Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Meet the next contender for the best 21st century Bears team. After the 2024 NFL Draft, several of us at Windy City Gridiron participated in a 21st-century all-Chicago Bears fantasy draft. What does that mean? Well, eight of our staffers got together in a randomized snake draft to build out a roster in all three phases consisting only of Bears players from the year 2000 to the present. Some people will argue the 21st century starts in 2001, but they can go to hell. It was a fun exercise, both in trying to build a complete roster and in going down memory lane. Back in 2018, we ran a similar exercise with every player to ever suit up for the Bears. This time, though, our time constraint allowed us to really get into the weeds and get creative — or in some cases, depressing — with our selections. This process consisted of 26 rounds, with 12 people on offense, 12 people on defense, and two special teamers. This allowed us some flexibility for our 11th man on the field, and consolidating kicker and punter into one position prevented any of us from having to select players who only played a game or two for the Bears. The #1 Overall Pick With great power comes great responsibility. The same words passed from Uncle Ben to Peter Parker inspired my philosophy behind the first overall pick of this fantasy draft: with great scarcity, comes great value. With that in mind, I knew what had to be done. The first overall pick would be the standout player at the Bears’ weakest position of the 21st century: QB Jay Cutler. The franchise’s all-time passing leader and inspiration for this team’s name brings with him a gunslinger mentality and arm talent that is hard to come by in Chicago quarterbacks in general, let alone those who played in the last 24 years. Protect the Blind Side My first decision was the easy part. With 14 picks now coming before I’d get the chance to add a second player to my team, I had to let things play out to see how my strategy would be formed for the rest of the draft. To no surprise, a number of current and future Hall of Famers came off the board throughout Rounds 1 & 2, and I felt that with how things were playing out, my next pick should follow a similar philosophy to the first. I placed value on a strong, consistent performer at a position of importance that has not been a strength of the modern Bears with my selection of LT Charles Leno Jr. A Defensive Difference-Maker I knew I wanted to prioritize the rest of the offensive line over my next few picks, but with the benefit of making back-to-back picks, I felt comfortable choosing a difference-maker on the defensive side of the trenches that I felt would not be around when I was on the clock in Round 4. I chose DT Tommie Harris, a powerhouse that I knew would anchor the defensive line and instantly raise the floor of the group as a whole. We’ve seen the impact Tommie’s absence can have, and I definitely wanted the three-time Pro Bowler on my team. A Big Target As Round 5 ended, I saw that not many offensive linemen had come off the board, but offensive playmakers were a big priority for my competitors. Top-end WR talent had dried up and while Greg Olsen was off the board as well, arguably the best receiving TE was still an option. Proven chemistry with Cutler made my decision to draft TE Martellus Bennett an obvious one. The big target partnered with Cutler in a collaboration in 2014 that saw Cutler’s highest single-season passing yardage AND Bennett finish as the team’s leader in receiving yards. A Special Player I still recognized the need for a big playmaker early in this draft, and I chose to go with an option that can be used in a variety of ways. Arguably the greatest kickoff returner of all time (Hester did most of his damage on punt returns), Cordarrelle Patterson showed out on special teams for the Bears during his tenure and provides tremendous value in the field position game as a stellar returner and skilled gunner in punt coverage. Not for nothing, Patterson also can do some damage on offense, where I’d imagine he’d get some play out of the backfield. The Offensive Line This is the point where I feel individual picks start to get less interesting. My draft approach was really taking shape, and if it wasn’t obvious to my fellow fantasy GMs, it was at least obvious to me that I needed to draft with an offensive bias early to build out around my quarterback before shifting focus to my defense later on. Obviously, the Bears have MUCH better depth on that side of the ball, and my goal was to use that to my benefit. My offensive line stands out as a position of strength after I added a pair of guards that have proven play in Sitton and Jenkins along with Bobby Massie, who’s another solid performer at the tackle opposite Leno. This allowed me the freedom to wait to draft a center until the very last pick of the draft where I yielded to Ryan Poles’ expertise and went with Lucas Patrick over Sam Mustipher. This group gave me confidence that most of the Bears’ runners could find success and that they’d allow Cutler enough time to find pass catchers as well. Skill Positions As for pass catchers, I was able to build out a capable, if underwhelming, corps with my selections of Darnell Mooney, Earl Bennett, and Anthony Miller to pair with my lone TE in Bennett. With the way the board fell, I missed out on a true #1 WR option, but with the best (proven) QB on my team throwing behind arguably the best-assembled offensive line in this draft, I still feel good about this offense’s ability to produce in the passing game. If Martellus Bennett has to be the top target, history has shown he can be a very good one for Cutler. As mentioned above, I foresee Patterson taking a few handoffs, so RB became a position I felt I had to put on the back burner. Waiting until Rounds 21 & 22, I was able to snag Adrian (not that one) Peterson and D’Onta Foreman. Both capable players that could have benefitted from a more solidified offensive front like the one I was able to piece together. Definitely not the strongest group of the bunch, but should be able to grind out a few yards nonetheless. Defensive Trenches To fill my defensive line, I took a measured approach. The 4 spots were filled throughout the draft, with picks made in the 3rd, 11th, 15th, and 19th rounds. As the group shook out, Harris’ role as the guy who creates chaos was solidified. I paired him with Billings, a big body who showed stout run defense this past year. Flanking them are Anderson and Houston, who aren’t known for their prolific production with the Bears, but whose best years in navy and orange would total 20 sacks combined. Both guys also stand to be elevated by the disruptive play of Harris with offenses needing to compensate accordingly. No Fly Zone The group I feel has the most sneakiness (shoutout to my Mr. Deeds fans) is the defensive backs. I doubled up on safety with back-to-back picks in Rounds 12 and 13 with Gipson and Clinton-Dix. Gipson showed solid play for the Bears in his time, but Clinton-Dix largely disappointed. I’m banking on that disappointment being the result of Ha Ha’s incompatible fit with Eddie Jackson. Alongside Gipson, Clinton-Dix can play centerfield and be more of the coverage threat he was prior to signing with Chicago in 2019. My starting CBs are more well-known for their return ability, but also held down the boundaries for a stretch. Azumah and McQuarters are assisted by Kindle Vildor who, aside from solidifying this group the trophy for best names, is a player you feel good about as long as he’s not next to CB1 or CB2 on the depth chart. Last But Not Least This is the Bears. I had no worries about piecing together a half-decent LB lineup, even in the late rounds. I prioritized most other positions ahead of linebacker, but I still finished the draft with three guys who aren’t flashy names, but showed themselves to be capable of manning the mid-level of the defense. Even if this trio is underwhelming, they have great stories! I mean Bostic kinda looks like Roquan Smith, so that’s something, Christian Jones did a second stint with the Bears after his first stretch, and Nick Roach is so good that Mason tried to draft him after I already did and hope nobody wouldn’t notice (True story, and we noticed)! Final Summary This team is built around offense. That’s strange to say about a Bears 21st century team, but it’s true. Cutler’s arm talent is the feature here, aided by a stout o-line and a capable group of receivers. Our goal would be to jump to a quick lead behind that offensive horsepower and maybe even a kick return TD. Once we do that, the defense I assembled is a very solid bend-don’t-break group that might not make the most highlight plays, but can certainly get the job done. I present to you, The Smokin’ Bears. Oh, also Paul Edinger was there. Here’s a link to the full results of our draft. After we reveal all eight teams in article form, we’ll have a tournament to determine the winning team by fan vote! https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2024/ ... mie-harris
