Chicago Bears: 5 Bold cut candidates during training camp

Chicago Bears Bold Cut Candidate: Duke Shelley, CB

If Desmond Trufant is not cut, another candidate is Duke Shelley. Shelley might be the least bold take of these five players. Shelley is going into his third year and was only a sixth-round draft pick. He was targeted 20 times last season and allowed 16 of them to be completed. This is an 80 percent completion rate. On top of that, he allowed one touchdown to be scored while targeted which led to an average quarterback rating of 118.1 while targeted.

These stats alone would make Shelley a cut candidate. That said, he is likely the lead option to take over the nickel position unless Thomas Graham proves otherwise. Graham is good enough in my opinion to take on that third CB spot and his upside, even though also a sixth-round pick, is much higher than Shelley’s.

Looking at the current roster and projection of which players will stick around in 2021, five cornerbacks are likely. If Desmond Trufant is sticking around, then there is likely not any room for Duke Shelley. Artie Burns, Thomas Graham, and Kindle Vildor are more likely to stay on the team behind Jaylon Johnson and Trufant. As I said, this is not as bold, but I know Shelley is well-liked both by many fans and coaches.