My All-Time Historical Bears Team: Gooch’s Chicago Monsters

This is my first year participating in the All-Bears Historical Fantasy Draft, and I knew I was up against stiff competition. My fellow competitors had great strategies and approaches that balanced player production and positional value in their drafts. I saw many a coveted player go just before my opportunity to take them. But ultimately, I believe I drafted the best historical fantasy team this year, and in this article, I’ll go over my overall strategic approach to the draft, the amazing players I added to my team, and why you should vote for me when the tournament runs.

• By now, you all know the basic rules to our All-Bears Historical Fantasy Draft. We each picked a team consisting of 25 players. We got 11 picks on offense, 11 picks on defense, and three picks on special teams.
• The special teams picks were assigned to one kicker, one punter, and one miscellaneous contributor (returner, coverage defender, long snapper).
• The offensive picks require a full offensive line, a quarterback, a running back, two wide receivers, and a tight end. The 11th pick on offense could go to any skill position of the team’s choosing.
• Given the Bears’ historical preference for a 4-3 base defense over a 3-4, we required two defensive ends, two defensive tackles, two linebackers, two cornerbacks, and two safeties. The 11th pick could be used at any position of the team’s choosing, whether it be a nickel defender, a third linebacker, or an extra defensive lineman.
• Each player’s skill level will be transported to the modern age. For example, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman from the 1940s, while smaller than the modern o-lineman, will still be a Hall of Famer.
• We also only get the player’s ability as it was when he played in Chicago. So if someone were to tout the Hall of Fame credentials of Alan Page, keep in mind that his time in Chicago (0 Pro Bowls) wasn’t the same as his time in Minnesota (9 Pro Bowls).

Gooch’s Historical Draft Strategy

So, I knew going in that there was going to be no hiding Chicago Bears greats from the other seven WCG drafters. The Bears knowledge runs wide and deep with this group, so I had to strike early with players I wanted at the key positions for building my team. I was slotted in the middle of the draft – which is generally where I like to be in fantasy drafts (easier to avoid positional runs from the middle), so I felt like that gave me a bit of an edge. There were two draft position factors I took into account: 1) positional value (quarterbacks matter more than kickers) and 2) positional scarcity (the Chicago Bears have fewer greats at certain positions on the field, like quarterback and wide receiver, than they do at others, like linebacker and defensive lineman). So with that in mind, I approached the draft focused on filling key positional positions...