NFL Draft 2012: Bears Should Be Thinking Long-Term
By Tim Bearden in News on Apr 22, 2012 7:00PM
This is probably nothing Bears GM Phil Emery doesn't already know or hasn't heard, but the Bears need to think long-term in this week's draft.
Emery has made some key off-season moves, including picking up wide receiver Brandon Marshall and running back Michael Bush to help breathe some life into an otherwise comatose offense, but it can't stop there. The Bears were 7-3 before Jay Cutler's season ended in injury and finished 8-8. They lost five of their remaining six games and, to add insult to injury, starting running back Matt Forte dropped off too with an injury of his own. That left the Bears in the hands of Caleb Hanie and Marion Barber, who both proved to be less than capable of filling the shoes of their starting counterparts—Hanie moreso than Barber. This means one thing: the Bears need to think QB in the first two rounds.
That's not news though. The Bears have long struggled with quarterbacks. They've had eight different starting quarterbacks since 2000 and none of them seemed to fill the role until Cutler took over in 2009. But the Bears can't pin their offensive hopes on him alone, which was proven last season. The Bears need a backup QB and one that can lead as well, if not better, than Cutler.
One could argue they need a safety first. Chicago runs a Cover 2 defense most of the time, but they don't have the deep coverage they need to succeed with it. Major Wright is the Bears strongest young safety. He had three interceptions on the year and one for a touchdown. But he's only one safety—the Bears would be smart to try and get Alabama's Mark Barron in the first round if they can.
Barron is a turnover creator and had seven interceptions in 2009 alone with the Crimson Tide. He also has the ability to break up big plays down field, which is something the Bears desperately need.
The safety pool in this draft, however, is shallow. If they don't get Barron in the first round or can't trade up to get him, they should leave the position alone until the later rounds and find a young safety to develop or trade for one after the draft. But the safety position needs some definite attention.
This brings us back to the quarterback position. The Bears are positioned low in the draft and it's likely they won't get any of the top QB prospects, but they don't really need them. They just need someone who can replace Cutler efficiently if necessary. The Bears don't want an Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin with Cutler behind center. Well, maybe they do, but they're not going to get them. Chicago should be looking at either Kirk Cousins from Michigan State or, if he makes it that far, Brandon Weeden from Oklahoma State.
Cousins broke records at MSU with the most career touchdowns, completions, and yardage in the school's history. He's a great prospect and is getting a lot of attention from a lot of teams. He may not be NFL ready just yet, but with the right quarterback coach he can get there quickly. He's not starting potential yet either, which is why his name remains only a whisper in the quarterback pool. But he doesn't have to be for the Bears. He just has to be able to lead in the event Cutler can't and he's the most likely candidate the Bears have a chance of getting to do that.
The Bears also have some holes in the lines on both sides of the ball. They definitely could use a left or right guard and a left or right tackle to fill in the gaps. Stanford's Jonathan Martin could be a nice complement to the offensive line. He protected Luck against tenacious blitzers and the Bears could use a guy like him on the offensive line to protect Cutler—something they've continued to struggle with.
Big moves in the off-season is great, but the Bears should be thinking long-term in regards to team leaders. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Cutler do a good job keeping the team focused and hungry, but they aren't going to be around forever. Picking up some proven college athletes in the draft this season could go a long way for securing future leaders.