The Chicago Bears have gone somewhat quiet since their initial surge during the first seven days of free agency. Most of their moves have been strictly depth additions. Particularly on the defensive side with Angelo Blackson, Christian Jones, Artie Burns, and Jeremiah Attaochu filling up backup spots. The only starter they’ve added to this point is Desmond Trufant in order to replace the departed Kyle Fuller. They still don’t have replacements for Tashaun Gipson at safety or Buster Skrine at nickel corner. This is where Brian Poole comes in.
It remains somewhat puzzling the 28-year old veteran hasn’t signed somewhere yet. Despite missing a large chunk of last season with a shoulder injury, he was still among the better nickel cornerbacks in the NFL. In nine games, he managed 44 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack. Quarterbacks had just a 61.6 passer rating when targeting him in coverage. This is a versatile, productive football player.
He would be a solid addition to a secondary that needs help.
As of right now, the Bears cornerback depth chart is easy enough to read. Trufant and Jaylon Johnson will be the starters on the outside. Where it gets uncertain is at the slot position. Right now former 6th round pick Duke Shelley looks like the favorite to claim that job. He had some nice moments in 2020 but suffered from consistency issues. No fewer than 16 of 20 passes thrown in his direction were completed. He had just one pass defense in almost 200 snaps.
Do the Bears believe he is poised for a significant spike in improvement this year? Or do they think Kindle Vildor, Artie Burns, or Tre Roberson are capable of filling the void? Either way, they’d be living dangerously given the slate of quarterbacks they’ll be facing this season.
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Brian Poole is exactly the sort of target Ryan Pace is known for
An overlooked veteran with quality production in his history who is still on the right side of 30. Given it’s approaching two weeks since the start of free agency, the odds are good he won’t cost much. He signed a one-year deal for $5 million in 2020. However, given the injury concerns and the sagging market, he may have to settle for a cheap deal this season. Chicago should give him the opportunity to play behind a quality front seven.
Either that or they may have to find their solution in the draft. Nickel corners are fairly abundant these days but getting one who can contribute right away can be difficult. Then again this is the same team that scored Bryce Callahan as an undrafted free agent back in 2015. So they may have a good idea of what to look for. It comes down to finding the right fit at the right price. Adding Brian Poole would give them more flexibility.
Or it could enable them to avoid drafting defense at all.
By now everybody should know that side of the ball hasn’t been the problem. It’s the offense. If there was ever a year the Bears should focus their resources on trying to score more points, this is the one. The draft is loaded with offensive talent and the defense should still be strong enough to survive a year without an infusion of top picks. Poole would make that easier.