Like many people, I enjoy playing the speculation game during the months leading up to the draft, finding cures to the various ailments with which our beloved team has been stricken of late. In 2013, we were fortunate to have a stellar offense comprised of an excellent first-stringer backed by an almost equally excellent second-string quarterback. Now that McCown and other second-stringers have moved on, the Bears find themselves weak and shallow. In order to remedy that situation, I believe Emery will emphasize depth in our offense, despite the protestations fans and pundits may make regarding our needs on defense. Here's how I think it'll play out:
14. Johnny Manziel
Bortles, Bridgewater, and Carr will be chosen before our first pick, so unless the front office is willing to sell the farm to trade up to get a decent backup for Palmer, the best quarterback on the board is Johnny Football née Manziel. Manziel has already shown an aptitude for quick learning in pressure situations, meaning that an injury to Palmer in game 4 of the preseason may have little to no effect on the Bears’ season.
Mettenberger’s torn ACL will cause him to fall into the second round, if not further. For many teams, the injury would be a downside, but as the Bears already have Cutler, Palmer, and Manziel, Zach’s recent experience in holding a clipboard will be quite the selling point.
82. Tom Savage
In the third round, many teams will be focusing on finding good players to provide competition for positions in which they may not see the field during the regular season. The Bears are no different here, and I think they’ll need Tom Savage to provide a bit more competition for the 3rd and 4th QB positions. Savage has been surrounded by a lot of recent buzz and hype due to some excellent tape that has been making the rounds of the various speculation sites. His cannon-like arm isn’t the reason the Bears should be interested; out of this entire quarterback class, Savage makes the best coffee.
117. Aaron Murray
Murray is expected to be selected earlier in the draft, but I predict that he will plummet on draft day because of a chronic neck injury that occasionally prevents him from nodding sagely while another person is talking. I think Emery will be willing to gamble on that injury getting better, allowing for more competition at the #5 spot.
156. Tajh Boyd
Boyd is perhaps best remembered for his victory over LSU in the 2012 Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Once the Bears pick him up in Round 5, he will instantly be lauded for his ability to go get food from Chick-Fil-A to share with the rest of the now-elite Bears quarterback corps.