By Brad Biggs
New offensive coordinator Mike Martz proclaimed on the Bears' Web site that the team has two starting running backs after signing Chester Taylor to a four-year contract Friday.
Based on the $12.5 million, four-year contract Taylor signed (more on that after the jump), he certainly will be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job with Matt Forte.
"He's a complete back," Martz told the Web site. "He can be a power back, but he has that burst that you need on the perimeter. He has excellent hands. He's a very willing and competent pass blocker. He's a real solid player.
"He'd fit into anybody's offense. It would be unfair to him to say that he's going to be good in any particular offense. He's just an outstanding player, really. But obviously, the things that we do and the different ways we use a back really suit him, whether it's in the passing game or moving him around and handing him the ball."
New offensive coordinator Mike Martz proclaimed on the Bears' Web site that the team has two starting running backs after signing Chester Taylor to a four-year contract Friday.
Based on the $12.5 million, four-year contract Taylor signed (more on that after the jump), he certainly will be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job with Matt Forte.
"He's a complete back," Martz told the Web site. "He can be a power back, but he has that burst that you need on the perimeter. He has excellent hands. He's a very willing and competent pass blocker. He's a real solid player.
"He'd fit into anybody's offense. It would be unfair to him to say that he's going to be good in any particular offense. He's just an outstanding player, really. But obviously, the things that we do and the different ways we use a back really suit him, whether it's in the passing game or moving him around and handing him the ball."
Taylor's contract calls for him to earn $7 million of the $12.5 million
this season, and he will collect all $7 million provided he meets
participation requirements in the offseason program (typically 85
percent). The deal is friendly for the Bears in the coming seasons,
also, with Taylor costing $1.275 million in 2011 and $1.775 million in
2012, a good price even if he's splitting time evenly with Forte.
The Bears also added one of the finest blocking tight ends in the league in Brandon Manumaleuna, whose five-year contract totals $15 million. He will receive a total of $8.7 million in the first two years of the deal, as he has a $2 million signing bonus, a $3 million roster bonus this year and a $1 million roster bonus in 2011 (the details of which are below).
"Brandon is very athletic for his size," Martz told the Bears' site. "He's got great body control. He's extremely adept as an inline blocker. He can handle a defensive end all by himself. He's an unusually good pass-blocker, and we'll utilize him in that area as well as throw him the football.
"Here's a 300-pound tight end with athleticism. Any time you can have a guy help you block on the edge, those two backs we were talking about, it increases the different things that you can do with them."
A look inside the numbers of the contracts for Taylor and Manumaleuna:
Chester Taylor
2010
$2 million signing bonus
$955,000 base salary
$4 million roster bonus
$45,000 workout bonus
Total: $7.0 million
2011
$1.25 million base salary
$25,000 workout bonus
Total: $1.275 million
2012
$1.75 million base salary
$25,000 workout bonus
Total: $1.775 million
2013
$2.425 million base salary
$25,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.45 million
Contract total: $12.5 million, four seasons
Brandon Manumaleuna
2010
$2 million signing bonus
$1.055 million base salary
$3 million roster bonus
$50,000 workout bonus
Total: $6.105 million
2011
$1.495 million base salary
$1 million roster bonus
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.595 million
2012
$1.95 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.05 million
2013
$2 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.1 million
2014
$2.05 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.15 million
Contract total: $15 million, five seasons
The Bears also added one of the finest blocking tight ends in the league in Brandon Manumaleuna, whose five-year contract totals $15 million. He will receive a total of $8.7 million in the first two years of the deal, as he has a $2 million signing bonus, a $3 million roster bonus this year and a $1 million roster bonus in 2011 (the details of which are below).
"Brandon is very athletic for his size," Martz told the Bears' site. "He's got great body control. He's extremely adept as an inline blocker. He can handle a defensive end all by himself. He's an unusually good pass-blocker, and we'll utilize him in that area as well as throw him the football.
"Here's a 300-pound tight end with athleticism. Any time you can have a guy help you block on the edge, those two backs we were talking about, it increases the different things that you can do with them."
A look inside the numbers of the contracts for Taylor and Manumaleuna:
Chester Taylor
2010
$2 million signing bonus
$955,000 base salary
$4 million roster bonus
$45,000 workout bonus
Total: $7.0 million
2011
$1.25 million base salary
$25,000 workout bonus
Total: $1.275 million
2012
$1.75 million base salary
$25,000 workout bonus
Total: $1.775 million
2013
$2.425 million base salary
$25,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.45 million
Contract total: $12.5 million, four seasons
Brandon Manumaleuna
2010
$2 million signing bonus
$1.055 million base salary
$3 million roster bonus
$50,000 workout bonus
Total: $6.105 million
2011
$1.495 million base salary
$1 million roster bonus
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.595 million
2012
$1.95 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.05 million
2013
$2 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.1 million
2014
$2.05 million base salary
$100,000 workout bonus
Total: $2.15 million
Contract total: $15 million, five seasons
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It seems that Manumaleuna could also provide some help at guard, another Bears need.
9million dollars in two years for a TE who gets 5 receptions a year, and yet no offer for a FS