Friday Links

''It might have been a little bit of both,'' Vasher said when asked if he had a setback or was just sore. ''Not being able to play for the past two months and going out there and trying to do exactly what I do, there was probably a minor setback.

''If I had to do it all over again, I would, just to give our team a chance to win and get back out there. It was definitely a meaningful game for me to try to come back to, and I was fortunate that I was able to come back at that time.''

"No, I don't (understand)," Brown said. "Mark had a very special year. The only thing that upset me was the way it was handled.

"Let us go to training camp, and let's have the best man win it. That's how I thought stuff was supposed to be done. But in this case, it wasn't done like that. It was thought that he earned it (last year), and he played well. I'm not going to take anything away from him. But you go to training camp, and that's where you earn your job -- not the season before."

The Bears will play a "meaningless" game Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, but the outcome could have major ramifications on the future of the franchise. If the Bears lose, they could end up with a first-round draft pick as high as ninth overall. If they win, they could choose as low as 18th.

Even though losing would result in the Bears getting a higher-ranked player, beating the Saints probably is in the Bears' best long-term interests.

That's because most teams don't want anything to do with top-10 draft picks -- and for good reason. The hidden truth is picking in the top 10 can leave teams with more problems than Pro Bowl players.