The Chicago Bears story seems to stay the same – good defense and limited offense.  They thought they fixed their biggest problem with the trade for quarterback Jay Cutler and in the regular season, even though his play was uneven, Cutler was able to help the Bears’ into a top two seed in the NFC.  They couldn’t finish the job though and the main problem was again the offense.

Team Needs

Offensive line – Cutler was sacked way too much last season. The offensive line cannot be blamed entirely for that, but they are the most
important unit when it comes to keeping the guy the franchise invested their future in.

Wide receiver – If the offensive line was problem number one, wide receiver was number two. They have given the Devin Hester experiment a few years now and predictably he has become at best an average wide receiver.  They have a few serviceable guys, but no one who is going to put the fear in defenses.

Linebacker – This is a strength of the team and has been for years, but Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher are soon to be (and might be already) on the downside of their careers. In a year or two the Bears will have to re-evaluate the linebacker position.

Quarterback – If the Bears can protect Cutler, they should be set at starting quarterback for at least the next four or five years, but grooming a middle to late round pick to be Cutler’s back up might be a good idea.  Exhibit A – Todd Collins goose egg before he got hurt in the NFC Championship game.

2011 Draft Picks

Round 1 (29) Gabe Carimi OT (Wisconsin) – This pick was one of the no-brainer picks of the draft. Carimi fills one of the most pressing needs the Bears have and could be a fixture on the offensive line for the next ten years. He already has ties to offensive line coach Mike Tice – Tice’s son was a teammate of Carimi’s with the Badgers. The Bears don’t have much experience on the roster at tackle, so Carimi has a chance to start early.

Round 2 (53) Stephen Paea DT (Oregon St.) – Paea had a great final season with the Beavers. He was named the Pac-10 defensive MVP and finished the season with six quarterback sacks from an interior line position. The Bears like his ability to play both the nose and tackle positions.  Lining him up next to defensive end Julius Peppers will benefit both players and make the Bear’s defensive line tough to deal with.

Round 3 (93) Chris Conte S (California) – Conte played corner for three years as a back-up, but his senior year the Bear (Golden, not Chicago) coaches decided to switch him to safety. The move worked well enough for the Bears, the Chicago variety, to feel he will fit in at the free safety position.  Because of his experience at corner, the Chicago front office feels Conte brings a well rounded skill set to the safety position.

Round 5 (160) Nathan Enderle QB (Idaho) – The Bears addressed another glaring hole with Enderle.  He didn’t have great stats his senior year, but the Chicago front office feels much of it was due to a lack of talent around him. They like his size and arm strength and feel he is someone they can mold into a solid number two quarterback.

Round 6 (195) J.T. Thomas LB (West Virginia) – The Bears went into the final day of the draft knowing if they liked the options at the position, they wanted a linebacker. With the current crop of linebackers on the roster, the Bears need to get younger. Brown will make the team as a special team’s player, but down the road the Chicago brass likes the fact that Brown played all three linebacker positions in college and if he pans out can use that position flexibility to their advantage.

Fantasy impact

How can I put this nicely?  The Bears addressed a number of needs in the 2011 Draft, but as far as fantasy football goes, this draft will have no real impact. If Carimi gets plugged into the lineup early, he could help make Cutler and Matt Forte more effective, but chances are the rookie will have his struggles at times when he gets onto the field as most rookie linemen do.  Paea could have a negative effect on some runningbacks as he upgrades the defensive line, but other than that this draft will not have anyone in your fantasy league altering any draft strategy based on
Chicago’s draft.