The NFL made it official Monday: The Bears will select 31st in the April 28-29 draft, one of the casualties of having a very good season.
Along with the draft order was listed the combined winning percentage of each team’s opponents for the season, revealing that the Bears had ostensibly the easiest schedule in the NFL based on opponents winning only 110 games and a 43.0 percentage.
But before the Bears turn their attention to 40-yard dash times at the scouting combines, there are other burning personnel questions they must resolve.
The Bears have spent considerable time evaluating current personnel. Those evaluations will factor into decisions in free agency beginning March 2, and what happens in free agency will affect the draft.
The Bears are squarely in their window of Super Bowl opportunity, and General Manager Jerry Angelo will build for the future, but decisions will be based on winning right now, not in several years.
Angelo consistently has followed his plan to first address certain needs in free agency, taking pressure off the draft, and if something failed to materialize there, he struck in the draft.
Offensive line
The age on the offensive line suggests Angelo will address that, possibly with an addition like Bengals free-agent guard-tackle Eric Steinbach, a Providence High School product. If not through free agency, Angelo has traditionally selected linemen early in his drafts. This year could continue that pattern.
Last year, he targeted a punt returner (Antwaan Randle El) and a safety (Adam Archuleta) early in free agency. When both went to Washington, he drafted Devin Hester and Danieal Manning.
Safety
Archuleta looms as a key figure again.
The Bears went into last year’s draft looking for safety help and found it in Manning.
The rookie had catastrophic breakdowns as the season went on, and he more than any single Bear appeared the worse for the injuries to Mike Brown and Todd Johnson and the accompanying loss of mentoring. But Manning is set. The rest of the picture, however, is not.
Brown has two more years at $2.49 million, a paycheck befitting a Pro Bowl safety but a heavy tab for a seven-year veteran who has finished each of the last three seasons injured. Johnson and Chris Harris provide good depth, but the Bears will be looking for more.
After what he went through last season in Washington, Archuleta may be willing to pay his way here.
Running back
The very good news is that the MRI on Cedric Benson’s injured knee from the Super Bowl was negative.
Thomas Jones’ best chance of being traded out of Chicago disappeared last off-season when the Colts stepped away from a deal for the veteran running back.
The result has become a bizarre juxtaposition of tailbacks. The older rusher, with a history of nettlesome nicks, has emerged as the 1,200-yard fixture on offense. The younger back, with a history of ironman durability, is suddenly a health concern with a run of injuries.
Benson has had three time-losing injuries, two of them knee injuries, in two seasons.
Teams in the Bears’ position typically trade for a veteran like Jones, not trade one away.
BUILD A BETTER BEAR
Readers e-mailed their suggestions for improving the Bears. As a bonus, we included one fan’s homage to the Bears theme song to help fans cope with the Super Bowl loss.
— RedEye
“The Bears need to … pick up a veteran safety (Adam Archuleta), a more athletic second-string tight end, a faster linebacker to compete with Hunter Hillenmeyer, a run-stopping defensive lineman, and a third-down/possession receiver.”
Walter Brzeski, 41, Dunning
“The Rexperiment looks to be over for the most part. If the Bears are serious about making another run at the title they will add a LEGIT competitor at QB like Jeff Garcia. If he doesn’t win the job in camp, he’ll for sure be ready to take over for Grossman if and when he stumbles again.”
Greg Holcomb
“I think they should keep Rex Grossman. The offense needs to step up and protect the quarterback and give him time to throw the ball instead of getting sacked or getting intercepted. That means Moose and Bernard Berrian catch that ball like no tomorrow.”
Nadia Moreno, Chicago
And now, Joe Blevins, take it away …
Cheer up, Chicago Bears! Although your game didn’t end in victory!
Cheer up, Chicago Bears! Try to forget you’re upset! Think cheerfully!
We’ll try to survive this new humiliation … with a long vacation!
Cheer up, Chicago Bears, and have a beer from a can or a cup!
Though you may feel down, don’t wear a frown–Chicago Bears, cheer up!
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Talk to us
What should the Bears do in the draftand off-season? E-mail us at redeye sports@tribune.com. Please include your full name, age and neighborhood.
