Bears cut ex-Pro Bowl corner Nate Vasher

Despite earlier indications to the contrary, the Bears on Wednesday cut former Pro Bowl cornerback Nate Vasher.

That eliminated Vasher's $2.95 million salary for the 2010 season, in addition to the $3.45 million he would have earned in 2011 and the $3.7 million he would have been due in 2012.

Unfortunately for the Bears, they've already paid Vasher a $9.5 million signing bonus as part of the five-year, $28 million contract extension he signed on June 26, 2007, a year-and-a-half after his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.

Vasher also received roster bonuses of $2 million in 2007 and $2.5 million in '08.

He had no more bonus money due, which is why, despite three straight unproductive and injury-marred seasons, it seemed plausible that he would at least go to training camp and compete for a job this summer.

"We paid him his money, so it doesn't behoove us to let him go," Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said last month. "We're going to take him to training camp."

But the Bears believe they can get more production for less money from free-agent cornerback Tim Jennings, who was signed Tuesday.

Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman will go to training camp as the starters, with Jennings, Corey Graham, D.J. Moore and Woodny Turenne expected to compete for backup positions.

After intercepting 16 passes and starting 35 games in his first three NFL seasons, Vasher started just 11 games in the next three seasons and intercepted only 3 passes.

He suffered a severe groin tear in the third game of the 2007 season and played in just one more game that year. A wrist injury that required surgery limited him to eight games in 2008.

Vasher's Pro Bowl appearance followed a 2005 regular season in which he intercepted 8 passes, 1 of which he returned 45 yards for a touchdown against Green Bay.

That year he also established an NFL record, since broken, for the longest scoring play in history, when he went 108 yards with a missed field goal against San Francisco.