By Brad BiggsThe 2010 NFL draft is a little more than four months away, and without a first- or second-round selection, the Bears will face a challenge in finding immediate help.
However, wide receiver Johnny Knox and safety Al Afalava -- drafted in the fifth and sixth rounds, respectively, in the 2009 draft -- have been productive rookies this season.
Afalava has started 12 games, the most recent second-day safety to quickly emerge for Lovie Smith. Knox is fifth on the team with 41 receptions and second with five touchdowns. He has dynamic open-field ability and the Bears believe they are just scratching the surface with him as they keep him at one position in order to allow him to settle in.
Photo: Johnny Knox has been a find as a fifth-round pick. (Phil Velasquez/Tribune)
The latest draft newsletter from Pro Football Weekly features a comprehensive review of
the five-year draft period from 2004-08, and the Bears don't fare well. Using Week 1 as a gauge, PFW broke down the
drafts of all 32 teams, calling it a draft-accountability study.
The Bears had 21 players from that five-year span on their Week 1 roster of the 42 they drafted. Only eight (19 percent) were starters, a percentage that ranked 28th in the NFL. Only three (Tommie Harris, Nathan Vasher and Devin Hester) had made the Pro Bowl.
The league averages, according to the PFW report, were 18.5 players on the roster, 9.7 starters, 2.2 Pro Bowlers and 39.8 total picks.
The Bears are not far off the averages, but it's no secret that a lack of production, particularly at the top of the draft, has stunted growth. PFW also cited the Bears' track record for selecting players with injury histories, including offensive tackle Chris Williams.
It raises a question that is worth investigating: How significant is the role that the coaches play in the draft selection process? GM Jerry Angelo rules over the process, but he's a consensus builder, not a dictator. The coaches are charged with player development, and they are also involved in the back end of the scouting process. Ultimately, they are Angelo's drafts, but it's a collective process, one that hasn't gone well.
The Bears had 21 players from that five-year span on their Week 1 roster of the 42 they drafted. Only eight (19 percent) were starters, a percentage that ranked 28th in the NFL. Only three (Tommie Harris, Nathan Vasher and Devin Hester) had made the Pro Bowl.
The league averages, according to the PFW report, were 18.5 players on the roster, 9.7 starters, 2.2 Pro Bowlers and 39.8 total picks.
The Bears are not far off the averages, but it's no secret that a lack of production, particularly at the top of the draft, has stunted growth. PFW also cited the Bears' track record for selecting players with injury histories, including offensive tackle Chris Williams.
It raises a question that is worth investigating: How significant is the role that the coaches play in the draft selection process? GM Jerry Angelo rules over the process, but he's a consensus builder, not a dictator. The coaches are charged with player development, and they are also involved in the back end of the scouting process. Ultimately, they are Angelo's drafts, but it's a collective process, one that hasn't gone well.
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The Dallas Cowboys dumped one kicker and signed a new one Monday, and in a fitting sign of the times, the winner was the kicker who lost his job with another team two weeks ago after missing a 23-yard field-goal attempt. Still, Shaun Suisham is viewed as an improvement over Nick Folk, the incumbent who missed seven of his last 11 attempts to help imperil the Cowboys’ playoff hopes and contributed to a surprisingly sagging NFL Draft industry: field-goal kicking.
Merry Christmas!And have a good time!
Creighton
I know no one should ever question your alleged football intelligence... but it's just so freaking fun.
Jay Cutler = Jeff George
As a starter, Orton's numbers include:
2005 - 10-5
2008 - 9-6
2009 - 8-5 (but team will finish with winning record)
While in Bears land, Cutler is ready to throw his second Offensive Coordinator under the bus. The first being Josh McDaniels.
Here's my prediction Creighton about your Man Crush, Jay Cutler:
The 2009 version of Jay "It's Not Me It's the Play Calling" Cutler will morph into Jay "It's Not Me It's the Personnel Around Me" in 2010 to Jay "I Need a Better Defense to Counteract All the INTs I Throw" in 2011 to Jay "I Am THE ONE And You Need to Pay Me" in 2012.
His career record, BTW, will still be below .500 at the end of 2012. But it will never, ever, neverever, never, never, never, ever, ever, ever be his fault. Because Jay (and Creighton) told us so.
Some of you are a bunch of idiots. Calling Olsen soft and afraid of contact is just rediculous. He is a very good TE. Saying Afalava sucks is also rediculous. He has done well in starting 12 games.......and is a rookie. Saying Hester is below average WR is also rediculous. This is his first full year as a WR and I've seen him improve dramatically. If you are going to post on this site, at least have some knowledge.
A simple answer is Angelo keeps missing on the high draft picks. If you go back and look at the '85 team, it is evident that the number of first round picks far exceeds the number of first round draft picks on this team. Are some of the later picks on this team solid? Yes, they are starters - but the simple fact is that you can't make up talent. Harlon Hill came from an obscure school and the Bears seem to trying to model the program today after that. But the first rounders need to be the team core and not the exception.
Is Matt Cassell a good QB? 3-10 with KC and brutal but with the Pats the year before 10-5. So he is great right? Nope. He is only as good as his team, just like Orton. Taveris Jackson has a winning record so I guess he is a winner. Culpepper was 11 and 5 his first year, but not so good on lesser teams. What about Collins is he a winner he led the Giants to a Super Bowl according to your theory?
I got an idea, sense its already pointed out that the Bears are bellow average at drafting. Lets look at Angelo's job. What is he suppose to do? He is in charge of the draft, coaches and trades. His job is to make the team better period, not give into what Lovie or anybody else wants.
He let Lovie and Babich become the DC's. He got rid of Rivera who recieved praise last year for his work with the SD defense and this year after loosing a ton of key players has taken them from the bottom to being good, really good. Averaging 15 points given up over the last 4 games in november and december when it really counts.
He signed Marinelli, who was suppose to be the best FA signing for the Bears. How has he done with his Rushmen? Harris is worse, Brown is the same, Goon is worse, Harrison is worse, Adams is the same, and Gains Adams can't even get on the field.
How about Trades, he gave up 2 firsts a third and a QB, for Cutler who I still feel is a really good player but has done nothing to help him out. He gave up a second for Gains Adams which is just throwing away a pick. He traded out of the second round last year to take Gilbert and Melton instead of Unger or Loadholt. Or how about trading down in the draft to take Grossman and Haynes.
Well how about FA signings, Bullocks is garbage, Pace was done, Omiyale is bad, Adams is an average DT, often injuer Pisa is injured, Kevin Jones was done before he got here but that wasn't good enough for Jerry. After Jones did nothing last year he signed the injured player again. I thought Kevin Shaffer was a good signing but then he let him sit on the bench so his boy Williams could play.
He has made one good trade in his career with the Bears and that was for Tait. Goon was an average trade because he has never been that good and has only done well against bad players. His best FA's have been Garza and Brown. Brown who was at the end of his career and Garza who is decent. Shaffer is also decent but probably only has 2 good years left and never really got used this year anyway.
If you look at how the Bears use players they start big contracts and draft status above talent. I doubt that is the coaches doing.
How about Contracts, extended Harris, and Urlacher for no reason. It was clear both where heading down so he gave them more money. Gave Hester and Vasher large contracts which has blown up in his face. Signed Kevin Jones twice, paid Omiyale money he never earned in his entire career. Pace has been wasted money, gave Shaffer money to sit. Didn't want to give Berrian money but then paid Hester almost as much, didn't want to give Thomas Jones money or a job becuase he felt that he liked Benson the Headcase more. Gave Bullocks money for god knows what reason. He also loves to give big unreachable bonuses to players so he can disguise how much money the Bears actually spend.
Oh look they are at the top of the league in spending, except they have 35 million in bonuses that will never be attained. Unless your name is Harris, then he will give you a bonus for sucking.
The team should be sold. The owners cry poor but the season ticket holders keep paying high prices to watch a team that will never amount to anything until they clean house, coaches, upper manegment, etc.
The ownerers dont care about winning because they still make out big. they are cheap penny pinching idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Creighton
Orton will lead the Broncos to a winning record this year. It will be the third consecutive season as a starting QB that Orton has led his team to a winning record.
Cutler has yet to lead a team to a winning record.
Orton doesn't look pretty. He just wins, baby.
Wish Cutler could do that.
Btw, last year's Bears totaled 375 points (23+/game).
The Cutler-led Bears are on pace to wrack up 304 points this year (19/game).
Now I will wait for your litany of excuses why Cutler has lead the Bears to fewer wins this season, a less productive offense, etc.
Brad you missing the point that other teams starters are better than our starters. The Rams have a lot of draft picks on their roster as well. By next year they will only have 4 guys on their roster from the 04, 05, and 06 class. Chris Williams is a starter but he sucks, Harris is a starter but sucks, Knox is nothing special and neither is Al Afalava. Good teams draft good productive players and bad teams draft bad players. The Bears draft bad players. Gilbert made the Roster, what does that mean? Was he a good pick? Olsen is soft and their are 15 TE's in the league I would take over him and he was a first rounder. Harrison is a starter but he is bad and about to loose his job to Adams, Roach is a starter but sorry he is nothing special, average at best. The only reason guys are starting is because they don't have anyone better to start.
You include 07, and 08 classes but those classes will thin out just like the 04, 05 and 06 classes. As for Hester, Knox and Bennett have been nothing special, and when compared to recieving groups like Arizona they are a joke. Look at Crabtree he missed all of Camp, half the season and is already playing better than any starter we have. DA played as well or better than any starter on our team last week and he is nothing more than a journeyman WR. They don't have a dominant player that will force the double team or strike fear into another team. The roster is filled with Average to below average talent. You can easily argue that Hester was more productive as a full time return man. Name one draft pick that is a rising star, or dominant player. They have Lance Briggs and thats it.
Outside of Benson I can't think of anyone that has gone on to do anything special. Benson always had talent but never wanted to be here, in fact didn't one of his friends tell the media that he begged Angelo not to draft him? Yet Angelo new better and the Bears wasted a pick. Orton has led the Denver offense who was 3rd in the NFL last year to 20th this year. So spare me the Orton Garbage, the guy took a loaded offense into the tank. He has yet to get a new contract from Denver.
Of the 8 Bears starters, do Manning and Payne count, cause the both suck and have both been benched? By the way Brad why is Vasher listed as a starter, he is not one.
In fact lets look at those 8 starters.
Chris Williams, sucks
Greg Olsen, a big soft WR, who hates contact.
D. Hester a once threatening return man who is now a below average WR.
Earl Bennet a number 4 reciever on just about any other team.
Tommie Harris, a bum and a gimp
Manning, has been benched again
Afalava, nothing special
Matt Forte, oh how exciting he is. If he wants to be a three down back maybe someone should teach A Train, I mean Forte to block, oh and run.
Oh boy what a list of dominant players. I am sure every tema in the league is going, gosh if we only had those guys.
How about the title:
Bears need to improve amount of draft day picks?
Brad --
Once you go down this path, where do you stop with the Bears?
They need to be better on draft day.
They need to be better at signing "productive" free agents.
They need to be better at talent evaluation throughout the entire season.
They need to be better at teaching the "Xs" and "Os".
They need to be better at in-game adjustments.
They need to be better at holding players accountable for their performances.
They need to be better at putting "players" on the field instead of "projects" and "pets."
I mean, this list could go on ad nauseum.
This team is a mess.
I wouldn't be surprised if the veterans on the team felt like the Packers game was their last gasp at achieving something this year -- no matter how trivial. If the Ravens get out to an early lead, the game could turn ugly for the Bears.
Calling them the worst drafting team in sports right below an article stating that they are right at the league average. I Love Chicago fans. You forgot to mention how they will never win another game ever unless they fire everyone immediately though.