Thread: Manning visits with Bears

[size=18px]Panthers CB Manning visits with Bears’ coaching staff[/size]

By Bob LeGere
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Thursday, April 13, 2006

The Bears might not wait until the April 29-30 NFL draft to upgrade their thin cornerback position.

Carolina Panthers restricted free agent Ricky Manning Jr. hopped an early flight from California on Wednesday morning, visited Halas Hall in the afternoon and dined with Bears coaches at night. The three-year veteran will take a physical today, after which the Bears have until April 21 to present an offer sheet to the 5-foot-8, 185-pound former third-round pick out of UCLA.

Because Manning was offered the lowest tender offer of $712,000 by the Panthers, the Bears would only owe his former team a third-round pick if they make him an offer that Carolina declines to match in the subsequent seven days.

“He’s well worth that,” said a source in the Bears’ front office. “We’re interested in him and this is a place that interests him, too.”

Manning would step into the Bears’ No. 3 corner spot vacated by the retirement of Jerry Azumah, playing behind starters Nate Vasher and Charles Tillman, although he has started 27 regular-season games, plus all four postseason games in 2003, including Super Bowl XXXVIII.

“He’s one of the better third corners in the NFL,” the source said. “He’s started before, and he’s good enough that some teams see him as a No. 2 corner.”

Earlier in the free agency period, the Bears signed Panthers unrestricted free agent cornerback Dante Wesley. However, he is considered more of a special teams player than a No. 3 corner.

Manning has 9 career interceptions plus 4 more in the 2003 postseason, when he was named NFL defensive player of the week twice. Cornerback has been considered one of the Bears’ primary needs in the upcoming draft, but the addition of Manning would eliminate the urgency to improve that position.

Panthers CB Manning visits with Bears’ coaching staff

We should get him since Brian Williams left he'd be a great player

"ViKing24" wrote:

We should get him since Brian Williams left he'd be a great player

I think the offer that we would have to give so that the Panther's would not match would have to be extremely high, unless we went the poison pill route again and I think the front office my be hesitant at this time to do that.