Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

I read somewhere that the Bears are bringing in 21 tryout players for rookie minicamp. It also said that last year they brought in 25 tryout players and none was offered a contract. When was the last time that a tryout player was offered a contract, or more importantly, made the final roster?

Eric B.
Rockford, Illinois

The Bears will actually have 31 players participating in this weekend’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. (I’ll list them all below.) None of the 25 tryout players was signed last year. In 2008, five of 28 tryout players were signed: RB Matthew Lawrence, P Zacrey Atterberry, DE Gerard Lee, G Ryan Poles and TE Marcus Stone. In 2007, three of 23 tryout players were signed: DT Tory Collins, TE Fontel Mines and S Andrew Shanle. None of the tryout players signed in 2007 and ’08 made the opening-day 53-man roster. The last tryout players I recall who not only earned roster spots but contributed for the Bears were safeties Brandon McGowan and Cameron Worrell.

Here’s a list of this year’s 31 tryout players: P Will Batson, P Desi Cullen, K Mike Salerno, QB Juice Williams, P Chase Turner, K Thomas Mante, WR Nick Merchut, WR Steven Turner, CB Raeshon McNeil, CB Wopamo Osaisai, S Cam Nelson, CB Roderick Rollins, RB Jake Sharp, S Justin Woodall, S Ryan McFoy, FB Shamar Graves, C Austin Steichen, LB Damaso Munoz, LS Andrew Pitz, LB Chris Johnson, LB Malcolm Arrington, G Dennis Conley, LB Blaze Soares, LS Tom Harrington, G Vince Vance, DT Averell Spicer, DT Kyle Harrington, DE Brian Coulter, WR Zeke Markshausen, TE Craig Carey and WR Justin Buckhalter.

The player who intrigues me the most in the Bears draft is seventh-round pick J’Marcus Webb. He reminds me of James “Big Cat” Williams. What are the realistic expectations of this kid making it to the starting lineup?

Bob
Terre Haute, Indiana

I met J’Marcus Webb on Thursday and he is absolutely huge. He’s listed at 6-8 and 338 pounds and is every bit of that. His coach at West Texas A&M, Don Carthel, told me last Saturday that Webb’s size 20 feet are the quickest (and biggest) of any player he’s worked with. Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice, who worked out Webb at his former high school, was impressed with the tackle’s athleticism and strength. In one drill, Tice was holding a blocking shield and  Webb hit Tice so hard that he chipped the coach’s tooth. Tice said that Webb had the best punch of the five prospects he personally worked out. It’s difficult to say whether Webb will eventually develop into an NFL starter at some point in the future, but the fact that he played as a true freshman at Texas is certainly an indication that he has talent. It’ll certainly be interesting to watch how he progresses during training camp and the preseason. As far as the comparison with James “Big Cat” Williams, they both have similar size and joined the Bears as unheralded prospects from small schools. The big difference is that Big Cat entered the NFL as a defensive lineman who was converted to the other side of the ball.

I was in a sports bar in Big Rapids, Michigan, the other day and they had a No. 2 Bears jersey on the wall. Who wore that number with the team?

Larry
Crystal, Michigan

My best guess is that it belonged to Paul Edinger, who played at Michigan State before spending five seasons with the Bears from 2000-04. It also could have belonged to quarterbacks Doug Flutie (1986) or Will Furrer (1992) or punter Mike Horan (1998). The number was not worn by any Bears in a regular-season game from 1946-1985.

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Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

Any word on what numbers the Bears rookies will be wearing?

Mike S.
San Diego, California

The Bears have assigned the following uniform numbers to their draft picks: Major Wright (27), Corey Wootton (98), Joshua Moore (31), Dan LeFevour (15) and J’Marcus Webb (73o). Undrafted free agents will wear these numbers: Greg Mathews (16), Antonio Robinson (18), Quentin Scott (37), Cornelius Brown (39d), Brandon Minor (39o), Matt Mayberry (64d), Tim Walter (64o), Jimmy Sadler-McQueen (73d), Levi Horn (79), Freddie Barnes (83), Vic Hall (84), Lawrence Wilson (94) and Barry Turner (96). Keep in mind that it’s common for a few of those numbers to change following final cuts heading into the regular season. In other “numerical news,” defensive tackle Marcus Harrison has switched from No. 94 to 99, defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert has changed from No. 70 to 93 and linebacker Kevin Malast has switched from No. 64 to 52.

I know the Bears were thinking about signing a veteran backup quarterback. Now that they’ve drafted Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour, does that mean they are no longer interested in adding an experienced pro?

Brian T.
Bolingbrook, Illinois

Not necessarily. Even with the selection of Dan LeFevour in the sixth round of the draft, the Bears still could possibly sign a veteran backup quarterback. Here’s what general manager Jerry Angelo said when asked about the issue following the draft: “I can’t say we won’t do that. We could take four quarterbacks to camp. We talked about doing that. A lot of teams do that. That could happen.”

Freddie Barnes’ stats last year at Bowling Green were amazing. I realize that he is criticized for not having great speed, but there is no questioning his hands. Do you think he’ll make the roster, perhaps pushing Rashied Davis out of the mix?

A.J.
Orlando, Florida

There’s no question that undrafted free agent Freddie Barnes had a remarkable senior season at Bowling Green, setting an NCAA record with 155 receptions and leading the nation in receiving touchdowns with 19. But barring an injury, I don’t see Barnes supplanting one of the Bears’ top four receivers—Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett. The fifth and possibly sixth receivers contribute primarily on special teams, so Barnes is going to have to excel in that area to have a chance to make the final roster. It seems like I always get emails asking about whether the Bears are going to replace Rashied Davis, but he is an exceptional special teams player who is very valuable on the coverage and return units.

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Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

Regardless of the school that Freddie Barnes went to, I find it hard to believe that the wide receiver who led the NCAA in receptions and touchdowns went undrafted. Did he have a disappointing Combine or does he have some off-the-field issues? Personally, I’m thrilled to see the Bears sign someone with so much potential.

Stephen G.
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Bowling Green receiver Freddie Barnes was not invited to the Combine and doesn’t have any character concerns that I’m aware of. He probably wasn’t drafted because he doesn’t possess great speed and didn’t play in an elite conference. A knee injury that caused him to miss three games as a senior might have been a factor as well. As you mentioned, Barnes was ultra-productive as a three-year starter at Bowling Green. Last season, he set an NCAA record with 155 receptions and led the nation in receiving touchdowns with 19. Pro Football Weekly’s Draft Preview reports that Barnes struggled to separate in the East-West Shrine Game against better competition than he regularly faced in the Mid-American Conference. The publication also states that Barnes “plays faster than he times and has the mental makeup to stick as a dependable, short-area, move-the-chains possession receiver.”

Now that Chris Harris is back, is he going to wear No. 46 again or the No. 43 that he wore with the Panthers?

Chris O.
Pigeon Force, Tennessee

Chris Harris will wear the same No. 46 in his second stint with the Bears that he donned in 2005-06. By the way, no player has worn the No. 46 in a regular-season games for the Bears since Harris was traded away. Rookie Al Afalava wore it last preseason, but he switched to No. 24 before the opener.

Have the Bears ever drafted a “Mr. Irrelevant?”

Allen
Guyton, Georgia

Since the title “Mr. Irrelevant” was created in 1976 to honor the final pick in the NFL draft, the Bears have had two players earn that distinction: fullback Jim Finn in 1999 and defensive back Mike Green in 2000. Finn failed to make the Bears’ 53-man roster, but he played eight NFL seasons with the Colts (2000-02) and Giants (2003-07). Green appeared in 81 games with 45 starts in six seasons with the Bears from 2000-05 before playing for the Seahawks (2006-07) and Redskins (2008).

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Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

How did the Bears have both the third and fourth picks in the 1965 draft?

Nathan E.
Catlin, Illinois

The Bears actually had three of the first six picks in the 1965 draft. They selected Dick Butkus third, Gale Sayers fourth and Tennessee defensive end Steve DeLong sixth. The pick that was used to take Sayers belonged to the Bears; the other two were acquired via trades. The Bears obtained the third pick from the Pittsburgh Steelers a year earlier in exchange for 1964 second- and fourth-round choices, and they acquired the sixth pick from the Redskins for running back Angelo Coia and tackle Fred Williams. DeLong was also picked sixth overall by the San Diego Chargers in the American Football League draft, and he chose to sign with San Diego. After spending seven seasons with the Chargers, DeLong played one season with the Bears in 1972.

With the Bears wearing throwback uniforms from the 1940s this season, does that mean they won’t be sporting the orange jerseys this year?

Colin
Leavenworth, Kansas

Yes, the Bears will not wear their orange jerseys this season. Each NFL team is permitted to don a third alternate jersey each year and the Bears have opted to wear throwback uniforms from the 1940s celebrating great teams that won four NFL championships in seven seasons from 1940-46.

I read that Jamar Williams had 19 tackles against the Rams last season. It seems like a lot of tackles, but it was only the third most for a Bears player since at least 1995. Who has had more?

Dan
La Crosse, Wisconsin

The only Bears player to register more than 19 tackles in a game since at least 1995 has been Brian Urlacher. The six-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker recorded 25 tackles in a memorable 2006 Monday night win at Arizona and 20 tackles in a 2001 victory at Tampa Bay.

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Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.


It seems that Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour almost fell into the Bears’ lap during the draft. I didn’t think they were looking for a quarterback, so was it more of a best-player-available-regardless-of-position pick or did the organization decide before the draft that quarterback was a priority?

Pat C.
Montgomery, Illinois

The Bears didn’t intend to draft a quarterback. They just couldn’t pass up Dan LeFevour because of the value of the position and the grade they had on him. They were very surprised that LeFevour was still on the board in the sixth round. He put up some monster numbers both passing and running at Central Michigan and is a very intriguing developmental pick. The Bears received glowing reports about LeFevour from Central Michigan offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian, who served as offensive quality control coach with the Bears in 2004-06. General manager Jerry Angelo told reporters: “If any of you talk to Mike I think you are going to hear very, very positive things. If you have seen the guy play he has done some pretty incredible things, not only with his arm but with his feet too. He ran a 4.65 at the Combine; [he] was the fastest quarterback there.”

Do the Bears have any interest in former Jets guard Alan Faneca? And if so, do they still have the financial flexibility to sign a player of his caliber? He seems like a perfect fit at a position of need.

Adam P.
Tremont, Illinois

Alan Faneca would look great in navy and orange. Unfortunately, the NFL isn’t the same as fantasy football. After signing free agents Julius Peppers, Chester Taylor and Brandon Manumaleuna to very lucrative contracts, I doubt that the Bears would be able to afford to add someone who will command as much money as Alan Faneca. With that being said, general manager Jerry Angelo didn’t entirely dismiss the idea, saying: “Who would not consider Alan Faneca if you had a need at the offensive line? Again, we’ll look into some things like we did before the draft. We looked into Rob Sims. We looked into a couple other guys and it didn’t work out. We’ll continue to look. We do like the players that we have there. I think coach [Mike] Tice has told me that—if he’s not said it publicly he certainly has told us in our meetings—that he’s comfortable with our line. But again, we’ll continue to look.”

I love reading all the mock drafts before the draft but never hear anything about who was the most accurate in their prognosticating. What can you tell us about who was right and who was wrong?

Phil T.
Berwyn, Illinois

The HuddleReport.com grades dozens of first-round mock drafts, assigning one point for each player correct and three points if the player is assigned to the right team. Out of 88 mock drafts, the top five were: Draft Breakdown’s Spencer & Engle (50 points), Mocking the Draft’s Dan Kadar (49), ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. (48), RookieDraft.com’s Joe Everett (47) and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bon McGinn (46). Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News, who finished eighth with 45 points, had the most players correct with 29 out of 32.

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Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

I  see that the Bears will be playing both the Giants and Jets in 2010. Have the Bears ever played both New York teams in the same season in the past?

Casey F.
Galena, Illinois

This will be the fifth time that the Bears will face the Giants and Jets during the same regular season. They won both contests in 1991 and 2006, lost both in 2000 and split the two games in 1974. In 2006, the Bears traveled to the Meadowlands on back-to-back Sundays, beating the Giants 38-20 on Nov. 12 before returning to blank the Jets 10-0 on Nov. 19. 

When was the last time the Bears ended one season and started the next one against the same team like they’re going to do by opening this year against the Detroit Lions?

Pat R.
Schaumburg, Illinois

That little scheduling quirk hasn’t happened in more than 30 years since the Bears closed the 1968 season with a 28-27 loss to the Packers at Wrigley Field and opened the 1969 campaign with a 17-0 defeat to the Packers at Lambeau Field.

How have the Bears fared in prime-time games under Lovie Smith?

Ralph J.
Manheim, Pennsylvania

In Lovie Smith’s six seasons as coach, the Bears are 4-1 on Monday Night Football, 7-6 on Sunday Night Football and 1-2 on Thursday Night Football. They play four prime-time games this season, Sept. 27 against the Packers at Soldier Field and Dec. 20 at Minnesota on Monday Night Football; Oct. 3 at the Giants on Sunday Night Football; and Nov. 18 at Miami on Thursday Night Football.

Email your question to Larry

Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

What year do you think was the best draft in Bears history? For me, it’s hard to argue with 1983, when Richard Dent and Mark Bortz were picked in the eighth round. What are your thoughts?

Don S.

The Bears certainly had a great draft in 1983, selecting future starters Jim Covert, Willie Gault, Mike Richardson, Dave Duerson and Tom Thayer with their first five picks before landing Richard Dent and Mark Bortz in the eighth round. But I’d say the best draft in Bears history was in 1965 when they chose future Hall of Famers Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers back-to-back with the third and fourth overall selections in the first round. Butkus and Sayers remain two of the best players in NFL history and both are among the top five Bears of all time. The only other time the Bears picked two Hall of Famers in the same year was in the inaugural NFL Draft in 1936 when they chose tackle Joe Stydahar in the first round and guard Danny Fortmann in the seventh round.  

I loved the question in a recent “Chalk Talk” regarding the first draft pick in Bears history. Who were the five players selected prior to Joe Stydahar and how did their careers go?

Chris R.

The first five players selected in the first NFL Draft in 1936 were the University of Chicago’s Jay Berwanger by the Philadelphia Eagles, Alabama’s Riley Smith by the Boston Redskins, Notre Dame’s Bill Shakespeare by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Iowa’s Dick Crayne by the Brooklyn Dodgers and TCU’s Jim Lawrence by the Chicago Cardinals. It’s difficult to fathom today, but pro football wasn’t a very high-paying line of work back in those days, and Berwanger and Shakespeare both chose to go into the business world rather than continue their careers in the NFL. Smith, Crayne and Lawrence all had short and not very distinguished pro football careers.

I can’t remember the Bears ever having only five picks in a draft like they do this year. Have they ever selected five or fewer players in a draft?

Richard G.
Tinley Park, Illinois

The fewest players the Bears have ever chosen in a draft has been six. It’s something that happened twice, in 2001 and 2005. I’m not sure if it means anything, but the Bears won division championships in both of those seasons. The draft was 30 rounds from 1943-1959 before it was shortened to 20 rounds. It was later reduced to 17 rounds in 1967, 12 rounds in 1977, eight rounds in 1993 and seven rounds in 1994.

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