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Bears not looking like a tag team :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears

Bears not looking like a tag team
 Berrian closer to becoming an unrestricted free agent; assistant
O'Dea leaves for Jets


February 21, 2008
BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs at suntimes.com

A year after partnering up with agent Drew Rosenhaus for a dance with
the franchise tag, the Bears are expected to sit out that song this
offseason.

The deadline to designate a player with the franchise or transition
tag is 3 p.m. today, meaning wide receiver Bernard Berrian likely will
take another step closer to unrestricted free agency.

RELATED STORIES Inside the Bears: Updates from our blog

The coaching staff and front office have assembled in Indianapolis for
the college scouting combine and unofficial opening of free agency.
Their work has been expanded as, like last year, coach Lovie Smith
will be trying to add a new assistant. Kevin O'Dea, the assistant
special teams coach, has left for the New York Jets.

O'Dea interviewed in New York last week, and the Jets announced his
hiring as their special teams coach Wednesday. O'Dea, 47, previously
was the special teams coach in Arizona. He helped Dave Toub direct the
league's top-ranked special teams each of the last two seasons, and he
inherits a Jets unit that ranked 13th in 2007.

''I'd love to take [Devin Hester] with me,'' O'Dea joked. ''He's the
guy all the special teams coaches are still talking about. [The Bears'
ranking] the last two seasons helped all of us. We worked together as
a team, and that's hard to do, be back-to-back No. 1.''

So in between preparing for the draft and charting the team's path
through free agency, Smith might interview candidates to complete his
staff this week. Quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton was hired at the
combine last year.

Free agency opens at 11 p.m. next Thursday, and the Bears are hopeful
they can reach agreements with Berrian, linebacker Lance Briggs,
special-teamer Brendon Ayanbadejo and quarterback Rex Grossman before
then. Negotiations with defensive tackle Tommie Harris are not as
pressing because he's signed for one more season.

Rosenhaus represents all but Grossman, and general manager Jerry
Angelo likely will meet with him before the end of the weekend. Angelo
also is expected to sit down with Grossman's agent, Eugene Parker,
perhaps as soon as tonight.

The Bears have used the franchise tag only once, placing it on Briggs
at this time last year, and apparently are not going to make a habit
of it. The franchise-tag price for a wide receiver is $7.848 million,
roughly what the Bears offered Berrian in guaranteed money in a
five-year extension last summer.

Only two NFL wide receivers had a higher salary-cap number than that
last season, and quite simply, it would be overpaying for a player
whom most view as a good No. 2 receiver.

Berrian believes he will receive top dollar in free agency and feels
the Bears' current offer is short of that. If he doesn't get what he's
looking for in free agency, he potentially could return to the team
then.

Briggs also may be headed to the open market. Accepting the Bears'
offer at this point would be negotiating against himself. He might be
preparing to reunite with his former defensive coordinator Greg Blache
in Washington.