Da' Bears Football

Strengthening the quarterback position with the addition of Brian Griese may turn out to be one of the most important free-agent acquisitions in Bears history. But the team remains a legitimate weapon short of fielding a professional offense. The Bears have to find someone to work the middle of the field if offensive coordinator Ron Turner is going to realize his dream of striking a balance between running and passing.



The Bears have to add a player at one of two spots -- slot receiver or tight end -- if any quarterback is going to enjoy success in their scheme. Those positions are essential when it comes to getting three to five yards on third down. The Bears finished 31st in the 32-team NFL in third-down efficiency last year, above only the San Francisco 49ers. They desperately want to improve in that area.

Some improvement will come with opening up the offense, which was pared down when rookie Kyle Orton was forced into the starting lineup. Turner didn't just cut his playbook in half, he reduced it by about two-thirds.

''We're looking hard at tight end, and we're looking hard at a slot receiver type of guy,'' Turner said last week. ''That's exactly the area we're looking at right now.''

Sadly, there isn't a player left in the free-agent market that provides a solid upgrade at either position -- which means the Bears will have to rely on the draft to get that critical piece to the puzzle.

History says that's not such a good thing. The Bears haven't struck gold on a tight end since drafting Mike Ditka in the first round back in 1961. Over the last 25 years, they have selected 11 tight ends, including four players with first-day picks (Rounds 1-3): Tim Wrightman in the third round in 1982, Chris Gedney in the third round in 1993, John Allred in the second round in 1997 and Dustin Lyman with the second of two third-round selections in 2000.

Upcoming draft deep at tight end



You can argue correctly that general manager Jerry Angelo and director of college scouting Greg Gabriel haven't searched for a tight end yet and shouldn't be judged on previous draft picks. Fair enough -- but the sad fact remains that tight end is a boogeyman position in Chicago. The position is among the most injured in the NFL. If the Bears don't draft a tight end in the first round in April, you can book it that they'll grab at least one and maybe two before the draft is over. And that is saying something considering (as expected) they did not receive any compensatory selections among the 30 distributed by the NFL on Monday. That's a price they gladly will pay for signing their good young players long-term and losing only the guys they don't want in free agency.

Tight end is a deep position in this draft, with Maryland's Vernon Davis, Georgia's Leonard Pope, UCLA's Marcedes Lewis and USC's Dominique Byrd all considered potential first-round picks. Davis will be gone when the Bears pick at No. 26, but they might have their choice of the other three.

Finding a slot receiver won't be nearly as easy, especially because the Bears now seem content to discover one already on the roster rather than look outside the team. Maybe that's not such a bad idea considering how much effort and energy have been wasted on draft picks at receiver over the years.

The Detroit Lions have cornered the market on drafting receivers, but the Bears have spent a ton of money and development time on the position in recent years, selecting six on the first day of the last seven drafts -- including first-round bust David Terrell in 2001. Again, Angelo and his group can't be blamed for prior mistakes, but the Bears have selected six wide receivers among 36 total draft picks since Angelo arrived, including third-round pick Bernard Berrian in 2004 and second-rounder Mark Bradley in 2005.

Angelo likes his current receivers



Both those players still are on the roster, and both still could develop into pretty good players, though they have battled injuries. Bradley might project better as a slot receiver, but neither guy is perfect for a spot where you want a quicker rather than fast athlete with great change of direction who can work in short areas. Bobby Engram was the Bears' last excellent slot receiver.

The best ones currently operating in the NFL are guys like Steve Smith and Santana Moss, No. 1 receivers who can move into the slot in situational play. Hines Ward does that, too. New England's Troy Brown excelled at the position during the Patriots' Super Bowl years.

Angelo said at the scouting combine in February that he liked the Bears' receiving corps and felt they had players who could play the slot. Airese Currie, a fifth-round pick who missed last season with a foot injury, might fit the mold. Ditto Rashied Davis, the former Arena Football League player who was moved from cornerback to receiver at the end of last season.

Of course, the Bears also went after Antwaan Randle El in free agency, making the first pitch for his services before getting blown out of the water when he signed a $31 million deal with the Washington Redskins. Maybe the Bears have a slot receiver on the roster, but the fact they pursued Randle El tells you maybe they don't.

Here's hoping they're still not looking for one come third down next season.