2010 NFL Draft Countdown: Chicago Bears

The NFL Draft Countdown is where we take a closer look at an NFL franchise to see what its transactions have been and what its needs are.

Franchise

• Draft Position: 11
• 2009 Season Result: 7-9 (3^rd in NFC North; Missed Playoffs)
• 2009 Head Coach: Lovie Smith
• 2010 Head Coach: Lovie Smith (52-44; 2-2)

Key Transactions

• DE Julius Peppers (from CAR)
• RB Chester Taylor (from MIN)
• TE Brandon Manumaleuna (from SD)
• CB Nathan Vasher (to SD)
• DE Alex Brown (to NO)

Draft Picks

• 3-11
• 4-11
• 5-10
• 6-12
• 7-11

Analysis & Outlook

Having missed the playoffs three straight years, 2010 looms as a do-or-die year for GM Jerry Angelo and HC Lovie Smith. The Bears started their off-season by bringing in new coordinators on both offense (Mike Martz) and defense (Rod Marinelli). With no picks in the first two rounds due to last year’s trades for QB Jay Cutler and DE Gaines Adams (who died tragically from cardiac arrest in January), it’s no surprise that the Bears were active players in the free agent market. What was a surprise was the suddenly free-spending approach from the historically tight-fisted franchise. Free agent signee Julius Peppers will be asked to revitalize an unproductive defensive line, while Chester Taylor will compete with Matt Forte for snaps in Mike Martz’s offense

Despite addressing major needs on both sides of the ball in free agency, this is still a team with holes and question marks. With no picks until the third round (74^th overall), the chances of finding immediate production would appear slim. With a roster full of TEs and an offensive system that seldom throws to that position, expect the Bears to dangle Greg Olsen as trade bait to move up into Round 2 if the right player is available. On offense, the most glaring needs are on the line, which ranked 19^th statistically and will be further tested under the wide-open Martz system. While the team lacks a star WR, they will likely try to continue the development of their young corps of Hester, Knox, Bennett and Aromashadu.

On defense, look for the Bears to target the backfield (both CB and safety) while perhaps grabbing a speculative pick to shore up the LB and DL corps. This season’s defensive outlook relies on hope – hope that the return of Brian Urlacher and the addition of Peppers will be enough to revitalize Lovie’s Tampa-2 scheme.

With GM Angelo’s spotty record with early picks and consistent success finding sleepers late, this draft could be more productive than most expect. As for particulars, predicting late picks like this is comparable to throwing darts. I strongly expect the Bears will grab a safety in the third round, but could just as easily go with OL or CB. I look for a smart player and strong tackler like Nebraska SS Larry Asante or FS Myron Lewis of Vanderbilt to be tabbed. Other targets could include be CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah of Indiana or C-G Joe Hawley of UNLV in the 4^th. Later-round picks will likely feature a blend of immediate needs on both lines and the defensive backfield, plus an eye toward finding future replacements for the aging and injury-plagued Urlacher and C Olin Kreutz. A list of collegians who have made visits to Halas Hall may shed some light. Those include Utah CB Robert Johnson; OTs Nic Richmond of TCU and Jeff Linkenback of Cincinnati; WRs Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo) and Freddie Barnes (Bowling Green); MLB Matt Mayberry of Indiana; OLB Damaso Munoz of Rutgers; CB Amari Spievy of Iowa; and DEs Danny Batten (South Dakota St.), Jeffery Fitzgerald (Kansas St.) and George Johnson (Rutgers).