Bears add former Saints exec to front office

Bears GM Ryan Pace is adding a former co-worker to the Bears, sources told the Sun-Times on Wednesday: Joey Laine, who will become the team’s director of football administration.

Laine will handle contract negotiations and manage the salary cap. Cliff Stein, the team’s well-respected vice president of football administration/general counsel, will remain the team’s general counsel.

Laine served as the Saints’ salary cap analyst. He started with the team as a football operations intern in 2005 before moving up to a player personnel assistant. As the team’s salary cap analyst, he assisted director of football administration Khai Harley will, among other things, daily cap management and salary analysis.

His addition is the latest by Pace, who continued his overhaul of the Bears’ front office after the NFL draft.