BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — While much of the attention on the Bears’ defense is focused on the front-seven — and rightly so — the wide open battle at cornerback should not be ignored.
While second-year corner Kyle Fuller is a virtual lock to start at the position, a number of different storylines have developed over the offseason, including:
– Tim Jennings is moving back to the slot where he started last season before Charles Tillman suffered a season-ending triceps injury in Week 2. Jennings has admitted the slot is not his favorite position, but he does have the skill set to play there and he doesn’t have much of a choice after a very disappointing 2014 season on the outside.
– The signing of Alan Ball. The 30-year-old veteran is on a one-year, $3 million prove-it deal, but he received a $1 million signing bonus, which is an indication that the Bears intend on playing him. That said, Ball’s health is in question after he finished last season on injured reserve (biceps) and missed most of the offseason program. He was limited in practice Thursday.
– Sherrick McManis is making a push for playing time. Always an above average special-teamer, McManis’ corner skills are underrated and he looked very good during OTAs and minicamp, earning a ton of reps with the first team. But what will he look like when the pads go on?
– Tracy Porter is now in the mix too. The Bears are Porter’s fifth team in five years and injuries have been an issue in recent seasons, but he’s a proven guy with seven years of experience.
If you haven’t noticed the theme here, it’s veteran depth. I haven’t even mentioned Al Louis-Jean and Demontre Hurst, two former undrafted players who saw significant playing time last year when the injuries piled up. Hurst ended up serving as the No. 1 nickelback for most of the season and there’s a good chance he won’t even make this 53-man roster this year.
Really, other than Fuller, none of the cornerbacks should feel safe. And yet, Bears fans should feel much better about the cornerback position this year.
Quick Hits
– Speaking of Porter, he showed he still has some hops, nearly making a very tough interception on Jimmy Clausen in Thursday’s practice. Of course, while it wasn’t an easy play, dropped interceptions became the common theme the last two seasons and this coaching staff wants to see those plays made.
– If you were following Thursday’s practice via social media, you may have noticed a lack of tweets flying out of Bourbonnais. That’s a result of a new media policy implemented by the Bears that has drastically changed the way we do our jobs down here. This is understandably not the top priority for Bears fans, but it’s worth reading Ed Sherman’s story on the mini controversy brewing at training camp.
– Former Bears offensive line coach Pat Meyer has landed with the Buffalo Bills as a football operations consultant. Meyer worked under Aaron Kromer the last two years, so it makes sense for the Bills to bring him on staff. Kramer, now the offensive line coach in Buffalo, remains on indefinite paid administrative leave after pleading not guilty for a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an incident in Florida earlier this month.
– If you missed my conversation about the Bears with Roe Conn on WGN Radio yesterday, you can check it out here.
Friday’s schedule
The Bears will be padless one last time Friday as they get together for an 11:15 practice at Olivet Nazarene University. The gates open at 10 a.m. and stretching begins at 11:00.
The pads will go on for the first time Saturday when the Bears practice at 9:35 a.m.
On The Air
TBD – “The Roe Conn Show with Anna Davlantes” on WGN Radio
7:20 p.m. – “The Download” with Justin Kaufmann on WGN Radio
3-7 p.m. (Saturday) – “The Beat” on WGN Radio – Our show will be in Bourbonnais Saturday morning for practice/interviews and we’ll bring it all back to you in the afternoon.
