Bears Plan Meeting with $7 Million CB to Evaluate as Jaylon Johnson’s Potential Replacement
The Chicago Bears made one move to bolster the defense ahead of the NFL trade deadline, which came and went on Tuesday, November 4, and are in the mix to add another piece to that side of the football via free agency.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Wednesday that Chicago will host former Los Angeles Chargers starting cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. to a visit early next week, as the Bears compete with several teams for his services, including the division rival Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.
“It’ll be a busy couple weeks for Asante Samuel Jr.,” Rapoport posted to X. “He’s visiting the #Panthers today. After that, it’s: #Packers (Thursday), #Vikings (Friday), #49ers (Monday), #Bears Tuesday and #Steelers (Wednesday). A thorough, methodical process.
Samuel played just four games for the Chargers last season due to injury issues and underwent a spinal fusion surgery during the offseason.
Bears Remain Thin at Cornerback Position With Jaylon Johnson on IR
Samuel was a second-round pick of the Chargers (No. 47 overall) in the 2021 draft. He is the son of former NFL defensive back Asante Samuel Sr., who played 11 seasons in the league between 2003-13 across stints with the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons, earning Pro-Bowl honors four times.
The younger Samuel, now 26 years old, began starting immediately upon his arrival in the league. He has appeared in 50 games, logging 47 starts. Samuel has produced 37 pass breakups and six interceptions over that span.
He inked a four-year rookie deal worth $7 million and would have entered free agency as at least a relatively hot commodity in March had it not been for the injury. However, his back issue caused the delay and could impact the length and/or annual value of whatever his next deal is. That said, with six teams interested — all of which are at least .500 or better halfway into the season — Samuel is likely going to be able to use that interest as leverage in negotiations.
Jaylon Johnson, Chicago’s top cornerback, remains on the injured reserve list (IR) with a groin injury. He sustained the injury in July and re-aggravated it in Week 2, eventually undergoing surgery in early October.
The Bears already added C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the secondary after the Houston Texans released him earlier this season. Chicago bringing in Samuel would add another starting-caliber cornerback to the defense ahead of Johnson’s eventual return.
Bears Replaced Injured DE Dayo Odeyingbo With Former 1st-Round Bust
Another area where the Bears needed help was the pass rush.
The team made a trade with the Cleveland Browns ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to bring some in after defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo went down for the season with an Achilles tear.
“Another trade: Browns sending DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and a seventh-round pick to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a sixth-round pick, per sources,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Tuesday on social media. “Chicago lost DE Dayo Odeyingbo to a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday, and now trade for a potential replacement two days later.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Tryon-Shoyinka a first-round pick in 2021, where he put up 15 sacks in four seasons before inking a one-year deal worth $4.75 million to join the Browns ahead of this season. Through eight games in Cleveland, the 26-year-old defensive end played just 31 snaps on defense.
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