BEARS MIX N MATCH LAST DAY OF DRAFT
By: Mike Scott
The Bears management put a unanimously optimistic slant on their picks during the 2005 draft while meeting with the media Sunday at the conclusion of the process. Whether their feelings are justified remains to be seen. With the GM's job hanging in the balance, however, Angelo fervently hopes he got things right this time.
Who knew that Kyle Orton would still be available by the 4th round? The Bears had hopes but were unable to believe their good luck when Orton was still there for the picking. Orton began last year as a possible Heisman contender. While that never came to fruition,he did have a productive year for the Boilermakers.
Orton,widely known as a play maker and motivator, was a strong candidate on the Bears offensive wish list. Both Ron Turner and QB coach Wade Wilson think that the Purdue product is exactly what this team needs . The hope is that Orton will develop into a solid backup to Rex Grossman both now and in the future.
Grossman is still largely untested so to fill this position well is crucial for the Bears. Having faced Orton from the sidelines while coaching at Illinois,Turner had plenty of time to form an opinion about the rookie's capabilities. For all appearances,the new offensive coordinator would seem to know what he's talking about.
Orton's senior year was not stellar and might be one of the reasons that he fell to this round of the draft. Although there were some rumors to the contrary,Orton insisted during the media conference today that he is both coachable and injury free and that his downgrading came from oversight,not a lack of talent. Let's hope that Kyle's right.
At 6-4,Orton has the size necessary in a top NFL QB. He is agile in the pocket and makes good reads and smart decisions on the field. He averaged just under 60% for completions in his college career and had a total of 9,337 yards. Orton seems grateful for the opportunity and delighted to remain in the Midwest. Chances are that he'll work out well and provide a much needed security blanket should any harm befall Grossman in 2005.
Angelo and company selected yet another WR in the fifth round today,Airese Currie of Clemson. Currie might bring some good news to Halas Hall. While not a sizable player at only 5-10 1/2, Currie is intelligent and fiercely competitive. He has excellent speed and can catch the ball well when covered by defenders. In 2004 alone,Currie came away with 61 passes for 868 yards and 2 TDs.
There's going to be a lot of competition at this position as Angelo and Smith both say that 6 is the most they will keep in the WR slot,but Currie could be the one to fill the position eventually.
The sixth round brought S Chris Harris,the first defensive pick for the Bears during the weekend. Harris is from Louisiana-Monroe,undeniably a product of a smaller conference system,but was noticed by Coach Saban when he went against Louisiana last fall. Harris is a sizable 6-11 and 214 pounds with 96 tackles and 7 interceptions last season. Would you like to try to catch a ball with a player like that looming over you? Neither would many receivers in the league. If he works out as Ron Rivera expects,Harris could be one of the hidden treasures of the draft.
And last but not least,the Bears picked OLB Rodrigues Wilson,an OLB from South Carolina. At 6'2 230 lbs,Wilson is not oversized but large enough to get the job done. He has a strong work ethic and was a multi sport athlete in high school,competing in basketball,baseball,football and track.
Wilson started for South Carolina for the first time last year and had 68 tackles,4
TFL's and 3 sacks. Wilson is known as a hard worker and a smart player who loves
the game. There isn't too much information out on Wilson,as he was considered
a candidate who could fall out of the draft and into free agency,but Greg Gabriel
and his scouting team were impressed. It will be interesting to see what he
can do when the rookies work out this coming weekend. Rivera seemed pleased
with the pick,which is a strong endorsement for WIlson's talents.