Chicago Bears: 5 Breakout players set to shine in 2019
5. Buster Skrine, Cornerback
The Chicago Bears weren’t expected to re-sign both Amos and Callahan. Many expected the team to keep one. The one most felt should stay was Callahan. Then the team signed Buster Skrine and many were in shock. If the Bears let Callahan walk, Skrine was the last player on their radar. He was on the team’s radar, however.
Pace wanted to go after Skrine the last time he was a free agent four years ago. They were in the mix, but Skrine decided to go to the New York Jets. The Bears then signed Tracy Porter and Alan Ball and we know how that worked out.
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
Here spoke about Skrine at the annual meetings, via the Chicago Sun-Times:
"“Buster is a guy we’ve always liked. It’s a guy that our scouts liked independently, we liked independently and then our coaches really admired him when we were preparing to play him."
Skrine’s time in New York was spent on some bad defenses. The Jets asked him to do a lot, and he also put a lot of pressure on himself to make plays. He played too aggressively and either got burned or committed too many penalties. Last season, however, he made a concerted effort to cut down on the penalties and had fewer than Prince Amukamara.
In Chicago, Skrine won’t be asked to do too much. He’ll have elite defenders all around him. All he has to do is worry about his area. While he hasn’t played in the preseason, Skrine played well in camp. He had a few interceptions and fit in with the other players.
He also impressed head coach Matt Nagy, per 670 The Score:
"“He’s making plays. He’s a veteran. He’s savvy. He understands it. He knows it. He knows how to take care of his body in training camp. He understands mentally. He puts those horse blinders on and does his job.”"
If Skrine’s good play carries over to the regular season the Chicago Bears should be even stronger at nickel than last season. Callahan was good, yes, but he missed a lot of time due to injuries. He wasn’t there to make the crucial stop at the goal line in the playoff game because he missed the game because of an injury.
We’ll never know for sure, but we can question whether he would’ve made the stop. Skrine, on the other hand, is a durable player. He missed only five games in his eight seasons while Callahan missed 19 games in four seasons.
If Skrine shines in 2019 the Bears could have a super season.