BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - First-round draft picks Rex Grossman and Michael Haynes signed contracts with the Bears on Friday.
Grossman, a quarterback out of Florida selected 32nd, signed a five-year deal worth $7.6-million.
Grossman's contract includes a $5-million bonus, and the fifth year is a team option. There are several escalators, including ones for playing time, that could boost the total package to $18-million.
Grossman probably will back up Kordell Stewart and Chris Chandler.
"I'll spend a lot time preparing myself to be the guy. That's for the coaches and the organization. If they feel like I'm the guy, they will play me. It really doesn't matter how I feel," he said.
"I don't think anyone on this team has the mind-set they're the backup. I think everybody is trying to get better to be the starter if they are not already. ... We have good quarterbacks, and I'm trying to be as good as I can be and let them decide when I play."
Grossman passed for 9,164 yards and 77 touchdowns at Florida. His 61 percent completion rate is second in school history.
Haynes, a defensive end out of Penn State selected 14th overall, got a six-year contract. Haynes, the Big Ten defensive player of the year last season, and Grossman missed the first practice of camp but were in uniform for the afternoon session.
Back slows 49ers' Garcia
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Jeff Garcia won't be able to show off his arm strength until his back gets a little stronger.
Garcia stuck to short throws and easy drills in the first workouts of the 49ers' training camp. The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback hurt his back working out with a personal trainer Monday and won't be ready for extensive workouts until next week. Weightlifting and running aggravated a degenerative disc in his spine, cutting off several nerves and effectively shutting down his lower back.
Garcia is never comfortable on the sideline, and he fidgeted Friday. He believes new coach Dennis Erickson's offense will allow him to answer the critics and opposing coaches who doubt his arm strength.
Erickson has promised to emphasize downfield throws and aggressive play-calling, and Garcia has embraced the changes.
"I'm antsy and wanting to be in the mix out there, but I also understand that the doctors know best," Garcia said. "They're pulling the reins tight, but I'm champing at the bit. ... It's hard for me to just sit on the side and watch, especially when I feel pretty good, but I have to listen to the doctors."
In other news, first-round draft pick Kwame Harris signed moments after the opening practice. The offensive tackle from Stanford agreed to a seven-year contract worth $8.939-million.
BRONCOS: Rookie running back Quentin Griffin will miss as many as six weeks of practice after breaking his right leg during the first day of training camp. Griffin, a fourth-round draft pick from Oklahoma, broke his fibula after being kicked in the shin while running a pass pattern in the morning practice. "He's not out for the season," coach Mike Shanahan said.
CHIEFS: Pro Bowl tight end Tony Gonzalez slightly injured his left ankle and spent most of the practice on the sideline.
CARDINALS: Former fullback Dennis McKinley pleaded not guilty to drug and conspiracy charges in Phoenix. McKinley was arrested last month and faces 19 charges for alleged involvement in a drug ring.
JAGUARS: Defensive end Tony Brackens was placed on the physically-unable-to-perform list after complicated knee surgery last year and an appendectomy this summer. Brackens, the team's sack leader with 49, reworked his contract for significantly less money in the offseason.
PANTHERS: First-round draft pick Jordan Gross agreed to an undisclosed contract. The All-America offensive tackle from Utah was the eighth pick in the draft. Gross, who spent most of the day in Charlotte and missed two team meetings, was expected to arrive at training camp late Friday night and to participate in the team's first practices today.
VIKINGS: First-round draft pick Kevin Williams, a defensive tackle from Oklahoma State, signed a five-year contract. Second-round pick E.J. Henderson out of Maryland also signed.
