The Bears signed more than half their draft class Monday afternoon. Wide receiver Riley Ridley, running back Kerrith Whyte and cornerback Stephen Denmark will each receive standard four-year deals.
Ridley, the former Georgia receiver taken in the fourth round, will make about $3.08 million, the amount given to last year’s No. 126 overall pick, Falcons running back Ito Smith. Based on last year’s contracts, seventh-round draft picks Whyte and Denmark will receive deals worth about $2.56 million and 2.54 million, respectively.
The Bears have two draft picks that remain unsigned: running back David Montgomery, a third-round pick, and cornerback Duke Shelley, a sixth-rounder.
The team’s contract negotiations figure to be less stressful than last offseason, when first-round draft pick Roquan Smith did not report to training camp while his agent dickered with the Bears over contract language.
