Lincicome: When it comes to the Bears and the NFL draft, expectations are anything but great
I see by the uninvited calendar on my desktop that another NFL draft is nigh, an annual ritual where teams replenish themselves by pointing and saying, “We’ll take one of those.”
Usually this is the time the Bears are examining the quarterbacks available, trading up or down, reassuring themselves they know what they are doing, convincing the faithful that tomorrow is bright.
The evidence of Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields, and even Jay Cutler, may be discouraging but, gosh darn it, this Caleb Williams kid is the real thing, just as they were.
Offseason bolstering and being No. 10 in order to pick has relieved the Bears from the anxiety of doing anything memorable, although it cannot be forgotten that Patrick Mahomes was chosen 10th, some several spots after the Bears took Trubisky.
While searching for a quarterback has been a recent Bears mission of sorts, now they have the option of taking “the best player available,” a judgment call, alas.
The possibilities are varied and numerous, from swapping around, to staying put, to plucking ciphers from the pile, to being just another shopper in the queue and without the glare of expectation or suspense.
For the Bears this draft will be like repairing a broken engine, not applying chrome. GM Ryan Poles, as it were, can disappear under the chassis, grunt and tinker and make clanking sounds, and when he emerges, simply sigh and ask new coach Ben Johnson for some Lava soap.
Two things we know. The draft will clutter the village of Green Bay on Thursday. And the other is that the Bears will pick someone we have never heard of.
That does not mean the choice will be a poor one, though that would be the way to bet given the Bears’ draft history.
Should the Bears dip into the most obscure of college time zones, as has been suggested, at one of the more remote colleges, Boise State, and come up with a running back named Ashton Jeanty well, chances for success are as good as they usually are.
Given the names suggested for the Bears from that scattered population who make the NFL draft into a parlor game, the self-called experts, the possibility of the first Bears choice needing a note pinned to his shirt is very great.
What about Armand Membou of Missouri, an offensive lineman? Or Tyler Warren, a tight end from Penn State? Or possibly Will Johnson, a cornerback from Michigan?
This is not likely to be a draft to remember, which is not the point. What the Bears must work at is making it a draft not to forget.
This may be one of the least substantial drafts in recent memory. Only two quarterbacks have generated any real attention, Cam Ward of Miami and Shedur Sanders of Colorado, he more noticed as the son of Deion than anything else. Good thing the Bears got their quarterback last year.
Skill is something the Bears could certainly use more of, having pretty much used all of it up or let most of it go. Obvious skill remains in two Bears players, Williams and DJ Moore; add in Rome Odunze and that is still hardly enough.
The only skill players likely to be taken before the Bears make their first choice are Ward and Sanders, leaving receivers and any number of running backs to choose from.
The Heisman winner, normally noticeable, is corner/receiver Travis Hunter. He plays both sides of the ball, whereas in the NFL they have folks who do just the one.
While it is widely believed that the Bears do not need a quarterback, the wise among us know that the Bears always need a quarterback. The quarterback that they have is deemed faultless for being barely adequate, though adequacy is the Bears’ standard.
After one season Caleb Williams has been less than was imagined. He is not nearly the prize he was at this time last year when the Bears took him No. 1 overall, not only the best player available but a future — to use Williams’ own words — immortal.
The wise among us say, wait ‘til next draft.