Rams News

BEARS COURT ENIS, MOSTLY TO WIDEN TRADING OPTIONS

By John Mullin
Tribune Staff Writer
April 2, 1998

The possible key to the Bears' draft came to Halas Hall on Wednesday.

The Bears, who signed free agent Edgar Bennett to a four-year contract, are not expected to take Penn State tailback Curtis Enis with the fifth overall pick. But the St. Louis Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots are among a handful of teams eyeing Enis as the answer to the need for a running back, along with the Arizona Cardinals, who have the third overall pick.

And Enis has visits pending with Arizona, Jacksonville and New England.

If teams are willing to offer a blockbuster deal to move up to No. 5, the Bears gain the picks they covet for reshaping their team. If Enis is the choice of the Cardinals, whose top off-season priority is running back and who have traded down already from second to third, the Bears could move up to No. 3 for Florida State defensive end Andre Wadsworth.

"I don't know what Arizona is going to ask for exactly," personnel vice president Mark Hatley said. "We've talked to them, but not nearly as much as we did trying to get the second pick of the draft."

Enis, like Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss, who visited Tuesday, was treated to lunch by Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton and used the occasion for a confession.

"He has all these highlight tapes I used to steal moves off of, and I finally got the chance to admit it to him," Enis said, smiling. "It was great to speak with a legend, and that's one of my goals, to be a legend like Mr. Payton."

He may be, if history holds. Penn State running backs other than Blair Thomas, a bust for the New York Jets at No. 2 in 1990, typically are draft hits.

The Cincinnati Bengals traded up from fifth to No. 1 overall in 1995 to snare Ki-Jana Carter, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury in preseason but still has scored 15 touchdowns the last two years. The Bears were well served by Nittany Lions fullback Matt Suhey, a second-rounder in 1980. The then-Baltimore Colts were more than satisfied with Penn Staters Lenny Moore (1956 eighth overall, Hall of Fame) and Lydell Mitchell (1972 second round). Franco Harris was the 13th pick overall in 1972 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Curt Warner was the Seattle Seahawks' first-round pick in 1983, and led the AFC in rushing as a rookie.

Enis, who is 6 feet and 250 pounds, rushed for 1,210 yards and 13 touchdowns in 1996, then gained 1,363 last year, with an average of 6 yards per carry and 20 touchdowns. Teams are also looking at his 57 catches over the last two seasons as evidence that he is a complete back with size.

"At the running back spot, I think weight is a plus for you," Enis said. "Guys like Jerome Bettis and Eddie George are carrying the ball many times a game and are able to put together long drives for their ballclubs. They may not score every time, but they wear the defenses out. I've had some of my most successful games in the fourth quarters where we've worn defenses out."

Enis took full responsibility for accepting a suit from an agent last December, a violation of NCAA rules that cost him a chance to play in the Citrus Bowl. It took away his final year of eligibility, too, but Enis said he was planning to turn pro anyway.

"The NCAA is there to govern and their rules are there for a purpose," Enis said. "I broke those rules, made a mistake and had to suffer the consequences. I knew the rule and I still made the mistake. I think the good thing about it is that I learned from that mistake."

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