Thread: Angelo: Bears' draft plan includes quarterbac

Originally Posted by WindyCity

I do not agree that any WR that we take will be a project for a couple of years.

Our WR core is not very good so a bigger player like Baldwin may come in and have an impact a lot sooner then he would on a team with a better WR core.

I am not saying a dominant presence, but a positive impact would be running a slant route and subbing in on goal line packages.

Knox has had a pretty immediate impact.

I like Johnny Knox a lot and he's been a definite "hidden gem" for us who still hasn't hit his production ceiling.

But, let's be realistic here, Knox is highly unlikely to ever become what would be regarded as a marquee, consensus #1 NFL WR. He just doesn't have the height & size to make tough, contested catches in traffic or "jump-ball" type grabs on end zone fades. He's a speed and finesse guy (nothing wrong with that), but not an all-around physical package. Solid #2 WR, no doubt, but he's not likely to ever be more than that.

I have no illusions that we are going to draft any WR that is going to have much of an impact for us in 2011 (esp. since we are prob looking at rounds 4-6). A player like Baldwin or Hankerson might help noticeably but those guys aren't even gonna last until our late-2nd pick and we have way bigger fish to fry in the first 3 rounds. The best we can realistically hope to achieve with a WR-draftee is to grab a diamond-in-the-rough guy with the raw tools to make a name for himself a few years down the road.

It is no secret that Cutler needs his Marshall-equivalent so I hope JA finds him one in FA.