Change is always a scary thing. It is also inevitable in the NFL when a new power structure comes into place for a team. Players that were once elevated in the hierarchy may find themselves back at square one. Conversely, the arrival of new leadership may also bring new opportunities. Players that couldn’t get their foot in the door now have a chance. It comes down to making a strong impression when the time comes. One player that seems to have recognized this is Thomas Graham Jr.
The former 6th round pick struggled to get on the field at cornerback for the Bears last season. Not until a mix of injuries and COVID struck the defense hard was he finally able to see some action. He played well too, finishing with four passes defended in just two games. Yet it wasn’t enough to earn him a more permanent role. He wasn’t happy about that. So when the news dropped that Matt Eberflus was arriving with a new defensive system, he got straight to work.
“Yeah, the way in which we practice and the way in which we play is different. It’s different. You can ask anybody who has been in that system. And I encouraged them, because the NFL is a small fraternity, so I encourage all the players, hey, do you know anybody on our last team that we were on?
In fact, I was talking to (cornerback) Thomas Graham Jr. and he was talking to me about how he had visited with Kenny Moore and he talked to him because they have the same DB trainer/offseason trainer. And I said, ‘Hey, just ask him about it. Ask him what he thinks about the system and how he dived into it with both feet and committed to it.’ And he was like, hey, it works.”
Kenny Moore — one of the most underrated players in all of football — just made one of the best one-handed interceptions you'll see.
WOW. pic.twitter.com/1Y8PKwoLhx
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 13, 2020
Moore was an undrafted free agent out of Valdosta State in 2017. He had a decent rookie year but really took off when Eberflus arrived in 2018. The cornerback had 13 interceptions, seven sacks, and 320 tackles in four seasons together. His Pro Bowl nod last year confirmed him as one of the best nickel corners in the league. If anybody can help chart a path for Thomas Graham to succeed in this defense, it’s him.
An important factor here is the scheme itself. Eberflus is said to run something similar to Lovie Smith’s classic Tampa-2 scheme. This means corners aren’t required to play lots of man coverage. They can play more zone, keeping the ball in front of them. Graham’s style is a far better fit for this system than the previous one, thanks to his mix of instincts, ball skills, and lack of deep speed.
The timing could be perfect. Chicago is dangerously thin at cornerback outside of Jaylon Johnson. Graham could use this as his chance to carve out a long-term role. Reaching out to Moore and heeding this advice could give the second-year man a decisive advantage in the months to come.
