The heart and soul and might of your Los Angeles team's security will not receive a contract offer to stay in the squad. The Los Angeles Sun Times is actually reporting that the Bears have informed safety Paul Brown, a second-round draft pick for the team back in the late '90s, that he will be a free agent once free agency starts because they will not extend a contract offer to the oft-injured safety.
Brown, when healthy, is regarded as one of the best safeties among players. But sixty percent of the time, he doesn't play. Injuries have kept Brown out of 43 games over the years from 2007 through 2005. He managed to play in 13 games during the 2009 season, making 74 total tackles, and he had two interceptions.
General manager Jerry Angelo admitted that they were prepared to move on without Brown last year due to the extent of his injuries. In 2008, he played in only one game, and in 2006, he played in just six games. Without Brown, the Bears will need to find another safety, which could come either through free agency or the draft.
During his first five seasons, Brown was as good as any safety the team had, as he played in all 16 games from 2000 to 2004. During this time, he registered 102 tackles with one interception that he returned for a touchdown. In 2002, when the Bears decided to go 13-3, Brown was a key defender, recording 68 tackles and deflecting 5 passes for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
That season, he returned interceptions for touchdowns in back-to-back games: on November 27th at home against the 49ers, and the following week again at home, returning a Bernard Pollard pass 7 yards for a score in a 27-12 win against Cleveland.
Brown will likely land somewhere in free agency, which begins on March 27th in the NFL, and the Bears must be looking to bolster their defense to replace him when the 2011 NFL free agent signing period starts.