Thursday, March 13, 2008 by Jason Baudendistel
What do the bears need to do to make it back to the SuperBowl? This question has been floating around message boards for some time. Many rumors have circulated and most if not all of them are pretty outrageous. Among them that Chicago will trade for Larry Fitzgerald or that they will trade up in the draft. Jerry Angelo is known for not overpaying for talent and he is more likely to trade down and look for value than to trade up. Here are the main things they need to do to be a contender this year or next.
1. Fix the offensive line
Chicago's biggest problem last year was their aging line and a lack of consistency along it. They gave up countless sacks and failed to open any holes for the running game. Looking back at the SuperBowl against the colts I still flinch when I see the Garza whiff block and Rex getting leveled from his blindside while fumbling. No one should get through unblocked on your QB's blindside that is just sad. I believe they will draft two or three linemen. Most likely they will take an offensive tackle in the first. A guard is likely in the later rounds as well.
2. Add Playmakers to the Offense.
Many believe that Devin Hester can develop into a good young receiver while this is very possible the bears are still going to most likely draft someone who is less of a project. This is not saying Hester does not have talent. He has a ton of it but it makes more sense to have him learn from the slot than have him start without any real experience playing the position.
The signings of Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd give them two veteran receivers with the ability to move the chains. Lloyd is a bit of a risk but for one year at dirt cheap he adds much needed depth. They still need a running back to compete with Benson and they may very likely draft a quarterback to groom for the future. They will most likely still take a wideout in the middle to late rounds.
3. Find and draft a franchise quarterback to groom.
Rex Grossman is about one bad game from third string. Kyle Orton does not have the arm to play everyday in the NFL. This leaves the Bears with no legit starter and no other option but to look for the future in the draft. They have been targeting Joe Flacco extensively. Word has it the Bears staff is very impressed with him. If he is there in the second he will most likely be their pick. Another possibility they have explored is Josh Johnson in the third. Grossman will start this year but unless he shocks us all and plays extremely well he'll be gone in 09 or on the bench.
4. Add Depth at Strong safety and Defensive Tackle
The Bears have some real depth issues here they were decimated by injuries last year and the lack of talent behind the starters really showed at times. After Tommie Harris there are no guarantees and Dusty Dvoraceck cannot seem to stay healthy. They will most likely draft a DT in the later rounds to add depth and insurance in case another rash of injuries hit. SS is not as important but depending on whether they have any late compensatory picks they might look for a sleeper.
This report was submitted to us by Jason Baudendistel,
big fan of both the Bears and small school talent.
We hope to have more posts like this from him in the near future. You
can check out his latest draft here.
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