Bears actually making sense with this plan

While often disagreeing with his policies and picks, the feeling here has never been that Bears GM Jerry Angelo is insane or obtuse.

That assumption in hand, we can only surmise that the Bears have conceded the 2008 season.

They passed on NFL-ready quarterbacks during the draft, have no designs on finding one this off-season, and appear instead to be planning for the future when they can sign a QB in free agency.

Now, Angelo can't tell you he has flushed 2008. That's a bad business practice, but he also knows -- he must know, right? -- that Rex Grossman is not an NFL quarterback.

Yes, it's maddening to watch the Bears completely ignore the quarterback position -- again. In fact, that's 28 picks in the last three years, and not a single signalcaller selected.

When the Bears took running back Matt Forte in the second round with QBs Brian Brohm, Chad Henne and John David Booty still on the board, tens of thousands of TVs in the Chicago area were either turned off or destroyed.

That's how angry the fans are, and you have every right to feel that way.

However, if Angelo was the final holdout in determining what many of us knew a long time ago, that Grossman wouldn't make it, he's probably pulled up stakes and left that camp.

Therefore, Angelo drafted for 2009, believing he can get the quarterback he needs in free agency after the 2008 season.

His track record of developing quarterbacks is clear -- clearly bad -- and this draft was a confession of sorts. He can't say it out loud, but it's actually a nice change of pace at Halas Hall.

In the meantime, he got an SEC offensive tackle, an SEC receiver, an SEC defensive tackle and an SEC safety in the first four rounds.

You gotta love, and respect, the SEC.

It's not an exciting draft, but offensive tackle Chris Williams is going to be a nice player for a long time, and fourth-round safety Craig Steltz could be the sleeper of these picks.

A ferocious hitter from a ferocious conference, Steltz is a playmaker, always seems to find the ball, and would have gone higher if not for a pair of injuries that kept him out of the Senior Bowl.

He's hardly what you'd call a speed demon, but in the right scheme, his size and gravitation toward the ball is key.

Besides, if he can stand in a hole and take up space while being run over by Adrian Peterson, he's an upgrade from Adam Archuleta.

But, as usual, we digress. Since they won't give Kyle Orton a chance, and since Grossman isn't even a question, let alone the answer, you have to believe 2008 is a washout without an NFL QB at the helm.

That being the case, the Bears' draft for tomorrow was a solid one today.

And when you think about it, actually quite logical.

Leading off

It's humorous to watch those who cheered the loudest for the signing of Alfonso Soriano now crucify Soriano for being exactly what we warned you he would be when the Cubs signed him.

He came here as a guy with a questionable team attitude, with no position, no spot in the order, no ability to hit in October, and now the Cubs are stuck with him for a very long time.

There's no denying that when he gets hot he can rake with anyone in the game for short and effective periods during the regular season.

But when he's not it's up to Lou Piniella to do his job and move Soriano down in the order if he believes that's what's right, or leave him there if he thinks it's best for the club -- but not because it's what Soriano wants.

Piniella is getting paid a lot to make tough calls, and he's already done it with Soriano, moving him from right field to center and then to left.

Piniella was brilliant last year in making these calls, once he got over the shell shock of being handed a rotisserie team and started putting the right people in the right places.

Along those lines, there is still work to be done.

The good guys

Umpires Ted Barrett and Lance Barksdale will visit the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital on Wednesday as part of "Blue for Kids,'' a program founded by MLB umps and designed to reduce the stress families experience when a child is hospitalized by offering children a Build-A-Bear puppy, kitten or bear, complete with accessories.

For more info, visit blueforkids.com.

Chiefs at Wrigley?

The Cubs, Peoria Chiefs and Kane County Cougars have scheduled a news conference for this afternoon at the ballpark, and it's not hard to wonder if the announcement will be that the Chiefs, managed by Ryne Sandberg, and the Cougars plan to play a game at Wrigley Field this summer.

Fair point

Mike Lupica of the N.Y. Daily News: "Maybe before Steve Kerr made the trade for Shaq he should have gotten all the Suns to promise they'd cover somebody if he did.''

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Brady Quinn still waiting in NFL draft green room.''

And finally …

NBC's Conan O'Brien: "Chinese officials held a ceremony to announce that it's 100 days until the summer Olympics, and they're working hard to clean up Beijing's pollution. Unfortunately, they had to cut the ceremony short -- because the air caught on fire.''

brozner@dailyherald.com