[bears9]

Tight end John Gilmore is at the airport in Philadelphia headed to Tampa, Fla., where he will sign a three-year contract with the Buccaneers tonight.

The Bears negotiated with Gilmore’s agent this week and went back-and-forth but their offer did not measure up after Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden called Gilmore th is morning at 12:15.

"I was asleep and I really was not expecting to hear anything until the weekend,’’ Gilmore said. ``My agent called me after 11 and woke me up. He said he had thrown a number out at Tampa Bay and they were going to get right back to him.

``The next thing I know I was on the phone with Gruden. He told me, `I don’t think you realize how excited we are to have you. You definitely figure into what we’re doing, we’re going to get you very involved in a lot of two-tight end sets.’ He wants me to do what I do and it sounds like I’ll get to catch more footballs. He was a little bit more fired up than I probably sounded at the time.’’

Bears lose TE John Gilmore to Bucs :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears