Bears counting on Graham
Buffalonian makes switch to safety
Conventional wisdom says you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Corey Graham is out to prove that wrong.
The Buffalo native has already caught the Chicago Bears’ eye at cornerback. Now he’s trying to do it again at free safety.
Graham spent much of the offseason learning his new position. The transition hasn’t always been smooth, but he’s getting used to the change.
“It has been a bit of an adjustment because I haven’t played safety in a long time,” said Graham, who played the position during his senior year at Turner- Carroll High School and for two games at the University of New Hampshire. “I thought I played the position pretty well, so it’s just a matter of getting familiar with it again.”
The Bears approached Graham about playing free safety before the start of organized team activities. The request caught him a bit off guard since he was expected to compete for a starting job at right cornerback after starting nine games there last season. But if it means an opportunity to play regularly he’s more than willing to make the change.
“The coaches said they want to get the best players on the field and this might be the best move for me as far as playing this year,” Graham said. “It’s a little bit of an adjustment because the techniques are totally different than cornerback, but the more I work at it, the easier it will get.”
Graham, a fifth-round draft pick in 2007, became a starter last season when former Pro Bowl cornerback Nathan Vasher suffered a groin injury that put him on injured reserve. Graham made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 93 tackles (fifth on the team), one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He also had eight pass breakups.
The 6-foot, 193-pound Graham proved to be a willing tackler in run support. That plus his size, toughness, instincts and coverage skills convinced the Bears he could make a successful position switch.
“He’s a good tackler and he has good ball skills,” Bears head coach Lovie Smith said of Graham during OTAs that concluded last week. “He’s a smart player. Last year he played corner for us and he started a game at nickel when Danieal [Manning] was down. That’s the type of athlete you’re looking for at that position.”
The Bears appear to be set at cornerback with Vasher healthy and back in the starting lineup opposite Charles Tillman. Manning, a former starting free safety, also returns as the nickel corner and the Bears are high on rookie D. J. Moore, a fourth-round pick from Vanderbilt.
But the primary reason the Bears are considering Graham at free safety is they need him. The position is the biggest hole on their defense after the team decided not to re-sign talented, but injury-prone, Mike Brown.
Craig Steltz is the only returning free safety on the roster. New Orleans castoff Josh Bullocks might be in the mix, but he has practiced solely at strong safety this offseason.
While Steltz got most of the snaps with the first-team defense during the OTAs and appears to be the early favorite, Graham might be the better option because he’s more athletic and has excellent range, which is essential in the Bears’ Cover- 2 scheme.
It could come down to who is more consistent and a better communicator in getting the secondary lined up properly during training camp and the preseason games.
“Craig has been there for a year, so he’s a step ahead of me right now,” Graham said. “For the first week I was just out there trying to learn what I was doing, being in the right spot at the right time. But towards the end of OTAs I was able to make plays and play a little faster. I just have to keep studying, keep watching film and I’ll head into training camp ready to roll.”
Despite all the time Graham spent at free safety this offseason, the Bears have offered no guarantees that the move is permanent. Graham lined up at nickel back the last week of OTAs because Manning was sidelined with a tight hamstring. And as last year proved, injuries could mean a full-time role at corner.
For now, Graham will prepare to work at two different positions, which isn’t a bad thing. He figures being knowledgeable at cornerback and safety makes him more valuable to the Bears.
“In this league more is better,” he said. “They can only carry so many players on the roster, so when they’ve got a guy who can play corner and safety instead of having an extra guy for each spot you can just have one guy. Not many safeties in this league can line up and cover receivers, but my experience at corner allows me to do that.
“The coaches have always told me the more I can do, the more versatile I am, the more important I will be. Personally, I don’t care where I play. I just want to be part of the team.”
All Graham wanted to do was make the team as a Bears rookie, which wasn’t a certainty. Heading into his third season, his outstanding play on special teams and versatility on defense have helped him become an indispensable part of the club.
“I take a lot of pride in what I’ve done to get to this point, but I know I have a lot more work to do,” said Graham, who turns 24 on July 25. “I want to be one of the elite players; I want to continue to grow and get better. Every year I’ve made those steps. As a rookie I played mostly on special teams. Going into my second year I said I don’t want to just be a special teams player and I was able to start nine games and play well out there. Now I don’t just want to be a starter, I want to be a guy who makes plays that impact the outcome of games. That’s what this league is about; you try to get better every year.”
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