March 06--Part of a position-by-position preview of where the Bears stand entering free agency on Tuesday.
CORNERBACKS
Signed for 2015: Kyle Fuller, Tim Jennings, Demontre Hurst, Al Louis-Jean, Terrance Mitchell.
Expiring contracts: Charles Tillman, Sherrick McManis.
Top-shelf free agents: Tramon Williams, Brandon Flowers, Byron Maxwell.
On the bargain rack: Antonio Cromartie, Perrish Cox, Christopher Owens, Darius Butler, Jimmy Wilson, Zack Bowman, Chris Cook.
Position synopsis: Tillman's 12-season run as a Bear is likely over as Pace seeks to energize the secondary with an infusion of younger players. Both Pace and Fox view Fuller as a building block, a talented playmaker with the right combination of steadiness and drive. And with his rookie growing pains subsiding, Fuller is expected to make a leap forward in 2015. Jennings, meanwhile, is in need of a major bounce-back. In the first year of a four-year extension last season, he went without an interception for the first time since 2007 and was never a natural fit to play inside in sub packages. At present, Hurst stands as the top option to be the Bears' slot corner. And Pace saw enough promise in his early reviews of Louis-Jean to reward the 21-year-old corner with a two-year extension in February. Still, it will be no surprise if the Bears use their free-agency shopping to increase the competition at corner.
Worth asking: What will the prototypical cornerback look like in Vic Fangio's new defense?
The veteran defensive coordinator must relay his vision for the secondary to Pace and Fox with hopes that the new GM can procure pieces that fit the scheme. With the 49ers, Fangio mixed in plenty of press coverage as well as bump-and-run looks and will likely push for bigger, physical corners. That's something to keep in mind as the Bears' browsing begins.
