The 2005 NFL Draft
Everyone knows that the first step to fixing a team is in the draft. It was obvious Chicago had major offensive needs. The Bears had the fourth overall pick, again sound familiar, and they took running back Cedric Benson. In the second round they took wide receiver Mark Bradley and in the fourth they selected quarterback Kyle Orton. The Bears didn’t have a third round pick but still decided to use their first four selections for the offensive side of the ball after taking wide receiver Airese Currie in the fifth. (we won’t mention the Bears passing on Aaron Rodgers here, oh wait…we just did)
Similarities to 2016-17: Very high first round pick for the Bears. Presumed weak quarterback class. Offensive needs are high.
Notes: The Bears are selecting even higher at #3, in a weak quarterback draft and the offensive needs are high after finishing 30th in time of possession. The quarterback need is high and there’s currently no real answer at wide receiver with Alshon Jeffery’s contract hanging in the balance.
Team Philosophy
One of the main reasons for success in 2005 was running the football and playing solid defense. The team’s defense was built with two stud inside linebackers (Urlacher and Lance Briggs) that had play makers on the line (Alex Brown and Tommie Harris). They also had two defensive backs in Charles Tillman and Mike Brown, both of them should have been Pro Bowl players that season but only Brown received the honor. In addition to the defense, special teams was a big priority. The team went out and signed future-franchise kicking leader Robbie Gould to replace Paul Edinger and he became the team’s top scorer for the season.
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Similarities to 2016-17: Two stud inside linebackers, check. Playmakers on the defensive line, check. Two stud defensive backs? Very strong draft for that.
Notes: As you can see, the Bears have a defense that’s incredibly similar to the 2005 version. The only thing truly lacking are the play-makers in the defensive backfield. If you’re taking notes at home you probably realize that this defense, build similar to the 2005 version that went from worst to first, was constructed primarily by players acquired by Ryan Pace. Defensive back is one of the strongest positions in the 2017 NFL Draft, taking a safety at #3 overall to be the next Mike Brown is incredibly possible.
Now… the quarterback.
