There’s nothing like reuniting with old friends.
The Chicago Bears re-signed defensive backs Artie Burns and Marqui Christian on September 1, but the team is interested in adding at least one more according to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus. Spielberger tweeted on September 2 that the Bears were among teams interested in acquiring their former starting quarterback Bryce Callahan, who is currently with the Denver Broncos.
Hearing from multiple sources that Broncos CB Bryce Callahan is a player to monitor for a potential trade, would be a VERY hot commodity if cut
Bears among interested teams
Jets GM Joe Douglas was Chicago’s Director of College Scouting in 2015 when Callahan signed as an UDFA
While Spielberger mentioned it’s possible Callahan will be cut, Broncos analyst Benjamin Allbright noted that Denver wasn’t “shopping” the corner, but would be open to trading him. Denver cutting Callahan, Allbright says, is not going to happen.
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Callahan Could Really Help Bears at Nickel Position
Right now, Duke Shelley and Marqui Christian are the top two nickel corners on Chicago’s roster. Christian has started one NFL game (he has played in 56 games, however), but he has never played more than 34% of his team’s defensive snaps in a season, and his inexperience isn’t a plus.
Shelley, a sixth-round pick out of Kansas State in 2019, played just eight snaps in 2019. He saw his playing time increase last season, but he didn’t show much to instill confidence he’ll be able to take over at the position. Shelley earned a 56.5 overall grade from PFF last season, and he played 134 coverage snaps and 69 run defense snaps, allowing a 114.6 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks when he was targeted. He also allowed 9.4 yards per catch.
By contrast, Callahan played 386 coverage snaps and and 261 run defense snaps last season, and he earned an 84.1 overall grade from PFF. The 29-year-old corner allowed opposing QBs a passer rating of 46.9 and gave up 7.1 yards per reception.
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Bears GM Ryan Pace Left Door Open for More Roster Moves
When he was asked about the current competition at the nickel cornerback slot, Bears general manager Ryan Pace said this on September 1:
“That’s been a steady competition throughout. They’re different. I was talking to Coach Desai about that as we kinda worked through it. Duke, to me, is scrappy, tough, instinctive. Marqui is athletic and versatile and can play safety, too, so they’re kind of different flavors and maybe there’s scenarios where we can use all of them, so it’s been a good competition. It’s made them both better. The good thing about it [is] our defensive coordinator will put those guys in advantageous positions.”
The Bears’ first-year DC is Sean Desai, a disciple of current Broncos coach Vic Fangio, and he worked with Callahan in Chicago from 2015-18, so there’s a strong familiarity there.
Pace also seemed to suggest the Bears’ current roster isn’t quite set yet.
“There’s a lot of moving parts. Some of it is still ongoing as we speak. What’s good this year, what’s been nice is just having that additional week. That buys us a little more time,” Pace said about getting Chicago’s 53-man roster and practice squad set.
Sounds like the door is still wide open for another move or two. We’ll see if any of those moves involve Callahan.
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