gloomy part of this article is about Fuller leaving, there is also another side to consider. What if they kept Fuller and added one of these two? That would create one of the most fascinating cornerback tandems in the league and something that could push the Bears defense to heights they haven’t seen in years. Of course, there is much work to do before thinking about such things.
