As Jerry Angelo prepares to make the biggest decision he ever has made in the NFL, a question looms: What kind of a decision-maker has he been for the Bears?
Angelo has been the Bears’ general manager for only two off-seasons, hardly enough to draw conclusions.
His performance was good enough in the eyes of team President Ted Phillips to get a four-year contract extension, a necessity as he goes into the marketplace to hire a new coach, who is likely to command at least a four-year contract.
Angelo was hired to be an all-purpose general manager, but his specialty is player personnel and he has made it clear he won’t give up any control in that area to a new coach.
“That’s my lifeline, that’s what I do,” he said.
So, what has he done?
The 2003 draft: With quarterback Rex Grossman, cornerback Charles Tillman and linebacker Lance Briggs ensconced as starters, it was one of the best in the NFL. Michael Haynes is likely to start at defensive left end next year, even if Phillip Daniels returns. Receiver Justin Gage will get the chance to be the team’s deep threat.
With the help of college scouting director Greg Gabriel and his staff, this has been Angelo’s biggest achievement.
The 2002 draft: This could wind up being a disaster. Top pick Marc Colombo missed the 2002 season after his second knee operation. The Bears are hopeful he will return next year, but his future is uncertain. Cornerback Roosevelt Williams, the second choice (in the third round), was a bust and was cut before this season. Third-round guard Terrence Metcalf showed promise as an occasional starter this year. Fourth-round pick Alex Brown improved in his second season, but is he good enough as a pass rusher to be the long-term right end? Fifth-round pick Bobby Gray is pushing Mike Green for the strong safety job. If he can cover, he will add an enforcing presence in the secondary.
Free agency: This has not been a fertile area for the Bears, and probably won’t be. In re-hiring Angelo, Phillips made it clear he believes in Angelo’s plan to build through the draft. Still, the Bears have to do more than a year ago, when their only major signings were quarterback Kordell Stewart, whom Pittsburgh had waived, and tight end Desmond Clark, who played for Miami in 2002 but wasn’t in its plans. Stewart didn’t work out; Clark did.
Deciding whom to keep: Another precept Phillips mentioned was “rewarding your own,” which isn’t as simple as it sounds. These days, teams can’t afford to keep all their productive veterans.
Angelo didn’t get into a bidding war for linebacker Rosevelt Colvin last year, partly because he knew he had to get Brian Urlacher signed to a long-term deal and partly because he was forced to match an offer to linebacker Warrick Holdman two years ago.
There would have been no market for Holdman if Angelo had made sure the Bears checked a box demanding compensation. This oversight is the most embarrassing moment of Angelo’s tenure.
Mike Brown vs. Tony Parrish: They were a feared safety combination in 2001 when Parrish was in the last year of his contract. Brown, in his second season, made big plays all season. Angelo decided he couldn’t afford two high-priced safeties, so he let Parrish leave for San Francisco and re-signed Brown last summer.
With the Bears playing a conservative pass defense this season, Brown’s job was to play deep. Big plays were rare, although coaches defended him.
Meanwhile, Parrish led the NFL with nine interceptions.
“We utilize him in a different way than Chicago did,” 49ers defensive coordinator Jim Mora Jr. said. “He covers tight ends and freelances over the middle.”
R.W. McQuarters vs. Walt Harris: Again, the 2001 season helped make long-term decisions. McQuarters, a failed first-round pick of the 49ers, played like a No. 1 pick for the first time in his career. Harris played well, but had struggled at times in his career. McQuarters got the contract; Harris signed with Indianapolis, which is glad to have him.
McQuarters lost his starting job six games into the 2003 season, but he averaged 12.2 yards on punt returns. If he has a future with the Bears, it’s as a nickel back and punt returner. If he keeps returning punts the way he did in 2003, ranking sixth in the NFL, he can make Angelo look good after all.
Those who stayed: In addition to Urlacher and Brown, Angelo made sure center Olin Kreutz, wide receiver Marty Booker and guard Rex Tucker didn’t walk away.
The Ted Washington trade: The Bears traded the run-stuffing defensive tackle with a week left in training camp, stunning his teammates in a move that some saw as undercutting Dick Jauron in a make-or-break season.
They got a fourth-round pick from New England, which hardly seemed worth it. Early in the season, they missed Washington’s run defense when they started 1-5.
In the end, the Bears finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs by three games, largely because of failures on offense. It’s doubtful Washington would have made enough difference for the Bears to win three more games.
Upcoming decisions: The coming free agency period offers more decisions for Angelo. The Bears appear set to let guard Chris Villarrial, an excellent run blocker, test the free agent market and probably leave. What will they do about Daniels, who’s scheduled to make $3 million next season, if they expect Haynes to start?
Whether it’s the draft or free agency, they need to find a left tackle to protect Grossman’s blind side. With the 14th pick in the first round, they probably are drafting too late to get a can’t-miss prospect at that position.
Running back is also a position of concern because Anthony Thomas doesn’t help much in the passing game and the Bears have no effective third-down back. Thomas was not happy with the way he was used this season and is eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2004 season. If the Bears have the chance to draft a back who is also an accomplished receiver, they probably will.
