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Now Marinelli gets a chance to work with the player he once coveted.
The Bears acquired the 6-foot-5-inch, 258-pound Adams via trade Friday, sending the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a second-round pick in 2010 for the promising defensive end. The trade deadline is Oct. 20.
With the Bears surrendering next year’s first round pick to Denver in the Jay Cutler deal, they will not have a pick in each of the first two rounds for the second consecutive season unless they somehow acquire a selection before the April draft.
Although the Bears have improved their pass rush under Marinelli and have 14 sacks going into Sunday’s game at Atlanta, this obviously was a move looking toward the future. Adams, 26, was the fourth overall pick in ’07 and has plenty of years left.
Adams’ base salary is $900,000 this season and his contract runs through 2012. His base is $1.08 million in ‘10, $1.1 million in ‘11, and $1.15 million in ‘12.
The knock on Adams, according to folks familiar with the Bucs, is he doesn’t play physical and doesn’t display any counter moves. Tampa Bay head coach Raheem Morris called out Adams for his lack of production early in the season.
This might mean the Bears won’t resign veteran Adewale Ogunleye, whose contract expires after the season. Ogunleye, 32, leads the Bears with four and a half sacks. His asking price might be too much for the Bears, and another team might be willing to give him a lucrative contract.
Getting Gaines also puts Mark Anderson on notice. He also is in a contract year and has not been as productive as the Bears had hoped following an outstanding training camp. Anderson has just one sack this season. He has yet to duplicate the type of production he had during a 12-sack rookie season in ‘06.
Adams has started each of the Bucs’ first five games at right defensive end and has contributed 14 tackles and one sack. He has played in 37 games with 29 starts as a Buccaneer and recorded 124 tackles and 13.5 sacks.
Adams returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown against the Bears in 2008, part of Tampa Bay’s 27-24 overtime victory.
In order to make room for Adams on the 53-man roster, the Bears have to release a player.
No roster move will be announced until Adams passes his physical.
Buccaneers’ Gaines Adams returns interception for TD as Roberto Garza trails the play at Soldier Field in 2008. (Scott Strazzante / Tribune)
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