People complained the Chicago Bears were starting to get too old on defense. That was inevitable. It was only a matter of time before GM Ryan Pace and the coaching staff would have to enact a youth movement. Now they have, and people are upset about it. With the final wave of cuts at the end of August, the Bears now boast a cornerback position overrun with a ton of young bucks.
- Jaylon Johnson – 22
- Kindle Vildor – 23
- Duke Shelley – 24
- Xavier Crawford – 25
- Artie Burns – 26
- Marqui Christian – 26
The Bears’ three projected starters are all under the age of 25. That is not something that happens often. It is likely the big reason people are so nervous. This group is so unproven. Johnson had a solid rookie year and is easily the best of the bunch. He looks poised to become a really good player moving forward. Beyond him?
It gets shaky.
Vildor is the team’s 5th round pick from 2020. Somebody they really liked. Unfortunately, his play thus far hasn’t justified it. Between his rookie season and the preseason this year? Vildor has given up 21 catches on 27 targets for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He also has missed four tackles. Plenty of people can already envision opposing quarterbacks going after him a lot in coverage.
The same can be said for Duke Shelley. He stepped in for the injured Buster Skrine last year as the Bears’ nickel corner. Like Vildor, his extended opportunity hasn’t gone well so far. He’s allowed 28 catches on 36 targets for 262 yards and a touchdown. That also includes three missed tackles. Barring a last-minute move by the team, it looks like those two will be who joins Johnson on the field opening night in Los Angeles.
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We have one more defensive Lowlight, though it's not near as troubling as our first two — CB Kindle Vildor's play in zone defense isn't quite *there* yet.
Vildor, a young man-coverage CB, is still finding his "feel" in Desai's zone defense. Needs to quicken route recognition. pic.twitter.com/IoXYpJTBfE
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) August 26, 2021
So are the Chicago Bears royally screwed?
No. At least not yet. Here’s the thing to remember about young players. Many of them get better with more playing time. Sure there are exceptions who are just good right out of the gate. However, there are also plenty of examples of young cornerbacks who struggled early in their careers but got better with time. One that applies is Anthony Brown. He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 as a 6th round pick.
Through his first two seasons with them, he didn’t exactly shine, allowing 12 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 104+. Then things began to change. Brown suddenly got considerably better. Between 2018 and 2019, he allowed just three touchdown passes and a combined passer rating of 93.5. While not great, it was a significant improvement. So early struggles don’t always determine if a young player is capable or not. It seems the Chicago Bears are prepared to give Vildor and Shelley an opportunity.
Is it a gamble? Absolutely.
There is a strong possibility that both players are exactly what they’ve looked like and the Bears’ secondary is going to be porous all year long. On the other hand, there is a chance one or both of them take full advantage of this rare opportunity they’ve been given and use the game experience to get better. The organization is willing to let this play out. Who knows. It could end up being a pleasant surprise.