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Bears offseason preview: Solid at cornerback, with Fuller leading the way

In the National Football League, you can never have enough cornerbacks.

Even with what appears to be a new trend in the league this season back toward dominant ground games, a number of the most prolific quarterbacks and pass offenses in NFL history are active right now.

It is also a golden era at the wide receiver position with Julio Jones, DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas and Tyreek Hill to name just a few setting records every Sunday.

Fortunately for the Chicago Bears they are in relatively good shape at the position ... but you never have too many good cornerbacks.

Kyle Fuller is one of the best corners in the game right now having been a first-team All Pro in 2018 and returning to the Pro Bowl this season.

His interceptions were down this season, but there are very few guys playing as physically and confidently as he is. He literally single-handedly saved victories in Denver and Detroit.

Prince Amukamara continues to play the best football of his career and is good enough that teams are forced to try Fuller on occasion, even if they'd rather not.

Buster Skrine had a really solid season in the slot, his first with the Bears and it was primarily the play of those three that allowed the Bears defense to finish 2019 ninth vs. the pass, and eighth in average gain per pass allowed.

Kevin Toliver appears ready to push Amukamara for his job, the Bears are still intrigued by second year backup Michael Joseph and 2019 rookies Duke Shelley and Stephen Denmark are stuck buried behind the talent in front of them.

Every one of them is under contract for 2020.

2019 matter of act: The biggest drop-off the Bears faced on either side of the ball from a 12-4 2018 to their 2019 8-8 campaign was in take-aways and more specifically interceptions slipping from 27 in '18 to just 10 this past season.

Bears corners had 12 of the 27 picks in 2018 with Fuller leading the way - and the league - with seven, Amukamara had three and departed nickel Bryce Callahan had the other two.

In 2019, Bears corners combined for just 3 interceptions with all of them coming from Fuller.

The fact that the drop-off at the safety position was almost as steep - from 8 interceptions in 2019 to four last season - suggests the issues were as much about pressure/pass rush and not playing on the lead nearly as often, as they were about the play of the Bears cornerbacks.

Cap commitment: The Bears currently have $35.5 million committed to the secondary for 2020, 16.45% of their total cap which ranks sixth in the NFL.

That is skewed however by the new contract just awarded to Eddie Jackson, making him the highest paid safety in the league.

Still, at an average $13.5 million per year Fuller is the eighth highest paid corner in the league, at $9 million Amukamara is 18th and at $5.5 million Skrine is 34th giving the Bears one of the most expensive cornerback rooms in the game.

With needs elsewhere something may have to give and with Toliver appearing ready to take on more in spite of his great presence in the locker room and leadership, Amukamara at 30 years old is a potential cap casualty this offseason.

Offseason need (1 Lowest, 5 Highest): The Bears need at cornerback is a 2 at the moment - you can always get better - but it becomes a 3 if they move on from Amukamara.

Available prospects to watch: It is not a good year to be looking for promising young corners in free agency and if Amukamara is a cap casualty, that's the only kind the Bears could afford.

If he isn't, they won't be looking.

Day 3 of the draft is where the Bears would be most likely to shop for corners and Troy Pride Jr., Notre Dame, Lamar Jackson, Nebraska, Lavert Hill, Michigan, Jaron Bryant, Fresno St., A.J. Green, Oklahoma St. and Tariq Castro-Fields, Penn St. are just a few names to keep an eye on.

• Twitter: @Hub_Arkush

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