TTCS r-r-rewind: Top ten guys the Bears wish they had back

I'm out this week too, so I decided to bring back one of Matt's lists that originally ran on September 11, 2008. Let the Jerry Angelo bashing begin!

10. Muhsin Muhammad - Carolina Panthers

Moooooose.

Too bad this week's game wasn't being played in Soldier Field because I have a very strong feeling the fans would let the boo-birds and a host of expletives fly.

He spent most of his time berating his quarterback and dropping passes that hit him in the chest. Moose did help the Bears get to a Super Bowl and they helped get him a fat contract he didn't deserve.

9. Walt Harris - San Francisco 49ers

Who would have thought that the Bears' first round, thirteenth overall pick in 1996 would still be playing in the NFL?

The Bears have one of the best combinations at the cornerback position in football, but Harris would be a welcome addition to the unit. He had four picks and made the Pro Bowl last year. And two years ago he snagged an astounding eight picks. All of this despite being almost 60.

8. Bobby Wade - Minnesota Vikings

How sad is it that Bobby Wade's stats from 2007 (647 yds, 3 TD) are better than any single receiver the Bears have on their roster this year?

Sad enough that he's on this list.

7. Chris Harris - Carolina Panthers

The Bears rid themselves of Harris' services the year after going to the Super Bowl. The thinking was that with a healthy Mike Brown in the fold - with Danieal Manning, Adam Archuleta and Ricky Manning Jr. - Harris was expendable.

Then the unthinkable happened.

Mike Brown got hurt.

And you know the rest.

The guy hits like a ton of bricks and is solid in coverage for the Panthers. You'll see what I'm talking about on Sunday.

6. Brendon Ayanbadejo - Baltimore Ravens

It's a rare occasion when a special teams player has such an impact on a team, but Ayenbadejo did just that.

He was the heart and soul of that unit and was a huge reason why Devin Hester always seemed to have lanes the size of Mac trucks. He'll definitely be missed in 2008, but you can't fault a guy for leaving to get a paycheck.

5. Bernard Berrian - Minnesota Vikings

The only legitimate deep threat the Bears had is now up in Minnesota dealing with the same caliber of quarterback play he dealt with for so long in Chicago.

Again, I think the Bears were right to not pay him that kind of money but I can't blame him for taking it. I just smile knowing that he's stuck with Tavaris Jackson.

4. Tank Johnson - Dallas Cowboys

Look, Tank was an absolute moron with the Bears and Jerry Angelo had to cut ties with him for his indiscretions off the field.

But since then he's turned into a force to be reckoned with in Dallas and I can only imagine how sweet it would be to have him lining up next to Tommie Harris.

His performance on HBO's Hard Knocks was epic.

3. Bobby Engram - Seattle Seahawks

I know what you're thinking.

How in the hell is Bobby Engram higher up on this list than Berrian?

Well, first of all, Berrian just left so the wound is just too fresh.

And second, Engram has been very solid for the Seahawks and was very solid during his time with the Bears too. In both 1998 and 1999 he had over 900 yds and four TD. And last year with the 'Hawks he lit it up to the tune of 1,147 yds and 6 TD.

He'd quickly become Kyle Orton's favorite target.

2. Marc Colombo - Dallas Cowboys

The biggest, fattest and ugliest thing Boston College has ever produced was labeled a bust by most when the Bears released him in 2005. He was injured for the majority of his time spent in Chicago and ended up catching on with the Dallas Cowboys.

Since then he's become a reliable offensive tackle that is an everyday starter for one of the best teams in football.

And considering this team is paper thin at that position, Colombo would look ridiculously good in a Bears uniform.

Not to mention the fact he's got a 79 player ranking in Madden 08.

1. Thomas Jones - New York Jets

If you listen to current Bears players talk about what the departure of Thomas Jones meant to this club, you'll start to understand how valuable he truly was. This is not an indictment on Matt Forte because you won't find a bigger fan of him than me. But Jones could have been something special here for a long time.

"Honestly, more than I am frustrated that Cedric Benson didn't pan out here, I am more frustrated that a guy like Thomas Jones, who was our best offensive weapon for the years that he was here, was traded and let go,'' Briggs said. "Because the guy, Thomas Jones, he was a great, great leader for the Bears. He was a fiery leader. He was a guy that when he got out on the field there were no biases to who he went to and told, `Hey, we need to get this done.'

"He went out and he played hard every day and even when we didn't win our league, the guy gave his whole heart and soul. He was our best offensive player every year that he was here. That was more frustrating, that he's not with us today."

How can you argue with that?

Well said Mr. Briggs, well said.