The Broncos can thank Vic Fangio for All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Kyle Fuller was released by the Chicago Bears Saturday afternoon. Before happy hour was over in the Mile High City, general manager George Paton had locked in the All-Pro cornerback.

While the big-time signing will go on Paton’s resume as the first All-Pro he ever landed as a general manager, he can thank his head coach for being the biggest reason the former first-round cornerback chose Denver.

“I think really just I was familiar with Vic and that definitely drew me to Denver,” Fuller stated on Monday, shortly after officially signing his one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Broncos. “I was excited to have a chance to work with him again.”

In 2015, a year after Fuller was the Bears’ first-round pick, Fangio took over Chicago’s defense. In Fangio’s four seasons as the Bears’ defensive coordinator, he transformed the group from one of the worst in the NFL to one of the most feared in the league in his final year in 2018.

A large part of Chicago’s success was due to All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller. In 2018, Fuller led the NFL in interceptions (seven) and passes defended (21) during his First-team All-Pro campaign and his first Pro Bowl season.

“Kyle kept improving during that time we were [in Chicago] and ultimately, the last year we were together there, he had a Pro Bowl season where he was up there is interceptions, leading the league or close to it. Had a punch of PBUs that year too, I think the combination of both led the league in 2018,” Fangio said on Monday, introducing his new cornerback.

“He’s a guy that will tackle and will hit from the corner position,” the head coach continued. “We’re going to do everything we can to get Kyle back to that 2018 form. And I know he’s excited to be here. He’s a really good person. He’s a good teammate, which is always good to add to your building. And we’re excited to have him.”

And Fuller is excited to be reunited with the coach who helped guide him to the best season of his career.

“I felt comfortable when [Fangio] was in Chicago,” Fuller said about Vic’s defense, adding he has ample experience in it. “I think that says a lot.”

But it’s not just Fangio’s defense that drew the 29-year-old cornerback to Denver.

“Our personalities seem to get along well pretty naturally,” Fuller said. “I like the way he goes about coaching and the game of football. I like that a lot.”

In fact, the two golfed together in Chicago, where legend has it Fangio introduced the sport to Fuller in 2017.

“We definitely have a similar interest in golf,” Fuller said. “You just have to open [Fangio] up a little bit.”

Fuller only signed a one-year deal with the Broncos. However, he think he’ll be able to hit the ground running thanks to his four years of experience in Vic’s defense.

“I feel like that will help a lot, me being familiar with the defense, I feel like I will be stepping in and not really having to learn new things. That will keep us moving,” Fuller stated on Monday. “I’ve played with Bryce in Chicago. Ronald Darby played with my brother. I’ve seen a lot of these guys across the league. Justin Simmons, I like the way he plays. I’ll get to know some of them more, but I like the way they play. I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Fuller is the latest addition to a secondary that has had millions pumped into it since the start of the new league year. On the first day of the legal tampering period, Denver signed cornerback Ronald Darby to a three-year, $30 million deal. Before the week was over, All-Pro Justin Simmons became the highest-paid safety in the NFL with a four-year, $61 million deal.

One day later, the Broncos added another All-Pro to their secondary. But this time, it wasn’t the money that sealed the deal. It was Vic Fangio.