Bears should lock tight end Olsen into a long term deal

Sketchy selections in recent drafts have provided one fewer complication for the Bears this offseason.

They won't have to hand out any record-breaking contracts to players who have completed their rookie pacts.

The best player from the Bears' 2006 draft class -- receiver Devin Hester -- already has been locked up with a long-term deal, and the remaining players from that class -- safety Danieal Manning, defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek, linebacker Jamar Williams and defensive end Mark Anderson -- won't become unrestricted free agents, as scheduled, unless the NFL and the NFL Players Association agree on a new collective bargaining agreement by March 5.

Given the pessimism about a new CBA, the Bears will be able to limit the mobility of those players and match any offer from another club.

But a close analysis of the Bears' contracts highlights one player the team should try to lock up for the long term: tight end Greg Olsen.

Selected 31st in the first round of the 2007 draft, Olsen has increased his catches, receiving yards and touchdowns in each of his first three seasons. He finished tied for fourth among tight ends with eight receiving touchdowns this season, and he was 10th with 60 catches.

Olsen's numbers have been stunted by the presence of veteran Desmond Clark, who continues to be a consistent producer, but he has flashed enough potential that the Bears might be best served trying to sign him to a long-term deal now.

Olsen, at least, would want to listen. He is scheduled to make a base salary of $550,000 next season, a modest amount for a player with his credentials. In addition, for 2011 -- the final season of his rookie deal -- Olsen has triggered an escalator that will boost his $650,000 base salary to between $1 million and $2 million.

From his perspective, Olsen has to weigh the risk of waiting two more years before he gets a chance to land a new, lucrative contract.

One person who certainly doesn't want him to be anxious is his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. In April, Rosenhaus negotiated a six-year, $36 million contract for Kellen Winslow Jr. after he was traded from the Cleveland Browns to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The deal, which includes $20 million in guarantees, is the richest in NFL history for a tight end.

Olsen surely knows all of this and expects to get his own monster deal. That's where Rosenhaus might have some trouble.

The leverage is presently in the Bears' court because they've got Olsen under contract for two more seasons. Meanwhile, they're looking at the six-year contract Philadelphia Eagles tight end Brent Celek signed in early December. That deal is worth about $30 million and includes about $10.5 million in guarantees.

Olsen certainly could justify expecting a richer contract than Celek; he has more catches, yards and touchdowns over the last three seasons. In addition, he hasn't enjoyed the quarterback stability Celek has with Donovan McNabb.

But the greater challenge for Rosenhaus is Winslow's deal. Winslow is a one-time Pro Bowl selection (in 2007), but he hasn't fulfilled expectations since being selected sixth overall in the 2004 draft. He has had a host of off-the-field issues and has scored only one more touchdown than Olsen, despite playing in 14 more games.

This might be a tricky negotiation for the Bears and Rosenhaus. But the Bears would be wise to strike a deal to reward one of their few draft picks who clearly has a future in Chicago.

As for Rosenhaus, he has done plenty of business with the Bears. But the ball in these negotiations isn't in his court.

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(suntimes.com)