Do you trust Angelo's drafting?

[bradjock]

Last year at this time I was giving JA all the praise in the world, and I still believe the 2006 draft was what you expect & hope for from you general managerevery year. The top 5 players (Danieal Manning, Devin Hester, Dusty Dvoracek, Jamar Williams, Mark Anderson) if healthy could all be starting, and you have a bon-a-fide superstar in the mix in Hester.

 

As great as 2006 was, 2007 was awful. It's seriously made me wonder what the hell JA was thinking:

#1 TE Greg Olsen--Helluva a player, but Matt Millen could have even made this pick. Angelo lucked out in what was arguably our greatest need, fell this far due to the fact so many teams drafted TE's the year before.

#2 DE Dan Bazuin--With 3 good ends already, where does he fit in? This was considered a "reach" for the 2nd round. He looked lost in training camp and the SCORE football guys have nothing good to say about him. (Last year at this time they were praising Dvoracek.)

#3 RB Garrett Wolfe--He reminds of Ahmad Bradshaw who looked great last Sunday for the Giants. Bradshaw was picked in the 7th round. I'd have loved to have Wolfe in the 5th but there's no way in hell he should have been taken this high.

#3 LB Michael Okwo--From training camp to now, everything I heard or read indicates he's been bad & unimpressive. Also considered a "reach."

#4 OG Josh Beekman--He's healthy, the Bears are out of it, and he's never activated. How bad is he?

#5 SS Kevin Payne--Looked good before going out for the season.

#5 CB Corey Graham--Nice special teams guy.

#7 CB Trumaine McBride--Look ok filling in at CB. I like him as a back-up. I'm not ready to start him over RMJ.

#7 OT Aaron Brant--He might have been cut before training camp even started.

 

I do give tons of credit to JA for trading our #2, for a #2 & two #3's. Helluva a deal. That being said, after Olsen, this draft looks pretty horrible IMO. I hope JA can get it together.

[balta1701-A]

I have a lot of difficulty evaluating picks 1-4 there, for a couple reasons. First and foremost, the Bears had no where to play their 2nd and 4th picks because they just didn't have the roster spots, so we haven't seen these guys really in a position where they even had to compete at all. I am not going to criticize a guy who is basically in a redshirt year until we see them on the field. And even if the guys were a "reach" or people had bad things to say about them in camp, they have a full additional year and another camp before they're counted on for anything.

 

Secondly, I really can't evaluate either Olsen or more specifically Wolfe, because to my eyes, both of their performances were dramatically hurt by the lack of quality in the Bears' O-Line.

 

We will see a lot more from this draft this upcoming year, hopefully. If it struggles, specifically Bazuin, Wolfe, and Okwo, then I'll say you're right. But I can't criticize based on these guys when either they didn't play at all or they had to play behind that O-Line.

[shadevtx]

I think JA is afraid to make the high picks...good for contracts, good for roster choices, bad for Bears fans. We don't have any talent on offense, and I attribute a lot of that to JA trying to hard to find "diamonds in the rough." Bradley, Wolfe, Bazuin, Okwo, Manning, Haynes...all reaches who were drafted higher than their worth. He sets his mind on guys and falls in love with them. He's building another TB here. He has a great eye for D talent, but something is missing on offense here, just like it was there. It's our fault b/c his team doesn't need to be exciting or contending to be profitable. I'm not saying he's not trying to win, b/c I think he is, but I also think he's a little too comfortable...

[DrunkBomber]

I dont trust his ability to draft offensive talent. He seems to be really good at getting later round defensive players. However, I think his honeymoon for drafting Hester and Anderson is over and he needs to greatly improve over last years draft with the exception of the slam dunk pick of Olsen.

['TD']

I got bored and went through the drafts and got the Bears picks. Its possible I missed something, but wanted to try to put it together.

 

EDIT:

I Forgot 2002

 

2002

1st Marc Colombo (OT)

2nd Roosevelt Williams (CB)

3rd Terrence Metcalf (G)

4th Alex Brown (DE)

5th Bobby Gray (S)

5th Bryan Knight (LB)

6th Adrian Peterson (RB)

6th Jamin Elliot (WR)

6th Bryan Fletcher (TE)

End Edit

 

2003

1st Michael Haynes (DE)

1st Rex Grossman (QB)

2nd Charles Tillman (CB)

3rd Lance Briggs (LB)

4th Todd Johnson (S)

4th Ian Scott (DT)

5th Bobby Wade (WR)

5th Justin Gage (WR)

5th Taron Lafavor (DT)

6th Joe Odom (LB)

6th Brock Forsey (RB)

7th Bryan Anderson (G)

 

2004

1st Tommy Harris (DT)

2nd Tank Johnson (DT)

3rd Bernard Berrian (WR)

4th Nathan Vasher (CB)

4th Leon Joe (LB)

5th Claude Harriott (DE)

5th Craig Krenzel (QB)

7th Alfonso Marshall (DB)

 

2005

1st Cedric Benson (RB)

2nd Mark Bradley (WR)

4th Kyle Orton (QB)

5th Airese Currie (WR)

6th Chris Harris (S)

7th Rod Wilson (LB)

 

2006

2nd Danieal Manning (S)

2nd Devin Hester (CB/KR/WR/PR)

3rd Dusty Dvoracek (DT)

4th Jamar Williams (LB)

5th Mark Anderson (DE)

6th D.J. Runnels (FB)

6th Tyler Reed (G)

 

 

2007

1st Greg Olsen (TE)

2nd Dan Bazuin (DE)

3rd Garrett Wolfe (RB)

3rd Michael Okwo (LB)

4th Josh Beekman (G)

5th Kevin Payne (S)

5th Corey Graham (CB)

7th Trumaine McBride (CB)

7th Aaron Bryant (OT)

[nfoligno]

Um, not just no, but hell no.

 

I have never been a big Angelo fan (under-statement alert). While he has had his share of hits (mostly defensive) I question his overall success, and further, believe he has gotten to believe too much that he can find those diamonds in the rough players. Now, for the record, I have lately spread the blame around more. A GM is only as good as the scouting department he is surrounded by. I do not know if our issues in the draft (particularly on the offensive side of the ball) is more about player evaluation, or simply Angelo. Further, I have come to really question our coaching staff(s) ability to develop players. I wonder if some players, like Harris or Briggs, are simply so good that they didn't need great coaching to develop. Sometimes I wonder if Angelo "misses" or if players he drafts have the talent, but we simply do not have the coaches that can mold that talent.

 

W/ that said, I am bored as hell today, and it's the offseason, so what the hell:) Year by year.

 

2002

 

Marc Colombo T

Roosevelt Williams DB

Terrence Metcalf G

Alex Brown DE

Bobby Gray DB

Bryan Knight LB

Adrian Peterson RB

Jamin Elliott WR

Bryan Fletcher TE

 

I hated the Columbo pick when we made it. I thought he was a reach for need, and further, questioned his ability to play LT, which was our true need. Roe was simply a horrible pick. Metcalf is still on the team, but Angelo has always seemed higher on him then the coaches. Alex Brown was a great pick. As I recall, the talent was never a question, but the attitude and heart were. In the 4th, he was worth the risk, and it paid off. Gray was a camp favorite, but never much. Knight was supposed to replace Colvin, but was an utter failure. AP is a solid backup RB and special teams ace, and great value. Elliot and Flether were never much more than fodder.

 

Brown and AP save the draft, but I would not say it warrants even a passing grade. D+, maybe C- due to Brown.

 

2003

Michael Haynes DE

Rex Grossman QB

Charles Tillman DB

Lance Briggs LB

Todd Johnson DB

Ian Scott DT

Bobby Wade WR

Justin Gage WR

Tron Lafavor DT

Joe Odom LB

Brock Forsey RB

Bryan Anderson G

 

Haynes was a massive bust. Some would argue that he was drafted for a system we were moving away from, but he never made it with another team after leaving us, and proved himself to simply be a big time bust. Rex. Well, let's just say he never lived up to the billing. I hated this combo the day we made it. I was fine w/ the trade down, but hated who we took. I will say I didn't like the Tillman and Briggs picks, but was proved totally wrong. Todd Johnson never stepped up. Scott was a great pick. Wade and Gage were decent value for the picks. Nothing much to say about the rest.

 

I would say this was his best draft, as it produced two pro bowl tier players in Briggs and Tillman, plus several starters in Scott, Wade and Gage. The failure of the 1st round again hurts though. I would still give this a B+. I would like to go higher, especially due to Briggs, but the failure of the 1st round has to hurt the grade.

 

2004

Tommie Harris DT

Tank Johnson DT

Bernard Berrian WR

Nathan Vasher DB

Leon Joe LB

Claude Harriott DE

Craig Krenzel QB

Alfonso Marshall DB

 

Harris was a great pick, but also a no brainer. Tank was a gamble, as he had "issues" going into the draft, and those proved true. Berrian has not taken that next step, but I would say there is no question he proved a solid 3rd round value. Vasher was a GREAT pick. I hated the Joe pick when we made it. I liked the Harriott pick, but he never panned out. Nothing to say about the rest.

 

I guess this could be argued to be our best draft too. Harris compares to Briggs as among the elite as his position. Vasher compares to Tillman, but was better value. Berrian became a solid starter. I think I still put the 2003 draft higher, as I think we got better value out of more picks, and found more starter quality, as well as depth chart players. If Tank didn't tank, this draft would be solidified. Grade B.

 

2005

Cedric Benson RB

Mark Bradley WR

Kyle Orton QB

Airese Currie WR

Chris Harris DB

Rodriques Wilson DB

 

This was a bad draft. I was on board w/ Benson, but he has not worked out thus far, and I say that as one of his biggest supporters. Bradley was never a good pick IMHO. He was VERY raw at Oklahoma, as he was only a part time WR for them, and while he showed flashes in college, he has done little more for us. Orton? I actually liked the pick, as well as the idea, but despite starting as a rookie, our not even considering him unless we had no other healthy bodies says something. Harris was a good value, but I never thought that much of him. It took Archuleta to make Harris look good. Grade? F. This grade has potential to go up, as three players still have an opportunity to step it up, but as of today, I see no reason to place a higher grade than F on this year.

 

2006

Danieal Manning DB

Devin Hester WR

Dusty Dvoracek DT

Jamar Williams LB

Mark Anderson DE

J.D. Runnels RB

Tyler Reed G

 

I am not sure there was a draft I hated more, but was proved wrong in some regards. I hated when we traded down, and hated more still who we traded down for. D.Manning, despite his number of starts, has never become close to the player Angelo hoped, and our putting FS as among our top needs is telling. Hester proved me so wrong it is not even funny. I simply did not believe ANY return man warranted a 2nd round pick. I said then I would not give up a 2nd round pick for Dante Hall, considered the best return man in his prime, but was shown just how game changing Hester was/is. I still think Hester is the exception and not the rule, but regardless, give Angelo credit for drafting that exception. I hated the Dusty pick. I liked him as a player, but felt we had too many needs beyond DT. Now we really need Dusty to step up. He looked good in camp last year, but has yet to prove himself. Jamar William will get his chance, but is stil unproven. Anderson was a shining light in the darkness. Runnels and Reed were nothing. Hester and Anderson give instant cred to this draft, while Dusty and Williams give it more potential. I would give this draft a C+ or maybe B-. As great as Hester is, he is not a starter. As great as Anderson was as a rookie, he failed as a starter. Despite how great Hester is, I believe we need a starter or two to develop from this group to grade it higher. D.Manning looks to me like a failure.

 

2007

Greg Olsen TE

Dan Bazuin DE

Garrett Wolfe RB

Michael Okwo LB

Josh Beekman G

Kevin Payne DB

Corey Graham DB

Trumaine McBride DB

Aaron Brant T

 

I loved the Olsen pick, but as much as I like his potential, I think we need to see more from him to really grade him, or this draft, high. Bazuin was not a pick I liked at all. We had Brown and Wale, and Anderson has already emerged. I never saw the point in drafting Bazuin, Even after his red shirt year, where does he fit in. I HATED the Wolfe pick. As a 5th round pick, fine. But 1st day? IMHO, he is at best a 3rd down, change of pace RB, and in the 1st day, I think you should be looking for starter grade/potential players, not depth chart. I thought Okwo was a reach also, but time will tell w/ h im. As Bradjock mentioned, w/ all our troubles at OG, Beekman could not even get activated. That is telling. Payne was looking good prior to the injury, and looked like good value. Graham? McBride looked great, particularly for where he was taken. Brant? Is he still on the team? Still VERY early, but today, I would grade this drarft a D-. Olsen did not have the impact as a rookie expected, but was that coaching or him. I remember seeing a stat that said he either led the league, or was among the league leaders, in drops per pass attempt. Thus far, no starters, and only so so potential for starters here.

 

If our need this year was defense, I might have more optimism, but our need is not defense. Our need is offense, and Angelo has said as much. Through 6 drafts, Angelo ability to find offensive starters, much less studs, has been totally lacking. Worse, his record of drafting OL is pathetic, and that is our top need. My hope is we break the trend, and find that offensive talent that has been missing, but I can not say my confidence level is high. History is simply not on our side.

[AZ54]

For all the breakdowns in drafting offensive skill players the biggest failure IMO is drafting Oline. Other teams can find good Oline players in later rounds of the draft and we can't find any, not even one. It would be nice to be able to put an average RB or two behind a good Oline and watch them rush for 1300 yards. Or see an average QB put up good numbers because he has time to throw. It's hard to find a top rate QB but with the exception of LT it shouldn't be that hard to put together a good Oline.

[BearSox]

People, people. Jerry Angelo might have been GM since 2001, but he did not get full GM powers until after Jouron finally got canned and Angelo's first draft where he actually picked the players took place in the 2004 draft. In the 2001, 2002, and 2003 drafts, all the players were selected by Jouron because he had all powers concerning the players, meaning he choice who to sign, who to cut, who to draft, who to trade, etc. Basically, GM was just a title for Angelo and he had no actual powers.

[BearSox]

You can't really judge a draft until at least 3-4 years after, but here goes nothing...

 

2004

1st Tommy Harris (DT)

-What else is there to say? Argueably the league's best UT. Great pick.

 

2nd Tank Johnson (DT)

-Was a very good compliment to Harris until the troubles with the law came up. A very good pick.

 

3rd Bernard Berrian (WR)

-Is the team's best offensive weapon and no. 1 receiver. Great pick.

 

4th Nathan Vasher (CB)

-One of better corners in the league and one hell of a steal, as well as a pro-bowler. Great pick.

 

4th Leon Joe (LB)

-Was a decent S-Teamer for a while. Decent pick, for a 4th rounder.

 

5th Claude Harriott (DE)

-Never did anything, but was only a 5th rounder. Oh well.

 

5th Craig Krenzel (QB)

-Had one or two good games for a 5th round QB. Oh well.

 

7th Alfonso Marshall (DB)

-IIRC, he was a decent ST for a while. Decent pick for a 7th rounder.

 

2005

1st Cedric Benson (RB)

-Looked like a sure thing coming out of college. Can't really blame JA for this one. Everyteam in the league would have loved to get Benson. Still has potential. Rating pending.

 

2nd Mark Bradley (WR)

-Was looking like a great pick until his injury. Still has potential. Rating Pending.

 

4th Kyle Orton (QB)

-Is a solid backup and might even be next years starter. Good pick, but could turn out to be better.

 

5th Airese Currie (WR)

-Who cares, 5th rounder. Either they succeed or they don't.

 

6th Chris Harris (S)

-Was a starter as a rookie and was a great pick... but stupid to trade him.

7th Rod Wilson (LB)

-Good S-Teamer and backup. Very good pick for a 7th rounder.

 

2006

2nd Danieal Manning (S)

-Has his moments of both good and bad. Next year is his make or break year. Rating pending.

 

2nd Devin Hester (CB/KR/WR/PR)

-Do I need to even say anything?

 

3rd Dusty Dvoracek (DT)

-Same boat as Manning, except he can become a much more valueable player. Rating pending.

 

4th Jamar Williams (LB)

-Is looking like Briggs future replacement and is already a goot S-Teamer. Good pick with the potential to be better.

 

5th Mark Anderson (DE)

-Another one of JA's steals. Excellent pass rusher with loads more of potential. Great pick with the potential to be even better.

 

6th D.J. Runnels (FB)

-Looked good but had injury problems. Oh well.

 

6th Tyler Reed (G)

-Practice Squad guy for 2 years now. Really don't know how he's looked in practice. Who cares?

 

This year is the easiest...

2007

1st Greg Olsen (TE)

-He's only been in the league for one year but he's got all the potential to be a ture threat. Rating pending.

 

2nd Dan Bazuin (DE)

-He's only been in the league for one year but with Alex Brown being a big baby we need a replacement. I read that he was doing good in camp, but was only IR'ed because there wasn't room for him. Rating pending.

 

3rd Garrett Wolfe (RB)

-He's only been in the league for one year, but I personally hate this pick... rating pending.

 

3rd Michael Okwo (LB)

-He's only been in the league for one year but should compete with Williams to replace Briggs... Rating pending.

 

4th Josh Beekman (G)

-He's only been in the league for one year but looks to be nothing more then a backup center. I can live with that since he was only a 4th rounder. Rating pending.

 

5th Kevin Payne (S)

-He's only been in the league for one year, rating pending.

 

5th Corey Graham (CB)

-He's only been in the league for one year, rating pending.

 

7th Trumaine McBride (CB)

-He's only been in the league for one year, but is already no. 3 on the depth chart and has looked great, especially for a 7th rounder. Looking like another steal, but rating pending.

 

7th Aaron Bryant (OT)

-Who gives a shit, he was one of the last players picked.

 

----------------------

 

When you look at it, JA has had a very good track record with the draft. Probably one of the best of all the GM's in football.

[bradjock]

This is a boring ass time of year for Bear's talk. That being said, you mention that JA sucks at drafting offense. I hope like hell he continues the tradition of signing offense and drafting defense. I'd love to see Travelle Wharton at LT for the Bears & Julius Jones at RB.

 

I do think you undervalue the 2006 draft. The top 5 picks will all be HUGE contributors on this team if healthy. Not to mention, everyone knows who Devin Hester is.

 

The scariest part is the Angelo has had 6 drafts and not one single O-lineman he has drafted has stuck. IMO Metcalf is gone (or should be.) I guess that's why I'm hoping we can sign Wharton.

 

Um, not just no, but hell no.

 

I have never been a big Angelo fan (under-statement alert). While he has had his share of hits (mostly defensive) I question his overall success, and further, believe he has gotten to believe too much that he can find those diamonds in the rough players. Now, for the record, I have lately spread the blame around more. A GM is only as good as the scouting department he is surrounded by. I do not know if our issues in the draft (particularly on the offensive side of the ball) is more about player evaluation, or simply Angelo. Further, I have come to really question our coaching staff(s) ability to develop players. I wonder if some players, like Harris or Briggs, are simply so good that they didn't need great coaching to develop. Sometimes I wonder if Angelo "misses" or if players he drafts have the talent, but we simply do not have the coaches that can mold that talent.

 

W/ that said, I am bored as hell today, and it's the offseason, so what the hell:) Year by year.

 

2002

 

Marc Colombo T

Roosevelt Williams DB

Terrence Metcalf G

Alex Brown DE

Bobby Gray DB

Bryan Knight LB

Adrian Peterson RB

Jamin Elliott WR

Bryan Fletcher TE

 

I hated the Columbo pick when we made it. I thought he was a reach for need, and further, questioned his ability to play LT, which was our true need. Roe was simply a horrible pick. Metcalf is still on the team, but Angelo has always seemed higher on him then the coaches. Alex Brown was a great pick. As I recall, the talent was never a question, but the attitude and heart were. In the 4th, he was worth the risk, and it paid off. Gray was a camp favorite, but never much. Knight was supposed to replace Colvin, but was an utter failure. AP is a solid backup RB and special teams ace, and great value. Elliot and Flether were never much more than fodder.

 

Brown and AP save the draft, but I would not say it warrants even a passing grade. D+, maybe C- due to Brown.

 

2003

Michael Haynes DE

Rex Grossman QB

Charles Tillman DB

Lance Briggs LB

Todd Johnson DB

Ian Scott DT

Bobby Wade WR

Justin Gage WR

Tron Lafavor DT

Joe Odom LB

Brock Forsey RB

Bryan Anderson G

 

Haynes was a massive bust. Some would argue that he was drafted for a system we were moving away from, but he never made it with another team after leaving us, and proved himself to simply be a big time bust. Rex. Well, let's just say he never lived up to the billing. I hated this combo the day we made it. I was fine w/ the trade down, but hated who we took. I will say I didn't like the Tillman and Briggs picks, but was proved totally wrong. Todd Johnson never stepped up. Scott was a great pick. Wade and Gage were decent value for the picks. Nothing much to say about the rest.

 

I would say this was his best draft, as it produced two pro bowl tier players in Briggs and Tillman, plus several starters in Scott, Wade and Gage. The failure of the 1st round again hurts though. I would still give this a B+. I would like to go higher, especially due to Briggs, but the failure of the 1st round has to hurt the grade.

 

2004

Tommie Harris DT

Tank Johnson DT

Bernard Berrian WR

Nathan Vasher DB

Leon Joe LB

Claude Harriott DE

Craig Krenzel QB

Alfonso Marshall DB

 

Harris was a great pick, but also a no brainer. Tank was a gamble, as he had "issues" going into the draft, and those proved true. Berrian has not taken that next step, but I would say there is no question he proved a solid 3rd round value. Vasher was a GREAT pick. I hated the Joe pick when we made it. I liked the Harriott pick, but he never panned out. Nothing to say about the rest.

 

I guess this could be argued to be our best draft too. Harris compares to Briggs as among the elite as his position. Vasher compares to Tillman, but was better value. Berrian became a solid starter. I think I still put the 2003 draft higher, as I think we got better value out of more picks, and found more starter quality, as well as depth chart players. If Tank didn't tank, this draft would be solidified. Grade B.

 

2005

Cedric Benson RB

Mark Bradley WR

Kyle Orton QB

Airese Currie WR

Chris Harris DB

Rodriques Wilson DB

 

This was a bad draft. I was on board w/ Benson, but he has not worked out thus far, and I say that as one of his biggest supporters. Bradley was never a good pick IMHO. He was VERY raw at Oklahoma, as he was only a part time WR for them, and while he showed flashes in college, he has done little more for us. Orton? I actually liked the pick, as well as the idea, but despite starting as a rookie, our not even considering him unless we had no other healthy bodies says something. Harris was a good value, but I never thought that much of him. It took Archuleta to make Harris look good. Grade? F. This grade has potential to go up, as three players still have an opportunity to step it up, but as of today, I see no reason to place a higher grade than F on this year.

 

2006

Danieal Manning DB

Devin Hester WR

Dusty Dvoracek DT

Jamar Williams LB

Mark Anderson DE

J.D. Runnels RB

Tyler Reed G

 

I am not sure there was a draft I hated more, but was proved wrong in some regards. I hated when we traded down, and hated more still who we traded down for. D.Manning, despite his number of starts, has never become close to the player Angelo hoped, and our putting FS as among our top needs is telling. Hester proved me so wrong it is not even funny. I simply did not believe ANY return man warranted a 2nd round pick. I said then I would not give up a 2nd round pick for Dante Hall, considered the best return man in his prime, but was shown just how game changing Hester was/is. I still think Hester is the exception and not the rule, but regardless, give Angelo credit for drafting that exception. I hated the Dusty pick. I liked him as a player, but felt we had too many needs beyond DT. Now we really need Dusty to step up. He looked good in camp last year, but has yet to prove himself. Jamar William will get his chance, but is stil unproven. Anderson was a shining light in the darkness. Runnels and Reed were nothing. Hester and Anderson give instant cred to this draft, while Dusty and Williams give it more potential. I would give this draft a C+ or maybe B-. As great as Hester is, he is not a starter. As great as Anderson was as a rookie, he failed as a starter. Despite how great Hester is, I believe we need a starter or two to develop from this group to grade it higher. D.Manning looks to me like a failure.

 

2007

Greg Olsen TE

Dan Bazuin DE

Garrett Wolfe RB

Michael Okwo LB

Josh Beekman G

Kevin Payne DB

Corey Graham DB

Trumaine McBride DB

Aaron Brant T

 

I loved the Olsen pick, but as much as I like his potential, I think we need to see more from him to really grade him, or this draft, high. Bazuin was not a pick I liked at all. We had Brown and Wale, and Anderson has already emerged. I never saw the point in drafting Bazuin, Even after his red shirt year, where does he fit in. I HATED the Wolfe pick. As a 5th round pick, fine. But 1st day? IMHO, he is at best a 3rd down, change of pace RB, and in the 1st day, I think you should be looking for starter grade/potential players, not depth chart. I thought Okwo was a reach also, but time will tell w/ h im. As Bradjock mentioned, w/ all our troubles at OG, Beekman could not even get activated. That is telling. Payne was looking good prior to the injury, and looked like good value. Graham? McBride looked great, particularly for where he was taken. Brant? Is he still on the team? Still VERY early, but today, I would grade this drarft a D-. Olsen did not have the impact as a rookie expected, but was that coaching or him. I remember seeing a stat that said he either led the league, or was among the league leaders, in drops per pass attempt. Thus far, no starters, and only so so potential for starters here.

 

If our need this year was defense, I might have more optimism, but our need is not defense. Our need is offense, and Angelo has said as much. Through 6 drafts, Angelo ability to find offensive starters, much less studs, has been totally lacking. Worse, his record of drafting OL is pathetic, and that is our top need. My hope is we break the trend, and find that offensive talent that has been missing, but I can not say my confidence level is high. History is simply not on our side.

[adam]

2002

Brown and AP save the draft, but I would not say it warrants even a passing grade. D+, maybe C- due to Brown.

 

2003

I would still give this a B+. I would like to go higher, especially due to Briggs, but the failure of the 1st round has to hurt the grade.

 

2004

Grade B.

 

2005

Grade? F. This grade has potential to go up, as three players still have an opportunity to step it up, but as of today, I see no reason to place a higher grade than F on this year.

 

2006

I would give this draft a C+ or maybe B-. As great as Hester is, he is not a starter. As great as Anderson was as a rookie, he failed as a starter. Despite how great Hester is, I believe we need a starter or two to develop from this group to grade it higher. D.Manning looks to me like a failure.

 

2007

Still VERY early, but today, I would grade this drarft a D-. Olsen did not have the impact as a rookie expected, but was that coaching or him. I remember seeing a stat that said he either led the league, or was among the league leaders, in drops per pass attempt. Thus far, no starters, and only so so potential for starters here.

NFO, That is a harsh assessment on some of those years. If you draft a Pro Bowler, that in itself is a pretty good draft. You seem to want every single pick to work out, and that is completely unrealistic. The 2006 draft is a C+? That is crazy, Hester alone makes it an "A". He is the top return specialist of All-time. 2004 is a B, with Harris, Berrian, AND Vasher? That is a solid "A", probably an A+.

 

I agree with the other years. The biggest thing to notice is how bad our 1st rounders have turned out other than Harris (Olsen is too new to eval). That is why I would rather trade down if possible.

[balta1701-A]

I agree with the other years. The biggest thing to notice is how bad our 1st rounders have turned out other than Harris (Olsen is too new to eval). That is why I would rather trade down if possible.

Since, as people keep pointing out, the 2004 draft was the first one where Angelo had real control, basically what you're saying is you're really unhappy with Benson, since Angelo's 3 1st rounders are Harris, Benson, and Olsen, and he had no first rounder in 06.

[DrunkBomber]

Bearsox, for being as much of a self proclaimed college expert as you claim to be you are wrong about Benson. There werent many who looked at him as a sure thing especially in Bear nation. Even though he didnt work out Mike Williams was the guy almost everyone wanted and in the grand scheme of things he worked out better than Benson because at least Detroit has cut ties with him and we are still hand cuffed by Bensons contract.

[balta1701-A]

Bearsox, for being as much of a self proclaimed college expert as you claim to be you are wrong about Benson. There werent many who looked at him as a sure thing especially in Bear nation. Even though he didnt work out Mike Williams was the guy almost everyone wanted and in the grand scheme of things he worked out better than Benson because at least Detroit has cut ties with him and we are still hand cuffed by Bensons contract.

Wait a second, are you insisting that Mike Williams wouldn't have hamstrung the Bears with his contract if he'd gone 4th and not 10th? Wouldn't Williams have put himself in almost the same boat as benson, demanding a contract of the sort deserving of a #4 pick, and thus be just as unmovable as Benson now, except even worse of a player?

[Connorbear]

Bearsox, for being as much of a self proclaimed college expert as you claim to be you are wrong about Benson. There werent many who looked at him as a sure thing especially in Bear nation. Even though he didnt work out Mike Williams was the guy almost everyone wanted and in the grand scheme of things he worked out better than Benson because at least Detroit has cut ties with him and we are still hand cuffed by Bensons contract.

Dude...cmon. Mike Williams is out of the league. He is a complete and absolute bust. If he would have been the 4th pick, he would have killed us and Angelo would be eating crow big time. The book is still open on Bensn. I'm not sure he will be much better but at least he is still in the league.

 

Peace

[Connorbear]

[/i]2nd Tank Johnson (DT)

-Was a very good compliment to Harris until the troubles with the law came up. A very good pick.

4th Leon Joe (LB)

-Was a decent S-Teamer for a while. Decent pick, for a 4th rounder.

 

7th Alfonso Marshall (DB)

-IIRC, he was a decent ST for a while. Decent pick for a 7th rounder.

 

Disagree on all 3. All were gone from the team by the 4th yr and, thus to me, they were busts.

 

Other than that, I agree with your assessment.

 

Peace

[AZ54]

First time I've ever heard of a draft pick being better because he was out the league faster than a player taken in the same round. With that concept you'd think JA would get more positive press for some of his Oline picks.

[DrunkBomber]

Wait a second, are you insisting that Mike Williams wouldn't have hamstrung the Bears with his contract if he'd gone 4th and not 10th? Wouldn't Williams have put himself in almost the same boat as benson, demanding a contract of the sort deserving of a #4 pick, and thus be just as unmovable as Benson now, except even worse of a player?

Well in general WRs make less than Rbs so the standard contract would be less. Also, since teams use anywhere from two to five wrs at a time as opposed to one running back its easier to go another route at the position. My point however was that Benson was not a slam dunk pick, its irrelevant what happened with Mike Williams, Im just saying there were a lot of analysts and fans that hated the pick. Especially after Bensons comments about preferring to win the Heisman over a national championship. This was also the off season where one of their biggest acquisitions was Thomas Jones.

 

This thread was in regards to JAs drafting ability and if someone says drafting Benson was a good pick theyre wrong. Its not even opinion at this point because he hasnt produced at all.

[balta1701-A]

This was also the off season where one of their biggest acquisitions was Thomas Jones.

Actually again, no it wasn't. This was a full year after the Bears had acquired Jones, who didn't give the Bears 1000 yards the year before that and who had been passed on by 2 teams in the couple previous years. The Bears had Jones for a full year before drafting Benson.

['TD']

People, people. Jerry Angelo might have been GM since 2001, but he did not get full GM powers until after Jouron finally got canned and Angelo's first draft where he actually picked the players took place in the 2004 draft. In the 2001, 2002, and 2003 drafts, all the players were selected by Jouron because he had all powers concerning the players, meaning he choice who to sign, who to cut, who to draft, who to trade, etc. Basically, GM was just a title for Angelo and he had no actual powers.

 

 

I'm not calling you wrong, but I've never read that Angelo was a Paper GM before. I thought the only limitation JA had was he couldn't fire Jauron his first year.

 

I always took it as he was drafting more for Jauron's Defense then the one he wanted (Tampa 2). I know he is more on the same page as Lovie then Jauron, but

 

I'm pretty sure he had control over the players.

[balta1701-A]

I'm not calling you wrong, but I've never read that Angelo was a Paper GM before. I thought the only limitation JA had was he couldn't fire Jauron his first year.

 

I always took it as he was drafting more for Jauron's Defense then the one he wanted (Tampa 2). I know he is more on the same page as Lovie then Jauron, but

 

I'm pretty sure he had control over the players.

Quoting from the Wikipedia entry, you can look elsewhere if you don't buy that as a source:

Since taking over the Chicago Bears in 2001, Angelo had a tenuous road ahead of him. Dick Jauron, the coach at the time, had in his contract that he was to have control of the player roster, which entitled him to the GM powers that Angelo was supposed to have. The relationship between the 2 was at best, grating, and at worst, downright horrible.

 

Then, during the 2003 season, Ed McCaskey died, thus spreading out the shares he had, and allowing the other McCaskey children to take the majority share away from Virginia and Michael McCaskey. Thus this led to Angelo finally being elevated to full GM and powers (instead of name only). It also signaled the end of Dick Jauron, who was fired at the end of the season.

 

Angelo then sought a new coach. The short list was Nick Saban, Russ Grimm, and Lovie Smith. Nick Saban was choice #1, but wanted the GM powers Angelo just acquired. Saban went on to a short tenure with the Miami Dolphins prior to returning to college football. Russ Grimm was the second choice but was not hired.

[DrunkBomber]

Actually again, no it wasn't. This was a full year after the Bears had acquired Jones, who didn't give the Bears 1000 yards the year before that and who had been passed on by 2 teams in the couple previous years. The Bears had Jones for a full year before drafting Benson.

You can nitpick details all you want. However, maybe focus on my point that Benson wasnt a slam dunk pick. The closest think Angelo had to a gimme was Olsen because he was projected to go top 20 and TE was a position we were looking at. the whole point Im making is that Benson was not a consensus pick. So feel free to address the fact I didnt capitalize "the" in my last sentence instead of commenting whether Benson "Looked like a sure thing coming out of college. Can't really blame JA for this one. Everyteam in the league would have loved to get Benson. Still has potential. Rating pending."

 

Im saying, you CAN blame JA for the pick because there were many who questioned his heart and work ethic and he wasnt a sure thing. Instead of saying he didnt give the Bears 1000 yards his first year (even though it was 948) because that is pretty irrelevant to the topic.

['TD']

Quoting from the Wikipedia entry, you can look elsewhere if you don't buy that as a source:

 

I never knew that. I actually did look around prior to questioning him, but didn't find anything. I may have been searching wrong.

 

The closest thing I found was that he couldn't fire Jauron immediately. I'm not completely sold given the source of wiki.

 

Does that mean Jauron was responsible for Briggs, Tillman and Brown?

[nfoligno]

This is a boring ass time of year for Bear's talk. That being said, you mention that JA sucks at drafting offense. I hope like hell he continues the tradition of signing offense and drafting defense. I'd love to see Travelle Wharton at LT for the Bears & Julius Jones at RB.

 

Partially. While there are players on offense I want to sign, I do not see how we can move forward w/o also finding talent on offense in the draft.

 

I do think you undervalue the 2006 draft. The top 5 picks will all be HUGE contributors on this team if healthy. Not to mention, everyone knows who Devin Hester is.

 

D.Manning - I wasn't aware you were a fan. In fact, I thought you were the opposite. While I believe coaching has hurt him more than helped, at the same time, I simply do not believe he will ever make it as our starter. In fact, I think we will replace him this year, and he will fall further and further down the depth chart.

 

Hester - Best return man of all time, but do you believe he will ever be more than a #3 WR, if that? I know this is not going to sit well w/ most bear fans, but what I saw this year makes me think he will never be more than a part time sort of player. He is the sort that can hit on the 90 yard bomb, but at the same time, I just do not think he has the smarts to become a consistent starter.

 

Dusty - At this point, we know very little. He looked great in camp, and I was high on him as well, but how many times has that happened in the past. Crap, I remember Knight was going to have 15 sacks after the camp he had. He has proven no more resiliant to injury than Mike Brown. I have high hopes, but at the same time, they are hopes.

 

Williams - Big shoes to fill. Can we really say he will be a starter, much less more?

 

Anderson - Freaking stud as a rookie, but as a starter, when teams gave him more attention, nothing. He was flat out pushed around this year.

 

Hey, I have high hopes for at least 4 of the 5, but how much of that hope should we count on? If Hester never does jack as a WR, he is proven IMHO, but the rest?

 

The scariest part is the Angelo has had 6 drafts and not one single O-lineman he has drafted has stuck. IMO Metcalf is gone (or should be.) I guess that's why I'm hoping we can sign Wharton.

 

I still want Faneca.

[nfoligno]

NFO, That is a harsh assessment on some of those years. If you draft a Pro Bowler, that in itself is a pretty good draft.

You seem to want every single pick to work out, and that is completely unrealistic.

 

I do not agree. If you have a bunch of pick, grab a pro bowler, and a bunch of scrubs, that is not enough to be a pretty good draft. IMHO, each draft should never a couple starters. Ideally, I would like to see one pro bowl tier player, and a at least two more starters, but one player, as good as he may be, from a draft is not enough. I do not think a team can EVER make it netting one player per year.

 

The 2006 draft is a C+? That is crazy, Hester alone makes it an "A". He is the top return specialist of All-time.

 

Sorry, but as I said above, one player is not enough. Like I said, I just do not think one player per draft is enough. 22 starters on the team. Hell, Hester is not even one of those 22. Not taking away from Hester, but one guy per year will never fill out a team.

 

2004 is a B, with Harris, Berrian, AND Vasher? That is a solid "A", probably an A+.

 

Maybe a B is a bit low, but a solid A or A+ is too high IMHO. One stud, a #2 WR and a #2 CB. Berrian has yet to crack 1,000 yards, which is not really a fantastic Vasher is a solid starter. Okay, B+. If Berrian were to have taken that next step this year, as expected, I would have bumped the grade up to the A level.

 

Still, I think one key point has to be that regardless of the grades, is there any question we have been poor when it comes to drafting offense?