"The one that got away from the Bears became the one they are better off without.

Vikings wide receiver Bernard Berrian is the only lost free agent the Bears staff really wanted to keep during the 10-year reign of general manager Jerry Angelo. Sure, Pro Bowl special teams player Brendon Ayanbadejo and reserve tight end John Gilmore also exited in free agency during the 2008 offseason, but Ayanbadejo made it clear he was seeking the highest bidder, upset the front office when he made it clear he was seeking the highest bidder.

But losing Berrian, who had 71 receptions for 951 yards and five touchdowns in 2007, turned out to be fortuitous. If the Vikings hadn't blown the Bears away with their offer, they likely couldn't have afforded to keep five-time Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs.

With money to retain one of the two, the Bears pursued Berrian first when both entered free agency. The Bears began to bail out of contract talks with Berrian when the price tag went above $6 million per season. The Vikings landed one of Angelo's better offensive draft picks with a six-year contract worth $43.425 million, including $16 million in bonus money the first two years."