Bears Blitz

Published by Brian Marchetti on April 17, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

If past actions prove the greatest predictor of future behavior, the Chicago Bears may find themselves wasting another first-round pick.

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo has made some poor, and at times bizarre decisions in the first round since coming to the team in 2001.

Without a doubt, the man has made some blockbuster deals, including bringing Jay Cutler and Julius Peppers to the team, but his eye for rookie talent seems suspect at best.

Here’s a look at some recent first-round picks:

In 2005, the Bears used the fourth pick of the draft to acquire running back Cedric Benson. 

The pick seemed bizarre, considering the Bears had an effective and popular running back in Thomas Jones.

Benson held out and missed training camp along with a good portion of the preseason. 

When he finally decided to put some pads on, he never lived up to the team’s expectations. 

This, along with his public criticisms of teammates and coaches alike, made his stay with the team both short and ineffective. 

Benson was released by the Bears in 2009 after an alcohol-related arrest. 

In 2007, the Bears drafted Miami tight end Greg Olsen.  A solid receiving tight end, but still a questionable pick.

The Bears already had Desmond Clark, who proved worthy as a receiver and a blocker.  Both tight ends remain on the team as of this writing, but Clark has had little play time since the arrival of Mike Martz. 

Olsen has made some key plays since putting on a Bears uniform, but has not proven himself an effective blocker.  As of right now, he’s a slow receiver who has a tendency to fall down as soon as he makes a catch.

Offensive lineman Chris Williams joined the team in 2008 courtesy of the 14th pick in the draft. 

Williams had a stellar college career, allowing only one sack in 2006 and one in 2007 as a left tackle at Vanderbilt. 

While his resume seemed in tip-top shape, Williams has suffered a number of injuries in his professional career.

During his first training camp, Williams suffered a minor back injury that required surgery.  He didn’t make his professional debut until November of that year. 

In 2010, he injured his hamstring and missed three games.  

Williams was expected to serve as a strong left tackle.  Since those high hopes have faded, the Bears’ first-round draft pick from 2008 has moved to left guard.

Scouting rookie talent is not an exact science.  For every Tom Brady out there, there are 10 Ryan Leafs.  But if Angelo continues this trend of bad to mediocre picks, the window for a Chicago Bears championship may close for a long time.

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