Thread: First Round Picks Mostly Miss During the Angelo Era

Here is the list of his 1st round picks, now that we're down to 1 left on our roster. What I really find interesting is that some people still seem to think JA was a decent GM. You read that in some posts here, where folks feel like he really wasn't so bad.

LINK to the article


First Round Picks Mostly Miss During the Angelo Era


The recent release of Chris Williams by the Bears leaves Gabe Carimi as the only first round pick remaining from the Jerry Angelo era. The McNeil and Spiegel show discussed the Bears worst first round draft picks over the last 20 years. In his 11 seasons of running the Bears the Bears had nine first round draft picks. Only one, Tommie Harris would make the Pro Bowl. Angelo was hired in June of 2001, so his first draft was in 2002.

Angelo was hired following a 5-11 season and 11-21 start to the Dick Jauron era. The first round pick preceding the Angelo’s hire was Wide Receiver David Terrell from Michigan. Terrell last four years with the Bears and never exceeded 43 receptions or 699 yards in a season.

Marc Colombo OT Boston College 2002, 29th Pick

After being selected 29th overall, Colombo had an injury plagued tenure with the Bears. He played in only 24 games with seven starts in parts of four seasons. The Bears released him following the first game of the 2005 season.

Colombo would go on to play six seasons in Dallas. He was the team's starting right tackle in his last five seasons with the Cowboys. Colombo retired after spending 2011 in Miami.

Michael Haynes DE Penn State 2003, 14th Pick

The Bears took Haynes with the first of two first round draft picks in 2003 at number 14. It’s hard to determine who Angelo’s biggest bust was. Considering where he was picked it would be hard to argue with Haynes.

He lasted just three seasons with the Bears before being cut in before the 2006 season. In his three seasons with the Bears he he just five and half sacks, one interception that was returned for a touchdown and one forced fumble. He started for games in 2005.
After leaving the Bears he had a short stint on the Saints practice roster and lasted a day with the Jets in 2008.

Rex Grossman QB Florida 2003, 22nd Pick

Grossman was the Bears second first round pick in 2003. It was the only time in Angelo’s tenure that the Bears had two first round picks. The Bears acquired the pick from the Jets in exchange for the 13th pick and the 22nd pick in the first and the Jets fourth round pick. The Bears then traded the pick to New England to move down one spot and the Patriots sixth round pick.

He didn’t become a full time starter for the Bears until his fourth season in 2006. He was the third string Quarterback as a rookie in 2003. In 2004 and 2005, Grossman suffered injuries that caused him to miss most of the season. He recovered in 2005 to return for the Bears playoffs loss to Carolina.

Throughout most of his career, many analysts and pundits have criticized him for his inconsistency. When Grossman is being discussed by the media and fans, he is freq frequently referred to as good Rex and bad Rex.

The eighth start of Grossman’s career in the playoff loss to the Panthers. Bad Rex showed up. Grossman finished 17-41 for 192 yards and a touchdown and an interception. He had one good game and one bad in the Bears run to Super Bowl XLI after the 2006 season.
His inconsistency ultimately cost him his job in Chicago. He split the starting job with Kyle Orton and Brian Griese in 2007. Orton became the permanent starter in 2008 and Grossman left after the season.

He has played for Houston and Washington after he left Chicago.

Tommie Harris DT Oklahoma 2004, 14th Pick

Harris was a starter from the outset of his rookie season. He started 84 of his first 90 games with the Bears. Harris was a three time pro bowler that was a mainstay on defense for consecutive division winners in his second and third seasons in 2005 and 2006.
Harris sustained a hamstring injury that cost him the final five games, plus the postseason during the Bears run to Super Bowl XLI.
In seven seasons with the Bears, Harris had 28.5 sacks.

Cedric Benson RB Texas 2005, 4th Pick

After finishing the season 5-11, the Bears picked Cedric Benson fourth in 2005. He had a controversial three year run in Chicago. Benson rushed for 1,593 yards in three seasons with the Bears. Frustrated with his off the field problems, the Bears released Benson on June 9, 2008 after he was arrested twice in the previous five weeks.

Benson had three straight 1,000 yard seasons for Cincinnati from 2009-2011. He signed with Green Bay this past offseason. Benson suffered a lisfranc injury (displacement of bones in your foot) in the fifth game of this season as is expected to be out eight weeks.

2006 NFL Draft: Bears Make a Move

The Bears did not have a first round pick in 2006, they traded their first round pick to Buffalo for the Bills second and third round picks. The Bills selected DT John McCargo at 26. The Bears used the picks from Buffalo for S Danieal Manning and DT Dusty Dvoracek.

Greg Olsen TE Miami (Fla.), 2007 31st pick.

After losing to the Colts in Super Bowl XLI, the Bears used the pick to improve the Bears passing game. In four seasons with the Bears Olsen started 39 game. He had 194 receptions for 1, 981 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Bears traded him after the 2010 season to Carolina for a third round draft pick.

Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt, 2008 14th pick.

Three time during the Angelo era, the Bears picked 14th in the first round. Twice that pick was a major bust. The pick seemed doomed from the start. He suffered from herniated disc in training camp that caused his debut to be delayed until the eighth game of the season. Williams would play in final nine games of his rookie season. He started all 16 games at both tackle spots in his second season before moving to right guard and starting in 13 games in 2010. He would be injured again in 2011 laying in only nine games before his release in October of 2012.

Jay Cutler Trade (2009 and 2010 First Round Picks to Denver)

On April 3, 2009, the Bears acquired the franchise Quarterback Bears fans had been clamoring for since at least Jim McMahon’s injuries ended his Bears tenure. They sent two first round picks, a third round pick and QB Kyle Orton to Denver for Cutler and a fifth round pick.
Denver would select DE Robert Ayers and trade the 2010 first round pick to San Francisco.

Gabe Carimi OT Wisconsin 2011, 29th Pick

After reaching the NFC Championship game in 2011, the Bears used the 29th pick in the first round to improve their offensive line. Carimi started two games at right tackle in 2011 as a rookie before missing the remainder of the season with a knee injury. He has returned this season and started all five game thus far. Carimi is the only remaining first round pick still with the Bears from the Angelo era.