Bears like Conte’s versatility
Cal free safety Chris Conte, the Bears’ third-round pick (93rd overall), was just a one-year starter but has been versatile, playing cornerback for three seasons before settling in at safety and earning all-Pac-10 honors last season.
The 6-foot-2½-inch, 197-pound gets high marks for his tackling but had just 2 career interceptions. The Bears believe he has some upside and a big enough frame to add considerable weight and be a factor in the secondary. With a 4.59 time in the 40, Conte will have limitations in coverage. However with his height, he matches up well with the biggest wide receivers in the NFL.
The long relationship between Cal defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast and Bears defensive backs coach Job Hoke helped sell Conte.
“Clancy really liked this player,” Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo said. “We really liked him first and foremost during the scouting process, and then we sent out one of the coaches to work him out. Jon talked to Clancy, and Clancy feels the kid is a no-brainer (pick). He thought that he has a lot of good football ahead of him, given the fact that he’s only played safety one year.”
Conte was not highly regarded by many draft publications — Pro Football Weekly rated him only as a priority free agent — but he said he wasn’t surprised to be drafted as high as the third round.
“I think going to the Combine and seeing some of the competition and knowing some of the competition personally, I always felt that I was the best safety in the draft,” Conte said. “So I was actually disappointed when I saw other safeties go before me.”
Conte was actually the fifth safety taken in what was considered a mediocre class.
Familiar face: Because first-round draft pick Gabe Carimi played his home games just two hours away at the University of Wisconsin#146;s Camp Randall Stadium, the Bears had many opportunities to see him play in person and get to know him as a player and a person. And no one had more opportunities to get to know Carimi than Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice, whose son, Nate, is a quarterback at Wisconsin.#147;He#146;s been an outstanding player at Wisconsin for four years,#148; Tice said of the 6-foot-7, 314-pound Carimi. #147;He#146;s gotten better every year; he#146;s gotten tougher every year, too. It#146;s nice to have another guy in the building who#146;s as big as I am. And that#146;s what we#146;re trying to do, we#146;re trying to get bigger. We got a very good football player with a great track record. The tape doesn#146;t lie.#148;Tice said the Bears had Carimi rated as their fourth-best offensive lineman, although he was the seventh O-lineman and fifth offensive tackle picked. Despite some discussion, it#146;s likely he will be plugged in at one of the tackle spots.#147;I think he#146;s an outside player, personally,#148; Tice said. Mistakes happen: Commissioner Roger Goodell encouraged the Bears to compensate the Ravens with a draft pick for the Thursday snafu that would have had the Bears and Baltimore swapping first-round picks. The Ravens would also have gotten the Bears#146; fourth-round pick for moving back three spots from 26 to 29. But because of miscommunication in the Bears#146; draft room, the swap was never called in to the league, and the confusion caused the Ravens to go past their allotted time and move back to 27. But losing the fourth-round pick was what fueled their anger.#147;That (report) was accurate,#148; Angelo said. #147;But they have rules when you do something wrong, not when people make mistakes, and a mistake was made. No rules were broken, so let#146;s just make that clear.#148; Ÿ Follow Bob#146;s Bears reports via Twitter @Bob LeGere and check out our Bear Essentials blog at dailyherald.com.