Chicago Bears: Analyzing the Role and Expectations of Each Player in the Draft
Chicago Bears GM Jerry Angelo and his henchmen presided over the NFL draft and they admittedly had a very good first day. And even the second day started off well with the selection of Stephen Paea, whom the Bears moved up to select in the second round.
But after that, the draft picks were not very exciting, at least to me. In fact, a couple were downright head- scratchers.
Also, that trade which helped net Paea cost the Bears their fourth round pick. Combine that with the fact that the Bears had no seventh rounder, and you can see why the remaining selections were very important.
Overall, the Bears filled critical needs on the offensive and defensive lines. But they ignored gaps at cornerback and receiver.
But this isn't a report card; that has already been done. The purpose of this article is to examine the role that each of the Bears' drafted players are expected to play in 2011 (and beyond), as they hopefully provide some immediate and long-term contributions to the team.
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Gabe Carimi
1 of 5
Carimi played a lot of left tackle at Wisconsin, but most scouts agree that right tackle is the best position for him in the NFL. That's because he he too often is off-balance and tends to lean and lunge to recover rather than sliding or shifting.
If Mike Tice thinks he can help him correct this technique flaw, perhaps the Bears will try him on Cutler's blind side, only moving him to the right if he falters.
But, I think he will play on the right side and move J'Marcus Webb to left tackle. But no matter which position he plays, he is expected to be an immediate starter on the Bears offensive line in 2011.
There always is a lot of talk about how a line needs to jell, and that it takes time, so I'm sure that Mike Tice and the Bears will be patient with Carimi. But this kid has the strength and nastiness you like at the position.
If Carimi isn't a solid starter by year end, then I believe expectations will not be matched. Beyond this seaosn, expectations are that he could be a Pro Bowl caliber type of player, he's that good.
Plus, he had experience in college going up against NFL-ready competition, like Ryan Kerrigan, Adrian Clayborn, Cameron Jordan and teammate J.J. Watt. And he's smart so he figures to learn quickly.
Stephen Paea
2 of 5
Paea is not expected to generate a lot of pressure up the middle, as his main contributions and effectiveness will come as a run-stuffer.
This is one strong kid, and not just because of the whole bench press thing at the combine. He is a former rugby player who does not get tired as the game goes on, so he can take on players who are wearing out and be in such good physical condition that he does get to the QB occasionally.
I think that, like Carimi, Paea is expected to start immediately. He will step into the shoes of Tommie Harris, while hopefully giving much more effort than Harris did the past couple of seasons.
One big issue is his health. He suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee during Senior Bowl practice in January, and was unable to run for the scouts at February's NFL combine.
So I'm sure the Bears will be careful about that. He also is relatively inexperienced at defensive tackle, so things may start slowly for Paea. He signed with Oregon State having only played three years of organized football.
Again, Paea isn't agile enough to put consistent pressure on the quarterback at the NFL level. But he will be able to split gaps due to his burst off the snap. He doesn't have quick feet or the agility to chase down the quarterback.
Lovie Smith will love him, because his hits are so violent that he will knock some balls loose and help create turnovers.
Christopher Conte
3 of 5
This was one of those "head-scratchers" I spoke about in the opening.
Is Conte a safety or a corner? He was mainly a reserve corner until his senior year when he was switched to safety. He has started at safety in 12 of his 17 starts at California, and has looked much better at the safety position, so that is where the Bears will put him.
Some scouts claim he does not have good cover skills. But he quickly rose up the draft board his senior year.
A lot of his playing time depends on whether Major Wright can stay healthy and if they like what they see from Wright. Also, whether they bring their free agents back, such as Chris Harris.
Personally, I would rather hav drafted Texas' Curtis Brown. But this pick makes me believe that picking Conte is a signal that the Bears are assuming that one or neither of Danieal Manning and Corey Graham are coming back.
Therefore, they want to utilize the versatility that Conte brings. He can fill the holes at nickel and safety that Manning leaves, and he is a sure tackler as a gunner on special teams.
Like J.T. Thomas, the main early contributions these guys need to provide if they are going to make the team is on special teams.
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Nathan Enderle
4 of 5
It's difficult to determine how this kid will help the Bears at all in 2011. In fact, if he has to suit up, that spells disaster for the Bears because it likely means a significant injury to Jay Cutler and no backup depth.
So, other than holding a clipboard and learning the complex Mike Martz offense, there isn't much of a role for the QB out of Idaho.
One option could be that they still plan on signing a veteran to be Cutler's backup, like they did last year with the ill-advised Todd Collins move.
However, gieven how badly that situation worked out for Chicago, it is more likely that Caleb Hanie is the backup while Enderle is third string or on the practice squad.
Yet putting a young QB on the practice squad is a risky proposition, as we saw with Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour, who was taken in the sixth round in last year's draft and plucked off the practice squad by Cincinnati.
So, to avoid a repeat of last year, the Bears will likely forgo the signing of a veteran backup QB and go with Cutler, Hanie and Enderle.
Therefore, the plan is to slowly develop and groom him under Martz's tutelage. This is kind of like slow cooking a roast in a crock pot, except dinner won't be ready for about three years.
The problem with this is that we don't even known if Martz will be back after this season.
Enderle has a strong arm but limited mobility, so Martz will be working on the kid's footwork. Then again, Cutler's footwork isn't always as it should be, either.
J.T. Thomas
5 of 5
In the short run, the expectation on Thomas, a linebacker out of West Virginia is clear. Help out on special teams while learning the ropes of how to play the position at the NFL level.
Now, the longer term expectation that the Bears have is likely very different than the one I personally have for Thomas. They may feel he can be a starter if all goes well, while most scouts agree with my assessment that Thomas will be no more than a reserve.
Thomas is projected to be an outside linebacker, though Angelo said that he can play all three positions.
"[It's] a very tough hand when you're picking at the bottom [of the] rounds," Angelo said.
"We're happy with the players. I feel strongly all these players should make our football team. All these players fit the prototype of what we were looking for at their positions. Some of them will be early contributors, some will give us quality depth, and some will make an impact on special teams." (source: Jeff Dickerson, ESPNChicago.com)
The Bears hope that Thomas makes that impact on special teams, although with only two LBs signed right now, he may end up playing more than he should.
Meanwhile, he'll be learning from two of the best in Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher.
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