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Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Mar 25, 2008
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The Bears signed their kicker to a 5 year $15.5M contract. They'll spend money on one of the least important positions, but they won't take care of their most celebrated player from the past 10 years (Urlacher). I say good. They'll destroy themselves from within.
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Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 25, 2006
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It certainly seems that way.
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Reputation:96
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 5, 2008
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Whoa, nellie................
The Bears handle their business, just like the Pack. No big money for FA's (i.e. Vikings), take care of your own. They took care of a kicker who deserved the money. Gould was second in scoring to LT in 2006, while kicking in the stadium with the worst wind conditions. They've also rewarded other players this offseason that deserved it. Urlacher got an offer for an extension, which he declined. This is called negotiation. He has four years remaining on his contract, which will be extended at some point. The Bears also have contract extensions that need to be finished with Hester and Tommie Harris. All three will be taken care of. If they caved to Urlacher and gave him whatever he wanted right away, that would be destroying a franchise from within.
I hope I didn't dampen your optimism.
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Feb 23, 2007
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Nice post Bearfan, I agree Gould deserved the cash, special teams are underrated in general and a money kicker is worth it. The only problem I have with how the Bears do business is they seem to nickle and dime the hell out of guys and force every one of them to take a hold out position. The contract Urlacher signed was structured so that he had the understanding that it would be revisisted this off season, from what I understand. Now he is put in a position to have to hold out to get what he has earned. I mean the guy is the heart and soul of the team, I say make him happy. Show that playing injured, being a good citizen, and playing at a high level gets rewarded. Why not? How long will it be till Harris and Hester are holding out? it just seems to be a pattern with the Bears.
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Reputation:96
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 5, 2008
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gbpckrfan-
Urlacher's contract was never structured to be revisited. It was the second richest contract in the NFL when he signed it 5 years ago ($56 million). Now I agree he has outplayed it. So have the Bears, they offered $18 million in an extension - no questions asked. ($5 million up front, $1 million dollar raise a year, one extra year to the contract). And Urlacher turned it down, he wants more $ up front. You and I would take a 32% raise anyday and run with it. But evidently he wants to negotiate. I see this as a tactic similar to what Michael Strahan used last year - Urlacher take the offseason off, rest his body and then take the raise and come back and play. Urlacher's stated he has no intentions of holding out, but if he does I think we'll see whatever money he wants show up pretty quick.
Now Harris and Hester are different situations. I think if Tommie Harris becomes a free agent next year, he will set the bar for the richest defensive contract in the history of the NFL. The Bears and Harris have begun negotiations a year ahead of time - hopefully the find the magic numbers before the end of next year. I think Hester will get #1 receiver money, even though he is not yet a #1 (some would argue he's not even a receiver). How else would you pay the guy? But he's got 2 years left on his contract, and negotiations have begun. I see Harris and Hester as bigger priorities than Urlacher since BU is signed through 2011.
The Bears have had a reputation of nickeling and diming players. The pay for play situation has gotten better. But they still have a philosophy of paying players a "fair market" salary. I see that is beneficial to being competitive every year. Would you want your team handling it's money like the Raiders?
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Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Jul 1, 2007
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The officers who arrested Cedric Benson didn't know he was the number 1 running back for the Bears. This knowledge could have saved them from pepper spraying the guy to get him down. All they had to do was put a football in his hands.
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Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Aug 6, 2007
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The officers who arrested Cedric Benson didn't know he was the number 1 running back for the Bears. This knowledge could have saved them from pepper spraying the guy to get him down. All they had to do was put a football in his hands.
First of all, where does this come from... leave it up to greenbayalways to turn an intellectual conversation between fans into moronic commentary.
Secondly, you need some new material...that Benson joke or variations of it have been going around since the day the arrest made the news.
Lastly, very good posts by the bear fan and Green Bay fans prior to this idiot. I couldn't have explained the position taken by the team in the Urlacher situation any better. I also believe that all three will eventually get their deals done. I am really tired of the players signing big long term deals with a lot of money up front only to hold out and force the team to re-negotiate a couple of years into the deal. I mean, why even sign a player to a deal longer than 4 years if the player is going to turn around and want a new deal before the contract is over.
Guaranteed contracts in the NFL make this problem go away. The big thing from players is that if a team can cut them at any time, they need to get paid what they can now. All I'm saying is that a deal should be a deal and if you sign a contract both sides should be obligated to fulfill said contract.
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Reputation:84
Level:All-Star
Since:Aug 6, 2007
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I thought what GBAlways wrote was funny, but your reply to it was very rude. This is the Packers message board and the thread is Bears talk. If you can't reply with a kind response, please don't reply at all.
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Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:May 5, 2007
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Urlacher doesnt deserve more money...
His performance has plummeted the last few seasons. He arms tackles all the time now and never wraps up. Time and time again last season players would simply bounce off urlacher and gain dozens of yards. He's not the hard-nosed MLB he used to be.
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