Chicago Bears

Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports The Chicago Bears need to get younger on the defensive side of the ball. Although the team has a number of All-Pro and Pro Bowl players on all levels of the vaunted defense, the fact remains that Julius Peppers, Lance Briggs and Charles “Peanut” Tillman are all in their 30s. It is only a matter of time before their respective ages start to show, be it a decrease in on the field production or a rash of injuries that will prevent them from making a start. This might sound like doom and gloom but it’s the hard cold truth. Thankfully, Bears GM Phil Emery addressed the future of the franchise in this past April’s draft having used several picks to add to the defensive depth chart. With Brian Urlacher no longer on the team, the position of need for the Bears was within the linebacker core. Using second and forth-round picks, the Bears added linebackers Jonathan Bostic and Khaseem Greene to the mix. Bostic, out of the University of Florida, was an All-SEC player during his time in Gainesville who finished his collegiate career with 237 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, five interceptions and two forced fumbles. Greene much like Urlacher is a converted safety. The Rutgers University graduate was named a first team All-American and he is a two-time Big East defensive player of the year as a linebacker as well as Second Team All-Conference as safety during his sophomore campaign. Greene’s career includes 387 tackles, 30.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. According to his NFL.com draft profile, Greene “consistently goes for the strip or takes a strong punch at the ball,” which will fit in nicely with Tillman and the other Bears defensive ball-hawks. At this point, regards of players college resumes it’s all about promise and potential. No one knows for sure who’s going to go down in the annuls of NFL history as a Hall of Famer or a draft bust. At this point for Bostic and Green, the only thing the can do his work and make the most of their opportunities, while fans and pundits alike can only wait patiently to see what products on the field of play. M. Quann Boyd is a writer for RantSports.com Follow him on Twitter @MQuannBoyd. “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

The Chicago Bears slapped the franchise tag on Pro Bowl defensive tackle Henry Melton to prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent this off season. Melton accepted and signed his tag without the drama that surrounded last years tagged Bears player, Matt Forte. Melton is set to make $8,450,000 for his '13 season, but the Bears and Melton are expected to try and get a long term contract worked out before the July 15th deadline. Brad Biggs of the Tribune speculated on what a potential long term deal could look like. If the Bears use Forte's contract as a way of doing business with Melton, it will be easy to predict what kind of guarantee Melton could be looking at. Forte's franchise tag was for $7.742 million and the $17.1 million guaranteed he received was nearly the same as the cost the club would have had to tag Forte twice - a 120 percent raise in the second year. That figure would have been $17.03 million. Using that as a rough outline, Melton could be looking at a potential guarantee of $18.59 million ($8.45 million for 2013 and a 120 percent raise to $10.14 million in 2014 under a second franchise tag). But there are a myriad of variables to consider. Melton plays a different position. Both sides can make the case the market has changed. The length of the deal could differ as well. Whether he plays under the tag money or signs something long term, that's still a serious chunk of change. He finally broke through and made a Pro Bowl in 2012, and his first step and quickness is tailor made for the one gap defense the Bears run. What I wonder about his play however, is the best from Henry Melton yet to come? He chalked up 7 sacks two years ago, and another 6 last year, but what does 2013 hold? Will his Pro Bowl play plateau? Will the still young (26 years old) Melton take another jump in his play for 2013? What do expect out of Henry Melton this season?

There aren't many, and certainly not many available, who bring more to role than Bears' No. 2.Bears fans may be more panicked about Josh McCown being the team's backup quarterback than they were about the Chicago-area water levels being higher than sled hills last month.

David Banks USA Today Sports There has been a lot of turnover within the Chicago Bears organization since the firing of long-time coach Lovie Smith and the hiring of offensive-minded coach Marc Trestman from the Canadian Football League. As such, much of the off-season focus has been on Jay Cutler and whether he is the team’s franchise quarterback, Brandon Marshall and the receiving corp, as well as the overhauling of the offensive line with key free agent and draft day pick-ups. The one position on the offensive side of the ball — and on the team for, that matter — that seems to be overlooked are the running backs, or in particular, Matt Forte. One year removed from signing a four-year, $32 million deal, the former 2008 second-round pick appears to be worth ever penny as Forte finished the 2012 season with 1,094 rushing yards and a 4.4 YPR average on the season. Although his 2012 numbers aren’t Adrian Peterson-esque, when one factors in the vanilla offense run by then-offensive coordinator Mike Tice, the less-than stellar play of the offensive line, as well as the 44 catches that Forte made out of the backfield, and it’s clear that the running back has been the true pulse of the Bears’ offense over the last few seasons. Over his four-year career, he has totaled 5,327 rushing yards from scrimmage, 26 touchdowns with an 4.2 YPR average over his career. While there has been much change to the offensive philosophy within Halas Hall with the team bringing in a string of running backs such as Chester Taylor, Marion Barber and recently Michael Bush, the one constant has been Forte’s production. With yet another offensive coordinator coming in for the season, the one thing they need not worry about is the team’s feature back production. Regardless of whether this season turns into a remarkable playoff campaign for the Bears or one in which the team ends up with a top-five pick for the 2014 draft, the one position that will be of little concern for the Bears will be running back. M. Quann Boyd is a writer for RantSports.com Follow him on Twitter @MQuannBoyd. “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google+.

Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports Every fan loves getting as close to the action as possible. For those of us that can’t afford the first row tickets, sometimes it’s tough to feel closer to our favorite team or players. One of the alternatives to this problem can be through social media. Via networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, we can get a closer look into the lives of our favorite athletes. Specifically on a network like Twitter, sometimes, we can even interact with them if we’re lucky enough. For those Chicago Bears fans that haven’t taken advantage of this interactive opportunity, I am here to help. Many of the following guys are known to tweet not only frequently, but directly to their fans on a regular basis. If you are on Twitter, you are going to want to follow these Bears, and maybe you will get lucky and find yourself in an interaction with one of them! For your convenience, I have provided links directly to their Twitter pages so that you can easily follow! For starters, let’s begin with some of the more entertaining of the bunch. Without a doubt, newly-signed tight end Martellus Bennett (@MartysaurusRex) is one of the more intriguing and comical Bears on Twitter. I mean, come on, he calls himself the Black Unicorn. It doesn’t get weirder than that, but it is a pleasure following this character and reading what he has to say on a daily basis. Wide receiver Earl Bennett (@Agent_Orange80) and linebacker Lance Briggs (@LanceBriggs) will also interact quite a bit with their followers, sometimes asking trivia questions for contests or just taking a poll on a particular question to get some feedback from their fans. Defensive tackle Henry Melton (@HenMel) is a fun guy to follow, interacting with fans quite often and posting pictures of him and his teammates hanging out frequently. One of his partners on the line, Israel Idonije (@iidonije) — also a fan favorite — is a must-follow. He is constantly tweeting his fans and posting pictures of all the work he does with his foundation and other charities. Stuff like that is always great to see as a fan. Other defensive-line members on Twitter include: Corey Wooton (@CoreyWooton), Shea McClellin (@SheaMcClellin), Stephen Paea (@PAEA92), and Nate Collins (@BIGN98). If you’re one that appreciates some inspirational tweets here and there, look no further than wide receiver Brandon Marshall (@BMarshall), safety Major Wright (@LilMade21) and occasionally, running back Matt Forte (@MattForte22). What about the new guys? Of course you’ll want to follow some of the picks from the 2013 NFL Draft! Bears rookies on Twitter include: offensive lineman Kyle Long (@Ky1eLong), linebacker Khaseem Greene (@Khas_Greene20) and wide receiver Marquess Wilson (@MarquessWilson). Other regular tweeters on the Bears: cornerback Charles Tillman (@peanuttillman), cornerback Tim Jennings (@HennOrJenn26), wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey (@AJJeffrey1) return specialist Devin Hester (@D_Hest23), new left tackle Jermon Bushrod (@j_bushrod7475), kicker Robbie Gould (@RobbieGould09), safety Chris Conte (@ChrisConte47), linebacker Blake Costanzo (@BlakeCostanzo51), safety Brandon Hardin (@B_Hard35), linebacker D.J. Williams (@DjWilliam55), linebacker James Anderson (@50janderson) wide receiver Eric Weems (@ericweems), tight end Evan Rodriguez (@ERod_Inc), new tight end Steve Maneri (@stevemaneri), punter Adam Podlesh (@Adampodlesh08) and long snapper Patrick Mannelly (@PatrickMannelly). Well, there you have it Bears fans. It’s just one more way to get all of you excited for the upcoming season. Follow and tweet away! Ryan Heckman is a writer for RantSports.com covering the NBA and NFL. Follow him on Twitter, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

We take a look at the three tight ends making noise at Chicago Bears organized team activities: Martellus Bennett, Evan Rodriguez and Fendi Onobun.

With so much attention being paid to the Bears' roster churning this offseason, now seems like the perfect time to check on the current Chicago Bears depth charts to see what Phil Emery and Marc Trestman have, at present, to work with. The bulk of significant roster additions is over for the offseason, and while plenty of Turk visits will be occurring at Halas Hall over the next few months, let's get a jump on the process of roster evaluations and how confident we are with each position. Call it a prelude to Wiltfong's excellent "position battle" series that runs around training camp. The "Confidence Check" series will look at our (the fans) confidence level with the overall depth chart at each of the positions. The main point is to determine that if no other significant roster additions are made at that particular position, do you have confidence that that group of players can get the "job" done. Job gets quotes because you determine the specifics of what the "job" entails within the confines of their specific position on the depth chart. For example, a backup quarterback - in the Bears case Josh McCown - is unlikely to produce at a level of play equal to or exceeding the starting quarterback - one Jayzeus Danger Cutler (or something) - but should be able to provide an adequate level of production if called upon (i.e. not Caleb Hanie). The third-string quarterback should be a developmental young player like the Bears have in Matt Blanchard; one that is developing and improving from year to year in hopes that he is able to eventually claim one of the top two spots on the depth chart. If the third stringer isn't a young developmental player, than it should probably be a veteran that has enough experience to help out the first and second string quarterbacks and not be completely terrible when called upon. A perfect example would be how the Steelers managed their depth chart the past few years with Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwich. MORE:Bears Preseason Schedule and Times After we look at each player, their expected role on the team, and my confidence level, hit up the poll and comments section to voice your opinion. We'll break down each positional group over the next few weeks to see what the fans think of Phil Emery's roster building, and you can state your case for having a high, low, or no confidence vote in each group. Starting Quarterback: Jay Cutler (8th year in NFL, 5th with Chicago) Job Responsibilities: Lead the team into the playoffs and prove he is the Chicago Bears starting quarterback for the next five years. Job So Far: After four years in Chicago, the Bears still don't know if they have a franchise quarterback in Cutler. He's been brilliant at times, and frustratingly bad at times, in some degree because of a lack of talent at every other offensive position except for running back. Thing is, the Bears have never won less than seven games in a season with Cutler at the helm, so while we may quibble about his overall play, he's never been the captain on the Titanic. Confidence Level: Low. Look, I think he can get the job done, and having Marc Trestman there, along with improved offensive skill players like Martellus Bennett and a (hopefully) improved offensive line, should make a world of difference for Cutler. But, he's been a top-20 quarterback over the past four years, and if he doesn't improve this year on his numbers, that makes him more of a short-term solution than a quarterback you want at the helm of your franchise for a decade. His completion percentage (ranked 17, 19, 23, 21 over the last four years) needs to improve at least a bit, because he's already proved willing to throw it up deep to net some yards (ranked 20, 7, 14, 16 in yards-per-attempt). I have confidence in Jay, but not a ton right now. MORE:Does Cutler have the biggest arm in the NFL? Backup Quarterback: Josh McCown (3rd year with Bears) Job Responsibilities: Provide adequate quarterback play in relief of the start

Last year, I ran a bit of a minor series about players (mostly recent draft picks) that I thought would have a better year than their rookie season for whatever varied and sundry reasons. Today, we're going to bring that back (with better formatting and better thoughts!) by talking about second-year defensive lineman Shea McClellin. Past Performance: 2012: 13 games, 7 tackles, 7 assists, 2.5 sacks Not quite the rookie season one might expect out of a first round pick, but McClellin was a project player when he was brought in, whose skill set best lent him to getting after the quarterback. And pressure the quarterback he did. I saw some things in McClellin that needed work last year, but I think the Bears still have themselves a solid defensive end in the making. What's New? One of those things is his lack of opportunity. McClellin was primarily a rotational guy last year, brought in in special packages like the Boise package (which had McClellin roaming the line of scrimmage like a rushing linebacker) and the Dan Ryan of bringing Julius Peppers inside and McClellin with Corey Wootton as the bookends to maximize the speed of the defensive line. This year, with Isreal Idonije presumably booking a room somewhere except Chicago, McClellin moves to the third end and should be the first one in when Peppers needs a breather. This should get him more chances to develop against pass protectors and develop a counter move. McClellin's also going to be a few pounds heavier without sacrificing any of his speed, which should help him make more plays in the run game. The 2013 Season McClellin will be closer to a finished product, but still not quite there - we probably won't see everything McClellin has to offer until year three. That's okay, but McClellin needs to have more production now, particularly sacks, to quiet his doubters to a dull roar. I think we'll see some growth from Shea. The question is, will it be enough? Early 16-Game Prediction: 5.5 Sacks, 20 Tackles, 15 Assisted, with no move to linebacker.

1. Bears QB coach Matt Cavanaugh called Jay Cutler ‘brilliant’ in regard to his football IQ. Do you agree? I’ve never been around Jay a whole lot, but I think he’s a smart kid. I think he really understands the game. I know Matt is not going to say something if he doesn’t mean it. That must be Matt’s impression, and I’ll go with his impression. I think the sky’s the limit for Jay Cutler. But the only guy that has to realize that is Jay Cutler. It’s not you or me or Matt Cavanaugh or Marc Trestman. He’s got …

The Bears agreed to terms Friday with first-round pick Kyle Long, the 20th overall selection, on a four-year contract with an option. Long was the final draft pick of their 2013 class to reach a deal. “I just know that Chicago is one of the most historic football towns in the country,” Long said after he was drafted. “There are Chicago Bears fans everywhere in the world. The ‘C’ on the helmet is synonymous with success and tremendous football.” Details of the deal aren’t known, but it’s expected to be similar to what receiver Kendall Wright, the 20th overall pick …