I think it's probably a pretty good deal for the Bears. The defense is clearly -- Hester's return skills aside -- their only strength, and they need to do all they can to make sure it stays together. After all, if the Bears had a mediocre defense, they would probably be a 3-13 caliber team.

That said, though, I don't think anyone in Chicago should be too optimistic. After all, re-signing Harris doesn't really add anything, it just ensures that they don't lose anything. Regardless of the Harris extension, it's hard to see the Bears ever doing particularly well until they find something on offense.

The Bears are actually adding quite a bit to their defense in 08. They lost three starters to injury in 07 (Mike Brown, Nathan Vasher, and Dusty Dvoracek), waived one before the season started(Tank Johnson), and had three defensive rookies (2nd rnd Dan Bazuin, 3rd rnd Michael Okwo, and 5th rnd Kevin Payne) go on IR. Defensive Tackle and Safety were the biggest problems on defense, and both positions have a veteran returning from injury AND a new draft pick to throw into the mix in 08. Football Outsiders likes to poo-pooh defense a bit due to its higher year to year performance variance, but as Jack Horner said in Boogie Nights, "It's an important part of the process..." The Bears defense will make opposing quarterbacks play like Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. That'll even things up a bit.

Paris, I really wouldn't count on Mike Brown...

From 03, onwards Ricky Williams has played in 29 games including the two full seasons missed.

In that same time span, Mike Brown has played in a whopping 37 games. The guy is possibly the most injury prone player in the league right now. Maybe he needs some of what old Ricky was smoking?

I find this to be a huge steal. There aren't many elite pass-rushing tackles (not as many as ends, at least), so it has to be hard to find a comparable contract. Moreover, within game situations, inside pass rushes are more important than outside pass rushes, making Harris even more important. Great signing, seemingly fair market value.

#3

Mike Brown has had his troubles with injuries and consequently is a long way from being a sure thing, but it isn't as though he has had recurring trouble with the same knee or back (or other degenerative condition). Last year he got his ACL ruptured in an awful horse-collar block that should have seen the blocker ejected from the game. The year before he got his foot crushed at the bottom of a pile. In '05 he had a calf injury (exacerbated by the terrible turf at Soldier Field) and in '04 he suffered an Achilles injury. These aren't problems with one specific part of the body, and the last two injuries are pretty much bad luck. I think part of the reason the Bears have moved him to free safety is to reduce the amount of time he spends in the box, to try to limit his wear and tear, as a free safety he was fairly injury free. He obviously has injury issues, but may yet come back (just in time to earn a free agent contract elsewhere).

On the Harris resigning, thank bloody god, and sort out Hester and then Urlacher quickly.

2, If you're counting the players getting back from injury as additions, just wait until training camp begins before you start subtracting others anew. It's touching to see how fans always expect everyone to stay healthy, but unfortunately, that's not how it works.

For what it's worth, Rex Grossman also had problems staying on the field for several years due to multiple unrelated injuries, and was thus labeled injury-prone. He has mostly stayed healthy since then, for better or for worse.

Obviously, the two play different positions and are of different skill levels at that position (and are different ages, too), but it goes to Jimmy's point that multiple injuries doesn't necessarily indicate injury-prone.

Albert Haynesworth would like to thank Tommie Harris for setting a market value for his services, particularly one somewhat higher than the DT franchise tag amount of $6.5 million or so, at least in nominal dollar amount.

Don't forget Harris was basically playing on one leg last year. We lost 3 of our top 4 safeties last year (Brown, Harris, and Payne), our #2 DT, Dusty Dvoracek, our #1 and #3 DTs were playing hurt, and we lost our #2 corner back. We still finished #2 in weighted DVOA. We don't need to stay 100% healthy (although it wouldn't hurt), we just need about half the players we lost last year staying healthy. Also, we added a DT and safety in the draft. If we have Vasher, a healthy Tommie Harris, and any one of the other players, I bet the Bears win 2 more games last year.

"We lost 3 of our top 4 safeties last year (Brown, Harris, and Payne)"
You didn't lose Harris you traded him.

He wasn't on the team, therefore we lost him. The coaching staff thought Archuleta would be better, they were obviously wrong. My point was of 3 starters from the previous year, Brown, Harris, and Manning, only one played more than one game for the Bears in 2007. Plus, the rookie who had shot up the depth chart, Payne, also got hurt.

Really even an average safety like McGowan is a huge upgrade on Archuleta.

I was pointing out that when you use the term lose it makes it sound like he was hurt, which the team has no control over, when in reality he was traded, which the team has plenty of control over.

8

Harris has been more consistently productive over his career, and has demonstrated exemplary character off the field (and on it). Haynesworth may benefit from the size of the contract that Harris has gotten, bit if Haynesworth gets a bigger one then the Titans management have gotten themselves screwed.

I know this is just me being lazy... but was Harris healthy all last season? I clearly remember him missing the Super Bowl... but If he had played all last year he seemed rather quiet.

Re 14:

He played in every game, but he was never 100% all year. He managed 8 sacks though.