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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.

What should Phil Emery and the Bears do with their first-round pick on Thursday? We're on the clock. Hot Button: Vote!

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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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, defensive end Julius Peppers and defensive end Shea McClellin were announced as the recipients of the Brian Piccolo Award during a press conference Tuesday at Halas Hall.

Since 1970, Bears players have voted annually to select a teammate they feel best exemplifies the qualities of the late Brian Piccolo. The honor was originally given out to just a rookie player, but in 1992 the award was expanded to include a veteran as well.

Piccolo, who signed with the Bears in 1965 as a free agent out of Wake Forest, died in 1970 at the age of 26 from embryonal cell carcinoma.

Tillman is a three-time winner.

This marks the first time three players have been honored with the Piccolo Award since 1997.

With their top four cornerbacks (Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Kelvin Hayden and Zack Bowman) signed only through 2013, the feeling is the Chicago Bears will look to select a cornerback during NFL Draft weekend.

The question is when.

The top of the draft is littered with talented cornerbacks who could fit the Bears' needs, including Florida State's Xavier Rhodes, Washington's Desmond Trufant, Mississippi State's Darius Slay and Johnthan Banks and Boise State's Jamar Taylor, a former teammate of the Bears 2012 first round draft choice Shea McClellin.

Considering the Bears spent so much time scouting McClellin at Boise State last year, the club should have a thorough scouting report on Taylor, same with Oregon State cornerback Jordan Poyer, a third-round prospect who played with second-year Bears safety Brandon Hardin in college.

As far as cornerbacks the Bears are known to have showed interest in -- the team hosted Southeast Louisiana's Robert Alford on an official pre-draft visit. The word on Alford, projected to come off the board in the third round, is that from an athleticism standpoint, he's a first-round talent, but other aspects of his game have pushed him down to the mid-rounds.

The Bears also put Miami's Brandon McGee trhough a private workout, and kicked the tires on 6-3 New Mexico State cornerback Jeremy Harris, a potential late-round/priority free agent.

Next ten: Jordan Poyer, Oregon State, 6-0, 190; Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Connecticut, 6-1, 195; Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, 5-9, 186; Leon McFadden, San Diego State, 5-10, 193; Logan Ryan, Rutgers, 5-11, 191; Tharold Simon, LSU, 6-2, 202; B.W. Webb, Williams & Mary, 5-10, 184; Sanders Commings, Georgia, 6-0, 216; Brandon McGee, 5-11, 193; Will Davis, Utah State, 5-11, 186.


Grade: B+

Analysis: Just like at linebacker, the Bears would be wise to select a cornerback for a variety of reasons. First off, this appears to be an above average cornerback class, and even if the Bears wait until the second or third day to address the position, they should be in position to get a pretty decent player. There is also the issue of all their top cornerbacks currently on the roster playing on essentially one-year deals. It seems logical the Bears would look to extend either Tillman or Jennings, but will they do both? Can they do both? The Bears need some youth at cornerback beyond 2012 sixth-round pick Isaiah Frey, currently the No. 2 nickel back, so it would make sense that one of their five picks (barring a trade) would go towards upgrading the secondary.

ESPN Chicago takes a look at some of the draft prospects who might fit with the Bears.

Click here to see the entire gallery.

CHICAGO -- With the beginning of the NFL draft less than a week away, the Chicago Bears conducted a recent private workout with former Syracuse left tackle Justin Pugh, according to a league source.

A three-year starting left tackle for the Orange and former first-team All-Big East selection, Pugh is projected to be drafted in the late first round or early second.

Pugh told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week that he expected to meet with the Bears prior to the draft. The deadline for teams to host players on pre-draft visits was April 17, but clubs are permitted to conduct private workouts this week.

Some teams view the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Pugh as a potential interior offensive lineman on the NFL level, with one scout mentioning last week that Pugh could be a candidate to move to center because of his shorter arms.

Pugh missed the first four games of his junior season while recovering from an offseason shoulder injury but returned to start Syracuse's final nine contests. He fits the mold of the type of versatile player Bears general manager Phil Emery told the media last week the club covets.

The Bears improved their offensive line this offseason with the additions of left tackle Jermon Bushrod and right guard Matt Slauson, but there figures to be competition at right tackle, left guard and center when players report to training camp July 25.

The Bears brought in several centers for pre-draft visits, including Wisconsin's Travis Frederick and California's Brian Schwenke.

ESPNChicago.com continues its Bears draft preview series with a look at the linebackers.

No single Chicago Bears position group on defense underwent a more radical transformation than linebacker.

Gone are former starters Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach, who were replaced by veteran free agent signees D.J. Williams and James Anderson.

The new starters are productive players with experience, but the fact each signed just a one-year deal signals the Bears are still looking to get younger at the position, likely via the upcoming NFL Draft. That would explain why the club has hosted several linebackers on official pre-draft visits, such as: Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, Kansas State's Arthur Brown, Oregon's Kiko Alonso, Missouri's Zaviar Gooden, Rutgers' Khaseem Greene and Florida's Jon Bostic.

The Bears have also been linked to Georgia linebacker Alec Ogletree in numerous mock drafts.

Where there is smoke, there is usually fire.

The Bears missed on the majority of the linebackers they've selected since Lance Briggs was chosen in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft, which means there is a sense of urgency to find a future starter at the position, not just a special teams contributor. The Bears did a nice job to address the short-term with Williams and Anderson, but the draft should provide general manager Phil Emery with the opportunity to plan for the future at linebacker.

Next ten: Sio Moore, Connecticut, 6-1, 245; Corey Lemonier, Auburn, 6-4; Zaviar Gooden, Missouri, 6-2, 234; Trevardo Williams, Connecticut, 6-1, 241; Chase Thomas, Stanford, 6-3, 244; Sean Porter, Texas A&M, 6-1, 229; A.J. Klein, Iowa State, 6-1, 250; DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina, 6-2, 243; Gerald Hodges, Penn State, 6-1, 243; Jon Bostic, Florida, 6-1, 245.

Grade: B+

Analysis: Given the high number of pre-draft visits, there is no reason to believe the Bears are not interested in grabbing a linebacker at some point, probably in the first three rounds -- the Bears don't currently own a third-round pick due to last year's Brandon Marshall trade with the Miami Dolphins. The amount of time and effort the club has spent on second- or third-round prospects like Brown, Alonso, Gooden and Greene suggests the Bears have a contingency plan in place in the event they are not comfortable using their first round pick on a linebacker, if they, in fact, fail to trade down as many expect. It would be a mild surprise if the Bears make in through draft weekend without adding at least one linebacker to the roster.

Micahel Wright enters the Bears chat room at 12 CT to talk about the Bears and the draft.

Submit questions here and come back for the chat.

CHICAGO – Thirteen weeks removed from surgery to repair a ruptured semitendinosus tendon in his left leg that sidelined him for the final three games of 2012, Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould welcomes the competition created on Friday when the Bears signed former Eastern Illinois kicker Austin Signor to a three-year contract.

The addition of Signor, who participated in the Bears’ voluntary three-day minicamp on a tryout basis, marks the first time another placekicker is expected to challenge Gould in training camp in several years. The Bears have brought in training camp punters to compete with incumbent starter Adam Podlesh and former punter Brad Maynard, but Gould has gone unopposed, until now.

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ESPNChicago.com continues its Bears draft preview series with a look at the safeties.

For eight straight years, the Chicago Bears have drafted a safety.

In only one of former general manager Jerry Angelo’s nine seasons at the helm of the organization, 2004, did the Bears fail to address the position via the draft, and new boss Phil Emery continued the tradition last spring when he used a third-round draft choice on Oregon State’s Brandin Hardin, who spent his rookie year on injured reserve after an underwhelming training camp.

In theory, the Bears probably don’t need to add another safety to the mix, after the club signed free agents Tom Zbikowski and Tom Nelson to compete with Craig Steltz, Anthony Walters and Hardin for roster spots behind incumbent starters Chris Conte and Major Wright.

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Former Navy outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel made a recent pre-draft visit to the Chicago Bears, according to a league source.

A native of Palos Heights, Ill. and graduate of St. Laurence High School, Wetzel recorded 15.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks and 79 overall tackles for the Midshipmen last season, with his top two performances coming versus Notre Dame and Penn State.

Wetzel’s on-field play earned him a spot on the FBS All-Independent first team, and his work in the classroom led to the 6-foot-3, 226 pound linebacker to be named a first-team Academic All-American for carrying a 3.93 grade-point average.

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ESPNChicago.com continues its Bears draft preview series with a look at the kickers.

The Chicago Bears have grown accustomed to having one of the best groups of kicking specialists in the league.

2013 figures to be no different.

Former All-Pro Robbie Gould is recovering from a season-ending hamstring injury but expects to be 100 percent long before the Bears report to training camp on July 25. Before he got hurt, Gould connected on 21-of-25 field goals last year and led the Bears with 96 points. The eight-year veteran shows no signs of slowing down and figures to be a candidate for a new contract before his contract expires at the end of next season.

Punter Adam Podlesh got off to slow start in 2012 after he suffered a preseason hip flexor injury, but he eventually rebounded and finished the year with an average of 42.0 yards per punt and a net average of 39.4 yards. Don’t be surprised if Podlesh has his best year in a Bears’ uniform this season under the direction of new special teams coach Joe DeCamillis. Podlesh and DeCamillis worked together while the two were members of the Jacksonville Jaguars organization, and DeCamillis was so fond of the punter, he helped convince the Jags to spend a fourth-round pick on Podlesh coming out of the University of Maryland in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Rounding out the trio of Bears’ specialist is long snapper Patrick Mannelly, arguably the best and most consistent at his position for over a decade.

Grade: C

Analysis: The Bears are in the market for camp legs. Last year’s second-team punter, Ryan Quigley, is off the market after he signed a free agent deal with the New York Jets. Another former training camp punter, Spencer Lanning, is expected to compete for the Cleveland Browns starting job. The Bears signed kicker Austin Signor on Friday after he participated in the three-day minicamp, but the team usually carries at least two camp legs in training camp. Expect another kicker or punter to be signed following the draft.

Former Texas A&M wide receiver Ryan Swope recently made an official pre-draft visit to the Chicago Bears, according to a league source.

Numerous mock drafts have projected Swope as being drafted somewhere between the second and fourth rounds.

One of college football's most productive receivers the past three years, Swope finished his career at Texas A&M with 252 catches for 3,117 yards and 24 touchdowns. His best statistical season came in 2011 when he caught 89 balls for 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns from current Miami Dolphins quarterback and former first-round pick Ryan Tannehill.

Swope experienced little dropoff last season when freshman sensation and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel took over the Aggies offense, hauling in 72 receptions for 913 yards and eight touchdowns, including an 11-catch, 111-yard, one-touchdown performance against eventual national champion Alabama.

Swope also came up big in Texas A&M's Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma with eight receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown.

A handful of NFL scouts have mentioned being impressed with Swope's hands, route-running ability and knack for getting open, either against man coverage or zone.

The 6-foot-1, 206-pound wideout also answered a lot of questions about his speed when he ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in February.

The Bears appear set at the top of their wide receiver depth chart with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, but a need might exist to add another wideout to the mix after the club now that Devin Hester is exclusively a special teams contributor. The retirement of Johnny Knox, who last played in 2011, also deprives the Bears off a speedy vertical threat down the field.

Bears general manager Phil Emery is believed to have scouted at least one Texas A&M game in person last season.

The cutoff date for teams to host players on official visits was April 17, but draft prospects can continue to be put through private workouts until Thursday's draft.