The raw number doing the rounds for Ben Johnson is $13 million per year

We set the over/under at $14.5 million per year. Maybe that was high. But not much.

The early NFL figure for Ben Johnson’s contract in Chicago is $13 million per year.

If this is true (one source described the figure as “speculation”), it represents a significant increase from the current entry-level figure of about $8 million per year. But this is the kind of thing that attracts the attention of a man who has options.

Based on his performance with the Lions, he deserves it. Good coaches deserve a lot more than they get, in large part because NFL owners have done a very effective job of keeping the market from deteriorating.

Currently, at least 100 NFL players make more than $19 million annually. A great coach deserves at least that much, if not a lot more.

If the number is accurate (or in that ballpark), it’s another sign that the Bears are changing. While some may be tempted to point to the desire to blow the curve as a sign of dysfunction, the opposite is true. The Bears realize the importance of spending big, especially when there is no salary cap for coaches.

You get what you pay for. To get Johnson, someone had to pay a lot.

Remember last year, when ESPN reported that Johnson’s demands intimidated teams without reporting what he was demanding? This is on the difference for not recognizing the value and compensating for it.

Their loss will be Chicago’s gain, if of course he succeeds in transitioning from being the mad scientist who draws up great plays to a head coach who can inspire a team to do great things.

That remains to be seen, but a roll of the dice is no different than money invested in high first-round picks with no guarantee they will flourish at the next level.