Chris Harris Says; "No Word on Extension Yet

Updated: August 8, 2011, 4:04 PM ET

Chris Harris, Bears yet to talk

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By Michael C. Wright
ESPNChicago.com
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BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- While the Chicago Bears work to prevent running back Matt Forte from hitting the free agent market in 2012, it appears the club won't be doing the same for safety Chris Harris, who's set to go into the final year of a two-year contract signed last April.

The Bears were reportedly expected to extend a contract proposal to Harris by the end of the month. But neither Harris nor his agent, Albert Elias, has engaged in any discussions with the club.

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In fact, Elias plans to conduct business with the expectation that Harris will go into free agency in 2012.

"We'd love to remain with the Bears and would love to stay there," Elias said. "But there's not been any talk about an extension. It's always been my process and plan that if a team is not offering a contract in a contract year before the start of season, normally that means we're going into free agency."

That's not a route Harris likely wants to go after taking approximately a 50-percent pay cut in 2011 to re-join the Bears, which originally drafted him in 2005 with a sixth-round pick, after three years with the Carolina Panthers. Harris said he hadn't heard from the Bears or his agent about a potential extension, adding that "it would be nice" to be able to remain with the club.

"But I've been so into all this (training camp), I can't even think about all that stuff," Harris said.

Coming off a season in which he tied for the team lead with a career-high five interceptions, in addition to earning All-Pro recognition for the first time, Harris is set to earn approximately $1.1 million in base salary for 2011, making him the 35th-highest paid safety in the NFL.

Obviously his 96 tackles, five interceptions and two fumble recoveries from 2010 serve as an indication that Harris has outperformed the deal he signed after returning to the Bears in a trade from Carolina. Harris didn't receive a signing bonus upon joining the club, but earned $800,000 in base salary in 2010, in addition to receiving roster bonuses of $300,000 and $500,000 the last two years.

In the two years that Harris started for the Bears, the team went to the Super Bowl and NFC Championship game.

Although the sides haven't engaged in any discussions, it doesn't mean the Bears won't reach out to Harris in the next couple of weeks. The unexpected pace of transactions after the lockout, the lightning-quick start of training camp, and negotiations with Forte's representatives could all play roles in why the Bears haven't made contact.

Then again, the team's silence could mean the Bears are prepared to move a different direction after the season. Keep in mind the club used a third-round pick in the 2011 draft to select safety Chris Conte.

"By us not getting a call before the start of the season -- the way I handle things -- is you play the contract out and go into free agency," Elias said.

Michael C. Wright covers the Bears for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN 1000

I'm not paying any attention to what his agent is saying about how he operates. That's up to him but my guess is that if Chris Harris wants to stay with the Bears and the Bears want Chris Harris then much like AA they'll get a deal done. It had been hectic because of the delay in the onset of FA and rookie FA not to mention the signing of the draft picks. A lot has happened in the past three weeks.

Still, to me this is a guy we want to keep even if Chris Conte shows real promise. Harris has always been a consistent player for the Bears and he provides leadership in the secondary that we haven't seen since Mike Brown was released. The guy is only 29 years old and has the stuff to keep playing at a high level for a while longer. Besides the only years that we've made it to or won the NFC Championship has been when he's been playing for us. He's a good luck charm for cripes sake so sign him!

Harris happy to be back as Bears' glue guy

Veteran safety helping younger players, hopes to force more turnovers this season



http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...8/63920839.jpg Wide receiver Andy Fantuz (83), wide receiver Sam Hurd (81) and wide receiver Travis Cobb (15). (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune / August 11, 2011)





By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 10:18 p.m. CDT, August 11, 2011


BOURBONNAIS — Imagine how much turnover the Bears could have prevented if they hadn't pulled Chris Harris off a practice field at Olivet Nazarene University four years ago and traded him to the Panthers.

The return of the veteran a year ago provided long-sought stability at a position that has had more change than any other since Lovie Smith arrived in 2004. Harris and Danieal Manning became the first pair of safeties to start 16 games for the club since 2001.

Now, Manning is with the Texans and the team is counting on Harris, 29, to be the glue in the secondary once again. He has been helpful with Major Wright, the third-round pick from 2010, as he transitions into the starting lineup. Rookie safety Chris Conte said it's nice to be able to get a player's perspective on different aspects on the field.

"He's the best," defensive backs coach Jon Hoke said of Harris. "He's a great mentor to those guys. He enjoys doing that. He's a team guy and a football guy."

That's not always the case with veterans. Former Bears defensive lineman Bryan Robinson tells stories about breaking into the NFL with the Rams and having veteran players feed him misinformation in an effort to protect their jobs.

Harris makes the switch from free safety to strong safety this season. The Bears' safety positions are interchangeable in the base Cover-2 scheme. When the defense calls for a single-high safety in Cover-1 or Cover-3 or various blitz packages, the strong safety is the one closer to the line of scrimmage and often in the box. It's where Harris, who dubbed himself "The Hitman," thrives. He was fourth on the team in tackles with 96 a year ago.

"I am trying to build off of what I did last season, making the ball my priority," he said. "Keep creating turnovers. ... I had five picks last year and I want more."

The five interceptions and two fumble recoveries are a primary reason why Sports Illustrated's Peter King included Harris on his All-Pro team.

"That was kind of a nice accolade," Harris said. "Hopefully, I can keep that consistency going."

Harris is a bargain for the Bears. In order for his trade back to the Bears to go through just after the 2010 draft, he had to agree to restructure his contract, something Harris' party thought at the time would lead to an extension before this season. Instead, he's set to earn $1.095 million and has received a $500,000 roster bonus. If he heads into free agency after the season, the Bears will risk the kind of change at the position that they have worked so hard to end.

"Whenever you bring a player back, that is saying a lot," coach Lovie Smith said. "He made play after play, he had an outstanding season. We have a couple young safeties back there, he's helping them, but we're expecting big things out of him. He's a great run-support player and he's playing the pass a lot better."

The Bears may groom Wright and Conte to be the starters of the future. For now, Harris is a big part of the defense.

"I wanted to come back here and I was willing to take a pay cut to do it and be back with the guys and give myself a chance to win a championship," he said. "I would hope I am not just a stopgap for someone else. I love Chicago. I want to finish my career here. That would be awesome for me."

bmbiggs@tribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs

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Just bumping this back up with a follow up on Chris Harris. When a guy plays as well as he has, is a definite team leader, helps his fellow DB's, and wants to return maybe for less than he might get elsewhere, to me this is a guy you keep around. Harris is only 29 years old and there's no denying how much better our play at Safety has been since we got him back so I really hope they give him his extension.

PS: Andy Fantuz may not be very fast but he sure is a big mutha'. Sam Hurd is 6'3" and listed at 209lbs and he looks small next to him. Fantuz looks more like a TE than a WR.