NightLink: Will We Still Need WR Help Next Year?

by Dane Noble on Jun 26, 2009 5:30 PM CDT Comment 22 comments

Let's do some assuming right now. Let's assume that the Chicago Bears do not add another wide receiver to the roster this year. Let's assume that Jay Cutler can indeed make the most out of our current crop of WRs, but it just isn't good enough to light up the scoreboard. And let's assume that we use our first pick in next year's NFL Draft (2nd round of course) on a WR.

According to this article, these are the top (senior) prospects:

1. Brandon LaFell

College: LSU
Height/Weight: 6-2 ½, 207

LaFell is a tall, athletic player, who was an oustanding high school basketball player in the Houston area. He enters his third year as a starter in 2009 and caught 63 passes with eight touchdowns in 2008. He is projected to be a late first-round pick.

2. Mardy Gilyard

College: Cincinnati
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 182 pounds

Gilyard is a fifth-year player who missed the entire 2006 season due to academics. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2008 and also caught 81 passes for 1,276 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was selectd a first-team All-Big East performer and special teams player of the year. He has very good hands and runs a low 4.5 40-yard dash. He is a possible first-round pick.

3. Eric Decker

College: Minnesota
Height/Weight: 6-3, 207

Decker was a two-sport star at Minnesota who was drafted in baseball after the 2007 season. He has caught 151 passes the past two seasons. He has great hands and is an outstanding route runner. He will block, but he's not especially fast.

4. Jordan Shipley

College: Texas
Height/Weight: 5-11 ½, 190

All-time leading high school receiver (264 catches, 5,424 yards and 73 touchdowns) in Texas history. These totals rank second all-time nationally. He has great hands and is an outstanding route runner with quickness. He also returns kicks. He plays a lot like the Patriots' Welker.

5. Chris McGaha

College: Arizona State
Height/Weight: 6-1, 199

McGaha is an outstanding athlete, who won the slam dunk championship in high school and anchored the 4x100 meter relay team. As a redshirt freshman he started five games and has caught 96 passes the past two seasons. He has very good hands.

6. Jeremy Williams

College: Tulane
Height/Weight: 6-0 ½, 205

Williams is a fifth-year player who has caught over 100 passes and 12 touchdowns over the past two years. He is a good athlete and looks a lot like Roydell Williams who plays for the Redskins after having spent his first three years with the Titans.

7. Jacoby Ford

College: Clemson
Height/Weight: 5-8 ½, 185

Ford is a fast and explosive receiver. In 2006, he averaged 32.8 yards per kickoff return. He returned a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and a punt 92 yards for a touchdown. He was the Florida state champion in the 100 and 200-meter races. He has quickness to go along with his speed.

8. Shay Hodge

College: Mississippi
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 205

Hodge tied for the most touchdown catches in the SEC in 2008 with eight. He had 44 catches for 725 yards last season. He was a high school quarterback, who averaged 25 points per game as a high school point guard. He has very good hands and explosion. He may not catch 50 passes this year, though, because the team has so many good receivers.

9. Dexter McCluster

College: Mississippi
Height/Weight: 5-7 ¼, 163

McCluster was the Runnin' Rebels' leading running back with 109 carries for 655 yards and tied for the most catches on the team with 44 last year. He plays in a formation as a tailback where he receives the direct snap and he also plays wide receiver. He's very strong for his size and has great quickness. If you want a treat, watch his 40-yard touchdown run vs. Florida last year.

10. Greg Mathews

College: Michigan
Height/Weight: 6-2 ½, 210

Mathews played as a true freshman at Michigan in 2006. He had 35 catches in 2008, despite the top two quarterbacks in Ann Arbor not completing 50 percent of their passes (165 of 337). He also returns punts. His cousin, Ted Ginn Jr., plays for the Dolphins.

11. Andre Roberts

College: Citadel
Height/Weight: 5-10 ½, 185

A two-time first-team All-Southern Conference player, Roberts holds the school record for most catches in one season. He ran anchor leg on the school's 400x100 relay team that won a Penn Relays title in 2007. He also returns punts and has very good hands for the position.

12. Alric Arnett

College: West Virginia
Height/Weight: 6-1 ½, 190

Arnett was a first-year starter in 2008. He had 35 catches and six touchdowns on a team that passed just 304 times in 13 games. He was injured in 2007 and missed the entire season after playing two years of junior college football. He was a sprinter who has lots of upside for the position. Be sure to check out his one-handed touchdown catch vs. North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

13. Riley Cooper

College: Florida
Height/Weight: 6-2, 212

Cooper played in 2006 as a true freshman at Florida, starting against Auburn and Tennessee. He is a big target as a receiver and had 18 catches and three touchdowns in 2008. He played as a gunner on special teams and was drafted in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft. He is a very good athlete.

14. Naaman Roosevelt

College: Buffalo
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 180

Roosevelt had 104 catches and 14 touchdowns in 2008. He caught the Hail Mary pass last yer against Temple that was featured on highlight shows across the nation. He is more quick than fast. He was a high school quarterback.

15. Kerry Meier

College: Kansas
Height/Weight: 6-2, 217

Meier started eight games at quarterback for Kansas in 2006. Last year was his first full season at wide receiver and he finished with 97 catches and eight touchdowns. He plays a lot like Jordy Nelson, a 2007 second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers.

16. Armanti Edwards

College: Appalachian State
Height/Weight: 5-11, 180

Edwards plays quarterback, but his best position might be wide receiver. He's an Antwaan Randle El look-alike.

Youngstown's Donald Jones (6-0 ½, 210 pounds), Montana's Marc Mariani (6-0 ½, 180 pounds) and North Alabama's Preston Parker (5-11, 195 pounds) are three non-Bowl subdivision (formerly Division-IA) players to watch.

I wonder which of these players the Bears will be keeping an eye on this season...

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Comments

great FP

the only senior WR out of this bunch that would even be worth a look to me is Shipley. no matter, i hope somehow, someway, the bears can get in position to Draft Illinois junior Arrelious Benn. He’s going to be special at the next level. He’s not very fast, but boy is he tough!

Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...

by ifuwannacrownem on Jun 26, 2009 6:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Shipley is a god

watching him play at texas…man. what a show!

Ever since he got hurt and had to miss two years, he hasn’t missed a step. I shudder to think what his numbers would be like after 4 years of play (Next year is technically his 6th year of eligibility due to the fact that he never was technically on the team for 2 years).

by jbeks on Jun 26, 2009 8:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Do you watch college football?

If you did you would realize that Mardy Gilyard is a complete beast. He dominated in every game I saw him play last year, while going through like 5 QBs. He beasted against OUs defense when they Reynolds was healthy, and say what you want about Big 12 defenses but before Reynolds was injured OU had a top 5 unit.

by chase17 on Jun 26, 2009 10:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wow

that guy sucks.

Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...

by ifuwannacrownem on Jun 26, 2009 11:00 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

lmao

I'M A MAN! I'M 23!

by ChiFan13 on Jun 27, 2009 10:14 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

it sucks that

we have to watch the draft just as closely this year about the same position we did last year.

"snuffalufagus fucks my shit up"

by leopoldjones on Jun 26, 2009 7:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

When you say "the same position"

are you referring to WR, OT, OG, DE, Safety, or Linebacker?

Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...

by ifuwannacrownem on Jun 26, 2009 8:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

wr

"snuffalufagus fucks my shit up"

by leopoldjones on Jun 26, 2009 11:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

that was sarcasm, bro

Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...

by ifuwannacrownem on Jun 27, 2009 9:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

you've been on a mission since yo've been back...

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.

by windycity72 on Jun 27, 2009 3:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Of Course an LSU Tiger is

First on the list and GB made the post, coincidence? Mayhaps, sure it’s just how the “article” ranked them….

by GallopingGhost on Jun 26, 2009 11:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't know if I could support a receiver named "Brandon LaFell"

after putting up with Rashied “LaDrop” for the last few years!!!

by BearFan611 on Jun 27, 2009 8:25 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Lol Exactly what I was thinking

and was about to post below.

"Well, we didn't block real good but we made up for it by not tackling."
- John McKay

by JerBear50 on Jun 28, 2009 3:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

free agent

would a second round pick be good enough.could we do better ie getting a veteran free agent next year. the players coming out of college sometimes just dont seem to bring that talent with them when they turn pro.

by stepeo on Jun 27, 2009 12:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

YES!

some 2010 NFL Draft chatter already!!! I’d love to chime in, but I have no idea about any of these players!

by wiltfongjr on Jun 27, 2009 1:05 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

draft pick

if we selected roosevelt would that give us the option to play the wildcat,or have an extra quarterback already on the field or am i wishful thinking

by stepeo on Jun 27, 2009 1:12 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I appreciate the post!

This will give me some guys to watch, through out the college season.

Seems to be many guys with size. Just what the doctor ordered if you ask me.

by rdent4hof on Jun 27, 2009 7:38 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Why would we draft another WR next year with our best pick?

When, the FA crop of WRs for next year is plentiful.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.

by SackMan on Jun 27, 2009 10:55 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

+1

Good QB+lack of WRs=Attractive landing spot for big time WR

Camp ifuwanna, we hold you in our heart...

by ifuwannacrownem on Jun 27, 2009 11:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

which leads me to an interesting question...

outside of the criminal elements that we’ve discussed to the point of exhaustion, who, out of the FA class next year, would be the best fit for the bears???

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.

by windycity72 on Jun 27, 2009 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs