<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Bears signed second-round KR Devin Hester to a four-year contract.Financial terms are not available. Hester, Chicago's fifth of seven draft picks to sign, is expected to make an immediate impact on returns. His ability to contribute in the Bears' secondary as a rookie is questionable.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Chaintime @ Jul 2 2006, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Bears signed second-round KR Devin Hester to a four-year contract.Financial terms are not available. Hester, Chicago's fifth of seven draft picks to sign, is expected to make an immediate impact on returns. His ability to contribute in the Bears' secondary as a rookie is questionable.</div></div>I love how they list him as a KR and not a WR or CB. True man without a position.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Hester agrees to four-year deal with BearsBy Len PasquarelliESPN.comVersatile performer Devin Hester, the latter of the Chicago Bears' two second-round selections in the 2006 draft and a young player being counted on to dramatically upgrade the franchise's special teams production in 2006, has reached agreement in principle on his first NFL contract.The deal is expected to be finalized later this week.Financial details of the four-year contract were not yet available, but Hester becomes the fifth of Chicago's seven draft choices to come to terms, leaving only second-round cornerback Danieal Manning and third-round defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek unsigned. There are only 21 draft choices with contracts leaguewide and Chicago, San Francisco and Washington have signed five selections each.The Bears, like the Redskins, did not have a first-round selection in the April draft.The 57th player chosen overall, Hester is the lone second-round pick so far to reach agreement and is just the second player chosen on the first day of the draft to come to terms. The only prospect chosen higher than the former University of Miami star who has completed a deal is defensive end Mario Williams, the top player selected in the draft, by the Houston Texans.Earlier in the week, the Bears signed fourth-round linebacker Jamar Williams, who is expected to play a lot in 2006, and who figures prominently in Chicago's plans for the future. All of the team's choices signed to this point received four-year contracts. Each of the first four picks to sign got deals that include minimum base salaries, with an "escalator" which could boost the base salary for the 2009 season.During his three seasons at Miami, the Hurricanes' coaching staff used the lightning-quick Hester as a wide receiver, tailback, cornerback, nickel back, and return man. The Bears plan to play Hester exclusively in the defensive backfield, and he could challenge for nickel or dime coverage duties as a rookie. The area where Chicago likely will reap immediate dividends, however, is on special teams.Hester returned four punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns during his Hurricanes career. He averaged 25.8 yards on 37 kickoff returns at Miami and 15.6 yards on 41 punt runbacks. Hester also blocked a pair of kicks while playing on special teams.As a team, the Bears averaged just 19.9 yards on kickoff returns in 2005, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Chicago's average on punt returns, 9.1 yards, was the ninth-best in the NFL. But the club struggled all season with fumbles at the position, and finally released specialist Bobby Wade in December after he combined for nine fumbles and muffs on punt returns.While playing on offense at Miami, Hester caught 10 passes for 196 yards and rushed five times for 40 yards. There is still some question about his best position, but he does possess raw coverage skills, plays tougher than his size (5-feet-10 5/8, 190 pounds), and has electrifying speed, having been clocked at 4.41 in the 40-yard dash at the combine workouts.Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here Insider.</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2507426Off-Topic, but related. 4th Round Pick LB Jamar Williams signs too<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Bears sign fourth-round choice LB WilliamsBy Len PasquarelliESPN.comThe Chicago Bears have capped a busy week at the bargaining table by signing rookie linebacker Jamar Williams, a fourth-round draft choice from Arizona State who could fit prominently into the team's plans for the future, to his first NFL contract.Williams signed a four-year, $2.025 million contract. The deal includes a $415,000 signing bonus and minimum base salaries of $275,000 (for 2006), $360,000 (2007), $445,000 (2008) and $530,000 (2009). He is the fourth of Chicago's seven selections in this year's draft to come to terms on a contract.Earlier in the week, the Bears negotiated contract extensions with starting strongside linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer and with versatile backup tailback Adrian Peterson. They also signed former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver and special teams standout Alex Bannister to a one-year deal as a free agent.At a predictably slow time for rookie negotiations leaguewide, Williams, the 120th overall choice in April, is actually the second-highest selected player in the 2006 draft class to sign his first contract. Only Mario Williams, the defensive end chosen by the Houston Texans with the top pick, is higher. There are just three players in the first four rounds who have completed contracts.While the Bears boast one of the NFL's top linebacker corps, Williams could see situational playing time as a rookie and, depending on negotiations with Pro Bowl weakside linebacker Lance Briggs, might be a starter by his second season. Briggs is entering the final season of his original rookie contract and, without an extension, will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring. Discussions toward an extension collapsed in April, and Briggs then skipped much of the team's voluntary offseason program.The other two starters, middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and Hillenmeyer, are both signed through 2011.The Chicago staff has been excited with the versatility of Williams, who split starts at both outsides spots as a senior at Arizona State, and by his all-around skills. Along with solid physical skills, and the ability to close on the ball with his 4.59-second speed in the 40, Williams is a very instinctive defender and a better athlete than many scouts thought.Williams appeared in 48 games at ASU and started 35 of them. He totaled 256 tackles, 25 of them for losses, and had six sacks, eight interceptions and four forced fumbles. He is a good blitzer, and is excellent in coverage, as evidenced by three interceptions each in his junior and senior campaigns.Leaguewide, there are now 20 draft choices with signed contracts in the pool of 255 players. Thirteen of the completed deals are in the sixth and seventh rounds. San Francisco, Washington and Chicago have combined to sign 14 of the picks. Neither the Bears nor the Redskins had first-round choices in this year's draft.Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.</div>http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2506494
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrianUrlacher54 @ Jul 4 2006, 08:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Good to see the Bears getting their rookies under contract.</div>Most teams around this time are. The only guys that will remain unsigned later on will be the high draft picks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Johnny White Guy @ Jul 4 2006, 10:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BrianUrlacher54 @ Jul 4 2006, 08:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Good to see the Bears getting their rookies under contract.</div>Most teams around this time are. The only guys that will remain unsigned later on will be the high draft picks.</div>Has Mercedes Lewis been signed??
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Johnny White Guy @ Jul 4 2006, 10:37 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Not yet, probably soon.</div>DAMN!!! The Bears should've kept their pick at 26 and taken this guy
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Johnny White Guy @ Jul 5 2006, 10:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yeah a lot of people were saying thats who you were going to get. Jags got him though </div>At #28. We should've kept our pick and taken him. Angelo seriously is overrating his starters, giving the "we've got everyone returning" crap
I like Devin Hester a lot... he can make a real impact for us at any of the positions he is capable of playing.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Johnny White Guy @ Jul 5 2006, 10:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yeah a lot of people were saying thats who you were going to get. Jags got him though </div>We had pick 26. He was taken at 28. I don't see anything funny. I see idoicy from Angelo.
