Jerry Angelo/Lovie Smith's 10 Biggest Mistakes with the Chicago Bears

Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith have, together, let the Chicago Bears get to "rebuilding" mode. Through a series of oversights, the Bears are now trying to plug holes that could have been avoided.

This slide show will take you through, in my opinion, the 10 biggest gaffes from the Jerry Angelo/Lovie Smith Era.

While some of these mistakes could not have been predicted, sadly, most of them were huge blunders that could have been avoided and have hurt my favorite team in professional sports.

How might the 2009 Chicago Bears be different if these 10 mistakes had been circumvented?

In a weak NFC North, might these mistakes be the difference between a first-place and a second-place finish?

I will hit many of the lows throughout this era. I look forward to reading your thoughts on this list.

Here is a list of blunders that didn't make the top 10 (Honorable Mention):

Michael Haynes
Dan Bazuin
Muhsin Muhammad
Letting Bernard Berrian Go
Lovie's "Squib" against Atlanta in 2008 season
Brendan Ayanbadejo leaving through free agency

10. Chris Williams

With the 14th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears chose their book-end tackle who would man the left tackle position for the next 10 years. The only problem: his back.

Chris Williams didn't start a single game in the 2008 season and while it is too soon to call him a bust, it is certainly feasible to say that Angelo missed on better prospects Brandon Albert (Kansas City) and huge bruiser Jeff Otah (Carolina).

9. Letting Chico Go/Bob Babich

Lovie let the Defensive Coordinator who helped him get to the Super Bowl, Ron Rivera, go.

He chose then Linebackers Coach/Best Friend to the Head Coach Bob Babich to replace him.

Since Ron Rivera left and Babich took over the Bears have been ranked lower in Pass YPG Allowed, Rush YPG Allowed, and PPG allowed.

8. Continuing to Start Rashied Davis

After miserable performances throughout most of the 2008 season, Rashied Davis started, despite Lovie Smith having an unproven third-round draft pick who was the all-time leading receiver in the SEC ride the pine.

Toward the end of the year, Lovie should have given Earl Bennett a shot so that he could be evaluated coming into this season.

7. Re-signing Tommie Harris

Go ahead and file this one under the "you couldn't see this one coming" file.

Tommie Harris hasn't been the same for two seasons and at four years and $40 million, Angelo took a big gamble.

So far it hasn't paid off.

6. Re-Negotiating Brian Urlacher's Contract

Brian Urlacher was a great player. He is no longer in his prime and often is nearly non-existent on Sundays and Mondays when the Bears are playing.

While the meat-head Urlacher fans would have been saddened, he should of been traded rather than being renegotiated with before this season.

He would sell a lot of tickets for a small-market team and could have commanded a decent trade.

5. The Adam Archuleta Experience

Lovie brings in "his guy" from St. Louis, Adam Archuleta.

His play was a mixture of pathetic and disgusting. By the end of the 2007 season, he could be found exclusively on special teams.

4. Trading Thomas Jones for.....Nothing

Before the 2007 season, Jerry Angelo dealt a 1,000-yard rusher for a second-round draft pick.

Oh wait.... No he didn't. He SWAPPED picks with the Jets.

To deal your leading rusher and to not get anything in return other than swapping second round picks is inexcusable.

3. Making Devin Hester a Wide Receiver

Lovie decides to take the most dangerous return man in NFL history and make him play Wide Receiver.

Devin went from playing 15 plays a game on Special Teams and being the most feared return man in league history in the 2007 season to playing 50 plays a game and being a relative non-factor in the 2008 season.

2. Trading Chris Harris

While many Bears fans may think this belongs lower on the list, I ask you to think about where the Bears would be right now with Chris Harris on the roster.

Chris was traded right before the 2007 season to the Panthers for a 2008 5th round draft pick.

His spot would later be taken by Adam Archuleta. Harris would have been leaps and bounds better than Craig Steltz, Josh Bullocks, or new signee Glenn Earl.

1. Cedric Benson

DeMarcus Ware.
Shawne Merriman
Jamaal Brown
Roddy White
Frank Gore
Marion Barber III
Justin Tuck

Those names are players the Bears could have ended up with rather than the immature Benson. Benson held out and reported late to camp and never developed while in a Bears uniform.

This was a safe pick that didn't work out, but still, it falls on Angelo and Smith.