Bears sign top picks Kevin White, Eddie Goldman

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The Bears signed receiver Kevin White and nose tackle Eddie Goldman to contracts Wednesday. (AP)

Look out, Claire’s.

Less than a week after he was drafted No. 7 overall by the Bears — and joked that he was frugal about jewelry, buying earrings from the store at the mall — the former West Virginia wide receiver was one of two players to agree to deals with the team Wednesday.

The Bears also signed their second-round draft pick, former Florida State nose tackle Eddie Goldman, to a four-year contract. Because he was a first-rounder, White’s four-deal has a fifth-year team option.

Terms were not announced.

The size of their deals will be based on the NFL’s salary cap and rookie compensation pool, but White is expected to make around $16 million.

Last year’s No. 7 pick, the Buccaneers’ Mike Evans, received a $14.6 million deal with a signing bonus of $8.96 million.

Goldman should make more than the $5.2 million the Jaguars gave last year’s No. 39 overall pick, wide receiver Marqise Lee.

After being picked, White said he wasn’t sure what the first thing was he’d buy with his first paycheck. He pointed to his borrowed watch and inexpensive earrings as proof those items weren’t important to him.

“I’m not a real flashy guy,” he said. “Some people may see this watch, but I didn’t pay for this. I’m just borrowing it right now. …

“My agent has a daughter, and she’s a big-time jeweler. I said, ‘I don’t really spend a lot of money. I buy my earrings from Claire’s. So can I borrow this?’

“She said I could borrow it and return it. I don’t have to pay for it. It’s a win-win situation.”

He vowed to remain the same person “no matter how much money I get.”

The Bears are living up to their reputation as the fastest team in the league to sign their draftees.

Their bottom three picks signed deals Tuesday. All but one of their six selections —third-rounder Hroniss Grasu — has agreed to a contract. The Oregon center is expected to sign his deal sometime before the start of the rookie minicamp Friday at Halas Hall.

Bears and ‘Deflate-gate’

A Bears spokesman said the team would have no comment about the release of the Wells Report on Wednesday. The NFL investigation into the Patriots’ playoff “Deflate-gate” scandal included details about the Patriots’ actions leading up to their Oct. 26 home game against the Bears.

The report said Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he first asked to see a copy of the NFL rules regarding football inflation during the week leading up to the Bears game.

It also detailed a text exchange between Patriots equipment assistant John Jastremski and the Patriots’ officials’ locker room attendant, Jim McNally, in which McNally wrote “the only thing deflating” for Brady during the upcoming Bears game “is his passer rating.”

Seemingly annoyed with the Patriots quarterback, McNally texted Brady’s footballs would be “(expletive) watermelons” — or overinflated — for the game.

Email: pfinley@suntimes.com

Twitter: @patrickfinley


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