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Draft dish: Locking the Bears into a receiver in the 2nd round
By
Brad Biggs
on April 4, 2009 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier this week it looked like the Bears were in a position where they had to draft an offensive tackle in the first round.

What a difference a few days makes. Not only do the Bears not have a first-round pick any longer after acquiring quarterback Jay Cutler from Denver, they filled a pressing need on the line by signing seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Pace.

That leaves the Bears with a complete line, minus a young tackle to eventually join Chris Williams in the starting lineup, and some flexibility when it comes to the draft, right?

Wrong.

The addition of Cutler has made it a virtual lock the Bears will have to draft a wide receiver when their pick comes up in the second round, 49th overall, the 17th pick of the round. The idea that Cutler will make the cast they currently have better is only going to go so far. There is no Brandon Marshall on this roster. There might not be an Eddie Royal on the roster either depending on how Devin Hester progresses. Marshall and Royal gave Cutler one of the better 1-2 combinations in the league in Denver.

"I don't think quarterbacks make receivers, and I don't think receivers make the quarterback,'' Cutler said. "It's a joint mesh there, we've got to both be on the same page. I've got to deliver the ball and they've got to be in the right place. I can't do it without them, and they can't do it without me."

Cutler did the right thing in praising the receivers, rattling off Hester's name and going down the list with Earl Bennett and Rashied Davis, mentioning tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark and keeping running back Matt Forte in the conversation. He's not going to throw for 4,526 yards again with the running back leading the team in receptions, however. Also on the roster at receiver are John Broussard, Brandon Rideau and Devin Aromashodu. General manager Jerry Angelo and college scouting director Greg Gabriel can talk about the possibilities with the No. 49 pick all day--and they will leading up to the draft--but they've also hung a ``Help Wanted'' sign in front of Halas Hall for a wideout.

The good thing is there is some depth at the position in this draft. If things fall just right, they could have their choice of a number of talented receivers. The key is finding the Royal in the bunch, not the Mark Bradley. Ten wideouts were drafted in the second round last year. Three made impacts.

33--Donnie Avery, St. Louis
34--Devin Thomas, Washington
36--Jordy Nelson, Green Bay
41--James Hardy, Buffalo
42--Eddie Royal, Denver
46--Jerome Simpson, Cincinnati
49--DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia
51--Malcolm Kelly, Washington
53--Limas Sweed, Pittsburgh
58--Dexter Jackson, Tampa Bay

For the sake of a more complete look at what could be available, let's show the previous four years as well when a combined total of 14 receivers went in the second round:

2007

44--Sidney Rice, Minnesota
45--Dwayne Jarrett, Carolina
51--Steve Smith, N.Y. Giants

2006

36--Chad Jackson, New England
44--Sinorice Moss, N.Y. Giants
52--Greg Jennings, Green Bay

2005

35--Reggie Brown, Philadelphia
39--Mark Bradley, Bears
55--Roscoe Parrish, Buffalo
58--Terrence Murphy, Green Bay
61--Vincent Jackson, San Diego

2004

50--Devery Henderson, New Orleans
54--Darius Watts, Denver
62--Keary Colbert, Carolina

If the Bears can find a Donnie Avery, Eddie Royal, DeSean Jackson, Greg Jennings or Vincent Jackson, it will be a success. That is five impact players out of 24.

So, let's take a look at what players could be available when the pick rolls around. There is going to be plenty of draft to watch on April 25 before the Bears go on the clock, barring the second trade up by Angelo in eight years.

Kenny Britt, Rutgers, 6-3, 218 pounds.

The skinny: Britt is a big target who has been clocked fastest at about 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. He was wildly productive for the Scarlet Knights but the competition in the Big East isn't the best. He could make an impact quickly as a possession guy with the size to give defensive backs problems. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner showed up at the Rutgers pro day.

The chance: Britt will likely be off the board well before the Bears select. He could go in the second half of the first round.

Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma, 6-1, 210.

The skinny: Ran a 4.5-second 40 at the combine and reportedly did well with his route running at his pro day. He's a tough performer who will go over the middle and do the dirty work. Has a burst in short space. The Bears like players from big programs, especially OU, but Minnesota might be showing the most interest in Iglesias at this point

UPDATED: The Bears will put Iglesias through a private workout on Tuesday, a day before he travels to Minnesota for a visit. So interest in him is rising.

The chance: There is a good chance he will be available at No. 49. Will probably be in the discussion.

Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia, 6-2, 210.

The skinny: Boosted his stock with a strong senior season and then again when he was clocked between 4.47 and 4.53 seconds in the 40 at his pro day. Good leaper. Runs good routes. Was a two-time captain for the Bulldogs. The Bears are interested enough that wide receivers coach Darryl Drake will head in for a private workout next week.

The chance: There is a good chance he will be available at No. 49. Will probably be in the discussion.

Louis Murphy, Florida, 6-3, 203.

The skinny: Murphy blazed through the 40 in 4.32 seconds at the combine and wisely chose to stand on that number at his pro day. He has the speed to be a dynamic vertical threat but there is some boom-or-bust factor written on him. Raw skills might make him worth a shot.

The chance: There is a good chance he will be available at No. 49. Could be in the discussion.

Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina, 6-1, 212.

The skinny: Nicks is an explosive run-after-the-catch target who the Bears have shown great interest in with Gabriel attending the pro day and then Drake going in for a private workout. Nicks does a lot of things naturally and could thrive quickly at the next level.

The chance: Slim. Nicks took a hit when he was out of shape at his pro day but he's still targeted for the middle to end of the first round.

Brian Robiskie, Ohio State, 6-3, 209.

The skinny: Might possess the best hands of the group. Allayed concerns about his speed by running a 4.5 40 at the combine and then had a 37.5-inch vertical jump. Comes from a big program and is considered a strong character guy. Upside is he is a No. 2 who catches everything in sight. Downside is he is a possession guy on third down who doesn't gain a lot of separation. The Bears are known to be looking into him.

The chance: There is a good chance he will be available at No. 49. Will probably be in the discussion.

Mike Wallace, Ole Miss, 6-1, 199.

The skinny: Opened eyes with a hot 40 time at the combine, clocking in at 4.32 seconds. Has the speed to be a vertical threat and has a frame that he can fill out a little bit more. Definite risk/reward to this selection.

The chance: There is a good chance he will be available at No. 49. Probably too early for him to come off the board.

Derrick Williams, Penn State, 6-0, 194.

The skinny: Will the real Derrick Williams please stand up. Ran a miserable 4.65 40 at the combine. Followed it up with a 4.37 at his pro day. Something isn't right here. Had solid career for Nittany Lions and possesses traits to be successful in NFL right away. Just not sure.

The chance: There is a good chance he will be available at No. 49. Could be in the discussion.

Chewie wrote:I still think the plan is to wait to see who's there and if the top tier is gone then we'll trade down to get some more picks. We need a guy with size here to compliment Hester. A hands guy with height that will be a good red zone target. Smurfs need not apply.

emperorjones wrote:I'm all but positive that JA got the 5th round pick from Denver in order to trade up in the 2nd round. I think our first move will be to try to move up about 10 spots in the 2nd round to get that possession receiver. we'd still have a pick in every round after that.

Revisiting the need for a receiver in the second round
By Brad Biggs
on April 6, 2009 4:36 PM

We stirred some considerable debate Saturday when we suggested the Bears were locked into a wide receiver in the second round with the 49th overall pick.

Now that they have quarterback Jay Cutler, it's time to outfit him with the appropriate weapons.

Not everyone saw it that way. Some feel the addition of three starters on offense--Cutler, left tackle Orlando Pace and projected to left guard Frank Omiyale--signal a move to defense in the draft. At least in the early rounds. Certainly there are those out there who feel the Bears need some real work on the defensive side of the ball. Clark Judge of CBSSports.com writes that Cutler is not necessarily a cure-all for all things wrong with the Bears.

The thinking is Cutler will be a boost for Devin Hester as well as Earl Bennett, the third-round pick from last season who went without a catch as a rookie. The Bears said when they drafted that not only was Bennett a starting-caliber receiver, but that he was the highest receiver on their draft board. Remember, none were selected in the first round and then 10 came off the board in the second round. With the prior relationship between Cutler and Bennett at Vanderbilt--they played together for one season--it can only help Bennett.

But the pick at No. 49 could also be used on defense. General manager Jerry Angelo is in the market for a free safety. The Bears like Alabama's Rashad Johnson, who comes with a sterling recommendation from Angelo's good friend Nick Saban. Here is a statistic on Johnson for those who question his size at 5-11, 203 pounds, and his speed at 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash--Johnson had 30 pass breakups and interceptions over the last two seasons. That is the most for a safety in the draft since Sean Taylor and Ed Reed came out of Miami.

There is some debate as to whether or not Johnson will be drafted that early, but he might not last to No. 99 where the Bears pick again with their compensatory selection at the end of the third round. But if it's not a safety in the second round, what position do the Bears target? Can they find a defensive lineman worth taking there? Angelo said there wouldn't be a sure rush end at No. 18 and there sure as heck will not be one at No. 49. A cornerback isn't going to solve one of their needs directly there. A linebacker doesn't seem to be a need, not there any way.

I come back to receiver. Without help there, they're rolling the dice on Bennett going from being a zero to a productive starter in one season. Keep in mind, Bennett wasn't held back by Kyle Orton from being successful. It wasn't his fault Bennett barely saw the field. Is Cutler going to make that much of a difference? Because if Bennett doesn't work out, then you're looking at Rashied Davis back in the starting lineup. The Bears could choose between Juaquin Iglesias, Mohamed Massaquoi, Louis Murphy and Brian Robiskie at No. 49. That would give them some protection with Bennett. The Bears will work out Iglesias on Tuesday and Massaquoi on Wednesday to get better looks at them.

There is a chance Johnson hangs around deep into the third round or the Bears could possibly target Texas Tech's Darcel McBath or Troy's Sherrod Martin. They will work Martin out on Friday.

Yes, there are option, but if the Bears have the first big-time quarterback in forever, shouldn't they do all they can to make sure he succeeds where those who have come before him have not done so well?