Bears’ Biggest Bust
As March Madness and Bracket-mania are right around the corner, we’re working on a little tournament of our own – a Biggest Bust Bracket for the worst draft pick of all time. Each site on the Fansided network will enter their 2 worst draft picks to comprise the field of 64.
In order to do our part, we will be putting together a qualifier bracket for the worst Bears draft pick of all time. It seems like we could put a bracket of 64 of our own bad picks, so I’ve put some limits on the qualifiers: the pick had to have been a first day pick – 1st or 2nd round pick and ASBXX (After Super Bowl XX). Some guys are picked as busts for their Bears careers and may have found some success elsewhere. So here are my nominees:
Dan Bazuin -2007 – 62nd overall
Selected in the 2nd round of the 2007 draft, the DE from Central Michigan never saw meaningful action when his rookie campaign ended on the IR before the regular season started. Never saw the field as a Bear and is currently on the Texans’ practice squad.
Cedric Benson – 2005 – 4th overall
Any regular reader of this blog knows my feelings about Benson. I never like this pick from the moment it was made. This crybaby effectively chased Thomas Jones out of town and never earned the respect of fans or teammates, much less the millions that the Bears paid him.
Michael Haynes – 2003 – 14th overall
It’s not good when the thing I most remember about a #14 pick is that he liked exotic pets. He never lived up to hype coming out of Penn State. He is currently out of football
Rex Grossman – 2003 – 22nd overall
What can you say about Rex Grossman? Good Rex or Bad Rex, you either hated him or only tolerated him. Injuries plagued him early in his career and wild inconsistency put the final nail in his Bears career. It’s telling that a quarterback only two years removed from Super Bowl starter can’t get an offer in Free Agency.
David Terrell – 2001 – 8th overall
He is the case in point of 1st round wide receiver bust and will make me a little itchy if the Bears choose a receiver with their Rd. 1 pick this year. His four TD’s in his rookie year were a career high and it was downhill from there. Maybe it’s because I’m a former Illini and he’s a “Michigan man for life”, but he’s another guy I just never liked or connected with.
Cade McNown – 1999 – 12th overall
This punk from UCLA set the quarterback position back to the days of the T-formation. Remember Dick Jauron’s lame plan of having McNown get at least one series every game? Yeeesh!!! Besides, anyone who gets himself banned from the Playboy Mansion deserves a lifetime of scorn and ridicule.
Russell Davis – 1999 – 48th overall
Don’t remember this guy? Me neither. He was cut after 1 season with the Bears, but managed to hang around the league until 2007, mostly with the Cardinals. The DT out of North Carolina started 8 games for the Bears in 1999 and tallied a couple of sacks, but nothing else.
Curtis Enis – 1998 – 5th overall
Here’s another collossal running back bust. Enis is another Penn Stater who never lived up to the hype. Consider that he was selected 4 spots ahead of Fred Taylor, who’s been with the Jaguars all these years. This pick should count for 2 busts, because if they’d gotten this one right, they might have avoided the Benson pick.
Rashaan Salaam – 1995 – 21st overall
As my guy Louie said, “Too many A’s in his name. Enough said.”
Patrick Riley –1995 – 52nd overall
Who? Right, I know…a second rounder and if I can’t remember him, he was a BUST!!!
John Thierry –1994 – 11th overall
The ‘Thierry of Defense’ never quite caught on for this DE out of Alcorn State.
Alonzo Spellman –1992 – 22nd overall
When you’re found stumbling down the Route 60 in your boxers, it’s not going to end well. Great defensive players are equal parts talented and crazy. ‘Zo’s formula was way off!
Stan Thomas – 1991 – 22nd overall
This is probably the first draft bust I can remember growing up. This highly touted tackle out of Texas was alleged to have been forced down Ditka’s throat by then-president Michael McCaskey.
So who are the worst of the worst? Go to the Poll along the righthand side of the screen and select the two worst Bears Busts of all time. Hurry, voting for the qualifier ends on March 22nd! Vote early and often, that’s the Chicago way!!!