Florio: Bears' Failed Trade May Have Been For Baldwin
CHICAGO (WSCR) Immediately after the Chicago Bears drafted Gabe Carimi with the No. 29 overall pick last Thursday, General Manager Jerry Angelo admitted that they botched a trade with the Baltimore Ravens to move up to No. 26 in an effort to make sure they didn't miss out on the left tackle from Wisconsin.
But in an interview with The Danny Mac Show on 670 The Score Wednesday, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said there's no way of knowing whether or not the Bears were really going to draft Carimi at No. 26 had they executed the trade properly.
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"They're not going to tell us that they failed to get the guy they wanted," Florio said. "So there's a chance - somewhere between zero and 100 percent - there's a chance that (Pittsburgh wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin) was the guy they were trying to get. And they have no reason and nothing to gain by admitting that."
The Chiefs ended up drafting Baldwin seconds after the Ravens failed to make their pick at No. 26, a mistake that occurred because the Bears never called the agreed trade into the NFL. Instead, Baltimore took cornerback Jimmy Smith at No. 27 and the Bears grabbed Carimi two picks later.
"I think in all fairness the Bears should have compensated the Ravens in some way," Florio said, while adding that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did nothing to force the Bears' hand.
"I think the Bears took the safest course and without being obligated by commissioner to do anything, they chose not to," he added. "Whether or not it affects the way the Bears can do trades in the future, who knows? I think the only thing we can say with any degree of certainty is that Jerry Angelo would never be a candidate to be the general manager of the Baltimore Ravens
