Draft Analysis: A New Day

It is an anxious time for some NFL fans.  In less that three weeks the immediate fate of their favorite teams will be determined. 

This is the time of the year that general managers all over the country will prove their worth.  Of course, we can all name general managers that have frustrated their fan base by selecting draft picks that we would be better served by simply remembering their illustrious college careers.

This April, some GM's will seal their fate as complete and utter failures.  They will further frustrate their fans and sink their teams deeper into futility by wasting precious draft positions. 

If you are a Chicago Bears fan, you can finally—for the first time in a long time—breathe a sigh of relief and say: "Not our Jerry Angelo."

It's true that Mr. Angelo has had his fair share of picking out great collegians who should have saved us all the heartache by skipping the NFL and running straight to employment at the local Walmart. 

Jerry, you teased us with Rex.  You blew it with Michael Haynes.  But this year, you can do no wrong! 

I used to spend this time of the year wondering how my beloved Chicago bears would trade down and add multiple draft picks that ultimately would not be huge difference makers while other teams selected immediate impact players.  

In previous years, I have watched this franchise hold their draft position in the hopes of landing solid if not superstar talents like Cedric Benson or Cade McNown.

But this year's draft has a different, more successful look.  There is no wondering who our first round pick will be.  We already know.  In fact we already have him—Jay Cutler!

There is not nearly the uncertainty there like there was back when Cade and Rex were the quarterbacks of the future.  There is a genuine pro-bowl quarterback in town now.

That's not all Chicago.  There's a young offensive tackle in the fold that has not had a chance to prove himself on the field yet. In essence, 2008 first round draft pick Chris Williams, will be a fresh face on the gridiron in the windy city in 2009. 

Before the draft ever officially begins, the monsters of the midway have basically added two first round draft picks to last year's 9-7 team.  Excited yet?

But wait, there is more.  The addition of Cutler will make any offensive tools in Chicago shine brighter.  Maybe it would be more accurate to say that Cutler will finally allow those tools to shine for the first time ever in the NFL.

How bright will they shine?  Honestly, I don't know, but it will be something to see an athletic tight end like Greg Olsen catching passes in stride while he's speeding past a linebacker, or watching Hester eluding defenses while the football is shot to him like a bullet.

All of that will open things up for last years offensive bright spot—Matt Forte!

So now what?  The 2009 draft is fast approaching and how does Chicago add to this year's offseason successes?

How about thinking long term? 

It's great to have Orlando Pace on the team, but his days are numbered.  In the second round, offensive line is the way to go.  The team that gets  off the bus running can shore up the O-line for the long term this year. 

It only makes sense that while the team makes a run at success over the next two or three years, that they use the time that Pace, Kreutz, and Garza can buy to maintain a great line once they are gone. 

By the time the line is refilled with young talent in three years, Cutler, Forte, Hester, and Olsen will all be in the prime of their careers. 

You might think receiver is the way to go, but it's time to give those receiving prospects we have a chance to flourish with a stellar QB. And maybe, just maybe, Cutler can make good on his promises about Earl Bennett.

So with that, either offensive tackle Eben Britton or William Beatty should fit nicely as Chicago's first draft choice in round two.  However, if centers Alex Mack or Max Unger are available—take them!

Guard Kraig Urbik would be a great pick up in the third round if he's available.

It will be interesting to see who is available in the fourth round.  Wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi would be a great selection, but there is a good chance he'll be off the board in the third. 

If he is not there, don't worry Bears fans.  Stay calm and trust your GM.  Jerry will do what he does best.  Draft a defensive player in a later round. 

Chris Clemons, the speedy free safety from Clemson, would be a great fourth round pick up. 

Kenny McKinley, a wide receiver from South Carolina, would be a nice project at receiver in the fifth. 

He's got decent speed. He's tough.  And he was first team all SEC by the coaches and the AP. He also broke Sterling Sharpe's records for receptions and receiving yards in college.

Not much defense in this year's draft for Chicago, but they still have a solid core there.  That D-line will be a different animal with Marinelli in charge, and Lovie will change the way the defense plays now that he is calling the shots. 

Perhaps, that once feared D will finally have a reason to play with Cutler on the other side of the ball.  Will that inspire them to the point that they are once again an elite defense?  Let's wait and see.

But for now, Bears fans, be excited. To most of you this draft probably will not matter as much as those in the past or in the future because of what has already happened this year.  Things are different in Chi-town right now.

This year's draft landed you the quarterback of your dreams.  You'll finally find out what you have in last year's No. 1 pick, and you should see improvement at all positions offensively. 

No pressure this year, Mr. Angelo. It's a new day at Soldier Field and you have bought yourself a few more new days as Chicago's GM.