Angelo steps forward to discuss his teams

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo came into his annual pre-draft meeting with the media Tuesday at Halas Hall with a plea to those in attendance to keep the line of questioning strictly about the upcoming draft.

He then spent the next 20 minutes answering questions on everything but the draft.

Contracts, trade requests, team chemistry, salary cap, fairness, unfairness -- most of the questions centering on the status of unhappy linebacker Brian Urlacher. But also included in the mix was the status of Tommie Harris, Devin Hester and Robbie Gould, all of whom, like Urlacher, are angling to restructure their contracts. And all of whom are under contract.

"It's business as usual," Angelo said. "Let me say this: Nothing surprises me, so it's not going to be, 'Well, I didn't think he was going to react this way.' It is what it is. Players have feelings. They have perceptions of who they are and what their marketplace is. I'm understanding of that. The good news is all these players we're talking about are under contract. They're Bears.

"We're understanding that you're not going to have one big happy family. It just doesn't work that way … that's not reality."

And neither is going public to plead one's case.

"We don't negotiate through the media," Angelo said. "We want to reward our own players; that's our goal. I think we have a pretty good track record of doing that."

But he also seemed to send a shot over the bow by intimating that not all the unhappy players are going to begin next season fat and happy with new contracts.

"There are times when we aren't going to be accommodating," said Angelo, who said he doesn't anticipate trading any of those players. "There are going to be times when players aren't happy with their contracts."

Angelo obviously isn't happy with his players angling to renegotiate midway through their deals.

"It's going around," he said. "I see it with other players and other teams. I have my feelings about it. But they have contracts, so why have contracts? Everybody should just do a one-year contract and let's go to the table every year. Well, that's ridiculous."

But the bottom line on all this is Urlacher and whether Angelo will treat him differently from the others also seeking to renegotiate their contracts.

"I don't know how to answer that one," Angelo said. "There's a lot that goes with that. It's just not an isolated situation. It affects everything we do from a business standpoint. It affects other players. It's a big thing.

"Fifty-three people want to be treated special. How in the heck would we be able to run a business if we acquiesced to every situation from every player when they come to us? It's just not practical.

"And we think the world of Brian. The good news with Brian is he is a Bear. He wants to be a Bear."