Bear down: Olsen signs
The Chicago Bears are the first to sign a player drafted in the first two rounds, inking tight end Greg Olsen from Miami, the 31st pick in the draft, to a five-year deal. Details of the contract were not disclosed.
The fact the Bears were able to sign Olsen so quickly is surprising for two reasons. One, the Bears have been stingy recently signing their draft picks and free agents. The holdout with Cedric Benson, contract issues with Nathan Vasher and Lance Briggs, and similar contract problems with Lovie Smith have set a standard that GM Jerry Angelo takes a hardline with his negotitations. However, Angelo, after refusing to give Vasher an extention last offseason, opened the pocket books and gave him a very lucrative deal. And now, it appears he did the same for Olsen.
You have to assume he shelled out some big dollars for Olsen because, and this brings me to my second point, Olsen’t agent is the stingy Drew Rosenhaus. Some speculated that Olsen fell all the way to the Bears at 31 only because he was represented by Rosenhaus, who has a reputation similar to that of Scott Boras in baseball, and the Bears have not been on the best terms with him recently (see below).
But when it comes down to it, for a team and player to reach agreement this quickly, both sides must really want to be a part of the other. And, I speculate, there was some grumblings in and around the clubhouse that the Bears weren’t willing to stick their neck out to play players. They proved otherwise yesterday when they signed Olsen.
Briggs Digs
The Bears and Briggs have yet to reach any sort of agreement regarding the linebacker’s future. Briggs wants out, and doesn’t want to be a franchise player, a tag that comes with a $7 million-plus one-year contract. The Bears want Briggs to shut up and play like he’s supposed to. And Briggs should. Every game he sits out, he loses 1/16 of his contract. However, if he plays the last few games, he gets the entire purse.
The Bears are more upset with Briggs’ agent, again Rosenhaus, who tried to go around the Bears and discuss possible trades with other teams, telling the media that many teams were interested in the Briggs, when in fact very few were.
Either way, Briggs is getting good money and a chance to play on a championship-caliber team. Plus, he turned down almost the exact same contract he’s asking for earlier this year.
Quit whining and play.
Tank was not so tanked
The Bears waived troubled defensive tackle Tank Johnson after his last run-in with the law. Tank was pulled over and sighted by the officer as driving slightly impaired. The Bears, who gave Tank a second chance after his gun charges and other violations, said that was the last straw and parted ways with the young linemen.
But when toxicology reports came back, Tank’s blood-alcohol level was slightly below the legal limit. Technically, what Tank did was not illegal. So that begs the question, did the Bears act too early when they cut Tank Johnson?
I say no. Tank knew he was on a tight leash. He knew he would be under a watchful eye and should not have been out that late, drinking and driving, just several days after meeting with the commissioner and telling him he was a changed man. And Tank’s a big dude. It’s not like he was just using mouthwash and blew above a .07. It would take quite a few drinks to get his level that high. He was definitely not keeping a low profile like he should have been doing. Whether or not it was legal doesn’t matter–he didn’t keep his word to his coaches and teammates that he would change his ways.
I don’t agree with the Bears organization often, but I was happy when they gave him another chance and happy when they let him go.
Happy Fourth of July everyone. Have a safe and happy holiday.
July 4th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I disagree with the Tank Johnson part of your blog entry (even though most of sports nation agrees with you). I am not happy with the Chicago Bears management at all. It messed up. The management people are cowards and only care about PR. For instance, Tank pled guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge, and while on that probation was charged with resisting arrest and aggrivated assault. Additionally, in a different run-in with the law, he also had those 6 firearms (2 assault rifles) in his house when it was raided, including having his body guard, William Posey, get arrested for marijuana possession in the Johnson residence. Then, Tank Johnson actually actually actually goes out the next night! (Yup, his best friend and body guard, the guy arrested for marijuana possession, is shot dead.) See, this is where the Bears should have released Tank Johnson. That would have been fine. The right thing to do from a supposed respected organization. But no, Love Smith and Co. were quoted as saying how they will back up Tank 100 percent. He was family. He belonged to them. (The real reason was to make a run at and hopefully win the Super Bowl, not because there was true care.) As proved later, members of the Bears organization are hypocrites.
Now, after the June 22 incident where he was pulled over in Arizona, I said from the start (to friends and such) that I would do nothing and wait for the investigation to conclude. If people in the Bears organization cared so much about Tank, if they were behind this man, then they’d keep him and try to improve his lifestyle after doing nothing…illegal, except going 15 over. At this point, after everything else, for something as dumb as this, I’d keep him if I kept him after all of that other stuff and made some pretty big statements in support of Tank.
The Bears clearly only wanted to keep Johnson and rationalize the decision because of the playoffs, and now they just want to look good. Sadly, most people fell for it all. I didn’t.
July 4th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
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July 19th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
It doesn’t beg the question. Quit saying it does.