Having some room on the roster with Brandon McGowan being lost for the year, the Bears have brought linebacker Joey LaRocque up from the practice squad.

LaRocque won't see any time at LB, but is likley to immediately find a home on special teams where he is considered a force.

The minimum for practice squad players is $5,200 per week, which is less than a third of what first-year players earn on a weekly basis--$16,764,706. If LaRocque was not going to suit up and be active on special teams against the Bucs, the Bears would not have more than tripled his salary for the week and paid for a hotel room for him downtown Saturday night. It doesn't work that way.

LaRacque's promotion figures to involve rookie safety Craig Steltz also. Steltz is not expected to play as he has a sprained right ankle that kept him out of practice the last two days. Steltz was the obvious replacement for McGowan on special teams. Now that he's unable to fill that role, LaRocque gets the call even if he doesn't address the shortage the Bears now have in the secondary. If LaRocque goes out and plays well, he could take a step toward ensuring it's a permanent roster spot for him.