Cordarrelle Patterson may want to consider becoming a recruiter when his NFL career is over.
The All-Pro kick returner has spent the week reaching out to fellow players across the league, seeing if they want to come to the Chicago Bears.
The pitches began with free agent quarterbacks such as Teddy Bridgewater and Tom Brady, both of whom agreed to deals with the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, respectively.
Now, Patterson has shifted his focus to the defensive side of the ball by reaching out to Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay. The three-time Pro Bowl corner has been adamant about his desire to exit Detroit and reiterated those demands Wednesday night when the Lions signed former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant.
When Patterson saw Slay’s reaction, he decided to reach out to the 29 year-old to see how he was doing.
The Bears do have a need in the secondary following the release of veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara in February, but acquiring Slay feels like a pipe dream at this point.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Lions are seeking a day-two draft pick (second or third rounder) for Slay, who has one year left on his contract and is coming off a season where he played 14 games, intercepting two passes and recovering a fumble.
General manager Ryan Pace does have a pair of second-round draft picks at his disposal and isn’t shy about trading away draft capital to acquire NFL talent, as demonstrated by the team’s acquisition of QB Nick Foles for a fourth-round pick on Wednesday.
But would Pace make another bold move to add a Pro-Bowl caliber player to the back end of the defense to play opposite of cornerback Kyle Fuller? Slay would be a welcome addition, but with a new contract looming, and the Bears draft capital now dwindling, a deal doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.
Patterson, who claims he is just checking in on his friends, will continue to shoot his shot to see how other players feel about playing in the “Windy City.” But despite Slay and the Lions both looking for a split, his destination likely won’t be Chicago.
