Slowly, but surely, the Chicago Bears are filling their needs at various positions during free agency. Their latest signing came on Saturday as they agreed to a one-year contract with former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Artie Burns.
Burns, a former first-round draft pick back in 2016, started out as a promising young player in the Steelers’ system, but fell out of favor with the team halfway through the 2018 season. He started just one game in 2019 before injuring his knee, then spending the final few weeks as a healthy scratch.
Burns now comes to Chicago ready to compete for a starting spot opposite Pro-Bowl corner Kyle Fuller and nickel cornerback Buster Skrine following the release of Prince Amukamara in February. And he will certainly have competition.
With the acquisition of the former Steeler, the Bears now have three players who have a legitimate opportunity to win the starting job; Burns, cornerback Tre Roberson, who was signed from the Canadian Football League (CFL) in February, and third-year corner Kevin Toliver.
Barring any other moves in free agency or the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, one of these three will emerge from the competition.
Read on for a brief breakdown of what each player brings to the table.