One of the biggest questions for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace entering the 2019 offseason was what he would do at the slot cornerback position. Would he elect to re-sign Bryce Callahan, a former undrafted free agent who rose through the ranks to become an unsung hero for the 2018 Bears defense? Or would he let him walk and find his replacement via free agency or the NFL draft?
Pace chose the latter, signing former New York Jets cornerback Buster Skrine to a 3-year, $16.6 million deal, allowing Callahan to follow former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to Denver, signing for three years and $21 million. A move that was initially questioned and panned by fans and experts alike may now be seen as one of Pace’s best pickups during his tenure with the Bears.
Skrine, a nine-year veteran, has been a dependable pickup for the 2019 Bears defense. He’s made an impact in the running game, wrapping up ball carriers with solid tackling and has been fairly effective as a blitzer when called upon. When it comes to his pass defense, however, he’s improved drastically from his last season with the Jets in nearly every statistical category, including penalties. In 2018, Skrine tied for the team-lead in penalties with seven. So far this season, he’s only been flagged once, an offsides call back in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos.
What’s more, Skrine is on pace to exceed Callahan’s production from last season in most statistical categories. Below is a comparison of Skrine’s 2019 season with Callahan’s 2018 campaign using data courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
| Player/Year | Buster Skrine/2019 | Bryce Callahan/2018 |
| Games played | 11 | 13 |
| Total Tackles | 33 | 45 |
| Tackles for loss | 1 | 6 |
| Sacks | 0 | 2 |
| Completion % | 57.1% | 71.7% |
| Yards per completion | 8.5 | 9.2 |
| QB Rating | 76.9 | 79.9 |
| Touchdowns | 1 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 2 |
| Forced Fumbles | 2 | 0 |
The comparison shows that while Skrine isn’t as great of a blitzing cornerback as Callahan was, his pass defense has exceeded what his predecessor accomplished in his best season as a pro thus far. Most notably, Skrine’s completion percentage is nearly 14 points lower than Callahan’s was in 2018. This all coming from a healthy player as well.
One of the main concerns when considering re-signing Callahan was his injury history. He missed the final four games of the season, including the team’s playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the wildcard round due to a broken foot. Now nearly one year later, he’s yet to play a down for the Broncos and will miss the season due to a setback to the injury suffered in training camp. Meanwhile, Skrine hasn’t missed a game yet and has been on the field 67% of the time, per The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain.
There are still two years left on both Skrine and Callahan’s contracts, respectively. The Bears nickel corner could crash down to earth next season and Callahan may pick up where left off in 2018 once he’s healthy. But through nearly three quarters of the 2019 season, Pace’s decision to sign Skrine is arguably his best move of the offseason and one of his better signings during his tenure.
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