Adams adds talent to DE rotation

The Bears on Friday night traded their second-round pick in next year’s draft for Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Gaines Adams, the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Adams led all rookies with 6 sacks in 2007, and he had 6 ½ last season, but just 1 this season for the 0-5 Bucs. He had 10 tackles this season as the Bucs’ starting right end and has an NFL total of 86 tackles with 2 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles.

Adams signed a six-year, $46 million deal with the Bucs that included $18.6 million in guaranteed money. The 6-foot-5, 258-pounder was considered an impact pass rusher after picking up 12 ½ sacks in an all-America senior season at Clemson. He ran a 4.64 40-yard dash at 258 pounds at the 2007 Scouting Combine.

The Bears are now without a draft pick in the first two rounds next year, having traded their first-rounder to the Broncos as part of the Kyle Orton-for-Jay Cutler deal. But they are deep and talented at defensive end, where Adewale Ogunleye has 4 ½ sacks and Alex Brown has 2 ½. Backup Mark Anderson, who burst on the scene with 12 sacks as a rookie in 2006 but slumped to just 1 last year, has shown flashes of his old form.

But Ogunleye is 32, and he and Anderson can both become free agents after this season. Adams is expected to contribute immediately in the Bears’ DE rotation, although the team hasn’t said yet whether he will play in Sunday night’s nationally televised game against the Falcons at the Georgia Dome.

Adams’ only NFL touchdown came on Sept. 21, 2008 at Soldier Field, when he picked off Orton and returned the interception 45 yards in a 27-24 Bucs win in overtime.

The Bears will announce on Saturday who will be trimmed from the roster to make room for Adams.