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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears announced the signing Wednesday of defensive tackle Nate Collins to a one-year contract.

Financial terms weren’t immediately disclosed.

A two-year veteran, Collins played in 13 games over the last two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars after coming into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2010 with the New York Giants. A former standout at the University of Virginia, Collins posted 10 tackles and half a sack to go with a fumble recovery and one pass breakup.

Collins seemed to be a promising young player for Jacksonville, but the Jaguars rescinded an exclusive-rights free agent tender offer in March to the defensive tackle less than a month after a Virginia state trooper arrested and charged him with possession of marijuana.

Collins was set to appear in court on that charge on April 19.

With the signing of Collins, the club’s current roster now sits at the 90-man limit.

Michael Wright and Jeff Dickerson report on the latest Bears news during their second OTA of the offseason.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears offensive line took on multiple looks Wednesday during organized team activities at Halas Hall, leaving uncertainty about where the pieces will eventually fit.

Even quarterback Jay Cutler intimated that veteran center Roberto Garza appears to be the only player up front with his job secured for 2012.

“Right now, it’s hard to tell,” Cutler said. “The new CBA limits what we’re able to do until training camp. So (we) can’t really get a good look at those guys, and I don’t think it would be fair to any of those guys competing to say where they’re at until we get in camp, get the pads on to see and we see what we’ve got. I think all those guys except for ‘Garz’ have a chance to compete and at the end of the day, we’ll see what best five we have.”

The team definitely kicked off the search during Wednesday’s session, and as expected veteran Chris Williams -- a starter the last two years at left guard -- moved over to left tackle, where he took first-team reps along with J’Marcus Webb. It’s apparent there’s a position battle brewing at left tackle, and it’s likely the loser in the derby takes on the swing role.

Originally drafted in 2008 to be the left tackle of the future, Williams missed the last seven games of 2011 with a wrist injury, but expressed excitement about finally taking the field with the rest of his teammates.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler never called former offensive coordinator Mike Martz inflexible, but the inference could be made based on struggles from 2011 coupled with the current state of the offense, which now seems reliant on input from a variety of sources.

Cutler called the current situation at Halas Hall “a breath of fresh air” Wednesday after the club’s second session of organized team activities, and explained how his history with quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates -- whom he worked with in Denver -- plays a role in the construction of the new offense.

“I think Jeremy has a really good feel for what I like to do and what I don’t like to do,” Cutler said. “There were plays out here today (where) I told them, ‘I don’t like them. Let’s think about getting rid of them.’ He’s fine with that and (new offensive coordinator Mike) Tice is fine with that. So it’s a give and take, and that’s a breath of fresh air around here; being able to give ideas. Everyone gives ides and let’s pick the best ones that work for everybody.”

The revelation made by Tampa Bay veteran tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. on Monday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to trade or release him could lead the Chicago Bears to perform their due diligence regarding the player.

Winslow told “The Opening Drive” on Sirius XM NFL Radio the Buccaneers informed him of their intentions to trade or release him. The Bears reportedly participated in trade talks with the Buccaneers for his services prior to free agency, "but they didn't take the bait."

"(I) got the call on Saturday (from the Buccaneers) that they’re looking for somebody else,” Winslow said. “(Coach Greg Schiano was) kind of upset that I wasn’t there working out with the team in the offseason and then the first week of OTAS. But look, I’ve been there the last three years, and I’ve had a successful career so far. You just don’t get rid of one of your best players because of that. He said he’d help me out with the trade. It’s kind of shocking, but that’s what it is.”

Reached earlier Monday, Winslow’s agent Drew Rosenhaus declined comment.

An eight-year veteran, Winslow possesses immense physical talent that would seemingly make his acquisition by the Bears a no-brainer. After joining the Bucs in 2009 through a trade with the Cleveland Browns, Winslow has averaged 73 catches for 792 yards and four touchdowns.

However, recurring knee issues -- which have made him unable to practice consistently over the years -- likely raised concerns for the Bears and diminish Winslow’s value, along with the tight end’s current sizable salary. Winslow’s contract pays him base salaries of $3.3 million, $4.5 million and $5.5 million over the next three seasons.

So Winslow would likely have to agree to restructure his contract to make a trade with Chicago work. That means there’s a good chance the Bears would simply -- and smartly -- just wait for the Buccaneers to release Winslow.

It’s also important to note that Bears coach Lovie Smith on multiple occasions has expressed confidence in current starter Kellen Davis (also represented by Rosenhaus), not to mention the club also added to the position through the draft with fourth-rounder Evan Rodriguez.

Interestingly, the Bears traded away the player -- Greg Olsen -- who might have been the best fit for what new offensive coordinator Mike Tice would like to do schematically. The Bears secured a pair of draft picks in a trade with the Carolina Panthers for Olsen.

At the time of the trade (which former general manager Jerry Angelo said Olsen actually requested) it was believed the tight end wasn’t an ideal fit for the system employed by former coordinator Mike Martz.

Now that Tice is directing the offense, the Bears seek a legitimate “F” tight end capable of posing matchup problems for defenses in the passing game, and Winslow certainly fits that description. Considering Winslow likely will be released, Chicago’s chances of landing him -- provided the club is interested -- will hinge on whether it is willing to outbid other potential suitors.

If there’s considerable demand for Winslow’s services on the open market (which isn’t likely), the Bears -- still looking to sign franchise-tagged running back Matt Forte -- could be somewhat limited by their dwindling cap space.

Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall indicated Friday on ESPN's "First Take" that he has learned from an altercation that occurred outside a New York City nightclub in March that led to an investigation but no criminal charges.

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The Chicago Bears used a fourth-round pick to draft Evan Rodriguez thinking he’d quickly develop into the quintessential “move” or “F” tight end that would add to the growing arsenal of the team’s evolving offense.

Certainly, Rodriguez flashed glimpses of that during the rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. But there’s still plenty of work left for the rookie, based on what appeared to be an up-and-down showing during three practice sessions in which he was arguably outshined by tryout player Brandon Venson, who impressed the staff enough to sign him to a contract after minicamp.

“It went pretty good,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been out of it a long time. I mean this was one long offseason.”

That showed throughout workouts, but it’s important to point out Rodriguez definitely improved over the course of three days. On Day 1, Rodriguez slipped running routes on several occasions and appeared to become sluggish as the workout progressed.

Rodriguez also struggled to catch the ball at times, dropping several passes hitting him in both hands. Given the stiff learning curve -- whether schematically or simply transitioning into the pace of an NFL workout -- faced by all rookies, the coaching staff isn’t overly concerned with how Rodriguez fared.

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The Chicago Bears steadfastly denied the need to add to the offensive line this offseason because they plan to deploy the pieces already on hand differently, according to sources familiar with the situation, who said veteran Chris Williams will move back to offensive tackle.

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ESPNChicago's Jeff Dickerson and Michael Wright discuss Bears news from rookie minicamp.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice kept mentioning the “new personality” of the offense Friday during a seven-minute meeting with reporters following the first practice of rookie minicamp at Halas Hall.

The problem, however was Tice didn’t elaborate. At first, anyway.

So what exactly is this new personality?

“Just that we want to play fast,” Tice explained later. “We don’t want to be out on the field and have the kids think[ing] too much. We don’t want to make it hard for the kids. We want to make sure the kids know exactly what we’re gonna do, when we’re gonna call it and why we’re gonna call it. That’s our job as coaches. We have some great athletes on offense. We have to put them in a position to show us and show the fans, and show the people that love the Bears, their athleticism and explosiveness. We want to be explosive.”

That’s perfectly fine, but obviously steps need to be taken to accomplish the task. So thus far in an offseason somewhat lacking on a free flow of information from Halas Hall, the Bears have actually installed their 2012 offense not once, but twice.

So basically, the team’s progress in terms of offensive installation stands at the halfway point with training camp approaching in July.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears made sure to start rookie minicamp on Friday with first-round pick Shea McClellin in attendance.

Minutes before the start of the club's first minicamp workout at Halas Hall, the Bears announced they agreed to terms with McClellin on a four-year contract with a fifth-year option. Terms of the deal weren't immediately closed.

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The Chicago Bears agreed to terms with fourth-round pick Evan Rodriguez and seventh-round pick Greg McCoy on four-year contracts, the team announced on Tuesday.

Financial terms of the deals weren’t immediately disclosed.

Rodriguez, a tight end out of Temple, was a two-time first-team all-MAC selection. He caught 35 passes for 479 yards and two touchdowns during his senior season. Bears general manager Phil Emery said on draft day he envisions Rodriguez as not only a key contributor on special teams, but also a player capable of starting in the club's base offense.

A kick returner and cornerback, McCoy started 39 of 52 games at Texas Christian University, and was drafted in April by the Bears with the 220th overall selection. McCoy posted 92 tackles at TCU to go with seven interceptions and 17 pass breakups.

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The Chicago Bears announced they agreed to terms Wednesday with second-round pick Alshon Jeffery on a four-year contract.

Jeffrey agreed to a four-year, $4.52 million deal that included a signing bonus of close to $1.75 million, a source told ESPN NFL Insider John Clayton.

Jeffery becomes the first of the club's 2012 draft class to come to terms on a contract. The rest of the class, including first-round pick Shea McClellin remains unsigned. But the Bears typically move quickly toward signing its rookies. Implementation of the NFL's new rookie wage scale should also speed signings around the league.

The 45th overall pick, Jeffery caught 183 passes for 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns in 33 starts, before renouncing his senior year of eligibility. Jeffery is one of three players in SEC history to surpass 3,000 yards receiving, and only former Georgia star Terrance Edwards -- who racked up 3,093 yards from 1999 through 2002 -- has gained more receiving yardage than Chicago's second-round pick.

After producing a sophomore season in which he caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns, Jeffery watched his numbers dip as South Carolina worked through issues at quarterback.

"Our coaches and all of us as a team, we just went with the best situation to win us the game," Jeffery said. "We thought if teams were gonna double and triple team, and give us the run, we thought we would run the ball more. That would win the most games. We won 11 games. We broke the school record. So that worked out for us."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Versatility and fit for the new scheme expected to be employed by new offensive coordinator Mike Tice trumped character red flags Saturday, when the Chicago Bears selected former Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez with their fourth-round pick (111th overall).

Bears general manager Phil Emery extolled Rodriguez’s potential as a “move tight end,” adding the new rookie’s off-the-field problems have come as the result of issues with “maturity, more than any single factor.”

“I’m very glad to have drafted Evan Rodriguez, and have Evan become a Chicago Bear,” Emery said. “Right role, right fit for the player and team; we see Evan as a combination of a fullback and an F tight end (primarily a receiving tight end). As we analyzed our team needs, we really felt that we had a defined need with the system changes that coach Tice will bring in terms of having a vertical tight end, somebody that could challenge the inside of the defensive structure of our opponent.”

Upon taking the job as Chicago’s GM, Emery came away from his initial analysis of the roster and anticipated changes on offense that the Bears needed to add multiple weapons for quarterback Jay Cutler. Emery believes the acquisitions of Brandon Marshall, second-round pick Alshon Jeffery and Rodriguez accomplish that objective.

“We feel good about where we’re at in that process.”

Often compared to New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez by people in the scouting community, Rodriguez (6-1 1/2, 239 pounds) flashes sufficient speed (4.56-second 40-yard dash) to stretch defenses, but the Bears feel they acquired even more in terms of a fit for what they want to do offensively.

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears swapped spots in the second round with the St. Louis Rams to move up five spots (No. 45 overall) to draft South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery.

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