Nnamdi Asomugha: Why the Chicago Bears Should Sign the CB
Published by Bryan Dietzler on January 10, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
By now most everyone is aware that the contract the Raiders signed with cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha was voided by the NFL, effectively making Asomugha a free agent.
Asomugha is a perennial Pro Bowler and probably the second best cornerback in the NFL (after the New York Jets’ Darrelle Revis), and almost every team in the NFL should want him.
But should the Bears want him?
Chicago’s secondary has been serviceable at best this season and hasn’t been quite as bad as everyone had predicted before the season began. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement, however, and the Bears could definitely use some help.
With the style of defense that the Bears play, the Cover 2, having a true shutdown corner would work wonders for making this defense work.
If teams wouldn’t throw towards the side that Asomugha was covering, that would funnel everything to another part of the field, where the cornerback on the other side could hopefully take care of things along with the help of a safety or a linebacker. With that kind of coverage, it’s going to be hard to complete a pass.
Just the presence of having someone like Asomugha on the field would be enough to have teams change their game plans and make adjustments that would affect their preparation. Chicago found that kind of player in Julius Peppers this year. Imagine how things would be with a game-changing guy like that in the secondary.
With a pass rush that can generate pressure with just the front four, the Bears should be able to get some pressure on the quarterback, forcing him to either throw the ball away, run or throw the ball down the field to try to make a play (where the ball could fall incomplete or be intercepted). Imagine how good a defense with a good pass rush and a shutdown cornerback would be.
With that kind of player in the secondary and a strong pass rush, when the quarterback goes back to pass, he has to keep in mind that the cornerback is out there and probably has his guy shut down, and therefore it would be dangerous to throw his way.
The Bears defense would be one of the best in the NFL if that were the case.
A true shutdown corner is hard to find. The Bears thought they had one with Charles Tillman, but while he has turned out to be fine in run defense and is one of the best in the NFL at causing turnovers, he hasn’t been the cover corner that they hoped that he would be. The Bears need a true shutdown cover corner like Asomugha is.
We all know that Chicago is notoriously tight with its money, but in the recent past (see Julius Peppers) they have opened up their wallets to help make the Bears a much better contender. Asomugha is sure to cost a team a lot of money, but for the value he brings for the amount that he is sure to ask, he is definitely worth the value.
The Bears may end up taking a look at Asomugha during the offseason to see if he could be a part of their team (and if they could afford him). If general manager Jerry Angelo and president Ted Phillips want to spend the money and sign him, that will help make Chicago’s defense one of the best in the NFL, guaranteed.
Do you think that Asomugha would be a wise addition to the Bears’ defense?
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