2011 NFL Draft: Should Chicago Bears Pick Middle Linebacker to Replace Brian Urlacher?

No, I have not subconsciously tricked myself into thinking that Brian Urlacher retired.

I know he had a great season last year, picking up 125 combined tackles and four sacks.

When he's on the field, he makes the Chicago Bears' defense significantly better. When he's on the field, he is one of the best middle linebackers, if not the best, in the NFL.

When he's on the field.

Here's where I may be asking for a butt-whooping from Urlacher: Can we really count on him to be on the field for very long?

He has had a long history of injuries. For instance, he was out for the season in 2009 after Week 1.

When he wasn't on the field, the Bears' defense was, at best, below average. I'll just say remember the Bengals game and leave it at that.

Plus, Urlacher is entering his 12th season in the NFL. In middle linebacker years, I would say he has no more than three years left in him.

Maybe, instead of being at the mercy of Urlacher's health, Chicago should draft a middle linebacker as an emergency backup. And then, perhaps, the heir to the Monsters of the Midway throne once held by Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary.

Now, I wouldn't have even thought about writing this post if I didn't believe there might be a middle linebacker in this draft who met the following requirements: worthiness of the Monsters of the Midway throne and availability in the later stages of the first round.

In this draft, there is a player who could meet both requirements. Like Butkus, he is a University of Illinois alum: Martez Wilson.

Wilson, who recorded 111 tackles and four sacks for the Fighting Illini last year, was dubbed the No. 1 inside linebacker draft prospect by NFL Network's Mike Mayock. Like Urlacher, Wilson has the ability, at least in terms of speed, to play in Lovie Smith's "Tampa 2" defense.

Wilson posted the fastest official time among all linebackers at the NFL Scouting Combine in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.49. This proves that, like Urlacher, he has the safety-like speed to cover a huge portion of the football field.

He also proved that he has the strength to get off a block, as evidenced by his No. 9 ranking among linebackers in the bench press with 23 reps.

Now you may have two questions. First of all, if Wilson is this good, how could he possibly drop down to the No. 30 pick in the draft; secondly, why am I writing about replacing Brian Urlacher when the subject of his retirement hasn't even been brought up yet and the Bears have more pressing draft needs?

To answer both questions, I will refer to the 2005 NFL Draft, when the Green Bay Packers had Brett Favre and a late first-round pick.

California quarterback Aaron Rodgers was expected to be picked before the Packers went on the clock, but wasn't. So, even though Green Bay had more pressing needs on defense, they chose Rodgers as Favre's future replacement.

While Wilson may be a highly-touted linebacker, Von Miller of Texas A&M is the most sought-after linebacker in the draft. Plus, with the likes of Marcell Dareus (Alabama) and Nick Fairley (Auburn) available in a very-deep defensive lineman class, teams picking before the Bears may pass up Wilson to fill their defensive needs with higher-regarded prospects.

To answer the second question, no rumors swirled regarding Favre when the Packers selected Rodgers. And unlike Urlacher, Favre didn't have any injury history (at least, obviously, nothing serious enough to make him miss a start).

Like Favre, Urlacher has been the face of his franchise. But sometimes, in the NFL, you need to make cold-blooded decisions now to do what's best in the long run.

And as Green Bay showed this season, such cold-blooded decisions can be rewarded in the long run.