Bears Sign First Round Pick

When the Bears selected University of Miami tight end Greg Olsen with the 31st pick of this year's draft, I was a little concerned. By all accounts, Olsen was a great pick, but the part that concerned me didn't have much to do with him or his talent, but his agent - the notorious Drew Rosenhaus. However, this news makes me feel much better:

The Chicago Bears reached a contract agreement with top pick Greg Olsen, on Tuesday, making the former University of Miami tight end the initial first-round selection in the league to come to terms on his rookie contract.

And in striking the deal, agent Drew Rosenhaus and Bears negotiator Cliff Stein relied on a creative structure that could pave the way for other first-round signings.

Olsen, the 31st player chosen overall in April, will sign a five-year contract with a maximum value of $10.696 million.

The part I really like about the contract is that his "base" salary over the five years is only $2.315 million. The rest is wrapped up in various incentives. I wish more contracts were this way in the various professional leagues. It only seems to make sense that a player would get paid more if he performed well than if he underperformed.