In his second full offseason as the Bears’ general manager in 2003, Jerry Angelo put his biggest imprint on the franchise when 12 rookies and 14 first-year players were on the 53-man roster for the season opener.
It included two first-round draft picks — quarterback Rex Grossman and defensive end Michael Haynes. But also two later picks who would end up starting by Week 5 — cornerback Charles Tillman (second round) and linebacker Lance Briggs (third round). Plus an intriguing fourth-round pick in defensive tackle Ian Scott and two promising fifth-round receivers in Justin Gage and Bobby Wade.