Sportsline is running a now annual top 50 players list.  As expected the list starts off with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.  The top ten is rounded out by LaDanian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, Champ Bailey, Mario Williams, Bob Sanders, Carson Palmer, DeMarcus Ware and Kevin Williams.

Obviously, this list is already suspect.  Mario Williams is top ten???

The Bears score three on the list, though in the second half.

32. Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago Bears: A few years back he was overrated. He's not anymore. Urlacher excels in the middle of the Chicago defense.

 

36. Tommie Harris, DT, Chicago Bears: Harris is strong and quick. He had eight sacks last season, showing off his quickness. He can still hold the point against the run.

 

50. Devin Hester, KR, Chicago Bears: I don't normally put return men on these lists, but this guy has earned it. It will be interesting to see how long he can maintain it.

 

Take a look at the list and let me know what you think.

Tommie Harris has signed the largest contract given to a defensive tackle in NFL history.

The Bears and Tommie Harris agree to a 4 year extension worth approximately 40 million dollars through 2012.  The deal includes 18 million in guaranteed money and 27 million over the next three years.

The contract is also the richest in Bears history.

This is the biggest off season move the Bears could have made.  It was the #1 priority of the Bears as well as fans.

Harris, when healthy, is a dominant tackle who can control the line of scrimmage.  The Bears can now shift their attention to signing Devin Hester to a new deal and then figure out what has to be done to make Brian Urlacher happy.

 

Jay Glazer stirred up the pot as he seems to be doing a lot recently, when he reported that at least 10 Bears players tried to intentionally hurt Cedric Benson during training camp a few years back.  Ruben Brown did an interview where he wildly criticized the report .

"That sounds like a lot of mumbo-jumbo," the former Bears guard said. "Nobody does that anymore. We all respect each other's right to earn money. I mean, we're all trying to make it, and that makes no sense.

"You're saying Mike Brown, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, outstanding stand-up people in the community and on the team, leaders of our team, wanted to go and hurt another teammate?

Though he has recently said that the Bears and he are not close to a contract yet, Bears MLB Brian Urlacher participated in his first voluntary workout of the season.  He had missed the prior ones as a means to show his disliking of his contract.

"Any time you are out practising football it is a big plus to have Brian Urlacher out here," Bears defensive co-ordinator Bob Babich said Wednesday. "It was fun to see him out here. He picked up right where he left off from the minicamp."

There is still a long way to go, but this one is starting to worry me.  The Bears offered Urlacher a more than fair one year extension with a decent amount up front.  I haven't heard what numbers he is hoping to get, but at what number will the Bears go to keep him.

Shortly after surprising most and showing up for mandatory mini camp last week, Bears MLB is back to no showing a voluntary mini camp this week.

Linebackers coach is using this as a time to give other players time at MLB to see what they can do.

With Urlacher missing, Lee got a long look at Rod Wilson in the middle in the base package. When the defense moved to nickel, Hunter Hillenmeyer filled Urlacher's role.

"Both of those guys are vets, know what they're doing and feel comfortable," Lee said of Wilson and Hillenmeyer. " Nick Roach is another young linebacker we're trying to get as comfortable as possible."

Again, this is a non issue until he misses something that is mandatory and then it is only really if he misses any training camp.  I would hope the Bears and Urlacher's reps can get something worked out before then.

Typically it is not my style to go at a journalist for the sole reason that they dare say something negative about my team, I'll let other blogs handle that.  I did however want to this one out to you though, and ask what the hell  Pete Prisco was thinking.  Maybe it is just his way of getting people to point to this work like I am.

Every year he does an overrated/underrated player for each team.  Here is what he had to say about the Bears:

Overrated: C Olin Kreutz. He struggled in 2007 and looks to be in a major decline. The Bears need better play inside from him this season to get that running game going.

Underrated: DE Adewale Ogunleye. On a defense that features Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris, Ogunleye had an outstanding season with nine sacks in 2007.

I think somebody better start by defining overrated and underrated to Mr. Prisco.

Kruetz has been to the last 6 Pro Bowls.  Last year he had a bit of a down year, but when half your line sucks as does the play of QB and RB, can anybody on the team really have an up year?  That said, that one year makes him overrated?  I am sorry that not every player is Bruce Matthews and can play 17 seasons.  Everybody has to take a step back some time, and trust me I am not saying Kruetz is about to, in fact I think he will have a fantastic year this year, but the point is one non-outstanding year does not make someone overrated.

Adewale Ogunleye, underrated?  I guess you can say that, but I don't think that applies.  He probably used Hunter Hillenmeyer last year and just had to find a different name.  We got Ogunleye off a 15 sack performance with the Miami Dolphins.  He hasn't returned to those numbers, so while yes it is easy to get overshadowed with Urlacher, Briggs and Harris, he just wasn't consistent.  It was really only half way through last year that he started playing dominant football.  We all hope he can keep that up.  I suppose that half a season was enough to make the list.

So as early as a week ago and as late as yesterday everybody from papers to blogs to teammates were sure that MLB Brian Urlacher would skip the Bears mandatory camp.  As it turns out he is going to attend the three-day practice .

Fellow linebacker Lance Briggs was certain Urlacher would be absent come Friday. Briggs was prepared to wear Urlacher's No. 54 jersey as a show of support.

"I'm surprised, but it's a happy surprised," Briggs said Thursday. "It's good to have your big brother back.

"I don't think this thing should have got to the point where it is right now. Brian needs to be taken care of, period. He's irreplaceable."

This could mean the Bears and Urlacher have spoken and are close to a deal, so Urlacher is getting back to business.  It could also be a good will gesture on Urlacher's part.

File this one under iceberg's chance in hell and just classify it under the Misc file in your brain for a later date.

With Uralcher opting to not attend Bears mini camp, the Bears could go after a portion of his signing bonus , something that would definitely open Urlacher's eyes considering he is trying to get more money, not lose it.

At issue would be signing bonus forfeiture language in Urlacher’s contract, a standard part of virtually all NFL contracts. If he’s in default on his contract—and missing a mandatory team activity would qualify—the Bears could choose to pursue a pro-rated portion of that signing bonus. Just five years into the $56.65 million, nine-year contract, at stake would be $5,777,777 (the remaining pro-rated portion of the signing bonus).

That’s more than the Bears have offered Urlacher in guaranteed money in an $18 million, one-year extension. (We’ve covered the details of the offer before—$5 million to sign, a $1 million escalator in each of the next four seasons triggered by 85 percent play time, and a $9 million base salary in the new year of 2012.)

The precedent for this has been set:

There’s precedent for this, too. The Denver Broncos went after wide receiver Ashley Lelie two summers ago when there was a chance he would be traded to the Bears. The Broncos won and when Lelie didn’t pay up, they took him to court. Lelie paid.

My thoughts on this are as follows:

1) Ashley Lelie may be a precedent from a legal stand point, but this is not a precedent.  The way you treat a never was receiver, versus an all pro position defining player are two hugely different things.

2) Based on what I have heard though Uralcher is no showing Bears activities, he, his agent and Bears management are not at a place where any real threating is happening.  Urlacher not showing is just posturing.  Going after money would only cause Uralcher to dig in more and that is a dire last option.  Something you might throw out around training camp time to see if you can get him back to the table or lower his expectations.

Though it has been hinted at by Brian Uralcher himself and a few others it has been made official, through Lance Briggs? that the middle linebacker will no show madatory mini camp because he is unhappy with his contract.

He is subject to fine based on this:

While the fine can total only $8,165, more than $5.7 million is potentially at stake if Urlacher boycotts minicamp. That represents the pro-rated portion remaining on the $13 million signing bonus he received with his nine-year, $56.65 million contract extension in 2003. As in all NFL player contracts, there's specific signing bonus forfeiture language in Urlacher's contract. If he's in default by missing a mandatory activity, the club could choose to deal with him in similar fashion to the way the Denver Broncos pursued fines and forfeitures with AWOL wide receiver Ashley Lelie two summers ago.

MLB Brian Urlacher still has not shown up at camp

Alex Brown is not practicing while he nurses a minor hamstring injury.

Dan Bazuin still recovering from a left knee injury last year, was on the sideline with his knee wrapped. He is expected to be ready for training camp.

Running back Matt Lawrence and defensive end Gerald Lee are still not in camp. They have to wait until after their school's graduation.