Well, Jerry Angelo sure didn't mind spending any money this off-season. The Chicago Bears general manager managed to find all sorts of creative solutions to sign his key players to long-term deals. When the season ended, there were plenty of question marks concerning the Bears' roster. Lance Briggs, Alex Brown, Tommie Harris, Brian Urlacher, and Devin Hester were all looking for new contracts or extensions.
Lance Briggs was allowed to test free agency, but the linebacker signed with the Bears after no team stepped up. Thought to be bitter after losing his starting job, defensive end Alex Brown signed a new deal. Tommie Harris received a well-deserved contract extension that keeps him in Chicago until 2012. After voicing displeasure with the front office, Brian Urlacher showed up to team activities and got paid all sorts of new money. Devin Hester was next in line, but he did something no one else did.
He held out... for all of two days.
When the hold-out was initially reported, the sky fell in Bourbonnais, site of the Bears' training camp. No one had seriously considered Hester and agent Eugene Parker would go that route. Hester even had some fairly significant quotes in local print regarding his contract and how he was being mistreated. All of this turned out to be less than meaningful, as Hester showed to to camp two days later.
Devin apparently realized what any other Bear should know by now. If you want a new contract, you have to show up. Plain and simple. That idea holds true, as Hester signed a new four year extension Sunday. His deal reportedly features 15 million in guaranteed money and peformance escalators based on Hester's performance as a wide receiver. Luckily for Devin, is doesn't include anything escalators based on his IQ. Why would he ever think to hold out in the first place? Didn't he realize Jerry Angelo was simply resolving the simple issues before getting to the one contract that might actually take a creative approach? No one knows how Devin will pan out as a wide receiver, and the Bears were protecting themselves if he doesn't perform well. Jerry Angelo came through again, with a safe contract that makes everyone happy.
Despite their smart spending, the Chicago Bears still have major deficiencies on offense that were not appropriately addressed. I'll be sure to discuss that in length for my next blog.
Keywords: Chicago Bears, Devin Hester, Jerry Angelo, NFL
