Ok, that was a little lame. Sorry about that. While you can go ahead and ignore the headline, you can’t ignore the fact that the Bears organization has had some recent trouble when it comes to drafting a starting running back. And when I say recent, I’m talking the last 17 years. For a team that boasts having the best running back of all time wearing their jersey (the great Walter Payton), there has been a considerable drought of running back talent in Chi-town since Neal Anderson’s last pro bowl season in 1991.
In 1995 the Bears selected Heisman trophy winner Rashaan Salaam in the first round and have 1600 rushing yards and 14 TD’s to show for it in three miserable seasons. Injuries and marijuana use quickly doomed the professional career of Salaam. In 1998 the Bears tried again selecting Curtis Enis with the 5th overall pick, only to be rewarded with 1500 rushing yards and 6 TD’s in three miserable seasons. In 2001, the Bears did fair a little better in the first round selection of Anthony Thomas, but he still failed to live up to expectations although he did leave Chicago after three seasons with two 1,000 yard campaigns but only 7 touchdowns.
2005 brought the much ballyhooed first round pick of Cedric Benson, who at the time was widely compared to fellow University of Texas alum Ricky Williams. Three years later it appears that those comparisons were spot on. Cedric Benson rankled the locker room with his smug attitude in the beginning of his tenure, and during training camp fights and a pissing contest with incumbent Thomas Jones; he was never able to win the media or fan support. His play on the field did nothing but inflame his critics (outside the team and within the Bears complex). With Benson facing a recent boating under the influence of alcohol charge, the last straw was broke as he was picked up on a DWI in Austin, Texas over the weekend ending yet another first round Chicago Bears running back selection in year three of his career.
Now enters young Matt Forte. Fantasy forums are buzzing about his potential and he’s quickly being scooped up in rookie drafts and being earmarked as the next big thing in Chicago. As recorded above, that could spell doom by 2011. Can Forte beat the odds and finally give Chicago the running back they’ve been hoping for?
In 1995 the Bears selected Heisman trophy winner Rashaan Salaam in the first round and have 1600 rushing yards and 14 TD’s to show for it in three miserable seasons. Injuries and marijuana use quickly doomed the professional career of Salaam. In 1998 the Bears tried again selecting Curtis Enis with the 5th overall pick, only to be rewarded with 1500 rushing yards and 6 TD’s in three miserable seasons. In 2001, the Bears did fair a little better in the first round selection of Anthony Thomas, but he still failed to live up to expectations although he did leave Chicago after three seasons with two 1,000 yard campaigns but only 7 touchdowns.
2005 brought the much ballyhooed first round pick of Cedric Benson, who at the time was widely compared to fellow University of Texas alum Ricky Williams. Three years later it appears that those comparisons were spot on. Cedric Benson rankled the locker room with his smug attitude in the beginning of his tenure, and during training camp fights and a pissing contest with incumbent Thomas Jones; he was never able to win the media or fan support. His play on the field did nothing but inflame his critics (outside the team and within the Bears complex). With Benson facing a recent boating under the influence of alcohol charge, the last straw was broke as he was picked up on a DWI in Austin, Texas over the weekend ending yet another first round Chicago Bears running back selection in year three of his career.
Now enters young Matt Forte. Fantasy forums are buzzing about his potential and he’s quickly being scooped up in rookie drafts and being earmarked as the next big thing in Chicago. As recorded above, that could spell doom by 2011. Can Forte beat the odds and finally give Chicago the running back they’ve been hoping for?
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