The acquisition of defensive end Gaines Adams Friday night by the Bears was a stunner because top-five draft picks just aren’t often traded early in their third season.
It’s a move by the Bears that looks to a future now more likely to be without defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.
“O-Gun” leads Chicago with 4.5 sacks this year, and should remain a starter for the rest of the season. But he turns 33 before before the 2010 campaign and will be a free agent in March.
Adams’ arrival also puts reserve Mark Anderson “on notice” according to the Chicago Tribune. Anderson has been a disappointment since his big rookie season, and also seems likely to leave next year via free agency.
Ogunleye was originally acquired by G.M. Jerry Angelo in a trade for Marty Booker and a third-round pick. It’s a move that has worked out well for the Bears; Ogunleye has started all 77 games he’s played in Chicago with solid production.
Now it looks like Ogunleye will ultimately be replaced by another high-risk, high-reward defensive end acquired via trade.