Dollars and sense: The Basanez contract

Unless the Bears make a move for a quarterback in free agency, and the crop of available passers has already dwindled, then there is a growing chance Caleb Hanie and recently signed Brett Basanez will battle for the backup job behind Kyle Orton. The only way a rookie would get in the mix is if the Bears spent a high draft pick on a quarterback and given the draft class and the team’s other needs, that could be viewed as a longshot at this point.

Basanez signed a two-year contract to come home. The Carolina Panthers wanted him to return and he had interest from other clubs, including the New York Giants, but the lure of returning to his roots and the Bears’ depth chart made Halas Hall the most attractive destination.

Basanez did not receive a signing bonus in the contract but the Bears did float him a little money in the form of a workout bonus. He can earn $17,280 if he meets criteria in the contract for the incentive. He has minimum base salaries for 2009 ($385,000) and 2010 ($470,000). Basanez’s workout bonus in 2010 is the standard amount of $7,280.