It has become an obligatory annual question for George McCaskey, with the Bears chairman asked to detail his mother’s emotions regarding the state of the Bears. Virginia McCaskey will turn 97 on Sunday. And while George McCaskey didn’t go so far this year as to paint his mom as “pissed off” with the team’s struggles, he readily acknowledged that the citywide disappointment hit close to home.
With all the anticipation and hype that led up to the Bears’ 100th season, the team’s 8-8 fizzle-out was entirely unsatisfying.
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“The hope was there. The Bears were back,” George McCaskey said Tuesday morning. “And then to take a step back was especially disappointing. And she feels it, like all Bears fans do.”
Ah, yes. That all-too-familiar feeling of deflation.
“Every year we talk about the goal being to win the Super Bowl,” McCaskey said. “And in some years you feel you are better positioned to do that than others. We certainly thought that was the case in 2019. So the 8-8 record was especially disappointing in that light.”
[Most read] Woman accused of killing young sons, assaulting one and hurling another out South Shore high-rise window, is held without bail »
The playoffs will again go on without the Bears — for the 11th time in 13 seasons. And as if that sting weren’t sharp enough, the emptiness surrounding the 2019 season will be amplified by another bit of “What might have been” lament.
This year’s postseason includes nine starting quarterbacks the Bears once had a chance to draft but didn’t. Yep. Seventy-five percent of the starting quarterback in this year’s Super Bowl bracket could have begun their careers with the Bears if the organization had wanted them badly enough.
On that topic, here’s a painful history lesson (in chronological order) of the draft-weekend decisions that took the Bears in a different direction.
Tom Brady, Patriots
Drafted: Sixth round (No. 199 overall) by the Patriots in 2000.
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: K Paul Edinger (No. 174).
Other Bears selected before that in that draft: LB Brian Urlacher (No. 9), S Mike Brown (No. 39), WR Dez White (No. 69), TE Dustin Lyman (No. 87), CB Reggie Austin (No. 125), WR Frank Murphy (No. 170).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Cade McNown.
The knocks: Brady was thought of as a wiry quarterback with limited athleticism and average arm strength. He hadn’t started his first two seasons at Michigan and even in his last two years, he continued competing for playing time with Drew Henson. Brady left college with 30 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions.
The scoop: Can you imagine if the Bears had a 2000 draft class that featured Urlacher and Brady? Can you even fathom, in retrospect, that the organization had seven chances to draft Brady and instead opted for players such as Frank Murphy? Obviously, no one in the spring of 2000 was projecting Brady to play for two decades and win six Super Bowls (and counting). And the Bears, for what it’s worth, had taken their big swing at finding a franchise quarterback the previous year when they drafted Cade McNown at No. 12. But it’s clear that too many teams failed to recognize or properly weight Brady’s most special skills such as his competitiveness, savvy, accuracy and natural leadership ability. Interestingly, this fall in an article for The Athletic, longtime NFL writer Bob McGinn shared pre-draft notes on Brady that he compiled from five NFL executives, including Bill Rees, who at the time was the Bears director of college scouting. Rees’ thumbnail on Brady: “Very accurate, good toughness, good leadership. Has a chance to be a good player in the league in time. I think he’d be a real solid backup initially and end up growing into a starter.”
Drew Brees, Saints
Drafted: Second round (No. 32) by the Chargers in 2001.
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Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: WR David Terrell (No. 8).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Jim Miller.
The knocks: In scouting circles, Brees was most criticized for his lack of prototypical height (6 feet). Others thought his college production was inflated by the nature of Joe Tiller’s spread offense at Purdue. Still, Brees received widespread praise for being a fiery competitor who shattered records at Purdue, became a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl.
The lowdown: Brees was selected at the top of the second round and was the second quarterback off the board after Michael Vick was taken with the No. 1 pick. The Bears felt comfortable with their quarterback trio of Jim Miller, Shane Matthews and Cade McNown. (After Jerry Angelo became the general manager in June 2001, the team traded McNown to the Dolphins that same summer.) Brees, now in his 20th season, continues to rewrite the NFL record book. Terrell turned out to be a first-round flameout, finishing his four-season career with the Bears with 128 catches, 1,602 yards and nine touchdowns.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Drafted: First round (No. 24) by the Packers in 2005.
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: RB Cedric Benson (No. 4).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Rex Grossman.
The knocks: Rodgers’ torturous wait in the NFL draft green room has been well-chronicled. Twenty-one teams passed him over, with the Vikings and Cowboys both making two picks while Rodgers was on the board. In some league circles, a large amount of Rodgers’ college success was credited to the system of Cal coach Jeff Tedford. Rodgers was frequently compared to Joey Harrington and Kyle Boller, who also played under Tedford in college but failed to live up to expectations in the NFL.
The lowdown: Angelo was still firmly behind Grossman as his franchise quarterback, confident that the young gunslinger would return from the previous season’s ACL injury to lead the Bears to new heights. Through that lens, it makes sense that the Bears wouldn’t prioritize taking a quarterback in the top five of that draft, even with Angelo openly rating Rodgers ahead of Alex Smith as the top one in the class. But let’s not forget: The Packers had Brett Favre as their starter when they picked Rodgers at No. 24. And it turned out to be a wise investment. In 12 years as the Packers starter, Rodgers has won six division titles, nine playoff games, two MVP awards and a Super Bowl. The other NFC North players drafted ahead of him: Benson, receivers Troy Williamson and Mike Williams and defensive end Erasmus James.
Russell Wilson, Seahawks
Drafted: Third round (No. 75 overall) by the Seahawks in 2012.
[Most read] From 1988: CIVIL WAR »
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: WR Alshon Jeffery (No. 45).
Other Bears selected before that in that draft: DE Shea McClellin (No. 19).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Jay Cutler.
The knocks: Like Brees, Wilson’s height (5-11) was deemed problematic. There were additional worries about his ability to be a traditional pocket passer in the NFL. Talent evaluators also wondered how Wilson’s improvisational athleticism would translate against bigger, faster, stronger defenders.
The lowdown: Five quarterbacks came off the board before Wilson — Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Brock Osweiler. Two Wilsons also came off the board before Russell — running back David Wilson and safety Tavon Wilson. Needless to say, Wilson was easily the best value pick of the 2012 draft and probably tops Luke Kuechly and Harrison Smith as the top player of the class. The Bears had Cutler as their starter and had signed Jason Campbell as their backup a month before the draft. The opportunity to pick Wilson never matched up with their board.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings
Drafted: Fourth round (No. 102) by the Redskins in 2012.
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: S Brandon Hardin.
Other Bears selected before that in that draft: McClellin, Jeffery.
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Cutler.
More at:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/spor...0200104-txv2xprxj5bfraxqytrkqfktsq-story.html
With all the anticipation and hype that led up to the Bears’ 100th season, the team’s 8-8 fizzle-out was entirely unsatisfying.
Advertisement
Advertisement: 0:02
“The hope was there. The Bears were back,” George McCaskey said Tuesday morning. “And then to take a step back was especially disappointing. And she feels it, like all Bears fans do.”
Ah, yes. That all-too-familiar feeling of deflation.
“Every year we talk about the goal being to win the Super Bowl,” McCaskey said. “And in some years you feel you are better positioned to do that than others. We certainly thought that was the case in 2019. So the 8-8 record was especially disappointing in that light.”
[Most read] Woman accused of killing young sons, assaulting one and hurling another out South Shore high-rise window, is held without bail »
The playoffs will again go on without the Bears — for the 11th time in 13 seasons. And as if that sting weren’t sharp enough, the emptiness surrounding the 2019 season will be amplified by another bit of “What might have been” lament.
This year’s postseason includes nine starting quarterbacks the Bears once had a chance to draft but didn’t. Yep. Seventy-five percent of the starting quarterback in this year’s Super Bowl bracket could have begun their careers with the Bears if the organization had wanted them badly enough.
On that topic, here’s a painful history lesson (in chronological order) of the draft-weekend decisions that took the Bears in a different direction.
Tom Brady, Patriots
Drafted: Sixth round (No. 199 overall) by the Patriots in 2000.
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: K Paul Edinger (No. 174).
Other Bears selected before that in that draft: LB Brian Urlacher (No. 9), S Mike Brown (No. 39), WR Dez White (No. 69), TE Dustin Lyman (No. 87), CB Reggie Austin (No. 125), WR Frank Murphy (No. 170).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Cade McNown.
The knocks: Brady was thought of as a wiry quarterback with limited athleticism and average arm strength. He hadn’t started his first two seasons at Michigan and even in his last two years, he continued competing for playing time with Drew Henson. Brady left college with 30 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions.
The scoop: Can you imagine if the Bears had a 2000 draft class that featured Urlacher and Brady? Can you even fathom, in retrospect, that the organization had seven chances to draft Brady and instead opted for players such as Frank Murphy? Obviously, no one in the spring of 2000 was projecting Brady to play for two decades and win six Super Bowls (and counting). And the Bears, for what it’s worth, had taken their big swing at finding a franchise quarterback the previous year when they drafted Cade McNown at No. 12. But it’s clear that too many teams failed to recognize or properly weight Brady’s most special skills such as his competitiveness, savvy, accuracy and natural leadership ability. Interestingly, this fall in an article for The Athletic, longtime NFL writer Bob McGinn shared pre-draft notes on Brady that he compiled from five NFL executives, including Bill Rees, who at the time was the Bears director of college scouting. Rees’ thumbnail on Brady: “Very accurate, good toughness, good leadership. Has a chance to be a good player in the league in time. I think he’d be a real solid backup initially and end up growing into a starter.”
Drew Brees, Saints
Drafted: Second round (No. 32) by the Chargers in 2001.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/nati...hcjircbyij77e-story.html#nt=interstitial-auto
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: WR David Terrell (No. 8).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Jim Miller.
The knocks: In scouting circles, Brees was most criticized for his lack of prototypical height (6 feet). Others thought his college production was inflated by the nature of Joe Tiller’s spread offense at Purdue. Still, Brees received widespread praise for being a fiery competitor who shattered records at Purdue, became a Heisman Trophy finalist and led the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl.
The lowdown: Brees was selected at the top of the second round and was the second quarterback off the board after Michael Vick was taken with the No. 1 pick. The Bears felt comfortable with their quarterback trio of Jim Miller, Shane Matthews and Cade McNown. (After Jerry Angelo became the general manager in June 2001, the team traded McNown to the Dolphins that same summer.) Brees, now in his 20th season, continues to rewrite the NFL record book. Terrell turned out to be a first-round flameout, finishing his four-season career with the Bears with 128 catches, 1,602 yards and nine touchdowns.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Drafted: First round (No. 24) by the Packers in 2005.
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: RB Cedric Benson (No. 4).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Rex Grossman.
The knocks: Rodgers’ torturous wait in the NFL draft green room has been well-chronicled. Twenty-one teams passed him over, with the Vikings and Cowboys both making two picks while Rodgers was on the board. In some league circles, a large amount of Rodgers’ college success was credited to the system of Cal coach Jeff Tedford. Rodgers was frequently compared to Joey Harrington and Kyle Boller, who also played under Tedford in college but failed to live up to expectations in the NFL.
The lowdown: Angelo was still firmly behind Grossman as his franchise quarterback, confident that the young gunslinger would return from the previous season’s ACL injury to lead the Bears to new heights. Through that lens, it makes sense that the Bears wouldn’t prioritize taking a quarterback in the top five of that draft, even with Angelo openly rating Rodgers ahead of Alex Smith as the top one in the class. But let’s not forget: The Packers had Brett Favre as their starter when they picked Rodgers at No. 24. And it turned out to be a wise investment. In 12 years as the Packers starter, Rodgers has won six division titles, nine playoff games, two MVP awards and a Super Bowl. The other NFC North players drafted ahead of him: Benson, receivers Troy Williamson and Mike Williams and defensive end Erasmus James.
Russell Wilson, Seahawks
Drafted: Third round (No. 75 overall) by the Seahawks in 2012.
[Most read] From 1988: CIVIL WAR »
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: WR Alshon Jeffery (No. 45).
Other Bears selected before that in that draft: DE Shea McClellin (No. 19).
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Jay Cutler.
The knocks: Like Brees, Wilson’s height (5-11) was deemed problematic. There were additional worries about his ability to be a traditional pocket passer in the NFL. Talent evaluators also wondered how Wilson’s improvisational athleticism would translate against bigger, faster, stronger defenders.
The lowdown: Five quarterbacks came off the board before Wilson — Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Brandon Weeden and Brock Osweiler. Two Wilsons also came off the board before Russell — running back David Wilson and safety Tavon Wilson. Needless to say, Wilson was easily the best value pick of the 2012 draft and probably tops Luke Kuechly and Harrison Smith as the top player of the class. The Bears had Cutler as their starter and had signed Jason Campbell as their backup a month before the draft. The opportunity to pick Wilson never matched up with their board.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings
Drafted: Fourth round (No. 102) by the Redskins in 2012.
Player selected with the Bears’ previous pick: S Brandon Hardin.
Other Bears selected before that in that draft: McClellin, Jeffery.
Bears incumbent starting quarterback: Cutler.
More at:
https://www.chicagotribune.com/spor...0200104-txv2xprxj5bfraxqytrkqfktsq-story.html
