Cutler gets another big target

Bears general manager Phil Emery didn't hesitate to trade up in the second round to get a player he had been targeting.

So the Bears gave up a fifth-round pick to the Rams to trade up five spots and take South Carolina's big, physical, productive wide receiver Alshon Jeffery with the 13th pick of the second round, 45th overall.

Despite Jeffery's disappointing 2011 season, Emery has seen more than enough of the 6-foot-3, 216-pounder to believe he's as complete a receiver as the Bears could get in the middle of the second round.

“We feel that Alshon has the best hands in the draft,” Emery said. “We feel he is the best at adjusting to the ball. We feel he is the best sideline and end zone catcher in the draft. He's dynamic with the ball in his hands.

“He's a big man, he's strong, he's tough, he doesn't go down without a fight. He's a good route runner for the routes that they put him in.”

The biggest question about Jeffery was a lack of speed, but Emery said he answered that at his pro day with times under 4.5.

Before that, Jeffery was considered in the 4.6 range by some scouts, and he doesn't appear to have the great speed and quickness of most of the top-rated wide receivers. But he was the Gamecocks' leading receiver in all three of his seasons.

In 2009, as a true freshman, he caught 46 passes for 763 yards (16.6-yard average) and 6 touchdowns to earn Freshman All-America honors. Jeffery had a monster sophomore season in 2010, catching 88 passes for 1,517 yards (17.2-yard average) and 9 touchdowns. But his production slumped last season (49 catches, 762 yards, 8 touchdowns).

Critics said he appeared out of shape and overweight, but he was also hindered by a fluctuating situation at quarterback. The Gamecocks also placed a greater emphasis on running the ball last season, which resulted in a school-record 11 wins.

“We asked him those questions,” Emery said of the production drought. “There's been a lot put out there that he was really overweight. My first question to him was: ‘In 2010, I saw you play and you had a lot of production. People are saying you were overweight. What's the situation between?'”

“He said, ‘I was 232 in 2010, 232 in 2011. My weight hasn't changed. The quarterback changed.' They dismissed their starting quarterback midway through the year. I do think that he got frustrated. I won't deny that; I saw the frustration on tape.”

Now Emery sees the Bears creating matchup nightmares in the red zone with Jeffery and 6-4 Brandon Marshall.