In the hours before last week's NFL draft, Bears coach John Fox was understandably excited about the opportunity to strengthen his roster. Yet as Fox closed the final practice of a voluntary minicamp at Halas Hall on April 30, he also acknowledged the draft's unseen but powerful undercurrent.
"It's never an easy weekend for veterans," Fox said. "I respect what they do tremendously and it's never an easy weekend. But it's part of the business and part of the process."
In a league where job security can fluctuate faster than Chicago's spring weather, the draft often intensifies the pressure on the lower half of the roster.