Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
There's been a lot of debate about whether the Bears gave up too much to trade up for quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But I haven't seen any reference to what the chart that assigns values to every pick in the draft indicates about the trade. Please enlighten us.
Ross K.
Wheaton, Illinois
According to a chart that I usually reference when discussing trades, the value is just about equal. The No. 2 pick the Bears acquired is worth 2,600 points, while the three picks they sent to the 49ers—Nos. 3 (2,200), 67 (255) and 111 (72)—equal a total of 2,527. The Bears also traded a third-round pick in next year's draft. Generally speaking, the way teams figure future picks into the equation is by dropping their value by one round. So the average of a fourth-round pick is about 25 points. So according to the chart, the Bears actually got the better value in the trade by a very narrow margin of 2,600-2,552. Of course, the ultimate winner of the trade will be determined solely by how quarterback Mitch Trubisky performs during his career in Chicago. If you're interested, here's a link to the trade value chart.
I kept hearing that this year's draft was very deep on the defensive side of the ball. So my question is why did the Bears only pick one defensive player?
Walt D.
Marion, Illinois
According to general manager Ryan Pace, the Bears didn't make a concerted effort to draft mostly offensive players; it's just the way the board fell. "The drafts unfold different every year," Pace said. "Last year it leaned more heavily defense. It's just kind of how it unfolds and this year's draft that's just the way it worked out. We're taking best player available and that's the way the draft fell and we're just happy to get good football players." If it's any consolation to you, the Bears picked six defensive players last year they're still in the process of grooming in outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, defensive end Jonathan Bullard, inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski, safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson and cornerback Deiondre' Hall, who is expected to get reps at safety during offseason workouts.
I know the Bears intend to groom quarterback Mitch Trubisky. But it concerns me to read that second-round pick Adam Shaheen likely won't contribute this year either. Do the Bears consider him a project as well?
Phillip A.
Louisville, Kentucky
The Bears do not consider big tight end Adam Shaheen a project, even though he played at Division II Ashland University. When general manager Ryan Pace was asked about Shaheen taking a year to adjust to the NFL before contributing, he said: "I would disagree with that. Adam's projected to play early. I like his skill set and we spent a lot of time on that. Just because he's a small-school player, it's a big jump but I think he has the physical skill set to make that and we're confident in that. That's part of our thorough evaluation so I wouldn't say [he won't contribute as a rookie]. We're excited about what he can add to our team right now."
