Urlacher can, but Devin can't wait

Brian Urlacher will have to wait his turn.

While the star linebacker is becoming more vocal about his contract demands, return specialist and receiver Devin Hester is next when it comes to talks with the Bears.

The team will get down to business with Hester's agent, Eugene Parker, this week and try to reach a long-term deal.

No agreement is imminent, but with talks stalled on a deal with defensive tackle Tommie Harris, the Bears are aggressively moving to accomplish what the offseason goal has been all along -- rewarding players already at Halas Hall.

One source said the team will ''look at it more seriously with a little more urgency.''

The Bears first approached Parker about Hester at the combine when they put the wraps on a contract for Rex Grossman, and the sides have had discussions since. It's a complicated matter because there aren't any comparable deals to shape money talks. Hester is unparalleled in NFL history as a returner, and coach Lovie Smith says he has the skills to develop as a No. 1 receiver.

If Hester develops on offense this season, his value is only going to increase. He already has meant plenty when it comes to points. He has scored more touchdowns the last two seasons than anyone else and is directly responsible for at least a handful of Bears victories. Hester will earn a base salary of $445,000 this season and is on the books for $530,000 in 2009.

The four-year contract he signed as the 57th pick in 2006 is worth a little more than $2.61 million. Doing a deal halfway through a four-year contract will set a precedent for the Bears. They balked at efforts by cornerback Nathan Vasher to do the same two years ago. But Hester has grossly outperformed his contract.

Parker has successfully brokered shorter deals for clients to ensure they get back to the bargaining table soon.

Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald just signed a four-year, $40 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. When it expires, he'll be 28.

Hester is 25 and doesn't have the same leverage as Fitzgerald, who had the Cardinals over a barrel with monster salary-cap figures for the next two seasons.

The hurdle will be whether the Bears can talk Hester into an extension that incorporates the existing contract. It's one of the hang-ups with Harris.

The Bears want to maintain the integrity of the current deals and feel they should be compensated for forking over big bonus money early. The Bears don't want to pay a free-agency premium when the player isn't in free agency.

The trick you have is if the Bears offer Hester a four-year extension with $24 million in new money -- these figures are simply for the purpose of explanation -- it's going to be a six-year contract worth $24.975 million after incorporating the two remaining years on the deal. That's less palatable to the player. It's why Harris isn't keen on his offer that incorporates his base pay for this season -- less than $1 million. Players want their old contracts torn up.

Hester's pal, former NFL great Deion Sanders, said last week on NFL Network that Hester was ''upset'' with his contract. Unlike with Urlacher, no one invoked the idea of a trade or retirement, though.

(suntimes.com)