The Chicago Bears re-signed their cornerback Marcus Cooper
As the NFL’s offseason continues, free agency is now in its second stage where teams look to add players on cheap one or two-year deals while also bringing in depth. The Chicago Bears are doing just that.
As the Bears busy offseason continues, their weekend got off to a hot start. On Friday afternoon, the Bears brought back Special Teams Ace Sherrick McManis. Later on in the evening, various reports surfaced that the Bears agreed to bring back Cornerback Marcus Cooper.
#Bears are expected to re-sign CB Marcus Cooper for 1 season, up to $2.5m. He visited the #AZCardinals earlier today.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) March 24, 2018
A surprising move to many fans, most remember Cooper as the player who blocked Pittsburgh Steelers Kicker Chris Boswell’s Field Goal right before halftime. Cooper nearly returned it for a touchdown before dropping the ball at the five-yard line, ultimately costing the Bears what could have been a two-possession lead going into halftime.
Earlier in the offseason, Cooper was part of the Bears latest roster purge which included cutting many other veterans such as Mike Glennon, Willie Young, and Pernell McPhee. Most thought he was done in Chicago and would be playing in a different city next offseason.
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Last offseason, Cooper was signed to a three-year, sixteen million dollar deal in free agency. In training camp, he was considered by many to win the starting job over fellow-Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller. He was expected to start opposite Prince Amukamara, which he did. However, as the season went on, Kyle Fuller showed signs of returning to his old form and Cooper was eventually benched and did not appear in a game after week eight.
Now, as he prepares for his second stint with the Bears. Many are wondering what led to the Bears bringing Cooper back?
Most will criticize Ryan Pace for bringing back a player whose first year in Chicago was comparable to that of a roller coaster ride with so many ups and downs. However, re-signing Cooper makes sense as the Bears have learned throughout the last few years that having depth is absolutely necessary in the NFL.
Re-signed on a one-year, $2.5 million dollar deal, Cooper will not be given the Bears starting job like he was a year ago. On what is the deepest group of cornerbacks the Bears have assembled in recent memory, he faces stiff competition to make the opening day roster. He could even be a part of the Bears final cuts in August when the time comes to trim the roster down to fifty-three players for the regular season.