Alternate reality
So the Bears traded down from No. 26 ... drafted another defensive back named Manning... then picked a boom-or-bust athlete in search of a position... finished up the day by whiffing on the TE they probably needed to draft... and wound up adding a thug defensive lineman...
Let me sum this day up in two words:
Oi. Vey.
I graded it a D, which put me in the plurality. Twenty six percent of ChicagoSports readers graded Day One a D for Da Bears, nosing out the 25 percent who gave it a failing grade. In other words, more than 51 percent of Bears fans took one sniff of this 2006 draft class and smelled cheese.
Which made me think: What if Jerry Angelo, to whom I give big props for his 2004 and 2005 off-seasons, had sat tight at 26? What might the Bears have come away with?
Here's what I found:
"With the twenty-sixth pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select Mercedes Lewis, tight end, UCLA... "
Athletic. Polished. A good receiver with "great ball skills." Not the extra guard the Bears seem to like at the position, but a modern TE for the modern game. Why is tight end production up so much around the league in the past two years? Because rules changes have enhanced the tight end's role in the passing game... at least at other teams.
But it was not to be. Lewis was selected 28th by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Other possibilities: OLB DeMeco Ryans (Houston No. 33); WR Chad Jackson (New England, No. 36); and CB Jimmy Williams (Atlanta, No. 37).
"With the 57th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears draft... Devin Hester? Cornerback? Wide receiver? Utility infielder? The University of Miami..."
Hey, let's get real here: I don't really know my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to the individual talent comparisons out there. The only opinions I can offer are opinions about the strategy and tactics involved in drafting and building a roster. So no, this guy isn't on any of the experts draft lists, but I'm not going to say the kid can't develop into something.
And let's be blunt: The Bears may have "all 22 starters returning," but they don't have a legitimate return man on the roster. I don't buy the idea that your kick and punter returners have to contribute someplace else on the roster to be valuable, so if a guy like Hester can come in, break a couple long ones for scores and keep putting the Bears in good field position, then I'll call this a decent pick.
Other possibilities: OT Charles Spencer (Houston, No. 65); Eric Winston (Houston, No. 66); DE Chris Gocong (Philadelphia No. 71); TE Leonard Pope (Arizona, No. 72)...
So, what did we get for trading down?
Well, we didn't get a top tight end, one of only two starting positions on the team in need of an immediate upgrade (SAM OLB being the other), which is why I consider the trade down to have turned out questionably. Quality players at both positions were available at No. 26.
What we got instead was Danieal Manning, a safety out of Abilene Christian who also returns kicks. That's a strange combo, but hey, we need a kick returner...
But a safety? Well, maybe. Mike Brown is a gamer, but he's had a hard time staying healthy. Chris Harris had a good rookie season, but are the Bears less than sold on his future? The depth at the position was considered strong a few months ago with Todd Johnson and Brandon McGowan. Strong enough, in fact, that Angelo traded former starter Mike Green to Seattle for a sixth. You remember Green -- he was the veteran tackling machine who got beaten out of a job by Harris after Week One last September.
Will Manning contribute at safety in 2006? Stranger things have happened, and there's always the chance that we'll see him try out at corner. But you get the sense that the Bears just spent their first pick in the draft on a kickoff return specialist.
Now remember, the payoff for the trade-down was an extra player in the third round, and so here's your equalizer: Oklahoma DT Dusty Dvoracek, described as "a straight-line athlete who lacks the agility and hips to change directions and chase down plays in the other direction." His other claim to fame? He got kicked off the Sooners in 2004 after he beat-up a buddy so badly that he had to be hospitalized. Great.
OK, I understand that Tank Johnson is out and that Lovie likes to rotate his tackles. But isn't Ian Scott the real starter beside Tommie Harris? And don't we have more pressing needs? And aren't there other options, later in the draft, for one-dimensional run-stuffing tackles?
I see it this way: The Bears had an opportunity to upgrade their starter at tight end or at outside linebacker with the No. 26 pick. Instead, they added depth at two positions and competition at the return spots. If they're drafting for the future, OK -- Manning looks like he might be something. But Dvoracek?
We shall see.
Which brings us to Hester. Here's a guy with gamebreaking ability, speed and athleticism, a guy who can play in all three phases of the game, a big play specialist.
Only he hasn't been able to do it consistently. He barely broke the starting lineup at Miami, and then he came out early. One scout called him the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the draft.
I've already described a scenario in which Hester could be a valuable asset for the Bears, and if he lives up to his press clippings as a return man, he looks to be the rookie who could make the biggest splash in 2006.
But taken in the context of the Manning selection (not to mention the Manning free agency signing), and you're looking at a kid in a crowded backfield, competing for return opportunities with another 2nd round pick.
My guess, based on these scouting reports, is that Manning will return kickoffs and Hester will return punts. That will be an upgrade to our special teams.
But was that Angelo's plan coming into the day? Spend two 2nd round picks on DBs who will contribute on Special Teams? Of course not. And that's the problem with this draft.
Angelo gambled -- and lost.
It says here that Angelo and the Bears brain trust thought they were going to have a shot at another player at No. 42, and my guess is it was Ryan. Had Ryan been there, the Bears would have chosen either Manning or Hester at No. 57 and declared their return woes solved.
Then, to cap off their perfect draft day, Angelo would have drafted Pope at No. 73.
So there you have Angelo's thinking when he took the Buffalo at No. 26: Trade down, still get your guy, pick up an extra player. Walk away with two positional starters and an athletic kick returner.
Instead, they created a logjam at DB, wound up with an extra returner and and gagged on a journeyman defensive lineman after Arizona beat them to Pope.
Going into the draft's second day, the Bears need to create some depth at linebacker and tight end. They could use a couple of good developmental tackles (who couldn't?).
But I don't expect much from the rest of this draft this year. Unless Angelo finds an upgrade for the punter or the placekicker, this team is pretty much set now -- and they're going to win or lose with the personnel who are already on the roster.
Is it good enough?
It better be.
Let me sum this day up in two words:
Oi. Vey.
I graded it a D, which put me in the plurality. Twenty six percent of ChicagoSports readers graded Day One a D for Da Bears, nosing out the 25 percent who gave it a failing grade. In other words, more than 51 percent of Bears fans took one sniff of this 2006 draft class and smelled cheese.
Which made me think: What if Jerry Angelo, to whom I give big props for his 2004 and 2005 off-seasons, had sat tight at 26? What might the Bears have come away with?
Here's what I found:
"With the twenty-sixth pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select Mercedes Lewis, tight end, UCLA... "
Athletic. Polished. A good receiver with "great ball skills." Not the extra guard the Bears seem to like at the position, but a modern TE for the modern game. Why is tight end production up so much around the league in the past two years? Because rules changes have enhanced the tight end's role in the passing game... at least at other teams.
But it was not to be. Lewis was selected 28th by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Other possibilities: OLB DeMeco Ryans (Houston No. 33); WR Chad Jackson (New England, No. 36); and CB Jimmy Williams (Atlanta, No. 37).
"With the 57th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears draft... Devin Hester? Cornerback? Wide receiver? Utility infielder? The University of Miami..."
Hey, let's get real here: I don't really know my ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to the individual talent comparisons out there. The only opinions I can offer are opinions about the strategy and tactics involved in drafting and building a roster. So no, this guy isn't on any of the experts draft lists, but I'm not going to say the kid can't develop into something.
And let's be blunt: The Bears may have "all 22 starters returning," but they don't have a legitimate return man on the roster. I don't buy the idea that your kick and punter returners have to contribute someplace else on the roster to be valuable, so if a guy like Hester can come in, break a couple long ones for scores and keep putting the Bears in good field position, then I'll call this a decent pick.
Other possibilities: OT Charles Spencer (Houston, No. 65); Eric Winston (Houston, No. 66); DE Chris Gocong (Philadelphia No. 71); TE Leonard Pope (Arizona, No. 72)...
So, what did we get for trading down?
Well, we didn't get a top tight end, one of only two starting positions on the team in need of an immediate upgrade (SAM OLB being the other), which is why I consider the trade down to have turned out questionably. Quality players at both positions were available at No. 26.
What we got instead was Danieal Manning, a safety out of Abilene Christian who also returns kicks. That's a strange combo, but hey, we need a kick returner...
But a safety? Well, maybe. Mike Brown is a gamer, but he's had a hard time staying healthy. Chris Harris had a good rookie season, but are the Bears less than sold on his future? The depth at the position was considered strong a few months ago with Todd Johnson and Brandon McGowan. Strong enough, in fact, that Angelo traded former starter Mike Green to Seattle for a sixth. You remember Green -- he was the veteran tackling machine who got beaten out of a job by Harris after Week One last September.
Will Manning contribute at safety in 2006? Stranger things have happened, and there's always the chance that we'll see him try out at corner. But you get the sense that the Bears just spent their first pick in the draft on a kickoff return specialist.
Now remember, the payoff for the trade-down was an extra player in the third round, and so here's your equalizer: Oklahoma DT Dusty Dvoracek, described as "a straight-line athlete who lacks the agility and hips to change directions and chase down plays in the other direction." His other claim to fame? He got kicked off the Sooners in 2004 after he beat-up a buddy so badly that he had to be hospitalized. Great.
OK, I understand that Tank Johnson is out and that Lovie likes to rotate his tackles. But isn't Ian Scott the real starter beside Tommie Harris? And don't we have more pressing needs? And aren't there other options, later in the draft, for one-dimensional run-stuffing tackles?
I see it this way: The Bears had an opportunity to upgrade their starter at tight end or at outside linebacker with the No. 26 pick. Instead, they added depth at two positions and competition at the return spots. If they're drafting for the future, OK -- Manning looks like he might be something. But Dvoracek?
We shall see.
Which brings us to Hester. Here's a guy with gamebreaking ability, speed and athleticism, a guy who can play in all three phases of the game, a big play specialist.
Only he hasn't been able to do it consistently. He barely broke the starting lineup at Miami, and then he came out early. One scout called him the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the draft.
I've already described a scenario in which Hester could be a valuable asset for the Bears, and if he lives up to his press clippings as a return man, he looks to be the rookie who could make the biggest splash in 2006.
But taken in the context of the Manning selection (not to mention the Manning free agency signing), and you're looking at a kid in a crowded backfield, competing for return opportunities with another 2nd round pick.
My guess, based on these scouting reports, is that Manning will return kickoffs and Hester will return punts. That will be an upgrade to our special teams.
But was that Angelo's plan coming into the day? Spend two 2nd round picks on DBs who will contribute on Special Teams? Of course not. And that's the problem with this draft.
Angelo gambled -- and lost.
It says here that Angelo and the Bears brain trust thought they were going to have a shot at another player at No. 42, and my guess is it was Ryan. Had Ryan been there, the Bears would have chosen either Manning or Hester at No. 57 and declared their return woes solved.
Then, to cap off their perfect draft day, Angelo would have drafted Pope at No. 73.
So there you have Angelo's thinking when he took the Buffalo at No. 26: Trade down, still get your guy, pick up an extra player. Walk away with two positional starters and an athletic kick returner.
Instead, they created a logjam at DB, wound up with an extra returner and and gagged on a journeyman defensive lineman after Arizona beat them to Pope.
Going into the draft's second day, the Bears need to create some depth at linebacker and tight end. They could use a couple of good developmental tackles (who couldn't?).
But I don't expect much from the rest of this draft this year. Unless Angelo finds an upgrade for the punter or the placekicker, this team is pretty much set now -- and they're going to win or lose with the personnel who are already on the roster.
Is it good enough?
It better be.
posted by Daniel at 8:32 PM
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