The Bears and Tommie Harris have still not yet agreed to terms on a new contract.  For Harris this is more about years than it is money. Not to say he isn't interested in money, quite the contrary, he is trying to add one more big payday.

The Bears had offered him a deal close or above the seven-year, $50.5 million dollar deal that the Oakland Raiders gave Tommy Kelley.  Harris, unlike Kelley, is actually worth that much, but Harris wants a deal more like the one Richard Seymour got, which was a four-year, $30 million deal.  The deal having  $26 million guaranteed.

With this type of a deal Harris would again be a free agent once more before he hits 30 y ears of age, allowing him to once again cash in. 

I think this strategy is a good one for both teams.  It keeps the Bears off the hook from seven years of big money and they won't be stuck with the decision over whether they have to cut him or not.  It also lets them work a new deal based on where he is age wise and health wise.

The flip side of course is what if Harris stays relatively healthy for the rest of his career and becomes a Hall of Fame caliber defensive end.  If he is still going strong at 30 he will still warrant a big contract at that age.