CHICAGO SPORTS BLOG - THE BEARS GET A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THEIR VAST NEEDS IN THE DRAFT
CAN THE BEARS PUT TOGETHER A WINNING TEAM?
As Bears fans wait in great anticipation, the Bears upper management team gets ready to see how they can address the many needs in this weekend's draft. Yes, a draft can make an immediate difference in a team's upcoming season. Look what Devin Hester did for the Bears in his rookie year, not to mention the rookie season of Adrian Peterson, running back for the Minnesota Vikings.
Unfortunately, the Bears seem to have too many needs to be handled strictly through the draft. The entire offense with the exception of a couple of players, namely tight end, Greg Olsen and center, Olin Kreutz are all question marks. That alone has many Bears fans concerned with the most obvious question: Who will play quarterback and will that person be effective? One thing is for sure, if the Bears do select a quarterback in the draft, he won't be ready to help the team in the next year or two. Then you have the issue of whether or not Cedric Benson can really handle the load and be an effective every down back. Some reporters are making the claim that Benson is done and doesn't have what it takes to succeed in the NFL. Let's hope they're wrong since the Bears need a strong running game this year to take pressure off the quarterback. In addition to these two important areas, the Bears lost their leading receiver, Bernard Berrian to free agency and haven't stated how they are going to utilize Devin Hester in this capacity. Finally, the offensive line has aged and they have to replace Fred Miller and Ruben Brown who are no longer with the team. Just looking at the offense, the Bears could realistically use all 11 picks to bolster the offense.
On the defensive front, the Bears have fewer question marks but they do have the distraction of the Brian Urlacher contract situation and the fact that no one is sure that Urlacher will be the same player he once was. It will certainly be interesting, as the Bears, under GM Jerry Angelo, have always stated that they'll take the best player available versus addressing a specific need.
Bears fans will look on with optimism during this weekend's draft in the hope that with the right picks, they can regain the form of the team that just two short years ago went to the Super Bowl.
JEFF ARDITO & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
