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.
I saw a report that rated Julius Peppers as the best all-time free-agent addition for the Bears. Do you agree? I do not. I would have chosen Erik Kramer, Jeff Graham, Marty Carter or Andy Heck.
Joe
I actually would agree that Julius Peppers is the best free-agent the Bears have ever signed. He certainly looked disinterested and didn't perform very well in 2013, but he made three straight Pro Bowls in his first three seasons with the Bears from 2010-12 and helped them reach the NFC Championship Game in 2010. As I mentioned in my previous edition of "Chalk Talk," the only other players who have been voted to the Pro Bowl after signing with the Bears as unrestricted free agents were Ted Washington, Larry Whigham, Ruben Brown, Tim Jennings and Martellus Bennett. Erik Kramer really had only one very good season with the Bears in 1995, while Jeff Graham put up big numbers but was only with the team for two years.
Didn't the Bears swap their seventh-round pick along with receiver Brandon Marshall to the Jets for a fifth-round selection?
Dominic
Yes, they did, but that was in last year's draft. The Bears selected safety Adrian Amos in the fifth round with the pick they acquired in the trade, while the Jets dealt the seventh-round pick to the Rams, who chose inside linebacker Bryce Hager.
Since the NFL started handing out compensatory draft picks in 1994, the Bears have received 19 total. I'm curious what players ended up being drafted with those picks?
Robbie R.
Phoenix, Arizona
The 19 players the Bears have selected with compensatory draft picks are RB Michael Hicks in 1996; DT Shawn Swayda, LB Richard Hogans, DB Ricky Parker and DE Marvin Thomas in 1997; LS Patrick Mannelly and QB Moses Moreno in 1998; RB James Finn in 1999; DB Michael Green in 2000; TE Bryan Fletcher in 2002; DT Tron LaFavor, RB Brock Forsey and G Bryan Anderson in 2003; LB Joey LaRocque, T Kirk Barton and WR Marcus Monk in 2008; and WR Juaquin Iglesias, G Lance Louis and WR Derek Kinder in 2009.
