The Bears draft on Saturday went exactly how any Bears fan should have expected.
Sure, Jerry Angelo could have decided to go after a wide receiver or quarterback on day one, but he went directly after what this team needs to get better right away.
A stud offensive tackle in Chris Williams and an underrated Matt Forte to fill in at running back.
Sure, there are other needs for this team going into 2008, but the two biggest needs were addressed on day one.
Sunday was a much different story for me and what the Bears chose to do.
Chicago acquired Earl Bennett and Marcus Harrison in the third round. Obviously there is a need at WR for the Bears, but Bennett is only going to be more of the same in a group of receivers who consist of Marty Booker, Mark Bradley, and Brandon Lloyd.
Sure, Bennett is another body, but don't count on him to be any different than what the Bears have at a very weak position.
The selection of Marcus Harrison should immediately raise the ire of Bears fans.
Just one season ago we were forced to deal with the whole Tank Johnson situation where he found himself in much legal trouble.
Now the Bears go ahead and draft a defensive tackle who is not only injury ridden, but also a young man who has had trouble staying out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
Overall, the third round is where things began to go downhill for the Bears.
On the other hand, Craig Steltz in the fourth round is my favorite day two pick from the Bears.
With consistent injuries to an inconsistent position for the Bears, Steltz may not be the answer at safety but he will bridge the gap in ability if Mike Brown is to go down with injury again.
This is something the Bears have not been prepared for in previous years. However, this year the story is changed and hopefully this benefits them in the season to come.
The fifth round on is mostly a crap shoot to begin with, but I was confused by the Bears first pick of the fifth round in cornerback Zackary Bowman from Nebraska.
He has been haunted with knee problems in college and time will tell if it transfers to the NFL. With the Bears’ strong cornerback situation, I am left scratching my head after this selection.
Later in the fifth round, Kellen Davis of Michigan State was drafted to help with the departure of John Gilmore.
The more I think about this selection, the less ticked off by it I am. However, this was a pick the Bears could have added depth at WR, went after a mid-round quarterback, or added more defensive help.
Instead, they go after a tight end yet again, and a tight end that won't be asked to contribute much this season.
Chester Adams of Georgia was a selection I did like in the seventh round, but do not expect an early impact from him.
In the case that the Bears offensive line has an injury, Adams will be a nice backup to bring in but other than that I do not see him fitting in with the Bears’ future plans.
The Bears could have gone several different directions with this year’s draft.
I thought the first round brought in an excellent selection, while the second round draft choice basically wrapped up the Cedric Benson experiment in Chicago.
By the Bears not drafting a quarterback in any round, you have to figure they are expecting either Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton to emerge as a legitimate NFL starting quarterback this season, something I am not entirely sold on.
Although the Bears did have a very good first day, I was disappointed in their second day selections.
Only time will tell what happens with the picks, but I do not see the Bears being a whole lot better next season with what they brought in.
Because of this I am not exactly thrilled as the team now preps for training camp, which is only three months away.
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5 months ago
Great analysis i also like Steltz adn agree they should have taken another WR instead of Davs or added more at OL. but overall I am happy with the draft
5 months ago
You didn't mention WR Marcus Monk who could be the steal of the draft. He was going to be a 2nd or 3rd round pick but ended up falling because of an injury. We also grabbed an undrafted free agent quarterback who looked pretty good at Bears rookie camp. Steltz to help replace Archuleta along with Forte and Williams helping the offense makes me really like what the Bears did not only during the draft but after it. I also think that the Bears should go after Shaun Alexander if they can find some way to get rid of drunky (a.k.a Cedric Benson).
5 months ago
There was a fantastic article about Marcus Harrison in the Chicago Tribune today that he explained about his run-in with the law and the fact that he refused to lie to the police and just wanted to man up about the mistake he made, and I think that explains a lot about his character that people questioned. Yes, he messed up, but he's human. He learned from it and he has moved on. I think this was a great value pick and he will seriously warrant playing time next to Tommie Harris.
Adams has a chance to actually start at LG. It may sound a little crazy, but he really does.
Steltz has an opportunity to push Danieal Manning for PT...he is just a better football player.
Monk is the big target that the Bears haven't drafted for the past 2 years, and, once he's healthy, will start.
I like Earl Bennett; people are comparing him to Hines Ward. I would say that this would be good if it turns out to be true; Ward is a complete, tough WR.
For the QB situation, no QB on the 2nd day would compete for the Bears in the upcoming season, and there was better value at other positions, although I was skeptical about a CB and TE, both of which are the deepest positions on the team, but I'm not going to complain.
If the offense clicks, they are a playoff team.
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