The Facts: The Chicago Bears signed Basanez, who played collegiately at Northwestern, to a two-year contract Tuesday.
Diehards Line:Basanez essentially has been relegated to practice squad duty since joining the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He made his first and only career NFL appearance with the Panthers that year. The 6-2 Basanez was named the Big Ten Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2005, when he led Northwestern to the Sun Bowl.