By Jordan Long
The Chicago Bears have parted ways with cornerback Tracy Porter. Porter was due to make $3.5 million this year. This saves the Bears $3.6 million against the salary cap.
Porter signed with the Bears in June of 2015. Washington cut him after only appearing in 3 games due to shoulder and hamstring injuries. The Bears were hoping he would come in and boost the secondary by playing coverage, tipping the ball away from a wide-open receiver, and intercepting the football.
Porter lasted two seasons with the Bears. He had a total of 79 tackles and 3 interceptions in his time in Chicago. Those are not Pro Bowl numbers. The Bears this offseason looked to upgrade the position.
The Bears improved the secondary this offseason by agreeing to a contract with Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper. They also added B.W. Webb to be a back-up. Once they made these moves, it was clear they were ready to release Porter.
On Monday they made it official. Porter is now a free agent and can sign with any team. When healthy, Porter is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Porter has everything a team looks for in a cornerback.
The downside is his injury history. Porter has played a full season only twice in his 9 year NFL career. A team that signs him will be taking a risk because who knows if he will last the whole season.
Porter can still play in this league. He is not the shut-down corner he once was. Porter would have to be the third cornerback on the team to shut down the slot receiver. Hopefully a team will take the risk to sign him.
How do you feel about the Bears letting Tracy Porter go? Where should he sign next?
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