Chester Taylor is a Chicago Bear

Posted by NBC Sports on March 5, 2010, 2:05 PM EST

Chester Taylor will stay in the NFC North.

The former Viking agreed to a four-year, $12.5 million contract with Chicago, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.  $7 million is guaranteed in the first year.

The Bears are just getting their checkbook warmed up, with a deal for Julius Peppers on the way shortly. 

Taylor’s contract, like the one for Kyle Vanden Bosch, includes a lot of front-loaded money in the uncapped year. 

Look for Taylor and Matt Forte to split up the workload in Chicago next season.  Both excel on passing downs; now the Bears just need to find someone that can block for them.

Somewhere, LaDainian Tomlinson is wondering why he can’t get any love.

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68 responses to “Chester Taylor is a Chicago Bear”

  2. Good signing for the Bears…
    Now if they just had a reciever for Cutler to throw to……

  4. This is great news! Forte, Taylor and Bell will make a great trio. I hope the Bears’ AP can stay on the team for his special teams contributions. Maybe he could transition into a fullback-type role. KJ should be the one sent packing for sure.

  5. Good move for him, I think the Vikes can do better with LT, Westbrook and the draft as options, if not Ian Johnson.

  6. The Bears front office negotiated dirty and they don’t deserve to say Chester Taylor’s on their team!

  8. Hmmmmm, stay with the division champs or go to a team that will probably finish 3rd in the division……not smart

  10. Now if we can fix the Oline, Chicago just might have new era of the greatest show on Grass

  11. What a stupid f’ing pickup. There is still no one blocking for him, Forte, or Cutler.
    These guy’s are all going to be out of jobs next year.
    Forte should demand a trade. Had a good year behind the worst line and selfish QB with no WR.

  12. The only good from this story is the Vikings are now able to sign someone at a nice first year salary.

  13. The days of Sweetness are long gone. Today you need two good backs and a broke down former Lion wasn’t the answer. Hopefully, the Taylor signing gives Forte the push he needs to return to rookie form.

  15. drumbug71 says:
    March 5, 2010 2:10 PM
    Wow. What does that do to Forte’s fantasy value?
    ————————————————–
    as if he had any last year?

  16. “Now if we can fix the Oline, Chicago just might have new era of the greatest show on Grass”
    I assume you are talking about Chesters habit of hitting the pipe!

  17. Ok Angelo, lock down Absolut Peppers , Then call Ryan Clark. After that let Michael and Virginia out of the locked storage shed from Texas Tech. Or don’t… I never thought I’d see this happen.

  18. stadanko – If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying!
    drumbug71 – It does nothing. Forte will probably do about the same this year. The only difference is, it will be a result of sharing the load vs. playing injured.

  19. I hear Virginia and Michael screaming from the locked shed Angelo borrowed from Texas Tech. Keep going Angelo, bring in Ryan Clark next!!! I never thought I’d see this!!!!!!

  20. “overpaid glory boy and part time player…”
    He was a starter with the Ravens, and a pretty good one too. All these deals will be front loaded in the uncapped year.
    “The Bears front office negotiated dirty and they don’t deserve to say Chester Taylor’s on their team!”
    Boo Hoo. Like this stuff doesn’t go on every year.
    “Hmmmmm, stay with the division champs or go to a team that will probably finish 3rd in the division……not smart”
    With TJ as your QB? 9-6, if you’re lucky.

  21. Will really miss Chester as a Vikings fan, but don’t really understand why Chicago paid so much for him. Like previous posts, Bears need an O line that can open a hole and a receiver to stretch the field…more weird moves, paying big money for guys and leaving gaping holes in other parts of the team. When did Al Davis start making personnel decisions for the Bears?

  22. Forte and Taylor will be a GREAT combination!
    Mike Martz MUST get to work on how to design plays that uses their strengths, for what they do best.

  24. Best Player Available per doller in my opinion. Was hoping the Steelers would step up and make an offer. Contrary to Peppers huge deal, this is a great signiing for the Bears

  25. Im sorry but a cap number under 1 million a year is hardly over paid.Chicago did the smart move and paid most of the deal up front so the cap trouble wont come into play on this deal

  26. I’m happy for him, he deserves his shot at starting…. It sucks he didn’t stay on the team, but we brought him into start and then drafted AP, so he got shafted… he never once complained about getting more reps and now it’s payed off for him. All the best CT….

  27. Huuuuggee signing for the bears. This will defiantly get them over the hump. Break out the SB shuffle.
    Sarcasm off

  28. Well… Thanks for what you gave the Vikings, Chester… and good luck with running into the Williams Wall twice a year…

  29. Chester is a great add.
    To bad the Bears have no Oline or WRs to help him and Cutler, not to mention that their best player (Greg Olson) wants out of Dodge.

  30. good signing, Taylor is a great blocking back and should help us with our 3rd and 1 problems.

  31. Yeah dont the BEERS have a horrible O-line and No receivers? HA! But you have an over payed DE now so the superbowl goes through chicago this year!
    The bears still suck

  32. Some of these comments are just amazing, you people should’ve stayed in school.

  33. Taylor will be missed by the Vikings and the Bears are doing everything possible to setup Martz for success

  34. This is a good move for the Bears. Chester Taylor is a solid change of pace guy who has had very little mileage put on his body over the past three years and has always excelled when on the field.
    In fact, I am convinced Brett Farrvvvvrrrrvrree preferred Taylor to AP.
    Good (not great) deal for the Bears that admits the Garret Wolfe mistake.

  35. If Chester had been a Packer, then signed with the Bears, Packer fans would be ripping him and calling him a traitor by now.

  36. Forte should demand a trade. Had a good year behind the worst line and selfish QB with no WR.
    —————————————
    You do realize that backs split carries in today’s NFL right? Taylor brings a skill set that compliments Forte. And you can bet Martz is going to utilize both of them as weapons.
    Julius Peppers and Kyle Vanden Bosch going into the division? Favre is going to take a beating this year. Say what you will about Peppers…..when he’s motivated he’s a beast.

  37. While some of you mentioning the O-line needing help are right, it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have signed Taylor. They already beefed up at TE today and they may be able to trade Olsen for a 1st round or low 2nd round pick, which could result in an O-lineman. It’s pretty stupid to say that they shouldn’t have signed Taylor because they have other needs as well.
    Also, to those of you who think that Forte will be anywhere but Chicago next year are on crack. He showed too much in 2008 to be let go. Also Taylor is on the back 9 of his career, so the Bears aren’t going to let their youth go. Besides, I don’t know if you’ve seen any games recently, but teams will sometimes use 2 or even 3 backs. No really! I’m serious!

  38. # Howie Handles says: March 5, 2010 2:18 PM
    “overpaid glory boy and part time player…”
    He was a starter with the Ravens, and a pretty good one too. All these deals will be front loaded in the uncapped year.
    ————-
    WRONG. he sat behind jamal lewis. his first year with the vikes was his only starting season. also the first time he’d ever sat in an ice tub. he did a solid job, at that.
    With TJ as your QB? 9-6, if you’re lucky.
    ————–
    you’re too dumb to post here. in the nfl, they play 16 game regular seasons. this one might be a bit confusing for you.
    the team went 10-6 with tjack and frerotte. overall, the team is a LOT farther along than 10 years ago. even with tjack at the helm, 9-7 would be quite a slide. while i’d hope for more as a fan, i can see 9-7 as a worst case scenario. you’re out of your mind if you see that roster as a .500 ball club.

  39. # Howie Handles says: March 5, 2010 2:18 PM
    “overpaid glory boy and part time player…”
    He was a starter with the Ravens, and a pretty good one too. All these deals will be front loaded in the uncapped year.
    ————-
    WRONG. he sat behind jamal lewis. his first year with the vikes was his only starting season. also the first time he’d ever sat in an ice tub. he did a solid job, at that.
    With TJ as your QB? 9-6, if you’re lucky.
    ————–
    you’re too dumb to post here. in the nfl, they play 16 game regular seasons. this one might be a bit confusing for you.
    the team went 10-6 with tjack and frerotte. overall, the team is a LOT farther along than 10 years ago. even with tjack at the helm, 9-7 would be quite a slide. while i’d hope for more as a fan, i can see 9-7 as a worst case scenario. you’re out of your mind if you see that roster as a .500 ball club.

  40. Losing Taylor, facing Vanden Bosch and Peppers – I think Favre just peed himself a little.

  42. It’s about time Chicago makes some moves for good players. Cutler was a good pick up but orlando pace. Come on last year they had to know the fuel was out of his tank.

  43. Wow Peppers and Taylor and the Bears will still finish in 3rd in the division. Lovie and Angelo are bringing this team down worst off then it already is. I love it!

  45. You idiots all regurgitate the same thing… “no O line or WR”. Both areas need improvement, no doubt, but it doesn’t seem like a lot of you know what you’re talking about.
    O line was pretty bad, but Chris Williams came on at the end of the season impressively at right tackle, including fighting off Jarred Allen in a game the Vikings cared a lot about. So talk all you want, the film doesn’t lie.
    The RT job is locked up, as is center.. Kreutz is still the man, just needs some help from his guards. Roberto “false start” Garza is also sticking around, much to my chagrin. The Bears will have Frank Omiyale at either G to LT, where he can compete with either Josh Beekman and Kevin Schaefer respectively. So most likely, they pick up a huge Guard too, put Omiyale at LT but draft a youngin at the same spot and hope Mike Tice makes the most out of it. Still a weak point of the team, especially in run blocking but most of you bandwagon haters make it out to be way worse than it is.
    One thing people don’t realize is Olsen was responsible for a lot of pocket breakdown last year, so signing Manumaleuna (sp?) was a prudent move in that regard. Furthermore, Taylor is a great blocking back and that will also pay dividends. If Olsen really wants out, as long as we get something better than a #2 pick not too many people will mind. contrary to popular belief, he is not our best player on offense, let alone the team. Forte Cutler and I’d even say Kreutz are far more valuable to the unit.
    And the Bears don’t have a #1 receiver, but that’s not the same as having no receivers. Hester was on pace for about 1000 yards before his injury, and now could be deadly in the slot. Aromashadu and Knox could be a great tandem, although I wouldn’t expect any credit for them here. The consensus around the league was that it was a weak spot last year, but the Bears beat expectations with their young talent. The idea this year is Martz will maximize the units production, but I guess only time will tell.
    I hate you all

  46. spending all your money on 30 year old huh bears? at least you have the draft to build your team with young players
    oh, wait you dont
    horrible organization going down the crapper
    ladies and gents, your new detroit lions!

  47. Never fails. Here come all the dipshit Viking fans to try and downgrade Taylor’s value. Just like they did Brett Favre for two decades before he became their golden boy. Real viking fans realize what a player Taylor is. And as much as I hate to say it, Brett was amazing until the last pass of the season in 2009. Welcome Chester. I am excited to have you in the backfield!
    GO BEARS!

  48. the thing that people don’t understand is that Taylor is one of the best 3rd down backs in the NFL and will be a great help to Forte on those grinding 3rd down and short runs…great pick up!

  49. The Bears are hopeless with that INT machine at QB. They can sign all the RB’s they want. Peppers will get his big payday and play 1/2 the games for them.

  51. If the bears actually decide to run the ball next season, this could be a good move for them. If they continue to let cutler air it out, here’s to another 20+ INTs

  52. Taylor has been way under-rated in recent years. Martz loves a versatile back. The Bears have upgraded their blocking considerably with Malumaneuna, they’ve added diversity at RB and safety, Peppers is about to sign, their star, sloppy QB will have a tough and quality boss (= slave driver) for the first time. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a team upgrade so much so quickly.

  53. LT on the Vikings would make me happy…and now we can pick up a player. YAAY. I just wish Chester went to the Eagles not the Bears.

  54. Best of luck Chester, I’d be happy to see you run 100+ 14 games a year.
    Biggest concern is that chicago does not have near the offensive line of the vikes, especially run blocking, but the dude got a nice contract, and im glad to see him get it.

  55. I think it’s a good deal. Low mileage and he’ll split carries in an offense that is running back friendly.

  56. ChicagoJoe:
    Blah blah blah blah blah. I didn’t even read your ridiculous long post of nonsense. Fact of the matter is your team will still suck no matter who you sign because Cutler is still your QB and Lovie your coach. What kind of a football coach has the name Lovie anyway? Fact of the matter is O-Line is the most important unit in pro football and qb the most important position. Unitl you get both the bears will remain in a state of mediocracy.
    The all hate you back

  57. I’m a lifelong Viking fan and I say congrats to Chester Taylor and the Bears. He is a team player that is unique in this day and age. A guy that will produce and not complain. We will miss you in a Viking uniform. Viking fans understand its a business and you’ll always be a Viking to us. Thanks for 3 solid years. BTW, Peppers saw the limits of the Panthers organization. I live in Charlotte and he saw that they want to win as long as it suits their politics. When it doesn’t they’re okay with losing, hence the we’ll stay with Jake Delhomme and ignore Michael Vick approach. Good luck in Chicago JP! Go Vikes!

  58. “the team went 10-6 with tjack and frerotte. overall, the team is a LOT farther along than 10 years ago.”
    ———-
    “2 years ago.”

  59. NOwillrepeat,
    Of course you didn’t read my post, you’re a typical PFT poster who has nothing real to say and regurgitates the same trash talk. I was discussing the players we have and what they did in 2009, but I guess that would seem like nonsense to someone who doesn’t knwo what they’re talking about.
    You are right about a couple things though… my post was ridiculously long, Lovie is an odd name for a football coach, and the O line and QB are the most important positions in football (I acutally usually say both lines). Thanks for the stunning insight.
    By the way, the Bears picked up a QB last year.

  60. Chicagojo:
    You forgot one more thing I was right about. Your team will remain in a state of mediocracy, even with peppers and taylor and are still no better than 3rd in the north. Please explain how i don’t know what im talking about? And yes I know you picked up a qb that help your opponents win more than yourselves.

  61. Taylor fumbles! Where do you think Peterson learned how to do it?

  62. Oh no minnesota lost the only running back that GO BEARS Bears fans queens fans are just hating beacuse we stole chester and signed peppers mikinney is probley s**ting himself peppers owns him go bears

  63. Minnesota fas talking down on peppers if minnesota would have picked him you guys would be saying hes the best de in the game u guys would be talking sb again you mn fans are just haters and as far as taylor gose he will finally get to play he deserves in at least he knows how 2 hold on to the ball you mn fans are just scared 2 play peppers twice or at least mickinney is lol

  64. AP is overated taylor is by far better mn screwed him ap is not even the best rb in the nfl chris johnson is and i see ap leaving mn to he wants a sb ring and its not going to happen in mn let me ask how many sb wins do mn have 0 when was the last time they even been there the 70’s mn fans can talk s**t when and if they ever win one tj is not going to get them there thats for sure favre couldnt even do it

  66. brian, that was one of the most pathetic run-on sentence I’ve ever seen in my life. How’s 3rd grade treating you?

  67. I like the idiots that choose to bag on Cutler anytime the Bears are mentioned. Hey morons, did any of you guys pay attention what happens when Cutler gets protection and has a solid WR to throw to? In the final two games of the season, one against the Vikes, he threw 8 tds to 1 int. Yes, he was an interception machine last year as bad protection led to poor mechanics. But after Chris Williams was swapped to LT, and Aromashadu took over at WR, Cutler proved he can be the QB the Bears need him to be. And now working with Martz and having Mike Tice help coach up the O-line, those things only mean better days to come for Cutler. BUT NO HE SUCKS INT MACHINE 27 TDS MEAN NOTHING

  68. Brian218 is a complete idiot!!!!
    Those 2 posts were 2 large run-on sentences with no punctuation, and spelling errors everywhere! Learn how to write before you post because you just made the bears fans seem even dumber than they already are!!!! Wow!!!!!

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