Danieal Manning to Stay With Chicago Bears: Where Will He Play?
Published by Ed Leiser on May 20, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
NFL coaches want plenty of options for their teams, and Bears Head Coach Lovie Smith now has that for his defensive backfield.
Yesterday, safety Danieal Manning signed a one-year tender offer he received from the Bears, an offer that will pay him $1.176 million next season.
It is a good move for the Bears, who only a few weeks ago had a depleted secondary, but now boast a fairly deep and talented group.
In Manning, the Bears have a very athletic veteran who is capable of playing literally anywhere in the secondary, from nickel back to either strong or free safety.
He is also one of the league’s top kick returners.
The fifth-year man from Abilene Christian has averaged 27.9 yards on 68 career kickoff returns, taking one back to the house.
In 2008, Manning was tops in the NFL in kickoff returns, posting an impressive 29.7-yard average.
He also leads the league with 11 kickoff returns of at least 40 yards over the past two seasons.
On the defensive side of the ball, Manning is no stranger to making big plays.
In his first four seasons in Chicago, Manning has totaled six interceptions, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two sacks, and 14 pass breakups.
He was second on the team in tackles last season for the Bears with 92, trailing only Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs (118). Manning has 286 career stops as a Bear.
Manning has also shown to be a durable player in the league, missing only two games in four seasons.
For all these reasons and more, his price tag of only $1.176 million seems like a bargain.
The Bears now have options for a defense that needed a face-lift after several sub-par seasons.
They can play Manning at either safety position, use him on third-down passing situations as a third cornerback, and can still use his breakaway speed as a kickoff returner.
This is because the addition of safeties Major Wright and Chris Harris will allow Lovie Smith to play around with different combinations in his secondary and use more bodies than before.
Al Afalava, Craig Steltz and Josh Bullocks remain on the roster, in addition to Wright and Harris, which could keep Manning in position-limbo.
Having the option of resting players and rotating in fresh ones only figures to make the Bears’ secondary better in 2010 than it was the past few seasons.
Cornerbacks Charles Tillman, Zackary Bowman and Corey Graham figure to be on the field a lot next year in Chicago, but Manning can be used as insurance in case either Tillman or Bowman suffer injuries—both have been bitten by the injury-bug before.
Manning’s versatility will be very important all over the Bears’ secondary next year, and his talent as a return man also means Devin Hester will have less wear-and-tear on him.
Hester, for better-or-worse, is penciled in as the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, and an injury would severely weaken the Bears’ wideout corps.
Manning’s one-year deal was a smart move by the Bears’ front office and he’ll play a big role in 2010—and maybe beyond.
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