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Today marks the first day that NFL teams can begin releasing players, the beginning of the official offseason now that Super Bowl XLIV is behind us.
The Bears don't have a lot of candidates to be outright cut. Most of the players who depart have expiring contracts, with defensive end Adewale Ogunleye and running back Adrian Peterson being two examples. The club could negotiate with Ogunleye at some point. Peterson probably will not return.
Cornerback Nathan Vasher could be in danger of being released. There's no such thing as having too many cornerbacks on the roster, but Vasher has had opportunities to regain his status over the last two seasons and he finished last season as an occasional contributor.
Vasher is set to make $2.95 million this coming season and also has a $500,000 workout bonus. He has made just 11 starts since signing a $28 million, five-year extension before the 2007 season. That's a lot of money to pay a player who doesn't figure into the nickel package.
The only problem for the Bears is they don't have established depth at cornerback behind Charles Tillman and Zack Bowman, starters who have dealt with injury issues over the last two seasons. Corey Graham seems to have fallen out of favor. D.J. Moore could barely see time as a rookie and might be too short to be a regular contributor at his generously listed height of 5-9.
The question becomes: Do the Bears want to cut a veteran who knows the system before they have a replacement on board they can feel comfortable with? In the past, general manager Jerry Angelo has given a nod of respect to veterans who have gone about their business professionally and released them sooner rather than later in order to aid their chances on the open market. For instance, the Bears released Marty Booker last Feb. 13. It's impossible to say that same fate awaits Vasher, but it wouldn't be a surprise.
"The offseason will be interesting. We will see. Everything will work out the way it's supposed to,'' Vasher told the Tribune after the season finale in Detroit. ``I'm not concerned with anything I can't control right now.
"Definitely, I can still be a starter in this league. We'll worry about anything else when it happens. I am definitely excited about the future.''
With today being the first day players can be released, here are some other key dates:
Feb. 11-25. Window for clubs to designate franchise/transition players.
Feb. 24-March 2. Scouting combine in Indianapolis.
March 5. Free agency begins.
March 15. First day clubs can open offseason programs or host a minicamp.
March 21-24. NFL annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.
April 15. Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.
April 22-24. NFL draft.
May 24-26. NFL spring meeting in Dallas.
June 1. Deadline for old club to send tender offer to RFA and UFA to retain rights.
July 15. Deadline to sign a franchise player to a multi-year contract.
