Bears moving on minus Urlacher
The return of linebacker Brian Urlacher does not appear imminent.
“Years and experience teach us not to say ‘never,’ to not use those words,” general manager Phil Emery said.
“But certainly our focus is on the roster that we have on the field and moving forward with our team and using that roster and our talents and our resources to develop championships, and that’s where our focus is at.”
Urlacher remains a free agent. Emery was asked if he had regrets about the way the situation deteriorated, with the sides unable to agree on compensation.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “We had a very honest and open exchange between Brian and his representatives. There was no lack of clarity. Brian’s been a great player. He’s a Hall of Fame player. He’s done great things for the Chicago Bears. It’s been a win-win.
“As far as Brian and the Chicago Bears, that’s been a great happening for the city of Chicago, for our fans and for the Bears. It’s also been good for Brian.
“We’ve committed more resources to Brian than any Bear in the history of the organization. We were willing to commit more. In the end, we just could not agree on what that amount was.”
Sounds like a plan:Quarterback Jay Cutler said the fast pace of Tuesday#146;s first minicamp was indicative of how the new offense will try to operate.#147;We#146;re going to put pressure on guys,#148; he said. #147;We#146;re going to put pressure on the quarterback both mentally and the defenses getting after them.#148;Summarizing the playbook, which players have only had for a couple of weeks, Cutler said: #147;We#146;re going to protect the quarterback and get rid of the ball as fast as we can. We want to get the ball to the playmakers.#147;That#146;s where we#146;re going to make our money, getting them the ball fast and letting them make plays for us.#148;What a guy:GM Phil Emery is not about to tip his hand regarding the draft next week, but he had good things to say about the Halas Hall visit of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te#146;o.#147;I found Manti to be a very good person, a very squared-away guy,#148; Emery said, #147;and I certainly enjoyed the meeting.#148;Strength in numbers:Another contender was added to the offensive line mix Tuesday when guard/tackle Eben Britton signed a one-year contract.The 6-foot-6, 308-pound Britton was a high-second-round draft pick (39th overall) in 2009 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He started 30 games the past four seasons, including 23 at right tackle and seven at left guard.He started five games last season, all at left guard.