Top 5 Reasons It’s Time to Move Charles Tillman to Safety

Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman (33) causes a fumble on Green Bay Packers running back

(25) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

5. Gap Discipline and Assignment Sound

The Bears were awful on defense last season, especially against the run.  Tillman plays with excellent leverage and maintains gap integrity.  Simply put – he knows where to be.  That’s more than you can say for the previous safeties, where frequent miscommunication led to opponent touchdowns.  Just ask Randall Cobb and Chris Conte about that.  Having Tillman at safety let’s him make the calls and checks; he’s the quarterback of the back end.

4. Don’t Put More Pressure on the Rookie

There’s already been a lot of buzz about moving rookie Kyle Fuller to safety.  He’s didn’t play safety in college.  He’s expected to be your cornerback of the future, so why not make him your cornerback of the present.  Moving him to safety only stunts his development.  Besides, having Tillman at safety lets him mentor Fuller on the field.

3. Limited Options

Whether you agree or disagree with the pick of Fuller over Clinton-Dix or Pryor, the pick has been made.  Besides those two, two other top safety options came off the draft board as Deone Bucanon and Jimmie Ward went off the board to the Cardinals (27) and 49ers (30) respectively.  There are limited options left at the top end of the safety position.   If you’re bitter about the pick, get over it. You were probably one of the fans who wanted the Bears to take Aaron Donald.

2. Takeaways

Peanut is a turnover machine with 42 career forced fumbles and another 36 interceptions .  You put him at safety and he gets an opportunity to come up and be a little more opportunistic and work on his Peanut Punch.  Besides his ability to force fumbles, Tillman is outstanding in coverage.  He can match up with tight ends like Lions rookie Eric Ebron.  Give me Tillman to help control the middle of the field and continue forcing turnovers.

1. Extend Career

 There is a precedent for moving from cornerback to safety as a player ages.  Just ask Jay Cutler about Charles Woodson, who moved from cornerback to safety for the Packers late in his career.  Tillman’s knowledge of the system makes up for slowing down a bit and losing a step.  If you think Tillman has another good year at cornerback, maybe he has two as a safety.  He’s got all the right attributes.  It’s not a demotion to move to safety.  If Peanut wants a shot at a ring, it would make sense for the good of the team to make the move.

What do you think?  Would like like to see Peanut move to safety?  It would seem to solve a big problem for the Bears and give them some added flexibility in the rest of the draft.

BEAR DOWN!!!