There Is So Much Value in Drafting “Best Player Available” and Other Bullets

Chicago has received visits from spring and winter this week, which means summer is just around the corner.

  • One way to avoid creating question-marks on the roster is to continue adding talent at every position whenever possible, not just when a need pops up. Knowing that, I can appreciate the Bears’ apparent approach this time around. There aren’t open starting jobs for draft picks to compete for out of the gate, but building competition among the depth players should help further improve a roster that doesn’t have any major holes. As long as the Bears continue to draft as well as they have in the middle and later rounds, the team should be in good shape while in its competitive window.
  • Indeed, good things happen when you draft the best player available, as opposed to drafting for a need. Just see the New England Patriots, whose unquestioned depth and strength in numbers throughout the roster keeps them operating at full strength despite the injuries that come their way every year. Every team deals with injuries, but the ones who deal with them best are the ones who draft well from top to bottom.
  • While the idea of adding depth to presumed positions of strength is on our mind, former scout Greg Gabriel (via 670 The Score) explores some tight end possibilities who could be available in the draft. Even though the Bears have the top of the position group with Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen, adding depth could round out the room with some upside. Since the Bears don’t have Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz, having strength in numbers is one way to to get the most from the position.
  • One can never draft enough pass-rushers:
  • Clarification is good this time of year:
  • Some mid-morning listening as we continue to collect all the information and opinions we can regarding possible running back fits for the Bears:
  • The latest podcast episode from WGN Radio’s Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times also figures to be good listening as we ramp up toward the draft.
  • Ain’t no party like a Bears Draft Party:
  • This headline of this Rick Morrissey piece in the Sun-Times “World turned upside down: Bears happy, Aaron Rodgers very much not” is what I’m absolutely here for on a Thursday.
  • Dynasty season never sleeps:
  • Because the Bears spread the ball around and don’t have just one guy eating up a volume of catches, Allen Robinson might not be the best player to have on your fantasy squad. He still figures to be a key cog in the offense, especially after seeing what he did in the playoff game against the Eagles. There will be games when he gets a ton of targets, makes a bunch of catches, and scores touchdowns. But there will also be moments where he gets extra attention and Mitch Trubisky will be forced to throw elsewhere. This is where having a well-rounded offense that isn’t reliant on just one pass-catcher is a good thing.
  • Andrew Dannehy of Da Bears Blog still has some concerns regarding the depth at wide receiver. Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Anthony Miller are set at the top, but Javon Wims, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marvin Hall still have a lot to prove before everyone is 100 percent comfortable with that group. I suppose collars will get tight around here if Robinson misses time again. Not just because he’s the alpha of the group, but because his absence would allow opposing defenses to shift their attention elsewhere with one fewer big-play target to account for when the Bears are on offense. That being said, if there is a receiver with some upside who becomes available in the draft and happens to be the best player on the board, then Chicago should consider pulling the trigger on what might be a questionable selection in the eyes of some.
  • Dog toys are among the Deals of the Day today at Amazon. Go treat your pet to something fun!
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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