Thread: Bears positional analysis: Cornerbacks

Bears positional analysis: Cornerbacks


Cassella/Tribune)

By Brad Biggs

Sixth in a 10-part series

It has become an annual question for the Chicago Bears: Who will step up and become a starter at cornerback opposite veteran Charles Tillman?

Two years ago it was Zack Bowman, the fifth-round pick from Nebraska in 2008 who emerged in his second season, effectively pushing Nathan Vasher out the door. Bowman had a big offseason in which he turned heads with the coaches with the number of plays he made on the ball. He quickly took over the starting job and made six interceptions playing in 16 games with 12 starts.

Bowman looked like he would be in position to possibly be an heir apparent to the job on the left side that Tillman has held down virtually since he was a second-round pick in 2003. But as fast as Bowman emerged, he was relegated to the background even faster. Veteran Tim Jennings, who looked to be a depth addition last March, quickly claimed the starting job in Week 4 this past season.

The biggest move, though, might have been switching Tillman to the right side. The veteran spent the majority of the offseason away from the club working out near his home in California. When he arrived for the mandatory work, he found himself at a new position on the opposite side. The Bears were looking to get more picks in the secondary and the thinking was that Tillman had worn down a bit. Despite two shoulder surgeries and two back surgeries in his past, he made it through 16 games for the first time since his rookie season.

Now, the question is whether Tillman will have his sixth partner in six seasons. The starting job opposite him has been a revolving door. Injuries have played a part in it, and so has indecision. The changes have been prompted by necessity. Here are the players to play the most opposite Tillman in recent seasons:

2010: Tim Jennings, 13 starts.
2009: Zack Bowman, 12 starts.
2008: Corey Graham, 9 starts.
2007: Trumaine McBride, 9 starts.
2006: Nathan Vasher, 13 starts.

Another thing that has prompted the turnover is the franchise hasn't had much invested in the options. Vasher earned a nice second contract but since Tillman was drafted, Devin Hester is the highest-drafted cornerback for Angelo, a second-round pick in 2006. Here are the corners general manager Jerry Angelo has drafted since 2004, the year after Tillman came on board:

Nathan Vasher, 4th round, 2004.
Alfonso Marshall, 7th round, 2004.
Devin Hester, 2nd round, 2006.
Corey Graham, 5th round, 2007.
Trumaine McBride, 7th round, 2007.
Zack Bowman, 5th round, 2008.
D.J. Moore, 4th round, 2009.
Josh Moore, 5th round, 2010.

Roll call: Zack Bowman, Corey Graham, Tim Jennings, D.J. Moore, Josh Moore, Charles Tillman.

2010 overview: Tillman was maligned by many for his play and it's worth noting he turns 30 this month. He had numerous occasions where he slipped on the field, but who didn't? He managed to tie for the team lead with five interceptions, tying a career-high that he accomplished in 2005 and 2006. He forced three fumbles, giving him 17 over the past four seasons and also recovered two. His 24 forced fumbles are the most by a defensive back in the NFL since 2003.

But cornerback is about covering wide receivers and there were moments when the Bears needed to tighten up. Mike Williams of Seattle chewed up the secondary in the regular-season meeting with the Seahawks, although a lot of that is attributable to the scheme. Tillman is also a major factor in the run defense and his 101 tackles, ranking him third on the team, is evidence. It's the second-highest figure in his career behind only the 104 he posted in 2005. There has been some talk of Tillman eventually being moved to safety but you have to consider three factors. First, he wants to play cornerback. Second, do you want a player with the history of surgeries like he's had playing a position that will expose him to potentially more violent hits? Third, before you move a cornerback to a less significant position, you'd better replace him with a player you have high faith in. Considering the Bears have been spinning the carousel opposite Tillman, replacing one cornerback has been a challenge at times.

When did things go bad for Bowman? That's hard to say. He certainly got outplayed by Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions on the touchdown catch that wasn't a touchdown catch in Week 1. He didn't play well in Week 3 against the Packers, and that was the end of the road for him. But for the remainder of the season, Bowman was worked into the rotation from time to time. That right there tells you they were not completely sold on Jennings. Coaches talk about keeping players fresh and wanting to have them ready, but if you have a lockdown corner, he doesn't play in a rotation. At 5-8, 185 pounds, Jennings was a feisty competitor. He battled and was solid vs. the run, one of the reasons the Bears signed him.

Meanwhile, D.J. Moore emerged as a solid nickel back. He had two interceptions in the Week 2 upset at Dallas and returned a pick for a touchdown in Week 7 vs. the Redskins. With individual coaching from Lovie Smith, Moore emerged as the best nickel back the Bears have had since Ricky Manning Jr. Moore only had one sack, but showed some savvy rushing the passer and had a real feel for the game in the middle of the field. The question moving forward is can Moore play on the outside or is he a nickel? There's no shame in being a quality third cornerback. We've yet to see whether or not he can play every down on the outside, and he'd probably project to be on the right side if given the opportunity.

Corey Graham, the special teams stalwart, was frustrated by a lack of use own defense. Like many other positions, his inactivity was partially a result of the healthy nature of the roster. Hopefully, rookie Josh Moore made use of his season in the weight room. He put up only two reps on the bench press at 225 pounds at the scouting combine last year, and he dressed for only three games, collecting one special teams tackle. Moore has good size and was drafted because of his man-to-man cover skills. We'll see if he gets a shot like some of the other players to emerge from the shadows the last few seasons.

Free agency/draft priority: Many observers make this out to be a high-need area. It's going to depend on how the team evaluates the position. Coaches return from almost two weeks off Monday to begin evaluations. The team will spend the majority of this month breaking down the roster and formulating a plan.

The thing to keep in mind is Cover-2 based defenses don't put a high premium on the position. That's not to say cornerbacks are not valued. But it's a zone-based scheme so the Bears aren't out looking to invest in shutdown corners like Nnamdi Asomugha, who command huge salaries. Yes, cornerbacks are more important to the scheme than safeties, but the signature position in the defense is the under tackle. As we saw last year, pass rushers are coveted and paid top dollar. Then, the defense needs a middle linebacker with range like Brian Urlacher and a weak-side linebacker like Lance Briggs to make plays and cover. That doesn't leave big bucks for corners. It also doesn't put the team in a place where it wants to invest high picks in the position.

There have been 36 cornerbacks drafted in the first round in the last nine drafts and not one has come to the Bears. Tillman isn't going to be around forever -- but he is signed for three more seasons -- and the opposite side could be in line for an upgrade after the Packers went after Jennings in the NFC Championship Game.

Looking ahead: The best guess right now is Tillman returns as a starter with a competition opposite him, one that should include a newcomer. The Bears hit with Vasher in the fourth round in 2004 and it looks like they at least have a nickel back in D.J. Moore, another fourth-round pick. Could they use a higher pick this time around?

Bottom line: The improved pass rush helped the secondary look better this season. In the regular season, the Bears allowed only five completions longer than 33 yards and the two longest are most attributed to breakdowns by safeties.