Chicago Bears: Put Trumaine Johnson on wishlist
Most fans view Carolina Panthers Defensive Player of the Year candidate Josh Norman as their “pipe dream” cornerback target in free agency with Kansas City Chiefs ace cover guy Sean Smith closely behind him. However, there’s another top impending free agent corner out there, and he could make plenty of sense for the Chicago Bears.
Although the Chicago Bears will have to either tag or splurge a lot of money on Alshon Jeffery (they’ll probably do the latter if they tag him anyway) this offseason, they have so much cap space that they should be able to have plenty of money leftover for a marquee signing or two, especially if they save a little over $4 million by cutting offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod.
Related Story: Who are the NFL's most untradeable players?
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson was left off the Pro Bowl roster in criminal fashion, but we all know how free agency can cause even the most underrated of players to earn some hype. Savvy fans and bloggers understand just how hot of a commodity Johnson could be on the free agent market, and he’s more than just a consolation prize to Norman and Smith.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
In fact, if those two big-name corners don’t even reach the free agent market and the Rams aren’t able to keep their top priority around, Johnson could get the last laugh with a fat paycheck headed his way. The Rams have other important DBs set to hit the open market in Mark Barron, Janoris Jenkins, and Rodney McLeod, though it is clear that Johnson is their best CB and the man to target the most.
If he is available, I’d imagine that the fans would like to see Bears second-year GM Ryan Pace place Johnson near the top of his wishlist, because he’s exactly the type of shutdown corner this team could use. At 26, Johnson is coming off of the best season of his career, and while he does play around some decorated teammates, they benefit more from his work than the reciprocal.
After picking off three passes in his second and third seasons in the NFL, Johnson established himself as an above-average cornerback in this league. Last year in his fourth season out of Montana, the former third-round pick reached new heights, and, given his age, he could earn “elite” status in 2016.
The stats jump off the page. Johnson recorded 71 tackles last season with seven interceptions and 17 passes defended, pairing his playmaking ability with excellent coverage. Johnson helped the Rams finish second in the NFL in DVOA against No. 1 receivers, per Football Outsiders, and sixth against No. 2 receivers. This defense was also fourth in DVOA on throws to the outside areas of the field, as well as fourth against the deep ball.
It was certainly a team effort induced by the pass rushing skills of Aaron Donald and underrated impending free agent DE William Hayes, but, as you can see by the gaudy numbers, Johnson did plenty on his own.
The Bears and other teams should be concerned that movement from the talent-rich Rams defensive line and secondary to a less-than-stellar supporting cast, such as the one Chicago currently has on the side of the ball, could hurt him, but I’m not as worried. His passes defended and picks would stand to go down in that situation, but his ability to lock up with receivers wouldn’t. In fact, adding a top corner like Johnson could be just what Kyle Fuller needs to turn his encouraging sophomore season (after an uneven but promising rookie campaign) into a breakout a la Johnson’s own 2015.
Last season, the Bears were just 20th in the NFL in scoring defense, but with Vic Fangio leading a defense that has Pernell McPhee, Eddie Goldman, Adrian Amos, Willie Young, and Fuller, adding a couple of missing pieces like Johnson and an impact linebacker (Myles Jack and Reggie Ragland are on the radar here) could help the Bears have a big improvement in 2016.
More nfl spin zone: Who is the best NFL player from your state?
When the Bears signed McPhee last offseason, they struck gold, finding the elite pass rusher they so coveted, so it’s time to pair him with a top cover corner. Norman and Smith may grab more headlines, but I expect Johnson to be mentioned as often as they are among fan bases in the coming weeks; the secret will be out sooner rather than later.