The Bears have started training camp and hopes are that they will end up having a better season than last year. While the players haven’t seen any real action yet, early returns from training camp seem to be very positive. There has been a lot of talk about just how good the secondary has been doing. Will they end up being better than they were last year or will they have the same struggles this season?
The Chicago Bears went out during the offseason, and signed some free agents to help bolster their secondary. These players included safety Quintin Demps and cornerbacks B.W. Webb, Marcus Cooper, and Prince Amukamara. They also drafted safety Eddie Jackson out of Alabama, and he has a lot of promise. Things are looking up for the Bears’ secondary in 2017.
After witnessing what the secondary can do in a scrimmage situation this past weekend, it’s easy to see that there is a lot of talent there. But can they put it all together? And can they get the right group of players on the roster to make the secondary better?
Honestly, all the players they need to make the secondary better are on the roster and ready to go. They have the players that will succeed at cornerback and safety but just need to get the right guys in the right spots. Who are the right guys and what are the “right spots” for them?
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Your starting cornerbacks will be Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper. Yes, I know that Kyle Fuller is having a good training camp and has the pedigree but he’s not a full time starting corner. He will be a solid nickel cornerback in 2017. I think his year off coupled with his inexperience (he has only played two years of NFL football) will force him into that spot.
So, for your “three” starters at cornerback, it’s going to be Amukamara, Cooper, and Fuller.
The free safety position is a bit harder to figure out. There, the competition between Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson is hot and will probably go down to the wire. Amos has the experience, but Jackson is a better athlete and a better playmaker. It’s Amos’ job to lose, and he will lose it to Jackson. Granted, Jackson is a bit of an injury risk, but if he stays healthy, he just might start.
If you watched the Bears’ scrimmage at the Bears’ family fest practice at Soldier Field this Saturday, you might have noticed that safety Quintin Demps looked sluggish. Maybe it was the heat or lack of rest but looked a little tired. He’s allowed to have one bad day in practice, and it appears as if Saturday was it. Demps is still the Bears best option at strong safety and will be a dynamic playmaker this coming season. You can count on that. Expect a big year out of him.
Your starting safeties will be Jackson at free safety and Demps at strong safety. I still think it will be tight between Amos and Jackson, but Jackson will come out on top. I know that the first depth chart has Jackson down at the bottom, but that’s bound to change as the preseason goes on. And the Bears won’t put a rookie in as a starter on the depth chart this early in camp.
The state of the secondary heading into the early part of the preseason is strong. What the Bears need now is good health to carry them into the preseason and on through the tough 16 game schedule.
Next: First preseason game instant reactions
If this group can remain healthy, they will have a solid season.
Keep your eye on the Bears secondary. They are poised to do some great things and will be one of the biggest reasons why Chicago’s defense will be much better in 2017.