Hut: Bears have to keep window open

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The Bears have no margin for error this weekend.

A good first-round pick will not mean much if they whiff in the second round.

A good first day, comprised of the first two rounds, will not be a cause for celebration. The third round will be crucial, as well.

The Bears’ position is precarious because they have glaring needs coming out of last season, and hardly addressed any of them in free agency.

Swing and miss this weekend, and their chances of getting back into contention in 2008 will seem remote.

“We have four picks in the top 100, and we want to come out with potentially four starters,” general manager Jerry Angelo said.

That’s a lot of pressure. The Bears never would have said the same thing last year, coming off a Super Bowl berth.

They ended up with four picks in the first three rounds then, as well. After tight end Greg Olsen, each choice was a luxury: defensive end Dan Bazuin, running back Garrett Wolfe and linebacker Michael Okwo.

Circumstances are much different this year. The Bears’ window is rapidly closing.

How do they prop it open? By putting together an offense that can complement what seems to be a still-formidable defense.

The offense needs some of everything: Two linemen, a capable running back, a go-to wide receiver and a quarterback of the future.

Where to start? As much as fans have clamored for Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall – who, granted, would be a good choice – the Bears should spend the 14th pick on a tackle. Whether it’s Boise State’s Ryan Clady, Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams, Virginia’s Branden Albert, or Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah, any of them would be good fits.

If you rebuild a house, you start by making sure the foundation is strong. That’s the offensive line on any team.

The ball-carriers, even Cedric Benson, will look better next season running behind a revamped line. Rex Grossman will not look as flustered.

Plus, Angelo told us it would be easier to find a good running back in the second or third round than a good offensive lineman. If the Bears draft Ray Rice, Chris Johnson (my choice) or Matt Forte rather than Mendenhall or Jonathan Stewart, they’ll still have a good chance to be productive on the ground.

Now, offensive coordinator Ron Turner is a big Mendenhall fan. Turner, formerly the coach at Illinois, recruited Mendenhall out of Niles West High School. It would be easy for Mendenhall to fit into Turner’s system.

“I love him,” Turner said.

Fine, but Turner should not be in a position to dictate this pick. His job security is as shaky as anyone else’s in the organization.

So offensive line first, running back second. Then, in Sunday’s third round, wide receiver and perhaps quarterback.

The Bears’ goal at wide receiver this year should be to finally develop Mark Bradley, who has the tools to be a primary target. But they need help behind Bradley and Marty Booker, and the third round should supply that.

The Bears sent a coach to Michigan this week to work out Michigan State wide receiver Devin Thomas, the best at his position. Thomas, like Mendenhall, would be an intriguing pick, but he would be an unlikely centerpiece of a retooling effort on offense.

Anquan Boldin and Hines Ward were third-round picks. You can get a good receiver that late.

The same goes for quarterbacks, which the Bears should not worry about until at least the third round.

They are understandably desperate for a long-term solution, but a rookie quarterback hardly will play. Drafting a third-stringer early, when they have numerous needs, would make it seem like they are forsaking 2008.

A team that lost the Super Bowl only 15 months ago would do its fans a disservice by operating like that.

The Bears have to find a way to keep that window open.

– Nick Hut is a sportswriter for the NorthWest News Group. He can be reached at nhut@nwnewsgroup.com.