The Chicago Bears Season Preview: The Cornerbacks
Published by Bryan Dietzler on September 10, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Bears problems at the cornerback position are well known and it is safe to say that ineffective play in the secondary helped contribute to the Bears defensive demise at critical times last season (see the game against the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for reference).
Chicago hopes that their secondary will be much more improved this season but if how things have gone so far in training camp is any indication, it could be a long season for the Bears cornerbacks.
The following is a player by player look at all of the players at the cornerback position for the Bears heading into training camp. There is a quick look back at how they performed in 2008, how their offseason has gone so far and where they stand in 2009.
Charles Tillman
Tillman’s preseason was over before it even started as back surgery took him out for several weeks. He believes that he will be ready by the time the season starts and everyone from Bears fans to the coaching staff hopes that is prediction is accurate.
Tillman had a solid but injury filled season in 2008 and it’s hoped that he stays in one piece during the entire 2009 season. Tillman is the ideal cover 2 cornerback as his size and ability to support the run well make him an asset in that kind of system and this is why his being out of the lineup always hurts the Bears.
Look for Tillman to return to the lineup before the season starts and play well when he is not hurt but that is asking a lot these days.
Nathan Vasher
Vasher is on the hot seat this season and some experts feel that he may not even make the final cut in training camp due to his uninspired play so far. Financially, the Bears will most likely be forced to keep him on the roster at least one more season.
In addition to his poor play, Vasher has had some problems with injuries that have kept him on the bench for most of the past two seasons. If Vasher doesn’t hold up this season (staying healthy) and doesn’t perform well this season, he may not be around in 2010 but for now, he’s the starter and the potential weak link for the Bears at the cornerback position.
Zackary Bowman
Of all of the players at the cornerback position, Bowman impressed the coaching staff the most this summer but fell to a hamstring injury that kept him out of all the preseason games and a good part of training camp.
If Bowman can get back to being healthy again, he could either fill in until Tillman returns from injury or overtake Vasher who isn’t playing as well as the Bears had hoped.
If he can stay healthy, Bowman may find himself a starter at the cornerback position and could be Vasher’s eventual replacement.
Corey Graham
Graham was slated to make a switch to safety but due to injuries at the cornerback position, Graham will stay at his natural position in 2009. He played in all 16 games last season, starting nine of those contests and he managed to play pretty well.
Graham will play nickel this season at times and as needed and could crack the starting lineup in case of injury. He hasn’t had the best of offseasons but is still one of the better players at the cornerback position for the Bears.
Trumaine McBride
McBride hasn’t had a great camp either but remains a pretty viable option for the Bears at the cornerback position. McBride played in all 16 games in 2009 starting one and managed to play pretty well when he was called upon.
He played pretty well against the Buffalo Bills in the preseason but fell off a bit in their game against Denver. McBride will be used in case of injury in the secondary and if he can get on the field he could end up performing very well which would greatly help the Bears.
D.J. Moore
Moore, a rookie out of Vanderbilt, is most likely a good candidate for the practice squad this season as he really hasn’t impressed the coaching staff during the preseason. Moore is a bit smallish, something that the Bears don’t prefer in their cover 2 scheme which requires that their cornerbacks be bigger and capable of stopping the run.
The Bears did end up retaining Moore and he should help out on special teams while he learns more about playing the cornerback position.
Woodny Turenne
Of all of the undrafted free agents the Bears brought in at the cornerback position this offseason, Turenne may have had the best of all of them.
He showed up well in the preseason games and can play on special teams which is a huge asset for Turenne. Due to the talent ahead of him, Turenne was placed on the practice squad where he will continue to develop and possibly contribute at some point in the future.
The cornerback position will probably see a few changes as the season goes on thanks to injury and ineffective play. We could be seeing the last season for Vasher as a Bear as he has just one more chance to step it up or he could be stepping out.
We will also see the development of some of the younger talent on this team with players such as D.J. Moore on the active roster and ready to contribute at some point this season.
Needless to say it will be an interesting season for the Bears at the cornerback position and hopes are high that injuries don’t happen and everyone can step it up and play well this season.
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