Nate Collins Suspension: Bears DT Will Sit Out 1 Game For Violating NFL's Substance Abuse Policy

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Nate Collins has been suspended for one game and fined an additional game check for a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy.

#Bears DT Nate Collins has been suspended without pay for the team's first game of the 2012 regular season and fined an additional game check for violating the NFL's Substances of Abuse Policy.

Related: Matt Forte Contract Update: Forte, Bears Agree To Four-Year Contract

He was arrested for marijuana possession back in February, when he was still with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Collins, who was released by Jacksonville on March 16 and signed by the Bears on May 23, played in 12 games during the 2011 season.

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2013 Super Bowl Odds: Bears Odds Improve To 8/1 At Some Sportsbooks

Since opening at 25/1 to win the 2013 Super Bowl, the Chicago Bears have seen their odds improve dramatically in the eyes of Vegas handicappers. The Bears' odds currently sit at 8/1 at the various MGM sportsbooks, and that gives them the fourth best Super Bowl odds in the league.

Grantland's Bill Barnwell on the change:

[T]he Chicago Bears have gone from 25/1 all the way down to 8/1, where they sit behind just three other teams. It's not a surprise that the Bears would see action, since Vegas knows that the Bears are a perennially popular team and prices that into their line, but a move that pushes their odds ahead of teams like the Steelers and Eagles is pretty stunning.

Related: Matt Forte Contract Update: Forte, Bears Agree To Four-Year Contract

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2012 Bears Offseason: Lovie Smith Says Defensive Line Needs 'To Do Better'

John "Moon" Mullin of CSN Chicago broke down the Chicago Bears defensive line in his first installment of the Bears offseason series. In it, he suggests the defensive unit -- which had the fifth-lowest sack rate in the NFL -- needs to improve in the 2012 NFL season. And head coach Lovie Smith agrees:

"Do we need to do a better job with [the defensive line]?" coach Lovie Smith said. "Yes. And I think those guys would say that. We’re saying that because we’re capable of doing more."

The Bears sacked the opposing quarterback only 5 out of 100 passing attempts. The Philadelphia Eagles led the league with an 8.8 percent sack rate.

The team will give key jobs to the largely untested DT Stephen Paea and first round draft pick DE Shea McClellin in the 2012 season, adding a new and unknown element to the defensive line.

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Bears Offseason 2012: Chicago's Offensive Line Ranks No. 29 Of 31

The latest piece from NFL analyst Ryan Van Bibber examines the offensive lines across the NFL. And the goods for the Chicago Bears is that they could not get much worse. The bad news is that they ranked No. 29:

That Jay Culter can still walk after last season is a minor miracle, with the deadly combination of Mike Martz' silly insistence on getting his passers killed and a leaky offensive line. The Bears have hopes pinned on a full season of health from Gabe Carimi in his second year. J'Marcus Webb has been one of the league's worst left tackles, allowing 24 sacks over the last two seasons.

Dane Noble of Windy City Gridiron also added that the allure of the Bears' position players become severely dulled by the threat of another offensive line collapse:

The bad news is that, while Cutler, Forte, Marshall, etc. are all sexy, the offensive line still has almost identical questions that they've had over the last several seasons. Jerry Angelo believed in more of a plug-and-play mentality, even though he did end up selecting OL in the first round of the 2012 and 2008 NFL Drafts (Carimi and Williams, respectively). Unfortunately, each of those selections went down in their rookie year, and Williams has been inconsistent since then to say the least.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Chicago May Target Cutler, Urlacher For New Contracts

In Tuesday's edition of "Mike and Mike in the Morning", ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter suggested the Chicago Bears would now turn their attentions to QB Jay Cutler and LB Brian Urlacher since the team had locked RB Matt Forte to a four-year deal. According to Schefter, the team will now look at possible extensions for their franchise quarterback and All-Pro linebacker:

I think [the Forte extension] was something both sides expected ... And now Chicago can go ahead and pursue signing a guy like Brian Urlacher, who's got one year left on his contract, and quarterback Jay Cutler, who's got two years left on his contract.

Cutler came to the Bears in the 2008 trade that sent QB Kyle Orton to the Denver Broncos. The 29-year-old enters his fourth season with the Bears, but already ranks 4th on the Bears' all-time passing touchdowns record with 63 and ranks 7th with 9259 passing yards.

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Matt Forte Contract Update: Forte, Bears Agree To Four-Year Contract

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte had until 3 p.m. today to sign a long-term deal and avoid playing the 2012 season under the franchise tag. That deadline, according to various reports, has been met. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Monday morning that Forte and the Bears agreed to a four-year contract, with ESPN's Adam Schefter adding that the deal is expected to be worth $8 million a year.

The amount of guaranteed money in the deal has yet to be revealed, though. According to earlier reports, Forte was seeking $20 million in guaranteed money, while the Bears were offering something closer to $15 million guaranteed over the lifetime of the deal.

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Chicago Bears Offseason: Matt Forte And Bears 'Extremely Close' On New Deal

When Matt Forte was franchised by the Chicago Bears, he wasn't too happy about it but said he would play. However, by the time training camp starts, it appears that Forte will have a new long-term contract with the Bears.

The Chicago Bears running back is "extremely close" to a long-term deal with the team, NFL Network's Michael Lombardi reported Saturday, citing a source with knowledge of the situation.

Forte said Friday he planned to spend this weekend on phone with Chicago's front office, amid reports the sides had made "considerable progress."

Forte is set to enter the 2012 season at 26 years old. He ran for 997 yards in 12 games for the Bears last season. It was the first time in his career that he didn't play a full 16 games.

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Chicago Bears Offseason: Jay Cutler Focused On Important Preseason

It's a particularly important season for Jay Cutler, who many Bears fans believe needs a big year to solidify himself as the starting quarterback of the future. Speaking at a charity event, he addressed the importance of the preseason.

That wasn't the only appearance that Cutler made this week. Chicago fans were able to see how that arm was holding up at Wrigley Field on Saturday.

#Bears QB Jay Cutler threw today's #Cubs ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field: twitter.com/Cubs/status/22…

— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 14, 2012

Cutler played in just 10 games for Chicago last season. Entering his fourth season with the Bears, Cutler turned 29 years old in April.

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Chicago Bears Offseason: Mike Tice Gives Update On Offensive Line

Protecting Jay Cutler will be a top priority for the Chicago Bears this season after they saw firsthand what a year would look like without him. Speaking to ChicagoBears.com, offensive line coach Mike Tice gave an update of his unit's performance this offseason.

"I feel like we have guys with talent. Unfortunately, some of it is unrealized talent in terms of not enough consistency. We have some young guys who have shown the ability to play at a high level, but some in the run game only and some only in pass protection. What we need from the younger guys is to take the next step and play at a high level with more consistency."

In a not too surprising statement, Tice added that Chris Spencer will likely start at one of the guard spots in 2012.

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Bears Roster 2012: Tim Jennings Likely To Start

Despite bringing in some competition to compete for the starting spot opposite of Charles Tillman, it's beginning to look like Tim Jennings will enter the 2012 season as the starter. According to a story in the Chicago Tribune, Jennings is likely to emerge as the starter despite his benching at the end of last season:

Following the money, though, all signs point to Jennings, 28, being the starter opposite Charles Tillman, who is coming off his first Pro Bowl season.

"We have a good situation," Hoke said. "Tim played well for us last year. When you watched the tape, he did some good things. We'd like to have a couple more turnovers, and he knows that.

Jennings recorded 77 tackles and picked off two passes last season, which was just his second in Chicago. He has seven career interceptions in six seasons.

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Bears Roster 2012: Chris Williams Officially Moving To Tackle, According To Source

What was once rumor is now fact, according to ESPN Chicago's Michael C. Wright. The Chicago Bears are officially moving ex-first round pick Chris Williams back to tackle after starting him at left guard for each of the past two seasons.

Williams is expected to compete for the team's starting left tackle spot along with incumbent starter J'Marcus Webb and possibly right tackle Gabe Carimi. Chicago's offensive line has been a sore spot for years running, but the new Bears brain trust, led by first year general Phil Emery, did not decide to address the team's pass protection in this year's draft.

Per Wright, Williams hasn't started a game at tackle since Week 2 of the 2010 season against the Dallas Cowboys, a game in which Williams injured his hamstring on the opening drive. His final start prior to that was in the opener against the Detroit Lions, in which the Bears infamously gave up four sacks.

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Bears WR Johnny Knox 'Will Likely Miss The Season,' Says Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs

Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox suffered a broken vertebrae during the team's Week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and it was one of the most brutal injuries of recent memory in the NFL, and since his successful surgery in December there have been conflicting reports on how long it will take for the young wideout to make his return to the field.

In February, Knox's agent, Mark Lillibridge, suggested Knox was on pace for a return in mid-July, but Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune reported in March that Knox was expected to be placed on the team's Physically Unable to Preform list prior to the start of the 2012 season -- which would make him ineligible to play in first six weeks of the season. McClure noted that Knox could miss the season back in March, and now Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune mentioned in his May 13 column that "Knox will likely miss the season."

It wouldn't be surprising if the WR needed extra time to rehab and work himself back into the NFL after a serious spinal injury and major spinal surgery, and the team seems well-prepared if he is unable to go. Knox led the Bears with 727 receiving yards, a 19.6 yards per reception average, 12 plays of 20 or more yards, and 51.9 yards receiving per game in 2012. Since Phil Emery took over as general manager, he has acquired Brandon Marshall via trade and drafted Alshon Jeffery in the 2012 NFL Draft.

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Jay Cutler Says Bears Need To Resolve Offensive Line Issues

Chicago Bears star quarterback Jay Cutler is excited about the opportunity to work with Mike Tice and to reunite with Jeremy Bates and wide receiver Brandon Marshall, but he knows the offensive line is the limiting factor on the unit he leads. Mike Martz and his seven-step drop scheme are gone, but the threat of disrupted passing lanes and unlean passing pockets are still a concern at Halas Hall.

General manager acquired Brandon Marshall, signed running back Michael Bush and drafted wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, but he didn't do much to help improve a shaky-at-best offensive line during the offseason. Cutler is concerned about the offensive line, as he told Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times on Monday:

"You know, the offensive line is definitely going to be a concern and seeing where those guys are going to fit in and seeing what five we go with," Cutler said when asked a general question about the excitement for the upcoming season. "If Gabe [Carimi] comes back, if J'Marcus [Webb] pans out. Where are we going to put Chris Williams? There are some question marks there. Until we really get that resolved and get our front five settled in, we've got some work to do on offense."

Cutler went on to say there are still going to be third-and-long situations where the O-Line will be asked to protect on seven-step drops to allow longer routes to develop, so moving away from Mike Martz's scheme isn't the sole answer to the unit's problems.

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Jay Cutler Isn't Super Concerned About Concussions

The most controversial subject in sports at the moment is head trauma, an issue only magnified by the recent suicide of former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau. Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler knows all about it. Cutler suffered a concussion on the Bears during the 2010 season, had at least one as a member of the Denver Broncos, and reportedly suffered three in college at Vanderbilt.

On Monday, Cutler talked about the dangers of football. He seems fully aware of the risks and is willing it accept they're a part of the game.

"It's a tough subject, it's a touchy subject, I think you have to be careful what you say and don't say. Some guys are totally on one side of the and other guys are on the other side of the fence," he said. "You know, I signed up to play football. I understand that. I understand you're going to take hits, you're going to get beat up."

"At the end of the day, it's a tough sport. You're going to take shots in the head, and you're going to get concussions from time to time," Cutler said. "But no one made me play football. Not one put a gun to my head and said, 'You have to play football.' It's what I love to do. And I knew the risks and benefits going into it."

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2012 Bears Offseason: G Chris Williams Poised To Move Back To Left Tackle

The Chicago Bears may be considering a key change along the offensive line in 2012. According to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs, the Bears appear to be leaning toward starting G Chris Williams back at his natural position, left tackle.

A source on the team informed Biggs that Williams practiced at both guard and tackle in the recent voluntary offseason workout program, and the current roster layout suggests the team will need another tackle unless Williams moves to the outside.

Williams joined the NFL in 2008 as a first round draft pick (No. 14 overall) and a left tackle. Injuries, ineffectiveness and roster construction led the Bears to move him to right guard from left tackle.

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Chicago Bears Sign 7 Undrafted Free Agents

After holding a series of tryouts, the Chicago Bears announced on Sunday that the team has signed seven different undrafted free agents to three-year contracts. Earlier in the day, Bears coach Lovie Smith had suggested that the team was likely to sign some of the players that had tried out with the team recently.

Here's a list of the seven new Bears rookies:

• Wisconsin-Whitewater quarterback Matt Blanchard
• Texas Southern wide receiver Joseph Anderson
• Illinois State tight end Brandon Venson
• Concordia offensive tackle Tyler Hendrickson
• Central Florida offensive guard Nick Pieschel
• Boston College punter Ryan Quigley
• Connecticut kicker David Teggert

The offensive line was considered an area of need for the Bears going into the draft, but they never addressed it. Maybe they believed they've found a diamond in the rough by signing Hendrickson and Pieschel.

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Gabe Carimi Injury: Bears Offensive Lineman Expects To Participate In Minicamps

The Chicago Bears lost offensive lineman Gabe Carimi early in the 2011 season to a knee injury that would require two surgeries. On Saturday, Carimi said he should be ready to participate in minicamp later this month, though he added, "there's never any promises."

Carimi said Saturday night at the black-tie Bears Care Gala charity event that he is hoping to be ready for the organized team activities beginning in two weeks and definitely for the veterans minicamp set for mid-June.

"If we continue our progress, we should be doing minicamps," Carimi said. "I’m going to be in the mix. There’s never any promises. It’s just getting healthy and getting back out there, that’s the important thing."

Related: 2012 Bears Offseason: Devin Hester To Remain As Team's Top Returner

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2012 Bears Offseason: Devin Hester To Remain As Team's Top Returner

Chicago Bears special teams coach Dave Toub spoke with the media after Saturday's rookie minicamp and reassured fans the addition of WR Eric Weems would not change the return job for WR Devin Hester:

"It’s pretty simple to me. I just laugh when I hear all these stories out here. Hester is our punt returner and he is our No. 1 kickoff returner. He is still our No. 1 kickoff returner. We just have (Eric) Weems now. We can put them both back there and if they kick away from Devin, they’ll kick it to Weems and we’ll be in good shape."

The Bears signed Weems this offseason to bolster both their wide receiver depth as well as their kick returning depth. The 26-year-old Weems returned 77 punts and 113 kicks in his fives year with the Atlanta Falcons, averaging 10.6 yards per punt return and 25.6 yards per kick return.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Mike Tice Expects OL To Improve Significantly

In a response to a question about the Chicago Bears' offensive line, offensive coordinator Mike Tice said he thinks that the group can take a big step forward during the 2012 season.

"I think if Phil and Lovie, with the help of the scouts and the staff, if we felt tackle were a dire need for us, I’m sure they would have answered the bell on draft day. With the change in scheme, and the change in personality – if you will – and an offseason, and getting some guys healthy, I think we’ll make a big jump in the offensive line."

Related: How many games did the offensive line cost the Bears in 2011?

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Bears Rookie Minicamp: Chicago Invites 15 Undrafted Players For Tryouts

With the NFL Rookie Minicamps getting underway across the league, the Chicago Bears have extended invites to several unsigned, undrafted rookies who hope to catch on a team's practice squad or even their roster.

Here is the list of invitees according to The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs:

• QB Matt Blanchard Wis-Whitewater
• QB Ronnie Fouch Indiana St.
• RB Embry Peeples Ga. Tech
• WR Joseph Anderson Texas So.
• WR Willie Clark NIU
• WR David Mosley NW Mo. St.
• WR Keith Nichol Michigan St.
• TE Brandon Venson Illinois St.
• TE Ali Villanueva Army
• G Mike Garrity EIU
• OT Tyler Hendrickson Concordia
• OT Jarvis Jones Oklahoma
• C Anthony Mihota UVA
• OT Trevor Olson NIU
• G Nick Pieschel Central Fla.

The Bears will kick of the 2012 season with an August 9 preseason game against Denver Broncos.

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Chicago Bears Sign Wyoming DE Josh Biezuns As Voluntary Minicamp Invitee

The Chicago Bears have been active in the unrestricted free agent market after the 2012 NFL Draft, and on Wednesday the Bears agreed to terms with defensive end Josh Biezuns from the University of Wyoming, according to WyomingNews.com. The 6-foot-1, 257-pound defender was named to the All-Mountain West Second-Team in 2010 and 2011, and he played multiple positions on the Cowboys' defense, including DE and LB. Biezuns was a three-year starter for Wyoming and he recorded 63 tackles and five sacks and five forced fumbles this past season.

The Bears are still looking for depth along the defensive line, so Biezuns will certainly have an opportunity to find his way onto the practice squad and perhaps even make the jump onto an NFL roster if he can establish a role as a special teams player.

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NFL Free Agency 2012: Bears, DT Tommie Harris Could Reunite, Says Tribune's Dan Pompei

Veteran defensive tackle Tommie Harris had some good years and some underwhelming years with the Chicago Bears, and injuries have limited his production in the past few seasons, but that doesn't mean the Bears aren't open to signing Harris to be a part of their DT rotation in 2012. At least that's what Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune posited in his column on Wednesday. According to Pompei, the Bears have talked about signing Harris now that the top free agent DTs are gone and both Amobi Okoye and Anthony Adams are no longer with the team.

With only three DTs currently on the roster -- Henry Melton, Stephen Paea and Matt Toeaina -- and despite Israel Idonije's ability to slide inside at a three-technique at times, Pompei believes the Bears would do well to bring Harris back (he was cut by the team in February of 2011). The former University of Oklahoma star is nothing near the player he used to be during his rookie contract with Chicago, but Pompei cites a personnel directior that thinks Harris "could be productive in stretches" and might fit well as a situational player for the Bears. If he could be had on a low-risk, incentive-laden deal, it would certainly be worth a shot to bring him back to play in Lovie Smith's Cover-2 defense that puts a seriously premium on pass rush from the front-four.

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Chicago Bears News: Analysts Mixed On Bears Offensive Line

Analyst Ben Muth of Football Outsiders took an extended look at the Chicago Bears offensive line on Tuesday, and ultimately was not impressed by the Bears' o-line personal, saying: "After watching their Week 17 game against the Vikings I can safely say that everyone was right. The Bears have a huge problem up front."

The news is not all bad, however. Though Muth was unimpressed with the passing blocking from LT J'Marcus Webb, the chipping from RB Kahlil Bell and the pulling from C Roberto Garza, he gave strong marks to RT Lance Louis and RG Chris Spencer. Overall, Muth was surprised the Bears did no draft a lineman, but suggests the group still has potential:

As bad as Chicago’s line played at the end of the season, there is some cause for optimism up front. [Gabe Carimi] will come back next year and could be a big upgrade at tackle, Louis can move inside where he belongs, and perhaps best of all, Mike Martz is gone. The Tsar of the five-man protection/seven-step drop combo has been replaced by the (presumably) protection-friendly Mike Tice.

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Chicago Bears News: Jay Cutler Tossing Deep Passes To Brandon Marshall (VIDEO)

Want to see Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler throw a couple deep passes to Brandon Marshall? You aren't alone. Cutler and Marshall are going to be the centerpieces of the revamped passing offense in 2012, and it's impossible not to be excited after their history of success in Denver. Thankfully, the team website has released a video from the second phase of offseason workouts, and the dynamic duo hooks up twice in the practice montage. Here is the high-powered aerial connection Chicago Bears fans have been waiting on forever:

Marshall joined ESPN Radio 1000 on Monday and predicted that Devin Hester will have a more productive season than himself. As long as Marshall sets the bar extremely high, I don't think Bears fans would have any problem with that prediction coming true.

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Chicago Bears News: Brandon Marshall Thinks Devin Hester Is In For A Big Season

The Chicago Bears traded for wide receiver Brandon Marshall to invigorate the vertical passing game in 2012, but Marshall thinks one of his teammates could be in for a more productive season than himself. Marshall joined ESPN Radio 1000 on Monday and gave fellow receiver Devin Hester a glowing review after the team's first official minicamp. Marshall went as far to say he believes Hester will have a more productive season than himself.

"I've never been around a receiver, never seen a receiver who runs routes like Devin Hester does outside," Marshall said Monday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "He has all the skills to be a Pro Bowl receiver, not a punt returner -- we all know what he can do there -- but a Pro Bowl receiver.

"Honestly I think he is going to have a bigger year than me this year. I just don't think he's been in an environment, a situation offensively that catered to him as a player. I think with [quarterback coach] Jeremy Bates and [quarterback] Jay [Cutler] growing and maturing, I think they will be able to put him in a better position this year to where he can probably do damage.

Hester caught 26 passes for 369 yards with one touchdown last season as a receiver. Hester had a career-high 757 yards receiving during Cutler's first season in 2009.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Chicago To Tryout Veteran DT Trey Lewis

As the Chicago Bears continue to look to add depth to their defensive line, the team will tryout veteran defensive tackle Trey Lewis sometime within the next few days, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. According to Biggs, the Bears scouted Lewis "heavily" when he was coming out of Washburn University in 2007, and though Chicago did not end up drafting him, he was picked by the Atlanta Falcons in the sixth round when current Bears GM Phil Emery was the director of college scouting in Atlanta.

2012 Bears Offseason: Winston Venable Waived By Chicago On Thursday

On Thursday morning the Chicago Bears placed special teams contributor and backup safety Winston Venable on waivers, according to NFL reporter Adam Kaplan. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound safety was an undrafted free agent from the 2011 NFL Draft class out of Boise State that signed with Chicago last season and played in 12 games on special teams. Known as a hard-hitter, he received a $20,000 fine from the NFL for a aerial hit on Cleveland Browns wide receiver Demetrius Williams in the team's final preseason game of the 2011-12 NFL season.

The Bears added an intriguing safety prospect in the 2012 NFL Draft with their third pick -- Oregon State defensive back Brandon Hardin (pick No. 79 overall) -- and they also brought in several players via the draft that GM Phil Emery expects to contribute on special teams, so Venable apparently became expandable.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Chicago To Have Special 'Devin Package' For WR Devin Hester

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Bears will be instituting a special offensive package for dynamic return man WR Devin Hester:

"Devin's role has not changed," general manager Phil Emery said. "We see him as a guy that is going to help our receiving corps in a big way. I know that Coach Tice has done a lot of planning. We want to make sure that we have a special plan for Devin, we have the Devin Package, a package of plays as a receiver. You never know where he is going to line up."

Hester currently owns the NFL record for punt return touchdowns with 12 and leads all active players with 18 non-offensive touchdowns. The Bears have attempted to develop him into a starting wide receiver, but after six seasons at the position, Hester has averaged only 27.9 receiving yards per game to with 13 career touchdowns.

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Bears Offseason 2012: RB Kahlil Bell Signing Tender On Wednesday

Chicago Bears running back Kahlil Bell, a restricted free agent, is in the process of signing the qualifying offer that the team tendered to him last month, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. The deal is worth $1.26 million, the minimum amount that the team could've offered him.

Bell made three starts for the Bears late last season after other players went down with injuries, proving to be a solid option out of the backfield. Carrying the ball 79 times last season, Bell ran for 337 yards, good for a 4.3 yards-per-carry average. He also caught 19 balls for 133 yards and scored a touchdown.

The 25-year-old was signed by the Bears after being an undrafted free agent out of UCLA. He's appeared in 19 games for Chicago since 2009, accumulating 694 total yards and a touchdown. Next season, he'll presumably be the third-string back behind starter Matt Forte and back-up Michael Bush.

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Brian Piccolo Awards 2012: DT Stephen Paea, LB Nick Roach Win Prestigious Award

According to CSN Chicago, DT Stephen Paea and LB Nick Roach have each won the prestigious Brian Piccolo Award, given annually to a Chicago Bears veteran and rookie who best embody the "courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor" that former Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo became known for in his four seasons with the Bears. Piccolo died in 1970 from embryonal cell carcinoma, but has been immortalized by the numerous cancer research foundations and funds in his name.

Paea and Roach both spoke with the media upon receiving their awards, remarking how honored they to be elected by their peers as Piccolo Award winners:

Roach, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent, felt a certain kinship with Piccolo -- who died on Roach's birthday:

"The story kind of hit me hard, thinking about who Brian Piccolo was, just a lot of the similarities. He was a free agent; I was a free agent coming into the league. He died when he was 26; I'm 26 now. And actually he died on June 16, which is my birthday...

"Any time you're in a team situation, whether it's an organization or actual sports, when your players, the guys that you're with, your peers, elect you to be something and represent something, I think that's a big deal. "I'm honored to receive this just because of the qualities, everything that [Piccolo] possessed because, again, he died at 26 and look at the impact that he's had going forward how many years from then."

Paea was also impressed by the life of Piccolo, remarking on the camaraderie between Piccolo and Bears great RB Gale Sayers that was featured in the movie Brian's Song. Paea said he felt the current Bears roster shared that kind of kinship and that it was a reason the Bears are "gonna win the Super Bowl this year."

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Chicago Bears 2012 Offseason: WR Max Komar Officially Released

According to Mike C. Wright of ESPN Chicago, the Chicago Bears have released 24-year-old WR Max Komar. The second-year pro appeared in one game with the Bears in the 2011 NFL Season, but did not make any receptions. Chicago signed Komar midway through the season after the Arizona Cardinals released him.

Komar played with the Bears third string quarterback, Nathan Enderle, as a member of the Idaho Vandals football team. In 2009, his final season at Idaho, Komar caught 63 passes for 1052 yards.

The young wide receiver went undrafted in 2010, signing as a free agent with the Cardinals, where he played in 8 games and make 12 receptions for 117 yards.

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Bears Sign LB Geno Hayes To Add Depth, According To Report

The Chicago Bears and general manager Phil Emery have been busy adding depth around the roster as they await the 2012 NFL Draft, and on Thursday morning the team agreed to terms with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers weak side linebacker Geno Hayes, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Hayes is a former sixth-round draft pick (175th overall) out of Florida State from the 2008 NFL Draft, but the 24-year old never seized the opportunity in Tampa Bay and now gets a fresh start with the Bears.

In 14 starts during the 2011-12 NFL season he recorded 44 solo tackles, 19 assists one interception and two forced fumbles. Over the last three years Hayes has racked up 201 solo tackles, four interceptions, seven sacks and four forced fumbles in 43 starts. Back in December of 2010 Hayes was arrested following an altercation outside a nightclub in Tampa, and police had to use a stun gun to subdue the linebacker after repeatedly warning him to leave the premises but finding him uncooperative.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Bryan Kehl, Zac Diles Among LB's To Visit Chicago

The Chicago Bears brought in a host of potential additions at the linebacker position this week, including Bryan Kehl and Zac Diles, according to Jeff Dickerson and Michael Wright of ESPN Chicago. The Bears are looking for depth at the position behind starters Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach.

Kehl, 27, has been a back-up linebacker in the NFL for the past four years since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of BYU. Drafted by the New York Giants, he spent his first two years there before being traded to the St. Louis Rams extremely early in the 2010 season. He left the Rams after this past season. He's made five starts in his career, recording 57 tackles, one sack and one interception.

Diles, 26, split the 2011 season between the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a back-up. But from 2008-2010, he made 20 starts at linebacker for the Houston Texans, emerging in his second year after being drafted in the seventh round in 2008. In his career, he's recorded 163 tackles, three forced fumbles and a sack.

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Bears Free Agency: Chicago Signs G Chilo Rachal

The Chicago Bears addressed their much maligned offensive line on Wednesday by agreeing to a one-year contract with guard Chilo Rachal. Rachal was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and he was with the team for his entire career before the two parted ways this offseason.

Rachal has played 55 games in his career and started in 38 of those, although he did lose his starting job early in the 2012 season. The acquisition of Rachal certainly doesn't preclude the Bears from addressing the interior of their line in this year's draft, but if they feel like they can squeeze more value out of an ex-second round pick, it may free them up to help out other positions.

The financial terms of the deal have yet to be revealed.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: LB Rocky McIntosh To Visit Chicago

After re-signing Lance Briggs, the Chicago Bears' three first team linebacker slots are now filled, with Briggs joining Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach. But the depth after that is thin, with the back ups a mixture of cast-offs from other teams and low round draft picks. With that likely in mind, the Bears have set up a visit with veteran inside/outside linebacker Rocky McIntosh, who according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago, is scheduled to meet with the Bears sometime this week.

McIntosh has spent his entire six-year career with the Washington Redskins, amassing 471 tackles and eight sacks. McIntosh lost his starting job last season, but his versatility and experience would make him a valuable back up. McIntosh, who was a standout for the Miami Hurricanes, has also reportedly visited the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

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Bears Offseason 2012: Chicago Reinstates RB Harvey Unga From Reserve Roster

The Chicago Bears have reportedly moved backup RB Harvey Unga from the reserve / left squad list, according to Aaron Wilson of FOX Sports:

Bears reinstated RB Harvey Unga from the reserve/left squad list, per a league source.

— Aaron Wilson (@RavensInsider) April 16, 2012

Unga, a native of Kahuku, Hawaii, joined the Chicago Bears in the 2010 supplemental draft. He played four season with the BYU Cougars in college before withdrawing because of an honor code violation. Unga average 5.0 yards per carry with BYU, rushing for 3455 yards and 36 touchdowns in just three season's as the school's starting running back.

The 6'0", 250 lbs Unga also brings versatility the passing game, having compiled over 1000 receiving yards and a 10.6 yards per catch average.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Chris Conte Cleared For Team's Voluntary Workouts

2012 NFL Free Agency: Chicago Bears Sign Lance Briggs To One-Year Extension

The Chicago Bears have announced an agreement between the team and linebacker Lance Briggs on a one-year contract extension, according to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com. The move presumably helps to keep Briggs happy after the Pro Bowler had expressed his dissatisfaction with his previous contract.

At this point, it's unclear how much money Briggs will be making in his new deal, but it's reasonable to assume that the 31-year-old will be receiving a raise from his previous salary. Given how important Briggs has become on a pretty veteran-laden defense, keeping him happy was presumably a key goal for Chicago this offseason.

Even after passing age 30, Briggs continues to be one of the better linebackers in the NFL. Last season, Briggs played in all 16 games for Chicago, recording 105 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. It was the seventh time in eight seasons that Briggs has surpassed 100 tackles in a season.

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Matt Forte Contract Update: Chicago RB Will Reportedly Only Sign Long-Term Deal

It appears as if the standoff between Matt Forte and the Chicago Bears is only getting started. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, as reported on Sportscenter and relayed by Pro Football Talk, Forte is refusing to sign any contract offer that isn't a long-term deal, and that includes the $7.7 million franchise tag tendered to him by the Bears this off-season.

That means that Forte is almost certainly going to miss the team's voluntary offseason workouts, which begin this coming Monday, and he may miss Chicago's mandatory June minicamp and possibly even some games into the season depending on how serious both sides are in sticking to their guns. Forte has famously been pleading for a long-term deal for much of the past year and change, and though the Bears say that they have made him a long-term offer, the details of that offer have not been disclosed to the public, and obviously Forte has yet to agree to the terms.

The longer that Forte holds out, the bigger the spotlight will get on free agent acquisition Michael Bush, who was jokingly nicknamed by many as the "Matt Forte Insurance Policy." But as the negotiations between Forte and the Bears trudge along, that moniker will get more and more serious.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Free Agent OT Adam Goldberg Visits With Bears

Free agent offensive tackle Adam Goldberg had a tryout with the Chicago Bears, according to Howard Balzer of 101 Sports in St. Louis, and though Goldberg would be far from the permanent solution at tackle that Chicago seeks, the team could use any upgrade to the offensive line that they could get.

Goldberg has spent the last six seasons with the St. Louis Rams, but he broke into the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Minnesota Vikings when the team was coached by current Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice. Over the past four seasons, Goldberg has been one of the main patches along the Rams line, making 44 starts and playing in every single game. At 31 years old, Goldberg is experienced, and he will likely also come cheap.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Jay Cutler Doesn't Think Brandon Marshall Will Be Suspended

During a radio show appearance on Tuesday, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said he doesn't think wide receiver Brandon Marshall will be suspended by the league over his current legal trouble.

"I don't think he's going to miss any time," Cutler said Tuesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "All that stuff is pending legally. Me and Brandon have talked a little bit about it. It's all going to work out, I'm pretty confident in that. Brandon's heading into town this weekend and he's going to be there Monday (at the voluntary offseason conditioning working) with me."

Related: Chicago Bears DT Stephen Paea will be an impact player in 2012

Marshall's legal issue stems from an incident outside a nightclub.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: RB Kahlil Bell To Participate In OTAs

The Chicago Bears may be currently sorting out a contract dispute with RB Matt Forte, but they should not be without running back depth when offseason team activities (OTAs) begin on Monday. According to The Chicago Tribune, the Bears will have RB Kahlil Bell in camp.

The Tribune reports that Bell will sign a special offseason agreement that protects him in case of injury, allowing him to participate in OTAs while not technically under contract for the 2012 season.

Bell enters his fourth season with the Bears after playing four years for the UCLA Bruins. Bell played sparingly in his first two seasons, but injuries pushed him into a more significant role in 2011, when he rushed for 377 and averaged 4.3 yards per carry.

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Matt Forte Contract Dispute: Bears Running Back Expected To Miss OTAs

The Chicago Bears continue to work around their ongoing contract dispute with All-Pro RB Matt Forte. According to Peggy Kusinski of NBC, Chicago anticipate the fifth-year running back will miss the beginning of organized team activities next Monday:

#Bears Lovie Smith confirmed @MattForte22 won't take part in OTA starting Monday - has not signed franchise tender

— peggy kusinski (@peggykusinski) April 10, 2012

Forte has played all four years of his NFL career with the Chicago Bears. With the conclusion of his rookie contract in 2011, Forte began campaigning for a long-term, top-tier extension, but negotiations have since stalled. The team tendered Forte a franchise player contract, but Forte has yet to sign the deal.

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Are Bears Preparing To Phase Devin Hester Out Of Kick Return Duty?

The Chicago Bears quietly added free agents Eric Weems and Devin Thomas to the roster this offseason, both of whom have kick return experience, and now Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune thinks it's time to ask whether Devin Hester will be pushed out of his role as a kick returner. Hester was noticeably less aggressive in his kick returns last season, and as McClure points out, he ranked just 24th in the NFL with a 21.9 yard average on returns. That wasn't even the best mark on his own team, as Johnny Knox managed a 26.5 yard average.

Knox's status is still unknown heading into the 2012 season after undergoing surgery to repair his injured spine during the offseason, but Weems and Thomas give the Bears legitimate alternatives on kickoffs. Hester will almost certainly remain the primary punt returner, but when McClure asked about the kickoff situation, head coach Lovie Smith left the topic open for discussion:

"We have that versatility now," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "We added another good player into the (kick-return) mix in Devin Thomas."

"This offseason, we're still talking about the roles of different guys," Smith said. "First off, we want to get good players. Then we will put them in their perfect spots a little bit later."

Hester still led the NFL with a 16.2 yards per return average on punts in the 2011-12 NFL season.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Matt Forte Not Expected To Open Offseason Workouts

Though Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte will almost assuredly play for the team in the 2012 season, he has not yet signed any contract with the team, and he will be unavailable for offseason workouts until he does, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears officially tendered Forte a contract with the team's franchise tag, but as the two sides reportedly continue to negotiate a long-term contract, Forte has yet to sign the tender, and is thus barred from working out or practicing with the team.

Chicago's first offseason workouts begin on Monday April 16th, but they are voluntary, and it's unclear whether or not Forte would've shown up anyway. The Bears star ball carrier skipped offseason workouts last year as well and certainly saw no ill effects, as he was one of the top rushers in the league until going down with a knee injury in Week 13.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: DT Amobi Okoye Signs With Buccaneers

The Chicago Bears appear have lost one of the key defensive lineman as DT Amobi Okoye has signed a 1-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Chicago Tribune reports the former Bears interior lineman -- who was rarely a starter, but played a major role in the Bears' defensive line rotations -- has come to terms with the Bucs after weeks of negotiations with the Bengals, Broncos, Patriots and even the Bears. According to the GM Phil Emery, the Bears attempted to bring Okoye back for an encore season, but the two sides were apparently too far apart as Emery could tell a deal was out of reach even earlier in the week:

"Right now, Amobi is trying to decide which direction he is going," Emery said Wednesday. "We've had conversations with him. So far, we have not been able to work out a deal. Amobi is probably going in a different direction."

The Bears are likely to shift Okoye's workload to DT Matt Toeaina, DT Stephen Paea and potentially a new addition via the draft.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Signs CB Jonathan Wilhite To 1-Year Contract

The Chicago Bears bolstered their secondary with a couple of signings on Thursday. First they added cornerback Kelvin Hayden, and just recently they announced the addition of Jonathan Wilhite.

The team also agreed to terms with former Denver Bronco Jonathan Wilhite on a one-year contract. Wilhite, originally a fourth-round draft pick of the Patriots out of Auburn, has 15 career starters with New England and Denver. He has 121 career tackles and four career interceptions.

Related: Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Signs CB Kelvin Hayden

Wilhite was primarily a reserve last season for Denver; he started two games.

Wilhite played nickel back for both the Patriots and Broncos.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) April 5, 2012

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Signs CB Kelvin Hayden

On Thursday afternoon, the Chicago Bears announced the signing of cornerback Kelvin Hayden to a one-year contract. The seven year veteran -- and University of Illinois alumnus -- was originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts.

The 6-foot, 195-pounder spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Colts (2005-10) and Falcons (2011). Appearing in 85 games with 47 starts, he recorded 312 tackles, 11 interceptions, 41 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 25 special teams stops.

Related: Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Has Eric Steinbach On The Radar

In eight games with Atlanta in 2011, Hayden had 24 tackles and picked off two passes.

Terms of Hayden's deal with Chicago have not been disclosed.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Has Eric Steinbach On The Radar

The Chicago Bears have former Cleveland Browns offensive guard Eric Steinbach on their radar as they seek veteran help for the offensive line, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. Steinbach was released by Cleveland on March 14 after being asked to take a significant pay cut.

Dickerson says that the Seattle Seahawks have also shown interest in Steinbach, and the Baltimore Ravens may also be in the market for a veteran guard. Since being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003, he's been a full-time starter and one of the most solid offensive lineman in the game.

Steinbach, who turns 32 today, is a native of New Lenox, Ill., outside of Chicago. He played college football for the University of Iowa after becoming one of the top high school football players in Illinois.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Bears DT Amobi Okoye To Visit Cincinnati On Tuesday

The fervor of NFL free agency has died down as almost every major name has found a new home for next season, but there are still plenty of peripheral players looking for new contracts. One is Chicago Bears back up defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, who according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times will indeed visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday.

Free agent DT Amobi Okoye will visit with the Bengals Tuesday.

- Sean Jensen (@seankjensen) April 2, 2012

The Bengals had the most cap space in the NFL heading into the free agency period but have spent frugally so far. Okoye had a solid year for the Bears last season, collecting four sacks, which was the most since his rookie year in 2007 with the Houston Texans.

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Chicago Bears Salary Cap Situation Heading Into April

The Chicago Bears fell short of reaching the postseason in 2011 but they are getting ready for the 2012 NFL Draft and the new season that lays beyond. As free agency continues, let's take a look at the current Bears salary cap situation.

Jason La Canfora of NFL.com recently ran down the salary cap situations of each NFL team as of March 30. Here is what the Bears are looking like as free agency continues and the 2012 NFL Draft draws closer.

Chicago Bears
Current contracts: 49
Previous year carryover: $7,749,142.00
Adjustments: $3,463,000.00
Adjusted cap: $131,812,142.00
Team cap: $128,271,307.00
Cap room: $3,540,835.00
Team cash: $109,584,020.00

There isn't a whole lot of wiggle room with the Bears at present, but they will be hoping for some bounceback performances from contributors who were injured in 2011.

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2012 NFL Draft: Experts Divided On Bears' Draft Strategy

NFL analysts David Kaplan and Matt Bowen recently discussed the Chicago Bears in depth on CSN Chicago, and among their topics of discussion, the Bears Draft strategy offered a point of notable disagreement:

Matt Bowen, who played seven season in the NFL (from 2000 through 2006) as a strong safety, thinks the Bears need to draft an impact defender such as Illinois Fighting Illini DE Whitney Mercilus:

"You gotta rush the passer. Now everyone's going to say, 'offensive line.' I talked to a scout the other day with close ties to the Bears, let's put it that way. He's says they have issues on the offensive line; they have holes in the defensive line. What does that mean? They've got to get someone to play opposite of Julius Peppers."

Kaplan, however, agrees with the popular perception that the Bears need more offensive help:

"If you're going to cast your lot with Jay Cutler and go get him [WR Brandon Marshall] ... you've got be able to protect him and keep him clean. Offensive line, offensive line, and maybe even another receiver before you get a D-lineman."

The duo also discussed the newest addition to the Bears' offense in WR Brandon Marshall, saying the oft-troubled wide out needs to "understand this is his last real true shot to be an impact, big time wide receiver." Marshall has been involved in a number of off-the-field incidents, most recently a scuffle at a nightclub where Marshall was accused of punching a 24-year-old woman in the face (though possibly acting in defense of his wife, who was hit in the head with a bottle).

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Matt Forte Contract: Bears Coach Lovie Smith Not Concerned About Forte

The Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith recently spoke with CSN Chicago about the current contractual impasse between RB Matt Forte, saying he felt the signing of free RB Michael Bush makes a "perfect compliment" to the 26-year-old Forte:

According to Smith, the Bears did not necessarily sign Bush as insurance in the case that Forte holds out. Rather, Smith claimed Bush was a insurance over current backup RB Kahlil Bell:

"You need more than one good running back. Kahlil Bell can do a lot of good things too, but to pick up a player like Michael Bush that had a great year last year... an NFL starting-caliber running back that will bring a different dimension to us. Of course he can run in between the tackles; he can catch the ball outside. I think he's the perfect compliment to Matt [Forte]."

And did Matt Forte's comments on Twitter make coach Smith concerned?

"No. In the offseason, that's when guys should take care of their contracts and feel comfortable with it. Negotiation should go on in the offseason. I look at is as no more than that. Matt's trying to get his contract situation taken care of. Eventually it will get taken care of; it's no more than that."

In four seasons with the Bears, Forte has started all but 4 regular season games, amassing 4233 rushing yards, 1985 receiving yards and 29 total touchdowns. Here is a look at Forte's season stats from 2011:

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Bears Free Agency 2012: WR Devin Thomas Signed To 1-Year Contract

The Chicago Bears reportedly liked Devin Thomas coming out of Michigan State in the 2008 NFL Draft, but the team ended up drafting a different receiver -- Earl Bennett -- in the third round, a round after Thomas was selected. On Monday, the Bears brought Thomas to Chicago by signing him to a one-year contract. Though Thomas has been a bit of a bust during his time in the NFL, perhaps the Bears see something in him that once made him a highly touted prospect in the draft.

Thomas has just 43 catches for 482 yards with three touchdowns during his career. With the status of receiver Johnny Knox uncertain after a horrific injury last season, Thomas was brought in to add depth to the position and maybe contribute some on special teams as a returner.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears DT Amobi Okoye To Visit Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals appear to have an interest in free agent DT Amobi Okoye, reports The Sideline View. The former member of the Chicago Bears may be headed out after a productive season with the Bears defensive line.

Despite starting only one game in 2011, Okoye played a major role in the Bears' defensive line rotation (playing 55% of defensive snaps, according to The Sideline View) while collecting 4 sacks.

Here is a look at Okoye's stats in 2011:

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Johnny Knox Injury: Bears WR Expected To Be Placed On PUP List, According To Report

According to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Bears WR Johnny Knox is expected to be placed on the team's Physically Unable to Preform list prior to the start of the 2012 season as he recovers from spinal fusion surgery related to a gruesome back injury last season. If Knox is put on the PUP list, he would be ineligible to play in first six weeks of the season, but could return after that.

According to McClure, Knox's recovery from surgery is going slower than anticipated, and it's possible that he could miss the entire 2012 season. McClure also reported that there was more structural damage caused by Knox's injury than initially anticipated. Last season, current Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning missed the season after recovering from spinal fusion surgery, although his took place in his neck as opposed to his back.

Knox was a favorite of QB Jay Cutler's last year, catching 37 passes for 727 yards, the latter of which was tops amongst all Bears receivers.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Vikings Sign Bears Cornerback Zackary Bowman

Chicago Bears CB Zackary Bowman has left the team via free agency, but it won't be the last that the team will see of him. According to ESPN Chicago, Bowman has signed a one-year deal with the division rival Minnesota Vikings, where he'll add depth to a secondary that was depleted for most of last season.

Bowman intercepted six passes as a starter in 2009, but by 2010 he had lost his starting job and didn't see much of the field in 2012, appearing in all 16 games and finishing the year with 14 tackles but no interceptions, forced fumbles or fumble recoveries. Bowman, as the team's fifth cornerback, is likely to be replaced by a 2012

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Ex-Chicago Bears QB Caleb Hanie Signs With Denver

It's safe to say that Chicago Bears fans are happy to pass the Caleb Hanie Experience onto another fanbase, and the lucky winners are the Denver Broncos, who signed the ex-Bear to a two-year deal this afternoon, according to ESPN Chicago.

Filed to ESPNChicago.com: Free agent QB Caleb Hanie agrees to terms on a 2-year deal with Denver Broncos.

— Dickerson and Wright (@ESPNChiBears) March 24, 2012

In his six games as a starter last season, Hanie completed only 50% of his passes and threw three touchdowns to nine interceptions. In Denver he'll of course be backing up Peyton Manning, whose health is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, question mark in the NFL heading into the 2012 season.

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Marion Barber Retires: Bears Running Back Announces Sudden End To His Career

Friday afternoon, Vaughn McClure of The Chicago Tribune announced at least two teams had interest in acquiring the 28-year-old RB Marion Barber, who the Chicago Bears were expected to release:

Believe it or not, I've already heard the Rams and Eagles as possible landing spots for Marion Barber. But he has to get released first.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 23, 2012

But the Bears never had a chance to release Barber, as he suddenly announced his retirement, according to Will Brinson of CBS Sports:

RB Marion Barber retires. One final run out of bounds.

— Will Brinson (@willbrinson) March 23, 2012

Barber played seven season in the NFL, entering the league as a 4th round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. During his six years with the Dallas Cowboys and final year with the Bears, Barber played a combined 99 games and rushed for 4780 yards, 53 touchdowns and a 4.1 average yards per carry.

Also a capable receiving back, Barber caught 179 passes for 1330 yards and 6 TDs. Barber earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2007, a season where he started zero games, but scored 10 touchdowns and ran for 975 yards.

Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune reports the Bears will save $2 million against their salary cap.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Former Bears Special Teamer, Corey Graham, Signs With Baltimore

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, special teams Pro Bowler and former second round draft pick CB Corey Graham has signed with the Baltimore Ravens. Graham played five seasons with the Bears and served mostly in the nickel package and on special teams, collecting 3 interceptions and a trip to Hawaii in 2011.

According to Graham, the New Hampshire graduate may have been interested in returning to the Bears, but the opportunity never materialized:

"I believe it's a better situation for me and a better opportunity with a fresh start," Graham told the Tribune. "I gave the Bears every opportunity but they moved on. All around, Baltimore is just a better deal for me and my family."

The Bears, who have long had one of the league's better special teams units, will look to augment the loss through free agency and the draft, which begins Thursday, April 26.

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Matt Forte Contract Dispute: Jim Trotter Of Sports Illustrated Offers Bears A Simple Solution To Conflict

The Chicago Bears signed running back Michael Bush to a four-year deal on Thursday, and Matt Forte didn't exactly like the move by the Bears. Forte has received the franchise tag designation from the Bears while GM Phil Emery and Adisa Bakari (his agent) try to find common ground for a long-term extension, but the lengthy impasse in negotiation and the addition of Bush led Forte to speak out on Twitter: "there's only so many times a man that has done everything he's been asked to do can be disrespected! Guess the GOOD GUYS do finish last."

Forte backtracked from there, saying he is "not mad at the signing of another running back," but rather that he takes issue with the Bears "undervaluing" him. Jim Trotter of SI.com weighed in on the situation on Friday, and he said if it's true that Forte wants $20M in guarantees, it's time for the Bears to stop telling Forte how valuable he is and show him instead.

Trotter broke down what he considers the reality of the contract dispute between the Bears and Forte like this:

Here's the reality: The Bears have the leverage and know it. There's virtually no chance Forte will sit out the season and pass up a one-year salary that's almost double what he made in his first four seasons combined. Still, they have to be careful about developing a reputation for not taking care of their own players, especially when those players are leaders who've outperformed their contracts.

The truth is that the sides need each other. Forte wants to remain in Chicago, and the Bears won't be nearly as imposing without him. Bush is a solid back, but he has never had to carry the load. When he did assume starting duties for the Raiders over the second half of last season, after Darren McFadden was lost for the year with a foot injury, he averaged fewer than 3.6 yards per carry in six of the final seven games, had just one carry longer than 15 yards and totaled three rushing scores.

With Michael Bush on board for the long-term, the Bears now have adequate protection against a holdout by Forte, so it seems they have gained even more leverage heading into the 2012 NFL Draft.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Matt Forte Says Chicago Is 'Undervaluing' Him

The Chicago Bears signed running back Michael Bush on Thursday, and Matt Forte also lashed out on Twitter, saying he felt disrespected. But later he took to Twitter to clarify his position. The timing of his initial comments suggested frustration directed toward the Bush acquisition, but Forte says it simply has to do with the way he feels the Bears organization is treating him.

for the record I'm not mad at the signing of another running back. This is 4th time that's happened. I embrace competition as well as help

— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) March 22, 2012

But as for not taking care of ur own and undervaluing a player under his market value is another story! #twitterrant

— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) March 22, 2012

Related: 2012 Chicago Bears Offseason: Matt Forte 'Disrespected,' Spouts Off On Twitter

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2012 Bears Offseason: Michael Bush Understands Matt Forte's Frustrations

The Chicago Bears signed running back Michael Bush to a four-year contract worth $14 million on Thursday, and when Matt Forte heard this news, he was not pleased. During a meeting with media members, Bush said he understands why Forte feels the way he does.

"I can understand where the guy is coming from. Everything they've asked, he's done," Bush said of Forte. "You want to be rewarded for your success. But that has nothing to do with me.

Related: 2012 Chicago Bears Offseason: Matt Forte 'Disrespected,' Spouts Off On Twitter

Bush had nothing but good things to say about Forte, and added that he thinks there are "enough carries to go around."

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NFL Bounties: Illinois Senator Dick Durbin Call For Bounties Hearing

2012 Bears Free Agency: Pro Bowler, CB Corey Graham, To Meet With Detroit Lions

The Chicago Bears, in the midst of a free agency spending spree, may actually have a chance at doing something unusual this offseason, they may lose a player to free agency. According Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the 5-year member of the Chicago Bears is testing the water in Detroit:

Bears special teams ace Corey Graham visits Lions, says he'd have no problem playing for a rival on.freep.com/GFuQ6f

— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) March 22, 2012

Graham joined the Bears in the 5th round of the 2007 NFL Draft, and though he never blossomed into a starting cornerback -- is appeared he might in 2008, when he started 9 games -- the athletic 26-year-old (27 during the next NFL season) earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2011 for his outstanding special teams play.

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2012 Chicago Bears Offseason: Matt Forte 'Disrespected,' Spouts Off On Twitter

Chicago Bears star running back Matt Forte is apparently displeased with his continually stalled extension talks and the recent signing of RB Michael Bush -- widely considered a backup plan for the Bears in case no Forte extension materializes. Never a stranger to voicing his opinions, Matt Forte made his emotions know on Thursday morning vis his Twitter account:

There's only so many times a man that has done everything he's been asked to do can be disrespected! Guess the GOOD GUYS do finish last....

— Matt Forte (@MattForte22) March 22, 2012

The Bears have reportedly offered Forte an extension worth $13 to $15 million, but Forte elected to play the 2011 season without a new contract in place. Forte finished the season on the injury list, but then-GM Jerry Angelo said the injury would not affect the team's negotiations.

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NFL Free Agency 2012: Former Bears OL Frank Omiyale Signs With Seahawks

Frank Omiyale wore out his welcome with the Chicago Bears after several years of costly false starts, bad pass blocking and underwhelming spot starts left tackle, right tackle and left guard, but he bounced back from his March 1 release from the Bears by landing a deal with Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday. The 29-year old is expected to provide depth for the Seahawks, but the biggest reason for the move might be his familiarity with Tom Cable's zone blocking scheme.

Clare Farnsworth of Seahawks.com noted the connections between Omiyale and Cable:

He is versatile. He is familiar with the zone-blocking scheme installed last year by Tom Cable. He was available...

...The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Omiyale entered the NFL in 2005 as a fifth-round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons and also was with them in 2006 - when Cable, the Seahawks' assistant head coach/offensive line coach, was the O-line coach with the Falcons.

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Michael Bush, Bears Agree To Four-Year, $14 Million Deal, According To Report

The Chicago Bears have been looking for a solid second running back every since they traded away Thomas Jones to clear the way for Cedric Benson years ago, and now it appears they think former Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush is the man. According to multiple reports, including ones from David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune and Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears agreed to terms with Bush on a four-year deal worth $14 million with $7 million guaranteed on Thursday.

Goodbye, Marion Barber; hello Matt Forte holdout? Bears sign RB Michael Bush to 4-year, $14M contract--$7M guaranteed. Price of insurance.

— David Haugh (@DavidHaugh) March 22, 2012

Bush turns 28 in June, and he becomes the next man up if the Bears are unable to sign RB Matt Forte to an extension or if Forte decides to hold out instead of play under the franchise tag. The Bush deal looks like great value, considering he has rushed for 2,642 yards and 21 touchdowns on 632 carries (a 4.2 yards per carry average) in 61 games and 16 starts during his four-year NFL career.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Israel Idonije Signs For Over One Million Guaranteed

The Bears re-signed defensive linemen Israel Idonije this past month, and now the details of the contract have leaked, thanks to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. According to Jensen, the Bears inked Idonije to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million guaranteed that can escalate to as much as $2.5 million based on performance.

#Bears DE Israel Idonije received a one-year, $2.5 million contract of which $1.5 million is guaranteed, according to league source

— Sean Jensen (@skjensen) March 21, 2012

Idonije had 52 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble for the Bears last year, and his ability to play both outside and inside and his propensity towards staying healthy (he's missed only one game over the last five seasons) are invaluable.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Brian Urlacher Concerned WR Brandon Marshall Could Be Suspended

Earlier in March, a woman filed a police report alleging that new Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall struck her outside a nightclub. Linebacker Brian Urlacher is concerned that the league may hand down a suspension to Marshall because of this incident:

"The only thing I worry about is him getting suspended," Urlacher told ESPN 1000 in Chicago on Tuesday, via NFL.com. "The NFL is pretty harsh on stuff like that. That’s one thing I worry about, is him missing time."

Related: Brandon Marshall Brings Talent And Baggage To Chicago Bears' Offense

In comments about the situation, the Bears have said they're not yet sure what will happen, and that they have been in contact with the NFL.

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Brian Urlacher Injury: Bears Linebacker Not Fully Healed From MCL And PCL Tears

Chicago Bears middle linebacker, Brian Urlacher, appeared on the Waddle & Silvy show on Tuesday and reported that his recent knee injury was not doing as well as hoped. According Urlacher, the late-season injury has not completely healed. However, the soon-to-be 34-year-old predicts he should be back in time for the offseason:

"The MCL and the PCL were damaged. I've done everything I've been asked to do by our trainers and the rehab people," Urlacher said.

"I'll be fine. We have another month now before we even start our offseason [program]. Once we start running and stuff, I should be doing everything with the team."

Urlacher has started all 16 games in 10 of his 12 NFL seasons and has been a generally durable player, earning 8 Pro Bowl appearances since 2000.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: With Only $7.5M In Salary Cap Space, Chicago May Need To Restructure Some Deals

The Chicago Bears are still in need of depth at defensive end, wide receiver, running back and along the offensive line, but according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times the Bears only have $7.5 million in salary cap space remaining to make additions in 2012. That doesn't necessarily mean Chicago is stuck with bargain options, as Jensen explains:

#Bears are down to $7.5 million in salary cap space, according to two league sources. Restructures and extensions COULD create more room

— Sean Jensen (@skjensen) March 20, 2012

Matt Forte could help out if the Bears reach a deal on an extension and load the contract to push down the large $7M+ cap hold currently on the books under the franchise tag tender. Would other veterans like Brian Urlacher or Julius Peppers allow contract guru Cliff Stein to shift around some money if it meant adding a big name that would help the team compete for a Super Bowl? It's likely up to GM Phil Emery to reel in a big enough fish to even start that conversation.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: DE Target Kamerion Wimbley Signs 5-Year, $35 Million Deal With Titans

The Chicago Bears had expressed interest in defensive end Kamerion Wimbley after whiffing on Mario Williams, but Wimbley has reached a five-year, $35 million deal with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday morning. Julius Peppers still needs someone to help with the pass rush on the defensive line, but the Bears are likely looking for a bargain at this point.

Wimbley, who turns 29 this season, had played as a 3-4 outside linebacker for most of his professional career, but he will likely play full-time defensive end for the Titans. In his six-year NFL career, Wimbley has recorded 42.5 sacks, including 16 during his 32 games during the past two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. With talented pass rushers coming off the market in big deals, will Chicago turn to the 2012 NFL Draft to fill their need? GM Phil Emery is watching the free agent options dwindle, so if they want a veteran they need to strike quickly.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: RB Michael Bush To Visit Bears On Wednesday

According to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune, free agent RB Michael Bush will meet with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday. Bush has played his entire career with the Oakland Raiders, amassing 2642 yards in four seasons, averaging 4.2 yards per carry and is a free agent for the first time in his career.

In 2011, Bush filled in for an injured RB Darren McFadden and ran for a career-high 977 yards while averaging a career-low 3.8 yards per carry. Bush, who turns 28 in June, would presumably represent a long-term backup plan in the case that the Bears are unable to sign RB Matt Forte to an extension.

Bush also proved to be an effective pass-catcher out of the backfield, catching 37 passes in 2011 for 418 yards and a touchdown.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Corey Graham To Visit Seattle Seahawks

Chicago Bears cornerback Corey Graham is set to visit the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, according to NFL.com's Jason La Canfora, and with four other teams interested, more visits are slated for next week.

Bears CB Corey Graham visiting Seattle Sun, 4 other teams interested, more visits next week. Being looked at CB and S #freeagency

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 17, 2012

Graham had 17 tackles and three interceptions last year for Chicago, and his versatility can prove to be very valuable as injuries mount up over the course of the season. Graham has also had a remarkable string of health in his NFL career, playing in all 16 games in each of the past four seasons.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Chicago Bears Re-Sign Safety Craig Steltz To 2-Year Deal

On Friday afternoon, the Chicago Bears re-signed safety Craig Steltz to a two-year contract, the terms of which have not been disclosed.

Safety Craig Steltz, a key special teams contributor and capable starter on defense, has agreed to terms on a two-year contract, according to a league source. Terms of the deal were not immediately available.

Related: 2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Interested In DE Kamerion Wimbley, According To Report

Steltz, who has spent the last four seasons with Chicago, has served primarily as a reserve and special teams contributor. He played in all 16 games in 2011, starting five of them. He picked off one pass and collected 43 tackles. He's played in 48 games over the course of his career.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Interested In DE Kamerion Wimbley, According To Report

The Chicago Bears are reportedly interested in free agent DE Kamerion Wimbley, according to Vuaghn McClure of The Chicago Tribune:

The Bears are expected to look into Kamerion Wimbley now that he's been released. But money will be the issue, as with Mario Williams.

— vaughn mcclure (@vxmcclure23) March 16, 2012

The Bears continue to shore up their team in preparation of a hopeful Super Bowl run in 2012, having already re-signed DE Israel Idonije, traded for WR Brandon Marshall and signed QB Jason Campbell and special teams standout WR Eric Weems. The team finished the 2011 NFL season with an 8-8 record.

Wimbley, who turns 29 this season, has starter 15 or more games in each of his 6 NFL seasons. The FSU alum boasts 42.5 career sacks, and has averaged over 7 sacks and 1 forced fumble per season. He has played a 3-4 outside linebacker thus far in his career, but the Bears may look to convert him into a defensive end.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Chicago Bears Sign DE Israel Idonije

On Thursday afternoon, the Chicago Bears announced that they had re-signed veteran defensive end Israel Idonije.

LM: #Bears have agreed to one-year contract with defensive end Israel Idonije.

— ChicagoBears.com (@ChicagoBearscom) March 15, 2012

Related: Brandon Marshall Brings Talent And Baggage To Chicago Bears' Offense

The 31-year-old Idonije has spent eight seasons in the NFL, all of them with the Bears. Over the last two seasons, he has started 31 games for Chicago at defensive end. He racked up five sacks in 2011 and had a career-high eight in 2010.

The Bears reportedly were exploring other free agent options at DE, including Mario Williams, but Williams ultimately decided to sign a deal with the Buffalo Bills.

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Eric Weems Contract: WR's 3-Year Deal Worth $4.2 Million, According To Report

News broke earlier that the Chicago Bears signed WR/KR Eric Weems to a three-year deal, and now the terms of the deal have been reported. According to the Sun-Times' Sean Jensen:

#Bears signed WR/ KR Eric Weems to a 3-year, $4.2 million contract that included $1.5 million in guarantees, according to league source

— Sean Jensen (@skjensen) March 15, 2012

Related: Brandon Marshall Brings Talent And Baggage To Chicago Bears' Offense

Weems spent the last five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, where he served primarily as a kick returner. He also earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2010; that year, he averaged over 27 yards per kick return and brought one back for a touchdown.

He has 24 receptions for 205 yards in his career.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Former Chicago Bears Safety Brandon Meriweather Signs With Redskins

Safety Brandon Meriweather was brought to the Chicago Bears to provide stability to the back of the defense before the start of last season, but the former Pro Bowler rarely provided an impact for Lovie Smith's defense. Today, he's officially gone from Chicago, signing a two-year deal with the Washington Redskins.

Source tells @MarkMaske #Redskins have signed SS Brandon Meriweather to 2-year, $6 million deal.

— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) March 15, 2012

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears are still interested in safety help. One name to keep an eye on is former Redskins defensive back O.J. Atogwe. Atogwe was recently released by Washington after posting 60 tackles and three interceptions last season.

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Mario Williams, Bills Agree On 6-Year Deal With $50M In Guarantees, According To Reports

Free agent defensive end Mario Williams and the Buffalo Bills have agreed on a six-year contract, according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, so now the Chicago Bears will be forced to look elsewhere for Julius Peppers' next running mate. The Bills have scheduled a 1:30 p.m. ET press conference announce the deal, and although the financial terms have not officially been disclosed at this point, Jay Glazer is saying Williams will get $50M in guaranteed money. The young DE's agent will no doubt negotiate a figure that rivals the largest contracts for a defensive end in NFL history, but NFL contracts are often complicated matters that involved plenty of opt-outs and termination clauses for the team.

The guaranteed money is always the most important figure to look at, and the $50M figure has not been declared as the fully guaranteed amount yet, but this is clearly a blockbuster signing well out of the Bears' price range. Chicago is looking for a pass rusher, but if the price tag for Williams inflated to this level, it was not a realistic option for the team. That means the big addition in the 2012 offseason remains the gutsy trade for WR Brandon Marshall. For a great look at the impact of that move, make sure to check out this feature story by SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell - Brandon Marshall Brings Talent And Baggage To Chicago Bears' Offense.

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NFL Free Agency, Mario Williams Update: Bills Close To Signing Free Agent DE, According To Report

The Chicago Bears had been linked to free agent defensive end Mario Williams prior to beginning of the 2012 NFL Free Agency period, but the Buffalo Bills have been far more aggressive in their pursuit of the pass rushing talent. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Williams and the Bills are "close to a deal," and the Bears will have to turn their search elsewhere for a suitable player to line up opposite Julius Peppers next season.

While the Bears were busy trading for wide receiver Brandon Marshall, the Bills front office managed to get Williams on a plane to Buffalo for negotiations. The young DE wasn't going to be a cheap addition from the start, but it is likely the Bills will be paying a premium if they do in fact close the deal. It's hard to figure out what would make the Bills more enticing than the Bears other than a couple extra dump trucks full of cash. Here is exactly what Schefter had to say, via Twitter:

Buffalo has met most of the conditions for a deal for Texans free agent LB Mario Williams and is "close to a deal." Answer "real soon."

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2012

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Chicago Bears Re-Sign TE Kellen Davis

The Chicago Bears have agreed to re-sign free agent tight end Kellen Davis to a two-year contract, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. Davis became the full-time starter at the position for Chicago last season after being a fifth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Davis, 26, could potentially have a larger role in the Bears' passing game in 2012 given some of the changes that should take place in the system with a new offensive coordinator. Tight ends were rarely utilized as receivers in former coordinator Mike Martz's offense, but Davis could potentially see more opportunities as a pass-catcher under Mike Tice.

Last season, Davis caught 18 passes for 206 yards and five touchdowns while appearing in all 16 games, including 15 games as a starter. The tight end had scheduled visits with three different teams before ultimately deciding to return to the Windy City.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: LB David Hawthorne, Possible Bears Target, Plans To Visit Saints

Free agent linebacker David Hawthorne has scheduled a visit with the New Orleans Saints for this Friday, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. It has previously been reported by ESPN that the Chicago Bears were among the teams showing interest in the linebacker's services.

Hawthorne, 26, emerged as a starter for the Seattle Seahawks over the past three years after being signed as an undrafted free agent out of TCU in 2008. Over the past three years, he's recorded at least 100 tackles in each season while showing the ability to handle both inside and outside linebacker positions.

Signing Hawthorne would give Chicago some depth at position as Brian Urlacher ages and Lance Briggs shows dissatisfaction with his current salary. The latter player is seeking a pay raise on his current deal after reaching the Pro Bowl for a seventh straight season.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: RB Michael Bush To Visit Chicago, Cincinnati

Free agent running back Michael Bush, who spent the 2011 season with the Oakland Raiders, is scheduled to visit with the Chicago Bears on Wednesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter also adds that Bush is scheduled to meet with the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, so it appears that we may have at least two suitors for the halfback's services.

Under new general manager Phil Emery, the Bears have been aggressively pursuing upgrades in the early goings of this year's offseason. They've already traded for Brandon Marshall, re-signed Tim Jennings and Josh McCown, and added Jason Campbell as the new back-up QB in just the past couple days. It also doesn't appear that the team is close to being done.

Bush, 27, had an increased role with Oakland in 2011, carrying the ball 256 times for 977 yards and 7 touchdowns. Primarily the back-up for Raiders star Darren McFadden, he also caught 37 balls for 418 yards last year, showing his receiving skills.

In Chicago, Bush would likely fill a similar back-up role behind Bears star Matt Forte. Last season, Marion Barber filled the role of back-up.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Re-Sign Josh McCown, Terms Of Jason Campbell Contract Revealed

The Chicago Bears officially shored up the quarterback position today, re-signing Josh McCown to a one-year deal to serve as their third string quarterback.

#Bears have agreed to terms with QB Josh McCown on a one-year contract.

— ChicagoBears.com (@ChicagoBearscom) March 14, 2012

McCown will slot in the depth chart behind the recently signed Jason Campbell, whose contract details were revealed today.

Jason Campbell got a $2M signing bonus from the Bears, w/$1.4M base and the chance to earn an additional $1m in incentives #freeagency

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 14, 2012

McCown was serviceable in his very limited time under center for Chicago last season, but he's much more suited to be a third string quarterback, especially if the back up to Jay Cutler is Campbell and not Caleb Hanie.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Sign Eric Weems

2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears To Host Chicago Native Kelvin Hayden

The Chicago Bears fielded one of the better secondaries in the NFL last season, but you can never have enough depth in football. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times reported this morning that the Bears will host cornerback, and Chicago native, Kelvin Hayden today in Chicago. Hayden was with the Atlanta Falcons last season, where he played in eight games and intercepted two passes, and was with Indianapolis Colts for six seasons before that.

2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears To Host Ex-Vikings Guard Anthony Herrera

With the wide receiver position addressed after the trade for Brandon Marshall, the Chicago Bears are turning their attention to their next biggest area of need: the offensive line. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears will host ex-Minnesota Vikings guard Anthony Herrera in Chicago on Wednesday.

Jason Campbell Contract: QB, Chicago Bears Agree On 1-Year Deal

According to reports earlier Tuesday, the Chicago Bears were pursuing quarterback Jason Campbell, and now the team has officially announced Campbell's addition.

The Bears have agreed to terms with QB Jason Campbell on a one-year contract.

— ChicagoBears.com (@ChicagoBearscom) March 14, 2012

Related: Brandon Marshall Trade: Bears Acquire Dolphins Wide Receiver For Draft Picks

Terms for the deal have not been disclosed at this point; Campbell is coming in with the expectation that he will serve as Jay Cutler's backup.

The 31-year-old quarterback has spent the last two seasons with the Oakland Raiders. In 2011, Campbell threw for 1,170 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions in six games played. Prior to the stint in Oakland, he spent four years with the Redskins.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Showing Interest In DE Jeremy Mincey

The Chicago Bears have been mentioned in conjunction with free agent DE Mario Williams, but according to Dan Pompei, it may be more likely that the team signs former Jaguars DE Jeremy Mincey.

Bears trying to sign a DE, but it's not Mario Williams.It's former Jaguar Jeremy Mincey.

— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) March 13, 2012

Related: Brandon Marshall Trade: Bears Acquire Dolphins Wide Receiver For Draft Picks

Mincey has spent the last five seasons in Jacksonville, where he racked up 103 tackles and 15 sacks over the course of 40 games. He set a career high with eight sacks in 2011.

According to Seth Jensen, both the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns have also expressed interest in Mincey.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Chicago Bears Interested In Safety LaRon Landry

The Chicago Bears have made one of the bigger moves of Tuesday by trading for wide receiver Brandon Marshall, and with plenty of cash to spend, they're looking to help themselves elsewhere as well. According to Yahoo!'s Jason Cole, the team is interested in free agent safety LaRon Landry.

LaRon Landry to make visits. Interested teams are Jets, Philly, Det, Chi.

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeYahoo) March 13, 2012

(Via.)

Related: Brandon Marshall Trade: Bears Acquire Dolphins Wide Receiver For Draft Picks

The 27-year-old Landry spent the last five seasons with the Washington Redskins, with whom he started 64 games in total. He had 35 tackles and 1.5 sacks in eight games during the 2011 season.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Mario Williams To Meet With Buffalo Bills

The Chicago Bears appear to have interest in free agent defensive end Mario Williams, but though Williams is planning to meet with the Buffalo Bills, and the Tribune's Brad Biggs isn't optimistic about Chicago's chances at this point.

Believe #Bears will seek pass-rushing help in free agency but Mario Williams' visit to #Bills gives them huge edge. Don't think CHI is in it

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) March 13, 2012

Related: Brandon Marshall Trade: Bears Acquire Dolphins Wide Receiver For Draft Picks

Williams, who has spent the last six seasons with the Houston Texas, has 53 sacks in 82 career games. He missed the majority of the 2011 season after tearing a pectoral muscle.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Pursuing Free Agent QB Jason Campbell

Staying true to their word -- that they would pursue a free agent veteran quarterback -- the Chicago Bears appear to be in the process of signing QB Jason Campbell for their open backup quarterback position, according to the NFL Network's Michael Lombardi:

Expect QB Jason Campbell to visit the Bears soon--they are working on a deal.

— Michael Lombardi (@michaelombardi) March 13, 2012

The Bears entered the 2011 NFL season with the duo of QB Caleb Hanie and QB Nathan Enderle as their backups, but when starting QB Jay Cutler went down with a thumb injury, the Bears proceeded to sign QB Josh McCown. Of those three backups, only Hanie and McCown played, and only McCown played well.

Meanwhile, Campbell entered the 2011 season as the starting quarterback for the Oakland Raiders until an injury ended his season. In a career split between between the Raiders and the Washington Redskins, Campbell has cultivated a 60.8 completion percentage and an 82.8 QB rating.

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Brandon Marshall Trade: Bears Acquire Dolphins Wide Receiver For Draft Picks

The Chicago Bears have reported acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall in exchange for two draft picks:

Major scoopage! The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms of a trade w Miami for pro bowl WR Brandon Marshall in exchange for 2 third-rounders.

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) March 13, 2012

Marshall played for the Denver Broncos from 2006 through 2009, serving as now-Bears QB Jay Cutler's primary target in each of those season. Marshall has compiled 6247 receiving yards in his career, catching over 1000 yards in each of the last five years.

In 2010, the Denver Broncos traded Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for two second-round draft picks. Marshall then signed a four-year, $47.5 million extension, the last two years of which he will serve in Chicago now.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Re-Sign CB Tim Jennings

With the beginning of the NFL free agency period less than an hour away, the Chicago Bears announced the re-signing of CB Tim Jennings. According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago, the Bears have re-signed Jennings on a two-year contract.

Jennings entered the NFL as a 2nd round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2006. He started all but one game for the Bears in 2011, collecting 2 interceptions and 69 tackles*.

*Tackles and not an official NFL stat. Data courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

On his career, Jennings has 7 interceptions while playing in 85 games and starting in 49 of them. He likely enters the 2011 as the Bears' No. 2 or No. 3 corner back.

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NFL Free Agency 2012: Mario Williams Could Tie-Up Too Much Money At Defensive End, According To ESPN's John Clayton

A report last night put the Chicago Bears as the favorites to land prized defensive end Mario Williams when NFL free agency begins today at 3 p.m. The Bears are seeking an edge rusher to compliment star Julius Peppers, and Williams would seem to be a perfect fit. Only one problem: he's going to cost a of money, and likely take up the majority of Chicago's salary cap space.

In his latest mailbag at ESPN, John Clayton said Chicago should think twice before allotting so much cap space to one position.

A: In the salary-cap era, I can't see a team paying two defensive ends $14 million a year. Although it looks great on paper, it doesn't work well for the capologists, particularly in the early part of a new CBA that has flat caps. Sure, you can structure a deal that can work for a year or two, but the big numbers at one position eventually catch up to a team. A Cover 2 team can do great when it has two pass-rushers, but it would be hard to feature the two highest-paid ends in the league and still take care of other positions.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: LaRon Landry, Vincent Jackson, Ben Grubbs And Marques Next Up If Mario Williams Falls Through?

NFL free agency begins in earnest at 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of money to spend -- roughly $27M after factoring the franchise cap hit for Matt Forte. Unfortunately, the Bears also have plenty of needs at wide receiver, on the offensive line, in the defensive secondary and across from Julius Peppers on the defensive line. Defensive end Mario Williams is still the prize of the free agent field in 2012 for the Bears, but if the bidding gets out of hand, there are plenty of other options in the additional areas of need that Phil Emery could quickly address at a lesser cost.

Ryan Van Bibber of SB Nation looked at the top NFL free agents and some potential destinations, and the Bears showed up more than a few times. Big names include safety LaRon Landy, wide receiver Vincent Jackson, offensive guard Ben Grubbs and wide receiver Marques Colston. Here are the breakdowns he provided for each player:

Vincent Jackson - Jackson is very good, and he can expect stupid money in free agency, something along the lines of $10-11 million per season.
Potential destinations: Buffalo, Chicago, Tampa Bay, Buffalo

Marques Colston - Some team is going to pay Colston top-tier money. Some team is going to be very disappointed with the return on its investment. His success was due in large part to the Saints offense, where he often found himself in single coverage working out of the slot.
Potential destinations: Chicago, New Orleans

Ben Grubbs - This is a good year for free agent guards. Baltimore would really like to have Grubbs back in the fold.
Potential destinations: Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas

Mario Williams - Peyton Manning will get all the headlines, but Williams is the best free agent to hit the market in a long, long time. Pure pass rushers in the prime of their careers are worth every penny.
Potential destinations: Chicago, Seattle, Tennessee

LaRon Landry - Comically oversized biceps aside, Landry is a big risk given his injury history. He could also be a big reward for a team willing to take the chance, if they are capable of keeping him on the field.
Potential destinations: Chicago, New York Jets

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Chicago Bears Free Agency 2012: Bears Are Front-Runners For DE Mario Williams, According To Report

NFL free agency kicks off tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 p.m., and according to one report, the Chicago Bears are the front-runners to sign marquee defensive end Mario Williams.

John Mullin has been on the NFL beat for ages, and wrote today at Comcast SportsNet that Chicago is the favorite to sign Williams according to "a number of NFL sources". Given coach Lovie Smith's obsession with pass rushers, the rumor doesn't seem far-fetched.

Chicago is looking to take pressure off Julius Peppers by pairing him with another star defensive end, and Williams would appear to be a perfect fit. Williams had five sacks in five games a year ago for the Houston Texans before suffering a torn pectoral muscle that ended his season.

It's worth noting that Williams hasn't reached double-digit sacks since 2008 when he tallied 12 for Houston. The Bears have upwards of $20 million in salary cap space, but are expected to face plenty of competition for the former No. 1 overall pick.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Kalil Bell Tendered A Qualifying Offer By Team On Monday

Restricted free-agent running back Kahlil Bell received a one-year $1.26 million qualifying offer from the Chicago Bearson Monday afternoon. By tendering Bell one day prior to the start of the NFL's free agency signing period, the Bears now have the right to match any offer sheet he receives from another team, but by using the low-level tender they would not receive any compensation if the former UCLA running back signs elsewhere.

According to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears had originally offered Bell a two-year contract including $500,000 in guaranteed money, but now his agent gets the opportunity to test the market and see if there any buyers that would be willing to pay more before the two sides revisit that potential deal. Bell rushed for 337 yards on 79 carries (4.3 yard per carry average) in 12 games of the Bears during the 2011 season, and could be considered an insurance policy if starting running back Matt Forte decides to holdout in training camp.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Bears Expected To Pursue Vincent Jackson, May Fall Short

It's long been speculated that the Chicago Bears may try and address their need at wide receiver in the 2012 NFL Draft, but indications are that they will attempt to make a splash in free agency by pursuing ex-San Diego Chargers WR Vincent Jackson. According to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears will be one of the three most aggressive bidders for Jackson, along with the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bears are expected to have around $34 million in cap space heading into free agency, and though that's one of the top numbers in the NFL, it's dwarfed by Tampa's cap space, which is somewhere north of $60 million. If the Buccaneers (or the Redskins, taking into account their history under owner Daniel Snyder) decide to break the bank for Jackson, the Bears, according to Jensen, will likely fall short, but they are expected to initially be near the head of the pack.

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Chicago Bears Rumors: Team Has Interest In DE Dwight Freeney, According To Report

Props to SB Nation's Chicago Bears blog Windy City Gridiron for directing us to a Scout.com story linking the Bears to Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. As Indianapolis continues its fire sale, Freeney could be available and the Bears, forever obsessed with pass rushers, are said to be interested.

According to Len Pasquarelli of the Sports Xchange, the Chicago Bears are very interested in making a deal for Freeney.

"If, as indicated by an ESPN report on Friday, the Colts are listening to offers for defensive end Dwight Freeney, word is that the Chicago Bears, who want to find a pass-rush partner for Julius Peppers, will be one of the teams in their ears," Pasquarelli wrote today.

Here's the only problem: Freeney is reportedly unwilling to restructure his current contract, and has a base salary of $14 million next season. The Bears have cap room, reportedly in excess of $20 million, but acquiring Freeney would eat up a lot of it. The Bears are also said to be interested in wide receiver Vincent Jackson and former Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams.

The Bears can't sign everybody, but the names currently being thrown around are relatively exciting. It's a team that, at 7-3 last year, was looking really good before starting quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a season-ending injury.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Could Pursue QB David Garrard

More: With Hanie out, what's the Bears backup plan?

The Chicago Bears learned the value of a suitable backup quarterback the hard way in 2011. The Bears began the season 7-3 until Jay Cutler went down with a thumb injury. In his stead, the Bears turned to Caleb Hanie, who proceeded to lead Chicago to five straight losses and murder what seemed like good odds at making the playoffs.

Chicago will not be bringing back Hanie, so it makes sense that the Bears would like to target a veteran to backup Cutler in 2012. At ESPN Chicago, Michael Wright wonders if longtime Jacksonville Jaguar David Garrard would be a good fit.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard presents a more realistic option than other free-agent quarterbacks such as Oakland's Jason Campbell or Green Bay's Matt Flynn, who appear to be looking for opportunities to start. Garrard sat out the '11 season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disc, but told ESPNChicago.com early last month that "by the end of March I will be 100 percent," adding that he feels comfortable with playing a reserve role provided he's in a good situation.

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Bears Free Agency 2012: Chicago Will Not Re-Sign QB Caleb Hanie, According To Report

According to a report from ESPN Chicago's Jeff Dickerson, the Chicago Bears do not plan to re-sign backup quarterback Caleb Hanie, who is a free agent. In a discussion last month, Lovie Smith talked about the necessity of going in a different direction with the backup QB spot.

"Each year you learn something," Smith said last month. "We thought we had a better plan at quarterback. I knew how valuable Jay was to us and that won't change, but we do need to get ourselves in a better position at that backup quarterback position."

Related: 2012 Chicago Bears Roster Turnover: Linebacker

Hanie started four games in 2011 after Jay Cutler went down with injury but did little to impress fans or front office alike -- he completed just 50% of his passes and threw nine interceptions.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears May Pursue DE Mario Williams

The Chicago Bears are expected to look for a new defensive end to make up for the loss of veteran DE Israel Idonije, and Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks the Bears may be able to nab one of the league's top pass rushers, DE Mario Williams. According to Jensen, the Houston Texans will allow Williams to test free agency after it became apparent the franchise tag for Williams would produce a salary near $22M.

The Bears signed top free agent DE Julius Peppers in the 2010 offseason, and Jensen likens that wave-making acquisition to the present possibility of acquiring Peppers.

Since joining the Bears in 2010, Peppers has accrued 19 sacks, 13 pass deflections, 2 interceptions and countless offsides calls on opposing tackles attempting to get a jump on him. Adding Williams, who has average 0.6 sacks per game in his career, could potentially make the Bears pass rush the most feared in the NFL.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Saints Interest In Moss May Pay Dividends For Bears

Could the Bears steal WR Marques Colston or WR Robert Meachem away from the New Orleans Saints? The latest musing from John "Moon" Mullin suggest they might be able to do just that. According to Mullin, the Saints recently worked out veteran WR Randy Moss -- and the workout went rather well.

If the Saints pursue Moss, Moon believes it will signify they will move on without the services of either Colston or Meachem. Over the last few years, Meachem has blossomed into one of the league's better deep threats, while Colston quickly became one of the league's best all-around wideouts despite being drafted 252nd overall in 2006.

Here's a look at their stats from the 2011 NFL Season:

Marques Colston

Robert Meachem

The Bears, meanwhile, had only one player finish the season over 600 yards receiving -- WR Johnny Knox (727 yds, 2 TD), who finished the season on the IR.

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2012 NFL Free Agency: Bears Targeting WR Vincent Jackson, According To Report

CBS Chicago is reporting the Chicago Bears should be among the teams competing for free agent WR Vincent Jackson:

"It’s going to be big," Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly told The McNeil and Spiegel Show. "There are a lot of teams that are going to be in on him. Everything I’ve heard suggests the Washington Redskins are going to be going big for a wide receiver. … The Bears, obviously, you gotta mention them. The reports are that they’re looking. Even the Bills, even though they signed Stevie Johnson, the word is that they are going to go for a receiver, too. We just don’t know how big. I think you throw the Vikings in the mix. ...

The Bears, despite having solid play from QB Jay Cutler for half the season, had only 18 touchdown passes all season -- good for a tie at 24th worst in the league. WR Johnny Knox led the team in receiving yards with 727, but he played only 14 games after sustaining a major injury against the Seattle Seahawks.

There was a general suspicion that the San Diego Chargers might try to franchise the dynamic wideout, but the Chargers decided to let Jackson test the free agent market.

According to Edholm, the decision to not franchise Jackson benefits mostly Jackson himself:

"With [Jackson] not being franchised, the price has definitely gone up. He’s definitely one of the big winners of not being tagged."

The NFL free agency period begins on Tuesday, March 13.

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2012 Bears Offseason: ESPN's John Clayton Expects Chicago To Pursue WR Vincent Jackson

The San Diego Chargers did not place a franchise tag on wide receiver Vincent Jackson, so he is free to pursue his options with other teams. Or will be when the free agency period opens on March 13. The Chicago Bears have a big need at receiver and plenty of cap space, and ESPN's John Clayton believes the team will try to sign Jackson.

I think the Bears will make a big run at Vincent Jackson.

— John Clayton (@ClaytonESPN) March 5, 2012

Related: 2012 Bears Offseason: Chicago Expected To Pursue CB Cortland Finnegan

Jackson, who has spent his entire NFL career to this point with San Diego, had 1,157 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 2011. He has exclipsed the 1,100-yard receiving mark in three of the last four years.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Chicago Expected To Pursue CB Cortland Finnegan

The Chicago Bears are reportedly among the teams likely to pursue free agent CB Cortland Finnegan. According to Yahoo!'s Jason Cole, the Bears, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Vikings, Broncos and Rams may all take a shot at the All-Pro defensive back:

Expect CB Cortland Finnegan on market, Tampa, Dallas, Chicago, Minn, Denvet and STL to make a run. Likely top $11m per year.

— Jason Cole (@JasonColeYahoo) March 5, 2012

Finnegan has played all seven of his NFL seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Having only recently turned 28 and earned a 2008 Pro Bowl appearance, Finnegan easily rates as one of the top CBs on the free agent market, assuming the Titans do not apply a franchise tag to him.

With only 14 career interceptions and 6.0 sacks, he does not rate as a particularly dominant corner, but he has proven to be solid and healthy through his career -- valuable commodities in the defensive back market.

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Bears Offseason: Chicago Saves $3.15 Million By Cutting Anthony Adams And Frank Omiyale

On Thursday, the Chicago Bears announced that they were aparting ways with defensive tackle Anthony Adams and offensive lineman Frank Omiyale. The Bears already were well under the NFL salary cap, and with the removal of these two players, the team will save another $3 million and change. The Tribune's Brad Biggs has the financial breakdown.

Related: Chicago Bears Cut DT Anthony Adams and Offensive Lineman Frank Omiyale

Here, for example, is the breakdown for Omiyale:

Frank Omiyale

2012 salary-cap figure $2.8 million

2012 base salary $2.1 million

2012 roster bonus $250,000

Pro-rated signing bonus vs. salary cap $450,000 Net savings: $1.9 million

According to Biggs, the Bears are now close to $30 million under the salary cap. What the team decides to do with that money could be a major factor in its fate during the 2012 season.

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Chicago Bears Cut DT Anthony Adams and Offensive Lineman Frank Omiyale

The Chicago Bears are poised to be a major player in free agency with over $20 million under the cap at their disposal, and today, they created a little more room. The team cut veteran defensive tackle Anthony Adams and offensive lineman Frank Omiyale.

Bears announce release of DT Anthony Adams and T/G Frank Omiyale. Will be a lot of teams making a lot of cuts next two weeks

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 1, 2012

Adams was very useful during his five seasons in Chicago, but played only 11 games last year and saw his production drop considerably. At his best, Adams was a proven run stopper in the Bears' front-seven.

Omiyale is a different story. He never met expectations after the Bears signed him away from the Carolina Panthers as a free agent. For many Chicago fans, he was Public Enemy No. 1 regarding the team's offensive line woes.

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Chicago Bears Rumors 2012: Team Could Pursue A Tight End In Free Agency

The Chicago Bears traded tight end Greg Olsen to the Carolina Panthers before the 2012 season because he supposedly didn't fit Mike Martz's offense. Now that Martz is gone, it stands to reason that the Bears would like to add another playmaker in the passing game at the tight end position.

The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs reports today that the Bears could target a tight end in free agency. As Biggs notes, it's a relatively weak draft class at the position.

The Seattle Sehawks' John Carlson, who played at Notre Dame is expected to reach free agency.

[....]Like the draft class, the overall free-agent class is weak. Martellus Bennett also will be available, but he’s been an underachiever in Dallas. Chris Cooley and Dallas Clark could be released but they are high-mileage veterans with long injury histories.

Incumbent Chicago tight end Kellen Davis is set to become an unrestricted free agent if he isn’t re-signed before the March 13 deadline.

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2012 Bears Offseason: Chicago Raises Ticket Prices Again

The Chicago Bears have announced their ticket prices for the upcoming 2012 NFL Season, and the news is not great for the fan bereft of extra coin:

Non-club seat increases range from $2 to $10. The Bears’ non-club ticket prices now range from $76 to $150 and account for approximately 85 percent of the seating at Soldier Field. Club seats range from $265 to $530.

Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that this is the 9th time in the last 10 seasons that the Bears have increased their ticket prices -- despite sporting only an 8-8 record in the 2011 NFL Season. When the new Soldier Field opened in 2003, Potash says, the non-club seats ranged from $45 to $85.

The Bears boast, in Soldier Field, the lowest-capacity stadium in the NFL (with 1,500 fewer seats then the 63,000 in the Colts' Lucas Oil Stadium):

The Bears did not raise the prices on their most expensive seats, however, leaving their club seats in their previous $265 to $530 range.

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Johnny Knox Injury Update: Bears WR's Agent Says Knox On Pace For July Return

Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox suffered a broken vertebrae during the team's week 15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and after a successful surgery in December he has been working towards a return to the field in 2012. Knox's agent, Mark Lillibridge, spoke with Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday, revealing that the wide receivers rehab is progressing well and that his client plans on a returned by early to mid July:

"His rehab has been going great," agent Marc Lillibridge told the Sun-Times. "He's on the schedule that he planned to be back by early to mid July. He feels good. The team has been phenomenal with Johnny's rehab. He couldn't ask for a better staff."

Knox led the Bears with 727 receiving yards, a 19.6 yards per reception average, 12 plays of 20 or more yards, and 51.9 yards receiving per game. He hasn't always been the most consistent option on the outside for Jay Cutler, but no one can deny the explosiveness that Knox brings to the table on each and every play. If he can make a full recovery, the fifth-round pick from Abilene Christian figures to be a big part of the Bears' offense once again this season. Even so, new GM Phil Emery may still look into adding a taller option to provide some diversity for Cutler and the passing game.

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Chicago Bears Hire Tim Holt As Offensive Line Coach

The Chicago Bears have hired Tim Holt to be the team's new offensive line coach, as the team announced on Wednesday. He'll be replacing new offensive coordinator Mike Tice, who was promoted after the departure of Mike Martz at the end of last season.

Before joining the Bears, Holt had spent the past three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last season, he was an assistant offensive line coach for Tampa Bay. Before jumping to the NFL, Holt spent 14 seasons coaching at the college level at schools such as Cornell and Southern Connecticut State.

The move fills out Lovie Smith's coaching staff for the 2012 season. He's now had four different offensive line coaches in his time at the helm in Chicago.

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Chicago Bears Hire Jeremy Bates As QB Coach, He Reunites With Jay Cutler

The Chicago Bears have officially announced the hiring of Jeremy Bates as their new quarterbacks coach. Although there has been talk about the position being a hybrid "passing game coordinator" job as well, the official press release from the team makes no mention of any additional titles or duties for Bates. He worked as the position coach for Jay Cutler in Denver prior to the trade that brought the quarterback to Chicago in April of 2009, helping Cutler to set Denver Broncos passing records with 384 completions, 616 attempts, 4,526 yards and eight 300-yard games on his way to Pro Bowl honors in 2008.

In three seasons working together, Cutler completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 9,024 yards, tossed 17 more touchdowns than interceptions (54-37) and produced an 87.1 passer rating. For head coach Lovie Smith, the decision to hire Bates became an easy one over time, as he explained to ChicagoBears.com:

"I did a lot of research and I think Jeremy is a perfect fit," Smith said. "Did we look at other guys? Yes, we did. Every time we have an opening, I look at everybody available. I even waited to see who would be available so I could see what the pool really looked like.

"Even though we had only brought in one guy (former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson), I had been talking to a lot of guys. But in the end, it was Jeremy by a landslide."

Bates brings eight years of NFL coaching experience. He broke into the league as an offensive assistant with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then worked under that title for one-year stints with the New York Jets and University of Southern California Trojans. Aside from his three-years as QBs coach in Denver, Bates also served as offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 2010 before being fired after the team lost to the Bears in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.

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Chicago Bears Offseason Moves: Bears Fire Interim GM Tim Ruskell

Chicago Bears GM Phil Emery has made his first off-season move, firing interim GM Tim Ruskell, who had been appointed to that position after the Bears fired Jerry Angelo. Ruskell had been with Chicago since the beginning of 2010, and was one of the finalists for the position that eventually went to Emery.

Bears GM Update: Phil Emery Reaches Agreement To Become Next GM

After narrowing the GM hunt down to two potential candidates, it appears the Chicago Bears have made a decision on their next GM. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Bears have reached an agreement with Phil Emery to become just the fifth GM in franchise history:

@AdamSchefter: Bears have reached an agreement with Phil Emery today to become the team’s fifth general manager in franchise history.

Emery comes to Chicago after spending the past three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs as the Director of College Scouting. During his 14-year career, Emery has also had stints with the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons. According to a story from the Chicago Times, Emery has had tremendous success with the NFL draft in each of his previous stops:

Emery was offered a promotion to be the Falcons' director of college scouting in 2004 by then-Falcons' personnel director Tim Ruskell, and the Bears gave Emery their blessing to take the job. He joined the Chiefs in 2009 and has overseen their drafts as well.

Among the players he has had a hand in drafting have been Brian Urlacher, Rex Grossman, Matt Ryan, Roddy White and Eric Berry.

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Jay Cutler Injury Update: Bears QB Past Thumb Issue, Playing Golf In Offseason, According To Report

A lot has been made about the Chicago Bears' search for a new general manager, their promotion of Mike Tice to offense coordinator, and their botched search for a passing game coordinator, but nothing for the Bears will go well if quarterback Jay Cutler does not return to form after having surgery to repair his injuring right thumb. As the end to the 2011 regular season proved, the team is nothing without their star quarterback.

The good news for Bears fans is that Cutler's thumb seems to be healing fine. Michael C Wright of ESPN Chicago has spoken with people close to the QB and heard that he is having no issue with his thumb and is even able to play golf at this point in the offseason. Given that it's almost impossible to effectively swing a golf club and play around without full strength in movement in the thumb of your dominant hand, this is good news for everyone involved with the Bears.

If Cutler truly is ready to come back and make a difference for the team at the start of the season, hopefully the new general manager will make drafting a big-play wide receiver a priority in the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.

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Chicago Bears Coaching Search: Greg Olson Rejected Chicago's Offer, According To Report

The Chicago Bears haven't had much success with their offensive coaching search since firing Mike Martz and re-branding former assistant head coach Mike Tice as the new offensive coordinator and play-caller. After the team was denied permission to speak with Tennessee Titans'quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains for the hybrid quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator position, they interviewed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson.

As it turns out, the Bears also offered the job to Olson and he rejected the offer, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Since that time, Olson moved on and took a job as the quarterbacks coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Why? the Jaguars offered an additional title of assistant head coach and an additional year beyond the two-year deal that the Bears offered. Olson will now devote his time to turning around a struggling offense led by Blaine Gabbert instead of the Cutler led unit in Chicago.

With Olson out of the picture and Loggains beyond their reach, it is unknown where the bears will turn to next as they attempt to fill this vacancy prior to the 2012 NFL Draft. The problem with the search has been that the Bears created this new "passing coordinator" title and can't secure interviews with talented coaches on current NFL staffs because the move is not considered a promotion by rival teams and thus doesn't compel them to grant interviews with coached under contract.

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Bears GM Search: Phil Emery To Return For 2nd Interview On Friday

The Chicago Bears invited a pair of general manager candidates back for second interviews -- they spoke to Jason Licht of the New England Patriots on Thursday, and they are expected to meet again with Phil Emery of the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday.

Emery, who has worked in the NFL for the last 14 years, was an area scout for Chicago from 1998 to 2004. He has been Kansas City's director of college scouting for the last three seasons. He also worked in that capacity for several years with the Atlanta Falcons.

Related: Chicago Bears Next GM: The Poll

Once that interview is done, it may not take long for the Bears to decide on their next general manager.

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Bears GM Search: Jason Licht Returns For Second GM Interview On Thursday

The Chicago Bears have yet to hire a replacement general manager after firing Jerry Angelo in early January, but the list has been narrowed to two candidates: New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht and Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery. While Emery had prior experience with the organization -- he served as an area scout for the Bears from 1998 through 2004 -- it is Licht who is first to receive a second interview. The Chicago Bears have confirmed that Licht returned to Halas Hall on Thursday for a second interview regarding the organization's vacancy at general manager.

Licht started his career in the NFL as a college scout with the New England Patriots in 1999 and ascended to a national scouting position by 2001. After a Super Bowl victory in 2002, Licht received a promotion to assistant director of player personnel. He then spent five seasons with the Eagles as an assistant director of player personnel and vice president of player personnel before joining the Arizona Cardinals for their Super Bowl season in 2008, and then returned to the Patriots' personnel department where he has worked for the last three seasons.

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Mike Tice Says J'Marcus Webb Is Starting LT For Chicago Bears Moving Forward

After dropping out of the interview process for the head coaching vacancy with the Oakland Raiders, Mike Tice has settled back in as the offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. He recently took some time to discuss the philosophy of the offense, his communication with quarterback Jay Cutler and his vision for left tackle J'Marcus Webb going forward. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune brought out some great quotes from Tice regarding his thoughts about the talent already on the roster as the Bears shift into draft mode.

First off, Tice labeled Cutler "the biggest strength we have" and promised he was in constant communication with the quarterback about the philosophy and flow of the offense for next season. The biggest note for Bears fans might be that Tice plans to give Cutler "the ability to check at the line of scrimmage," but the other interesting nugget came when he said "I'm a no-huddle guy."

What about the offensive line? After J'Marcus Webb suffered through mental and physical mistakes in the form of penalties and sacks allowed, does his former offensive line coach still have faith in him? Tice thinks Webb can get better just by taking away the seven-step drops:

"I thought he was adequate. His consistency grade was actually solid. What grade was bad was the critical errors, the sacks, penalties...Well, if you're not always in the deep drops, if you're making sure the guy gets chip help from a back or a tight end and if you change the release point of the quarterback, you're going to make him better already without making him better."

"And then you have an entire offseason (with) a chance to make him better there. He is a very good run blocker. Do I think he is a guy moving forward? Yes, I do unless some miracle happens and an elite first-round draft pick that we couldn't pass up fell in our lap, which I doubt. Yeah, he's our guy moving forward."

via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

As his former position coach, Tice may know Webb and how to get the most out of him better than anyone else in the organization, so perhaps Tice work his magic. As he said, maybe they can make the line better with actually making the line better.

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Bears GM Search: Candidates Down To Phil Emery, Jason Lict

The Chicago Bears have narrowed their field of prospective general managers to just two candidates. According to the Sun-Times, the New England Patriots' Jason Licht and the apparent favorite from the Kansas City Chiefs, Phil Emery, are the only remaining of the original five candidates:

Candidates

Jason Licht (Patriots)
Phil Emery (Chiefs)

Out

Marc Ross (Giants)
Tim Ruskell (Bears)
Jimmy Raye (Chargers)

The Bears fired general manager Jerry Angelo earlier in January after the team finished the 2011 season 8-8. Angelo had served as the Bears' GM since 2001.

Of the two remaining candidates, only Emery has prior experience with the Bears, serving as an area scout for the Bears from 1998 through 2004. Licht, meanwhile, is currently the director of pro personnel and has split his NFL time with the Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals.

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Raiders Coaching Search: Chicago Bears OC Mike Tice Will Not Interview With Oakland

Mike Tice, recently promoted to offensive coordinator by the Chicago Bears, was expected to interview with the Oakland Raiders about their vacant head coaching position, but the Bears announced on Monday afternoon that would not be the case.

LM: #Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice will NOT interview for Raiders' head-coaching position.

— ChicagoBears.com (@ChicagoBearscom) January 24, 2012

That's good news for Chicago from a stability standpoints, writes Sean Jensen:

That Tice will remain is a big break for the Bears, with the pool of potential coaches quickly disappearing. Moreover, Tice allows the most seamless transition for the Bears players, especially quarterback Jay Cutler.

Related: Bears Officially Update GM Search Process: Emery, Licht for Second Interviews; Raye,Ross, Ruskell Out

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Bears General Manager Search: Phil Emery And Jason Licht Are The Two Finalists, According To Report

The Sun-Times' Sean Jensen is hearing that the Chicago Bears will interview Phil Emery and Jason Licht for the general manager position a second time, suggesting that that the team will decide from one of those two.

Indications are Phil Emery of the Chiefs will get a second interview and so will Jason Licht of the Patriots. Raye, Ross & Ruskell out.

— Sean Jensen (@skjensen) January 23, 2012

One report on Monday indicated that the Bears had offered the job to Emery, but it was later refuted. But a decision may come on Tuesday -- John Mullin has heard from sources that the team is "intent" on making their choice on Tuesday.

Related: Bears General Manager Search: Jimmy Raye No Longer A Candidate

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Bears General Manager Search: Chicago Has Not Made A Decision On Next GM, According To Report

Some rumors earlier Monday indicated that the Chicago Bears were close to making Kansas City scouting director Phil Emery their next general manager, but according to this update from the Tribune's Dan Pompei, those reports were premature:

A source said a report that the team was on the verge of agreeing to terms with Chiefs scouting director Phil Emery was not accurate. Emery is believed to be a leading candidate for the job, however.

Pompei adds that the team may want to conduct a second interview with Emery or the other potential candidates, and a decision may not come this week.

Related: Bears General Manager Search: Jimmy Raye No Longer A Candidate

The Sun-Times' Sean Jensen also says that no offer to Emery has been made:

Just landed in Mobile. #Bears HAVE NOT offered Phil Emery the job... Yet. I suspect another round of interviews

— Sean Jensen (@skjensen) January 23, 2012

Another round of interviews could push the decision process into the next week.

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Bears General Manager Search: Jimmy Raye No Longer A Candidate

The Chicago Bears will continue their ongoing quest to find the team's next general manager, according to CSN Chicago's Kip Lewis, without the services of Jimmy Raye.

Raye finished the 2011 NFL season as the director of player personnel for the San Diego Chargers, a role in which he oversaw the pro and college scouting departments in San Diego. The elimination of Raye leaves four candidates:

Candidates

Tim Ruskell (Bears)
Marc Ross (Giants)
Jason Licht (Patriots)
Phil Emery (Chiefs)

Out

Jimmy Raye (Chargers)

The Bears appear to have concluded their assembling of their candidate list, so the next GM should come from the crop of remaining candidates. According to Sean Jensen of the Sun-Time, the leading candidate may well be Phil Emery of the Chiefs.

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Chicago Bears Offseason: OC Mike Tice To Interview Tuesday For Oakland Raider HC Job

The Chicago Bears have more than just their own hirings to worry about this offseason as the Oakland Raiders prepare to interview recently-promoted offensive coordinator Mike Tice for their open head coach position. According to Steve Corkran of the Oakland Tribuen, Tice will interview for the Raiders head coach job on Tuesday.

Tice spent the 2011 NFL Season as the Bears' offensive line coach, but the Bears appointed him their offensive coordinator after the previous play-caller, Mike Martz, quit the team and retired suddenly. A veteran of 15 NFL seasons, Tice has been coaching in the NFL since 1996, serving as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2002 through 2005.

The Bears have a variety of different hirings to take care of this offseason, most notably that of their vacant GM position. Chicago is also looking for a passing coordinator to work alongside Tice, whose role will be as the offensive coordinator, yet focused on the running game.

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Bears General Manager Search: Chiefs' Phil Emery Is 5th Candidate To Interview This Week

The Chicago Bears conducted another interview for the team's vacant general manager position, this time with Phil Emery, who is Kansas City's college scouting director.

Related: Optimist-Pessimist: GM Search Edition

According to Sean Jensen of the Sun-Times, the Bears are satisfied with the five candidates with whom they have talked and will pick the next GM from that pool. Jensen also has heard from league sources that Emery is the favorite:

So Jason Licht of the New England Patriots, Jimmy Raye of the San Diego Chargers, Marc Ross of the New York Giants, Tim Ruskell of the Bears or Phil Emery of the Kansas City Chiefs will replace Jerry Angelo as Bears' general manager.

If the hunches of two league sources is correct, Emery is the leader in the club house.

Working in Emery's favor, perhaps, is his familiarity with the Bears; Emery was a scout for Chicago from 1998 to 2004.

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Bears General Manager Search: Chicago Interviews Tim Ruskell Thursday

In the Chicago Bears' continued search for a new general manager, the team interviewed Tim Ruskell on Thursday; Ruskell is currently the Bears' director of player personnel.

Prior to coming aboard with Angelo in Chicago, Ruskell worked five seasons (2005-09) as the president of football operations and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks.

Ruskell started his tenure there with the best run of postseason success in franchise history, which included four playoff wins from 2005-07. But upon Ruskell's ousting in 2009, the Seahawks had stumbled to an 8-19 record dating back to 2008.

Chicago also plans to speak with Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery on Friday. Emery is the last of the GM candidates announced by the Bears, though the team is open to bringing in additional people as well.

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Bears General Manager Search: Chicago Interviews Marc Ross For GM Job

The Chicago Bears interviewed New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross at Halas Hall on Wednesday, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN Chicago. It had previously been reported that Ross may have may with the Bears, but Wright confirms that it did indeed happen.

Ross has spent the past five seasons in his role with New York. He became the youngest college scouting director in league history when the Philadelphia Eagles promoted him to the job in 2000, and he played a role in drafting players such as running back Brian Westbrook and cornerback Lito Sheppard.

This is the third candidate that Chicago has interviewed for its GM opening, after bringing in New England Patriots director of player personnel Jason Licht on Monday and speaking with new Indianapolis Colts GM Ryan Grigson before he was hired there. The Bears also plan to speak with Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery and current Bears director player of personnel Tim Ruskell.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Bears General Manager Search: Bears May Be Interviewing Giants' Marc Ross, According To Report

The Chicago Bears' search for a new general manager is seemingly moving as quietly as it is quickly, but according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Bears may be interviewing Marc Ross, the New York Giants' director of college scouting, today in Chicago.

Oakland Raiders Request Permission To Interview Mike Tice

The Oakland Raiders have requested permission to interview the Chicago Bears' Mike Tice for their head coaching position, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The Bears still have to grant the Raiders permission, which isn't a sure thing after they didn't allow the Minnesota Vikings to interview secondary coach Jon Hoke for their defensive coordinator gig.

Tice has been with the Bears since the beginning of 2010, and he was recently promoted to be the team's offensive coordinator for 2012. Previously the offensive line coach for Chicago, he helped to create a formidable unit over the past two years despite numerous personnel issues. The Bears rushed for more yards in 2011 than they had in 20 years.

The 52-year-old has previous head coaching experience with the Minnesota Vikings, although his results were mixed in five years there. The Raiders aren't the first team to show interest in him since then, though, as the Titans were turned down in their request to interview him for their offensive coordinator opening last year.

Bears General Manager Search: Chicago Interviews Jimmy Raye On Tuesday

The Chicago Bears continue to evaluate pospects for their vacant general manager position and on Tuesday the team interviewed San Diego Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye.

Raye oversees San Diego’s pro and college scouting departments and assists on player personnel matters. He joined the Chargers in 1996, spending four seasons as a scout from 1996-99 and eight as director of college scouting from 2000-07.

The Bears also plan to interview Kansas City director of college scouting Phil Emery and New York Giants director of college scouting Mike Ross. Patriots director of pro personnel was in Chicago to interview for the job on Monday.

More: Tice Looks to Reverse "Offensive" History Under Lovie Smith

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Chicago Bears Extend Contract Of Special Teams Coach Dave Toub

The Bears special teams unit has been labeled one of the best in all of football the past few seasons. Yes Devin Hester on your squad does help your statistics. Robbie Gould is one of the best and most accurate kickers in the game.

One man who doesn't get enough credit is special teams coordinator Dave Toub. Toub is as good as they get when it comes to special teams coaches. In fact he has been linked to potential head coach openings in places like Miami.

On Tuesday the Bears rewarded Toub with a two-year contact extension. Terms of the deal weren't available at this time.

Toub has been with the Bears since 2004 and was one of the original members of Lovie Smith's staff. In his time with the Bears five different special teams players have made the pro bowl including Corey Graham this season.

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Chicago Bears Deny Vikings Permission To Interview Brady Hoke For DC Vacancy

The Chicago Bears had a tough time getting interviews for their offensive coordinator position last offseason, and the Minnesota Vikings denied the Bears permission to speak with quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers back in 2010 even though the hired would have been a promotion for Rogers. Now the Chicago Bears have returned the favor to the Vikings by denying their request to interview Bears defensive backs coach Brady Hoke for their defensive coordinator vacancy, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Hoke is under contract with the Bears through next season after signing a two-year deal with the team this past off-season, so now the Vikings will have to turn elsewhere to fill their spot. The team did allow Hoke to interview for the defensive coordinator position with the Philadelphia Eagles last year, but that was when Hoke did not have a contract with the Bears.

Meanwhile, the Bears are busy interviewing their own candidates for the vacant GM and passing coordinator positions, so there is still much to do.

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Bears General Manager Search: Team Interviews Patriots Director Of Pro Personnel Jason Licht On Monday

The Chicago Bears have started interviewing candidates for their vacant general manager position and on Monday the team met with New England Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht. He is one of four external candidates that the Bears plan to interview, according to the Tribune:

Licht was the first of four external candidates scheduled to be interviewed by the club. Jimmy Raye III, the director of player personnel for the San Diego Chargers, is expected to meet with the Bears on Tuesday. The club also will interview New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross and Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery.

Licht got his start in the Miami Dolphins scouting department in 1995; he has worked with New England in his current capacity since 2009.

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Chicago Bears Coaching Search: Dirk Koetter Hired By Atlanta Falcons

Ex-Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, whose name had been floating around the Chicago Bears' open "passing game coordinator" position, has been hired as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. Koetter directed the Jags offense from 2007 until this past season, when he left following the midseason firing of longtime head coach Jack Del Rio.

Mike Tice Hired As Bears' Offensive Coordinator, John Madden Weighs In

The Chicago Bears recently named Mike Tice the team's offensive coordinator for 2012, where he will be allowed to call plays and operate the running game, but will also receive help from a new passing game coordinator still yet to be hired. Hall of Fame coach and former broadcaster John Madden weighs in on the promotion/re-purposing of Mike Tice and the Bears' general manager search on Chicago Tribune Live with David Kaplan:

CSN-Chicago has more great content on the Bears as well, so be sure to check out their coverage.

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Chicago Bears Coaching Search: Tampa Bay QB Coach Alex Van Pelt Expected To Interview For Passing Game Coordinator Position, According To Report

According to a report from CSN Chicago's John Mullin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt is "under strong consideration" for the passing game coordinator position with the Bears and is expected to interview with Chicago.

Van Pelt would be the second member of the Tampa Bay coaching staff to interview for the job, as the Bears are reportedly planning on interviewing Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson this week.

Van Pelt spent nine years as a reserve quarterback for the Buffalo Bills; he started 11 games in his career. He got his coaching start in NFL Europe in 2005, moved to the Bills' staff in 2006, and joined the Bucs in 2010.

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Chicago Bears Coaching Search: Team Will Interview Former Bucs OC Greg Olson

The Chicago Bears have so far stumbled through their offensive coaching search since firing Mike Martz and re-branding former assistant head coach Mike Tice as the new offensive coordinator and play-caller, and are still looking for someone to serve as the designated "passing game coordinator." After the team was denied permission to speak with Tennessee Titans'quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains earlier in the week, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is now reporting the Bears have moved on and are set to interview former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Greg Olson this week.

Olson served as the offensive coordinator for the Buccaneers over the past three seasons, and in 2033 he worked as the quarterbacks coach for the Bears under Dick Jauron. The organization will allow Tice to call plays and head up the offense, but the former Vikings head coach has not called plays for several years and has focused his time on the offensive line and running game during his time with the Bears, so the team wants someone to help with the passing attack. The problem with the search has been that Chicago simply created this "passing coordinator" position out of this air and can't secure interviews with talented coaches on current NFL staffs because the move is almost certainly not a promotion and thus doesn't compel other teams to grant interviews.

Some other names to keep in eye on, per Biggs, are former Jacksonville Jaguarsoffensive coordinator Dirk Koetter, former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates and University of Miami offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch. Olson has the most NFL coaching experience of the bunch, but his recent work in Tampa Bay this past season isn't exactly impressive.

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Chicago Bears GM Search: Team Reportedly Looking To Move Quicker In GM Pursuit

The Chicago Bears aren't the only NFL team in search of a new general manager, and in the wake of candidate Ryan Grigson accepting the GM position with the Indianapolis Colts, it appears as if Chicago is ready to accelerate their search, according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago Bears Coaching Search: Team Denied Permission To Speak With Titans QB coach Dowell Loggains, According To Report

The Bears promoted Mike Tice to offensive coordinator following Mike Martz's departure, but the team still has a couple of positions on the staff to fill.

The team wants to hire a passing game coordinator to work with Tice, and according to Seth Jensen of the Sun-Times, the Bears were denied permission to speak with Tennessee Titans quarterback coach Dowell Loggains.

The Bears are looking for a passing game coordinator/ quarterbacks coach to pair with newly appointed offensive coordinator Mike Tice, who will also have significant input on the offensive line. The Bears are also still planning to hire an offensive line coach to help him.

Jay Cutler had hoped the Bears could hire Loggains, as the two have worked together in the past.

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Bears Could Target Two Coaches With Ties To Jay Cutler

When the Chicago Bears promoted Mike Tice to offensive coordinator, it was announced that he would call plays and handle the design of the run game while being paired with a passing game coordinator. On Sunday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Bears search is looking to be focusing on two ex-Denver Broncos assistants that have histories with Jay Cutler.

It will make Jay Cutler happy to know Chicago could hire Jedd Fisch or Jeremy Bates, two former Broncos assts, as Bears passing-game coach.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 8, 2012

Fisch is currently the offensive coordinator at the University of Miami, and while he has extensive history in the NFL, he did reportedly turn down the Seattle Seahawks' offer to become their offensive coordinator prior to the 2011 season. That reported offer to Fisch was to replace Bates, who was fired after one season with Seattle after he followed Pete Carroll there from USC. Bates was out of football in 2011.

New Offensive Coordinator Mike Tice Excited About Expanded Role With Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears promoted from within on Friday and gave the team's vacant offensive coordinator position to Mike Tice, who had been in charge of the Bears offensive line.

In a radio interview on Friday afternoon, Tice said he's looking forward to the additional challenge of calling plays:

"I don’t really think it’s any harder than managing a football team as a head coach or being on the headphones with a coordinator during the course of a game and giving him answers to questions that he has such as, ‘What do you want to run right here? What protection do you like?’ Now you’re just doing it with more frequency. It’s all about the preparation during the week; getting your call sheet together, making sure you have a play for each situation that could come up in the football game, and I’m really excited about it."

Tice has never been an offensive coordinator in the NFL, though it has been speculated that Tice's promotion could lead to a more run-heavy attack in 2012. Tice will also work with a passing game coach.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Mike Tice Promoted To Offensive Coordinator, According To Report

Mike Tice has been promoted to the Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator position, FoxSports.com's Jay Glazer reported Friday via Twitter. The move comes just three days after Mike Martz resigned as the Bears' OC because of philosophical differences between Martz and head coach Lovie Smith.

Bears Search For General Manger Continues

According to Glazer:

"(Tice is) in charge of run game and pairing him with a passing game coach."

Glazer continues.

"Bears want more of a ground-based attack, which makes sense with their personnel."

The personnel that Glazer is talking about is of course running back Matt Forte, who still needs to be resigned by the Bears.

During his 15-year career as an NFL coach, Tice has never served as an offensive coordinator. However, Tice has served under other very successful offensive coordinators like Brian Billick (1996-98).

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Bears To Interview Eagles Ryan Grigson

Another candidate has emerged for the Bears general manager opening. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports the Bears will interview Ryan Grigson who is the Eagles director of player personnel. Grigson is scheduled to also interview with the Rams and has already interviewed with the Indianapolis Colts for their respective GM vacancies.

In other Bears general manager search news, it appears the Bears can remove Green Bay's Reggie McKenzie from their list. Reports Thursday indicated McKenzie will become the next general manager of the Oakland Raiders.

As of Friday the Bears list appears to include Grigson, Eric DeCosta of the Ravens, George Paton of the Vikings, and Les Snead of the Atlanta Falcons.

It is still very early in their search and more candidates names will be announced as teams are eliminated from the postseason.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron.

Three More Candidates Emerge For Bears GM Opening

Three more candidates have emerged as possibilities to be the next General Manager of the Chicago Bears. Bears writer John Mullin and ESPN's Adam Schefter have reported the Bears have asked the Baltimore Ravens for permission to speak with director of player personnel Eric DeCosta.

What makes this particularly interesting is the relationship the Bears have had with the Ravens after a botched draft day trade last April is anything but friendly. Will Ravens brass give the Bears permission to interview DeCosta or are they still bitter?

Two other possibilities include Green Bay Packers director of football operations Reggie Mckenzie who has interest from other teams including the Raiders.

The Bears may also reach out to a former employee. Vikings George Paton may also get a call from Ted Phillips to replace Jerry Angelo.

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Les Snead On Chicago Bears Radar, According To Report

After firing general manager Jerry Angelo, the Chicago Bears are now on the hunt for a new general manager and may have found a target. Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead is a candidate the Bears are working hard to bring in and interview, according to a report by Michael Wright of ESPN Chicago.

Chicago Bears president Ted Phillips said the search for Jerry Angelo's successor as general manager began in earnest Tuesday, and a league source said the club is "meticulously vetting" Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead as a candidate to bring in to interview.

A 17-year veteran in NFL personnel matters, Snead, 37, will interview with the St. Louis Rams, according to the source. But at least three other teams, including the Bears, remain in serious play to secure the former scout's services.

There are four other teams who have expressed interest in Snead, including the St. Louis Rams who have him lined up for an interview. Snead was the director of pro scouting for the Falcons before he was promoted in 2009 and works closely with current Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Jeff Fisher Covets Chicago Bears Head Coaching Job, According To Report

The Chicago Bears announced some significant personnel changes on Tuesday -- the team is now in the market for a new general manager, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach -- but they've been clear on the fact that Lovie Smith will return as the head coach in 2012.

But Smith's future in Chicago could hinge on the next general manager, as the NFL Network's Albert Breer writes. Is there a scenario that could eventually bring Jeff Fisher to Chicago? Breer believes so:

If a younger executive type, such as Eric DeCosta or Les Snead comes in, then the coaching situation likely won't change. But if the Bears swing for the fences with a Bill Polian type, it's hard to rule anything out. And Polian and [Jeff] Fisher are close, having competed in the AFC South for a number of years.

Breer also cites a source who says that the Chicago job is "the one [Fisher has] always wanted."

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Mike Martz Resigns: Lovie Smith Free To Hire New Offensive Coordinator

The Chicago Bears announced a couple of major personnel changes on Tuesday, as general manager Jerry Angelo was fired and offfensive coordinator Mike Martz resigned due to what team president Ted Phillips termed philosophical differences between Martz and head coach Lovie Smith.

Phillips also addressed the potential impact of his search for a new general manager on the search for a new offensive coordinator:

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Jerry Angelo Fired: Bears President Ted Phillips Discusses The Move

Following the announcement from the Chicago Bears on Tuesday morning that general manager Jerry Angelo has been fired, team president Ted Phillips met with media members to discuss the situation.

Phillips says there is no timetable for a hire yet, and that no candidates have been ruled out at this stage of the process (which includes personnel employed elsewhere in the NFC North). Phillips also plans to conduct the search himself and forego a search firm. He cited a need to improve the team's overall talent level as one reason why the team made this move:

Phillips also says he already has a few names in mind.

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Jerry Angelo Fired: HC Lovie Smith Thankful For Angelo, But Looks Forward To New GM

On Tuesday morning, the Chicago Bears announced they had fired their general manager Jerry Angelo, while retaining their head coach, Lovie Smith. The Bears will officially announce their personnel changes in Tuesday a press conference at 4 PM CST.

In anticipation of presser, beat writing Zach Zaidman caught up with Lovie Smith, extracting several quotes from the 7-year head coach concerning the recently released Angelo:

"I will always be thankful to Jerry [Angelo] for hiring me..."

...

"We always had an excellent working relationship and he helped us win a lot of football games."

Smith also commented on the future of the Bears organization, excited about the possibility of building a winning team again:

"I look forward to working with a new general manager to bring a championship to Chicago."

...

"As I said yesterday, we have an excellent core in place."

Keep an eye on the SB Nation Chicago Jerry Angelo storystream for news and updates from the Bears' news conference.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Mike Martz Resigns: Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Quits Over Philosophical Differences

According to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has resigned, citing philosophical differences.

Martz had been the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears since 2010, leading the team to 21st overall ranking (according to points scored) in 2010 and a 17th ranking in 2011. Before the Bears' starting QB Jay Cutler went down with an injury midseason, the team was 7th best at points scored.

The Martz resignation comes on the heals of the Bears' firing GM Jerry Angelo. According to the team, they will retain the services of head coach Lovie Smith. During the season, Mike Martz had been the subject of several rumors concerning college football head coaching vacancies, but he dismissed them at the time.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Jerry Angelo Fired, Chicago Bears Officially Announce GM Is Out

The Chicago Bears have made an official press release confirming reports that general manager Jerry Angelo has been fired and will not return with the team in 2012. An interesting aspect of the firing contained in the team's announcement is that team President and CEO Tedd Phillips was the one to break the news to Angelo, making it a bit less likely there will be a complete turnover in the front office that would include the removal of Phillips as well. For fans wondering if head coach Lovie Smith, who has signed a contract extension through 2013, is out as well, the team says no. Here are the relevant portions of the official press release:

Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips informed Jerry Angelo Tuesday morning that he will not return as the team's general manager for the 2012 season.

No other changes will be made. That includes Lovie Smith, who will remain Bears head coach.

The team will hold a press conference today at 4 pm (CT) in the Halas Hall theatre.

As for potential candidates from outside the organization, the Bears could look to former Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian or Green Bay Packers Director of Pro Personnel Reggie McKenzie. Those are the two hottest names in the early going now that Angelo is officially out.

***Update: The team has removed the phrase "No other changes will be made" from the press release on their website as of 10:07AM. Tim Ruskell, an addition to the staff made by Angelo in the past offseason, may still be added to the list of firings.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Jerry Angelo Fired As Chicago Bears GM, According To Report

Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo has reportedly been fired and will not return with the organization next season.