Bears Bring Back Booker For 2 Years, Decline to Match Jags Offer to DT Kennedy

Having recently cut veteran wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad and letting Bernard Berrian seek out an exhorbitant deal via free agency, the Chicago Bears had a couple of roster spots open up this last week, and today filled one of them by signing free agent wideout Marty Booker to a 2-year deal for $3.5 million total. This will be Booker's second tour of duty with the Bears, who he played for from 1999-2004, before being traded to the Miami Dolphins in a deal that brought the Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye. The Dolphins recently cut Booker, who was in the last year of a 7-year $28 million contract he originally signed with Chicago in 2002.

The Bears also notified the agent for defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy that they will not match the Jacksonville Jaguars' 1-year $655,000 offer (including a $50K signing bonus). The Bears held the right of first refusal due to a clause they inserted in his contract last year when they signed Kennedy off the scrap heap. Kennedy came into the league as a 1st round pick by the Rams in the 2003 NFL Draft, and was quickly declared a bust. He was traded to the Broncos for a 6th round pick on June 8 2007, and then was cut September 1. Needing help at the tackle position because of injuries, the Bears signed him to a deal for the rest of the season, and Kennedy went on to contribute next to nothing in 3 games with Chicago, notching 0 sacks, 0 solo tackles and 2 assisting tackles.