The Bears' draft began weeks ago when they did not deal linebacker Lance Briggs to the Washington Redskins or anyone else. Late into Friday the Briggs non-draft continued as talk of a deal faded with the ticking of the clock.
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo has made no secret of his guarded feelings about high picks because of the bust factor and huge dollars involved. Without a franchise-level need staring the Bears in the face, there was no overwhelming motivation to go up to No. 6 for a particular player, even though they did have several players deemed worthy of a pick that high.
But the key to the deal, besides getting something for Briggs, was being able to get back out of that spot and that was not a given. The Bears and Redskins, in fact, were involved in precisely that kind of scenario in 1999, with the Bears being the key to a three-team draft tango.
The New Orleans Saints wanted to move up from No. 12 to No. 5, the latter pick held by Washington. New Orleans' and coach Mike Ditka's target was running back Ricky Williams. The Redskins were willing to drop down to No. 12 and pick up the basket of draft choices, but only if the Bears would join the deal and give Washington their No. 7 pick, where the Redskins planned to grab cornerback Champ Bailey.
The Bears agreed and dropped back to No. 12 where they selected quarterback and bust Cade McNown. But the picks they added in that deal and others laid the foundation for the 2001 playoff team: Jerry Azumah, Marty Booker, Roosevelt Colvin, Warrick Holdman, Rex Tucker.
11:13 a.m.: Some answers to reader questions
John, If the Bears get an "Extra Player" and make the deal with the Redskins - do you think they'll take Robert Meecham; invest in the offensive line or deal the 6th pick to get more picks in the 2nd & 3rd rounds? --Al in P'Cola, Pensacola, Fla.
Al, It'll be a real surprise if the Bears make that deal in any form.
On the whole trade situation, just minutes before this whole thing starts, a huge concern is being 'stuck' at No. 6 for someone (Angelo) who sees a big percentage of potential busts in the first round. You don't go up there unless there is the absolute perfect player you want, or if you know you can deal down. One of the reasons the Bears were reluctant and no deal happened involving Briggs and No. 6 so far is the price tag of No. 6. I do, however, think that they will make a move down a pick or two from either that No. 31 or No. 37 spot. The Bears see themselves as having 'wants,' not 'needs,' and that is significant because it frees you to take someone you truly regard as the best available player. You can have a handful of similarly rated players ready and when your turn comes, if several are still there, you can drop down knowing you can still get one of them. Should be an interesting day. Thanks for the query.
The Bears need another DT with big ability to keep teams honest when they scheme against Tommie Harris. It all starts up front on defense. Bear Down. --Z Bear, Boca Raton, Fla.
Jerry Angelo loves his D tackles and took five over the span of three draft. They don't think they absolutely have to sign one, having addressed that with Anthony Adams in the offseason. But Angelo believes firmly in building from the ball out, so never rule out a D lineman on the first day.
11:52 a.m.: How the first three picks affect the Bears
The Bears weren't the only team not making moves as the draft started, and they will get some up-close looks as the early "stars" of the draft. The Oakland Raiders, whom the Bears visit Nov. 11, took LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who may well be starting for that woeful franchise by the time the Bears arrive.
The Lions made their fourth top-10 pick of a wide receiver in the last five drafts, picking Georgia Tech wideout Calvin Johnson at No. 2, The Bears will get their first of what the Lions hope will be many, many looks at Johnson in week four when the Bears go to Detroit.
The final preseason game Thursday night Aug. 30 will bring the Cleveland Browns and new left tackle Joe Thomas from Wisconsin to Soldier Field.
12:03 p.m.: More questions, more answers
Would the Bears release Mike Brown if they draft Laron Landry after trading Lance Briggs? What is the current organizational philosophy on relying on Mike Brown? --Bob, Highland Park, Ill.
Bob, Lovie Smith told me Tuesday that he is very likely to start training camp with Mike paired with Adam Archuleta at the safeties. Not seeing a Briggs deal at this point. Landry would be a good pick but that is high for a safety in Jerry Angelo's scheme and pay structure.
Detroit just took the one player in the draft I think can take the Bears to the next level, Calvin Johnson. Is there any chance the Bears make a deal for him? --Shawn Goldman, State College, Penn.
No way the Bears would go for Calvin Johnson. Philosophically GM Jerry Angelo is opposed to wideouts that high, or at that price, because of the inordinate number of busts up there, as the Bears learned with David Terrell (No. 8) and the Lions have found out painfully with Mike Williams, Roy Williams and Charles Rogers; some production, not worth the money.
John, regardless of whether they keep Briggs, I'm guessing the Bears will be looking to draft an OLB on Day 1 at some point to get someone in the pipeline as Briggs' ultimate replacement (or at least another name to compete with Leon Joe, etc.). Who are some names the Bears like at OLB? Also, any needs we can look for the Bears to wait to address in free agency after the next round of cap-casualties? -- Mike Wisniewski, Cedar Lake, Ind.
The Bears worked out Chicagoan Quincy Black at New Mexico and
Don't look for impact pickups in salary cap cuts. Teams just do not let go of those quality players without getting something in trade.
--JM
12:26 p.m.: Who's on the horn with the 'Skins?
After the Arizona Cardinals took Penn State tackle Levi Brown, a favorite with some Bears personnel folk, interest began to perk up as Washington came on the clock. The Redskins had the fewest draft picks in the NFL since 2000 in addition to the fewest takeaways on defense.
The variable now was that Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson and Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn were still on the board, and if a team was after Quinn in particular, the Bears could take Washington's offer to move up, knowing that they could then deal out of that spot to the team seeking Peterson or Quinn, who was falling into the role of this year's Matt Leinart, a top QB dropping on draft day.
TV showed LSU safety LaRon Landry enthusiastically answering a call on his cell phone. But from whom? The Redskins? Bears? Time got inside the final one minute of Washington's time, down to the final seconds before commissioner Roger Goodell came to the podium. Turns out the call was from Washington. The Bears can look forward to facing him too this season, in a Thursday night game Dec. 6. Too early to know exactly what went on before that call to Landry but the runoff on the draft clock hints that Washington was on the phone to more than just the kid before they made the pick.
1:01 p.m.: Briggs, Briggs and more Briggs questions...
John, what is the health status of last year's picks Jamar Williams and Dusty Dvorcek? Are they going to be healthy enough to play this year? If so why is there such a concern about LB and DT in this year's draft? Thanks! --KC Bear Fan
KC Bear, Jamar Williams is playing in Briggs' spot at weakside linebacker in the Bears' informal off-season work and coaches tell me they are really pleased with how Dvoracek looks coming off his foot injury. Notable with Dvoracek is that there was some thinking, including his, that he could have come back late last season if he wasn't on IR. So no real health worries there, more a depth issue at LB.
What are the chances of the Bears trading with Buffalo again this year? I see them trading Briggs to Buffalo for its first-round pick and selecting Paul Poluzsny. --Stinger, Louisville, Ky.
I like Briggs a lot, but is he really so irreplaceable that the Bears are willing to lose him for nothing in return after this coming season? Why not get something for him now? Holdman, Colvin, and now Briggs are all guys that benefited from playing next to Urlacher, who's to say that trend won't continue? --Josh Herren, Elgin AFB, Fla.
The question with trading Briggs to Buffalo is whether or not Marv Levy and Dick Jauron want to part with what it takes to bring Briggs there. And yes, Urlacher is a huge eraser to play next to but Rosie Colvin did get 21 sacks over two years mostly as a rush end, so he and Briggs are more than just caddies for 54, as Urlacher would tell you. Anything is still possible as far as deals but as has been mentioned before, the money goes up in addition to using a high draft choice on a spot that they are not completely ready to admit is a lost cause. Briggs is still in regular touch with LB coach/now D coordinator Bob Babich and has never burned a bridge within the organization despite the public rhetoric. Jerry Angelo and Greg Gabriel have scored huge in their pasts with LB's like Pepper Johnson, Carl Banks, Derrick Brooks, Winston Moss, Briggs, Gary Reasons and others, and haven't always needed to spend a high pick for those guys (except Banks and L.T., obviously). This team has done very well waiting on a linebacker pick.
--JM
1:12 p.m.: Make yourself comfortable, Brady. You may be here for awhile
The Brady Quinn carnage continues and more than a few viewers had to be feeling a little sorry for the Notre Dame passer, particularly sitting in the Green Room with his girlfriend. Does Houston regret switching places with the Falcons, dropping from No. 8 to No. 10 in exchange for quarterback Matt Schaub? Hardly. Atlanta took Arkansas defensive end Jamal Anderson and then Miami, which has bollixed its quarterback situation with Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington, stunned some with its pick at No. 9 of Ohio State wideout Ted Ginn Jr.
The Texans, who start the Bears' preseason schedule Aug. 11, then went on the clock and took Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye. They were the first of a lineup of teams ostensibly well set at quarterback: 11. San Francisco (Alex Smith), 12. Buffalo (J.P Losman), 13. St. Louis (Marc Bulger), 14. Carolina (Jake Delhomme), 15. Pittsburgh (Ben Roethlisberger). After that comes Green Bay with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers and Jacksonville with Byron Leftwich and Cincinnati with Carson Palmer and Tennessee with Vince Young, followed by the N.Y. Giants and Eli Manning.
No telling when Quinn's cell phone is likely to ring now...
1:30 p.m.: Quinn to the Bears?
John, is there any chance Da Bears will trade up and nab Quinn? I know we've got a lot of QB's, but because there is the question mark with Rex, would this be a good idea?-- Zach, Highland Park, Ill.
Do you think the bears will take Quinn if he falls that far? --Peter, Crystal Lake, Ill.
For you Quinners, yes that is a possibility, although extremely unlikely. Coaches were not asked to study a lot of film on the top quarterback prospects and the talk of 'Rex is our quarterback' is more than just chatter. The uncertain piece here is that Grossman is headed into the final year of his contract and they have not talked seriously about an extension. The Packers could take him at No. 16 and figure he's a better post-Brett than Aaron Rodgers but the feeling up at Halas Hall is that if the Kansas City Chiefs don't take him with the 23rd pick, and stay their Damon Huard course, there is a decided chance that Quinn falls all the way to No. 31. If the Bears aren't interested, New England, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Baltmore etc. aren't very likely to jump in -- the Bears' best course then might be to listen to Cleveland or Detroit moving up from the second round. Interesting day, particularly so since there has not been a trade through the first 12 picks.
--JM
2:18 p.m.: Quinn to the Packers? Pass
Brady Quinn remains the story of the draft. The feeling was that the Packers could take him, mentioned in trade gossip regarding the Oakland Raiders and Randy Moss. Green Bay used most of its allotted time on the clock, suggesting that their was either some serious debate or some serious trade talk, or both. In the end the Packers took Tennessee Justin Harrell and the Quinn Question remains unanswered.
2:45 p.m.: More from the masses
Last year I thought the Bears would find Grossman some weapons. Is this finally the year? --Lynn Todd, Pontiac, Ill.
Lynn, I do see the Bears taking a receiver such Anthony Gonzalez from OSU, with that 4.4 speed, whom the Bears like very, very much. He is fast, good size and can play multiple spots besides giving them depth and an eventual successor to Muhsin Muhammad. Miami TE Greg Olsen is very definitely a possibility but Jerry Angelo has never been in a draft where his team took a tight end in the first round, so that would surprise me.
With Denver and NY Giants in need of a linebacker, do you see a possibility of the Bears trading Lance Briggs to move up and draft Brady Quinn at 20 or 21? --Jason, Chicago
Jason, the amusing thing about the Giants is that they were bandied as a possibility in bogus blogging (debunked by both the Bears and Giants) and also that Briggs has friends on the Giants and they talked in Super Bowl week about what it could be like if they were united in New York. I still do not see Quinn as a Bear, although colleague David Haugh believes that would be a superb value pick. And you can never be too rich, too thin or have too many quarterbacks, right? My better scenario is for the Browns or Lions to trade up from the second round for a guy few ever thought would still be there.
Taking Quinn would cramp Rex Grossman's style. Do you think Michael Griffin, the Texas safety, would be a better fit than Miami's Brandon Merriweather? --Davey Osborne, St. Charles, Ill.
Davey, no one would worry about Grossman's style at this point. The issue is just whether or not they do in fact believe that Grossman is the future, and they haven't had any serious talks about extending him. But from every indication public and private, the Bears believe they are set at that position. For now.
As far as safeties, I do think Griffin is a better fit because of his ideal size at 205 pounds. But a safety pick would be a major surprise given Brown, Archuleta and Danieal Manning already in place.
-JM
3:15 p.m.: Bears like what they see
As the string of defensive players taken consecutively reached nine with Jacksonville taking Florida safety Reggie Nelson, the math was becoming increasingly interesting for those tracking Brady Quinn. Dallas went on the clock with few expecting them to take a quarterback because of Pro Bowl QB Tony Romo already in place. The cost of Cleveland, for example, moving from No. 4 in the second round, 36th overall, to Dallas' No. 22 spot would be the draft-chart equivalent of a mid third-round pick. There was more than Brady Quinn happening, however.
The draft was moving to within 10 of the Bears, who went into the day with a basket of players they felt good about, people like Central Michigan tackle Joe Staley, Texas guard/tackle Justin Blalock, Auburn guard Ben Grubbs, perhaps Miami tight end Greg Olsen, Ohio State wideout Anthony Gonzalez. As players like Nelson and Griffin went off the board, the draft was moving decidedly in a direction the Bears like.
3:20 p.m.: After a mighty long wait, Quinn goes to Cleveland
And just like that, the math added up for Cleveland. The Browns jumped up for a guy who posed as a four-year old in a Bernie Kosar No. 19 Browns shirt, dealing for that Dallas pick in what looks like a complete steal for the Cowboys, who get the Browns' second-round pick this year and their No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft. Pure and simple, the Cowboys made out. Now the question for Browns fans is Quinn's health, since his left tackle is also a rookie, Wisconsin's Joe Thomas taken No. 3.
4:20 p.m.: Any questions?
The pick of Quinn by Cleveland was a great value pick. How about Miami tight end Greg Olsen and either Auburn guard Ben Grubbs or Texas tackle Justin Blaylock still dropping to the bears at 31 and 37? But what if Michigan's Alan Branch is there? --Tripod, Las Vegas
Pod, was it a 'value' pick when you gave up a potential high No. 1 for him as well as a No. 2 this year? I'm not so sure. I see the Bears with Grubbs unless there's a surprise grab ahead of them but the great pick, if he somehow stays up, is Joe Staley, the Central Michigan tackle. I had thought the Bears would take him until I heard he would go ahead of them and switched to Grubbs. We'll see. Olsen has some question marks, not serious, that make me doubt the Bears take him. Branch is a fatty. Very difficult to see him fit in the Bears' scheme.
If Alan Branch slides due to concerns about weight and discipline, do you think Angelo jumps at him? --Hugh, London, England
Hugh, just mentioned to another reader that I can't see Branch fit in either the Bears scheme or many of their uniforms. Angelo is a 'floor' drafter, someone who wants to eliminate guys with shaky downsides; what's so-and-so's floor? Branch has the potential to be a colossal bust and that's not Angelo's pattern.
John, do you see USC's Dwayne Jarrett as a good fit? He could be the possession receiver the Bears need. --Josh, Flagstaff, Ariz.
Josh, the Bears want speed first; possession is an added plus but I don't think the way this draft is shaping up that they'll settle for him when they can get a burner first.
-JM
4:36 p.m.: Still quality on the board
The Bears likely breathed a huge sigh of relief when New Orleans passed on TE Greg Olsen and took Tennessee speed receiver Robert Meacham at No. 27. That means that offensive linemen Joe Staley, Justin Blalock and Ben Grubbs were still on the board along with Olsen; the Bears were assured of a true pick they valued at that level, although some questions about Olsen's grit make him a little longer shot to fit with the Bears in some estimations.
Now the chances begin to grow that the Bears can drop down a slot or two, add a later pick and still get what they view as a premier selection for their spot. One minor question: Does Olsen having Drew Rosenhaus as his agent become a factor? The Bears are not happy at all with Rosenhaus' handling of the Lance Briggs situation and he represents others like Adewale Ogunleye and Tommie Harris. Another Rosenhaus pick on the roster may be a flag.
4:40: Where are all the O-linemen going?
With the Bears lurking at No. 31, the San Francisco 49ers moved up from the second round to take Central Michigan tackle Joe Staley. Teams typically move up to get ahead of a competitor for a particular player and this was a possible tip on where the 49ers thought the Bears were leaning. Baltimore, thought to be looking for a replacement for tackle Jonathan Ogden, went with an interior line pick: Auburn guard Ben Grubbs.
5:25 p.m.: Finally
With the run on offensive linemen, the Bears went with