Jerry Angelo offered some frank comments on the Bears‘ draft plans. The goal for the draft is quite simple:
"“We’d like to come out of this draft with the third, fourth and fifth rounds with players that make it to Sunday, meaning they dress [on the 45-man active game-day roster]. Naturally when you don’t have the first two picks, it’s very difficult to put a stamp on a player and say that we feel very strongly that he’s going to come in and potentially start. Very difficult to do. We found it very difficult to do with a first-rounder, let alone a third-rounder.”"
So Jerry wants to get guys that will dress on Sundays. Like his picks over the last several years? Most of the picks can barely avoid getting redshirted by one of those mysterious preseason injuries. Either that or we get force-fed Garrett Wolfe, who never should have been drafted in the first place.
Jerry admitted that the Bears need help at safety:
"“We need help,” Angelo said Wednesday during his annual pre-draft news conference at Halas Hall. “I’m not going to sit here and tell you that we’re not looking. We do [need help]. If for no other reason, we need more depth there at the position.”"
and thinks that this year’s class is deep enough to offer help for the Bears even though they don’t pick until the third round:
"“We feel it probably gets to about (six to eight deep at the position) and that’s where it will stop where you feel comfortable that a guy could come in and help you,” Angelo said. “It’s a pretty good safety board. We’re going to look at the secondary obviously very hard. It’s not a secret, much talked about and we spent a lot of time with the secondary, corners as well, we’re just not fixed on the safety position and we’re also look as we do every year, at the defensive line, we’re always going to be looking for pass rushers regardless of what our needs are.”"
The first step is admitting there’s a problem. The next step is doing something about it. Then he goes on to say that the Bears are fine – even preparing – as if they won’t get help in the draft. (from Jeff Dickerson’s blog):
"Given the Bears’ lack of a pick in the first two rounds, it’s conceivable the draft might pass without the organization sufficiently addressing the need. Can the Bears win with the group of veteran safeties currently on the roster?“We’re planning on it,” Angelo said. “We drafted Craig Steltz, and I remember saying when we drafted him that I thought we had a potential four or five starters in that draft [2008]. Craig was one of those people, and we still have confidence in Craig. Danieal Manning is our other safety. Josh Bullocks has been a starter; he did play at the tail end of last year, and I though he did a pretty good job."
So if you think the Bears need help at safety, how can you possibly go on to say you’re planning on starting next season with the group of safeties you currently have on your roster???