I’ve had a really unproductive day today with all the free agent news and I really should buckle down and get some work done, but what the hell, I might as well get to this thread before everyone has completely forgotten about it. Let’s take a look at the Bears’ draft from 2008.
1.14 Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
If I remember correctly I hated this pick. I haven’t reviewed the old thread yet and we’ll see how accurate my memory is in a bit, but I recall having Williams last on my list 1st round OLs. I thought that he was too soft and too timid to be a effective OT. As it turns out I was right, at the time I don’t think I was aware of his back issue and injuries have been a constant problem for him. When he played OT he got pushed around and bullied. He also seemed to lack awareness and what a false start penalty waiting to happen. He hasn’t been a complete bust because he’s versatile enough to be an adequate OG, though I seem to have less faith in him than the coaches and local media, but he certainly was a bad pick here. At the time I was in the tank for Brandon Albert or Ryan Clady. Clady didn’t make it back to the Bears and Albert came off the board at 15, but both guys have been better than Williams by a lot, though neither is elite. Even Sam Baker, Duane Brown, Jeff Otah and Gosder Cherilus have been better to varying degrees. Simply, Williams was the worst OT of several taken in this first round. Bad times.
2.44 Matt Forte RB Tulane
I liked the Forte pick when it happened, I’m sure I was leery of his injury history and the amount of use he had in college, ala Cedric Benson, but I do recall buying into him. For whatever reason everyone knew that Forte was high on the Bears list prior to the draft and this pick wasn’t much of a surprise.
Forte has obviously been a great pick for them and assuming he signs a new contract in the coming weeks he’ll continue to be the best contributor from this draft, and frankly any draft under Angelo other than Briggs and Tillman.
3.70 Earl Bennett WR Vanderbilt
Bennett is still a question mark. I really don’t recall my impression of the pick, but getting productive WRs have always been a need. As a 3rd round pick, he took a long time to take hold on the roster and much of that seems to have been the fault of coaching since Bennett more often than not has been productive in limited use. Cutler loves throwing to him and I suspect he’ll be a great complement to Marshall. He signed a sizable contract extension this past season which was a little bigger than justified, but he probably was the most talented WR on the team depending on how you feel about Knox.
From a draft perspective he’s been a good pick, you’d like to have him healthier and more productive, but the arrow is pointing up. This wasn’t a great draft for the Bears by any stretch, and Williams and Bennett have been hurt too much and developed too slowly, but we’ve got 3 starters with our first 3 picks which is better than most drafts I’ve witnessed. Uncharacteristically they are all on offense too. Thus far, I’d give them a C+.
3.90 Marcus Harrison DT Arkansas
The Bears added a second 2008 3rd rounder back in 2007 by giving up an early 2nd round pick, previously acquired in the Thomas Jones trade. (All in all, that deal was probably a net loss for the Bears since Jones proved to have a lot left in the tank, but it would have been a lot more defensible had they drafted Weddle with that pick instead of trading it for this one and change) Anyways, Harrison was a decent rotational DT that was always a bit of a tease. He played well enough to play as a rookie and later start alongside Harris. He had injury issues and is now out of football. It’s tough to consider him a good pick considering that, but for the 3 years he was a Bear he played some pretty solid if unspectacular football as the under tackle.
4.120 Craig Steltz DB Louisiana State
Steltz is another one that’s difficult to gauge. Like Bennett and Williams he’s developed slowly and spent most of his time either nicked up or on special teams. This past season he stepped in to start after Wright and Merriweather failed and helped stabilize the defense. I’m not sure you can win a Super Bowl with Steltz in your starting lineup, but as a 3rd Safety he’s not half bad. He’s a FA who the Bears are expected to retain, but all in all you can’t be too pissed with what you’ve gotten from a 4th round pick. Another contributor, but not a difference maker.
It’s a little frustrating when you notice that Red Bryant was drafted with the next pick though.
5.142 Zack Bowman CB Nebraska
I called Harrison a tease, Bowman is a tease with a capital T. A ridiculous athlete who had a habit of making highlight reel plays in training camp and special teams. Every single season the Bears had him penciled in as the guy who was going to finally make the leap and replace Tillman as a CB1. It never happened. He constantly made mental lapses and blew coverages and seemed to always end up injured even though he hardly played. Very frustrating player, and I’m still not convinced he’s a bust. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he left the Bears this offseason for a team in need of depth at CB who plays a lot of press man and ended up winning the starting gig in camp. He probably needs a change of scenery and might be a bad fit for Lovie’s system and his general inability to develop young players. For a 5th round pick, he too isn’t a complete failure. He stuck with the team for 4 seasons and may still be back for a 5th and had a handful of high points and even started a few games, he was a strong special teams contributor.
5.158 Kellen Davis TE Michigan State
Um, do I need to say it again? Another pick that kinda-sorta panned out. He’s developed into an excellent blocker and has all the skills to be a above average NFL TE in the passing game but he just hasn’t blossomed yet. Part of that was playing behind Greg Olsen, drafted the year prior, and part of that was languishing in the Martz system. He too is a FA that’s likely to be retained and the Bears are hoping he’ll finally step up with TE friendly Tice calling the plays. Personally I’m high on him, I have frequently defended the Olsen trade because I see the same upside that Lovie claims he sees in Davis. I’m going to call this pick a hit in spite of limited returns to date.
So, the middle of the draft played out exactly like the start of the draft. A bunch of guys who all have started and contributed since being selected. None of them are difference makers, but none of them are total busts either. Weird, weird draft. Still giving them a C+
7.208 Ervin Baldwin DE Michigan State
7.222 Chester Adams G Georgia
7.243 Joey LaRocque LB Oregon State
7.247 Kirk Barton T Ohio State
7.248 Marcus Monk WR Arkansas
A bunch of 7th rounders who never did anything. Only LaRocque made the team and he hardly ever dressed. Monk had elite size that I fell in love with and I hoped he’d be our Colston, but that never happened. Meh.
So, this is a bizarre Bears draft. 1 elite player. 4 role players and borderline starters who are probably earning second contracts. 2 high upside contributors who ultimately disappointed but weren’t outright busts. Every pick before the 7th round was still on the roster 4 years later with one injury exception in Harrison. If Bennett and Davis turn into a impact players under Tice this season this draft will look a heck of a lot better. I can’t call this a good draft because you really want your players to start under their rookie contracts and contribute while cheap, but most teams are going to have far fewer players left on a roster from a draft 4 years later. Are you better with 2 stars and a bunch of guys out of football or 1 star and 4 role players?
It might be interesting if the Bears are able to resign Davis and Steltz for cheap multi-year deals only to watch them bust onto the scene, sort of a delayed rookie boost. Factor in potentially big seasons from Bennett and Forte and this draft could actually be something to be proud of.
I’ll check in later with a review of my probably regrettable comments in the old thread.