Chicago Bears Screw Baltimore Ravens Out Of Pick In Draft Snafu

So remember last night when the Baltimore Ravens “passed” on their pick at No. 26 and everyone on the planet was totally confused as to what happened? Well, it turns out the Chicago Bears royally screwed up and botched a proposed trade, leading to the Ravens letting the clock run out on their pick. The Kansas City Chiefs immediately took advantage, rushing in their pick of Pitt wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, before the Ravens selected Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith.

We now have the full story of what happened. The Ravens actually agreed to a deal to send the No. 26 pick to the Bears in exchange for Chicago’s first-rounder (No. 29) and an additional fourth round pick. The Bears were planning to move up to take Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi. The deal was done.

Then, apparently due to a miscommunication in Chicago, no one from the Bears font office called the trade in to the NFL to confirm it. Therefore, the Ravens sat there and watched the clock expire, thinking the trade was done and they were no longer on the clock. Then the Chiefs wisely rushed their pick in while Baltimore’s brass sat there and could do nothing about it.

In the end, the Ravens got Smith (at No. 27), the Bears got Carimi (at No. 29), and Bears general manager Jerry Angelo apologized to the Ravens. So everyone is happy right?

Wrong.

The Ravens are upset because they still want the Bears’ fourth-rounder as a trade was actually consummated. Obviously the Bears are not going to willingly surrender that pick, since they didn’t actually move up in the first round. The NFL is apparently investigating things and could make a ruling as early as tonight. That said, the teams could also work out another trade tonight or tomorrow in which the Bears would move up a few spots and give the Ravens that sought-after extra fourth-rounder.

We’ll see how this plays out, but we’d bet the league office will make some sort of call on this before the second round starts tonight at 6 p.m.