Money talks: Bears cut Harris, Hillenmeyer, Shaffer
The Bears saved $5.31 million in salary and bonuses for the coming season by terminating defensive tackle Tommie Harris’ contract Monday morning.
The Bears also cut linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, who missed 15 games last season as the result of a concussion in a preseason game, and veteran backup offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer.
Harris was due a base salary of $2.31 million, a roster bonus of $2.5 million on June 1 and a workout bonus of $500,000.
The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Harris was given a four-year $40 million contract extension on June 19, 2008 after being voted to the Pro Bowl in the three previous seasons, when he had 16 sacks and used his combination of strength and quickness to frequently disrupt opposing backfields.
Harris, the Bears’ first-round pick in 2004 (14th overall), was never the same player after getting the big payday, which contained $10 million in bonus money the first year of the deal and $6.67 in bonuses in the second year.
Because Harris never played anywhere close to the value of his salary, his release was not a surprise. Late last week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo declined to discuss specific players in regard to the postseason evaluations that had already begun. But he said: “When you talk about players, you’re always talking about their contracts, you’re talking about their performance, you’re talking about their attitude and how it applies to the team.”
Simply put, Harris’ production did not match his paycheck.
Knee and hamstring injuries limited his practice and playing time in 2008 and ’09, although he missed just three games in two years and managed 5 sacks in 2008. Last year Harris didn’t miss any training camp practices and was healthy for most of the season, but his production continued to decline.
Journeyman Matt Toeaina, who was signed off the Bengals practice squad in 2007, outplayed Harris early last season, took his job in Week Three and started the next 10 games at the three-technique tackle. Harris regained the starting job for the final four regular-season games and both playoff games. He had 1 ½ sacks in the 35-24 postseason victory over the Seahawks.
But 2010 was the least productive of Harris’ seven regular seasons with the Bears. He finished 15th on the team with 18 tackles, including just 7 solos, and he had a career-low 1 ½ sacks.
Hillenmeyer was originally a fifth-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 2003 out of Vanderbilt, where he led the nation as a senior with an average of 14 tackles per game. The Academic All-American was cut by the Packers before the start of the regular season, but he was signed to the Bears’ practice squad.
Hillenmeyer wound up playing in 101 games with 69 starts for the Bears.
When six-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker Brian Urlacher suffered a season-ending dislocated wrist in the 2009 season opener, Hillenmeyer stepped in to start 13 games and was second on the team with a career-best 105 tackles.
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Hillenmeyer started 11 or more games in five of his eight seasons with the Bears, but he also suffered multiple concussions along the way.
Shaffer was signed by the Bears in March of 2009 after being cut by the Browns, where he started 47 of 48 games from 2006-08. He started five games for the Bears in 2009 and two early last season, all at right tackle, before he was replaced by rookie J’Marcus Webb, who started the final 12 games and appears to be a fixture for the future.
The 6-foot-5, 318-pound nine-year veteran started for 2 ½ years with the Atlanta Falcons before he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Browns.
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