March 3, 2009
Chicago Bears in contact with free agent Darren Sharper
Veteran safety wants to visit this week
There is a mutual interest between the Bears and veteran safety Darren Sharper.
Sharper, an unrestricted free agent who played for the Minnesota Vikings last season, said the Bears contacted his agent shortly after free agency began Thursday night.
"There's definitely a lot of interest," Sharper said Saturday via cell phone from the Bahamas. "First, they're in the NFC North, which I've grown accustomed to. They have a great defense. And they're on the cusp of getting back to the Super Bowl. It's a great organization. And it's great to draw some interest from them."
Sharper, 33, could fill the void in the secondary left by Mike Brown. The Bears parted ways with the injury-prone Brown, leaving a huge gap at free safety. With Danieal Manning expected to remain at nickel back next season, the only player the Bears would have left to pair with strong safety Kevin Payne is untested Craig Steltz.
Sharper said he would be open to visiting Halas Hall this week depending on what happens when he visits the Saints on Monday. He leaves New Orleans on Tuesday.
"I'm going into my 13th year, so it all depends on which team offers me the best situation in terms of getting to a championship," Sharper said. "You could say that both teams are at the top of my list. But which team can take me to [a championship], that's probably the one that will be most interesting to me."
Sharper, who turns 34 in November, was a second-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1997. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, twice with the Packers and twice with the Vikings.
Sharper was asked about the irony of possibly playing for his third NFC North team.
"You're talking about maybe playing for three of the most storied franchises in NFL history," he said. "I would feel pretty lucky."
vxmcclure@tribune.com
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