There is really no point in evaluating the talent selected by Jerry Angelo and company over the last two days because none of us know what these players will become. But one thing became very clear: the Bears know they need to play better defense.
Will Major Wright, Corey Wootton or Josh Moore step on the field in 2010 and make an impact? For the sake of their jobs, Jerry and Lovie have to hope one of them does. After the dismally disappointing 2009 campaign, the Bears have made limited changes to the defensive side of the ball. Yes they acquired Julius Peppers but they fired Alex Brown’s heart in the meantime. Yes they changed the coordinator but they decided to promote from within and give the Lovie Deuce one more shot to survive.
The Bears didn’t play bad defense in 2009. They played the worst defense in the proud history of the organization – allowing teams to move up and down the field often without effort. The clear holes were the pass rush, the second corner and the entirety of the backline. If we believe the Peppers acquisition solidifies the pass rush, must we now assume that Wright and Moore have been brought to town to solidify the secondary?
Time will tell. Camp is just around the corner. And the question of the 2010 season might just be this: Did Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith save their jobs in the later rounds of the draft?