Bears must learn from past draft mistakes

With a thin Free Agent market opening on Friday and the 2008 NFL draft right around the corner, Chicago Bears fans are wondering what General Manager Jerry Angelo will address in the draft. Hopefully, Angelo has learned from his past draft mistakes.
Angelo is known for his ability to draft productive defensive players but lacks in drafting productive offensive player personnel. It is said that the best way to learn is to look at the past, so let's take a look at the Bears' previous drafts and the successes and failures of each.
Let's begin our examination of the Bears' draft history when Angelo came aboard. Angelo became General Manager of the Bears on June 12, 2001. Considering Angelo wasn't around for the 2001 draft, we'll start with the 2002 draft.
In the first round Angelo selected Marc Colombo, an offensive tackle from Boston College. At the time it appeared to be a safe move considering the Bears were in desperate need of talented offensive lineman, much like the Bears are now. Sadly enough, Colombo didn't live up to his status of a first round pick and was eventually traded. In the fourth round of the draft, Angelo selected a defensive end from Florida University named Alex Brown. Brown has been one of the Bears most consistent players and has been an alternate for the NFC Pro Bowl team the past two seasons. Brown has recently signed a two-year contract extension. The other notables of the 2002 draft that are still on the team are Adrian Peterson, second string running back, and Terrence Metcalf, second string offensive guard and tackle. So the 2002 draft didn't help the Bears offensive abilities, especially considering not one of their picks through the first three rounds are still on the team. The Bears finished second to last in the entire NFC conference with a record of 4-12. On to the 2003 draft.
Angelo and the Bears had the number four pick in the draft but traded the fourth pick to the New York Jets to get the thirteenth and twenty-second picks in order to draft more players to fulfill their needs. Then Angelo traded the thirteenth pick to the New England Patriots to get the fourteenth pick and a later pick. With the fourteenth pick of the 2003 draft, Angelo selected Michael Haynes, a defensive end from Penn State. Haynes hasn't amounted to anything close that would justify him being a former first round pick and is no longer on the Bears roster. With the twenty-second pick of the first round, Angelo drafted a young quarterback from Florida University named Rex Grossman.
In the beginning of Grossman's career he was labeled "Glassman" for his consistent injury problems. When Grossman finally played an entire season, 2006, he took the Bears to the Super Bowl, but was labeled "turnoverasaurus" by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti. Grossman has received much criticism during his tenure in Chicago and despite his poor play during the 2007 season; the Bears resigned him to a one-year extension.
Two of the best players on our defense, or that were on our defense, were selected in the 2003 draft. Charles "Peanut" Tillman, named rookie of the year by Sports Illustrated in 2003, was selected in the second round and Lance Briggs, a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker, was selected in the third round. The Bears finished the 2003 season ranked ninth in the NFC conference with a record of 7-9. Things are beginning to improve.
In the first round of the 2004 draft, Angelo selected Tommie Harris, a defensive tackle out of Oklahoma. Harris is a two-time Pro Bowler and is still improving; possibly Angelo's best first round pick since he's been a part of the Bears' organization. Also selected in the 2004 draft was defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson, a second round pick that had talent but couldn't stay out of trouble with the law and is no longer with the Bears, wide receiver Bernard Berrian, a third round pick that has plenty of talent but no quarterback to throw him the ball and is now a restricted free agent, and Nathan Vasher who is a Pro Bowl corner back and still on the team. The Bears took a step backward in the 2004 season finishing fourteenth in the NFC conference with record of 5-11. Back to the drawing board Angelo.
In the first round of the 2005 draft, Angelo selected a running back from Texas University named Cedric Benson. Benson was an all-star player in college but as yet to prove his status as an elite NFL running back. Other notables from the 2005 draft were wide receiver Mark Bradley, a second round pick and currently number one receiver on the depth chart, and quarterback Kyle Orton, drafted in the fourth round and currently the number two quarterback on the depth chart. The Bears took a giant leap toward the success that the franchise had once been known for finishing second in the NFC conference with a record of 11-5. The Bears lost in the playoffs to the Carolina Panthers. A good season Angelo but the team can accomplish more.
The 2006 draft was used mostly for defensive players, most notably second round pick safety and cornerback Danieal Manning; second round pick cornerback and return man Devin Hester, a Pro Bowl return man that set a league record for most combined kick returns for touchdowns with 5; third round pick defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek, a promising young player that has been plagued with injuries; and defensive end Mark Anderson, a fifth round pick that recorded the fourth-highest sack total by a rookie since 1982 with 12. The Bears topped their 2005 season with an NFC best 13-3 in 2006. The Bears success continued during the playoffs as they fought their way to the Super Bowl only to lose to future hall-of-fame quarterback Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. The team was there Angelo, but something was obviously missing, perhaps a quarterback.
In the first round of the 2007 draft, Angelo selected tight end Greg Olsen from Miami (Fla.), who will be an electrifying player as soon as a quarterback can figure out how to get the ball in his hands. Other notables from last year's draft were Northern Illinois University running back Garrett Wolfe selected in the third round and hard-hitting safety Kevin Payne from Louisiana-Monroe taken in the fifth round.
So Angelo's history of drafting talented, productive offensive players especially in the first round has not by any means been successful. So with the 2008 NFL draft rapidly approaching, what should Angelo do?
According to ESPN draft analysts, this year's draft class has talent and depth in the offensive line position. Mel Kiper, ESPN's NFL draft expert, has the Bears, with the fourteenth pick, selecting Sam Baker, an offensive tackle from the University of Southern California. If this year's draft class has depth at the offensive line position, why wouldn't Angelo wait for possibly the second and third rounds to select an offensive guard and tackle, both of which the Bears are in need.
Having the fourteenth pick in the draft is a waiting game. Angelo is going to have to wait to see which prospects are taken and which ones are available. If Malcolm Kelly, wide receiver from Oklahoma, is available or wide receiver DeSean Jackson from California is available look for Angelo to snatch either one of those players because the Bears are in desperate need of a playmaking receiver considering the release of receiver Mushin Muhammed and the big-money seeking restricted free agent receiver Bernard Berrian.
We've learned that Angelo has a great eye for drafting talented and productive defensive players especially in later rounds but he has absolutely no vision, Jonathan Quinn vision, when it comes to the offensive side of the ball. Until Angelo corrects his "Jonathan Quinn vision" for drafting offensive players, and until he looks back on his drafting past and learns from it, Chicago Bears fans can be assured that the defense will soar and the offense won't score.