Written by Brad Biggs at ChicagoTribune.com
Just because the Bears never publicly expressed frustration with Martellus Bennett doesn’t mean their marriage could have been saved with a little time in counseling.
Bennett got off to a rough start with a new administration and new coaching staff — one known for being player-friendly — a year ago when he opted not to participate in the voluntary offseason program in a bid for a new contract.
Things took a turn for the unfixable before the Bears’ Thanksgiving night game at Green Bay. Upset that teammate Zach Miller was being featured, Bennett became disruptive on the practice field. The week before he had blown a block on a two-point conversion as the Bears attempted to force overtime in a loss to the Broncos at Soldier Field.
Teammates privately expressed frustration with Bennett. A player upset about his contract isn’t anything new, but when that leads to other issues, it can become untenable. So much so that some dialed-in observers from other teams didn’t believe Bears general manager Ryan Pace would be able to trade Bennett. Bennett likely would have been released otherwise.
Pace pulled it off Wednesday when the Bears agreed to send Bennett and a sixth-round draft pick (204th overall) to the Patriots for a fourth-round pick (127th overall). The 204th pick originally belonged to the Patriots and was acquired when the Bears traded linebacker Jon Bostic to New England in September. The Bears own nine picks for the April draft — their own in each round and now the Patriots’ in the fourth round and the Panthers’ sixth-rounder from the Jared Allen deal.
That makes Miller, who was re-signed Monday to a two-year contract, the No. 1 tight end, and could put the Bears in position to consider selecting one in the draft.
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