Chicago Bears received Leon Joe and Claude Harriott; Joe…
Chicago Bears received Leon Joe and Claude Harriott; Joe played 24 games in two Chicago stints with modest defensive/special-teams production, while Harriott was released before the 2004 regular season and never played an NFL regular-season game. The team earns a C-, compared with B+ for San Francisco 49ers, and the hindsight verdict is San Francisco 49ers Win. That judgment reflects the concrete team-specific production, role and tenure created by the assets in this deal.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 2004 4th round pick (112th overall, Leon Joe )
- pick 2004 5th round pick (147th overall, Claude Harriott )
San Francisco 49ers Received
- pick 2004 4th round pick (104th overall, Isaac Sopoaga )
Trade Analysis
The Exchange
San Francisco moved up eight spots in the 2004 draft, receiving pick No. 104 from Chicago and sending back Nos. 112 and 147. The 49ers selected defensive lineman Isaac Sopoaga. Chicago selected linebacker Leon Joe and defensive end Claude Harriott. The hindsight question is not which draft position looked more efficient on draft day; it is what those three players actually produced for the teams that used the picks.
Chicago Bears Return
Chicago got only modest value from the two-player return. Joe appeared in one game for the Bears as a rookie, then returned to Chicago for 14 games in 2005 and nine in 2006, producing a limited linebacker and special-teams role rather than becoming a long-term starter. Harriott did not make it to the regular season: Chicago released him on August 31, 2004, and he never appeared in an NFL regular-season game. One of the two acquired selections therefore produced no NFL playing value.
San Francisco 49ers Return
Sopoaga became exactly the type of mid-round development hit that changes a trade grade. After missing his rookie season, he played for San Francisco from 2005 through 2012, appearing in 125 games and starting 79. He grew from rotational defensive line work into a regular starter, including 15 starts in 2008, 16 in both 2009 and 2010, 15 in 2011 and nine in 2012. His 49ers tenure also included 7.5 sacks.
Value in Hindsight
The separation is large. Chicago's best outcome was Joe's 24 total Bears appearances across his stints, mostly without a sustained starting role, while Harriott never reached an NFL regular-season field. San Francisco got eight seasons and 79 starts from Sopoaga. That is not a close contest in durability, role or realized lineup value, even though the original movement was only eight spots in the fourth round and an extra fifth-round selection.
Final Verdict
San Francisco earns B+, Chicago earns C-, and the verdict is San Francisco 49ers Win. Sopoaga's 125 games and 79 starts make the trade a durable mid-round success for the 49ers. Chicago received some service from Joe but no regular-season contribution from Harriott, leaving its two-player return far short of the value San Francisco realized at No. 104.