The Chicago Bears already remade their defensive secondary this offseason knowing full well they’d likely lose out on two steady veterans. One being cornerback Prince Amukamara whom they had to cut for salary cap reasons. The other was Ha Ha Clinton-Dix who left in free agency searching for a bigger payday. Amukamara ended up in Las Vegas while Clinton-Dix signed with Dallas. That was that.
Chicago moved on. They signed veteran Tashaun Gipson to compete with Deon Bush for the vacant starting safety job. Artie Burns and Tre Roberson were signed as free agents while Jaylon Johnson was added in the draft at cornerback. That was how the Bears were going to look different in the secondary.
Sometimes though, the NFL has a funny way of throwing a curveball. Just months after both men signed with their new teams, reality hit home hard. The Raiders and Cowboys decided to go with youth movements, cutting Amukamara and Clinton-Dix respectively. With it being so close to the regular season, there is no way either man will command noteworthy money.
This opens the door for Chicago to possibly bring them back at a discount, adding quality depth and experience on the back end.
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Chicago Bears have incentive to explore this possibility
Of the two, the one that makes the most sense is Amukamara. Right now the Bears have question marks at cornerback. Both Burns and Roberson saw their seasons end already with injuries. This has already begun to test what was iffy depth at the position. The Bears have confidence in Johnson as well as Buster Skrine, but Amukamara would a welcome security blanket who knows the system and knows the locker room.
Clinton-Dix. The Bears seem happy with the safeties they have. So if he were to come in, it would be strictly as depth. That might not be something he’s interested in. Then again he’s already pocketed over $2 million from the Cowboys. Returning to Chicago among familiar faces on a cheaper deal might sound pretty appealing.
GM Ryan Pace wouldn’t have much to lose by exploring the idea.