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CHICAGO -- The Chicago Bears agreed to terms on four-year deals with fifth-round draft choice Jordan Mills, an offensive tackle from Louisiana Tech, and sixth-rounder Cornelius Washington, a defensive end out of Georgia, the team announced Tuesday.

They are the first members of the Bears' 2013 draft class to agree to terms on a contract.

The 6-foot-5, 316-pound Mills was a first-team All-WAC selection his senior season.

Mills is projected to begin his Bears career at right tackle but could end up at guard, a position he played his first season at Louisiana Tech. Mills is another addition to the Bears' revamped offensive line, which includes new starting left tackle Jermon Bushrod, right guard Matt Slauson and first-round pick Kyle Long.

Veterans J'Marcus Webb and Jonathan Scott are expected to battle for the starting right tackle spot in training camp, but Mills figures to be in excellent position to earn a place on the club's 53-man roster, if not more.


Washington primarily played outside linebacker in college but will start out as a pass-rushing defensive end in the NFL. Many draft analysts predicted Washington would be selected in the earlier rounds because of his pure athleticism, a trait the Bears value above others.

But Washington fell to the Bears in the sixth round likely due to his lack of consistent on-field production. Washington had just 0.5 sacks and 22 tackles his final year with the Bulldogs.

The Bears will conduct their annual rookie minicamp at Halas Hall next week.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Bears fullback/tight end Evan Rodriguez has been cleared of any wrongdoing for his role in an incident last month in Miami Beach, Fla. that resulted in the player being arrested following a traffic accident, according to an official in the Miami-Dade County clerk's office.

Rodriguez, a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the accident, allegedly interfered with the Miami Beach police investigation of the crime scene and got charged with resisting an officer without violence and disorderly intoxication.

The two charges were officially dropped on April 12.

“Evan is a fine young man and I had no doubt after meeting with him for the first time that he had committed no crime,” Rodriguez's attorney Ed O'Donnell said. “I'm glad the state of Florida agreed.”

Rodriguez spent a portion of his offseason training in South Florida with Bears' teammates Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.

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Veteran free agent defensive lineman Israel Idonije visited the Tennessee Titans on Monday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Idonije finished second on the Chicago Bears last season with 7.5 sacks in 11 starts.

The 32-year-old versatile defensive lineman has been one of the Bears' most productive pass rushers since becoming a fixture in the starting lineup in 2010, opposite Pro Bowler Julius Peppers.

Idonije lost a little playing time last season to Corey Wootton but because of his versatility, Idonije was able to slide inside to defensive tackle when the Bears switched to their nickel defense.

A nine-year NFL veteran, Idonije has been a member of the Bears for nearly his entire career and is very active in the community. Idonije was one of three finalists for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2010.

The Bears re-signed Idonije to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million last offseason. While the Bears have expressed interest in Idonije returning, it's believed he would have to accept less money to remain in Chicago.

ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson takes your Bears draft questions during a live chat at 1 p.m. CT Monday. Click here to submit your questions.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It’s impossible to predict if wide receiver Marquess Wilson will land on the Chicago Bears' final 53-man roster after the way his college career unraveled at Washington State.

Wilson quit the team last year and accused Cougars head coach Mike Leach of abuse, a story he eventually recanted.

But the damage was done.

Wilson’s decision to walk away from Washington State for the final three games of 2012 and the subsequent controversy with Leach overshadowed what been a productive college career. The wideout posted back-to-back seasons of 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2010 and 2011, catching a career-best 82 balls for 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns his sophomore season.

Wilson made 52 catches for 813 yards and five touchdowns last year before he pulled the plug. He still left Washington State as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards with 3,207, the ninth-most in Pac-12 history.

Wilson had 14 100-yard games.

From a pure talent standpoint, Wilson deserved to be drafted higher, but his stock plummeted for obvious reasons.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Here is a look at the Chicago Bears' sixth-round choice (No. 188), defensive end Cornelius Washington out of the University of Georgia.

Washington is listed as an outside linebacker in draft guides. He made 76 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks during his career at Georgia.

Strengths: Numerous outlets projected Washington to be drafted in the third or fourth round. Washington is another athletic hybrid-type player who boasts impressive measurables and athleticism. Flashed extreme speed at the NFL Combine. Described as a powerful player with a great build. Competed at the highest level in the SEC, arguably the top conference in the nation.

Weaknesses: Washington was never a full-time starter with the exception of his final year with the Bulldogs when he started 10 of 14 games. Even with playing time, Washington was kind of hit-or-miss in terms of on-field production. Had an off-the-field incident, a DUI arrest, in 2011. Injured hamstring at Pro Day.

By the numbers: Washington is 6-4, 264 pounds. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Second highest vertical leap (39-inch) and top bench press of all the linebackers at the NFL Combine. Washington tested with the linebackers.

What it means: If Washington can keep it together, he projects to be a valuable contributor on special teams at the onset of his NFL career. There is no shortage of ability here. Washington is Phil Emery’s prototypical “dynamic athlete”, but he needs to prove he can successfully adjust to life in the NFL. Plenty of players with Washington’s talent never make it because they lack the proper focus. It will be interesting to see how Washington competes at defensive end with reserves Turk McBride and Kyle Moore. The Bears haven’t ruled out re-signing Israel Idonije, but with another defensive end now in the mix, the odds of bringing back the veteran seem to be shrinking by the minute.

What’s next: The Bears hold one more pick in the seventh round (No. 236) as a result of their earlier trade with the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears could still stand to gain another cornerback or wide receiver.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Saturday’s fifth-round choice of Louisiana Tech offensive tackle Jordan Mills is just the latest in a series of moves the Chicago Bears have made to overhaul the offensive line -- clearly the weakest unit on the team last season in the eyes of general manager Phil Emery.

The Bears are set at left tackle with Pro Bowler Jermon Bushrod.

On the right side - it’s a different story.

Veterans J'Marcus Webb and Jonathan Scott are expected to battle it out for the starting right tackle job, but neither is assured of a spot long-term. Webb and Scott are signed through 2013.

Mills is a versatile player who lined up primarily at tackle at Louisiana Tech, but also spent time at guard in 2009. At 6-5, 315 pounds, Mills has the size to play offensive tackle in the NFL, however, the Bears do seem determined to plug in larger bodies inside at guard.

“I’ll play anywhere, left side or right side.” Mills. “I told my coaches I’ll play anywhere they need me. Wherever they need me to win, I’ll be there. Like I told my coaches, if they need me at H-Back to lead block, I’ll do that.”

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Here is a look at the Chicago Bears' fourth-round pick (No. 117), linebacker Khaseem Greene out of Rutgers.

Greene started three years at Rutgers and forced an NCAA all-time record 15 fumbles. He moved to linebacker his junior year after starting at free safety as a sophomore. Greene finished his Scarlet Knights career with 387 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and seven interceptions.

Greene made a pre-draft visit to the Bears.

What he said: “I’m just ready to get down there and go to work. I’m just extremely happy and excited to be in this position and come into such a great organization and compete.”

Strengths: Greene had outstanding on-field production at Rutgers, including the year he spent at free safety (2010) where he was a second-team All-Big East selection. As a linebacker, Greene won 2012 Big-East Defensive Player of the Year honors when he led the Scarlet Knights with 136 tackles. He had 141 tackles the previous year as the conference’s co-Defensive Player of the Year. Considering his prior experience at safety, Greene is viewed by the Bears as a versatile player who can handle multiple linebacker spots if necessary. Greene likely projects to be a quality special teams contributor this upcoming season if he doesn’t earn a starting spot.

Weaknesses: Some analysts believe Greene’s numbers at Rutgers were inflated. He probably needs to bulk up to be a viable choice to fill in on the strong side.

By the numbers: Greene is 6-0, 241 pounds. He ran an average 40-yard dash time of 4.71 at the NFL Combine.

What it means: The Bears definitely got younger at linebacker with the pickups of Greene and second-round pick Jonathan Bostic. If both players develop, the Bears are set up for the future. In a perfect world, the Bears probably wanted to target another interior offensive lineman in the fourth-round, but with the board falling the way it did, Greene figured to be an acceptable choice. Most draft analysts had a second-to-third round grade on Greene, so this could be viewed as a great value pick.

Next: Barring a trade, the Bears will next be on the clock in the fifth round with the 153rd overall selection. Look for the Bears to possibly grab a cornerback next round, or perhaps a wide receiver depending on who comes off the board in the next round of picks.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- With three linebackers flying off the board early on Day 2 -- Manti Te'o (No. 38), Kevin Minter (No. 45) and Kiko Alonso (No. 46) -- the Chicago Bears joined the party at No. 50 and selected University of Florida inside linebacker Jonathan Bostic to complement the offseason additions of veterans D.J. Williams and James Anderson.

Linebacker was a must for the Bears.

Bears general manager Phil Emery needed to find a young linebacker to push Williams and Anderson for starting jobs, while at the same time providing the club with insurance in the event one of the front line guys went down with an injury.

“The reason we like Jon -- he’s a three-position linebacker,” Emery said. “We felt it was very important that if we were going to take a linebacker in the second round, that we get somebody who can immediately fill in at all three spots. If one of our starters was not available due to injury, that he could fill in immediately and we would have a good football player in place right now.

“Obviously he’ll be given the opportunity to earn a starting job. We see him as a future starter.”

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long couldn't be happier to see his son land in Chicago.

"This is to me one of the crown-jewel franchises in football," Howie Long said Friday after his son Kyle, an offensive lineman, was chosen with the Bears’ first pick. "There’s not a lot of them. The town, the history of the organization, the great players who’ve played here, the expectations in the building, it’s important.

“And it doesn’t hurt to have a franchise quarterback, much as that pains me to say.”

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Here's a look at the Chicago Bears' first-round selection (20th overall), Oregon guard Kyle Long.

Long played in 11 games last season for the Ducks, with four starts, in his lone year of FBS football.

His reaction: "I'm very excited and grateful to be a Chicago Bear," Long said. "I didn't expect to go this high in the draft, and I'm just very excited to join an organization with such a great history and such a great fan base. Not enough can be said about the Chicago Bears organization."

Strengths: Long comes from an excellent football family. His father is Hall of Famer Howie Long and his brother is St. Louis Rams DE Chris Long. Good size. Played for a national championship contender for one season. Tested well at the NFL combine. Long obviously made a solid impression on the Bears during his pre-draft visit. GM Phil Emery said Long's versatility is appealing: "That's part of the reason why we're excited about having him here, is his versatility. He's going to start out at guard. We feel like he can be a starting right tackle. We feel like he can be a good left tackle in this league. So that's part of what attracted us to him."

Weaknesses: Long played only one year at Oregon after beginning his collegiate career as a baseball player at Florida State; then he played football for two seasons at a community college before enrolling at Oregon. Long was drafted by the White Sox in the 23rd round of the 2008 amateur draft. So he doesn't have much football experience. Long had an ankle injury as a senior and also had an off-the-field incident. Scouts downgrade him for his arm length, but that shouldn't be much of a concern on the interior of the offensive line.

By the numbers: Long stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 313 pounds. Ran a 4.94 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Had the lowest body-fat percentage of any offensive lineman at the combine (15.8). "His Senior Bowl was excellent," Emery said. "I thought he was the best offensive lineman on the field at the Senior Bowl."

What it means: Emery said Long will initially line up at left guard and is expected to contribute immediately. Emery noted that Long could also be a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive tackle. The Bears consider Long a "rare" athlete who can step into a leadership role. He will be expected to push James Brown and Matt Slauson for a starting job. The club needed help on the offensive line despite the offseason additions of Slauson and left tackle Jermon Bushrod. With Syracuse OL Justin Pugh coming off the board at No. 19, the Bears clearly felt they needed to address the line, even though Long was the eighth lineman taken in the first 20 picks.

"I wasn't surprised that I ended up getting picked by the Bears," Long said. "I thought I had a great visit with [Bears offensive line coach Aaron] Kromer. I really enjoyed my time in Chicago. I had a great opportunity to sit down and get to know the people in the building. When I walked into O'Hare and was getting ready to fly back home, I had a great feeling about Chicago. Coach Kromer is a great coach, and I'm looking forward to the opportunity of trying to earn the respect of my teammates and hopefully be able to help the Chicago Bears."

More reaction:

Welcome to the windy city Kyle Long! Glad to have you #BearDown

— Lance Briggs (@LanceBriggs) April 26, 2013

Next: The Bears are scheduled to pick No. 50 overall in the second round on Friday. Unless they trade the pick, which is possible, the team should still have an opportunity to grab a linebacker, or possibly a cornerback. Prior to the draft, the Bears worked out a significant number of linebackers and cornerbacks who most experts labeled as second- to mid-round picks.

Draft day is here, and the Chicago Bears are hours away from being on the clock with the 20th overall pick in the first round (assuming they don't trade down). Who would our Bears writers take if they were running the war room at Halas Hall?

Michael C. Wright: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

He added three offensive linemen in free agency, including starters Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson, and a pair of starting linebackers in James Anderson and D.J. Williams, while also addressing the rotation along the defensive line.

Now it's time for Bears general manager Phil Emery to bring in a difference maker on offense at one of the skill positions with the 20th pick for quarterback Jay Cutler or for the possibility of a future without him.

If he's there, I'd take West Virginia's Tavon Austin at 20. Tennessee's Cordarrelle Patterson works too, or perhaps one of the top tight ends in either Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert or Stanford's Zach Ertz, provided the Bears don't trade down. This draft class is deep enough at other positions such as the offensive line (center in particular), linebacker, defensive line and cornerback for the Bears to add an immediate contributor in the later rounds.

With a first-round pick, you want an impactful player for 2013, not one expected to play a key role a year or two down the road (see 2012 first rounder Shea McClellin).

The offensive line appears to be set for the most part, with training-camp competition expected to decide one or two of the other spots. Linebacker is set (even though all the starters' deals are up after 2013, it's important to remember contracts can always be extended). So is the defensive line. More than likely, any addition at these positions just provides depth.

With Cutler going into the final year of his contract, there's no guarantee the team will re-sign him beyond 2013. So by selecting a dynamic skill-position player, the Bears give Cutler a better chance to succeed and earn a lucrative contract extension. If Cutler isn't the quarterback moving forward, the team has at least stocked the offense with enough talent for the next guy to achieve at least a moderate level of success.

Jeff Dickerson: Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia

In hindsight, the Bears probably wish they finished 6-10 last season instead of 10-6.

In a draft loaded with offensive talent in the top-15 picks, the Bears sit at No. 20, and probably out of the running the land one of the four tackles or two guards projected to come off the board earlier.

If the Bears were in the top 15, my choice would be easy: Alabama right tackle D.J. Fluker. To steal a phrase from Mike Singletary, "I want winners." But alas, the buzz is that Fluker will be long gone by the time the Bears go on the clock.

If that is indeed the case, the Bears might at the very least consider Syracuse OL Justin Pugh, Oregon OL Kyle Long or Florida State OT Menelik Watson. I believe the Bears view Pugh, whom the club just put through a private workout, as draftable somewhere between 20-50, but it's tough to pinpoint the exact spot. The Bears also took a closer look at Long in recent weeks, and some predict he's a sleeper first-round pick.

But there could be better value at linebacker or cornerback.

Washington's Desmond Trufant would be a worthy first-round choice for the Bears, although a couple of teams might be looking to move up a few spots to grab him. However, the Bears did work out several mid-round cornerbacks, so perhaps the club could wait until later to address the position.

Same with linebacker.

But the dilemma could come down to choosing between Trufant or Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree. I just can't wrap my mind around Manti Te'o at No. 20. Maybe I'll end up being wrong, but at least it'll be an honest swing and miss.

Trufant comes from a football family and seems to have it all together from a maturity and off-the-field standpoint.
Ogletree is a high-end athlete who has had off-the-field issues.

I'll always predict the Bears to select the superior athlete. In this case that's probably Ogletree.

Now, with all that being said, let's hope Emery finds a way to trade the pick.

CHICAGO -- Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall ran routes this week for the first time since he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his hip in January.

Marshall told ESPN Chicago’s “Waddle and Silvy Show” on Wednesday that he was “surprised” how good the hip felt during the workouts, but that he is not completely recovered from the surgery.

“I’m probably around like 80 to 90 percent, but I’m feeling like 100 percent, though,” Marshall said. “This week was the first week I started running routes. Surprised myself … felt good.”

“They had to hold me back a little bit,” he said. “I was ready to go all the way up to 100 [percent], but I have to listen to [Bears director of rehabilitation] Bobby [Slater] and our medical staff and continue to just take it one day at a time.

“It felt good running routes and I’m getting closer to rejoining the guys on the field.”

Marshall has undergone multiple hip surgeries during the course of his career and requires constant treatment during the regular season.

Voted to his fourth Pro Bowl in 2012, Marshall caught a Bears single-season record 118 passes for 1,508 yards.

Marshall attended two of the Bears’ three voluntary minicamp workouts last week but did not participate.

Meanwhile, kicker Robbie Gould is recovering from offseason surgery to repair a ruptured semitendinosus tendon in his left leg and is expected to be medically cleared to return in three to four weeks.

ESPNChicago.com concludes its Bears draft preview series with a look at the defensive ends.

Defensive end is a premium position.

A team can never have too many quality pass rushers, and that's the main reason it would be a mistake to dismiss the idea of the Chicago Bears drafting a defensive end.

It would be premature to speculate about Julius Peppers' future in Chicago beyond 2013, but he does carry a projected $17.383 million cap hit in 2014 and $19.683 cap hit in 2015. Eventually the Bears will look to replace Peppers, although it should be mentioned that the veteran defensive end is said to have embraced the manner in which Marc Trestman runs the team, a style much different from the way former head coach Lovie Smith operated.

It could be argued that certain veterans, perhaps even Peppers, got lazy under Smith's system. The Trestman era has been a shock to the system for some of the veterans because unlike the old regime, meetings and practices are conducted at a very quick pace, leaving no time for wasted activity during the day. There is a strong chance that a motivated Peppers could put up big numbers for the Bears in 2013, which could obviously play a role in delaying his departure.

On the other side of the defensive line, this a big season for Corey Wootton and Shea McClellin. Wootton needs to capitalize on a strong 2012 and prove to the Bears he can stay healthy and is deserving of a contract extension. McClellin and his 5-7 pounds of added muscle need to prove to a skeptical football city that he was worthy of being selected No. 19 overall in the 2012 NFL draft.

The Bears need more out of McClellin than 2.5 sacks (his rookie year total). Expect McClellin to see a boost in playing time. What he does with the increased snap count is anybody's guess.

The Bears also signed veterans Turk McBride and Kyle Moore to compete for jobs at training camp.


Next 10: Rufus Johnson, Tarleton State, 6-5, 272; Michael Buchanan, Illinois, 6-6, 255; Malliciah Goodman, Georgia, 6-4, 265; William Gholston, Michigan State, 6-6, 281; David Bass, Missouri Western State, 6-4, 262; Devin Taylor, South Carolina, 6-7, 266; Joe Kruger, Utah, 6-6, 269; Mike Catapano, Princeton, 6-4, 271; Brandon Jenkins, Florida State, 6-3, 251; Tourek Williams, Florida International, 6-3, 260.

Grade: B

Analysis: Although the Bears have more pressing needs, there is a chance they invest a pick at defensive end, especially if they trade out of No. 20. If the Bears move back in the first round then a player such as UCLA's Datone Jones might interest general manager Phil Emery, because Jones can play either end or tackle and possesses the kind of versatility the Bears covet. There might also be a sleeper the Bears select in the late rounds or attempt to sign as an undrafted free agent.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Cornerback Charles Tillman said Tuesday all of the Chicago Bears' offseason changes, including the failed contract negotiations with free agent middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, re-enforced the concept that no one is irreplaceable in the NFL.

"(Urlacher) had a great career. I wish he was here, but it's a cutthroat business," Tillman said. "I mean, you saw Peyton Manning got cut, we didn't re-sign Brian ... ultimately no one is safe on one team forever. I don't care how many Piccolo Awards you win, at the of the day it's a business, it's cut-throat."

Tillman was honored, along with defensive ends Julius Peppers and Shea McClellin, with the Brian Piccolo Award, and he
made sure to mention two influential men who were not present at Tuesday's award ceremony at Halas Hall: former coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli.

"I want to thank coach (Jon) Hoke for pushing me, coach Marinelli for pushing me, coach Smith for pushing me," said Tillman, who won the award for the third time. "Without those three men in my life, I don't think any of (my accomplishments) are possible without those three men pushing me to my maximum capacity as a player."

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