Fuller headed back to Pro Bowl

Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller is heading back to the Pro Bowl. After being voted as an alternate last month, he was picked Thursday to replace injured Rams star Jalen Ramsey.

Fuller led the Bears with three interceptions this season, one year after tying for the league lead with seven. Known as a physical player, Fuller’s 82 tackles ranked second on the Bears. He played a team-high 99.72 percent of the Bears’ defensive snaps.

The 2014 first-round pick made his first Pro Bowl last season, when he was also named a first-team All-Pro.

Last month, three of Fuller’s teammates were voted to the Pro Bowl, which will take place Jan. 26 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida: returner Cordarrelle Patterson, outside linebacker Khalil Mack and safety Eddie Jackson.

Punt returner Tarik Cohen and nose tackle Eddie Goldman remain alternates, though Goldman finished the season in concussion protocol.

New tight ends coach

Upgrading at tight end is a high priority for the Bears this offseason, and coach

Matt Nagy took the first step toward addressing that issue by hiring longtime NFL assistant Clancy Barone as tight ends coach.

Barone has been an offensive line and tight ends coach since entering the NFL with the Falcons in 2004. He was the tight ends coach for the Vikings in 2017 and coached the offensive line in 2018 before being out of the league this season. Before landing in Minnesota, Barone coached those two positions for the Broncos from 2009 to ’16.

He spent 17 years in the college ranks. During his three-year stint at Eastern Illinois, he successfully recruited a high school defensive end: Ryan Pace, the future Bears general manager.

Nagy fired offensive coordinator Mark

Helfrich, tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand last week. He hired Juan Castillo to replace Hiestand and is still looking for a new coordinator.