Bears GM Jerry Angelo: "I dropped the ball"
Based on pure talent alone, Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith could have gone in first half of the first round of the draft.
Despite his off-the-field concerns, however, it was still unlikely that he would be on the board when the Ravens were on the clock at 26th overall. (In my mock draft, I had the Eagles, incorrectly, taking Smith with the 23rd pick.)
When the Ravens were up, there was plenty of confusion, which ultimately led to the Ravens passing on their pick and the Chiefs taking Pitt wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin at No. 26. The Ravens drafted Smith (but with the 27th pick).
The cause of the confusion? The Bears.
The Ravens negotiated a trade for the Bears, who held the 29th pick, to move up to the Ravens spot and ship their fourth-round pick to Baltimore as well, per Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
However, the Bears didn't finalize the deal with the league.
"It was our fault," [Bears general manager Jerry] Angelo said (via Jensen). "[The Ravens] did everything according to the rules. It worked out. We got our player."
The Bears were looking to trade up to draft Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi, who they ultimately drafted in their original spot at 29.
"We dropped the ball," he said. "I dropped the ball. What's been done can't be undone."
That said, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome has made an appeal to the league and is seeking a pick, likely the fourth-rounder, from the Bears.
As far as the two picks are concerned, the Ravens and Bears both players that will help them at key need areas. The Ravens get that player one pick later, which will save some money, and possibly a fourth-rounder depending on the league's ruling.
- Track all of this year's draft picks here.
