The Bernstein Brief: Rough Start For Ryan Pace's Picks
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) It's not Bears general manager Ryan Pace's fault that Kevin White got injured, at least as far as we know.
This isn't like when the Bears used a first-round pick on tackle Chris Williams, who was hurt before they selected him, hurt after that and then healthy and bad. But it stinks when somebody as raw as White misses such valuable developmental time in his first NFL training camp, as he has in dealing with a shin injury that we know no specifics about.
The seventh overall pick, White rocketed up draft boards due to his athleticism and measurables, not his polished route running or experience with a complicated playbook. These are practices he can't get back, reps critical to him getting up to speed, and he can't even run. Instead his coach is left to sputter and harrumph.
Meanwhile, second-rounder Eddie Goldman already has conditioning issues, despite the relatively mild weather.
Pace's administration stumbled out of the gate with the Ray McDonald fiasco, and the last thing he needs now is for big problems at the top of his first draft class.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. Follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.
