Harris gets return ticket to Halas Hall

The roster overhaul continued for the Bears three days after the draft, although the equation was somewhat unusual.

They added a player they had previously subtracted, which prompts this question: Are the Bears admitting they made a mistake in trading safety Chris Harris during the 2007 offseason?

After being selected in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL draft, Harris flashed potential in 20 starts for the Bears, intercepting five passes and making bone-crunching tackles.

But after trading him to the Carolina Panthers for a fifth-round pick, Harris ramped up his game, forcing eight fumbles in 15 games during the 2007 season. The Bears, meanwhile, started their safety shuffle, and they've pressed eight different players into the two starting spots over the last three seasons.

Yet here's the catch, the reason why the Bears made a wise move: cornerback Zackary Bowman.

With that fifth-round pick from the Panthers, the Bears selected Bowman in the 2008 draft. Cornerback is a premium position, and Bowman intercepted six passes and defended 10 others last season.

There's no doubt Harris would have provided stability at safety, but how much of a difference would he have made?

Harris is a solid player, and he may well have changed the outcome of a couple of games in each season, which might have been enough to get them into the playoffs, especially in 2008. But, the Bears' precipitous fall since appearing in Super Bowl XLI can't be pinned on that position alone.

Now the Bears fill the safety need by trading linebacker Jamar Williams, who clearly was a luxury. His 19-tackle game against the St. Louis Rams last December was impressive, but the Bears have other players to fill the void.

Williams also was looking for a long-term deal, something the Bears couldn't commit to given their investment in linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher, while Harris basically accepted a pay cut to become an unrestricted free agent a year earlier. Harris is set to make $3.5 million over the next two seasons, according to the National Football Post. That's nearly a $1million savings from his previous contract, which also was scheduled to pay him $2.9 million in 2012.

''This kind of completes our overhaul of our safety position,'' coach Lovie Smith told the team's Web site. ''I'm excited. Chris was a good player for us. We know what he brings to the table.''

There's now a logjam at the position, particularly since the Bears spent their top pick (in the third round) on Major Wright.

Harris gives them the flexibility to bring Wright along slowly and provide options. Danieal Manning, whom Smith had penciled in atop the depth chart at strong safety, has been working out with the team for about two weeks after initially sitting out because of his dissatisfaction with a one-year tender designation.

If Smith wants to keep Manning at strong safety, Harris has proven he can play free safety. And it's not a big deal, since the Bears utilize a cover-2 scheme in which the safeties often split the field.

But Harris said on WMVP-AM (1000) that he can play either safety spots, although he prefers to be closer to the line of scrimmage.

''I love playing strong safety,'' he said. ''I love being in the box. That's one of my strengths, playing down in the box, being a physical player.''

The other players (Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks, Craig Steltz and Kevin Payne) will battle for a roster spot, and they'll have to bolster their standing on special teams.

Just before free agency, the Bears talked to Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle. But it's believed they did so in case they weren't able to secure their top priority: defensive end Julius Peppers.

But the Bears got Peppers, and Rolle's steep price tag (five years, $37 million) was prohibitive. Harris is a player they know, and he's a player for whom they don't have to break the bank.

Now, the only glaring hole appears to be at guard. The Bears had been in touch with the agent for perennial Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, who was released last weekend by the New York Jets. He agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals on Tuesday. However, it was believed that the Bears had maxed out the budget provided them by the McCaskeys.

The Bears only spent one draft pick on a lineman and that came in the seventh round (J'Marcus Webb), so they may simply count on offensive line coach Mike Tice to magically turn the unit around with essentially the same players.

Chris Williams and Frank Omiyale are likely the tackles, Olin Kreutz the center, and Roberto Garza the right guard. There could be an open competition at left guard.

But the Bears certainly won't close the door on someone not presently on their roster.

In the coming days and months, other clubs will release veterans, and the Bears may find one discounted player too sweet to pass up.

Color Photo: Chris Park, AP / Chris Harris stepped up his game the last three seasons while wearing a Panthers uniform. Color Photo: Al Bello, Getty Images / The Bears were interested in guard Alan Faneca, but he signed Tuesday with Arizona. Color Photo: Tom Cruze, Sun-Times / Harris also was a big hit when he played for the Bears.