May 08--Less than a week after the NFL draft ended, the Chicago Bears have finished signing their entire 2015 draft class, announcing a finalized four-year deal for center Hroniss Grasu on Friday morning. Grasu is the sixth and final Bears draft pick to reach a contract agreement this week. He will be on the field Friday morning at Halas Hall as the Bears begin a three-day rookie minicamp.
Grasu heard his name called in Round 3 last week with the Bears rolling the dice on a player widely regarded as the second best center in this year's draft class -- behind Florida State's Cameron Erving. Grasu started 52 games over four seasons at Oregon, a quick and agile lineman at the center of the Ducks' attack. He has also been widely lauded for his work ethic and leadership abilities and will at least heighten the competition at center as he works with veteran Will Montgomery.
Said Bears general manager Ryan Pace: "His makeup is outstanding. When you talk about work ethic -- team captain, leadership, all those traits we stress around here -- he brings those to the table. ... There are certain guys on our board that we'll check a 'Bears' box, a little 'Bear' (emblem) will pop up. To us, that's a guy who has every trait we're looking for. Grasu is one of those guys."
Per the league's collective bargaining agreement, all six of the Bears' draft picks received four-year contracts. First-round pick Kevin White has a fifth-year club option in his deal, which must be exercised in the spring of 2018 to keep him under contract with the Bears through the 2019 season.
dwiederer@tribpub.com
