LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- John Fox summed up the Kyle Fuller predicament in one sentence.
“We just didn’t deem him our best option for a roster spot, to move to the active roster right now,” Fox said after Fuller reverted to injured reserve on Wednesday.
Translation: There are presently seven cornerbacks on the Chicago Bears' 53-man roster, and all of them are better options than the 14th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft.
What else needs to be said?
Outside of Tracy Porter, there is not one decorated NFL cornerback inside the Bears’ locker room. Fuller is not being evaluated against Richard Sherman, Josh Norman, Chris Harris or Marcus Peters. His competition is Bryce Callahan, Cre'Von LeBlanc, Demontre Hurst and others.
Yet, the Bears are content to roll without Fuller, and have been for basically the entire year.
When’s the last time you heard of an NFL player sitting out an entire season because of a knee scope? That is a common procedure for professional football players where recovery time is usually measured in weeks, not months. Fuller told reporters his surgery (in August) went according to plan, and that all he had was the scope. He also voiced no concerns whatsoever that his knee could be a problem in 2017 or beyond.
So, the injury is not the issue. The player is.
The Bears think they’re better off without Fuller -- which is their right -- but it again highlights the club’s terrible draft record in round one. If, as many expect, Fuller departs in the offseason, that would leave Kyle Long as the only first-round pick left from the old regimes.
Greg Olsen just made another Pro Bowl, but unfortunately that’s for Carolina. Chris Williams. Gone. Gabe Carimi. Gone. Shea McClellin. Gone. Kevin White. Hurt again.
Fuller is close to joining that group. And that’s a shame, because Fuller has some ability. You don’t win NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors by accident, as Fuller did in Week 2 of his rookie year at San Francisco.
But for whatever reasons, it simply did not work out. The Bears have to now re-draft a position they should be set at for five-to-six years. The 14th overall pick should last seven seasons, not three (and only play in two).
Add Fuller to the ever-growing list of why the Bears have missed the playoffs nine of 10 seasons.