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The Chicago Bears are bringing back a familiar face to boost depth in their cornerback room after shutting down two of their veterans for the season.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for December 28, the Bears signed fifth-year cornerback Greg Stroman Jr. to their practice squad on Wednesday, reuniting with a mildly experienced defender who spent the majority of the offseason in Chicago.
Stroman played 45 snaps in the Chicago’s preseason finale against Cleveland back in late August and managed to pick off Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the victory. According to Pro Football Focus, he also allowed just two receptions for 12 yards on six targets when in coverage; however, he was dinged with four missed tackles as well.
The Bears are understandably looking to shore up their cornerback position after placing their top two veterans — Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vildor — on injured reserve with season-ending injuries on December 23. While Stroman feels like more of a backup plan than a replacement, it could be useful to have someone on hand who knows the defensive scheme in case more injuries strike down the final two-game stretch.
Could Bears Elevate Stroman for Matchup With Lions?
The Bears will have the option to elevate Stroman to their game-day roster if they choose in either of their final two games. He is a former 2018 seventh-round pick who has played in 20 games and made three starts at cornerback over his NFL career, which is enough to be useful to a team currently relying on three rookies at the position.
That said, it could take another injury for the Bears to give him a shot.
What hurts Stroman’s playing chances is his lack of ability on special teams. Since he would most likely only get called up for a rotational role (if at all), the Bears would want to know that he could at least contribute on kickoff and punt return teams, and the track record of his career shows that he doesn’t have much experience there. According to Pro Football Focus, Stroman has played 221 career snaps on special teams — mostly on kickoff coverage and punt return unit — but he has only logged one tackle.
If that’s the case, the Bears might be better off leaning on the rookies — Kyler Gordon, Jalyon Jones and Josh Blackwell — for the rest of the way with Harrison Hand and newcomer Breon Borders in place to back them up when necessary. After all, it isn’t like the Bears are really competing for anything other than personal growth at this point.
Will Breon Borders Get Playing Time in Week 17?
Before the Bears consider giving playing time to Stroman via practice-squad elevation, they will most likely want to see what their newest active-roster cornerback — sixth-year veteran Breon Borders — can bring to their rotation. The Bears signed Borders on the same day they placed Johnson and Vildor on IR, but he did not play against the Bills due to the fact that he had only gotten about 24 hours to learn the defense.
Borders could slide into the lineup against the Lions, though, with a full week of practice under his belt. He has played in 31 career games and made six starts since coming into the league in 2017 as an undrafted free agent. He also has experience moving between systems, having played for five teams throughout his career. Much like Stroman’s outlook, it seems likely that Borders only gets a chance to play meaningful minutes if the Bears lose another corner to injury, but he is certainly in a better position to see the field as a member of the 53-man roster.
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