82 Days Until Kickoff: Revisiting the Greg Olsen Trade
With the conclusion of all scheduled minicamps for the Chicago Bears, what's next on the list is training camp. There are officially 82 days until the regular season is underway and Bears football is back.
2007 NFL Draft:On the draft night of the 2007 off-season, the Bears used their first-round selection to draft Greg Olsen out of the University of Miami.
Playing Days:Even though he was the Bears' first selection in the draft Olsen would only go on to start in four games his rookie season. Olsen quickly showed he did belong in the league. In Olsen's sophomore season he led the team in receiving touchdowns and receptions, despite only starting in 7 games. Olsen's career started to flourish in Chicago when Jay Cutler arrived. The Bears would make a blockbuster trade in the 2009 off-season to acquire the QB from the Denver Broncos. The two would build a quick rapport, and this would be Olsen's best season as a Bear. Olsen had 60 receptions, 612 yards, and a team-high 8 TDs. Unfortunately, this duo would not have many more games together in The Windy City.
Trade to Carolina:Former GM Jerry Angelo traded the tight end to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick. The Bears were left to fill this position with Kellen Davis, which left a large weakness in the passing game. Angelo would later go on to be fired in the off-season.
Worst Trade in Bears History?:This will certainly go down as one of, if not the worst trades in Bears' history. The former Hurricane was starting to catch stride and became a quick favorite on newly acquired QB Jay Cutler. This was the start of the Bears fan base being extremely frustrated at this move. Olsen went on to have a tremendous career in Carolina, earning multiple pro bowl nods and an All-Pro Team alternative. In Carolina, Olsen would have 524 receptions, 6463 yards receiving, and 39 receiving TDs. Olsen was an every-down TE, one of the best in the 2010s, and potentially has a gold jacket in his future.
