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The Chris Harris Effect?

It's easy to put the blame on a lot of things or people for this disastrous Chicago Bears season. You can blame the coaching, the players, or even Jay Cutler. But what if a simple trade that Jerry Angelo made in the 2007 training camp was never made? What if they would have kept this particular player instead of letting him go because the position was "full"? Let's find out.

The Bears traded safety Chris Harris to the Carolina Panthers during training camp 2007. Angelo said the trade was made because we were too deep at safety. But are you ever really to deep at a position? Especially with a guy that started at safety since his rookie year.

In Harris rookie year of 2005, Harris recorded three interceptions along with 48 tackles and two fumble recovery's. Not bad for a rookie, huh?

In 2006 Harris was a key member of a defense that was one of the best in the NFL. A high flying defense that shut down opposing teams, and struck fear into opposing teams eyes. With Mike Brown going down after the historic Arizona game, Harris became the primary safety on the defense. He finished with two interceptions and 44 tackles in 11 games.

So what would happen if the Bears didn't trade Harris and kept him? Let's go to week 2 of the 2008 NFL season.

The Chicago Bears are playing the home team Carolina Panthers. Bears leading by 11 in the third quarter, Panthers safety Chris Harris strips tight end Greg Olsen leading to a Jonathon Stewart four yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Bears. A huge momentum swing back to the Panthers who eventually won the game.

See the thing is, Harris led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2007, and two in 2008. Pretty good numbers for a safety.

The Bears would eventually miss the playoffs by one game. So if they beat the Panthers instead of Chris Harris the former Bear beating them, they would have finished 10-6 and a wild card birth. Playing the Giants in the first round.

Who knows if the Bears would have beat the Giants? Nobody knows to be exact. But with the way the Bears were playing towards the end of the season last year, anything could happen.

That leads me to make next possible point.

Say the Bears do make the playoffs. It doesn't matter if the Bears win or lose in the playoffs, but does Jerry Angelo make the trade for Jay Cutler? Does he give up the draft picks for a stable quarterback? Or do they stick with Kyle Orton who leads them to the playoffs in 2008?

Maybe the Bears stick with Orton, and then have their first round pick in 2009. Needing an offensive threat, the Bears take... let's say Percy Harvin?

Harvin is having a pretty good rookie year for a solid Vikings team. He might be producing the same as a Bear with Kyle Orton. And the Bears did need a threat at the wide out spot. Only makes sense they draft him.

So maybe Urlacher is right. Maybe we have changed our identity because of our new quarterback. Are we a better team for the future with Cutler? Yes we are. But would our "identity" stay the same with Kyle Orton? Yes it would.

I'm not saying Cutler is the reason we suck, I cant blame everything on him. There is numerous reasons why we are doing bad. But could a trade that happened two years ago effect us this much?

That's for you to decide.



2 recs  |  Comment 33 comments

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Aren't we making a few assumptions here?
Maybe the Bears stick with Orton, and then have their first round pick in 2009. Needing an offensive threat, the Bears take… let’s say Percy Harvin?

Angelo would probably draft another DE, not a WR in the first round. Whoever he drafted probably would have been a disappointment. The man defies logic.

by TrialsBass on Dec 4, 2009 9:07 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

I firmly beleive that we needed a playmaker on Offense..

by zack54attack on Dec 4, 2009 10:23 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Fun but basically useless

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 5, 2009 10:15 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

basically useless

since it changes nothing

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 7, 2009 4:39 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

It can't be that useless of a post

since you read it and commented on it a few times! ;)

by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Dec 8, 2009 10:37 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

boredom makes me dumb things sometimes

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 8, 2009 5:32 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I dumb things a lot too.

You are all gentlemen (and ladies) and good judges of cheap whiskey.

by Dane Noble on Dec 8, 2009 7:17 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

touche

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 10, 2009 2:06 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Angelo can not draft period.

thats why he should be fired.

by Nando21 on Dec 4, 2009 9:29 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

you forgot to mention the best thing about harris

he was a hitter! we miss that on our defense in the good years of 2005 and 2006 the bears defense laid people out! guys like todd johnson mike green mike brown chriss harris urlacher briggs would constantly be laying the wood to opposing teams. since the departure of harris and browns our safeties lack the killer instinct i mean payne has made a few hits but no where near as many as harris i never like that trade wasnt he traded for like a 6th round pick? wtf?

by Bear Lovin 21 on Dec 4, 2009 9:53 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Yup I agree

Harris was a huge hitter. We had some of the best hitting safetys in the NFL

He was traded for a 5th round pick. Which ended up being Zack Bowman.

by zack54attack on Dec 4, 2009 10:25 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

todd johnson

i remember being annoyed once again w/the bears when they let him go. he was good on special teams as well.

by reefermadness3 on Dec 4, 2009 10:27 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

yep

Zack he is right in a way, the current Bears staff do not fit the QB and that really is a result of poor planning by the GM and the coaching staff. There are many factors in play which are resulting in this type of a season. Good speculation, by the way.

"I am not an animal!" - Merrick

by Maelvampyre on Dec 4, 2009 10:19 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

i agree, good speculation

reminds me of another scrub by the name of marcus hamilton. guy made a key play helping the bucs beat the bears last year then, after getting picked up by the bears, goes and gives away the atlanta game on that last ryan pass. i hope he’s not in the league anymore and instead is working some menial job.

didn’t chris harris get a pick on manning in the super bowl too?

by reefermadness3 on Dec 4, 2009 10:30 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

IF Jerry Angelo wouldn't have traded for Cutler....

THEN, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith wouldn’t have lost their jobs after the 2009 season.

I think that’s a better result than anything anyone else could’ve asked for.

"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)

Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.

by SackMan on Dec 4, 2009 10:35 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

quite the assumption

and i for one wholeheartedly support it

by reefermadness3 on Dec 4, 2009 10:49 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

LOL

Nice one, I like the way you think outside the box!

by Gesiakob on Dec 5, 2009 5:01 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I hope the Chris Harris situation...

can be a lesson for all GMs and talent evaluators. If you have a player who plays well, perhaps not elite, but still can play well, have a good reason to trade him. “We have too many good (insert position name here)”, is either a stupid excuse or a serious lack of talent evaluation. Brown was having trouble staying healthy and Harris was playing well. It’s not like the Bears got anything for the trade. It would have made sense if the Bears traded for another established player, but draft picks are a 50/50 proposition at best. If you do not learn from your mistakes, then you are an idiot who deserves to lose your jorb.

When you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!!!

by LostInSTL on Dec 5, 2009 2:37 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Right LostInSTL.

Jerry Angelo put too much faith in his drafting ability. The Chris Harris situation is just another example of his flawed thinking. I think Jerry’s Draft history is more like a 30/70 proposition. 30/70 against.

by Gesiakob on Dec 5, 2009 5:03 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Nice post and nice catch

To make an even bigger point about the Chris Harris move, this is the move that basically started the domino affect we are witnessing now. It was a move that showed the arrogance of Angelo as a GM and Lovie as a coach and both as evaluators.

The Bears had just made the Superbowl the year before and Lovie made the famous statement of “trust me” when he fired Rivera and gave his buddy Babich the DC position. But also remember, a month before trading Chris Harris, Lovie also brought in his buddy Adam Archuleta. Notice a trend here? So yeah they said they were full at the position but it was predicated by bad roster decisions by Lovie and Angelo.

Look ’07 was the year Angelo took Dan Bauzin, Garrett Wolfe, Micheal Okwo, Kevin Payne, and Corey Grahm. All of these moves were made right after the Superbowl apperance. But the biggest move was made before all of these moves… The contract extensions of Lovie and Angelo in March of that year!

So Zack you did it. You tripped up on the reason this team is terrible now. It isn’t the trade for Jay Cutler. It isn’t the development of our wideouts. It isn’t just the decline of Tommiw Harris. It isn’t the demeanor of the coach. It’s the arrogance that this organization showed after a SB appearance. Trading a proven safety for a 5th round pick was one of the first dominoes that set off the chain reaction we’re witnessing today. And that is why a change from top to bottom needs to be made.

by Dils on Dec 5, 2009 5:49 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Exactly!

And now that the wheels are falling off they are going to be questioned about it. Lovie told us to trust him and we did. And now all the moves they made are suspect. There was a poster here that asked me if I could do a better job as the GM or Head Coach in retrospect. I don’t think I could have done any worse then these two clowns. Lovie Smith and jerry Angelo ought to write a book titled ’ 2006/ How To Dismantle A Super Bowl Team’.

by Gesiakob on Dec 5, 2009 6:51 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

We always off load good players ...

…it’s our lot in life. Berrian, Colombo, Benson, TJ & TJ, Urlacher this off season ….

by Irish Bears Fan on Dec 7, 2009 1:59 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

I was so pissed

when they traded him. As many have mentioned here, it defied any logic. Since the SB, JA has done some “head-scratching” personnel decisions that have affected the Bears in an adverse way.

Harris
TJ/CB debacle(s)
Berrian not tagged
Drafting Gilbert and Melton instead of a FS or WR or OT/G

Very different spin on an old issue….well done!

We're not scaremongering (nightmare of a season continues), this is really happening (Bears are more than done) - Radiohead

by propheteer on Dec 8, 2009 10:17 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

Agree with EVERYTHING you said

except Berrian. He would’ve demanded too much money for a mediocre receiver. Wasn’t it him or Briggs, or am I mixing up old headlines?

-------
"Newbie, if the next two words out of your mouth aren't 'See ya' then the third word will be 'Oh my god. My crotch. You've punched me in my crotch." - Dr. Percival Ulysses Cox

by smudgers on Dec 8, 2009 12:59 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I believe

that was what the media said about the situation. In reality, they had enough to tag him for one year though. I agree that he’s not worth the big contract he received; better to allocate that money elsewhere.

We're not scaremongering (nightmare of a season continues), this is really happening (Bears are more than done) - Radiohead

by propheteer on Dec 8, 2009 2:16 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

letting BB go was smart

undertalented and overpriced

I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren

by lookingdeadred on Dec 8, 2009 5:33 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

No

7 Years, 49 Million.,(if I remember correctly), I think we can all agree that was one of the few good moves they made. They went with Hester instead.

by Gesiakob on Dec 14, 2009 12:01 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I see that this post is from a few weeks ago

But did you know that Chris Harris actually has an sbnation account?

by Donald Driver on Dec 28, 2009 5:54 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

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