The agent representing Bears top draft pick Curtis Enis spoke again briefly to vice president of operations Ted Phillips Tuesday night, but negotiations remain at a standstill, both sides said. More important, the Bears are expected to soon give Enis an ultimatum in the form of a three-year contract offer, significantly shorter than first discussed.
At the heart of the impasse is still the issue of voidable years. Enis’ agent, Greg Feste, said Wednesday he would not budge from his proposal of six years voidable to five, with Enis becoming a free agent at that time. The Bears have countered with a performance incentive that states Enis must gain an average of approximately 1,600 yards a season, which Feste said was “a pipedream. It has to be a reasonable standard.”
Instead of a six-year deal voidable at five, Phillips has offered a straight five-year deal, which would lower the signing bonus. But Feste said his fear is that the Bears will label Enis a franchise player at the end of his contract, which would limit his negotiating power. “He keeps bringing up all the negative possibilities,” Phillips said. “And that wouldn’t even necessarily be a negative. This has gotten to the point where he won’t even discuss other possibilities.”
Feste remains convinced the Bears will somehow acquiesce, but all indications are that they will not. Asked if his client isn’t low on leverage considering that his only option is to sit out the year, Feste said: “I’m not that concerned about that. Curtis is a young man. Yeah, he wants to play, he wants to be in camp, but he knows he has to make the right decision for his family. Football is a business.”
Checkup: Friday’s Bears-Cardinals game provides a spot audit of the two teams’ 1994 first-round draft picks.
The Cardinals, drafting 10th, argued long into their 15 minutes on the clock between Jamir Miller and John Thierry, with head coach Buddy Ryan finally carrying the moment in favor of Miller.
Miller won a starting job in 1995, the same year he spent time suspended for substance abuse, and started every game the last two years, posting a career-high 5 1/2 sacks last year.
Thierry did not become a fulltime starter until last year, and then only for nine games before a torn knee ligament ended his season. He has 19 career starts but bristled at a question of whether he felt he needed to justify his status as a No. 1 pick.
“I don’t think I have to justify anything,” Thierry said. “I played the cards I was dealt. I think I played them well. Unfortunately it wasn’t a good deal.”
Thierry had hoped to return for the Baltimore game but was a late scratch. He is No. 2 behind left end Mark Thomas but is expected to be in with the nickel line at right end.
Salaam gone: The long anticipated injury settlement and release of 1995 No. 1 draft pick Rashaan Salaam was announced Wednesday, not a pleasant occasion for coach Dave Wannstedt. Salaam broke his leg last year and needs additional surgery, raising questions about his long-term prospects for playing again.
“I love Rashaan,” Wannstedt said. “The guy’s a winner. The guy was and is willing to do everything you would ever ask a player to do to make himself the best. It truly hurts when you see something like this happen to a player. It’s a shame.”
