Slowly, but surely, the Chicago Bears are filling their needs at various positions during free agency. Their latest signing came on Saturday as they agreed to a one-year contract with former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns.
Burns, a former first-round draft pick back in 2016, started out as a promising young player in the Steelers’ system, but fell out of favor with the team halfway through the 2018 season. He started just one game in 2019 before injuring his knee, then spending the final few weeks as a healthy scratch.
Burns now comes to Chicago ready to compete for a starting spot opposite Pro-Bowl corner Kyle Fuller and nickel cornerback Buster Skrine following the release of Prince Amukamara in February. And he will certainly have competition.
With the acquisition of the former Steeler, the Bears now have three players who have a legitimate opportunity to win the starting job; Burns, cornerback Tre Roberson, who was signed from the Canadian Football League (CFL) in February, and third-year corner Kevin Toliver.
Barring any other moves in free agency or the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, one of these three will emerge from the competition.
Read on for a brief breakdown of what each player brings to the table.
Artie Burns
Let’s start with the newcomer. Burns certainly still has the athleticism that made him a first-round selection four years ago, but his coverage skills leave much to be desired.
After starting all 16 games in 2017 with one interception, 13 pass deflections and two fumble recoveries, Burns found his way to the bench in 2018 after being replaced by Cody Sensabaugh and saw even fewer snaps last season when the Steelers signed Steven Nelson to a three-year deal last offseason to take over the starting cornerback position.
According to Pro Football Reference, Burns was targeted 25 times, giving up 16 completions in 2018, five of which went for touchdowns. Quarterbacks had a 143.2 rating when targeting the former Miami Hurricane. Those numbers only worsened in 2019, despite limited playing time. Burns was certainly burned, giving up four completions on four targets, one of which went for a score, and giving quarterbacks a perfect 158.3 rating when targeted.
Despite the numbers and falling out of favor, analysts still believe the upside with Burns is there, given his athleticism. Could a new scheme and change of scenery be the kick he needs to fully realize his potential? At only 24 years old, it’s certainly possible.
Tre Roberson
Tre Roberson went from CFL castoff to hot commodity in just two years. After stints with the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 and 2017, Roberson signed with the Calgary Stampeders and became a CFL star in short order.
After recording 41 tackles, seven interceptions and two touchdowns in 2019, Roberson signed with the Bears over at least nine other offers. His deal was the second-richest contract for a player from the CFL, behind Cameron Wake’s deal with the Miami Dolphins signed in 2009.
Roberson, a former quarterback from Illinois State University, showed he was an opportunistic corner up north against CFL wide receivers. But how will his game translate back to the NFL after a two-year hiatus? It’s difficult to gauge, but given the Bears desire to sign him and uncertainty at the cornerback position, Roberson will have a legitimate shot to win the position. A strong training camp will do him wonders.
Kevin Toliver II
The name Bears fans are most familiar with, Toliver was a hot name when he signed as an undrafted free agent out of LSU back in 2018. He saw snaps on defense in most games his rookie season, but wasn’t much of a factor.
Last season was much of the same, until Week 14 when Toliver started for an injured Amukamara and faced a Cowboys offense boasting one of the better receivers in the league in receiver Amari Cooper. For the most part, Toliver was able to keep his opponents in check, but did give up a late score to Cooper on a fade route. Still, the Bears got the win and the second-year player recorded seven tackles and one pass deflection.
Through two seasons, Toliver’s production dipped slightly from 2018 to 2019. According to Pro Football Reference, he gave up 12 completions on 18 targets with no scores, giving quarterbacks an 87.3 rating during his rookie season.
In 2019, however, the targets and completions remained consistent (11 completions on 16 targets with one score) but his yards-per-completion rose from 10.7 to 14.7, giving quarterbacks a 122.4 rating when targeted, worst among Bears defensive backs who had 10 targets or more. Still, given his knowledge of the system, Toliver is expected to get the first crack at the starting position come training camp.
Burns, Roberson, and Toliver all have their limitations, but competition brings out the best in players. The battle for the starting cornerback spot will be one to watch in August. Who do you think wins the job and starts Week one?
