Thread: Source: Osi Umenyiora can seek trade

Too bad the Giants no longer are giving him permission to seek a trade. I heard it on NFL Network last night. That sucks hairy monkey balls.

I mistakenly created a new thread about the Giants withdrawing their permission and put it in the Rivals Forum. Sorry BC, maybe you can combine the two.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

All things I heard pointed to the Bears having no interest anyway.

Why would they? They might actually have to pay an extra penny to acquire him.

He had 10 forced fumbles last year, i don't remember how many sacks, but that alone would've been worth the 2nd they were allowing for a short amount of time.

Just another opinion to toss into the mix but ESPN's Michael C. Wright doesn't think he'd be worth it either. Remember, not only do we need to give up a pick but then Osi wants a long term deal worth an average of over $10 mil per year. Sorry, we only had one DE contract like that to hand out and Peppers got in last year and he didn't cost us any draft picks.
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Osi not worth pick in 1st or 2nd round

August, 4, 2011Aug 4
4:30
PM CT

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By Michael C. Wright


Fernando Medina/US PresswireOsi Umenyiora had 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles for the Giants last season.
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Should the Bears go after Osi Umenyiora? Probably, since he would make a nice complement to Julius Peppers. Should they give up what it would take to acquire him? Absolutely not.

Here's a quick rundown to catch you up on the situation. Because Umenyiora is seeking a new deal to replace his contract -- which has two years and $7.1 million remaining on it -- the Giants gave his agent Tony Agnone permission to seek out a trade earlier this week. But the Giants quickly rescinded it when the agent couldn't find a partner willing to surrender a first-round pick.

Obviously, the Bears were likely included among the teams to which Agnone shopped his client, and if that's the case, general manager Jerry Angelo made the right call in not giving up a first-round pick for Umenyiora.

While his numbers from last season -- 11.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles -- definitely make him an enticing option to pair with Peppers, a first-round pick might be -- scratch "might be" -- is too much for the Bears to pay.

The Giants reportedly lowered their asking price Tuesday to a second-rounder.

But keep in mind that Angelo has said he's no longer in the business of trading away draft picks, and for good reason. The Bears are still playing catch-up for the picks they gave up in the trade for quarterback Jay Cutler. Before drafting offensive tackle Gabe Carimi in April, the Bears -- as a result of the Cutler acquisition -- hadn't picked in the first round since 2008.

While Umenyiora -- like Peppers -- possesses the explosive first step that makes tackles weak in the knees, great balance, and excellent range, he's not exceptionally physical when teams run right at him, and that last trait isn't one that's coveted by a Bears team intent on stuffing the run first.

He'll run down quarterbacks, for sure. Ask Cutler, who saw Umenyiora three times on a nine-sack half last October that resulted in the quarterback leaving the game with a concussion.

But is he worth the Bears giving up a first-round pick? No. Draft picks -- especially first-rounders -- are like gold to GMs around the league, which is why it's so rare that they're given up easily.

Let's also remember that Umenyiora underwent ACL surgery a few years back, and is coming off offseason hip surgery, which makes prospects for a long-term deal (that's likely what the Bears would have to offer) somewhat shaky.

If the Giants want to talk about acquiring the third-round pick the Bears acquired in the Greg Olsen trade for Umenyiora, that's a subject definitely worth discussing.

But if the asking price remains a first- or second-round pick, the Bears would be wise to pass on Umenyiora.