The Bears Forgot To Report Their Draft-Day Trade, So It Never Went Through

Not a huge fuckup, as far as draft-day fuckups go, not like a Christian Ponder-level fuckup, but a fuckup nonetheless. When time ran out on Baltimore's 26th round pick, and the Chiefs leapfrogged them in the order, everyone assumed it was the Ravens that dropped the ball. But no, it was Jerry Angelo and company's war room that took a nap.

The Ravens wanted CB Jimmy Smith at 26, but they also knew he might have been a bit of a reach because of some well-documented character issues. They figured they could still get him at 29, so they swung a trade with the Bears. Switch first-round picks in exchange for Chicago's fourth rounder.

[Ozzie] Newsome believed he had a trade with the Chicago Bears to move back from No. 26 to No. 29 in the first round and reportedly pick up an extra fourth-round pick.

As he always does, Newsome called the NFL – with 2 ½ minutes remaining on the clock – to make the trade official. And he waited, and waited for confirmation.

Ultimately, the NFL spokesman on the other end of the line told Newsome he needed to make a pick. Chicago never called the league to confirm the trade and the Ravens ran out of time.

"Long day," Newsome said to open up the team's press conference minutes after making the pick.

"There was an agreement made between the team and I. I got on the phone with the NFL, but the other never got confirmation from the league. At that point, I was asked by the league to make the pick."

Yes, the Bears forgot to call the league to confirm the trade.

"It was our fault," Jerry Angelo said. "They did everything according to the rules. Whatever you hear, Baltimore did everything right."

Ultimately, both Baltimore and Chicago got the players they had their eyes on. But the Ravens are out a fourth-round pick that should have been theirs. So in the end, Chicago's fuckup saved them from their own fuckup.

UPDATE: The Ravens owner is pissed, making angry phone calls to the Bears and Roger Goodell. The NFL has no precedent here, but they "are looking into it."

Bears Take Blame For Expired Pick [Baltimore Ravens] NFL 'looking into' Bears' botched trade with Ravens [Chicago Tribune]