Bears Think WR Hester Will Take Step Forward in 2009

From: ChicagoBears.com

The Bears are confident WR Devin Hester will be able to progress and make the next step at wide receiver. Head coach Lovie Smith said, “At times he played like a [No. 1] receiver. If you just look at the progress that he made from start to finish, locking in at one position for the first time in his career … we like the progress he made, so there’s no reason to think he can’t take another jump.” Hester led Bears wide receivers with 51 receptions for 665 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 65-yard score at Minnesota that was the team’s longest play from scrimmage all season.

Bears Could Cut CB Vasher After Down Season

From: ProFootballWeekly

Pro Football Weekly reports that Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher is likely to be released sometime in the offseason. Vasher did not play well this season, though to be fair he was battling injuries. He had just 21 tackles and one interception this season.

Bears Visiting w/ Former Lions Coach Marinelli

From: ProFootballTalk.com

Five days after chalking up his unprecedented 16th loss of the 2008 season and four days after being fired because of it, former Lions coach Rod Marinelli is sniffing around a possible new employment opportunity.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times, Marinelli is visiting with the Bears.

“He’s just visiting,” Marinelli’s agent, Frank Bauer, told the Sun-Times. “Rod has a number of opportunities and he is seeing [head coach] Lovie [Smith] and they’re sitting down and talking. It’s a visit. . . . I just think Rod wanted to go up and take a look and see what they’re doing. He came off a tough situation in Detroit and we’re going to take our time. He and Lovie are very good friends, they’re best friends.”

Bauer also represents Smith, along with Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner and defensive coordinator Bob Babich.

Biggs writes that Marinelli’s potential capacity and title in Chicago are unknown. Our guess is that, in Chicago, he’d be the “assistant head coach/defensive line.”

Marinelli, who spent several years as Tampa’s defensive line coach before being hired by the Lions, never has worked as a defensive coordinator, due in part to the Buccaneers’ refusal to allow position coaches to accept jobs as coordinators with other teams.

Bauer and Marinelli likely will want to monitor the manner in which the dust settles with the various head-coaching jobs before making any final decisions about his next destination. Though it’s likely a long shot at best that he’ll be considered for head-coaching jobs, Marinelli could accelerate his timetable toward getting such an opportunity again if, for example, Rex Ryan leaves the Ravens and Marinelli becomes the coordinator there.

Also, don’t forget the whole Joe Barry angle. If Marinelli lands somewhere as a coordinator, he’ll have a greater likelihood of finding work for his daughter’s husband, who was the Lions’ defensive coordinator for the past two seasons.

Will the Bears Dump Veteran FS Mike Brown?

From: Pro Football Weekly

It’s possible the Bears might decide not to bring back veteran FS Mike Brown because of his age and injury history. But, as one team insider put it, “If they knew they could get 15 games out of him again next season, then bringing him back should be a no-brainer, considering how well he plays the run and knows the system.” We also hear the team just might consider moving CB Charles Tillman to free safety, provided they could pick up a decent corner in free agency.

Bears to Make a Run at Hiring Rod Marinelli?

From: Chicago Tribune

A day after Bears coach Lovie Smith hedged when asked about adding Rod Marinelli to his staff, general manager Jerry Angelo gave the fired Detroit Lions coach a resounding endorsement. “I think the world of Rod Marinelli,” Angelo said Tuesday. “I would love to have Rod Marinelli on our staff. And I think Lovie would say the same thing. “He’s a great football coach. Any time you get a chance to get a great coach, a great player, you’re not going to say you wouldn’t consider them or you wouldn’t work a way to do that. But that’s premature to answer your question about Rod.

“He’ll be a great addition to any staff.” The Lions fired Marinelli on Sunday after they became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. He could come to Chicago, but the Bears have a defensive coordinator in Bob Babich, who has been under much scrutiny because his defense finished 21st in the league in total defense and 30th in pass defense.

Bears to Make a Move for QB’s Simms or Losman?

From: Chicago Tribune

To many in town the development conjures up images of Donovan McNabb, who has a year left on his contract but constantly is rumored to be leaving Philadelphia. The idea is irresistible to anyone who has seen McNabb’s resurgence in the second half of the season. But understand how difficult it would be to pry McNabb out of Philadelphia. As for Matt Cassel, a bidding war will commence and his representatives likely will demand he be handed the No. 1 job. More realistically, Angelo’s newfound commitment to quarterback competition opened the door to a mid-level veteran free agent with starting experience such as Chris Simms or J.P. Losman or a first- or second-round draft choice such as Nate Davis of Ball State

Team Will Pick Up Harris’ $6.6 Option

From: Chicago Sun-Times

It’s no secret the Bears coaching staff was unhappy with veteran defensive tackle Tommie Harris who underperformed after receiving a four-year, $40 million extension. But general manager Jerry Angelo seemed to absolve Harris and made it clear he will pick up a $6.67 million roster bonus. ”He’s had a lot of things go on, and I felt like about the midway point of the season, things started to settle down for him,” Angelo said. ”I feel strongly that he’s going to come back and give us the kind of play that we paid him for.”

Could the Bears Use Urlacher as Trade Bait?

From: Chicago Tribune

Tommie Harris’ play didn’t match his contract either, but Bears GM Jerry Angelo identified the defensive tackle as one of the players he expects to have a bounce-back season in 2009. That list also includes Brian Urlacher, who Angelo said “still has enough to make a Pro Bowl.” You want to believe Angelo meant every kind, eyebrow-raising word about the Bears franchise player who clearly appears to be in decline. But a cynic might wonder if Angelo’s public remark about Urlacher also served a bigger purpose in trying to increase the linebacker’s trade value. Dangling Urlacher as trade bait would take the Bears down an unusual, unpredictable off-season path.

Bears Dump Secondary Coach Wilks

From: ProFootballTalk.com

The Chicago Bears announced today that secondary coach Steven Wilks is no longer a part of their coaching staff. He was ”released” from their employment, according to a press release issued by the team.

In three seasons with the Bears, the defensive backs combined to register 42 interceptions and 19 forced fumbles.

However, the Chicago pass defense regressed in 2008, falling to 30th in the NFL.

The Bears allowed 241.2 passing yards per contest as opposing quarterbacks delivered 21 touchdown passes for the season. Although the Bears intercepted 22 passes this year, they also surrendered 40 pass completions of 20 yards or more.

Wilks, 38, spent 11 years coaching at various college programs before joining the Bears in 2006.

Bears Could Move Urlacher to Strong-Side LB

From: Chicago Tribune

At this stage of his career, Brian Urlacher cannot be asked to cover the deep middle against passes and still play single-gap defense against the run. He needs the type of protection from offensive linemen that helped him earlier in his career, the type not part of the Cover-2 philosophy. If the Bears are unwilling to adjust the scheme, they might want to consider moving him to strong-side linebacker.