Bears Awarded a 3rd Rounder and Two 7th Rounders

Today the Bears were handed a 3rd round pick (the 99th) and two seven rounders in this years NFL Draft.

The Bears' picks in the seventh round are as follows:

37th pick, 246 overall
42nd pick, 251 overall

Jerry Angelo has landed Alex Brown, Nate Vasher and Kyle Orton all in the third round not bad, considering Jerry Angelo's struggles as GM.

Compensatory picks are handed out each year to teams for their net loss in free agency.

The Bears lost Bernard Berrian (Minnesota), tight end John Gilmore (Tampa Bay) and special teamer Brendon Ayanbadejo (Baltimore) as unrestricted free agents a year ago. The team did not sign any UFA's, so they receive three draft picks.

2008 Stats: Bernard Berrian vs Devin Hester

Bernard Berrian: Minnesota Vikings

68th in receptions (48)

24th in receiving yards (964)

1st in longest reception (99 yards)

tied for 12th in recieving TDs (7)

3rd highest cap value for a receiver

4th highest total salary WR

Devin Hester: Chicago Bears

63rd in receptions ( 51)

49th in receiving yards (665 )

36th in longest reception (65 yards)

tied for 61st in receiving TDs (3)

70th highest cap value for a receiver

20th highest total salary WR

Whose worth it in the long run?

Obviously Berrian had the better stats, but he also had other receivers to help him get less double teams, unlike Hester, who was the main weapon for the Bears.

There both playmakers, but Devin Hester is just so good when he gets in open space, he can make guys miss easily.

Why did Bernard Berrian Ever Leave the Bears for the Vikings?

Bernard Berrian said he wanted the Bears' quarterback situation to be settled and didn't want to go through a Kyle Orton-Rex Grossman battle.

But he got a six-year, $42 million deal with the Vikings.

This offer blew away the Bears offer, which was closer to $5.5 million annually.

The Bears had room to put the franchise tag on him because they're about $9 million under the salary cap.

''I knew they weren't going to come out of the pocket and pay for that,'' he said.

Berrian stopped short of calling Chicago a graveyard for receivers, as his former starting mate Muhsin Muhammad did, but he knows where Moose was coming from.

''It was hard being a receiver over there,'' he said. ''There was so much -- let me see, what's the right word to say -- it was a carousel. It was a quarterback carousel. So it's hard to get rhythm with a quarterback and really know what you're going into and what you're looking at.''

Berrian had 30 catches for 408 yards and no scores through six games with the Bears last year.

Asked if he has been surprised by a Bears offense that ranks 13th in the league, Berrian said: ''A little bit. But I've always said [Orton's] style of play, it enables them to win easier."

''I still thought Rex was going to be the guy. That's the way it just worked out. I always thought the way Kyle managed the game, it enables them really to let the defense win the game. They've been playing good football on both sides of the ball, so it's been even better.''

We all know Berrian left for the big time money because his agent is Drew Rosenhaus.

But, Berrian told reporters that he left because of the QB problems in Chicago, but obviously there not better in Minnesota.

They would be a great team with Berrian still at wide receiver, but they were not willing to pay the money to a guy, who wasn't that great.

Good luck this Sunday against your former team Bernard.

Bears Release WR Mark Bradley

The Chicago Bears have announced the release of former second-round pick WR Mark Bradley today.

Bradley was injured in his first two years, from 2005-2006. He injured his knee, ankle, and ACL in the time span.

Last season Bradley played in 15 games, catching just six passes for 71 yards and one touchdown. He primarily played on the special teams.

I always thought Bradley had the big play ability, but I guess the Bears didn't see that.

DT Tommie Harris, who is coming back from knee surgery, didn't agree with his former teammate's release.

"I don't feel like he had a fair chance," Harris said. "I feel like he just had his job taken from him. You know how it goes: He had a knee surgery, then he lost his job."

Bradley knew his release was coming; he thought during the preseason that he would be waived. He was surprised he even made the 53-man roster.

Harris said he had a conversation with Bradley in the preseason, where Bradley indicated he asked the team for his release.

"Mark understood that this was going to happen from the beginning," Harris said. "He asked for his release so he would have a fair chance to be on somebody else's roster. But I guess they wanted to wait until week four for whatever reason."

Bradley was inactive for the opening game against the Colts, and he played on special team against the Panthers and Buccaneers.

Bradley had 36 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns in his three seasons with the Bears.

What's Next for Bradley?

Harris believes Bradley's future is bright.

"He's a great receiver, he'll get picked up by another team and do well," Harris said.

Harris and Bradley were teammates at the University of Oklahoma and developed a good relationship in their time together in Chicago.

What Now?

Lovie Smith said in the preseason that Bradley would have the No. 1 WR spot to start the season, but then Bradley had knee surgery and he lost his spot.

The Bears expected Bradley to take over for Muhsin Muhammad (released) and Bernard Berrian (signed with the Vikings).

Expect the Bears to promote WR Brandon Rideau from the practice squad if Devin Hester stays out of the lineup for a while.

So, Hamilton Played Against Us Four Days Ago and Now He Is on Our Team?

Yes, after spending his entire rookie season on Tampa Bay’s practice squad last year, Marcus Hamilton made his NFL debut Sunday against the Bears, recording one tackle and two pass breakups.

The seventh-round draft pick from Virginia forced the Bears to punt on their first two possessions of the second half by breaking up third-down passes intended for Brandon Lloyd and Marty Booker.

Hamilton was brought in to help a struggling secondary.

Did You Know?

Bradley's release leaves quarterback Kyle Orton as the lone member left from the Bears' 2005 draft class.

Bradley is also the second second-round pick Jerry Angelo has cut in the last month, following Dan Bazuin out the Halas Hall door.

Why Was Bradley Released?

Obviously Bradley couldn't stay healthy and when he played he struggled to keep focus. Look for the Dolphins or Seahawks to pick him up.