Posted at 12:41 p.m., Friday, March 8, 2002
Kreutz stays with Bears; Miami gets Williams
Associated Press
Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz of Honolulu agreed to a six-year contract today that will keep him with the Chicago Bears.The Bears would only say the deal includes a signing bonus of $7 million. ESPN Radio reported the contract is worth a total of $23 million.
Kreutz, a former St. Louis School athlete, was a free agent after last season and recently paid a two-day visit to the Miami Dolphins, who had offered a deal worth $25 million. But Kreutz, who weighs 285 pounds, decided to stay with the team for which he has played his entire four-year NFL career.
Kreutz was a third-round pick by Chicago in 1998. Over the past three seasons, Kreutz has started 40 of 49 games for the Bears. He was a Pro Bowl alternate in 1999 and 2000 and was named a Pro Bowl starter after the 2001 season.
The Dolphins managed to get one of the players they were after, acquiring Ricky Williams from the New Orleans Saints, the 1998 Heisman Trophy-winning running back. Miami traded a first-round pick in 2002 and a third-round pick in 2003 that could become a first-rounder depending on how Williams performs. The teams also swapped fourth-round selections this year.
