On defense, the team had to release another trouble-plagued player, Tank Johnson (now with the Cowboys) in June 2007. Injuries to defensive tackles Dusty Dvoracek and Tommie Harris, corners Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman and linebacker Lance Briggs all hit before the end of September. And without an offense built to carry the team, the Bears were doomed. They didn’t have enough depth.

The simple reason? They selected poorly at the top of the draft. And for all the success Angelo’s had in later rounds, that dearth of talent is damning.

Only one top selection choice made by the Bears since 2002 — Tommie Harris taken in 2004 — is a current starter. Offensive Marc Colombo (2002) is now a starter in Dallas. Defensive lineman Michael Haynes (2003) is out of the league and Grossman (2003) now backs up Kyle Orton. Benson (2005) is out of the league. Corner Danieal Manning (2006) is a non-starting reserve DB and tight end Greg Olsen (2007) backs up Desmond Clark. This year’s top selection, offensive tackle Chris Williams, was taken despite a herniated disc in his back that was a concern before the draft. Williams suffered an injury to the disc in a non-contact drill during training camp and has had surgery.

Smith hasn’t covered himself in glory either. After the Super Bowl, defensive coordinator Ron Rivera was effectively run off the coaching staff by Smith who replaced Rivera with old friend Bob Babitch. Then, when the season began, he stuck steadfastly with Grossman as his starter despite mountains of evidence he was more lucky than good. And, even if Angelo made the calls on trading Thomas Jones or the draft picks, what voice has Smith had in lobbying Angelo to do otherwise?

And 2008 doesn’t hold much promise either. Not with Orton at quarterback, rookie Matt Forte at running back, underwhelming receivers, an offensive line that is old and slow and only Devin Hester as a true game-breaking threat. Defensively, they are aging as well — Brian Urlacher turned 30 in the offseason — and they have a horrible track record of staying healthy.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures A Duck goes for a ride, a NASCAR driver takes flight, some bankers take to boxing, and much more. more photos

And consider this: over the final two games of the preseason, the first-team defense was on the field for nine possessions. The opposition scored on seven of those drives and on one of the non-scoring drives, blocked field goal was the only thing that kept the scoreboard clean.

It could be a while before the Bears even approach the level they were at in 2006. Maybe, in hindsight, they were a product of a down year for the NFC in general. Maybe that 13-3 record was a bit of a mirage. It’s been a number of things, really.

And when the Colts and Bears take the field Sunday night, America will be looking at one team that was built to last and another team whose time has passed.

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