Bottom line: Can Meriweather play?

Bears' fans began pining for Brandon Meriweather as soon as New England released him.

Apparently the Bears did, too, because they came to terms with him on a one-year contract Sunday.

This makes sense, at least on the surface. The Bears needed quality depth at safety and Meriweather played in the past two Pro Bowls.

Still, Patriots' head coach/crack talent evaluator Bill Belichick couldn't wait to dispatch this 2007 first-round draft choice.

“He just wanted Meriweather gone,” was written in The Boston Globe.

Well, the Bears just wanted Meriweather here, so there!

This is a bit of an odd choice, perhaps even a desperate one, by a Bears organization that prides itself on employing good people.

Then again, maybe it isn't. When Bears general manager Jerry Angelo mentions character it's generally in the context of the football field.

That means the player is punctual, attends all practices, works hard, stays in shape and plays at 100 percent in games.

Off-the-field character, well, it would be nice if a player were both a solid citizen out on the street as well as a contributor on the field.

But this is the brutal sport of football, not hopscotch. Myriad questionable humans populate the NFL and Meriweather did pack some dubious baggage for the flight from Boston to Chicago.

Meriweather has been involved in a couple incidents with firearms, one as recently as this spring, though he wasn't charged.

When Bears linebacker Lance Briggs made headlines last week by demanding more money, he was portrayed as a troublemaker for causing a distraction.

But consider how few really bad actors the Bears have had — you know, guys involved in domestic battery, are caught with illegal drugs, train dogs to fight, drive drunk or brandish weapons.

A few Bears have been guilty of social misbehavior but overall this has been a relatively tame group compared to other NFL teams.

And here comes the mischievous Mr. Meriweather.

That's not necessarily bad. Again, football isn't played in church, players aren't choirboys and those sideline benches aren't pews.

This is a mean game played by hard men willing to perpetrate violent acts while placing their own bodies in jeopardy.

All you can do is hope a guy doesn't shoot up the neighborhood during the week.

The best news is that there's no record of Meriweather participating in gunplay during a game or practice.

However, in college at Miami he did stomp on a couple opponents from Florida International during an in-game brawl. Last season with the Patriots he did apply a vicious hit that the league didn't approve of.

Maybe the Bears could use someone who not only plays on the edge but occasionally over it and up to the whistle but occasionally beyond it.

The question that really matters is whether Meriweather is very good at football anymore and can prove it. His work ethic was questioned in New England.

“Meriweather just never progressed from the time he arrived as the 24th overall pick,” the Globe wrote.

Then this: “His preparation was spotty, and that showed up on the field. Meriweather was always a step behind in his reads.”

Brandon Meriweather might be a steal for the Bears, or he might be a case of “be careful what you pine for.”

mimrem@dailyherald.com