The Chicago Bears have maintained complete silence on their plans for cornerback Kyle Fuller. They hinted their desire for him to stay. That much is obvious after he’s coming off a career-best two interceptions and 22 passes defended in 2017. At 25-years old he’s entering his prime. The market is undoubtedly going to be strong for him, as it typically is for cornerbacks.
Undoubtedly GM Ryan Pace would love to avoid another Alshon Jeffery situation. That being a talented young player leaving in free agency and exposing a weakness on the Bears roster. This is why the general consensus believe Fuller will get the franchise tag. It keeps him in place for another year, pays him top money and buys the Bears time to find common ground on a long-term extension.
However, that’s not the only route open to them. There is a third, less utilized one that is possible. It would involve losing Fuller but would help to facilitate a trade that could get the Bears something in return.
Bears could use transition tag to secure Kyle Fuller compensation
It must be noted this scenario is built around the idea that Fuller is much like Jeffery was. He has little desire to return to Chicago. If that’s the case, the Bears have to find a way to get something back for him. The good news is Fuller’s value is much higher than Jeffery’s was a year ago. So the transition tag is in play.
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The basic idea of the transition tag is simple. It allows an NFL to prevent a player from leaving outright. Other teams are allowed to negotiate with that player and make an offer. If he accepts, the Bears would have the right to match that offer. On the other hand, if Fuller were to agree to the deal the other team could negotiate a trade to ensure the Bears don’t match the offer, thus allowing him to leave.
This is basically how Rich Tandler of NBC Sports broke it down on the Kirk Cousins situation in Washington.
“There doesn’t really need to be any winking and nodding involved; the Redskins can give Cousins’ agent permission to talk to any or all teams at any time. Here is my understanding of how it could work out after the Redskins put the tag on him. 1) Cousins works out a deal with, say, Denver. No offer sheet is signed. 2) Cousins goes back to the Redskins, signs the tag, and the teams execute a trade that was agreed to beforehand. 3) Cousins signs the new deal with the Broncos.”
The benefits of this move would be three-fold
It’s a move that would require a lot of trust but also be a win-win situation. A trade would assure Fuller that he doesn’t have to stay in Chicago and is allowed to pick his own team. That team would be able to avoid a front-loaded contract that can hurt their free agency prospects. The Bears get something back in return. Likely a solid draft choice.
It’s not hard to imagine them getting a second round pick in any deal. Fuller has proven his value to that extent at least. It comes down to the unknown factor. Does he want to stay or does he want to leave? Only Fuller himself can answer that question and he won’t reveal it to anybody until he’s ready.
