Maynard Not Likely To Re-Sign With Bears
CHICAGO (WSCR) With the NFL lockout likely to end soon, attention has shifted to free agency as a number of players were left without a city to call home this summer.
A number of Bears remain unsigned, including center Olin Kreutz, linebacker Nick Roach, defensive tackle Anthony Adams, wide receiver Rashied Davis and punter Brad Maynard. When those players will be able to sign a contract is still yet to be known, but when they can, Chicago Tribune Bears reporter Brad Biggs expects most of them to end up back with the Bears -- except one.
"I don't think Brad Maynard will be back," Biggs said on The Mully and Hanley Show on 670 The Score Monday. "I don't think Brad Maynard thinks he's going to be back. No one's ruled that out. If they miss on another guy, like Steve Weatherford, perhaps that could happen, but I'd expect Maynard to be looking for work elsewhere."
LISTEN: Brad Biggs on The Mully and Hanley Show
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Maynard has been a reliable punter for the Bears since 2001, but some would argue it is more important to retain Kreutz who has been with the team since 1998
"I expect the Bears to re-sign Olin Kreutz," Biggs said. "But I want to say this: The Bears created more work for themselves by not re-signing him when they could have. Now, Olin's got leverage over them -- whether you want to believe it or not -- because there are teams out there in need of centers ... And Kreutz doesn't want to go anywhere, but the fact of the matter is this could have been taken care of back in the middle of winter."
As for the Bears' other free agents?
"They really need to bring back Nick Roach so they have a third linebacker -- a guy who knows their system -- with a very short time to get ready for the start of the season," Biggs said. "I think they want to sign Anthony Adams but they low-balled him previously when they've had talks with him so they need to straighten that situation out. Rashied Davis could come back. He's a role player they are comfortable with. Martz started to get a little more comfortable with him at the end of the season as a complimentary guy and obviously he does a lot on special teams."
