2015 Chicago Bears in review

The first year under the new regime led by GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox ended with the team missing the playoffs in which they have been absent for 8 of the last 9 seasons. While many expected the team to finish around where they ultimately ended up at 6-10, the monsters of the midway had a few games go down to the wire only to lose most of them.

One of the stats that hurt the Bears was their home record, they won just one of their 8 games at Soldier Field and could have easily lost all 8 of those games.

One lingering question that hovers over the team is whether star running back Matt Forte will be back in 2016 as he is a free agent. If indeed Forte’s Chicago days are over, he intended to send a reminder of what his days in the windy city were like.

Matt Forte's locker now. "All my hard work, blood, sweat and tears are in this shirt, so I wanted to leave it." pic.twitter.com/pX0Zk8qZ1r

— Nate Atkins (@NateAtkins_) January 4, 2016

In his 8 years with the Bears, Forte has racked up over 8,600 rushing yards, over 4,000 receiving yards and has scored 64 touchdowns.

Another factor in this is that Michigan State running back Jeremy Langford and he made strides in 2015 and the arrow is pointing in the right direction for 2016.

Another interesting point of discussion during the season was that quarterback Jay Cutler had a respectable season in which he nearly cut the amount of interceptions thrown in half. He also finished the 2015 season with a career-best 92.3 quarterback rating and that was with offensive coordinator Adam Gase. However, Gase is being sought for vacant head coaching positions and if Gase is not with the Bears in 2016 and the chances of Gase being with the Bears next season are very low.

On the other side, tight end Martellus Bennett suffered an injury in week 11, returned two weeks later and shortly after that was placed on injured reserve. People who cover the team say that it is very unlikely that Bennett will return for next season. In 11 games, Bennett had 53 catches for 439 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. Before the injury, Bennett had made it clear that he was not pleased with his role in the team’s offense and like Forte is under contract for 2016.

In 2015, the team made an improvement in points allowed per game from 2014 albeit by a field goal but they improved from 31st to 20th. If this trend continues next season and they allow something like 21 points per game, that could earn them another win or two. On the offensive end, the Bears averaged nearly 21 points per game but that was 23rd best in the NFL. As with the offensive numbers, moving the rank from 23rd to the teens combined with improved defensive numbers could win them a couple more games.

Many expected the team to not compete for the playoffs but as I mentioned earlier, there were quite a few games that they lost that left a somber feeling for Bears fans. My goal back in September was for the team to make games interesting at the very least and that criteria I set was met for the most part. I also believed the team would win 7 games and I remember hearing people predict as low as 3 wins. The way how the Bears lost games vs. the likes of Minnesota, Detroit and Denver was very difficult for them to overcome and I think made it more difficult for them to actually win a close game the more it happened.

I remember there was some talk about whether the Bears could make the playoffs after winning a barn burner in Green Bay on Thanksgiving night but there was a let down in the weeks after.

There are times in which to win you first have to experience losing games in a difficult way like Bears fans saw many times in 2015. This offseason, the team has to focus on being able to finish games in which they have the lead. The team has to do much better against their own division because of the way the schedule is constructed. I have mentioned this before, but I remember the days in which teams feared coming to Soldier Field. Over the last few seasons that fear has not existed and the Bears will not do well next year if they win just one or two games at home, that number has to be at least at 4 and the higher the better.

One of my biggest issues over the last few years was that with the history of the Bears, they can suddenly win games giving up 4 touchdowns on a regular basis. I don’t think the Bears necessarily have to be in the top 5 in fewest points allowed, but being in the 20s or 30, 31, and 32 is not a winning recipe for a franchise that is known to score occasionally but is known more to be stubborn on the defensive side of the football.

2015 Chicago Bears season preview

In the 2014 season, the Chicago Bears went 5-11 and since the end of last season, many changes have been made. John Fox was hired as the team’s new coach in January after coaching the Denver Broncos, while Phil Emery was fired as the teams general manager and was replaced by Ryan Pace, who spent many years in the New Orleans Saints organization. Vic Fangio was hired as the team’s new defensive coordinator replacing Mel Tucker.

Over the long history of the Bears, they have been known as a franchise who didn’t give up many points but in 2014, they gave up 442 points second worst in the NFL only the Oakland Raiders gave up more. Believe it or not the Bears had a better record in 2013 despite giving up more points (478) than in 2014. The problems that the Bears had on defense was not the full fault of Tucker but his lack of vision became more clear as every game went by. In a matter of two straight road games, the Bears defense allowed over 50 points vs. the New England Patriots and the Green Bay Packers. To me that was the moment of the season that clinched the assurance that changes were forthcoming in the off season.

While longtime defensive stalwarts like Lance Briggs and Charles ‘Peanut’ Tillman showed up and played well at times, they simply suffered from a lack of depth from all sides of the defense especially against teams with Quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. The afore mentioned Fangio was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers last season when now Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. Fangio will bring something relatively new to the Bears defense in that he typically runs a 3-4 defense, which is different from Lovie Smith’s “Tampa 2” 4-3 defense. Some say that this adjustment will take some time but note that some of the players on the defensive side of the ball are accustomed to this system of defense.

While its only the preseason, the Bears won 3 out of the 4 games and in those games allowed just 42 points total in those games. Having said that, they have a tough schedule right out of the gate as they host the Packers in week 1, host the Arizona Cardinals in week 2 and play the defending NFC Champion, Seattle Seahawks in week 3 in Seattle. Add to that, a couple key players on the defense are out. First  Safety Ryan Mundy is on injured reserve after injuring his hip and in many games last year, the middle of the defense was often exposed to big running plays and long pass plays, that will be important to watch for Bears fans in 2015. Second, Nose Tackle Jeremiah Ratliff was suspended for the first 3 games of the season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Another big reason the Bears believe they haven’t really been able to get to the next level is #6 Quarterback Jay Cutler. Fans have had the discussion at the end of every season of whether the Bears would ever win with Cutler. In the off season, Cutler’s teammate wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who he was teamed up with in Denver was traded to the New York Jets. However, the Bears made a smart move at least that is what some are claiming when they signed Eddie Royal while some believe it will not be enough to make up for the loss of Kevin White, who sustained a stress fracture in his shin during OTA’s. White was the 7th overall pick in the draft from West Virginia.

Going back to Royal, he is not a big man, thus the loss of White may not bring Cutler’s interception percentage down and will require that the Bears use up more clock to score. What does that do with Cutler on the field? That makes it a good bet that Cutler throws an interception while the Bears are driving inside the 20-yard line. Since joining the Bears in 2009, Cutler hasn’t had an interception percentage below 3.2% and that is despite having an interception percentage of under 3% in 2008 while he was still in Denver.

Before suffering a season ending injury, White was supposed to be the deep threat and keep the safeties honest which can provide room for the underneath guys to do their damage.

Another key person on the offensive side of the ball to watch is Running Back Matt Forte partially because he turns 30 before the end of the season and last season was one to forget for him. In 2014, he averaged 3.6 yards per carry which is below his average of closer to 5 yards per carry. The key for me on the offensive side of the ball is the offensive line. Cutler needs time in the pocket to reach his receivers and tight ends but in previous seasons, he has not had an offensive line that has been able to protect him from being sacked. Two players to watch in particular on the offensive line are Kyle Long and Jermon Bushrod because no one else besides the two are real standouts.

Coach Fox has not been specific when pressed about when Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffrey will return, he has not practiced in close to a month after recovering from a calf injury.

It is not expected that the Bears will finish better than 4th place in the NFC North in 2015 but even one or two more victories than 2014 would be considered a winning season in the Bears fans minds. I’ve always said this but will at least one more time and that is the Bears can not expect to win games that are a slug fest using a baseball term. I don’t expect the Bears defense to improve drastically in 2015 but at the very least, I would like to see the Bears give the impression they care to the fans. I remember quite a few moments last season in which it wasn’t worth it to tune into whether it was Fox Sports, CBS Sports, NBC Sports or ESPN. If there was one goal for this upcoming season, it is to make the games interesting even if they lose or the game is close and gets out of hand in the final 5 minutes of regulation.

The NFL Pro Bowl

In 2012, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly considered cancelling the league’s all-star game for good, but three seasons later, the game still exists.

Matthew Stafford in a wild-card playoff game vs. the Dallas Cowboys on January 4, 2015 in Dallas, Texas. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance in January 2015.

There have been changes made to this game since 2012 including how teams super stars are teamed up. In 2015, the two teams were Team Irvin, referring to Michael Irvin and team Carter, referring to Cris Carter. Carter played for the Minnesota Vikings for most of his career as a wide receiver and Irvin played for 11 seasons as a wide receiver all with the Dallas Cowboys.

“There were a couple of years it was horrible, when it seemed like tag football,” former NFL Players Association president Domonique Foxworth told The New York Times. “But the players told me they enjoyed playing together, so I came up with some ideas to keep the game.”

What should be shocking to players is that the average NFL career is just a little over three years and some will argue that letting one’s career vanish quicker in a game that means nothing is not worth the extra effort.

Even if the game is close and competitive, the real risk is that most participants are moments away from their off-season and the worst way to begin the off-season is by enduring an injury that is more than preventable.

However, there are incentives for players to make the Pro Bowl for accomplishments made during the regular season. For example, Elvis Dumervil of the Baltimore Ravens triggered $3 million in base salary escalators and earned $1 million in incentives for reaching 12 sacks in week 12 vs. the New Orleans Saints. His 2015, 2016 and 2017 salaries increase by $1 million.

The possibility of sustaining a concussion can be in the back of player’s minds even if the game is not played at full speed. Even with the extra $1 million that an Elvis Dumervil is to make over the next three seasons, the long-term health of players is something that some can never escape and all the money that some may need to dole out can wipe out any benefits gained in the short-term.

This year, Quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers passed on playing in the 2015 Pro Bowl and the person who replaced him got a ton of attention on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Schottey/status/557576762322722816

There are many good reasons to eliminate the Pro Bowl that have not been discussed above. Fans watch pro football to see participants give their all from start to finish, but in the Pro Bowl, we tend to see higher scoring games. Since the game was moved from the week after the Super Bowl to the week before, players who will be in the Super Bowl are no longer eligible to play in pro football’s version of the all-star game.

To me the biggest reason the Pro Bowl needs to be eliminated is because of the injuries that tend to dominate the game. The NFL is doing the right thing to crack down on helmet to helmet hits but the league can only do so much to protect players on that front. The game is so competitive and any defenders first impression can take precedence over the idea of safety and a player like Dumervil is paid to prevent the other team’s best receiver from catching a pass. Is he really going to play football like its a game of flag football and expect a receiver like Andre Johnson to not catch every pass?

The NFL has made strides in making the game safer but the best message the league can send to the players is to eliminate the Pro Bowl. Taking that next step should give the participants of this dangerous sport the assurance that the league is on the player’s side. The NFL needs to not just discuss this but take the next step because the Pro Bowl does not reflect what the actual game entails.

Ties in the NFL

While this issue doesn’t garner much attention, it comes up after games such as when the Carolina Panthers and Cincinnati Bengals end in a 37-37 tie on October 12, 2014.

I’ve chronicled this over and over again, but football is probably the most dangerous sport and some will argue that adding another sudden death overtime period will increase the chances that participants will get injured more seriously.

Some address this by looking at other sports tie game policies.

https://twitter.com/shaneryanhere/status/404840248221655040

After the 2004-2005 professional hockey lockout, the NHL did away with ties meaning that every game in the regular season must have a winner.

In 2012, the NFL made an adjustment in the overtime rules that said that field goals on the first possession of the extra session would not end the game. Since this rule change, there has been an average of one game that ends in a tie and some believe that is a troubling trend.

Some will argue that the NFL should do something similar to what college football does. Each team is guaranteed a possession and each teams possession begins at the 25-yard line or further back if there is an offensive penalty. If I were in charge of this, I would make one revision and that is there would be kickoffs to begin overtime and there is no clock in overtime in the college ranks.

In recent seasons, there have been games that ended in ties between divisional rivals that were just more than one game. In the 2013 season, the Green Bay Packers went 8-7-1 and played the Chicago Bears in the final game of the regular season for the rights to A. who would win the NFC North and a ticket to the playoffs. Green Bay won that game in the final minute and their one tie came against the Minnesota Vikings in week 12.

In the 2012 season, the San Francisco 49ers went 11-4-1 and won the NFC West over 11-5 Seattle thanks to a 24-24 tie against the St. Louis Rams in week 10.

I mentioned earlier that 10 years ago, the NHL got rid of ties and the other two major sports do not have games in the regular season that are eligible to end in ties. What is also noteworthy is that 3 of the 4 major sports have clocks and while they are physical in different ways, athletes past and present will tell you that their respective sport can take its toll physically over a period of time. That is why the NFL should get rid of ties but not with another 15 minute quarter.

I would be open to an idea similar to what the NHL does in overtime and considering there will be 3-on-3 overtime in the NHL starting in October. In a quarterback driven league, there would be pressure to put the QB in a situation to find his best receivers maybe a 7-on-7 overtime period. I am on the fence with this to be perfectly honest.

There are no quick fixes to this topic that are not on the table and I think the NFL should go in the direction that college football does overtime games with a couple revisions. Instead of starting a possession on the 25-yard line, play the overtime on one half of the field. In College Football when the game gets to a third OT, a team who scores a TD must go for two, in the NFL, I would make it the second OT session. Instead of putting the ball on a tee, I would have the team’s kicker do a free kick from his own end-zone and if the ball goes on the other side of the 50, it is an automatic touch-back and goes to mid-field.

At the same time, I don’t see any urgency to change this rule and unless we see more than one game on average per season ending in a tie, I don’t see an issue like this getting any traction.

NFL’s extra point in 2015

Starting in the 2015 NFL season, the football will be snapped from the 15-yard line when a team attempts a one-point conversion after a TD, commonly known as the PAT. This change was submitted by the league’s competition committee and approved at the owners meetings in San Francisco in mid-May. However, two-point conversions will continue to be snapped from the 2-yard line.

The rule change has received mixed feelings throughout the league. Former kicker Jay Feely said that the league did not accomplish much beside put some on the field at a risk for injuries.

What did the NFL really accomplish? It's still nearly automatic (90%vs 99%) but greater risk of injury to Oline https://t.co/PgEpxEE3CT

— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) May 19, 2015

Meanwhile former Atlanta Falcons running back Jamal Anderson said that it was time to make the process of making the extra point more interesting.

Denver Broncos kicker Connor Barth is against this rule as many kickers are and explains his opposition, “If they want to make it more exciting, narrowing the uprights would make it a lot more challenging than moving the extra point.”

At the same time, he says there can be an added benefit to some kickers.

“It would weed out the strong-legged kickers who aren’t that accurate,” he told The Denver Post. “It would benefit guys who are accurate and can hit a good ball every time. It would make our value go up.”

Some will argue that the extra point should be gutted completely but I do not agree with that sentiment because you never know what can happen in a close game that goes down to the wire. That element of the game should never go away, I believe that making a team earn everything is an element that is more likely to keep people tuned into a game.

Many believe that the PAT has become too automatic and putting the ball at the 33-yard line will entice more 2-point attempts.

According to a tweet by Matt Maiocco, if a team lines up for a 2-point conversion and is flagged for a penalty, they can move back to kick for one point. Furthermore, if a PAT is blocked, and the ball falls behind the line of scrimmage, the offensive team can take it to the end zone for 2 points.

In 1994, the league adopted the 2-point conversion but in over 20 years since the new addition was added, in only 4 seasons has the success rate of converting a 2-point conversion been above 50%. In the 2014 NFL season, teams were successful in 27 of 56 conversions, which is 47.5%.

With this new rule, the league doesn’t expect much of a drop-off in the success rate of PAT’s but could be enough to make a difference especially in games decided by a touchdown or less.

Last year, teams were successful on 99.5% of extra points. The NFL expects there to be a 93-to-94% success rate on one-point kicks in ’15.

— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) May 19, 2015

Like college football, the defensive team will be able to score one or two points if they force a turnover on a conversion. This will make the post-touchdown play more interesting and will make teams think twice of who to put out on the field in this situation.

30 of the 32 teams owners voted for this rule with the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders being the only dissenters.

Depending on how this rule pans out, I would not be against eliminating the extra point completely if this rule continues to make the PAT too boring to watch. If the rule changes are not having a successful impact on making the game more exciting, the NFL may have to revisit this issue in less than a year from now.

Going pro or staying in college

Every year in the world of sports, we hear about whether college athletes will skip one’s final year of eligibility and enter the draft in his/her respective sport. There has been a debate as to whether college athletes should wait until he/she has finished all 4 years of school before making the jump to the draft.

Ramogi Huma, founder of the National College Players Association, said that a coach once told him during an NFL off-season meeting that, “was an NFL guy with real potential.” Even with the nice comments, Huma was surprised saying in part, “I was going to make sure I got my degree, and I really didn’t think the NFL was much of a possibility for me,” but continues by saying there was an outside shot that would happen.

According to National Collegiate Athletic Association’s own data, barely over 50% of NCAA Division I players who believe it is possible or likely to play in the NFL. Huma’s career ended in 1998, he injured his hip and ended up in a group of 98% of college football players who never play in the NFL. Even if Huma had not suffered the hip injury, he still believes his chances of going pro were still slim.

I am not a fan of making rules for one sport and not applying it to the other ones, but for college football players, I strongly believe it is in the best interest of athletes in that sport whether in division I, II or III to remain at their college/university for all 4 years.

At the end of the day, what is more important: being able to play your favorite sport or finishing your education? Of course, if you ask any college football player in this example, they would say both are goals they want to achieve but with the slim chances of making the NFL, is it worth it to forgo your last year of eligibility and take the chance of not being with an NFL team?

In Men’s Basketball, the perception of making it to the pros in division I is 76%, the reality is 1.2%, in Women’s Basketball, the perception is 44%, reality 1.9%, baseball 60%, reality is 9.4%. I can go on and on but even if one thinks he/she is talented enough to make it to the highest level of his/her sport, the assumption is badly mistaken.

In 2010, the NCAA celebrated their 100th anniversary of student athletes with this message:

Apparently many college athletes current and past have never seen commercials like these and/or have never read some of the stats and the slim chances that come with being a student athlete and his/her aspirations after college.

There are many college athletes who are very good in the college level but when it comes to competing in the pro’s in whatever sport it is, he/she tends to be no match for the next level.

While each of the major sports can be dangerous in different ways, in the NFL off-season, NFL players who just came into the league have already announced their retirement at such a young age. Case in point, in the past week, San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Davis announced his retirement from the NFL at age 25. He was the 11th overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft and before last season had played every game in the schedule but in the 2014 NFL season, missed 9 games and had been suffering from concussion like symptoms.

Even without the injury issues that NFL players have had to deal with, I still believe that in order for any student athlete to declare for the draft, he/she should at least have been a junior in all sports. Plus with the low probability of making it to the pro’s in most sports, having more experience at the college level can help ‘some’ prepare better for the pro’s, i.e. playing all 4 years as opposed to 2 or 3 years.

The biggest reason to account for this paranoia that I refer it to as, is that back in one’s high school days, these athletes are often given not necessarily bad advice but misleading advice. Playing football at the high school and college level are much different than playing in the NFL even though football at all levels is dangerous. However, it is often the case that people who coach football at the high school level have never coached at levels above high school. As a result, many high school coaches and college to a large extent, do not have the working knowledge that is necessary to prepare their student athletes to succeed in the highest levels of his/her sports.

Many student athletes especially at the high school level play sports whatever it is just for the short term and not to make millions of dollars someday but with the concussions that we’ve seen in the NFL, one often makes more money working at a financial firm in the long term or as a scientist. Case in point, one of my friends I’ve known for a good amount of time, Andrew Starks, played with the Chicago Bears in the 2013 pre-season but never went any further beyond that, he now works at Merrill Lynch and is a graduate of Princeton University.

While many professional want to be athletes may never hear this story, I hope stories like this will make these athletes think twice before acting because many do not think about the risks and low probability of getting to their promise land. Of course its understandable to feel elated about playing in the NFL, NHL, NBA or MLB but I think many athletes tend not to exercise the best judgment.

Starks attended one of the most prestigious universities in America, finishing school and having that diploma carries its own weight. While many are not able to attend schools like Princeton, any student athlete does not need to attend a school with that level of notoriety to understand that while playing a sport like football can be important to an individual, I just wish more people like Starks would understand the resources that people like him have.

More importantly, with the low probability of making the NFL, it could be a benefit in that the lifespan of an NFL player past and present is significantly lower. At the end of the day, shouldn’t the lifespan factor be the overriding factor in deciding whether to go for the NFL draft? Its unfortunate to see players like Davis at age 25 to call it quits but if more of these stories happen, that could make more of these athletes think twice and more importantly, exercise better judgment.

Previewing the NFL draft: Chicago Bears

In less than two weeks from now, the 2015 NFL Draft will be held in the Windy City and much has been talked about as to what the Bears should do.

Matt Eurich, featured columnist for Bleacher Report talks about how the Bears can make the most out of this year’s draft.

Ryan Pace was hired as the team’s new General Manager in January and said the key to have a winning organization starts with how well they draft players. “The recipe to winning Super Bowls is stringing successful drafts together again and again,” he said courtesy of the Chicago Tribune. He continues, “We are not just collecting athletes. We are acquiring football players that fit the Chicago Bears.”

The Monsters of the Midway as they are known besides the Bears have six picks in the 2015 draft, and Pace will have to get the most out of them especially on the defensive side of the football.

After the Bears hired John Fox as their head coach, the hired Vic Fangio as their defensive coordinator, and he was with the 49ers last season. The team also hired Adam Gase to be their new offensive coordinator. He was with Fox in Denver last season.

Eurich mentions ways in which the Bears can make the most of the draft. Since the team has a new defensive coordinator, the defense will likely go from a 4-3 to a 3-4. He mentions that the team will need an overhaul because not many of their players on that side of the ball are familiar with this type of defense.

In his coaching career, Fox has had success drafting successful pass rushers. In 2002 as the coach of the Carolina Panthers, the team drafted Julius Peppers with the second overall pick. Then in 2011, the Broncos drafted Von Miller with his first pick.

He mentions some possibilities that may still be on the board when they select the 7th overall pick in the first round. Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Missouri’s Shane Ray, and Kentucky’s Alvin Dupree could all be available when their turn comes and he mentions that the Bears should not be hard to select a pass rusher.

Eurich mentions that he believes the first two picks in the draft should be starters right away but also believes that the third pick could be a starter as well. The Bears have a glaring need at safety and he mentions that Fresno State’s Derron Smith could be still on the board when they select for the 71st overall pick.

Besides the draft, the Bears could look to free agency if they aren’t satisfied and one guy that is out there in this position is Devin McCourty, who plays for the New England Patriots.

If the Bears select Smith, he would be expected to compete against Brock Vereen for the starting free safety position ahead of the 2015 season.

Bears fans may think they have balance on the other side of the ball especially with running back, but he believes the offense can benefit from a what he calls “a change-of pace-player” at running back. Some backups that he mentions the Bears could select to back up Forte include: Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, who is a quick runner with good hands, who can spell Matt Forte. The other option could be T.J. Yeldon, who played his collegiate career at Alabama.

Even though running back is not a pressing position for the team at this time, Eurich believes that bringing in Abdullah or Yeldon can add some competition at the position and allow the organization to determine who will take over for Forte because he isn’t getting any younger. Plus what comes into play is the fact that when an NFL player is 30, 31, 32, that means he can be closer to retirement compared to the other three major sports.

While the Bears do not have a pick in the fifth round after trading their 2014 and 2015 fifth rounders to the Broncos last may, when the 6th round comes, it is likely that the Bears will be looking for a guy on special teams. The team has a Pro Bowl tight end Martellus Bennett but after him, but do not have much depth after him.

A possibility for the team could include Zach Miller, who had a solid training camp before suffering a season ending injury or they could look at someone younger. If the Bears want to look at who’s available in the draft, there isn’t much talent there but they could select South Alabama’s Wes Saxton, who hasn’t put up numbers that catch people’s eyes but some believe he has potential.

In three seasons at South Alabama, he had 96 catches for 1,126 yards but CBS sports Dane Brugler says that he must prove himself to be more dependable in the red-zone.

Another position the Bears may have their eyes on in this years draft is the offensive line. He mentions that Texas A&M guard Jarvis Harrison could be a steal in the 7th and final round assuming he is still on the board if he can improve his “balance and effort at the point of attack.” This past season, Harrison played at left tackle but Eurich says that he is better suited at guard. The team is set at the left and right guard with Matt Slauson and Kyle Long but adding Harrison could add some depth in a position that the team has lacked for a while.

This draft will be a critical one for the Bears if they are to take the first step in improving their defense, which has been not so Bear like the last couple seasons. There are many issues surrounding the team right now and if the Bears can have not a good draft but a great one especially on the defensive side of the ball, teams such as the Packers may fear the Bears defense, which is what Bears fans have not seen the last couple seasons.