Erich Barnes
Erich BarnesThe Bears suffered from a classic case of knee-jerk reacting with Erich Barnes. A former fourth round pick, he was terrific in his first two seasons with the Bears. He collected nine interceptions over that span and went to his first Pro Bowl. Then in 1960 he went through an unusual dry spell, failing to produce a single turnover in 12 games. Sensing a drop off in his play, Chicago dealt him to the New York Giants in 1961.
In the end they got by without him, winning the NFL championship two years later. Still they have to wonder just how much more dominant their defense would’ve been had they kept Barnes. From the moment he arrived in New York he became a star. In just four seasons he delivered a staggering 18 interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl each of those years before again being trade, this time to Cleveland. He’d claim a sixth Pro Bowl while finishing his career there.
