Bears' shakeup continues as team splits with scouting director Gabriel

The Bears continued some front office cleaning Tuesday afternoon, announcing that director of college scouting Greg Gabriel would not be rehired for the coming season.

The decision clears the way for general manager Jerry Angelo to hire former Seattle general manager Tim Ruskell as his second in command in the team's personnel department.

The Bears have not said anything official about hiring Ruskell, but it is expected to happen this week. He is likely to be named director of player personnel and would oversee both the college and pro personnel departments.

When Bears director of pro personnel Bobby DePaul was fired on Feb. 15, it fueled speculation that Ruskell would eventually come aboard in some capacity. Ruskell resigned his post as the Seattle Seahawks' president of football operations and general manager last December when it became clear he would not be rehired when his contract expired at the end of the season.

Ruskell and Angelo worked together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for 14 years. Angelo was the Bucs' director of player personnel from 1987-2000, during which time Ruskell was a regional scout (1987-91) and then director of college scouting (1992-2000). He then succeeded Angelo as the Bucs' director of player personnel when Angelo took the Bears' job as general manager in May of 2001.

DePaul and Gabriel were both hired by Angelo on June 19, 2001. Gabriel came to the Bears after serving as an area scout and then director of player development for the New York Giants.