ESPN's All-Time Draft Busts: Where are all the Bears?
ESPN has a big feature on the top 50 draft busts of all time. I am both shocked and appalled that only two Bears made the list. (Curtis Enis at #20 and Cade McNown at #40.) Its a sham and a mockery. It's a shamockery.
With that in mind, I'm going to present my own personal list of Biggest Draft Busts, but to make up for the Eastern Sports Network's slight, I'm only going to include Bears.
Note: I'm only going to go back to 1990. That's all I can take. Further, I'm only going to look at picks in the first few rounds. Later picks are pretty much a crapshoot anyways and there are virtually no expectations. Finally, I'm going to hold off on putting current Bears on the list as they technically still have a chance to turn things around and produce. So you're safe for now, Cedric.
1. Curtis Enis (RB) - 1998, #1 (5th overall) Gotta hand it to ESPN, at least they got the right Bear ranked highest. I'd have put him in the top ten.
2. Stan Thomas (T) - 1991, #1 (22nd overall) You can sum up his two years in four words: Holding, number 60, offense.
3. Cade McNown (QB) - 1999, #1 (12th overall) He did have one or two good games, which is more than Stan Thomas or Curtis Enis can say. Still, the SF game where they didn't cross the fifty holds a special place in my heart. On most franchises, Cade would have been #1.
4. Rashaan Salaam (RB) 1995, #1 (21st overall) Heisman winner had a mediocre rookie year before he smoked his way out of the league.
5. Marc Columbo (T) - 2002, #1 (29th overall) Too much time in the trainer's room to do anything. But he's still in the league and starting for the Cowboys.
6. John Thierry (LB) - 1994, #1, (11th overall) An athlete, not a football player. Bears wanted him to play DE. Didn't work.
7. Michael Haynes (DE) - 2003, #1, (13th overall) Had a few mostly meaningless sacks, but couldn't beat out Alex Brown or Adewale Ogunleye for playing time.
8. David Terrell (WR) - 2001, #1, (8th overall) Who the hell drafts a Big Ten receiver 8th overall?
9. Alonzo Spellman (DE) - 1991, #1, (22nd overall) Grade A physical specimen, but he was/is certifiably insane.
10. Todd Sauerbrun (P) - 1995, #2 (56th overall) Who the hell drafts a punter in the second round? He mostly sucked here. Moved on, made a few Pro Bowls and got busted for roids - not necessarily in that order.
11. John Allred (TE) - 1997, #2, (38th overall) - A mediocre backup TE was the top pick for the Bears in probably the worst draft the Bears ever had. They traded the top pick for Rick Mirer(!) and only Marcus Robinson did anything for the Bears from the class of '97.
12. Marcus Spears (T) - 1994, #2, (39th overall) - cut after one lousy year.
13. Roe Williams (CB) - 2002, #3, (72nd overall) - Dick Jauron explained him getting caught from behind by a lineman on a fumble recovery by saying "he wasn't able to get in an athletic rhythm".
14. Russell Davis (DE) - 1999, #2, (48th overall) - pretty much did zilch for the team.
15. Carl Simpson (DT) - 1993, #2, (35th overall) - pretty much did zilch for the team.
And that's it. I'm sorry, it's all I can take. All I know is, ESPN owes the Bears an apology for not putting more Bears in the top 50.