The Tuesday news for the Chicago Bears was dominated by the announcement running back Khalil Herbert went on Injured Reserve. He will miss the next month of action with a hip injury suffered in the loss to Detroit. However, as people digested that unfortunate development, the team also slipped in an extra bit of information. They’d also made a waiver wire claim, scooping up veteran cornerback Justin Layne. He’d spent the last several weeks playing for the New York Giants.
It isn’t a surprise the Bears sought cornerback help. Kindle Vildor missed the Lions game with an ankle problem. Jaylon Johnson battled through an oblique issue as well. They need more depth at a position that was already thin. What makes Layne an interesting addition is his background. He was a standout at Michigan State with his 6’2 size, solid athleticism, and high IQ. It is why he became a 3rd round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. For whatever reason, he didn’t get many opportunities to play. Whenever he did, he didn’t seem out of place.
Chicago wasn’t the only team interested too. The Denver Broncos had hoped to snag him as well.
The Chicago Bears might fit Layne better.
He’s played in a 3-4 defense for his entire career in both Pittsburgh and New York. That scheme demands high amounts of man coverage. While Layne has the size for it, many were concerned about his lack of deep speed. Draft evaluators felt his route recognition, quickness, and physicality would better serve him in a zone defense. That is why the Bears make sense. Matt Eberflus runs a variation of the classic Tampa-2 where corners aren’t required to live in man coverage. They’re meant to keep everything in front of them, tackle well, and seek turnovers.
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The crazy part is Layne is only 24 years old. He’s exceedingly young for a guy nearing the end of his fourth NFL season. It is possible he still had maturing to do when he arrived in Pittsburgh. By the time he started figuring things out, it was too late. Others on the roster had stolen the starting jobs. The Chicago Bears offer him a rare opportunity to get his career back on track. There isn’t much competition to wade through at cornerback. The talent has always been there. We’ll see if this coaching staff can bring it out of him.
