Inside the Bears

27 days to Camp: Breaking down the quarterback position

2009-07-04T11:43:30Z

In our daily countdown to training camp, we'll cover all the positions, one day at a time. Why not start with what will be the most watched position in camp, quarterback?

Projected starter: Jay Cutler, 6-3, 233 pounds, 4th year, Vanderbilt

Others

Brett Basanez, 6-1, 208, 2nd year, Northwestern
Caleb Hanie, 6-2, 225, 2nd year, Colorado State

Projected depth chart: Cutler, Hanie, Basanez

2009 salary cap numbers

Basanez $402,280
Cutler $1,560,000
Hanie $391,866

Number of quarterbacks on 2008 roster at start of the season: 3

Projected number of quarterbacks on 2009 roster at start of the season: 3

The skinny: Cutler is the most anticipated quarterback the Bears have had since the arrival of Jim McMahon more than a quarter-century ago. He possesses one of the most talented arms in the entire league and is being counted on to dramatically improve the production of a wide receivers corps that many still doubt. Cutler can make every throw on the field--he'll dazzle you with his arm strength at training camp--and should benefit from the presence of running back Matt Forte. One knock on Cutler has been his decision making. Sometimes he counts on his arm too much to slide the ball into spots it shouldn't go. But the Bears don't want to curb his aggressive nature. That is one of his strengths, after all. An awful lot has been made of the backup position with two unproven players in Hanie and Basanez but what's left out there to pursue? The bet is that Hanie will be every bit as good as a player on the discard pile right now. Basanez is a dink and dunk passer who will know the system inside out but can't make all the throws. Keep an eye on Hanie. He throws a nice deep ball.

]]> The upside: Cutler tops the 25 touchdowns he threw last season in Denver and comes close to throwing for 4,000 yards and he earns a Pro Bowl selection and guides the Bears to the postseason.

The downside: There can't be a downside to having Cutler, can there? Sure, injury could strike but you can say the same thing about 31 other teams. Unfortunately, not everyone is outfitted with a Matt Cassel. Not even the New England Patriots.

On the hot seat: Naturally, Cutler will be asked to perform but Hanie will have to deliver in preseason and should get ample playing time. He needs to prove he's ready to be called on at any time.

Final thought: The Bears could go with just two quarterbacks on the roster like they mulled over last season but given the unproven nature of Hanie and Basanez both, that is unlikely. Still, it's worth considering as it's a great way to get some more roster flexibility.

28 days to Camp: Reviewing the top 10 issues from a year ago

2009-07-03T10:58:44Z

Thought it would be interesting to turn back the clock a year and look at some of the storylines surrounding the Bears at that time and how they turned out.

We ran a list of 10 issues facing the organization entering training camp in the print edition last July. We'll include a short synopsis of each one.

1. QB derby. Amid swirling rumors that the Bears may have interest in Chris Simms as a No. 3 quarterback, we still don't know who the No. 1 will be. Leave it to the Bears to do this.

ONE YEAR LATER: What a difference that one year makes. The addition of Jay Cutler via trade with the Denver Broncos makes this the most-anticipated training camp in years. While quarterback carousels dominated camp news in the past the hope is that Cutler will lock down the position for close to a decade. That doesn't mean Cutler won't be a daily storyline in camp. Prepare for QB stories written every which way.

2. Defense first. The Bears plummeted to 28th in team defense last season and it's yet to be determined if it was an injury-induced aberration, or a signal that Bob Babich could be on the hot seat.

ONE YEAR LATER: That defense didn't perform a whole lot better in 2008 and injuries were not reason to blame. Babich has effectively been demoted and Lovie Smith will now call the plays on defense. This remains a valid question moving into 2009. Can the Bears' defense return to championship form? The Bears have tried changing players, they've invested heavily in many players and they've certainly shuffled through an inordinate number of coaches on the defensive side of the ball. Next to come under real fire could be the defensive scheme if things don't change. Rod Marinelli represents the fourth line coaching for Smith entering his sixth season as head coach. Babich will be the third linebackers coach in as many seasons. Jon Hoke becomes the fourth secondary coach.

3. Face of the franchise. This could all of a sudden become the No. 1 storyline if Brian Urlacher's ongoing contract squabble blows up. Even if he isn't in camp--and who knows what the chances are for this--he'll be game ready come the regular season because he's a workout warrior. Some have been concerned about a decline in play because he didn't make the Pro Bowl, but at the end of last season Urlacher was playing as well as any defensive player in the league.

ONE YEAR LATER: Urlacher's contract demands were met with an $18 million, one-year extension but Cutler could fast become the face of the franchise. Now two years removed from the Pro Bowl, Urlacher is being paid like an elite player. Perhaps he will benefit from Smith running the defense.

4. Line dance. None of the other rebuilding phases on offense will be particularly successful if the overhauled line doesn't mesh. Rookie Chris Williams will be the key and his development in the coming weeks at left tackle is critical.

ONE YEAR LATER: The Bears managed to do fine on the line last season and Williams had nothing to do with the success. Line coach Harry Hiestand has quietly done a terrific job for several seasons and there's another rebuilding project in the works that finds Williams on the right side this time. The key this time around could be keeping left tackle Orlando Pace healthy but the emergence of Williams is essential not just for this season but for the longterm. The good thing is the Bears have plenty of depth here.

5. Born to run. There certainly won't be a distraction this summer with Cedric Benson having to answer a myriad of questions unrelated to his failed efforts to live up to his status as the fourth pick in the '05 draft. Matt Forte certainly won't be under pressure to exceed Benson's production. It's about replacing Thomas Jones, remember him? Forte is a gifted runner who the Bears believe is a first-round talent.

ONE YEAR LATER: The Bears were on the money when they said Forte was a first-round talent. Preserving him will be key this season as he wore down by season's end. Forte can be one of the top backs in the league while still sharing some of the work with a rejuvenated Kevin Jones.

]]> 6. Hesterized. The company line is the Bears are never going to prevent Devin Hester from excelling at what he does best--return kicks. But there's an issue of how much he will be used as a wide receiver and how that will impact his availability for special teams. Hester is on a historic pace as a future Hall of Fame return man and you can understand the desire to get the ball in his hands more.

ONE YEAR LATER: As much as getting Hester back to form as a return man would help special teams, the Bears badly need him to develop as a wide receiver because they simply don't have many alternatives on their roster. Hester's role on offense is paramount and special teams takes a back seat.

7. Special stuff. While the Bears took a step back on defense, at least temporarily, and have never gotten their act together on offense under Lovie Smith, the one area you have always been able to count on is Dave Toub's special teams unit. There are two concerns now, topped by the dilemma involving Hester. Second, while there are a lot of potential replacements, losing Pro Bowl stalwart Brendon Ayanbadejo creates a hole on the coverage teams.

ONE YEAR LATER: With a lot of inexperienced players, Toub still managed to finish in the top 10 last season. There's no question Ayanbadejo's playmaking ability and leadership was missed. They'll continue their search for a replacement this season.

8. Catching on. Expectations are created by two things: contract status and draft position. That helps you shape your vision for the corps of receivers. None are highly paid or came highly drafted. Bernard Berrian is gone after developing into a fine deep threat and the Bears don't have a No. 1. The question is do they have a No. 2 or a team of No. 3's.

ONE YEAR LATER: As much as things change, they remain the same. This storyline is magnified now with the arrival of Cutler. Earl Bennett is being counted on for major production and after him the Bears are looking at rookies or perhaps Brandon Rideau along with Rashied Davis.

9. True leader. Veteran Mike Brown is beloved by Bears fans for all the right reasons. He's the emotional leader of the team and an outstanding player when healthy. The Bears are 14-2 in the last 16 games he's started and haven't lost a game he's started and finished since Oct. 9, 2005 at Cleveland, the loss that led him to assess that the team "sucked" at the time. But it's almost shocking the club has stuck with him as long as it has. As much as you'd like to dismiss his injuries as happenstance and bad luck, there's a track record here. He's never had a problem making it to the regular season healthy and his body must hold up. The question here is do the Bears have another free safety?

ONE YEAR LATER: We'll find out for sure this time around. Craig Steltz is being promoted by the team heading into camp but he was drafted as a strong safety. Stay tuned.

10. Return to form. As much as Brown's absence plagued the defense you can make a case the team missed cornerback Nathan Vasher more when he was sidelined 12 games with a torn groin muscle. Vasher is at full strength and should look like the Pro Bowl player he's been in the past. The defense also needs right end Mark Anderson to bounce back from a second-half slump.

ONE YEAR LATER: The Bears are still waiting for Vasher and Anderson to return to form. Vasher looks to have some positive momentum moving toward training camp. Anderson will find out what it's like to go to work for new defensive line coach Rod Marinelli. If both bounce back it will be a big step for a defense looking to get its swagger back.

Some of these will no doubt wind up on the top 10 list going into camp later this month. We'll get into that more as the month moves along.

Bears do solid job minimizing wasted space under salary cap

2009-07-02T15:05:26Z

We have covered it here before but it's worth going over again.

One of the reasons the Bears are in such a good position with the salary cap this season (and in prior years) is because they manage to do a pretty good job of limiting their dead cap space. That's cap space that is eaten up by players no longer on the roster. Make a slew of a bad decisions with draft picks, free agents or both and teams can pile up some dead cap space in a hurry. The trade of Kyle Orton to Denver gave the Bears $700,000 in dead cap space for 2009.

According to the most recent figures, the Bears are carrying $6,535,640 in dead cap space. That might sound like a lot but consider that it is just 4.8 percent of the total pie which is more than $135.9 million. That number will go up. The Bears have 80 players under contract right now and as they work toward a final 53-man roster, players will be released that add money to that but as best as we can tell there aren't any players in jeopardy of losing their job that would add a big number to that figure.

Players with the highest dead space on the roster:

]]> Cedric Benson $2,509,000
Terrence Metcalf $1,291,520
Kyle Orton $700,000
John Tait $500,000
Mark Bradley $460,000
Dan Bazuin $382,000
Mike Okwo $308,750

Teams can easily have more than $10 million in dead space when contracts go bad and they miss wildly in free agency.

The above figure of more than $5.8 million does not include an injury settlement wide receiver Alex Bannister received for a brief stint on the roster in the summer of 2006. Bannister filed an injury grievance vs. the Bears and according to records was awarded $112,500. He suffered a groin injury in training camp and never did much. He had been signed as a possible special teams addition.

29 days to Camp: Bears have more than $17 million in cap room

2009-07-02T11:02:33Z

There is more than a $20 bill in Jerry Angelo's pocket.

The general manager likes to joke that he doesn't have money burning a hole in his wallet, and often references having an Andy Jackson in his pocket. That may be the case but the Bears have much more than that remaining in room under the 2009 salary cap.

A check on Wednesday afternoon of the most recent figures indicates that the Bears remain $17.67 million under their adjusted salary-cap figure of $135.9 million. That means the organization has committed 86.99 percent of its cap to this point and there is plenty of room left over for spending.

More and more it seems unlikely Plaxico Burress will be sitting down to the table to enjoy a piece of that (salary cap) pie. During our company-imposed vacation, Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reported that commissioner Roger Goodell could come down hard on Burress and make it difficult for him to be on the field in 2009. Burress has reportedly turned down plea deals that would have landed him in the poky for a short amount of time, so short that he could have already done his time and be out on the street. Now, the case is trudging along through the New York court system. Goodell wants accountability from players and when Burress, who had a hole in his leg from his unlicensed hand gun, does all he can to avoid that accountability, it might not bode well for him when it comes time to hear from the league.

Burress' agent Drew Rosenhaus is doing all he can to drum up business, reporting recently that five teams are now interested in Burress. Well, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have come out and said you can count them out. There was a report out of New York that the Jets may have cooled on the idea. If the Bears are not in play, Rosenhaus' list just got trimmed in half, at least.

So, let's take a look at where that $17.67 million could go. Remember, general manager Jerry Angelo and president Ted Phillips said that although streamlining was going on in the organization, the football budget would not be affected by the economy.

1. Jay Cutler. We wrote here previously that the Bears will look to do something long term with Cutler, perhaps during the season. They'll need to make that move in October probably in order to take advantage of the cap room and apply money to this season. It makes perfect sense. Yes, Cutler remains under contract for three more seasons. But he has a $12 million roster bonus in 2012 that the team would probably like to avoid. Forget the idea of waiting to see how Cutler performs. They got him for the long haul and they're going to invest in him for the long haul. But quarterback deals take time to put together. Why not start during training camp?

]]> Let's face it, after Cutler there isn't an obvious candidate that jumps out and screams, "Show me the money!" Not from our vantage point, any way. But let's look at some candidates:

Anthony Adams. The defensive tackle is entering the third year of a modest four-year contract. If Adams emerges from training camp as the starting nose tackle, perhaps he merits a modest extension at some point. He's proven to be valuable every time he's been called on, which makes it a wonder why the coaching staff has gone away from him on occasion.

Mark Anderson. The defensive end is entering the final year of his rookie contract. If a new CBA can be hammered out he will become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Anderson could either be a hot commodity by the end of the season or just another guy who is another season removed from his breakout 2006 rookie year. It might be prudent for the Bears to wait until season's end to fully evaluate him and not pay him by midseason to apply money to the 2009 salary cap.

Adewale Ogunleye. He turns 32 next month which means he'll be 33 when the 2010 season begins. We're not ready to say whether or not the Bears should re-invest in Ogunleye, but if he performs well and is willing to come back at the right price, it would take some of the gamble out of trying to replace him with an unknown. We'll see how rookies Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton fare this season. Gilbert will be worked as a tackle but might eventually find himself at left end.

Kevin Payne. If Payne had remained at strong safety for the entire season, he just might have led the Bears in tackles. He's expected to be back in that role this season. If he can improve in his second season as a starter, perhaps he's worth looking at in terms of an extension. But, again, that's a decision best made at this time next year, not in the middle of the season.

Brandon Rideau. If the Bears buck the trend at wide receiver and find a hidden talent here, securing him with a modest deal would make a lot of sense. There's a big difference between running with the first team on occasion in OTA's and running with the ones in preseason. Let's see how this pans out.

Maybe we missed someone--it wouldn't be the first time--but no one clearly jumps out at us other than Cutler. A deal for him is going to take up a lot of money. That's why having more than $17 million in cap space isn't a bad thing right now.

Haves vs. the have nots: What QB has best chance to get his 1st ring?

2009-07-01T14:54:40Z

Five teams will line up at the start of September with a quarterback who has hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season.

Twenty-seven teams will begin the journey with a quarterback searching for the path to a title.

Clifton Brown of the Sporting News recently looked at the quarterbacks without a Super Bowl ring and which one has the best chance to get fitted for one at the end of the year.

His front runners?

Kerry Collins, who played in Super Bowl XXXV and lost, Joe Flacco and Donovan McNabb, who has a Super Bowl loss in XXXIX.

Knocking at the door?

Jake Delhomme, Philip Rivers and Tony Romo.

Others to watch?

Drew Brees, Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan.

Collins, Flacco, McNabb, Delhomme, Rivers and Ryan all were in the playoffs last season. Romo has playoff experience and Brees has been to an NFC Championship Game. That makes Cutler the only one of the bunch who has yet to gain playoff experience. He's yet to have a winning season, in fact, but the Bears feel strongly they will be competing in January and some view them as the favorite in the NFC North. It's an interesting list and we found it a little striking that only five current starters have a ring.

That list:

Tom Brady 3
Ben Roethlisberger 2
Eli Manning 1
Peyton Manning 1
Kurt Warner 1

The most recent Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks to not be playing?

Brad Johnson, Super Bowl XXXVII
Trent Dilfer, Super Bowl XXXV
John Elway, Super Bowls XXXIII, XXXII

]]> *** Tim O'Brien for the Southtown Star caught up with Marian Catholic grad Rodney Harrison, back in town for his annual football camp at Hillcrest High School. The recently retired Harrison has signed on with NBC as an analyst for the coming season. He's been critical of Cutler before, in particular questioning the quarterback's leadership ability, and some of that surfaced again here. But it sounds like Harrison sees good things ahead for Cutler.

"I'm excited about Jay Cutler,'' Harrison told O'Brien. "To me, he was a guy that showed a lot of potential in Denver but never really rose to that (elite) level, a Peyton Manning, a Tom Brady. It wasn't physical, it was more mental. Maybe the leadership wasn't there. Cutler has a tremendous upside, and this is the best move for him. He's motivated now to really step up and get to that next echelon of great quarterbacks. It's going to be a challenging year for him because he has a lot of pressure from the people of Chicago who think he's the savior, but he's not. Everyone knows great defenses win championships with good steady quarterback play. He has to stay away from the turnovers, and if he does that they'll have success. The Bears don't have a lot of weapons at wide receiver where Denver had Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. The Bears have a good running back (Matt Forte) and an athletic Devin Hester. We'll see what happens, but it all goes through the quarterback position."

30 days to Camp: The issues facing the Bears; studying committed cash

2009-07-01T11:06:30Z

Welcome to our countdown to training camp.

The Bears will report to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill., in 29 days. The beginning of the 2009 season and the first training camp practice is 30 days away.

We've been away for a little bit--some of the vacation was of the unpaid variety and not by choice--but we're back. We'll cover all the angles here every day leading up to the most anticipated camp we've seen in nine years. Yes, we're saying there is more buzz about camp this summer than two years ago when the Bears were coming off their appearance in Super Bowl XLI. If you can imagine it, we'll probably tackle it right here in the next 30 days, starting with a poll. Go ahead and weigh in on what the most critical issue facing the Bears is heading to camp. We'll assess the options in the poll next week. We'll also visit with a Four Down Territory next week, so fire away with your questions.

Now to the voting station.

Time for a look at some interesting numbers that Jason La Canfora, new to NFL.com, came up with. He took a look at the real dollar figures in the NFL over the last five seasons. Not the salary cap but committed cash, the actual amount of money teams paid players. We all know teams can spend well above and beyond the cap each season when large bonus payments (spread over multiple seasons) come into play. Right here, La Canfora breaks it down and has the Bears 21st in the league in spending at $495.57 million from 2004 through 2008. That is more than $70 million less than the biggest spender on the list--Jerry Jones.

Here is now the NFC North breaks down:

5. Minnesota $526.87 million

15. Detroit $505.04 million

21. Bears $495.57 million

30. Green Bay $457.16 million

]]> La Canfora takes the next step here and breaks down the cost of each victory for every team. How many wins did they get from 2004 to 2008? Basically, how well did they spend? It's probably not surprising that New England and Indianapolis top the list. San Diego and Pittsburgh follow. The Bears come in ninth, spending $11.01 million for each of 45 victories during that span. Interestingly, they're third in the NFC behind only the New York Giants and Philadelphia.

Here is how the NFC North breaks down:

9. Bears $495.57 million, 45 wins, $11.01 million

10. Green Bay $457.16 million, 41 wins, $11.15 million

18. Minnesota $526.87 million, 41 wins, $12.85 million

31. Detroit $505.04 million, 21 wins, $24.04 million

It should not come as a surprise that the Bears are in the bottom half of the league in spending, even during the five-year period which coincides with the arrival of Lovie Smith as head coach in 2004. The Bears revamped the roster to fit his needs but many of the key players on the roster today were already in place--linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, cornerback Charles Tillman, defensive end Alex Brown, defensive tackle Tommie Harris (was drafted that year) and center Olin Kreutz. All of those players have received lucrative contracts since then but it's always easier to spend money on your own than spend in free agency. When the Bears have ventured into free agency, they've been pretty successful and they hope that trend continues with Frank Omiyale and some street free agents starting with left tackle Orlando Pace and strong-side linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.

No team below the Bears in spending has won a Super Bowl in the last five seasons.

Here are where the Super Bowl champs rank in spending over the period La Canfora breaks down:

Super Bowl XLIII Pittsburgh--8th, $516.69 million spent

Super Bowl XLII New York Giants--19th, $497.63 million spent

Super Bowl XLI Indianapolis--4th, $532.77 million spent

Super Bowl XL Pittsburgh--8th, $516.69 million spent

Super Bowl XXXIX New England--10th, $513.31 million spent

These are some fun numbers to look at as we get back in the swing of things. We'll have some more interesting numbers to look at on Thursday, and remember we'll break down the poll next week. It's good to be back.

Report: Mike Brown agrees to terms on deal with Chiefs

2009-06-24T16:50:12Z

Mike Brown has found a new home.

The veteran safety has agreed to terms on a contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to the Kansas City Star.

Brown made a free-agent visit to the Chiefs at the beginning of the month when it looked like a deal would fall into place quickly before the team's minicamp. That didn't happen and he wound up making a trip to see Cleveland also.

]]> The signing reunites Brown with new Kansas City head coach Todd Haley, who was the wide receivers coach for the Bears from 2001 to 2003, during the beginning of Brown's career.

It's expected that Brown could win a starting job in training camp. He will challenge Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page for a spot in the starting lineup.

Lovie Smith: "I am having a blast being involved a little bit more"

2009-06-18T21:52:28Z

If anyone is ready for a break from the grind of a long offseason you would figure it might be coach Lovie Smith.

The Bears went headlong into revamping their defense in early January. Smith officially announced he was taking over the unit and put the assistants through boot camp on the dry erase board in the basement at Halas Hall. It was just the beginning of an exciting but long 5 1/2 months.

Yet there Smith stood Wednesday afternoon following the final OTA practice as energetic as ever. He didn't look ready for training camp. He looked ready for the start of the regular season. So, coach, looking forward to some time away now?

"You never get that far away from it,'' Smith said. "I am having a blast being involved a little bit more like that. I have time throughout, there are certain periods when I am looking at the offense, seeing it, getting a chance to go and watch all of the individual things. That part of it, I am excited.

"But that's not going to be why we're gonna come back. We're going to come back because of what our assistant coaches, defensively, what they've done. Jon Hoke, Rod [Marinelli], Bob [Babich], Gill Byrd, what they have been doing with their individual groups."

*** We wouldn't read too much into Corey Graham playing nickel the past two weeks, not with a tight hamstring sidelining Danieal Manning. But Graham did play nickel for two games last season and it is another option for him to get on the field. If Craig Steltz continues to run with the first team at free safety and Nathan Vasher reclaims his job at right cornerback, that will eliminate two options for Graham.

]]> "Right now we're just doing a little bit of everything,'' Graham said. "I've worked at corner a little bit, I've worked at safety, I've worked at nickel. I guess they are trying to get a feel for where I am going to be or whatever. I'm just learning more of the defense and the more I can do the better it is."

In the event Steltz and Vasher win starting jobs, yes, then we could see Graham giving Manning a real push for the nickel job. The circumstances thus far, though, have not given Graham much of a shot at claiming the free safety job.

*** The big winner among the draft picks this spring has to be fifth-round pick Johnny Knox. The wide receiver was one of the most consistent rookies on the field during OTA's and drew regular praise from the coaching staff. Knox has blazing speed but in shorts he was able to play fast and that's something not everyone can do. The next step is proving he can play fast with pads on in training camp. There have been a lot of stars in shorts who disappear when the gear goes on. Knox, though, could be one of the real surprises of the draft if he can continue his upward climb. He could carve out a spot as a slot receiver, especially if the team lets him just focus on one position.

*** He's probably not the first Bear you would figure to be a cover boy at this time of year but Orlando Pace graces the cover of the Sporting News that hit newsstands this week. He headlines a group of NFL players over 30 who have changed teams this offseason for the magazine.

"There's a real buzz in the air in Chicago about the Bears,'' Pace said. "It's something you can really sense. They held this Bears Expo at Soldier Field and there were a lot of fans who showed up. I probably hadn't seen such excitement in the offseason since we went to the Super Bowl in St. Louis.''

*** Here's an undrafted free agent to look for in training camp and preseason--Dahna Deleston. The safety from Connecticut didn't appear a lot on defense but he was the first one downfield in a lot of special teams situations. He's going to need to improve his standing on defense in camp.

*** Hit the golf course with kicker Robbie Gould, the mini golf course, on July 9. Gould is hosting a "Play Nine with No. 9" event to benefit his charity The Goulden Touch Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting research and providing support for families affected by Essential Tremor. The event will be held at The Green at Grant Park from 6-10 p.m. Tickets are $75 for adults and $40 for children and include a buffet dinner and four-hour open bar. For information call (630) 315-2964 or email events@thegouldentouch.org.

Dollars and sense: Squeeze on rookie pool leads to different deals for Gilbert, Iglesias

2009-06-18T11:30:06Z

We have gotten a look at how the Bears constructed the contracts for third-round picks Jarron Gilbert and Juaquin Iglesias and interestingly the deals are put together in similar fashion to how teams usually write contracts for second-round picks.

Both Gilbert and Iglesias, who signed their four-year contracts last week, received signing bonuses and not-likely-to-be-earned incentives (NLTBE) that are guaranteed against the last year of the deal, 2012. What happened was the Bears were under allocated when it came to the rookie pool. When the league last raised the minimum salaries it did not adjust the rookie pool accordingly, making it difficult (impossible in some cases) to squeeze in all the picks while giving the annual bump in pay.

The Bears' rookie pool, essentially a salary cap within the salary cap, was $3,497,111. After signing seven of their nine draft picks there simply wasn't enough rookie pool left for Gilbert and Iglesias to both get proper signing bonuses. So instead of putting the squeeze on one player, the Bears found a way to make it as fair as possible. The NLTBE, in this instance, is earned by playing time and the higher the draft pick, the better chance he has of being on the field to trigger the one-time payment. In theory, any way.

Here is how it broke down:

Jarron Gilbert, $740,000 signing bonus, $146,500 NLTBE, total bonus money $886,500

Juaquin Iglesias, $500,000 signing bonus, $119,900 NLTBE, total bonus money $619,900

Both players have escalators in the final year of the deal and with the base salaries Gilbert's contract is worth $2,636,500 and Iglesias' totals $2,369,900.

]]> For Gilbert, it reprsents a raise of 3.78 percent over the signing bonus received by the player in his slot in 2008, Carolina cornerback Charles Godfrey. For Iglesias, it was a 3.66 percent bump over what the player in the corresponding slot, Atlanta safety Thomas DeCoud, received. It's not unprecedented for the deals to be structured this way in the third round. Miami defensive end Kendall Langford, a third-round pick in 2008, and Dallas offensive tackle James Marten, a third-round pick in 2007, had similar structures. There could be more third rounders that end up with contracts written in this fashion this year. Most of the round remains unsigned.

Typically, second-round picks receive a NLTBE one-time incentive. Running back Matt Forte had one as part of his bonus money last season. He triggered the payment as a rookie. Gilbert and Iglesias are protected if they are released--the money is guaranteed as part of the base pay in 2012. However, there remains a possible although unlikely scenario in which they never see the NLTBE, which is not guaranteed in the absolute sense of the word.

As we wrote above, the NLTBE's are triggered by playing time. If one (or both) remain on the roster for all four seasons but simply don't play, they're not going to trigger the incentive based on play time. They'd get a heck of a good seat for 64 regular-season games, but would never hit the trigger to earn the rest of the bonus money. That would be a lot of bench sitting, though. If a player is totally unproductive for three seasons (or maybe even two) he's typically launched and if something like that happened, the guarantee would kick in. So, it's unlikely Gilbert or Iglesias will be short-changed, but it is possible.

Here are the signing bonuses and total value of the deals for the other seven players:

DE Henry Melton $511,230 signing bonus, $2,261,230

CB D.J. Moore $466,753 signing bonus, $2,216,753

WR Johnny Knox $204,240 signing bonus, $1,954,240

LB Marcus Freeman $181,700 signing bonus, $1,931,700

S Al Afalava $100,600 signing bonus, $1,850,600

G Lance Louis $41,982 signing bonus, $1,791,982

WR Derek Kinder $37,666 signing bonus, $1,787,666

Check back later today for more notes and nuggets.

Safety picture begins to clear; Hanie in position as No. 2 QB

2009-06-18T02:48:22Z

Kevin Payne and Craig Steltz spent Wednesday running with the first team at safety. That could be one of the more compelling positions to watch come training camp, but coach Lovie Smith said the voluntary offseason program has helped answer some questions. Steltz, no question, has been one of the bigger climbers this offseason. The belief is his instincts and smarts will help make up for a lack of range at free safety.

"It's clearer,'' Smith said, of the position. "There are lot of positions that will go down to training camp. We're excited about where we right now, but we have to get there and then we'll really know. The next part of the evaluation process is to see the guys in pads, then in the preseason games.

"I like our preseason schedule, the teams that we have to play to get ready. A team like Buffalo that can run and pass, a similar offense. The next week a physical team like the Giants coming in. The third game of course is normally the game that everyone looks at, and to go on the road playing of course in a prime-time game, all of that is getting us ready for of course the Packers.''

*** Corey Graham was not in the mix at safety. He's been playing nickel cornerback since Danieal Manning was "nicked'' last week. Graham has gotten work at nickel, safety and cornerback this offseason. Graham played nickel for two games last season.

"You're just trying to find a way to play no matter where it is--safety, corner or nickel,'' Graham said. "It doesn't really matter to me. I just want to get out on the field and try to help out.''

*** Staying in the secondary, Charles Tillman was out as he continues to work his way back from shoulder surgery. Zack Bowman got work at left corner with the starters, and Smith singled him out for his work the past few months. Proving he can stay healthy moving forward will be the key.

The player who stood out Wednesday was Trumaine McBride, who was with the second team at right corner. McBride picked off a pass that went off the hands of Devin Hester and then broke up passes to Michael Gaines and Adrian Peterson on the next two snaps. Three snaps and three plays on the ball.

*** Caleb Hanie has clearly taken control of whatever competition there is to be the backup quarterback. He's edged ahead of Brett Basanez. Hanie throws a good deep ball and that was evident on his pass to Juaquin Iglesias on the final play of the workout.

]]> *** Frank Omiyale worked with the first team at left guard. It will not be a surprise if he opens there when training camp arrives.

*** It hasn't taken long for Pisa Tinoisamoa to get work with the first team at strong-side linebacker.

*** Brandon Rideau continued to get some action with the first team. The more Jay Cutler talks about the wide receiver, the better positioned you think Rideau will be when camp opens.

*** Second-year defensive tackle Marcus Harrison looks ready to play nose tackle. He's bulked up considerably this offseason, and has been sidelined some with a nagging knee issue. Harrison had knee surgery before his final season at Arkansas. It will be interesting to see how he looks when camp opens.

*** Rookie safety Al Afalava stood with position coach Gill Byrd deep behind the action during some drills. Afalava just arrived for the offseason program this week because of the rule that prevents players who have not graduated from attending until graduation has been held at their school. He attended Oregon State, which is on the quarters system.

Check back Thursday for some more notes and nuggets.

Cutler passes on chance to lobby for Plaxico Burress, Brandon Marshall

2009-06-17T19:09:57Z

Jay Cutler is ready to roll with the wide receivers he has on the roster right now.

Really, what else could the Bears' new quarterback say Wednesday afternoon when the team completed its offseason program. Players will show up Thursday, but the final day is usually reserved for a bowling outing. There will not be any more work on the field.

"I'm 100 percent comfortable [with the wide receivers],'' Cutler said. "I think we added some depth with some younger guys and then some of the older veterans are stepping up and playing well. So I think we've got more than enough to compete.''

It's easy to link Cutler with his former teammate Brandon Marshall, who has made it public he would like to be traded out of Denver. The Bears would seem more likely to pursue a guy like Plaxico Burress. With the Broncos already holding the Bears' first-round pick in 2010, the Bears don't have a lot of ammunition to trade. Then, they would have to hand Marshall the contract he's seeking that has him upset in the first place. Marshall has had more off-field trouble than Burress, who faces gun charges in New York.

"I haven't talked to Brandon Marshall,'' Cutler said. "He's a great player, Brandon is, and I played with him for three years, put up a lot big numbers with him, and wherever he ends up, obviously he's going to be successful. Whether or not it's here, that's up to the guys upstairs, but as of right now, I'm 100 percent happy with what we've got."

]]> The Bears have touched base with Burress' agent Drew Rosenhaus about the player.

"If it [the Bears land Burress], it happens,'' Cutler said. "I'm not going to speculate on whether or not we're going to go get him or not. The guys we have right now, I'm 100 percent confident in and comfortable with. We'll just have to wait down the road and see what happens with that.''

Devin Hester and Earl Bennett spent most of the time with the first team at practice. Brandon Rideau and Rashied Davis were also worked in.

"I think we've got one,'' Cutler said when asked if the team had a No. 1 wide receiver. "I think we've got one in Devin, and I think Earl is going to be dangerous on the back side as well."

*** Linebackers Brian Urlacher, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach and Joey LaRocque were sidelined. Urlacher is dealing with a groin injury. Running back Matt Forte (hamstring) was also out. Check back later on for more updates.

Lovie happy with roster as it, but doesn't rule out Plaxico Burress

2009-06-17T18:15:18Z

Lovie Smith said the Bears have not ruled out pursuing free-agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress, but he believes the team can win with what it has right now.

The team ended its 10-week offseason program on Wednesday afternoon at Halas Hall. The session concluded with the two-minute drill for the second team. Caleb Hanie hit third-round pick Juaquin Iglesias for a deep touchdown pass. Perhaps Smith and management feel good enough about the inexperienced crew of wide receivers on the roster to go forward without making a play for Burress, who his handlers say will not face a trial on gun charges in New York until after the season.

"Plaxico Burress is a good football player,'' Smith said. "Of course, we all know that. We keep all of our options open. We're constantly evaluating all players that are out there. I feel good about our team that we have right now. I feel good about the receivers we have right now.

"The door is never closed on anyone that is available. We've said that every time any player that has been available has been out there. We're saying the same thing right now. It's not like we're aggressively going after him. We evaluate everyone that we think can make our team better. We think we're a strong football team without adding anyone. We would like to improve on every position but right now we feel like we can win with this group.''

Smith said the Bears have had no discussions about Brandon Marshall, who announced earlier this week that he would like to be traded out of Denver like former teammate Jay Cutler was.

Burress faces up to 3 1/2 years in prison for carrying an unlicensed handgun into a Manhattan night club last November. He accidentally shot a hole in his leg. The Bears are one of three teams known to have contacted agent Drew Rosenhaus about the player. The New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the others. Rosenhaus said earlier this week that a fourth team has reached out to him.

]]> Besides the legal angle with Burress, teams have to consider what type of sanctions he could face from commissioner Roger Goodell. He is expected to be suspended for violation of the personal conduct policy. Rosenhaus is adamant that will not happen until after the court case is completed, but the NFL office has made it clear Goodell can act at any time.

"We try to weigh all of it,'' Smith said. "That's a big part of the evaluation process. Everybody has a history and you go with their history."

Smith said he has not spoken to Burress. Bears players have made it clear they would be in favor of adding him to the mix. As the roster is constituted right now, only Devin Hester and Rashied Davis have tangible NFL experience. The team is counting on significant contributions from Earl Bennett and rookies Iglesias and Johnny Knox. Brandon Rideau could also figure into the equation. It puts an awful lot of pressure on Cutler, who said he has not spoken with the disgruntled Marshall lately.

Check back later this afternoon for more details from the final OTA.

Mile High revolt? Brandon Marshall wants out, Broncos sign Lloyd

2009-06-16T00:38:54Z

With Kyle Orton's perceived top target looking more like he wants to play elsewhere, the Denver Broncos brought in a guy who looked like he was on his way to being Orton's top target last season.

Denver reeled in Brandon Lloyd, signing him to a contract Monday afternoon. He's no replacement for Pro Bowl performer Brandon Marshall, but he gives the Broncos someone Orton is familiar with heading toward training camp. Lloyd jumped out last summer in the preseason game at Seattle when Orton went to him repeatedly in the two-minute offense. They continued to work well together through the first four games of the regular season when Lloyd was easily the club's leading receiver. But a minor knee injury in Week 4 put him on the shelf and whatever chemistry they had together fizzled before Lloyd returned six weeks later. It came as a surprise to no one when Lloyd exited at the end of the season after his one-year deal expired.

What also didn't come as a surprise was the report out of Denver earlier today that Marshall told Broncos owner Pat Bowlen "I think I'd like to be traded."

Sound familiar? Star player wants out of the Mile High City? Unlike Jay Cutler, Marshall's beef is over money. He boycotted the team's mandatory minicamp over the weekend, and has been a no-show for voluntary OTA's. It's not that Marshall would have been on the field. He is still recovering from April 1 surgery to his hip.

When there is news of a disgruntled star wide receiver, the idea that he could come to the Bears isn't far behind. It will be that way from now until the Bears land a No. 1 wide receiver. In fact, the idea of Marshall has been floating around since, oh, about a half-hour after the Bears dealt for Cutler on April 2. If you think Cutler has a rapport with Earl Bennett, that's nothing compared to how he worked with Marshall. The Broncos would be hard-pressed to justify dealing Marshall, but no one thought they were actually going to cut ties with Cutler. You don't have to read between the lines with coach Josh McDaniels. He wants Marshall.

"All we can say about this is we're going to do everything we can to reconcile the situation so that Brandon returns to the field," McDaniels said. "Until then, we're going to concentrate on the players that are here."

Marshall is set to enter his fourth year in the league and the final year of his contract. That doesn't mean he's destined to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. First, if there is no CBA extension, Marshall will be a restricted free agent in 2010. Second, the Broncos would be foolish not to place the franchise tag on him if he is headed toward the open market. Julius Peppers wanted out of Carolina. That doesn't mean the Panthers wanted to see him go. They tagged him. Denver isn't going to let Marshall walk away for nothing.

]]> The Bears have at least pondered the idea of pursuing Plaxico Burress, who has legal troubles in New York. Burress took an unlicensed, loaded handgun into a Manhattan night club last November and shot a hole in his leg. Marshall was the recent subject of an ESPN special, and his off-field legal woes were at the center of the piece. He's been accused of domestic battery on multiple occasions. He's been busted for DUI. Last summer, the Rocky Mountain News reported police had been summoned to Marshall's home on nearly a dozen occasions. He has a pending misdemeanor battery case in Atlanta that is expected to be heard in court in August. In college, he was charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer. Far from a legal issue but certainly an off-field incident worth exploring ... it was 15 months ago that Marshall offered one of the all-time explanations for an injury--he slipped on a McDonald's bag while wrestling with family members and fell through a television, cutting his right forearm. It would be short-sighted to ignore the issue. Marshall said he played last season even though his right hand was numb.

Burress, before he ever gets to court, is guilty of a stupid, stupid decision that could have injured or killed someone else. Marshall's track record seems to be that he's trouble waiting to happen.

We doubt the Broncos will consider shipping away Marshall, but we'll readily admit we never thought Cutler would be able to change his zip code to 60045.

With case pushed off to September, questions remain for Burress

2009-06-15T20:47:33Z

Drew Rosenhaus has dedicated six Twitter posts already today to Plaxico Burress. The PR machine is in overdrive. He's trying to hammer home the point that Burress will be available for the entire 2009 football season after he appeared briefly in New York court this morning and had his case adjourned until Sept. 23.

Burress' lawyer Benjamin Brafman said outside court that a trial for his client likely wouldn't take place until 2010 and that several teams were trying to sign Burress.

"We are also confident that the NFL will not have grounds to discipline Plex until after the adjudication of his case after this season,'' Rosenhaus wrote.

That's the other wild card in the matter. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell could choose to suspend Burress at any time for violation of the league's personal conduct policy. In the past, suspensions for first-time offenders like Burress have come after the court system has laid down its ruling. But the league reserves the right to do whatever it chooses, and that uncertainty might make teams think twice about Burress right now.

One league insider suggested Burress had the opportunity to wrap up the entire process already, and choosing to delay it has made him less attractive. The point was he's going to show up with baggage as it is. If there is a court case and potential jail time hanging over his head, he's going to show up with twice as much baggage. Here's one report that interest by the New York Jets in Burress has cooled.

Still, you cannot discount Burress' ability and the Bears' need for help. General manager Jerry Angelo said he would have drafted a wide receiver in the first round had he not traded for quarterback Jay Cutler. Then, he tried to deal his second-round pick to Arizona for Anquan Boldin. Angelo has identified the need and nothing that has taken place in OTA's for three weeks has changed that need.

Burress would give the Bears a wide receiver who can operate outside the numbers and provide a proven big-play threat for Cutler. The Bears drafted Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox and Derek Kinder. At best, two of them will be complementary targets. Cutler has quickly developed a rapport with tight end Greg Olsen and he may become a go-top target. A productive tight end can't be substituted for a No. 1 wide receiver.

]]> Angelo has been making decisions that prove the Bears are going for it now. Signing left tackle Orlando Pace isn't a stop-gap measure, it's a win-now move. Adding Pisa Tinoisamoa with Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer already in place isn't a stop-gap measure or a move to add depth. It's a win-now move. Angelo knows where he is at. He has a young quarterback, a young running back an offensive line in transition, and a defense that doesn't have a lot of time left. Is the Bears' defense going to fall off the table in 2009? No. The belief is Lovie Smith will re-energize a unit in need of a kick in the pants. Will the Bears' defense be done after 2010? Maybe not. But you don't have to flip through the media guide to know this much--the core of this unit is no longer young.

Adding Burress would be a popular move in the locker room. Devin Hester said he would be behind it. Tight end Desmond Clark, a leader in the locker room, supported the notion. Playing in New York would make it easier for Burress to negotiate through his legal issues. Playing for the Bears might give him a better shot at getting back to the Super Bowl. There's a risk associated with signing him, no question. What Angelo has to answer for himself is what is the risk going into 2009 without Burress?

Cutler: "We'll have some answers to some of those [questions]"

2009-06-14T14:53:57Z

If the varied opinions on the Bears' acquisition of Jay Cutler has bothered the quarterback, he certainly didn't show it Saturday when he made his first Chicago appearance for his foundation working with kids with diabetes.

"I think every quarterback in the NFL has a lot of pressure,'' Cutler said. ''Anywhere you go you're going to have pressure. Obviously, Chicago has great fans and great tradition. They expect a lot. And, I expect a lot out of myself. It's going to be a fun year.''

Tony Dungy, Mike Ditka and Rodney Harrison have all questioned Cutler to some degree in recent weeks, and the quarterback had not visited with media since last month.

''I'm fine with everything they said,'' Cutler said. ''I haven't played a game here. I'm yet to step on the field and throw a pass. There is a lot of stuff out there and there is a lot of questions. They are all good questions. I think once the season gets going we'll have some answers to some of those. But I'm enjoying it here. I'm having a great time. I'm having a great time with the Chicago Bears. I'm looking forward to the season.''

Cutler went from La Rabida Children's Hospital on the South Side to Soldier Field, but not for football. He and tight end Greg Olsen took in the Kenny Chesney concert. Cutler has one more week of practice at Halas Hall. The Bears will wrap up their offseason program on Thursday. Cutler is expected to collect a $100,000 roster bonus for attending at least 90 percent of the voluntary workout program.

]]> *** No one should have been surprised Saturday when Denver coach Josh McDaniels named Kyle Orton as Cutler's replacement. Chris Simms had been with the Broncos longer, and was ostensibly competing with Orton, but McDaniels picked Orton as the replacement when the trade went down April 2. This is the earliest Orton has ever been named starter.

"This is what I expected, this is what I worked for, but this isn't my ultimate goal," Orton said. "My ultimate goal is to get this team where we want to be, and that's in the playoffs."

*** With the signing of third-round draft picks Jarron Gilbert and Juaquin Iglesias last week the Bears now have 80 players under contract. That means they will need to clear a spot to add a player.

An agent for one of the five punters brought in over the last two weeks said the Bears do not plan on signing a second punter until the first week of training camp. Of course, if any players are placed on the non-football injury list or the physically unable to perform list, that would clear a temporary spot for a punter. It's unknown if linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer will be recovered from surgery to repair a sports hernia in time for training camp.

*** This is what general manager Jerry Angelo is talking about when he refers to performing due diligence--spotted at O'Hare Friday morning were pro scouts Kevin Turks and Dennard Wilson stepping off a flight from Toronto. They were scouting training camps in the CFL.