The Bears had a Top-10 rated defense last year. Going into the off-season though, there were a couple of factors that presented obstacles for repeating that feat in 2018.
One was the potential loss of Vic Fangio as Defensive Coordinator. Even though the Packers tried to steal him away, Ryan Pace & Matt Nagy were able to convince Fangio to stay on board.
Another obstacle was the contract situations with Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara — the team’s two starting corners. Losing one or both of these players to free agency meant a huge hole would be left on the roster at that position. As we know, Fuller was signed to a 4-year deal (better luck next time, Green Bay) and Amukamara signed a 3-year deal.
These re-signings allow the core of the defense to stay in place and allow for a better chance to repeat as a Top-10 Defense next season. But, as we know, Pace is never satisfied and is always looking to make upgrades for his team.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The Bears are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to adding talent to their young roster. Josh Norris, a writer for Rotoworld, dropped an interesting bit of news on Twitter earlier today.
UCF CB Mike Hughes is visiting the #Bears today pic.twitter.com/r0lvWU3tPn
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 2, 2018
If you don’t follow pre-draft news and chatter, you’re unlikely to know the name. Mike Hughes is a Corner out of the University of Central Florida and is considered by many NFL Draft experts to be a late 1st/early 2nd round pick.
Hughes helped anchor a defense that went on a tear during the season to eventually come out as undefeated and self-appointed National Champions. He’s an extremely tough defender, who looks to press at the line of scrimmage and completely knock the receiver off of their route.
Numbers don’t… pic.twitter.com/4MnjUwICoN
— Mike Hughes (@_Bigmikee1) March 26, 2018
Listed at only 5’10”, Hughes plays well above his size and frame. He has the natural ability to track the ball in the air and plays it just like a wide receiver would. He’s still considered raw coming out of college, but every indication shows that he could be something special in this league as a shut-down corner.
Not only would Hughes be an asset at corner, but he’s also a talented Return Specialist. His speed, quickness, and acceleration are hard to match in the league and he’d add another weapon at that position.
The only concern with Hughes comes off the field. He started his college career at the University of North Carolina but was suspended his rookie year for violation of team rules. He then went on to Garden City Community College and he came on board at UCF a year later.
If everything comes back clean for issues off the field, Hughes could be a valuable find for the Bears in Round 2. Pace has a valuable source to find out what happened at UNC with Hughes in his former QB and teammate, Mitchell Trubisky, and the meeting today will prove very valuable as well.
The question becomes whether or not the Bears are doing their due diligence and meeting with every prospect they can, or whether they believe Hughes could be a worthy selection when their time on the clock begins.
