Agent says Bears offering Olsen in trade

The Bears had a deal in place to trade Greg Olsen during the second round of the 2010 draft that didn't materialize when the Patriots drafted their own tight end.

Now, two nights before the beginning of training camp, the team may be considering trading Olsen again.

His agent Drew Rosenhaus sent a mass email to the league's general managers and personnel people at 7:56 p.m. Wednesday night announcing the Bears were making Olsen available for trade. The email went to scores of people, including Bears general manager Jerry Angelo and contract negotiator Cliff Stein.

"The Bears have granted me permission to seek a trade for Greg Olsen," Rosenhaus wrote. "Please let me know if interested. Sounds like the Bears will be very reasonable on the compensation in return for Greg."

But 11 minutes later, Rosenhaus sent another mass email to the same recipients, including Angelo and Stein, asking them to ignore his previous message.

"Please disregard my previous email regarding Greg Olsen," the one-sentence email said.

What does it mean? Clearly Rosenhaus had permission to shop Olsen or believed he had permission to shop him. One personnel executive who received the email speculated the Bears saw how fast and wide the message was sent and asked Rosenhaus to pull back.

Questions surrounded how Olsen would fit in the offense last season as coordinator Mike Martz has a history of not utilizing tight ends in the passing game. Olsen went to the front office and shared those concerns. There were rumors he would be traded before the draft and the deal with the Patriots nearly happened, according to a Bears source, before they selected Rob Gronkowski 42nd overall.

Olsen had 41 receptions for 404 yards last season and five scores, tying him for the most touchdown receptions on the team. The Bears have two other veteran tight ends on the roster in Brandon Manumaleuna and Kellen Davis.

Olsen, the club's first-round draft pick in 2007, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will be looking for an extension or an opportunity to play elsewhere.

He was very professional about the situation last season and has developed into a leader in the locker room while being a durable performer on the field. He said the trade talk did not get to him.

"You mean the story that was made up?" Olsen told the Tribune before the start of last season. "It doesn't bother me because I know there is no truth behind it. But it does bother me that people take the liberty to just make up stories for their own personal benefit.

"There was no substance behind it. If there was, tell us. It's easy to say an unnamed source. That could be anybody."

His agent's fingerprints are on the story now.


(chicagotribune.com)