Chicago Bears: 5 offseason needs in 2019
By Jon Dove
Cornerback
The sizeable contract signed by Baltimore Ravens slot cornerback Tavon Young will make it tough for the Chicago Bears to retain Bryce Callahan. This would create a big hole in the Bears secondary.
Callahan has developed into one of the better slot cornerbacks in the game and his absence was felt during the last season’s playoffs. Golden Tate had a solid performance; he would have likely been covered by Callahan.
Chicago has veteran Sherrick McManis still in the mix, as is youngster Kevin Toliver. McManis is a key special-teams performer and handing him increased work on defense could limit his contributions in that area.
Toliver has raw talent, but was an undrafted free agent for a reason. He is also someone who is a better fit in coverage on the outside.
The Bears spent considerable money in free agency over the past few years, so they have limited money to work with this offseason. This will limit them to looking at players like Justin Coleman or Buster Skrine to replace Callahan.
It’s possible that the Bears find a way to bring Callahan back. He has plenty of value, but has dealt with several injuries during his career. This could keep his price tag low enough that Chicago can stay in the mix.