Chicago Bears: Should Kyle Fuller be re-signed in 2018 offseason?

At one point in his career, Chicago Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller looked like he was on his way out. Now that his free agency is here, though, what do they do?

This is the Chicago Bears‘ most important offseason in recent memory. They have a new coaching staff in place and look to change the failings (14-34 record) of the past three seasons. Not only do they have decisions to make in free agency and the draft, they also have decisions to make on their own players. As of now, they have 25 free agents on the team. Many won’t return, but which ones?

One key decision to make is on cornerback Kyle Fuller. Fuller has had a bumpy ride in his four years in Chicago. He burst on the scene in 2014, intercepting three passes in his first three career games. However, he didn’t get another one until the last game of the season. Over the course of his next two seasons, Fuller intercepted as many as he did in his rookie season (two in 2015 and two in 2017).

In 2016, Fuller caused an uproar. During camp, he went in for a simple knee scope. The thought was he’d be out a few weeks and probably back by the start of the season, Then a few weeks passed. Then a few months passed. Then, suddenly, his season was through.

Seeing how his teammates on the cornerback unit kept dropping (the Bears at one point had undrafted rookies starting games for them) did not persuade Fuller to come back. The medical staff cleared him to play, but here he was, watching his teammates struggle.

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People question Fuller’s commitment

Fans questioned Fuller’s commitment. More importantly, coaches questioned his commitment. One coach in particular, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, was especially critical. When a coach questions your heart, you have problems. Fangio didn’t just question Fuller’s heart, he did it publicly (via the Chicago Tribune):

"Any time a guy’s hurt, there’s three stages to getting back to the field. One is you’ve got to get medical clearance. Two, the player’s got to say he’s ready to go and feels confident and he’s champing at the bit to go play. And then the coaches get involved and see if he’s better than what the other choices are and if he really is back to being able to play. A has happened. B hasn’t. So C is a non-issue."

With that many speculated that Fuller was gone. He lost the confidence of the man who controls his playing time. Fuller was on the trading block, right? Well, not so fast.

While everyone expected an announcement of a Fuller trade, it ultimately didn’t happen. The Bears, who signed other cornerbacks, decided to keep Fuller. Fuller went on to have arguably his best overall. While his interceptions were still low, his coverage skills improved. He had 22 passes defended, more than double his previous career high. He caused disruption in the secondary which allowed other players to get turnovers. Even Fangio noticed a change in attitude.

After his 2017 season, have things changed for Fuller?

After receiving disdain from the fans in 2016, now Fuller is very popular. Many want the Bears to do whatever they can to keep Fuller. The Bears can franchise tag Fuller and kick the long-term contract decision to next season. They can also go ahead and get the long-term deal done now. The third option, though, is to let Fuller walk as a free agent.

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While everyone is enamored over Fuller’s 2017 season, the Bears need to do their due diligence. The season was his contract season. He played very well so he could get the megadeal. Will Fuller get too comfortable with his money until the next time he’s in a contract year? Do the Bears forget the previous three seasons because of a good 2017?

Tagging Fuller gives him a guaranteed contract of over $15.2 million. That’s a lot of money to give to someone who has more missed games (18) than interceptions (8). There are some other cornerbacks who have a better track record and who might not require as much of a big contract.

The Bears have until March 6 to franchise Fuller.

If the Bears decide to give Fuller a long-term deal, it could cost anywhere between $10-13 million. That is a more economical way to go, but again, was Fuller’s 2017 a sign of what’s to come or is it a mirage?

In addition to free agent corners, there are options in the draft. The positive of getting someone through the draft is that the player is cheaper and under control for four seasons. Of course, you have no idea how that player does in the NFL.

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The Chicago Bears are at a crossroads. They’re trying to erase the memories of the failings of the past seven years. They need new players to come in and do the job the old names couldn’t. One of those old names may be Kyle Fuller.