Bleacher Report - Articles by Joey Garcia

The Chicago Bears Offseason Analysis: The Linebackers

Joey Garcia — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:57:05 -0400

When you think of linebackers for the Chicago Bears, your mind can't help but think of players like "Samurai" Mike Singletary and the most feared linebacker in NFL history, Dick Butkus.

For the younger generations, many fans think of Briggs or Brian Urlacher, the face of the Bears franchise, as the new "Monsters of the Midway."

In our next session of the Bears offseason analysis, we will take a look at the linebacker position.

Chicago is a running back/linebacker city that will look to carry that tradition into the 2009 season.

In 2008, the Bears defense ranked 16th in Points allowed per game, 30th in passing yards, 21st in total yards and fifth against the rush.

2009 will no longer be under the defensive play calling of Babich, but instead, under head coach, Lovie Smith.

Lovie will be looking to stick to his Tampa cover-2 scheme, but it is not yet determined if the linebackers will be more aggressive with any added blitz packages or if he will continue to backpedal the linebackers into zone far from the line of scrimmage.

With all the players at the linebacker position coming back for next season, the Bears will possibly draft a linebacker in the later rounds to add depth to the strong side.

Starting on the WLB is four-time Pro Bowler Lance Briggs. Briggs was a third-round pick for the Bears in the 2003 NFL draft.

Lance is a two-time All-Pro selection and has proved to be a solid linebacker for the Bears.

Lance is a player not afraid of contact, delivering some of the hardest hits all season and forcing many fumbles while stuffing the run with the best of them.

His three interceptions in 2008 proves that he also has a nose for the ball in not only running plays, but passing plays as well.

Briggs has 685 total tackles with six sacks and nine interceptions.

At only 28, Briggs will look to contribute his abilities in a Bears uniform for years to come and be the new face of the franchise when Urlacher retires.

Despite his past complaints towards the Bears organization and saying "I'll never play another down for Chicago again," Briggs signed a six-year contract in 2008, making him a Bear throughout the 2013 season.

Barring any injury, Briggs will continue to have success in 2009 and will be looking to make the pro bowl for the fifth year in a row.

Moving onto the MLB of the linebacker corps is none other then the anchor of the defense, Brian Urlacher.

Urlacher is a defensive captain and will be entering his 10th season as a Chicago Bear.

Urlacher quickly made a name for himself with the defensive rookie of the year and earning the defensive player of the year in 2005.

Urlacher is coming off a lackluster year in 2008 with a career low 93 total tackles while playing a full season.

Urlacher has battled back problems and neck surgery in recent years and has received criticism from fans for not looking like his "old self" again.

2009 will look to be a bounce-back year for Brian.

He has been seen frequently in the weight room in the early off season and will return with a clean bill of health.

Brian will definitely have numbers in the sack column next year and should prove to be back to a dominant force in the middle again.

Finally, on the strong side are a couple of players that could possibly be fighting for a starting spot in training camp.

First is SLB linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer.

Hillenmeyer will be looking for the starting job at the Strong side position for the 09 season.

Hillenmeyer played 13 games in 2008 with only one sack and 18 total tackles.

Hillenmeyer was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL draft.

He was picked up by the Bears at the end of the 2003 preseason after he was cut by the Packers.

Hillenmeyer became the starter for the Bears at the strong side position in 2004 after registering 76 tackles and a career high 2.5 sacks.

Hillenmeyer's abilities have been overshadowed with names like Briggs and Urlacher, but all three have combined to be one of the best linebacker tandems in the league.

Hillenmeyer spent most of last season contributing on special teams and will look to solidify his starting role for 09.

Hunter can prove to be the starter, but his lack of speed in the man coverage has been his downfall. Hillenmeyer has played his best when he covers the zone or blitzes free from the outside.

The player he will be battling for the staring position is SLB Nick Roach.

Roach was an undrafted player who had a career high 38 tackles in 2008 filling in for Hillenmeyer.

If Nick shows promise in the offseason training camps and pre-season games, he could easily find himself in the starting position lining up with Urlacher and Briggs.

Most likely, Hillenmeyer will end up at the SLB, but whoever does will contribute to a linebacker corps that looks to be re-energized in 2009.

Chicago Bears' Offseason Analysis: The Quarterbacks

Joey Garcia — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:03:12 -0400

Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play baseball in the major leagues.

World War II.

"Crazy man, Crazy" becomes Americas first rock and roll hit, the Cuban missile crisis, John F. Kennedy is assassinated.

The Beatles arrive in America, Apollo 11 lands on the moon, the first apple home computer is sold, the AIDS virus was discovered.

These are all just a few things that have happened since the last time the Chicago Bears had a hall of fame quarterback.

If you didn't know already the man I was referring to in the reference above was none other then legendary quarterback Sid Luckman

Now, as much as I hate Sid Luckman references and cliches, it's a sad reality to one of the most inconsistent positions in the entire history of the Bears.

The quarterback position for the Bears is one of the most debated and controversial positions on the roster and not exactly a "Bright" spot of many conversations.

If your reading this and are a Bears fan then you know what its like to hear other teams mention how well their Brady, Manning brothers, McNabb, Rivers, Brees, Warner, etc did on Sunday's game.

You also then know what it's like to feel more left out than a salad on Rosie O' Donnell's dinner plate.

Since 1979, there have been more than 70 quarterback changes for the Bears and 55 changes since the '85 Bears won the Super Bowl.

In our next session of the Bears' offseason analysis, we will wrap up the offensive side of the ball with a look at the quarterbacks on the roster headed into 2009.

Look for the Bears to possibly draft a QB in April's draft towards the later rounds to compete for the third string job or add depth in the practice squad.

2009 will be the first year that Rex Grossman will not be competing in a Bears uniform, thus ending the "Sexy Rexy" era.

Please let us bow our heads and take a moment of silence marking the end of this majestical journey.

R.I.P. Rex Grossman 2003-2008

"May your next adventure with the Lions, Bengals, or sizzler be a joyful one."

We will start our quarterback analysis with the first string down to the third string.

Kyle Orton No. 18 6'4" College-Purdue

Orton will be looking to come into the league as the Bears starter for the second year in a row.

In his first game as the season's starter, Oton led the Bears to a 29-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Orton was picked up by the Bears in the fourth round in the 2005 draft.

Many fans remember Kyle getting to see the field early because of Grossman's injured ankle. Orton threw for 1,869 yards that year with 9 TDs and 13 INTs.

Orton became only the second rookie quarterback since 1970 to win 10 starts.

Let's not forget that those wins were mainly because Orton had a Bears defense that ranked as high as second in the NFL that year.

In Kyle's first season as a starter, in 2008, he threw for a career high 2,972 yards with 18 TDs and 12 INTs.

Kyle's mechanics were much improved from his previous seasons and seemed to be more comfortable in the pocket. Although Kyle's skills have improved, he has been criticized over the season for his lack of ability to throw the deep ball.

I'm not a strength-and-conditioning coach, but hopefully for fans and his WR's this a skill that can be developed in the offseason.

As Matt pointed out in our previous WR analysis, Orton will have the same TE pair but some new faces to throw to next season with Hester looking to be his No. 1 target.

Kyle has a 21-12 win loss record with the Bears and looks to solidify his career in 2009 with the Bears.

The 2009 season will look to be a make or break for not just Kyle but for the entire Bears organization.

With only one year remaining on his contract Orton will look to prove to his team, coaches and fans that he can be the No. 1 guy for many years to come.

Now, if this happens or not will remain to be seen.

Caleb Hanie No. 12 6'2" 225 lbs College-Colorado state

This link is Caleb Hanie's NFL preseason debut.

Caleb Hanie was signed by the Bears as an un drafted free agent in 2008.

Colorado state fans know Caleb very well for his 6,337 career passing yards and 39 TDs.

In his last year at Colorado State, Hanie threw for 2,455 yards with 18 TDs and 15 INTs.

Although Hanie did not see the field as the third sting quarterback in 2008 he showed signs of promise in the 2008 pre season.

Hanie brings a mobile type quarterback to the roster in '09.

In his preseason debut against the Chiefs, Haine had two rushes for 21 yards. That was more than all three fullbacks and three yards shy of Matt Forte's performance that game.

Hanie finished out his preseason with 321 yards passing with 2 TDs and 2 INTs.

Hanie could have a chance to see the field in '09 if we wins the No. 2 spot, barring any injury to Orton.

Hanie will need to work on his timing routes with the wide outs and fine tune his accuracy.

Caleb will look to continue developing as a young quarterback in the NFL and will battle our next quarterback in our analysis for the No. 2 spot.

Brett Basanez No.14 6'2" 210 lbs College-Northwestern

Brett was signed by the Bears in February of the 2008 offseason. Basanez was an undrafted free agent signed by the Carolina Panthers in 2006.

In three seasons in the NFL, Brett has only played one game.

Brett made his NFL debut in a loss against the Steelers going 6-for-11 with 56 yards passing and one INT.

Although Brett has set many college records at Northwestern he has yet to carry that success over into the NFL.

It's obvious that Angelo sees something in Brett that he thinks he can develop. (I know I could go many ways with that thought, but I'll save it for another time.)

Basanez spent last season on the Panthers practice squad and will be looking for a change with the Bears in '09.

Brett will be looking to battle Hanie for the second string spot on the roster but will most likely end up third.

As we wrap up the offensive side of the off season analysis for the Bears, 2009 will look to definitely be a very high or low year for the Bears.

The Bears will be looking to get back into the playoffs since their Super Bowl appearance in 2006.

Do they have they right players to make an impact on offense?

Will they choose they right players in the draft?

Will Kyle Orton finally silence his critics?

Only time will tell.

In our next offseason analysis Matt will begin on the defensive side of the ball with the D-line.

Chicago Bears Offseason Analysis: The Running Backs

Joey Garcia — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:59:14 -0400

In today's offseason analysis, we will take a look at the running back position.

We last left off with Matt breaking down the offensive line with players on our current roster and areas of need.

From offensive line to the players they will be blocking for, we will evaluate our talent at running back for the 09 season.

April's draft will be only the second time since 2002 that the Bears will not select a running back in the NFL draft since there are four running backs currently on our roster.

Chicago is a city with a proud tradition and rich history of running backs. From Beattie Feathers, to Red Grange, to Gale Sayers, to the greatest running back of all time Walter "Sweetness" Payton himself.

Over many years that tradition and heritage has been diminished with names like Enis, Salaam, and Benson.

There have been a couple of potential promises with names like rookie sensation Anthony Thomas that only diminished in productivity, and Thomas Jones that for whatever reason was traded to the Jets.

Chicago will look to go back to a two running back system this season.

Many NFL teams are successful with the two RB scheme and makes it more difficult for defensive coordinators to plan around.

Kevin Jones will be Forte's complement back and the pair of fresh legs that should keep defenses tired.

We will evaluate these running backs starting from Forte down to Garret Wolfe.

Matt Forte No. 22

6'2" 216 lbs

College-Tulane

Matt Forte was the Bears first rookie to start at running back since Walter Payton in 1975.

Forte made his NFL debut against the Colts and rushed for 123 yards and averaged 5.3 yards per carry that game.

Forte broke for a 50-yard touch down run in the first quarter in which he broke tackles and left NFL's Defensive Player Of the Year Bob Sanders looking from behind.

Forte was the work horse and entire Bears' offense in his rookie year leading the team in both rushing and receiving for most of the 08 season.

Forte had a workload of 316 rushes and registered 1,238 yards rushing. He showed that he was an all-around back by compiling 477 yards receiving with 12 total touchdowns.

In his rookie season, Forte broke legendary running back Gale Sayers' rookie record for total yards from scrimmage by a rookie, and was a finalist for the NFL's Rookie Of the Year.

Forte will look to continue his success in the '09 season while sharing more of his work load with Jones.

Forte, if healthy, will continue to be a major contributor into next season and should pile up another 1,000 yard season.

Forte's fellow RB is former Lion:

Kevin Jones No. 27

6'2" 216 lbs

College-Virgina Tech

Jones was drafted in the 2004 season and was a standout as a rookie. Jones rushed for over 1,133 yards with five touchdowns and averaged 4.7 yards per carry his rookie year.

Jones was picked up by the Bears before the start of the '08 season as an insurance policy for Forte.

Since Forte turned out to be an every-down back, Jones only had 34 attempts rushing for 109 yards.

Jones asked to move to special teams later in the season so he could continue to contribute on the field.

Jones was recently signed in the offseason for two more years with the Bears. Kevin's signing makes sense for the Bears rather than go looking for another running back in free agency.

Jones already knows the system and will come into the '09 season with a clean bill of health.

Jones will have a much bigger role running the ball next season having a two running back tandem system put into place.

Smith, 26, can prove to be a solid backup running back for the Chicago Bears for many more seasons depending on injury and success.

The next back on our list is running back:

Adrian Peterson No. 29

5'10" 210 lbs

College-Georgia Southern

Peterson was drafted in the sixth round in the 2002 season by the Chicago Bears.

Adrian ran for 100 yards on only 20 attempts last season.

Peterson's role has diminished over the years with players like Benson, Jones, and now Forte being the solidified starters with Kevin jones taking the No. 2 spot.

Peterson is a very tough back who is not afraid to take or deliver a hit.

In the '07 season when Cedric Benson sustained a season ending injury against Denver, Adrian stepped up and rushed for 510 yards the rest of the season and had his first career 100-yard rushing game.

Peterson's famous play as a Bear came that game against the Broncos where he Bulldozed his way into the end zone with the entire Bronco defense in his way.

Adrian has been primarily relied on as a specialist over the recent years. In 2004 he led the Chicago Bears special team unit with 28 tackles.

Peterson will definitely be on the field for the '09 season, but in a limited role again.

Look for Adrian in some third-down situations with occasional run blocking, pass protection, and some halfback screens.

The final running back on our roster is:

Garrett Wolfe No. 25

5'7" 186 lbs

College-Northern Illinois

Garrett Wolfe was drafted in the third round in the 2007 draft.

Wolfe had 31 attempts for only 85 yards rushing during his rookie campaign.

Last season Wolfe had 46 rushes for 154 yards rushing.

Wolfe has proved to be a solid special team player maker and his speed makes him dangerous on punt blocks.

Wolfe was drafted for his quick speed, but at 186 pounds, Wolfe has been swallowed up by linebackers at the line of scrimmage on plays up the middle.

Wolfe's role will be very limited in the '09 season, but he will definitely see some playing time on draws, a slot type back, or halfback screens.

Look for him to continue to make plays on special teams and have a few break out plays.

In all, Forte and Jones should have a productive year and will hopefully solidify the running back situation for many more years.

In our next segment of Chicago Bears offseason Analysis, my fellow sports colleague Matt will give us a look at the wide receiver position.

Is Chicago Bears' Brian Urlacher a Future Hall of Famer?

Joey Garcia — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 22:33:25 -0400

With the ninth pick in the 2000 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears select, Brian Urlacher.

Before we get down to the nitty gritty of this article, I am writing this piece to answer the simple question, "will the 31 year-old Bears LB Brian Urlacher be Canton-bound after retirement?"

As a Bears' fan, I am not writing this in a bias disposition, but rather, I want to spark debate and conversation over this issue.

Urlacher has been called one of the famed "Monsters of the Midway" by many Bears' fans, but due to injury and play-calling schemes as of late, Urlacher's abilities have been overshadowed.

Now, I would never put him among great names like "Butkus" and "Samurai Mike," but his contribution to the Bears and what he has done on the field speaks for itself.

Without further delay, let's take a look at the NFL career of Brian Urlacher.

Urlacher's impact as a rookie in the 2000 season was almost immediate. Although he opened the season as a reserve OLB, he switched to MLB for his first career start vs. NYG and registered 13 tackles and his first career sack.

Urlacher finished that year with 124 total tackles, 8 sacks, and 2 INT's—earning him the 2000 NFL Defensive Rookie-of-the-Year.

Brian was also a unanimous all-rookie team honoree and voted to his first career Pro Bowl.

In 2002, he led all NFC defensive players in Pro Bowl voting. Brian recorded double digit tackles in every game, leading the team in tackles 14 times that season.

In 2005, Brian earned himself the NFL Defensive Player-of-the-Year award and first team All-Pro, receiving 34 of 50 votes.

Urlacher led the team in tackles that year for a fifth time in six years with 122 total tackles and six sacks.

In 2006, Urlacher helped solidify a defense that was Super Bowl bound—only to come up short against the Colts in the championship game.

Brian registered 142 total tackles and three INT's that season with a career high 25 tackles in one of the greatest comebacks in Bears' history against the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite helping lead his team to a Super Bowl appearance, many skeptics and players have criticized Urlacher for being overrated.

In a Sports Illustrated poll of 361 NFL players, they said that Urlacher was the second most overrated player in the league after Terrell Owens. Urlacher's response was "just watch the film."

Urlacher has missed only seven games due to injury his entire NFL career.

In 2008, Brian Urlacher played his ninth season with the Bears and registered 93 tackles with two INT's.

Urlacher has six career Pro Bowls and has recorded 1,299 career tackles, the most ever for a Bears player in his first eight seasons.

Brian stands sixth on the team's career sack list with 37.5, which is also the highest amongst all-time Bears' LBs. He is also the third player in Bears' franchise history to record five INTs and five sacks in the same season.

He leads all NFL LBs with eight INTs since 2006 and is tied fifth amongst LBs with 17 total INTs since entering the league in 2000.

So is the Chicago Bears' Brian Urlacher a future Hall of Famer?

Whether he is or not, only time will tell.

I can say as a Bears' fan, it will be very strange when the day comes that another player lines up in the middle of the defense and wears the number 54.

Sharper Is Now a Saint. Scratch Another One Off The Wish List

Joey Garcia — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:28:46 -0400

Former Minnesota Viking Safety Darren Sharper officially signed with the New Orleans Saints today.

Sharper is the NFL's active interception leader and a four time Pro Bowler that is another free agent that won't be in a Bears uniform this off season.

Is it any surprise to us that this is another player Jerry Angelo has let slip through his hands and boost another teams roster besides ours?

It sure would have been nice seeing a player like Sharper lined up next to Kevin Payne this year, but worry none the less Bears fans, We will enjoy a full season of watching Craig Steltz get steamrolled all season.

A Look Back at the Chicago Bears' Draft History

Joey Garcia — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:12:28 -0400

In just a little over a month, many die hard fans will be glued to their television screens (a 55" HD myself) to watch their favorite football teams retool and rebuild in this year's NFL draft.

Coaches and general managers will be spending countless hours in the war room trading picks, evaluating talent, looking over depth chart needs, and searching for that diamond in the rough.

But sadly, for my beloved Chicago Bears, this year will be the same old story.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and
expecting different results."

In a nut shell, that explains our General Manager.

That cute, little, red-nosed devil you see in the picture above goes by the name of Jerry Angelo.

Jerry came aboard the Bears' organization in the summer of 2001. Many Bears fans were excited to finally see some changes and possibly put the team in a new direction.

That excitement over time has quickly turned to hatred.

Many Bears fans, including myself, over the past few months, have been irate at the fact that our team has many holes and yet the Man in charge has done nothing to fix them. He continues to depend (or gamble) on draft picks to solve the answer.

In the midst of free agency, Jerry has been in a comatose like stage watching players fill needs for other teams. Now I'll be the first one to say that free agency does not cure all of our problems; however, it's a start.

In this article, we will look at the draft history of the Chicago bears under the tutelage of Jerry Angelo: Players we drafted and players we could have potentially drafted. I'll also assign Jerry an overall draft grade.

I will spare you the feeling of regurgitating your last meal by not going further into draft history by mentioning names like: Curtis Enis, Rashaan Salaam, and Cade McNown.

That would be cruel and unusual punishment.

So as we embark on another draft journey in the upcoming weeks, let us remember this St. Patrick's Day and hope that a little luck of the Irish rubs off on Jerry Angelo for the upcoming NFL draft.

Without further ado, let's begin with Jerry's first NFL draft.

2002-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

1 29 MARC COLOMBO T BOSTON COLLEGE

3 72 ROE WILLIAMS GB TUSKEGE

3 93 TERRENCE METCALF G MISSISSIPPI

4 104 ALEX BROWN DE FLORIDA

5 140 BOBBY GRAY DB LOUISIANA TECH

5 165 BRYAN KNIGHT DE PITTSBURGH

6 199 ADRIAN PETERSON RB GEORGIA SOUTHERN

6 203 JAMIN ELLIOTT WR DELAWARE

6 210 BRYAN FLETCHER TE UCLA

Jerry's first pick—Marc Colombo

Colombo barely saw the field because of injuries with his stay in Chicago. Colombo was finally waived after the season opener in 2005.

Players still on active roster

Adrian Peterson

He can be a solid third-down back and special-teams player, but has played his entire career in the shadows of other backs and has only managed to rack up 1,232 yards in his stay with the Bears.

Alex Brown

Only missed missed one game in his entire career in 2002. Alex has 327 total tackles with six sacks and one INT in '08.

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Deshaun Foster, Clinton Portis, Deion Branch-Second round

(I know we didn't have a second-round pick that year, but these players would have been a better choice with our first pick.)

Brian Westbrook-third round

David Garrard-fourth round

Chester Taylor-sixth round

2003-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

1 14 Michael Haynes DE Penn State

1 22 Rex Grossman QB Florida

2 35 Charles Tillman CB Louisiana-Lafayette

3 68 Lance Briggs OLB Arizona

4 100 Todd Johnson DB Florida

4 116 Ian Scott DT Florida

5 139 Bobby Wade WR Arizona

5 143 Justin Gage WR Missouri

5 171 Tron Lafavor DT Florida

6 191 Joe Odom LB Purde

6 206 Brock Forsey RB Boise State

7 261 Bryan Anderson G Pittsburgh

Jerry's first pick—Michael Haynes

Haynes spent three seasons with the Bears and recorded only 22 total tackles and a whooping two sacks his rookie season. He finished with 5.5 total sacks in his stink with Chicago.

Jerry's second first round pick—Rex Grossman

70.2 career QB rating, 33 career TD's with 35 INT'S...do you really want me to go on?

Players Still On Active Roster

Charles Tillman

Peanut has shown he can be a productive player ( when healthy). Tillman has played only one full season with Chicago without injury (2003). He has 15 career forced fumbles with the Bears and recorded three Interceptions in 2008.

Lance Briggs

JBriggs was the first solid pick of Jerry's draft career. Lance is a pro-bowl player who racked up 110 tackles in 2008 with 90 of them being solo. Lance is a great compliment to Urlacher who is not afraid of contact.

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Troy Polamalu, Nnamdi Asomugha-First round (That one hurts just typing it)

Anquan Boldin, Osi Umenyiora-Second round

Jason Witten-Third round

Asante Samuel-Fourth round

Jerry's first Free Agent splash......( Drum-roll Please)

Kordell Stewert. Yes, Bears fans, as sadly as we can remember "Slash" was signed to a two-year $5 million deal...and yes we all know how that went.

2004-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

1 14 Tommie Harris DT Oklahoma

2 47 Tank Johnson DT Washinton

3 78 Bernard Berrian WR Fresno State

4 110 Nathan Vasher CB Texas

4 112 Leon Joe LB Maryland

5 147 Claude Harriott DE Pittsburgh

5 148 Craig Krenzel QB Ohio State

7 215 Alfonso Marshall CB Miami (Fla)

Jerry's first pick—Tommie Harris

Harris has shown that he can be a dominant defensive player in the NFL when he is not battling knee problems. Tommie has 178 career tackles with the Bears and registered five sacks in 14 games in 2008.

Players Still On Active Roster

Nathan Vasher

Vasher is another player who has shown signs of being a dominant player in the NFL when he is not plagued with injuries. Vasher has 151 career tackles but only registered 21 tackles and one INT in the eight games he played in last season.

Biggest Bust

Craig Krenzel

In the five games he started for us, Krenzel had 59 completions out of an amazing 127 attempts. Krenzel racked up an un-holy 52.5 QB rating with three TD's and six INT'S.

Ain't It Funny?

Hey Bears fans? Remember the game against the Vikings last year when Berrian smoked us for a 99-yard touchdown run?? Gotta love that Angelo.

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Bob Sanders, Chris Snee-second Round

Jared Allen-fourth Round

Michael Turner-fifth Round

Willie Parker, Wes Welker, James Harrison-Undrafted

2005-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

1 4 Cedric Benson RB Texas

2 39 Mark Bradley WR Oklahoma

4 106 Kyle Orton QB Purdue

5 140 Airese Currie WR Clemson

6 181 Chris Harris FS Louisiana-Monroe

7 220 Rod Wilson LB South Carolina

Jerry's first pick—Cedric Benson

Benson has not played one healthy season in his three-year-career with the Bears. Benson ran for 1,593 and had a harder time finding running holes in his first year as a starter than Helen Keller.

Biggest bust (Other than Benson)

Mark Bradley

Mark played only seven games his rookie season with 18 receptions and 230 yards. He stepped his game the following season by playing 10 games and gaining 282 yards receiving.

Players Still On Active Roster.

Kyle Orton

Kyle earned a starting job his rookie season because of Rex going down with injuries. Orton whipped up a 59.7 QB rating that year with 9 TD's and 13 INT's.

Orton has a 71.1 Career QB rating with the Bears and was finally given the starting job coming into the 2008 season. In 15 games Orton threw 18 TD's with 12 INT's.

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Shawne Merriman, DeMarcus Ware-First Round

Lofa Tatupu-Second Round

Justin Tuck-Third Round

Marion Barber-Fourth Round

Matt Cassel-Seventh Round

Tony Romo-UNDRAFTED

2006-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

2 42 Daniel Manning FS Abilene Christian

2 57 Devin Hester DB Miami (Fla)

3 73 Dusty Dvoracek DT Oklahoma

4 120 Jamar Williams LB Arizona State

5 159 Mark Williams DE Alabama

6 195 J.D. Runnels RB Oklahoma

6 200 Tyler Reed G Penn State

Jerry's first pick

Daniel Manning

Manning was an asset on special teams last year returning kickoffs. Although his skills are better set to play the nickle position Danny registered 33 tackles, one sack, and one INT in 14 games last year on defense.

Biggest Bust

Dusty Dvoracek

Now I know there are some people reading this thinking that there is no way Dvoracek is a bust. Dusty has played only 13 games in two seasons with 31 total tackles and zero sacks.

I have yet to see that wild side everyone talks about.

Players Still On Active Roster

Devin Hester

It's scary sometimes to think that Hester could have easily ended up wearing another team's jersey that year.

Hester quickly became a star in the NFL with 11 total TD's on special teams. In most games for the Bears Hester was the entire offense returning punt's and kickoffs.

In the 2007 season Hester was moved to WR to give the offense a boost. In his first year as a starter in 08 Hester gained 665 yards receiving with three TD's.

Mark Anderson

Mark had a great rookie season with 12 sacks and four forced fumbles that year. Anderson's productivity took a big dump in the '08 season with only one sack and 18 total tackles.

Jamar Williams

Williams saw playing time last year filling in for Hillenmeyer on the strong side position. In '08, Williams racked up only 12 tackles and no sacks.

Ain't It Funny?

The '06 season was the Bears' first Super Bowl appearance since '85. After that year, Jerry and company decided to fire our defensive coordinator Ron Rivera who helped the Bears defense rank as high as fifth in the league.

With his departure, Lovie hired Bob Babich to take over play calling.

Rivera will be trying to take the Chargers to the playoffs for the third straight year under his play calling while Babich is trying to put the Bears looking from the outside for the third straight year.

Let's not forget that this is the same year we sent T. Jones to the Jets because we thought that Benson was ready to take over running the Ball (Yeah, I know).

Good thing Thomas Jones continues to rush for over 1,000 yards each season. It's not like we still needed him or anything. (Excuse me while I grab a tissue to wipe my tears away.)

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Cedric Griffin, Greg Jennings, Maurice Jones Drew-second Round

Jerious Norwood-third Round

Cortland Finnegan, Marques Colston-seventh Round

2007-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

1 31 Greg Olsen TE Miami(FLA)

2 62 Dan Bazuin DE Central Michigan

3 93 Garrett Wolf RB Northern Illinois

3 94 Michael Okwo LB Stanford

4 130 Josh Beekman G Boston College

5 167 Kevin Payne SAF Louisiana-Monroe

5 168 Corey Graham CB New Hampshire

7 221 Trumaine McBride CB Mississippi

7 241 Aaron Brant T Iowa State

Jerry's first pick—Greg Olsen

Greg has proved that he can put his name in the midst of Great TE's in the NFL today. At 6'5", 252 pounds, Olsen has the size, athletic ability, and hands to dominate the average size corners in the NFL.

Olsen has 965 total yards receiving and registered five TD's in his 2008 season.

Players Still On Active Roster.

Kevin Payne

Payne stepped up at the starting safety position in 2008 along side Mike Brown. Payne recorded 89 tackles with one sack and four INT's in 2008. He looks to be the starter in next year but has a lot of things to work on in order to bring his game to the next level.

Corey Graham

Graham provides depth at a corner position that has been plagued with injuries. Corey had 91 tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble.

Trumain McBride

Like Graham, McBride has found decent playing time filling in on defense at the corner position. Trumain isn't the most physical CB at 5'9", 185 pounds. He had only 11 tackles with one INT in the 2008 season.

Garrett Wolfe

As a 5'7" and 186-pound running back, Wolfe won't exactly run you over, but his speed is what Lovie and company covet. Wolfe has been compared to Darren Sproles at times, but because of a loaded depth at the RB position, his biggest contributions have come from his special-teams play.

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Trent Edwards, James Jones-Third Round

Kevin Boss-Fifth Round

2008-Chicago Bears Draft

RND SEL# PLAYER POSITION SCHOOL

1 14 Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt

2 44 Matt Forte RB Tulane

3 70 Earl Bennett WR Vanderbilt

3 90 Marcus Harrison DT Arkansas

4 120 Craig Steltz SAF Louisiana State

5 142 Zack Bowman CB Nebraska

5 158 Kellen Davis TE Michigan State

7 208 Ervin Baldwin DE Michigan State

7 222 Chetser Adams G Georgia

7 243 Joey LaRocque LB Oregon State

7 247 Kirk Barton T Ohio State

7 248 Marcus Monk WR Arkansas

Jerry's first pick—Chris Williams

Williams was supposed to help solidify an O-line that had many questions. With Jerry's prior knowledge that Williams had had back problems Angelo, still rolled the dice and grabbed him with the 14th pick.

To nobody's surprise, Williams aggravated his back in the preseason and needed surgery to repair it.

Biggest Work Horse

Matt Forte

Matt Forte was the entire Chicago Bears offense last year, period. Forte had 316 carries and rushed for 1,238 yards and eight TD's rushing during his rookie season.

Forte lead the Bears in both rushing and receiving yards throughout most of the year.

Matt recorded 477 yards receiving and four TD's with 12 TD's total.

Not So Productive

Earl Bennett

Earl was drafted in the third round to potentially compete for playing time and contribute on offense.

Bennett's stats for the 2008 season: one punt return for 17 yards.

Please Don't Let Him Start

Craig Steltz

With Mike Brown's injury record, Steltz was drafted to become insurance if and when Brown goes down. When Craig wasn't getting run over by running Backs he recorded 17 tackles in the 2008 season.

Steltz managed one interception his rookie year. It was against the Lions so that's not saying much.

Steltz needs more grooming in the offseason but can contribute on special teams.

Notable Players Jerry passed on

Jeff Otah 19th pick, Sam Baker-first Round

Joe Flacco-first Round

Ain't It Funny?

Angelo decided an injury prone Tackle was a much safer pick than Baker and Otah, It's okay though. It's not like they would be blocking their way into the playoffs, and Flacco would help take his team to the AFC championship game, right?...Oh, wait...

Overall Draft Grade?

I'm going to let the fans decide on Jerry Angelo's draft history grade.

Let me know your comments on how you think Jerry has done, what grade you would give him, and your worst Draft memory.