Bears want to seal new deals with Harris, Urlacher

Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips says he would like to complete negotiations soon on new contracts for Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher for several reasons.

"Obviously, the sooner the better, so I don't have to keep answering these questions for the next three months," Phillips said with a smile Tuesday afternoon at Maryville Academy in Des Plaines.

Phillips was there to honor Harris as the Bears' Ed Block Courage Award winner for his dedication to the game and contributions to the community.

The Bears are preparing to contribute a good chunk of their salary cap toward a contract extension for Harris before the 2008 season. It's the last year of his original contract, which was for $9.8 million over five years, including $6.9 million in guaranteed money.

Urlacher is boycotting the team's voluntary off-season workouts that began Monday and hoping the Bears will sweeten the nine-year, $56.65 million deal he signed before the 2003 season. He has four years remaining on that contract.

"They're important to us," Phillips said of Harris and Urlacher, arguably the two best players on a team looking to rebound from a 7-9 season. "We want to get those two guys done; that's our philosophy. We believe in rewarding our own, and that's what we intend to do."

But Phillips took exception to characterizing the ongoing Urlacher negotiations as an "extension." A better word would be "restructuring."

"I never said we were talking about an extension," Phillips said. "I never said that. I said we were talking to his representatives about how to look at his contract and try to educate them on the value of his deal. He signed a long deal, so …"

When it was pointed out that Urlacher's deal was for good money five years ago, Phillips agreed.

"It was," he said. "It still is."

Coach Lovie Smith expressed little concern about Urlacher's absence from the voluntary weightlifting and conditioning sessions.

"I don't get too worked up about that," Smith said. "If a player has some type of contract dispute that's going on, I realize in the off-season you take care of those things. In the end, when we need Brian there, he'll be there."

Harris seemed content to let the process run at its own pace when he spoke with reporters Tuesday, at first joking that a deal already had been completed between the Bears and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who was at Halas Hall earlier in the day.

"I would love to be a Bear," Harris said. "I'm patiently waiting. I'm very optimistic. I'll leave the negotiations to the front office and my agent. I feel like they're going to do a great job, so right now I'm just staying focused on the off-season workouts and get my body in the best shape possible."

Harris underwent postseason arthroscopic knee surgery after the 2007 campaign in which his health was less than 100 percent much of the time, although he still made his third straight Pro Bowl.

"There's not really a deadline," Harris said. "I owe them one (more) year. Right now it's not a distraction. But to guarantee security and to be able to get paid for your accolades, I believe that's what all of us do, and that's what we all come to work for. It would be great (if we get it done), but I owe the Bears a year. If it doesn't (get done), it's expected."

Considering that defensive tackles with similar or lesser talent than Harris have struck it rich in recent months, the former first-round pick can expect a windfall -- if not now, in the near future.

The Oakland Raiders re-signed Tommy Kelly for $50.5 million over seven years, including $18.1 million in upfront guaranteed money.

Former Packer Corey Williams got $38 million over six years from the Cleveland Browns in free agency, and Kris Jenkins signed a five-year, $35 million deal, including $20 million in guaranteed money, with the New York Jets after he was traded from the Carolina Panthers.