Chicago Bears: 5 Burning questions for 2019 entering training camp

3. Can Buster Skrine show he is the right replacement at nickel?

As I mentioned, the Chicago Bears lost two starters from the defense, Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan. The replacements for them were Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Buster Skrine. There were some cheers and a few jeers for Clinton-Dix but he is a former Pro Bowl player and has been a playmaker in his career (14 interceptions and four forced fumbles).

Skrine is the one that left many scratching their heads. The Bears rave about his physical skills and his fit in the system. Critics look at his penalties and his problems with being too physical which led to him getting burned.

In terms of his penalties, Skrine did a great job of cutting them down in 2018. He only committed seven penalties last season. As a comparison, Prince Amukamara had eight.

Skrine played on some bad defenses in New York (and Cleveland before that), requiring him to try to do more. In Chicago, he’ll be playing on an elite defense. He won’t be asked to be the savior on the unit. He just has to worry about his man and know that the other players are doing their things. Being surrounded by elite defenders also helps bring his game up. He’s trying not to be the weak link.

Another motivation is Duke Shelley. The Bears are very happy with his work so far and some feel he is the future. If he shows during preseason games that he isn’t lost and he’s ready to pitch in right away he could be the main backup. That could put pressure on Skrine to try to keep the future at bay. The Bears have an out after the 2020 season so he could be playing to stay on the team or auditioning for another team.

If Skrine does show he is the right fit for this defense and plays well, this defense could turn from elite to all-time great. That’d be music to Bears fans’ ears.