Antrel Rolle wants $8M annually

The Bears are in desperate need of a free safety. If there was any doubt about how Lovie Smith felt about the situation, the Bears coach erased it last week at the scouting combine when he said the team needs to "invest" more in the position.

That means the Bears need to get away from their standard approach, which has been to throw a late-round draft pick at the position and hope it sticks. They've selected a safety in five straight drafts and they couldn't tell you with confidence that any one of them is a solution for 2010 as a starter.

The Tribune reported that Danieal Manning will be tried at strong safety, at least to begin the offseason program. If you're keeping score, it will be Manning's fourth position. Al Afalava, a sixth-round pick, fell out of favor late in the season. Craig Steltz probably be the free safety if the season started today. Josh Bullocks would be in the mix along with Kevin Payne.

That is why it's easy to say Antrel Rolle would be a definite upgrade for a defense in need.

Rolle is athletic, can cover and has ball skills. Personnel men interviewed at the combine like his game and believe he'd help the Bears instantly, but cautioned about one thing: He's not going to be a Pro Bowl player. He's not a strong tackler and while he has better instincts than the Bears' safeties, they're not elite.

So the question becomes what will Jerry Angelo and the Bears be willing to pay for Rolle, who is expected to be cut loose by the Arizona Cardinals. He has a roster bonus that is due March 9, according to one league source. Free agency is the marketplace where many a player has been overpaid, and that is why Angelo is so reluctant to be a big spender in March. He knows teams often aren't getting what they pay for.

Rolle is expecting a contract that averages $8 million annually, one source with knowledge of the situation said. That's going to be a hard figure to reach. He already has turned down a contract offer from the Cardinals that averages more than $6 million annually, the source said.

Only three safeties average more than $7 million per year. They're all strong safeties: Adrian Wilson, Troy Polamalu and Bob Sanders. None averages $8 million, although Rolle's teammate in Arizona, Wilson, comes closest at $7.938 million.

Are the Bears prepared to pay Rolle like an elite safety? It's going to require a departure from their way of doing business. They let Tony Parrish walk and become a Pro Bowler in San Francisco after the 2001 season.

Here are some numbers to keep in mind:
Average annual salary for NFL's top 10 free safeties: $5.30 million.
Average annual salary for NFL's top 5 free safeties: $6.25 million.
Average annual salary for NFL's top 10 safeties: $6.51 million.
Average annual salary for NFL's top 5 safeties: $7.24 million.

That shows what a big price a team can pay for its last line of defense. The Bears have been skating by with rookie contracts at the position for a long time. Are they ready to make the jump? Will Rolle realize anything close to $8 million annually? We'll find out soon.

Click here to order Antrel Rolle's proCane Rookie Card.



(chicagobreakingsports.com)