Recently in Contracts Category

We were waiting for the return of Chris Williams to the practice field to take a look at this information, but with the first-round pick sidelined for the foreseeable future now following surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back, we'll go through it.

Williams, the 14th overall selection, signed a five-year deal with a maximum value of $16 million.

Here is a look at how the numbers break down:

Took a look at Devin Hester's contract extension in Sunday's print/online edition. The numbers are detailed here and this forum will probably be easier to display the information.

The four-year extension includes $40 million in new money and because it's an extension he's under contract for six seasons now with the total value over six years being $40,975,000.

There is $15 million guaranteed and the the base value of the new four new years is $22,036,000. A look at the numbers:

If traffic isn't too bad getting from his suburban home, Chris Williams just might be on the practice fields in Bourbonnais in time for practice here in two hours.

The first-round pick agreed to terms on a five-year contract and is expected to sign it when he arrives at Olivet Nazarene University.

The new deal for Brian Urlacher, an $18 million, one-year extension, puts him in position to earn $40.6 million over the next five seasons.

Here is how the money breaks down:

You knew the signing of fifth-round pick Kellen Davis earlier today was going to jump-start business for Cliff Stein.

Boy, did it.

The Bears also came to agreement with all five of the club’s seventh-round picks on contracts Friday night.

On this date last year, Cliff Stein was signing, sealing and delivering offensive tackle Aaron Brant, a seventh-round draft pick.

So what, you say.

While Brant’s Bears’ career was as insignificant as they come—he received an injury settlement after being waived during training camp—he marked the fifth member of the 2007 draft class to sign by May 23. It was all downhill from there and all but defensive end Dan Bazuin were in the fold by July 3 as the Bears were the first team to have all of their draft picks under contract for the second consecutive summer.

With 12 picks outstanding, Stein faces an uphill battle to achieve that status—and maybe a little mid-July vacation—but there’s no danger of the Bears not having draft picks in Bourbonnais on time. Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher? That might be another story, another story for another day.

It’s been slow going around the league getting draft picks done, unless you’re the Miami Dolphins with four in hand already, or the Atlanta Falcons with quarterback Matt Ryan on board. You can get any selection signed with a $72 million, six-year contract. What’s the challenge in that negotiation?

Once again, the Bears are optimistic about the return of safety Mike Brown and the contributions the veteran can make to the defense.

It’s not unlike any of the past three offseasons when he was coming back from an injury. This time, the Bears will have some protection in the event he’s injured and misses a significant portion of the season.

The Bears and Brown have agreed to a restructuring of his contract for the final year of the $17 million, five-year extension he agreed to in 2003.

We tried to analyze the numbers for Robbie Gould’s new contract vs. Josh Brown earlier, and we’ll take one more shot at presenting them.

The figures from the deal Gould pulled down last week have come in and we can match them up with the contract Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams at the start of free agency.

Gould received a five-year extension from the Bears that provides him with $13.5 million in new money, keeping him in place through 2013. The deal tops out at $15.5 million in new money with performance-based escalators totaling $2 million in 2012 and 2013. Gould’s average on the extension with the escalators is $3.1 million. Without, it’s $2.7 million.