[CBFF] Future definitely is now for Gabriel :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears - Sent Using Google Toolbar

[Steve Behrens]

<<Gabriel was one of Angelo's first hires in June 2001. Three of the
Bears' four Pro Bowl selections last season were draft picks -- Devin
Hester, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris -- and four of Gabriel's picks
from 2003 to '06 make the Pro Bowl.>>


SO what's the problem... No brainer, resign the guy.

-Behr





On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 11:12 AM, Tom Shannon <tshanno at gmail.com> wrote:

> Future definitely is now for Gabriel :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears
>
> Future definitely is now for Gabriel
>
>
>
> February 22, 2008
> BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs at suntimes.com
>
> INDIANAPOLIS -- The combine is a proving ground for players with NFL
> aspirations.
>
> Turns out it's also a proving ground for Bears college scouting
> director Greg Gabriel. His future with the team is at least somewhat
> up in the air after he was given only a one-year contract extension
> after the team's Super Bowl run. That contract is up in May, and
> general manager Jerry Angelo will determine Gabriel's future.
>
> RELATED STORIES Mulligan: Bears already Rex-messaging Bears in Brief:
> Berrian a goner? Not yet
>
> In other words, Gabriel will be running the most important draft in
> Angelo's tenure without a safety net. Angelo downplayed the status of
> Gabriel, whom he has known for 25 years, including time they spent
> together with the New York Giants.
>
> ''His contract was up last year, and he is with us,'' Angelo said.
> ''My intent is to talk to Greg. We're fine. There is nothing going on.
> If I didn't trust Greg, we would not have gone through this year as we
> did.
>
> ''There are some things I wanted to do differently this year to make
> us better in terms of how we scout, and I wanted to see some things.
> We kind of left it at that. He and I talked about what those things
> were, and we changed our philosophy this year.''
>
> It's unclear what those changes were, although Angelo spent a lot of
> time during a media briefing going over the increased emphasis on
> on-field character the Bears are placing on the scouting process.
> While Angelo didn't say the names Michael Haynes, Tank Johnson and
> Cedric Benson, those are former high picks with whom the team might
> have missed something in doing its homework.
>
> The big story at the combine last year was how everyone in the Bears
> organization was reaching for a new contract coming off the run to
> Miami. Coach Lovie Smith was zeroing in on a new deal with the help of
> feisty agent Frank Bauer, and Angelo and president Ted Phillips were
> thought to have already signed new contracts. Angelo is signed through
> 2013, Smith through 2011.
>
> ''That's a long time ago, thinking about what we talked about then,''
> Smith said.
>
> Gabriel was one of Angelo's first hires in June 2001. Three of the
> Bears' four Pro Bowl selections last season were draft picks -- Devin
> Hester, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris -- and four of Gabriel's picks
> from 2003 to '06 make the Pro Bowl.
>
> The Bears recently committed a $41.5 million contract to former
> second-round pick Charles Tillman, and they are focused this week on
> re-signing former picks Briggs, Bernard Berrian and Rex Grossman.
>
> Asked if Gabriel's one-year contract was unusual, Angelo said: ''Not
> really. Does it happen a lot around the league? No. I just felt like
> it was in everybody's best interest, the club first. I wanted to look
> at something. To me, it's a speed bump. I know people are looking to
> make something of it.
>
> ''There is absolutely nothing going on outside of what I said. We just
> determined this would be the best thing to do. He and I talked about
> it. It's not a big deal.''
>
> Gabriel's reputation is strong enough that he interviewed with the
> Giants for their college scouting director job last offseason, and he
> was rumored to be in the mix last month to replace Marv Levy as the
> Buffalo Bills' general manager. LET'S LOOK BACK
>
> 2006 Eagles DT Brodrick Bunkley Florida State
>
> 2005 Panthers DB Thomas Davis Georgia
>
> 2004 BEARS DT Tommie Harris Oklahoma
>
> 2003 BEARS DE Michael Haynes Penn State
>
> 2002 Giants TE Jeremy Shockey Miami (Fla.)
>
> 2001 Buccaneers OT Kenyatta Walker Florida
>
> 2000 Packers TE Bubba Franks Miami (Fla.)
>
> 1999 Chiefs OT John Tait BYU
>
> 1998 Panthers DE Jason Peter Nebraska
>
>
>
> 1997 Bengals OLB Reinard Wilson Florida State
>
> 1996 Oilers RB Eddie George Ohio State
>
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