In 2005 the Chicago Bears averaged a bit more than 16 points per game. So naturally, GM Jerry Angelo trades out of the 1st round and uses his first 5 picks on defensive players. Someone please explain it to me.
Angelo passed on several Tight Ends and Wide Receivers that would have been a very nice upgrade over the current group. As one co-worker said to me today, "How do you think Rex Grossman feels?". I think he feels like the rest of us fans. Really irritated.
Sure Tank Johnson has issues, both legal and physical. But Michael Haynes can play inside and the Bears already have Tommie Harris, Ian Scott, Alphonso Boone and Israel Idonije. So why spend a 3rd rounder on a DT?
Why spend your 1st 2 picks on DBs? The Bears now have a total of 13 DBs on the roster. Apparently Hester will play some receiver. But why pass on Marcedes Lewis, Dominique Byrd, Joe Klopfenstein, Leonard Pope and Owen Daniels, Tony Schleffler and David Thomas? Why not Chad Jackson? He was still there at 26.
This is not to say that the players Angelo drafted will not contribute. Hester may be a real find at WR and both he and Danieal Manning can return kicks. But I'd sure like to see a 6'6" Tight End as an outlet for Grossman. A true red zone option in the passing game.
13 comments:
Makes little to no sense to me. I guess its cheaper to get out of the first round (typical for Bears). But Hester was not even a starter in college. And as far as him playing receiver in the NFL, good luck.
Maybe the Bears can look to the Patriots for their next TE. NE drafted TE's Thomas and Mills in the 3rd and 4th. Two years ago, they drafted Ben Watson in the 1st round, and he played well for them last year. Odd man out? Daniel Graham.
I thought the Bears did pretty well actually....I'm not a diehard Bears fan....im more of a Giants fan and MAN did they blow it...why they took a DE in the first round I'll never understand.
anyway...I like the blog and just wanted to chime in and say hi.
if you're interested in reading an interesting take on tihs year's draft....
check it out...
I would check it out--what's the link?
In my opinion, the Bears' primary needs were improved depth at DB and LB, and someone who can actually return a kick. This is because, as I believe I stated on this very blog, they had the likes of Chris Thompson and Leon Joe on the field in a playoff game--that just can't happen--plus they dropped punts all year.. So I approve of the Manning, Williams and Hester picks as, at least in theory, they help address these needs. Hester is an NFL-caliber punt returner, though that's it--he can't play corner, and he'll only be good for a handful of gimmicky WR sets--I guess you could say he's an extremely poor man's Randle El--okay, Randel El on food stamps.
I guess I'll even buy a DT in Rd 3 coz of Tank and, well, you can never have enough big lineman. I guess. But then a DE? and a FB and a G? A little curious and, more to the point, dull and not fun at all. It all tells me that Michael Haynes should put his house up for sale, and prolly Jason McKie, too.
If it all ends in improved depth, even if takes sorting through a dozen DBs, then I'm all for it. I'm not all that upset about passing on this TE or that WR, they seem like such fantasy crapshoots anyway and there's bound to be a veteran or two cut soon that might help.
More than anything it's all just pretty ho-hum. Wake me in August. And Go Bulls.
A fantasy crapshoot? Marcedes Lewis caught almost 60 passes and 10 TDs. Here's a novel idea for the Bears--how about a 6'6" 265lb. tight end for those occasions you make it past your opponents' 20 yard line. Leonard Pope is 6'7" and already a better and bigger blocker than anyone the Bears have at that position.
Hooray for depth. This team needs weapons on the offensive side of the ball. Muhammad is another year older, Mark Bradley is basically a rookie coming off a knee injury and Berrian, while talented, still hasn't had a breakout season.
It's more than disappointment. It's irresponsible of Angelo.
I think you're overstating things by saying it was irresponsible of Angelo--how is it irresponsible to look at the last game of the year, assess that they lost that game because of poor DB depth, and then try to address that? That seems entirely responsible.
Plus, have you forgotten that Desmond Clark was third alternate to the Pro Bowl?
I'm kidding, but then again the fact that he was in the top handful of NFC TEs points out what how hard it is to fill that position.
I think a lot of people fall in love with the fantasy of 6'6" 265lb athletic TEs, but aren't there these guys every year? And it's always a crapshoot, especially where the Bears were drafting. It's easy to look at Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates and want to have that, but they're the exceptions. And everyone acknowledges it wasn't a good draft for WRs.
A dependable solid guy like Chris Cooley is more realistic for a TE, and the Bears did sign the best 2 undrafted TEs to bring to camp, so maybe one of those guys pans out. Who knows?
But who knows with anything in the draft? I think the real issue is that's fun and exciting to say 6'6" 265lb etc. and not so much to talk about depth. It just seems to me not worth getting in a bunch about.
DBs weren't the issue in the Carolina game. The lack of adjusting the scheme- aka someone cover Steve Smith for cry pie- was the main reason.
Whatever you want to call it is fine. Irresponsible may be a bit harsh. But it's also easy to group all big tight ends in a bunch. Lewis is a great red zone option. Not to get one of these TEs when there were so many good ones is just stupid.
Well, you might not have to adjust a scheme if the guys out there are good enough not to FALL DOWN or RECOVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FIELD THEY'RE ASSIGNED!
Anyway, I like Lewis, too, just not all mad and sad about not drafting him.
But that's okay. Good debate. Agree to disagree.
I don't know about the current Bears draft and no one else does either. Give it a couple years and then we can argue because unless you met Doc Brown and took a ride in the DeLorian, you don't know how good or bad any rookie will be. But there's good news!!! We can finally analyze the 2002 & 2003 drafts.
2002 (Angelo's 1st)
1-Marc Colombo, OT (BUST)
3a-Roosevelt Williams, CB (BUST)
3b-Terrence Metcalf, OG (20 career starts-Recently signed to long term deal...finally coming into his own.)
4-Alex Brown, DE (20 career sacks, missed 1 game in 4 years. Scouts said he wasn't a hard worker and couldn't play the run. He's proved them wrong. I think Bears got great value here for a 4th rounder.)
5a-Bobby Gray, S (No longer with team, never made much of an impact.)
5b-Bryan Knight, LB (BUST)
6a-Adrian Peterson, RB (Solid all-round football player, dependable, nice pick.)
6b-Jamin Elliott, WR (BUST)
6c-Bryan Fletcher, TE (Here's your 6'5" UCLA TE. He started 12 games for the Colts last year and caught 3 TDs from Peyton Manning.)
Notable player the Bears passed on: Antwan Randle El (2nd Round). Traded their 2nd round pick for 3rd & 5th round picks.
Bottom Line: I give it a D+. 3 out of 9 players still with Bears, 2 are starters, none are impact players, maybe Alex Brown. Colombo was supposed to be the cornerstone of the Bears OL for several years but too many injuries forced the Bears to spend lots of $ on free agents Tait & Miller. Rosey Williams is still trying to make it into the end zone at Green Bay. Still not sure if Metcalf is going to be anything.
2003
1a-Michael Haynes, DE (Misses Dick & his staff, 5.5 sacks & 4 starts in 3 years, inactive for several games last year, is he a DT now?)
1b-Rex Grossman, QB (Never healthy, still waiting)
2-Charles Tillman, CB (3 year starter, injured half of '04, has made several big plays and too many bad plays.)
3-Lance Briggs, LB (STUD)
4a-Todd Johnson, S (Backup, special teamer, hasn't done much)
4b-Ian Scott, DT (Solid, dependable)
5a-Bobby Wade, WR (Couldn't hold onto the damn ball - BUST)
5b-Justin Gage, WR (Made the greatest catch in NFL history last year, besides that hasn't made much of an impact, might lose starting job in '06)
5c-Tron LaFavor, DT (BUST)
6a-Joe Odom, LB (Is he still on the team? - BUST)
6b-Brock Forsey, RB (Pretty fly for a white guy, can't call a BUST)
7-Bryan Anderson, G (BUST)
Bottom Line: B-/C+ 8 of 12 players still on team, 4 starters, 1 pro bowler. Still don't know what we have in Grossman. If it weren't for Briggs this could be another D ranking. Remember this was the draft of the Defensive Lineman? 10 went in the 1st round. Bears had the 4th overall pick and DeWayne Robertson was a can't miss prospect. But Bears could've selected Byron Leftwich in the 1st round and Osi Umenyori or Anquan Boldin in the 2nd round. Hindsight 20/20 but most fans were calling for Leftwich.
2004 recap - Coming next April... =)
Nicely done JJ. Keep coming back.
But no one can blame Angelo for selecting Tron LaFavor. Tron LaFavor! Imagine the giggles in the war room. But kidding aside...
Just because I don't like what Angelo did--maybe he's just scared to take offensive players now--doesn't mean the players he did take this year won't succeed.
On the other hand, just because the players succeed doesn't mean he did the right thing. This team needs more offensive weapons. To not spend a 4th or higher on one of the available TEs is just bizarre to most observers, with the possible exception being Chicago's own PV.
I suppose come June 1 some TE of some stature could be let go and the Bears will swoop him up but I doubt it. Meanwhile LBs will be hanging out disturbing the flats and under patterns because our TEs stretch the field about as much as I could.
There should definitely be some TE's available...Rams drafted 2 and signed some BBall player, Patriots drafted 2 and they already have 2 or 3 that rotate, and Cowboys drafted Fasano when they already have Witten. I think the Bears were gonna draft Pope in the 3rd round but got caught with their pants down when he was chosen the pick before. Same deal with Santonio Holmes for their 1st pick.
Excellent points. If you believe Angelo, there were TEs they were looking at in the 3rd & 4th that were off the board by the time the Bears picked. And there'll surely be someone worthy on the street, and because of the opportunity to play on the Bears, they should be one of the first teams guys look at; that's the same reason they got the next best undrafted TEs signed for camp: opporunity. Something might still shake out to help the position this summer.
Well the Rams drafted 2 and traded Mamaluna, who apparently fell down whilst tripping over long blades of grass a little too much. And I know it's not Mamaluna but that's fun to say.
We'll see who becomes available. I know Chad Lewis is still a FA but his production has dropped off tremendously over the last few years. Boo Williams is a FA too but he was out all of last year.
And hey, for WR, Dez White is available. That's a joke.
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