CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina
Panthers traded starting strong safety Chris Harris to the Chicago Bears
on Tuesday, continuing their offseason roster overhaul.
The Panthers got reserve linebacker
Jamar Williams in the deal, while Harris returns to Chicago less than
three years after he was traded to Carolina.
Harris was deemed expendable after he
struggled some in 2009 and Carolina added depth at safety.
"Chris is going back to an
organization where he has familiarity and we wish him the very best,"
Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. "He has done
everything we have asked and has been a valuable member of our team.
Right now we have some young safeties who will get the opportunity to
continue to earn playing time."
Harris joins starters Jake Delhomme,
Brad Hoover, Muhsin Muhammad, Damione Lewis, Maake Kemoeatu and Na'il
Diggs who have moved on because of Carolina's youth movement. The
Panthers also let Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers leave in free
agency.
The 25-year-old Williams has played in
all 16 games in each of the past three seasons with the Bears, and had a
career-high 43 tackles last season. But he hadn't been able to win a
starting job with Lance Briggs in front of him and was a restricted free
agent.
"Jamar is a versatile linebacker who
brings experience, athletic ability and can help on special teams as
well as compete for time at linebacker," Hurney said.
After missing the first three games
with a knee injury and then getting off to a slow start, the
hard-hitting Harris had 44 tackles and three interceptions last season.
He had 80 tackles a year earlier, and led the NFL and set a franchise
record with eight forced fumbles in his first season with Carolina in
2007.
Harris turned out to be a bargain for
the Panthers. They sent a fifth-round pick to the Bears in training camp
to get him after numerous injuries and Mike Minter's retirement left
them with almost no depth at safety.
Harris immediately became a starter
and was second on the team with 102 tackles in 2007. But after three
seasons and being one of the leaders in the locker room, he was sent as
Carolina sheds veterans and payroll after going 8-8 last season.
Besides young safeties Charles
Godfrey and Sherrod Martin, the Panthers selected Jordan Pugh of Texas
A&M in the sixth round of last weekend's draft. Carolina also
recently signed Aaron Francisco, who is mostly a special teams player
but has played safety.
The 27-year-old Harris, who played at
Louisiana-Monroe, was Chicago's sixth-round pick in 2005. He had three
interceptions as a rookie, and intercepted Indianapolis' Peyton Manning
in the Super Bowl a year later.
Now he's headed back to Chicago and
will be reunited with Peppers, who signed with the Bears after spending
his first eight seasons in Carolina.
The Bears also announced Tuesday they
will not renew the contract of director of college scouting Greg
Gabriel.