Bears possibly looking for QB in the draft?

[faba]

Bears suspend QB search until draft

Then they'll either pick prospect or resume quest for vet

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By Don Pierson

Tribune pro football reporter

March 21, 2005, 10:19 PM CST

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- The Bears have put their search for another quarterback on hold until the April 23 draft, when they will either draft another young prospect or continue to look for a veteran to back up Rex Grossman and Chad Hutchinson.

It is doubtful they will use their fourth pick in the first round on a quarterback, although general manager Jerry Angelo noted that top prospects Aaron Rodgers of Cal and Alex Smith of Utah both have completed impressive workouts.

Angelo said he has no plans to interview any other veteran prospects now that Brad Johnson, Jay Fiedler and Kurt Warner have signed elsewhere. He said Monday that Jeff George remains in the back of his mind as an emergency measure. The Bears signed George late last season, but he never got in a game. "We're going to wait until the draft," Angelo said. "If we sign somebody now and then draft somebody, we'd have to cut whoever we sign."

Had the Bears landed one of their top three candidates, that wouldn't have precluded drafting somebody. But Angelo said they had planned to keep four in that case. After Johnson, Fiedler and Warner, they figure the dropoff doesn't warrant keeping four. Jeff Blake and Quincy Carter remain unsigned.

"We're not sure there's anybody out there who would be an improvement over what we have with Craig Krenzel and Kurt Kittner," Angelo said. "If we draft somebody, we would bring in another veteran and train him during camp, then bring him back if we need him."

Angelo, attending NFL owners meetings this week, agreed that good workouts by Rodgers and Smith have increased the value at the top of the draft. That has enhanced the Bears' possibility for trading down like they did with the fourth pick of the 2003 draft when they got defensive lineman Michael Haynes and Grossman with later first-round picks.

The Bears would like to recoup the third-round pick they traded to Miami last year to get defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. That would give them more ammunition to maneuver for a quarterback prospect in the second or third round.

Akron's Charlie Frye, the MVP in the Senior Bowl, and Auburn's Jason Campbell are projected as the best possible second-round picks

[bitonti]

remember JETS fans it was the 22 pick that the team traded to CHI that brought them rex grossman

[124]

Of course the Bears are looking for a quaterback, this should come as no surprise.

Rex Grossman, who does appear to have a good upside still hasn't had a consistent long term season and Craig Krenzel...haha...well he's certainly not the answer to anything short of a #3.

[stormshadow19]

remember JETS fans it was the 22 pick that the team traded to CHI that brought them rex grossman

And... how good have those two picks turned out for the Bears, and how has the pick worked out for the Jets? :wink:

[MiamiJet]

And... how good have those two picks turned out for the Bears, and how has the pick worked out for the Jets? :wink:

At the time I loved the Jets move up to nab Robertson, and the Bears pick of Grossman. it was the Haynes pick that I did not like.

Overall though, Chicago had a good draft imho. I like what I've seen so far from Bobby wade and Justin Gage, and Grossman, IF he remains healthy has the makings of a pretty good qb.

Charles Tillman has been terrific, and Ian Scott and Todd Johnson have also played well.

[stormshadow19]

At the time I loved the Jets move up to nab Robertson, and the Bears pick of Grossman. it was the Haynes pick that I did not like.

Overall though, Chicago had a good draft imho. I like what I've seen so far from Bobby wade and Justin Gage, and Grossman, IF he remains healthy has the makings of a pretty good qb.

Charles Tillman has been terrific, and Ian Scott and Todd Johnson have also played well.

So... it's D Rob or Grossman and Haynes? Guess which side of the fence I fall on.

[Jetsfan80]

So... it's D Rob or Grossman and Haynes? Guess which side of the fence I fall on.

But you can't make a comparison like that, because the Jets would not have drafted either Grossman or Haynes. Basically, it's Robertson versus, say, Ty Warren and Boss Bailey or Nick Barnett, possibly. I'd probably still lean towards the latter, just because a LB corps of Vilma, Bailey/Barnett, Barton would just be ridiculously good.

[stormshadow19]

But you can't make a comparison like that, because the Jets would not have drafted either Grossman or Haynes. Basically, it's Robertson versus, say, Ty Warren and Boss Bailey or Nick Barnett, possibly. I'd probably still lean towards the latter, just because a LB corps of Vilma, Bailey/Barnett, Barton would just be ridiculously good.

I can, because it's not what the Jets would have drafted... and who's to say they sign Barton with Boss or Barnett here? They'd still have Victor Hobsen.

Anyway, about the comparison, it's about the Bears and what they drafted, compared to what the Jets drafted. All things being equal, I'd take the Jets draft.

Besides that, hindsight is always 20/20

[Jetsfan80]

I can, because it's not what the Jets would have drafted... and who's to say they sign Barton with Boss or Barnett here? They'd still have Victor Hobsen.

Anyway, about the comparison, it's about the Bears and what they drafted, compared to what the Jets drafted. All things being equal, I'd take the Jets draft.

Besides that, hindsight is always 20/20

Well of course we don't KNOW what the Jets would have done with picks 13 and 22. But I can speculate, because I'm a fan, and it's the offseason. They would NOT have Hobson, in your situation, because they would NOT have drafted him in round 2, obviously. So we could have conceivably left round 1 with a DT (Ty Warren?) and a LB (Boss Bailey? Nick Barnett?) like I said.

So, in my evaluation 2 years after the fact, I do think that I would prefer what didn't happen over what did. Now, if it's a waste of time to speculate over past events, so be it. But can you honestly say you would prefer Robertson over Ty Warren and Nick Barnett/Boss Bailey (with a 2nd rounder now free to your disposal, seeing as Hobson would not be taken there)?

[stormshadow19]

Well of course we don't KNOW what the Jets would have done with picks 13 and 22. But I can speculate, because I'm a fan, and it's the offseason. They would NOT have Hobson, in your situation, because they would NOT have drafted him in round 2, obviously. So we could have conceivably left round 1 with a DT (Ty Warren?) and a LB (Boss Bailey? Nick Barnett?) like I said.

So, in my evaluation 2 years after the fact, I do think that I would prefer what didn't happen over what did. Now, if it's a waste of time to speculate over past events, so be it. But can you honestly say you would prefer Robertson over Ty Warren and Nick Barnett/Boss Bailey (with a 2nd rounder now free to your disposal, seeing as Hobson would not be taken there)?

Who's to say they would have drafted Boss or Nick? Maybe they thought Victor had better value in round 2? So, it goes back into the hypothetical... who was there at the first pick and who was there at the second? What would I have done? I dunno... I'd have to look. At the moment, I'd prefere D Rob to Warren and Barnett/Bailey and the now free second. Why? D Rob is on the cusp. Warren really isn't a DT, he's a 3-4 DE, from what I've heard. Barnett is an idiot. Bailey hasn't done much, at all.

[Jetsfan80]

Barnett is an idiot.

As a MLB, where he plays in Green Bay, yes. It's rare that you find a young MLB who can lead a defense (which is why we are so lucky to have Vilma). My reasoning is that Barnett would be an OLB for us if we had him.

[MiamiJet]

Well of course we don't KNOW what the Jets would have done with picks 13 and 22. But I can speculate, because I'm a fan, and it's the offseason. They would NOT have Hobson, in your situation, because they would NOT have drafted him in round 2, obviously. So we could have conceivably left round 1 with a DT (Ty Warren?) and a LB (Boss Bailey? Nick Barnett?) like I said.

So, in my evaluation 2 years after the fact, I do think that I would prefer what didn't happen over what did. Now, if it's a waste of time to speculate over past events, so be it. But can you honestly say you would prefer Robertson over Ty Warren and Nick Barnett/Boss Bailey (with a 2nd rounder now free to your disposal, seeing as Hobson would not be taken there)?

Very true. It's much more involved than that.

The Jets would not have drafted either player, since they already had Ellis/Abraham and Pennington. There would have been no need for Haynes or Grossman. The Jets would have also had the 13th overall pick, not the 14th. Chicago traded down one spot with New England for the 14th and an additional 6th.

Also keep in mind the Jets traded away their 4th, which resulted in either S Todd Johnson or DT Ian Scott(I believe Ian Scott).

With DT and LB being such big needs, I am curious as to whom the Jets would've drafted. I loved Barnett and wished for him to land here, but with Bradway, I'm not sure in what direction he would've gone.

Regarding this season, I do think the Bears will take a look at a QB, depending on whom is available. The June 1st cuts still lurk around the corner, and I personally feel they should bring in someone with more experience. If someone like Orlovsky is availbe in round 5, I would definetly take a shot, but I doubt he would be available. Chicago is still looking for draft picks, and might ship Azumah or McQuarters for some comp.

[stormshadow19]

As a MLB, where he plays in Green Bay, yes. It's rare that you find a young MLB who can lead a defense (which is why we are so lucky to have Vilma). My reasoning is that Barnett would be an OLB for us if we had him.

No, I mean he's an idiot. He has all the talent in the world, but he picks fights with the media, and all that... he's an idiot.

[Jetsfan80]

No, I mean he's an idiot. He has all the talent in the world, but he picks fights with the media, and all that... he's an idiot.

I don't know enough to comment on that.

In any case, it's a good thing that Robertson is progressing very well. Also nice to have Laveranues Coles back despite it all as well. All in all, no one can say Bradway's decision was wrong, just that there MAY have been a better alternative.

[stormshadow19]

I don't know enough to comment on that.

In any case, it's a good thing that Robertson is progressing very well. Also nice to have Laveranues Coles back despite it all as well. All in all, no one can say Bradway's decision was wrong, just that there MAY have been a better alternative.

Well yeah... that all comes into the hindsight thing. Of course there are always better alternatives, but we don't always take them.

And, the only reason I know about all that is because I heard it during a Lions game, against the Pack. Barnett was showboating, while losing, because the radio said he didn't make enough plays. He's just a hot head... kinda like Randy Moss, but he doesn't show up on the field

[YJF]

Bears are not drafting a QB at 4. You can forget about that.

Maybe the 2nd or 3rd round. Charlie Frye or Jason Campbell or one of those guys.