- Joined
- Jan 22, 2005
- Messages
- 31,008
- Reaction score
- 15,562
Food for thought: did BB make the right call here?
Bears have no shortage of TEs, but it's not clear why :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Mike Mulligan
Bears have no shortage of TEs, but it's not clear why :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Mike Mulligan
League sources say Bears GM Jerry Angelo was approached by his friend Bill Belichick, the New England Patriots coach, during the NFL owners meetings in March about what the team wanted in return for Olsen. The Patriots had three second-round picks, and Angelo asked for the first of them -- No.44 overall -- for Olsen, a former No. 1 pick.
There wasn't any haggling about the price, but the Bears figured that wouldn't happen until draft day. They were half-expecting a call from Belichick and ready to make a deal, while not outright shopping the player. Manumaleuna was already aboard and Clark had been given a $475,000 bonus to retain his services.
Belichick never called on draft day, instead trading up two slots to No. 42 overall where he took Arizona product Rob Gronkowski, who had missed the 2009 college season after undergoing surgery to fix a herniated disc and repair nerve damage in his back. Gronkowski was selected with the draft pick that the Bears originally gave up to Tampa Bay in the Gaines Adams deal. New England drafted another tight end, Florida's Aaron Hernandez, with a fourth-round pick (No. 113 overall).