Looking back at the 2010s decade, it was one of the worst the Chicago Bears ever experienced as a franchise. Only the 1970s have a clear argument for being absolute rock bottom. Across ten years, the Bears managed three winning seasons and three playoff appearances. It was a decade marked by familiar shortcomings on the offensive side of the football and a string of lousy head coaching changes. Things like this often lead to an intriguing question. Where did it all start?
Coming out of 2010, it felt like the team was in a good spot. They’d just reached the NFC championship game, had a talented quarterback in his prime with Jay Cutler, and a defense that, while older, could still play good football. Even better, they were finally getting back into the 1st round of the upcoming NFL draft after two years without it. If GM Jerry Angelo could deliver a solid class, his team would be set up for continued success.
That didn’t happen. Instead, Angelo set the stage for his eventual firing and the steady decline of the Bears into total irrelevance. Let’s revisit what made the 2011 draft such a brutal missed opportunity.
Going after Ragland 2nd level again & same result-flat on face…Visions of Gabe Carimi in head right now #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/TSDAcUssgn
— Tony G (@TonyG_SMWW) February 16, 2016
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The Chicago Bears 2011 class was a mix of bad timing and bad luck.
1st round (29th overall) – Gabe Carimi, OT, Wisconsin
Cutler was sacked 56 times in 2010. It was evident to everybody with common sense that the team had to fix the offensive line going into the next season. The problem was Chicago didn’t pick until 29th, and Carimi was the seventh offensive lineman available on the board after six others went before him, including four tackles. Carimi’s reputation for uninspiring pass protection made the pick even more questionable. He was a powerful run blocker. That isn’t what the Bears needed. They took him anyway. Two games into his career, he suffered a career-ruining knee injury. What makes the pick sting even worse is two Pro Bowl interior defensive linemen, Muhammad Wilkerson and Cam Heyward, went at the two picks right after Chicago.
2nd round (53rd overall) – Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
Maybe now you see why the Carimi decision was clearly forced. If the Chicago Bears were intent on getting defensive tackle help, they should’ve grabbed one of those two options. Instead, they went for Paea, who was very powerful but also small, raw, and lacked experience in football. Though he started three seasons for the team, he was never anything special. Meanwhile, they let an Olin Kreutz successor slip right past them in eventual three-time Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson. Not to mention wide receivers Torrey Smith and Randall Cobb.
3rd round (93rd overall) – Chris Conte, S, Cal
In truth, the Conte pick was fine. He never became a star, but he played four seasons for the team and had nine interceptions. Not bad for a 3rd rounder. Unfortunately, he was also responsible for one of the worst blown coverages in franchise history during that fateful season finale against Green Bay in 2013. If Bears fans knew that would be the case, they’d have gladly accepted somebody like linebacker K.J. Wright or tight end Jordan Cameron instead.
5th round (160th overall) – Nathan Enderle, QB, Idaho
It is impossible to understand what the Chicago Bears were thinking with this pick. They didn’t need a quarterback. Cutler was in place, and they’d end up with Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown as backup options. It was a pointless selection that served absolutely zero purposes to a team aiming for a Super Bowl. Offensive linemen like Daniel Kilgore or Brandon Fusco would’ve been so much more helpful to the guy actually taking snaps.
6th round (195th overall) – J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia
All things considered, Thomas was far from the worst pick in the 6th round that year. He started two seasons in the NFL and became a solid special teams player. There weren’t many better options that went directly after the Chicago Bears picked. It doesn’t really matter since the damage was already done.
Carimi’s injury led to further complications on the offensive line. He was traded after two seasons. Nobody from the 2011 draft class wound up signing a second contract with the team. Angelo was fired after the team blew a 7-3 start to finish 8-8. Phil Emery came in, and everybody knows what happened after that. One can’t help but wonder how different things might’ve been if the 2011 draft had gone better.
