DaBearsBlog launched in 2005 as the brainchild of a Jewish computer nerd, open-toed dirtbag Reverend and football-obsessed, couch-dwelling playwright. In all of those years I have never firmly defended a first-round selection the way I have defended Kyle Long on Twitter in the last 12 hours. Why? Three reasons:

1. This is a Bears offensive line that was literally shoved by their quarterback last year. This is a Bears offensive line featuring a starting tackle seemingly more interested in the McDonald’s drive-thru flapjacks than pancaking a defender. This has been an offensive line that smiles as defenders roam free into the backfield. The smiles are gone. The shoving offensive linemen is over. Kyle Long is a nasty, angry kid and he’s about to bring nasty to the front five. They desperately need it.
2. If Phil Emery was telling the truth and Kyle Long will start at left guard, the Bears now have a Bushrod-Long left side of the offensive line. While pass protection was the focus of fan derision, run blocking was also suspect for a majority of the 2012 campaign. Now Marc Trestman can hand the ball to Matt Forte, point left and say, “Go! Follow!”
3. Pedigree. It may not mean much to you but it means a hell of a lot to me. The son of Howie Long and brother of Chris Long – two pretty good football players – has got the right bloodlines. And you are crazy if you think Howie and Chris will allow Kyle to revert to his previous life and let off-field issues consume him. You can hear an interview Chris gave recently about his brother by CLICKING HERE.

The pick is bold. The pick is interesting. The pick is exciting. We’ll find out as the summer and fall progress whether the pick is right. I think it is.