Chicago Bears showing interest in former Super Bowl champion

With the Chicago Bears still having a pair of shoes that need to be filled at cornerback after the release of Kyle Fuller, it’s possible that another corner will still be added to this secondary group. Could that corner be Bashaud Breeland?

Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Bears are allegedly “window shopping” for a veteran corner, and one of those is former Kansas City Chief Bashaud Breeland.

What impact would Bashuad Breeland make with the Chicago Bears defense?

With a cornerback room that consists of Jaylon Johnson, Desmond Trufant, Kindle Vildor, Thomas Graham Jr., and more, it’s obvious that there’s still a need for another corner to play opposite Jaylon Johnson — and one of them must establish themselves as the CB1.

Could Jaylon Johnson step up and be that No. 1 cornerback? Ideally, the answer is yes. However, that might not be likely due to his injury history.

Now, who is this Bashaud Breeland?

In 2014, Washington selected the 5’11”, 195-pound corner from Clemson in the fourth round. Since then, he’s made 376 tackles, deflected 81 passes, intercepted 14 passes, forced eight fumbles and recovered six. On top of all that, he’s scored three touchdowns.

In terms of personal accolades and awards, the list is not crazy long. In 2013, Breeland found himself on the Second-Team All-ACC team, and in his second-to-last season with Kansas City, he helped his team win Super Bowl LIV.

While just being on a  Super Bowl-winning team isn’t the most impressive thing, for a team that preaches “culture” like the Chicago Bears and Matt Nagy do, that kind of veteran experience seems to be something the front office is trying to bring aboard.

According to Pro Football Focus, Breeland earned himself an overall grade of 67.7, which is one of his highest grades since 2015. In 2020, he ranked 75th in solo tackles (36), 23rd in interceptions (2), 70th in targets (54), and 85th in receptions allowed (30). So, at least on paper, Bashaud Breeland isn’t a game-breaker, but in all honesty, gaining multiple average corners at least somewhat fills the hole Kyle Fuller left behind.

With the Chicago Bears having less-than-ideal cap space, Breeland would have to sign for a smaller deal, but as I’ve said in other articles, the Bears are building a roster that players would like to play for. At least for veterans, that helps when the money isn’t there.