The Bears are offering Alonzo Mayes a team first–a contract for a fourth-round draft choice with incentives–in their effort to sign the rookie tight end.
But the second day of training camp passed Saturday with no responses to offers to Mayes and No. 1 pick Curtis Enis, whose opening demand after changing agents was $45 million over seven years, more than the combined packages accepted by the fourth and sixth picks in the draft. Enis was chosen fifth overall.
Bears Vice President Ted Phillips has negotiated past that starting point, but was clearly frustrated Saturday by the perceived lack of urgency on the part of the two rookie holdouts. Phillips had expected calls back from each, but the phone wasn’t ringing.
“The only thing I can read from that is they’re not ready to do a deal,” Phillips said. “I’ll continue to call them every day and try to get a dialogue going. But there’s been none the last two days. It’s OK to disagree, but you can’t make progress if you don’t talk.”
No regrets: President Michael McCaskey overhauled the Bears’ personnel department last year, dramatically expanding the scouting staff. Those were resources not in place for the first four years of Dave Wannstedt’s coaching tenure. The result was a succession of personnel mistakes, but McCaskey does not second-guess himself for not giving Wannstedt that kind of help earlier.
“I don’t think so,” McCaskey said. “It takes time to evaluate anybody or the work of a department, especially when you’re drafting people.”
McCaskey said that the department’s beefing up has had a positive effect.
“I think the personnel department is enriched and energized with Mark Hatley, Bill Rees (college scouting), Rick Spielman (pro scouting) and the other scouts that have joined us,” McCaskey said. “With more people there’s a real sense of commitment and forward thrust to their work.”
First blood: Two practices were enough to discourage undrafted free agent Chester Ford. The rookie fullback, who was out of football last year, is out of it again after quitting one day into training camp. No word on how the Bears will fill the roster spot.
Reasons: Wannstedt kept his job despite 7-9 and 4-12 records the last two seasons in part because his boss factored in the unusual number of major injuries that hit the Bears.
In 1996 it was a neck injury to quarterback Erik Kramer and leg problems with virtually every tight end on the roster. Last year it was receiver Curtis Conway and the offensive line, plus defensive end Alonzo Spellman. McCaskey decided Wannstedt deserved another chance.
“It (injury) was a consideration,” McCaskey said. “Major or minor, it was important. You just have to look at how out of the ordinary it was these last two years the number of injuries we had. I suppose it’s a statistical thing where some seasons you get lucky and you get through it without injuries at key positions. That catches up with you eventually.”
As for 1998: “I think you can expect that he will be our coach for the season. That’s the way I go into it.”
Hurting: Defensive tackle Mike Wells strained a hamstring in Saturday’s morning practice and was out of pads and did not work in the afternoon.
