Getty The Chicago Bears signed cornerback Greg Stroman Jr., #27, to a reserve/future contract for 2023.
The Chicago Bears are reinvesting in another one of their young cornerbacks after an impressive final performance to close out the 2022 season.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for January 26, the Bears have signed fifth-year cornerback Greg Stroman Jr. to a reserve/future contract for the 2023 season, locking down another depth piece and bringing their room to six strong for next year.
Stroman, 26, spent the 2022 offseason with the Bears and showed flashes in practice and the preseason, but he was left off the initial 53-man roster at the end of training camp and did not receive an invitation to rejoin them on the practice squad. The Bears, however, opted to bring Stroman back to their practice squad at the end of December and played him in their final two games, allowing him to make his first career start at outside cornerback in the regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Pro Football Focus, Stroman allowed four receptions for 52 yards over his 35 coverage snaps and tallied six tackles, two defensive stops (tackles that constitute a failure for the offense) and an interception, earning him a solid 77.1 overall defensive grade from their analytics. He also recorded a pick in his lone preseason game.
Stroman is now firmly in the race for a backup/rotational role with the Bears in 2023 as one of the only depth pieces in place behind starters Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Kindle Vildor. The Bears also have Michael Ojemudia — a 2020 third-round pick who they claimed off the waivers from the Denver Broncos in late December — and four-game undrafted rookie starter Jaylon Jones set to be in the mix, each of the three of them bringing some level of starting experience to the table.
Stroman Could Contend for Bears’ Backup Role in 2023
The Bears securing Ojemudia — and now Stroman — for the 2023 offseason is a good first step toward them building up their cornerback room. Both are young players with untapped potential who should improve the level of competition for the backup roles on next year’s roster, even once more are signed to the 90-man offseason roster.
Next up? Tendering undrafted rookie Josh Blackwell as an exclusive rights free agent.
Blackwell was another undrafted rookie who got more playing time than expected in 2022 for Chicago’s defense. After he missed the 53-man roster cut in Philadelphia, the Bears added him to their active roster to begin the season and ended up needing him to play in five games in the second half of the season once injuries mounted. He even made his first career starter in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers, allowing four receptions for 46 yards on eight targets and 28 coverage snaps, per PFF.
If the Bears are even remotely optimistic about what Blackwell can bring to the table, they would be wise to extend a qualifying tender to him, which would only be worth about $870,000 for a player with just one year of service on his record.
Bears Could Stand to Invest in Another Starting CB
The Bears have a quality No. 1 cornerback in Johnson set to reprise his role for the 2023 season and could have another quality starter in Gordon to pair with him after the latter showed signs of progress down the stretch of his rookie season. That said, with Chicago holding ample cap resources this offseason, it could be in their best interest to invest in an additional starting cornerback either through free agency or the NFL draft.
The Bears have bigger defensive needs than their cornerback position, but having more than $100 million in cap space means they don’t have to be choosey when it comes to paying for better talent. And with more money to invest in needs during free agency, the Bears will also be free to prioritize value over need when it comes to making their selections in the 2023 NFL draft. In other words, the Bears taking a cornerback with one of their Day 2 picks for a second straight year isn’t out of the question.
The real mystery is what general manager Ryan Poles views as the bigger need: a veteran cornerback with experience and leadership that can boost the room or another young draft investment who could develop into a long-term starter for them. At this point, a veteran would make the most sense given that it would give them stability if Gordon is unable to make a noticeable Year 2 jump, but a high-level rookie would also give them negotiating power/insurance as they prepare for Johnson’s free agency in 2024.