Confirmed: Gabriel is out as purge continues

Sources have confirmed that the Bears will not renew the contract of college scouting Greg Gabriel, paving the way for general manager Jerry Angelo to hire ex-Seahawks general manager Tim Ruskell, which could happen by the end of the week.

The move was just the latest in a tumultuous offseason long purge at Halas Hall that has created a negative environment in which “everybody is looking out for themselves,” according to the source. Tensions were running so high that senior director of football administration Cliff Stein and scout Jeff Shiver had several heated exchanges relating the team’s pursuit of rookie free agents Saturday night, which a separate source downplayed as being a heat-of-the-moment altercation resulting from long hours.

Angelo might not be done making changes, either. Several of the team’s college scouts have expiring contracts and others could be let go in order to hire replacements that are more to Ruskell’s liking.

Gabriel, whose contract expires next month, coordinated the team’s scouting department for the last eight drafts and helped develop the team’s draft plan, although Angelo has final say. Before that, he was director of player development for the New York Giants