Bears Cut ADAM ARCHULETA

The Chicago Bears announced today that they have released safety Adam Archuleta after one year with the team.

Last March the Bears traded their 2007 sixth-round draft pick to the Redskins in exchange for Archuleta, who had just finished a disappointing season in Washington. He played in 15 games for the Bears, starting 10. (The Redskins used the pick to draft quarterback Jordan Palmer.)

Archuleta had his best seasons with the Rams from 2001 to 2005, with Lovie Smith, now the Bears' head coach, as his defensive coordinator. When Archuleta signed with Chicago, it looked like reuniting with Smith would make it the right fit.

But the Bears apparently felt that Archuleta was expendable because they like the other safeties on the roster, including Mike Brown, Brandon McGowan, Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne and rookie fourth-round draft choice Craig Steltz.

The 30-year-old Archuleta will now be an unrestricted free agent.