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Chicago Bears: Greatest Reclamation Projects in Team History

By Erik Lambert

CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 09: Roberto Garza #63 of the Chicago Bears waits in the huddle against the Indianapolis Colts during their 2012 NFL season opener at Soldier Field on September 9, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Colts 41-21. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 09: Roberto Garza #63 of the Chicago Bears waits in the huddle against the Indianapolis Colts during their 2012 NFL season opener at Soldier Field on September 9, 2012 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Colts 41-21. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 27: (L-R) Defensive back Vann McElroy #26 and linebacker Rod Martin #53 of Los Angeles Raiders tackle running back Emery Moorehead #87 of the Chicago Bears during the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 27, 1987 in Los Angeles, California. The Bears won 6-3. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES – DECEMBER 27: (L-R) Defensive back Vann McElroy #26 and linebacker Rod Martin #53 of Los Angeles Raiders tackle running back Emery Moorehead #87 of the Chicago Bears during the game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 27, 1987 in Los Angeles, California. The Bears won 6-3. (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images) /

Part of being a successful NFL franchise is being able to find good players where other teams can’t. At times the Chicago Bears have been good at this.

In fact, some of the best teams in franchise history were spearheaded by players who were considered failures on other teams. So here’s a fun question. Who would qualify as the best Bears reclamation projects ever? In order to get a grasp on this, it’s important to clarify what a reclamation project is.

Put simply it’s a player who wasn’t able to stick with his previous team or teams for whatever reason, came to Chicago and found almost immediate success. There are definitely some overlooked names that fans should be reminded of. Here are the top five.

#5:  Emery Moorehead

If one goes purely by stats, then it’s easy to miss Emery Moorehead. His numbers were never outstanding. Not compared to other tight ends of his era and especially later, but he was such a forgotten key to those great Bears teams of the 1980s. In the first four years of his career between the Giants and Broncos, he had just 250 yards total.

When the Bears scooped him up in 1981, he never saw the field. That changed when Mike Ditka became the head coach the next year. He saw Moorehead’s potential along with his dedicated work ethic and gave him a shot. Soon the tight end became a reliable target for young quarterback Jim McMahon. Not only that, but he was also a valued blocker in those great rushing attacks too.

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