Joe Anello's NFL Football Fan Profile

Bears ink draft class early; Are they considering a veteran receiver? posted on 06/18/2009

I can’t remember a busier or more significant Chicago Bears offseason. After the miraculous acquisition of Jay Cutler (which I still can’t believe happened), and then the signing of Orlando Pace, Jerry Angelo could have sat out the rest of free agency and skipped the draft and Bears fans would have been content. Not one to rest on his new QB’s laurels, Angelo refuses to let up.

Foremost among the newest faces is recently signed linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, formerly of the St. Louis Rams. Pisa brings a wealth of experience and talent to the strong side, where he should beat out Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer for the starting job. Roach filled in when Hunter was injured last season, but neither player asserted themselves in the role. Tinoisamoa is coming off a regular season where he led the Rams with 104 tackles (88 solo) and added three sacks and two forced fumbles. Paired with Pro-Bowler Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, Tinoisamoa makes Chicago’s linebacking unit one of the best in the NFL.

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Chicago Bears Draft Day Two: Angelo Finally Gets Busy posted on 04/27/2009

With nine picks in the final six rounds, the Chicago Bears addressed their most pressing areas of need. Wide receiver, the defensive line, and safety were all points of focus for the Bears, who used six of their nine selections in those areas. It was a solid draft if nothing else, getting value late in the draft.

Round 3
Jarron Gilbert DT San Jose State 6’5” 288lbs
Gilbert projects to be an eventual starter at tackle for Chicago and could play on the outside, given that they could lose 3 ends in free agency this next off-season. This year he’ll see most of his use as a alongside Tommie Harris, threatening oft-injured Dusty Dvoracek’s roster spot. Gilbert is known for his “pool jump” found here, where he jumps from inside an in-ground pool to the surrounding pavement. Its impressive, to say the least, but he won’t be jumping any pools in the NFL.

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NFL Draft Day One: Bears Trade Down and Out & Other Notes posted on 04/25/2009

So there is barely any news on the Chicago front. After waiting over five hours to make their only pick of the day at number 17 in the second round (49th overall), the Chicago Bears made a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The Bears sent their 2nd round selection to Seattle and received the Seahawks’ 3rd round (68th overall) and 4th round (105th) choices, both of which will be on Sunday.

This struck me as fairly odd. Georgia wide-out Mohamed Massaquoi and Missouri safety William Moore were still on the board at 49. Massaquoi was the last remaining receiver that would warrant a high selection and could have slid in at the number two spot in the Bears’ offense. Moore was Mel Kiper’s top-rated safety in the entire draft. Maybe Jerry Angelo didn’t think Moore had the instincts for the free safety spot, but Massaquoi was a target all along. Instead, the Bears trade out of the first day of the draft and will have an extremely busy Sunday with nine selections in the final four rounds.

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Chicago Bears 2009 NFL Draft Preview posted on 04/23/2009

Mmm… draft weekend. I live for it. Call me crazy, call me an NFL freak, but I simply can’t get enough Mel Kiper or Todd McShay spouting off intangibles of some cornerback out of Florida State in the fifth round. I will be pasted to my couch this weekend, analyzing every Bears selection and dutifully following the ticker at the bottom of the screen.

Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo traded away a small chunk of this year’s draft in the now epic Jay Cutler deal. So instead of at 18, his first pick comes off the board at 49, in the middle of the second round. Also, his instead of two third round picks at 84 and 99, he is left with the latter, a compensatory pick awarded for losing Bernard Berrian in free agency last off-season.  Still, even with those losses, Angelo has a great deal of work ahead of him on this draft weekend with seven picks total (One in each round 2-6, two compensatory picks in round 7). What should he do? What do the Bears need? I break it down right here, right now.

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Chicago Bears Trade for Cutler, Sign Pace posted on 04/02/2009

Jay Cutler is a Chicago Bear. I said it. I can’t believe it. This was a pipedream. All I wanted to hear was that the Bears expressed their interest and were on the phones trying to make an offer. I did not even fathom the idea that they could actually land a franchise quarterback. General Manager Jerry Angelo not only called the Broncos, but pulled the trigger on a massive blockbuster trade, acquiring the Pro Bowl QB from Denver.

On first analysis, what the Bears sent to Denver could seem like a king’s ransom, but on a closer look, the Bears didn’t give away all that much. Here’s how the trade breaks down:

Denver receives:
Bears’ 1st round selection in 2009 (18th overall)
3rd round selection in 2009 (84th overall)
1st round selection in 2010

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