An Ocho-Stinko situation brewing in Chicago?
http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/Like several other members of the Chicago Bears over the past few seasons, linebacker Brian Urlacher has boycotted voluntary drills in protest of his contract.
Unlike his colleagues, Urlacher might stay away from a mandatory minicamp that opens on May 30.
“I would bet I wouldn’t be there,” Urlacher told Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports. “My agents and the team had some good dialogue early on, but nothing’s happened lately. It’s been almost two months since there’s been any action on their end, and it’s a waiting game right now.”
Does this mean that Urlacher also might not show for training camp? “I haven’t even thought about it. I’m hoping it doesn’t get that far.”
Urlacher also addressed the root of the problem — his desire to tear up a contract that has four years left on it. “It’s easy for people to criticize me for wanting [a new deal], and I understand that it’s a contract and I signed it,” Urlacher said. “But this is the NFL, and if I’d signed it and I’d played like [expletive], they’d have cut me or tried to get me to take less. In my mind, there’s no difference. If they can ‘break’ a contract, I have a right to ask for more if I play well enough.”
Hey, Brian — take it up with Upshaw. The union that Gene Upshaw runs has agreed to a system that allows a team to legally cut a player who “plays like [expletive].” The system doesn’t allow the player to cut a team that “pays like [expletive].”
The Bears are within their rights to insist on Urlacher honoring his contract. If they are willing to suffer the possibility that Urlacher will get miffed and/or might retire early, that’s the Bears’ prerogative.
And the Bears have already done dumber things. Look no farther than their current depth chart at quarterback for proof of it.
