The Chicago Bears Should Put Tommie Harris on The Trading Block
Published by Max Kienzler on August 21, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Tommie Harris.
The best first-round selection that Jerry Angelo has ever made, hands down.
In his five seasons with the Bears, he has racked up 24.5 sacks, 176 tackles, five forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries.
He is a three time Pro Bowler and was second team All-Pro in 2005. He has been a driving force on the Bears defensive line since he was drafted in 2004.
So why put him up on the trading block?
Because I think we have seen Tommie Harris peak. Over the past couple years, Tommie’s health and, in some cases, his motivation has come under the microscope (and for the matter, his knee too).
Tommie was suspended for a game last season for violating team rules and he missed another game due to injury.
And while injuries haven’t allowed him to miss large chunks of serious regular season time (although he did miss the playoff and Super Bowl run in 2005) the simple fact that Harris had his knee scoped this off season has people nervous.
We keep waiting for Tommie to return to that 2005 form. Where he was in the backfield seemingly every play. Where he was disrupting every offensive formation.
Tommie is a great player when he is healthy and motivated. But it is not impossible to believe that we have seen his best years. Injuries, especially nagging knee injuries, can spell doom for the productivity of a defensive lineman. Not to mention it tends to lessen the playing career significantly
Why not see what Tommie is worth now, while the Bears can still get something good in return?
The Titans, Bengals, Cardinals and Falcons could all be interested in Harris to solidify the middle of their defensive lines.
The Falcons could put Tommie next to rookie Peria Jerry to help him learn. In return, the Bears could be looking at Michael Jenkins and a draft pick.
The Cardinals have Darnell Dockett but then they also have Bryan Robinson next to him…having a Dockett/Harris middle would be simply devastating to opponents running games. And who in return? Dare I say Boldin?
The Bengals route is interesting just because it would reunite Tommie with his old running buddy, Tank Johnson. In return, the Bears could add some draft picks that they lost in the Jay Cutler trade (Actually, I wouldn’t mind Chris Henry, but with his history, Jerry Angelo would be hesitant to go for it and you can’t really blame him).
Making a trade with the Titans would give Tennessee the player to fill the void left by the departure of Albert Haynesworth. In return, you could get draft picks or maybe someone to help shore up the defensive backfield.
I am not saying that these are the only choices; I just think that with Tommie’s trade value, these teams would make sense.
I love what Tommie has done for the Bears. But maybe, just maybe, it is time to see what his value equals if he were on the trading block. At the very least, it might motivate him to prove us all wrong and return to form.
