Veteran cornerback Tom Carter, who lost his starting job to Terry Cousin two weeks ago, has dropped another notch on the Bears’ depth chart and has been replaced as the No. 3 corner by rookie Jerry Azumah.
Azumah, a fifth-round draft choice this year who was converted from running back in the off-season, started in place of Carter on Oct. 31 at Washington to give the Bears a particular run-defense personnel unit on the game’s first play. Carter came in on the second play and failed to get into position to tackle Stephen Davis on his 76-yard touchdown run. Cousin became the permanent starter at right cornerback the next week at Green Bay.
Now Carter, who signed a five-year, $13.8 million contract in 1997, has been demoted again. Unless he finishes well the rest of this season, he is unlikely to be a Bear in 2000. Carter’s base salary is $2.2 million in 2000 and $2.4 million in 2001. If he is not released outright, he probably faces a huge pay cut.
Better place: California-born Van Tuinei began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers in 1997. But Tuinei, now the Bears’ starting defensive right end, played in only three games there and was cut at the end of the 1998 preseason.
Difficult as being released was, though, “leaving San Diego was probably the best thing for me,” Tuinei said. “I wasn’t going to get much playing time there, and going to Indianapolis and (defensive line coach) Greg Blache was a great opportunity for me.”
Tuinei played in 12 games for Blache. But Blache left to take the Bears’ defensive coordinator job, and Tuinei signed with the Bears on Sept. 6.
Finding the positive: At least for the time being, Curtis Conway has lost his starting wide receiver spot to Marcus Robinson, who used Conway’s five-game absence to establish himself as one of the NFL’s most dangerous deep threats. Rookie Marty Booker also broke in with seven catches, 134 yards and two touchdowns last week in his first NFL start.
“My getting hurt was a blessing in disguise,” Conway said. “It gave Marcus and Booker a chance to get in there and show they can play.”
