March 26--One of the things that discourages teams from attempting to sign restricted free agents from other clubs is they often wind up doing the dirty work without getting any payoff.
That's what happened to the Bears after they did the hard work to sign tight end Josh Hill to a three-year offer sheet and the Saints announced Friday they were matching the offer to keep him. Essentially, the Bears negotiated to set the price for the Saints.
Now the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace must continue their search for tight end depth. There aren't a lot of options on the open market and the position isn't considered particularly strong in the NFL draft.
The Bears wanted to add Hill, 25, to their mix with Zach Miller because Pace knows him well from his time with the Saints as does tight ends coach Frank Smith, who also came from New Orleans. The Saints had tendered Hill at the low level of $1.67 million and would not have received compensation from the Bears if they had declined to match the deal.
The Bears knew there was a good chance Hill would return to the Saints, even though the Saints already had paid two tight ends this offseason. They made a big signing when the took Coby Fleener from the Colts with a five-year, $36 million deal and they re-signed backup Michael Hoomanawanui.
Hill was the second restricted free agent the Bears made a strong bid for as they also pursued running back C.J. Anderson before he signed an offer sheet with the Dolphins that the Broncos eventually matched.
On another front, the Bears re-signed safety Chris Prosinski, who came to the Bears last September to add more speed and experience to their special teams. After Antrel Rolle suffered a season-ending knee injury, Prosinski started five games at safety.
Prosinski, who signed a one-year deal, gives the Bears needed depth at safety and, of more significance, offers continuity to special teams where he likely will see much of his action.
Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer contributed.
bmbiggs@tribpub.com
