Recently, WCG member Seejay wrote a fan post that knocked the Chicago Bears for having only drafted four players in the Lovie Smith era that are currently starting on their defense: A. Afalava, K. Payne, Z. Bowman and T. Harris.
Four other players that were drafted by the Bears at one time are also currently starting: B. Urlacher, L. Briggs, A. Brown, C. Tillman.
I wanted to find out for myself how these figures stacked up against the rest of the league. This post is not meant as an attack on Seejay, but was done merely to educate myself and others on where we stand. Follow me past the jump to see how the Bears fared in comparison...
Update: I've broken this down into two tables to help clear up the confusion.
Defensive players currently starting for the team by which they were drafted, since 2004. Meaning only players drafted in the Lovie Smith/ Bears era.
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NFC North Bears: 4 Lions: 3 Packers: 5 Vikings: 5 |
NFC South Buccaneers: 7 Falcons: 6 Panthers: 5 Saints: 4 |
NFC East Cowboys: 5 Giants: 7 Eagles: 4 Redskins: 3 |
NFC West Cardinals: 4 49ers: 6 Rams: 5 Seahawks: 5 |
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AFC North Bengals: 5 Browns: 4 Ravens: 4 Steelers: 3 |
AFC South Colts: 5 Jaguars: 7 Texans: 7 Titans: 5 |
AFC East Bills: 4 Dolphins: 3 Patriots: 4 Jets: 4 |
AFC West Broncos: 2 Chargers: 5 Chiefs: 5 Raiders: 4 |
Defensive players currently starting for the team by which they were drafted, all time. Meaning, the number of players drafted above plus any players drafted pre-2004.
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NFC North Bears: 8 Lions: 3 Packers: 6 Vikings: 6 |
NFC South Buccaneers: 8 Falcons: 7 Panthers: 6 Saints: 4 |
NFC East Cowboys: 7 Giants: 7 Eagles: 6 Redskins: 4 |
NFC West Cardinals: 7 49ers: 6 Rams: 6 Seahawks: 6 |
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AFC North Bengals: 5 Browns: 4 Ravens: 7 Steelers: 6 |
AFC South Colts: 7 Jaguars: 9 Texans: 7 Titans: 5 |
AFC East Bills: 6 Dolphins: 5 Patriots: 7 Jets: 6 |
AFC West Broncos: 2 Chargers: 6 Chiefs: 5 Raiders: 5 |
Notes: Team's draft histories were referenced from databasefootball.com. Depth charts were referenced from various sites, mostly cbsports.com and the official team pages, when available. These depth charts were adjusted, from the best of my knowledge, to account for players such as Urlacher, who normally start but were injured.
So, what do all these numbers mean?
Taking the information above, the league average of players starting for the team they were drafted on, since 2004, is 4.7 per team. The Bears are below average, but not by much. However, the league average of players starting for the team in which they were drafted on, overall, is 5.7 per team. The Bears are well above average there.
The numbers being what you see, are the Bears holding on to players too long? Should we be starting someone over Brian Urlacher? Lance Briggs? Alex Brown? Charles Tillman?
Are teams like the Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Texans better off than teams like the Broncos, Lions, and Steelers simply because they have more recently drafted players starting for their defense?
My take on all of this... these numbers mean absolutely nothing. Teams operate differently throughout the NFL. Some teams build through the draft. Some tend to acquire big name players when they hit the open market. Some do both.
I have stated it before, but I wholly support a business that promotes from within. The Chicago Bears are that type of organization. While I'd like to see big names being brought in every so often, I firmly stand by the decision to reward a player with a new contract if their play on the field merits one.
What are your thoughts?
Fun fact of the day: The Cincinnati Bengals have drafted 15 players with the last name Johnson. This number doesn't include players that they have acquired via free agency. Their 2009 roster consist of five guys with the Johnson surname and one guy who, until recently, sported the name.