Bears assistant head coach Rod Marinelli fell in love with Gaines Adams in 2007 when Adams came out of Clemson and Marinelli was the head coach of the Lions.
Now Marinelli gets a chance to work with the player he once coveted.

The Bears acquired the 6-foot-5, 258-pound Adams on Friday, four days before the trade deadline, sending the Buccaneers a second-round pick in 2010 for the promising defensive end.
With the Bears surrendering next year’s first-round pick to the Broncos in the Jay Cutler deal, they might not have a pick in the first two rounds for the second consecutive season, unless they acquire one before the April draft.
Although the Bears have improved their pass rush under Marinelli and have 14 sacks going into Sunday’s game in Atlanta, 10 from the defensive line, this obviously was a move looking to the future. Adams, 26, was the fourth overall pick in ’07.
Adams’ base salary is $900,000 this season and his contract runs through 2012. His base is $1.08 million in ’10, $1.1 million in ’11 and $1.15 million in ’12.
“Gaines absolutely sees this as a great opportunity,” Gaines’ agent, Fletcher Smith, said. “... I know he’s looking forward to the opportunity to work with Rod Marinelli, who was able to mold guys such as Simeon Rice and Warren Sapp.”
Smith said Adams’ playing status for Sunday’s game is up in the air because he has to pass his physical. Adams is scheduled to fly to Chicago Saturday morning and hopes to make the trip to Atlanta with the team.
The knock on Adams, according to some familiar with the Bucs, is he doesn’t play physically and doesn’t display any counter moves.
The acquisition of Adams might mean the Bears won’t re-sign veteran Adewale Ogunleye, whose contract expires after the season. Ogunleye, 32, leads the Bears with 4 1/2 sacks from his left end position. His asking price might be too much for the Bears, and another team might be willing to give him a lucrative contract.
Getting Gaines also puts Mark Anderson on notice. Anderson, 26, is in a contract year and has not been as productive as the Bears had hoped following an outstanding training camp.
As for Adams, he started each of the Bucs’ five games at right end, contributing 14 tackles and one sack. He has played in 37 games with 29 starts and has recorded 124 tackles and 13› sacks.
Adams returned a Kyle Orton interception 45 yards for a touchdown against the Bears in ’08, part of the Bucs’ 27-24 overtime victory.
To make room for Adams on the roster, the Bears have to release a player.