Rookies a boon for Saints, Bears

It's difficult to say where the Bears would be without their stellar rookie class, but odds are it wouldn't be in the NFC Championship Game. And they're not alone. The New Orleans Saints wouldn't be making the trip to Chicago if it wasn't for their collection of rookies, a group many believe to be superior to the Bears'.

You can say the same about the AFC Championship Game opponents. Running backs Joseph Addai and Laurence Maroney have made a huge impact for the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, respectively.

It's a simple fact of life in the era of the salary cap and free agency that rookies must play immediately. Most of the bargains in the NFL are found among players drafted into an organization and still playing out their rookie deals.

The Saints struck gold when they selected Reggie Bush with the second pick in the draft in April, but that wasn't even the best selection they made. Bush was an obvious choice that anyone in America would have made. Anyone but the Houston Texans, who outsmarted themselves when they opted to select defensive end Mario Williams with the top pick.

The move might seem laughable now, but there were concerns about Bush's contract demands, and Texans coach Gary Kubiak was a graduate of the Mike Shanahan School of Football Studies in Denver and believed from experience that running backs could be picked up on the second day of the draft or even off the street and make a huge impact.

What the Texans missed, of course, was the versatility of the player. Calling Bush a running back is like calling Jerry Lewis a comedian. It just doesn't capture the depth of talent: actor, director, producer, writer, French icon. Bush can run, catch, return and change the course of a game single-handedly.

The Saints reportedly were going to trade down and select linebacker A.J. Hawk, who fell to the Green Bay Packers.

So how could Bush not be the best selection in the Saints' draft? Expectations for any NFL player are based on two things: the amount of money he's paid and the place where he was drafted. Bush was drafted high and paid a lot of money, and he has met expectations. Wide receiver Marques Colston was selected four picks from the end of the draft. The seventh-rounder from Hofstra was the 33rd receiver taken. His success brings a whole new meaning to the ''Who Dat?'' battle cry.

Another player the Saints struck gold on was right guard Jahri Evans, a fourth-round pick from Bloomsburg (Pa.), who has started 16 games. Punter Steve Weatherford is an undrafted free agent out of Illinois.

The Bears counter with an excellent class themselves, led by safety Danieal Manning, the team's first selection and a second-round pick out of Abilene Christian. He moved into the starting lineup in Week 3 and has been a godsend for a team that lost Mike Brown.

''It's truly been a blessing for me to be on this team,'' Manning said. ''I've worked hard, and all of my dreams are coming through.''

The Bears' other second-round selection, return man Devin Hester, made the Pro Bowl. His returns can be breathtaking, both in terms of awe-inspiring touchdowns or frightening muffs.

''Sometimes I get kind of antsy and I tend to run without catching the ball,'' Hester said. ''Sometimes you get kind of frustrated from teams kicking away from you when you're looking for a return, and you get so anxious to get it.''

Manning and Hester have played up to their draft selection, but the surprise of the bunch has been fifth-round defensive end Mark Anderson, whose 12 sacks in the regular season led all rookies and were eighth in the league. It's the most rookie-year sacks produced by a player selected in the fifth round or lower.

''I remember watching the draft and seeing all those D-ends go in the first round,'' Anderson said of the seven defensive linemen, including four ends, who went off the board among the top 32 picks. ''I was rated the fourth or fifth guy, so I thought I was going in the second round.''

Instead, Anderson went on the second day, watching 14 players go off the board at his position before the Bears took him.

''Second-day draft picks use that as motivation,'' Anderson said. ''We know we're good. And we want to show teams they should have drafted us higher. We got overlooked, so we want to make plays.''