March 26--PHOENIX -- On the final day of the NFL owners meetings two years ago, the Bears issued a news release saying Brian Urlacher was not returning to the team.
Not only did the announcement catch Urlacher by surprise, but its coldness boiled his blood. The ensuing rift didn't begin to heal until former general manager Phil Emery was fired in December.
As this year's meetings concluded Wednesday, that memory was prominent, considering longtime cornerstones Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman might have reached the end of their Bears tenures. If the new regime opts not to re-sign either, Chairman George McCaskey vowed not to repeat Urlacher's sour departure.
"Anytime a player leaves the team, you want to make sure that it's handled in a respectable manner, and that's even for an undrafted rookie who's there for three weeks of training camp," McCaskey said after the meetings. "These are human beings. These are people. They're working their butts off trying to make the team, so you want to handle it in a dignified and respectable manner."
General manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox have given no indication either Briggs or Tillman is part of their plan. Both players are 34 and have been plagued by injuries the last two seasons.
"If somebody's had a distinguished (career such as) Charles and Lance," McCaskey said, "you want to be properly respectful of their accomplishments and let them know if it works out, great. And if it doesn't work out, as far as we're concerned they'll always be Bears."
Neighborly gesture: The Bears proposed a rule change at the meetings that would guarantee both teams possession in overtime. But why?
"A show of respect for the Packers," McCaskey said.
He explained how he became compelled after watching his rivals lose the NFC championship game to the Seahawks on a first-possession touchdown pass.
"If you're a Bears fan, of course, that was a great result," McCaskey said.
But the Packers and NFL most valuable player Aaron Rodgers never got their hands on the ball after blowing a lead in regulation. So McCaskey followed through with the gesture, apparently standing up for the enemy.
And how did the Packers repay him? They were one of 29 teams that voted against the proposal, killing it Wednesday.
Burden of proof: The Bears announced the one-year deal they reached Tuesday with inside linebacker Mason Foster, who started 54 games over four seasons with the Buccaneers.
"These guys who maybe didn't get the huge contracts in free agency, my experience is they have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder," coach John Fox said. "They've got something to prove, and I've had a lot of pretty good one-year deals that have had great success."
rcampbell@tribpub.com
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