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The Bernstein Brief: Bears Gamble On Leonard Floyd, Themselves

By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist

(CBS) Selecting Leonard Floyd at ninth overall in the NFL Draft on Thursday night was Bears general manager Ryan Pace showing just how much he trusts the guys who work for him.

Let alone expending a fourth-round pick to jump up two spots to get the gangly pass-rush specialist from Georgia, the investment of that asset was Pace indicating his belief that coach John Fox ensures that this isn't John Thierry all over again -- a tantalizing athletic talent and little more.

Fox now has to translate it to effective, disruptive football. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio also is on the clock now, charged with making Floyd look as much like Aldon Smith as he can to fulfill his ideal 3-4 vision. The Bears' strength and conditioning team will also have to snap into action, turning someone who looks more like a basketball player into someone more powerful without losing speed off the edge.

Scout Nolan Nawrocki calls Floyd "boom or bust" and "far from a polished product." The NFL Network says he's "painfully thin" and notes that his combination of skill and potential downside makes him "a prospect who will be heavily scrutinized."

Floyd's a cache of valuable raw materials, acquired by a general manager betting on his coaches to turn it all into something special.

Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter  @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.

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