Bears general manager Ryan Pace said he drafted the best available players from Thursday to Saturday — and they were a potential franchise quarterback in Mitch Trubisky, one FCS running back, two Division II players and a safety with a rod in his leg.
He believes in them wholeheartedly.
Should Bears fans?
Sun-Times Bears beat reporter Adam L. Jahns breaks down the Bears’ draft:
OK with the Mitch Trubisky pick?
Yes, and it starts with respecting the gumption it took to make it. It doesn’t matter if the 49ers had other serious offers. The Bears felt threatened in their pursuit of Trubisky because teams were calling them about their own No. 3 pick and decided to take action. If you love a player, go get him. Don’t live with regret. The Bears should’ve done that in 2014 with defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Do the Bears have a quarterback controversy?
Not yet. Trubisky hasn’t even practiced at Halas Hall. But you have to wonder what’s going on in Mike Glennon’s head. This is the second time he has been through this in his career with coaching changes in Tampa resulting in the Buccaneers selecting quarterback Jameis Winston first overall two years ago. Glennon might know how to handle his situation, but it doesn’t mean he has to like it.
My favorite pick …
Make it two: tight end Adam Shaheen and running back Tarik Cohen. Both players face major jumps in competition after playing at small schools. It has seemingly been forgotten that the Bears did have needs on offense. They ranked 28th in scoring last year. They needed more firepower.
The Bears will regret …
Nothing. From Trubisky to guard Jordan Morgan, Pace feels that strongly about what the Bears added in the draft. Drafting the “best player available” is cliché in the NFL, but not at Halas Hall. With a rebuilding effort to run (not to mention needs everywhere), Pace lives by it.
The Bears filled this need …
Tight end. It was in the Bears’ best interest to take advantage of a deep tight-end class even if Dion Sims was signed in free agency. Zach Miller is 32 and coming off another foot surgery. Time will tell if he can be the same player. The Bears like Ben Braunecker, Daniel Brown and MyCole Pruitt, but expectations for them should be measured.
The Bears missed this need …
Edge rusher. They’ve spent in free agency to improve the secondary and moved 2016 fourth-round pick Deiondre’ Hall to safety, but a strong pass rush helps everything. Beyond Leonard Floyd, the Bears have veterans coming off surgeries in Pernell McPhee, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston. They can be a good bunch, but adding another young player would’ve helped. Roy Robertson-Harris, an undrafted free-agent signing last year, is an unknown.
The Bears draft was …
A statement. These are Pace’s Bears, and now he has his quarterback for his rebuild. It wouldn’t be complete without the most important position in sports in the fold. The Bears still will try to win in 2017, but Pace is operating with a long-term focus.
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