The Bears have had their most financially aggressive off-season since the start of free agency. It should also be one of their most troubling.
After paying big money to keep Mike Brown and Brian Urlacher, they spent free-agency money on tackle John Tait, guard Ruben Brown and running back Thomas Jones. Now comes Adewale Ogunleye, a trade made in the belief that it’s worth giving up one’s top offensive threat in exchange for a top pass rusher. The problem: You shouldn’t have to.
The Bears and GM Jerry Angelo have been forced onto a course that has a history of failure, that of spending an NFL fortune on free agents to make up for misses in the draft, still the undisputed foundation of successful franchises.
Tait was signed because Marc Columbo (2002 first round) missed, an injury-induced failure. Ruben Brown was needed to replace Chris Villarrial but also because Terrence Metcalf (2002 third round) has been a miss. Angelo believes in paying one offensive lineman major money, two at most, and now he has Tait, Brown, center Olin Kreutz and injured guard Rex Tucker.
Jones was bought because Anthony Thomas (2001 second round) is now considered a miss. Ogunleye was necessary because neither Alex Brown (2002 fourth round) nor Michael Haynes (2003 first round) has provided the required pass rush.
The approach didn’t work in Washington and several other venues of financial freewheeling. Expectations now go up exponentially along with the price tags for a team of veterans bought for now.