Bears welcome Haden to the mix

by Chris Bearman

Blogger, Chicago Tribune

Well, head coach/GM Bob Winuvas wasn't kidding when he said he was willing to do whatever it took to improve the talent on the defensive side of the ball. In a stunning move, the Bears are moving their first round pick from this upcoming draft, as well as their pick from the last draft, cornerback Ben Williams, for elite level cornerback Joe Haden.

Haden, 29, had 34 tackles and 3 interceptions in what he would call a "down year". That would have led the Bears' cornerbacks in all categories. Haden brings a legitimate shutdown presence to one side of the field, and will allow the coach to call more exotic blitzes and man schemes to Haden's side of the field.

"We got ourselves a tough-nosed ballhawk. He will fit in perfectly with what we are trying to do here, and I love his mental and physical toughness," Coach Winuvas said of the move. "We are happy to have Joe Haden join the Chicago Bears."

The only drawback - Haden's contract runs out after this upcoming season. Can the head coach get this talent signed long term?

"Haden will be a Bear for a while, I feel like," the coach said to the question. "He fits our style. We have talent coming in to help him out. He will be one of the missing pieces I think to get this defense to respectability."

Considering what the coach was able to put together with a less than average secondary, adding Haden could be interesting to see, especially coupled with the other moves slated to come when trades can officially be processed.