Getty Dane Cruikshank signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bears this offseason.
The Chicago Bears signed former Tennessee Titans safety Dane Cruikshank to a one-year deal in late March, less than a month before they drafted safety Jaquan Brisker in the second round with the 50th overall pick.
Cruikshank, a fifth-round pick (152nd overall) for the Titans out of Arizona in 2018, served as the third safety for Tennessee last year. After playing predominantly on special teams his first three years, Cruikshank played 46% of the Titans’ defensive snaps last season, registering a career-high 43 tackles while also forcing a fumble and a PBU (stats via Pro Football Reference).
He has played in 44 games over the past four seasons, starting four, but one reporter covering the Bears thinks he could be a surprise cut in favor of multiple rookies despite his experience and veteran status.
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ESPN Thinks Cruikshank May Be ‘Odd Man Out’
The Bears beefed up their secondary in the 2022 draft, selecting defensive backs with their first two picks, also adding cornerback Kyler Gordon in addition to Brisker. The Bears also drafted safety Elijah Hicks in Round 7 and re-signed veteran backup DeAndre Houston-Carson, and Courtney Cronin of ESPN thinks there may be no room left for Cruikshank.
ESPN selected a potential cut candidate from all 32 NFL teams, and Cronin thinks it could be Cruikshank for Chicago.
“Cruikshank was an addition during the second wave of free agency and was expected to fit in behind Eddie Jackson on the depth chart. With the addition of rookie Jaquan Brisker, who impressed the coaching staff with his versatility this spring, Cruikshank could be the odd man out if Chicago hangs on to four safeties, including DeAndre Houston-Carson and seventh-rounder Elijah Hicks,” Cronin noted on July 6.
Watching Hicks, who had 46 career starts at California, compete against Cruikshank for a roster spot could be one of the more intriguing position battles to watch when training camp kicks off on July 26 (rookies report on July 23).
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Cruikshank Wasn’t at OTAs
Cruikshank has a somewhat concerning injury history in recent years. He played just two games in 2020 after suffering a groin injury, along with another undisclosed injury. Cruikshank also spent time on the injured reserve list last year with a knee injury and he missed all of Chicago’s OTAs for unknown reasons, so he has yet to show the Bears coaching staff what he can do.
“Cruikshank did miss three games on injured reserve last year with a knee injury but returned and finished the season. It’s unknown whether his absence all offseason had anything to do with that injury,” Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated reported on June 26.
An athletic and hard-hitting defender, Cruikshank has speed (he ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine) and his experience playing in dime packages should make him a favorite to beat out Hicks for a roster spot, but we’ll see how it all shakes down.
You can watch some of Cruikshank’s highlights in the video below:
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