June 06--Defensive end Jonathan Bullard agreed to a four-year deal with the Bears on Monday, making him the last of the team's nine draft picks to sign. Financial specifics were not immediately available.
As the ninth pick of the third round, Bullard was in a small group of rookies whose contract terms were subject to some wiggle room.
The rookie wage scale in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement rigidly slots the salaries of most draft picks. However, for picks in the top half of the third round, there's a bit more leeway regarding base salary and guaranteed money.
The Bears began the day with $22.5 million in salary-cap space, as calculated in the offseason by the 51 most expensive contracts on the roster. Bullard's deal is unlikely to reduce that space significantly.
The Florida product is expected to compete with veteran Mitch Unrein for a starting spot in the base defense.
rcampbell@tribpub.com
