CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears expect to see starting defensive end Alex Brown at their minicamp this weekend even though Brown says he's seeking a trade.
Brown told Sirius NFL Radio on Wednesday that he asked the Bears for permission to work out a trade. But coach Lovie Smith plans to have Brown at the three-day minicamp beginning Friday.
"I just know we have a minicamp coming up this weekend and Alex has been working awful hard with our program," Smith said. "We'll see him there this weekend working out with us. So that's about all I can tell you right now."
Brown admitted he's comfortable with the Bears, but is eager to explore other opportunities. Still, he has three years remaining on his contract.
"We're just trying to see what's out there," Brown said. "That's what we're trying to do. It's not the Bears. They don't want to get rid of me. It's just that I want to see what else is out there.
"If it was up to me I'd get a new contract here and play the rest of my career here. I totally understand some of the things the Bears are saying. We're handling this in a real low-key fashion and that's the way we want to keep it."
Brown had seven sacks last season in a very effective line rotation that helped Chicago reach the Super Bowl, where it lost to Indianapolis.
A fourth-round pick out of Florida in 2002, Brown signed a contract extension in 2004. He said when he broached the subject of a trade, the Bears told him, "No way. We love you. We don't want to get rid of you."
Added Brown: "It took a while to even get them to talk about it."
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