It’s clearer than ever that GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox are banking on the continued development of their roster. The lack of heavy spending in free agency proved that much. Along with their primary focus around finding a quarterback in the draft. No doubt they hope certain young players start developing into front line starters. Of course Leonard Floyd, Jordan Howard and Cody Whitehair being the big names. So here’s a question. Why aren’t people believing more in a Cre’Von LeBlanc breakout?
Remember him? A plucky, undersized rookie corner the Bears discovered during joint practice with the New England Patriots. They grabbed him off waivers after he was cut and he quickly became a starter for them in the secondary. It wasn’t planned. Injuries played a part in it. However, so did his own play. LeBlanc was far from perfect but he played at a level unaccustomed to undrafted free agents his size.
RT ChatSports: Cre'Von LeBlanc picks off Matt Stafford to give the #Bears the lead! #CHIvsDET pic.twitter.com/vJ4JxuGom2
— Seahawks Fan (@centurylinkfiel) December 11, 2016
It was a potential signal that he could be an overlooked piece of the puzzle that the Bears are building on defense.
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Cre’Von LeBlanc breakout hype should be real
Keep in mind the young corner is only 22-years old. He’s still pretty young by NFL standards and came to the pros via Florida Atlantic university. That’s a significant jump in competition level and play speed. That he was able to make 44 tackles, deflect 10 passes and intercept two others in 13 games is fairly impressive under those circumstances. To say nothing of the fact he wasn’t added to the Bears roster until September of last year, right before the regular season started.
Who knows what might happen when he’s given a full offseason of preparation. Pro Football Focus is among those who believe big things. They were quite taken with his performance in 2016, rating him highly among his peers. Particularly rookies.
“LeBlanc also produced as a pass-rusher in limited usage. On 15 pass-rushing snaps, he produced seven total pressures, which led all corners in pass-rushing productivity. His success wasn’t just limited to the slot, as LeBlanc’s passer rating against of 82.7 was 32nd out of 119 eligible cornerbacks, and second among rookie corners.”
Last year for the #Bears, undrafted rookie CB Cre'Von LeBlanc finished with the 2nd lowest passer rating when targeted among all rookie CBs. pic.twitter.com/pZtIiMNMF5
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) May 29, 2017
It’s rather amazing that people criticized him for playing poorly given the situation he was dropped into. With proper context he performed far above the level he should’ve as a 5’10” rookie cornerback. Given him time to work and more help on defense with new arrivals like Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper? There’s no telling how much more effective he can be and will be.
It’s another reminder that sometimes roster holes can get filled naturally by young players maturing and becoming better. That’s the end game this team has worked towards from the start. LeBlanc is a big part of it.
