The Bears have decided not to go after first-round draft pick LB Roquan Smith's guaranteed money if he "gets suspended under the NFL’s new rule legislating helmet contact" in an effort to "end the contract impasse," according to David Haugh of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. A source said that the Bears are "one of eight NFL teams willing to include contract language protecting a first-rounder’s guaranteed money if he’s suspended for an illegal hit." Smith's reps at CAA have "insisted the Bears go even further and include contract language protecting the player from discipline for behavior outside the realm of a football play." A source said that the Bears’ reluctance to do so "revolves around their fear of setting a precedent for future contracts and has nothing to do with concerns about Smith’s character" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 8/2). ESPN's Jeff Darlington notes no one around the NFL "understands exactly how suspensions will be imposed on players" as part of the new contact rule. Darlington said the Bears "don't want to walk into a situation where they are vulnerable to someone like Vontaze Burfict, where it’s not just about lowering his helmet, but also other on-field conduct.” ESPN’s Laura Rutledge said Smith is "not going to be somebody who’s going to get himself in problems on-field." Rutledge, who covered Smith when he was at the Univ. of Georgia, said, "He’s a professional player, a professional guy. He’s not going to be this guy. This is embarrassing that the Bears are doing this” (“Get Up!,” ESPN, 8/2).
