Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
With the Bears picking Kyle Fuller in the first round of the draft and now seemingly having an abundance of cornerbacks, do you think there's a chance Charles Tillman will move to safety?
Evan B.
Kokomo, Indiana
No, that's not going to happen. When a reporter asked Phil Emery the same question you posed at Kyle Fuller's introductory news conference Friday, the general manager quashed that possibility definitively, saying: "You can rule that out 100 percent. You don't even have to finish your question. Charles Tillman is our starting corner and that's where he's going to be."
I can't remember the last time the Bears drafted a defensive player in each of the first three rounds like they did this year with Kyle Fuller, Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton. Please refresh my memory.
Gary T.
Lansing, Illinois
The last time the Bears chose a defensive player in each of the first three rounds of the draft was in 2003 when they picked defensive end Michael Haynes in the first round, cornerback Charles Tillman in the second and linebacker Lance Briggs in the third. The Bears also selected quarterback Rex Grossman in the first round that year.
I read that the Bears were one of the teams that would have been interested in signing Missouri linebacker Michael Sam had he not been drafted. Is that true?
Allen G.
Beloit, Wisconsin
Yes, general manager Phil Emery confirmed in his post-draft press conference that the Bears would have been interested in Missouri linebacker Michael Sam, the first openly-gay player ever selected in the NFL Draft. Last season Sam was named SEC defensive player of the year after recording 19 tackles-for-loss and 11.5 sacks. Said Emery: "We would have put him at defensive end and might have given him a shot at Sam 'backer, but I think his skill set is more defensive end. When somebody has that number of sacks, you've got to pay attention to that. You give him a chance to come in and compete for a job. So, yes, had he made it through [undrafted], we would have been competitive in terms of college free agency."
