Former Arena wide receiver Rashied Davis yesterday agreed to a three year deal with the Chicago Bears.  Previously, he had agreed to sign the one year 972,000 dollar tender.

The deals terms are as follows:

2008

$1.1 million signing bonus
$50,000 workout bonus
$520,000 base pay

Total: $1.67 million
Cap figure: $936,667

2009

$400,000 roster bonus
$50,000 workout bonus
$765,000 base pay

Total: $1.215 million
Cap figure: $1,181,667

2010

$50,000 workout bonus
$935,000 base pay

Total: $985,000
Cap figure: $1,351,667

 

This one as small as it may seem is a big deal for the Bears.  With Bernard Berrian and Mushin Muhammad out and Devin Hester just learning the offense, we need as many able bodies on board who know the offense.  Prior to last season Davis was proving to be a good find for the Bears getting involved in a lot of games including a few game saving/winning drives.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see Davis resign, but with our receiving corp the way it is he is a welcome addition back.

Today Davis signed his one year tender offer with the Bears.

The offer will net Davis $927,000 for the 2008 season.

This leaves the Bears with an estimated 15 million left in cap space.

UPDATE: Ayanbadejo has chosen the Baltimore Ravens. The deal is for four years and worth $4.925 million contract. The deal includes a $1.9 million signing bonus.

Bears free agent special teamer is expected to sign with another club on Thursday.  The two possible destinations are the New York Jets and the Baltimore Ravens.  He is still trying to decide between the two.

Both teams have reportedly offered him a 4 year deal.  I have no idea how close to the 2 million a year he will get, my guess is not very close.

New York is the more likely destination as he is looking to get more playing time at linebacker.

Oh, now I understand.  It all makes sense now.  I should have been so obvious we all should count ourselves ignorant for not seeing it.  The way to boost your receiving corp is not by resigning your #1 speedster or by signing one of the hot young receivers looking to step up.  The way to boost it is to sign a guy you got rid of years ago.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with former-Bear Marty Booker.  The deal is for 2 years.

Listen, I don't have a beef with Booker.  There are a number of reasons to have him on this team.  He is a good possession guy and we need one to replace Moose.  Maybe he was signed with the understanding that he is going to help Hester and Bradley take the next step, it is just in the scheme of things when Alan Faneca and Michael Turner and Randy Moss and any other number of big names are available signing Marty Booker doesn't do a whole lot to raise confidence that these guys know what they are doing.

And for the record, rumors are the Bears are interested in Bryant Johnson again, though no word on a meeting.

In a world of WTF that is becoming the Chicago Bears off season, something finally went our way.

Brian Griese a dead man walking so to speak, knew that today was likely his last day as a Chicago Bear.  With a 300,000 dollar bonus due today, we was going to be released.  That is unless some team who for whatever reason likes him so much that they are willing to jump the gun and deal for him.  Luckily for us there was such a team.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have traded an undisclosed draft pick in 2009 for the veteran QB.  The pick will no doubt be a second day pick and if gets as high as a sixth rounder, I'll smoke a cigarette, roll over and call it a good night.

Despite having at least two other teams interested in him, including the Bears, Michael Turner has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons.

The contract is for 6 years and worth 34.5 million with $15 million guaranteed.

It is a shame that we couldn't at least get him to Chicago and talk to him, but I guess the money plus knowing for sure that he is the starter is what he needed.

UPDATE: Jay Glazer is reporting that Briggs deal has around 12 million up front. A far cry from the 20 he was asking for last year. There are also reports that the Reskins did make a play for Briggs, but the numbers were the same, so he opted to stay home.

The one constant going into this season was everybody was sure Lance Briggs was gone.  He wanted out last year.  We worked an arrangement that we would not franchise him this year, but all that said and a dry market has brought Briggs home.

The deal is for six years and 36 million dollars.  I don't have terms as far as up front money.

This is probably the biggest move the Bears will make all free agency and could be the most important.  This keeps the league's best linebacking corp in place for years to come.

The Browns continue to remake their team and the receiving pool took another hit.

Former New Orlean Saind and New England Patriot Donte Stallworth signed a deal with the Cleveland Browns.

Terms of the contract are not available.

The Bears and QB Kyle Orton have agreed to terms on a one year contract extension.  This locks Orton up until the 2010 season.

Some have the starting job Orton's to lose, but regardless he should at least get the opportunity to compete for it.

The Chicago Bears and Rex Grossman have come to terms on a 1 year deal.

The deal pays Grossman 3 million in base salary and has up to 2 million in incentives.

I think this is a win win situation.  We get a guy who obviously likes it here.  He could have gone elsewhere and might have even found a guaranteed starting job.  He wasn't going to make a lot of money regardless.  The Bears get him for one more year to see if he is anything.  If he turns it around we work the long term deal.  If he bombs out, we can wash our hands of him.

I think this might close the career of Brian Griese as a Bear.  I don't know how much it would cost us to release him, but with uncertainty with both Orton and Grossman the Bears cannot roll without a guy waiting in the wings.