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Recently deposed Bears Senior Director of Pro Personnel Bobby DePaul possessed a resume full of hits and misses during his nine years in Chicago.

DePaul successfully landed quality free agent types such as John Tait, Ruben Brown, Thomas Jones, Tim Shaw, Roberto Garza, Anthony Adams and Nick Roach.

But there were also mistakes, like Darwin Walker, Marty Booker, Michael Gaines, Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale (a tackle asked to play guard).

Many want to also pin the blame on DePaul for Brandon Lloyd and Adam Archuletta, but Ron Turner favored Lloyd, and Lovie Smith pushed hard for the Bears to acquire Archuletta.

DePaul's ouster proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that draft picks still are treated like sacred cows inside the walls of Halas Hall. Jerry Angelo clearly feels former selections Juaquin Iglesias, D.J. Moore, Jarron Gilbert, Henry Melton, Matt Forte, Greg Olsen, Garrett Wolfe and Earl Bennett are viable options for 2010.

If you disagree, you're out of a job. But sometimes a fresh set of eyes are necessary to properly evaluate and fix organizational problems, and since Angelo and Smith are safe, the best place to start is the pro personnel and college scouting departments.

Chicago Bears senior director of pro personnel Bobby DePaul has been relieved of his duties, the team announced Monday.

DePaul headed the organization's pro personnel department for the last nine seasons. According to the team's media guide, DePaul "evaluated players in all ranks of professional football, prepared the club for its acquisitions through trades, free agency or the waiver wire, managed the advance scouting of Bears opponents ... and had a hand in day-to-day football operations."

Read the full story.

BY JEFF DICKERSON

CHICAGO -- Last year's quick signing of Frank Omiyale showed the Bears aren't necessarily always in the market for big-name free agents. That may again hold true this spring, since a likely uncapped year in 2010 has dramatically reduced the amount of talent available on the open market.

When it comes to free agency, the Bears’ major needs are as follows: defensive end, wide receiver, running back, guard and cornerback.

The Bears also need help at the safety position, but after going through the NFLPA Projected 2010 Free Agents packet, only two names make much sense: Darren Sharper and Ryan Clark. We already know Sharper is not a fan of playing in a Cover 2 defense, plus he might be given the franchise tag by New Orleans, so he is probably out of the mix. Clark would be an instant upgrade in the defensive backfield, and is known for his ferocious hitting style. It's unclear whether Pittsburgh can afford to keep two high paid safeties (Clark and Troy Polamalu), but Clark has publicly expressed a desire to return to the Steel City.

Since the Bears always feel they can find a safety in the draft, we would not be surprised if that's the route they take when it comes to filling this need. All the top safeties are restricted free agents -- Antoine Bethea, Nick Collins, Roman Harper, O.J. Atogwe and Bernard Pollard -- and likely off-limits to the Bears.

Taking safety out of the free-agent equation, here are some unrestricted free agents who may be worth looking at.

**Note -- This list can change due to roster cuts, franchise tags, etc.

Defensive end:
Julius Peppers -- Carolina Panthers
Aaron Kampman -- Green Bay Packers
Leonard Little -- St. Louis Rams
Kyle Vanden Bosch -- Tennessee Titans
Derrick Burgess -- New England Patriots **Naturally a 4-3 defensive end, but played OLB in Pats 3-4 scheme.
Jarvis Green -- New England Patriots ** A bigger end (285 pounds) in Pats 3-4 scheme.

Wide receiver:
Antonio Bryant -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Josh Reed -- Buffalo Bills
Terrell Owens -- Buffalo Bills
Kevin Walter -- Houston Texans
Mike Furrey -- Cleveland Browns
Chris Chambers -- Kansas City Chiefs
Derrick Mason -- Baltimore Ravens

Running back:
Kevin Faulk -- New England Patriots
Chester Taylor -- Minnesota Vikings
Willie Parker -- Pittsburgh Steelers
Larry Johnson -- Kansas City Chiefs

Guard:
Bobbie Williams (RG) -- Cincinnati Bengals
Rex Hadnot (LG/RG) -- Cleveland Browns
Chester Pitts (LG) -- Houston Texans
Stephen Neal (RG) -- New England Patriots

Cornerback:
Leigh Bodden -- New England Patriots
Dunta Robinson -- Houston Texans
Anthony Henry -- Detroit Lions
Brian Williams -- Atlanta Falcons
Ken Lucas -- Seattle Seahawks
Dre' Bly - San Francisco Forty-Niners

Since I wasn't able to put together a mailbag item last week from the Super Bowl, I thought a second mailbag installment was appropriate this week.

Q: Should the hiring of Mike Martz attract some talent to the offensive line in the free agent market? -- Todd Schools.

A: That's tough to say, because playing offensive line in Martz's system has historically been viewed as a difficult assignment. Kyle Turley (not the biggest Martz fan) said last week the biggest challenge was always being asked to pass block, since Martz relies heavily on throwing the football. If you can't pass block, you really can't play in this offense, so that would probably weed out some potential additions via free agency and the draft. The good news is that Frank Omiyale should be much better off this year, especially if the Bears move him to right tackle as expected. It'll be interesting to see who steps in or is signed/drafted to play left guard, but whoever gets the nod better be able to buy Jay Cutler some time in the pocket, because that will be a prerequisite to play that position.

Q: What do you think about the Bears taking a look at LaDainian Tomlinson? Based on what I've been reading, seems like the Chargers are pretty much done with him. He definitely has some gas left in the tank, and with the new system that Mike Martz is going to implement (with the back being primarily used for screen and short yardage passes), I think LT can still make people miss in the open field and be a huge asset for the Bears. -- Chris Delaney, Arlington Heights, IL.

A: I agree, Tomlinson would be an excellent addition to the Bears' offense. At 30 years old, LT might not be able to do the heavy lifting anymore -- he had a career low 223 carries in 2009 -- but he has an uncanny knack for finding the endzone. Tomlinson has scored 138 regular season rushing touchdowns -- 12 last season -- and would be a huge boost for a Bears team that struggled so badly in the redzone last year. Plus, as you pointed out, LT can catch the ball out of the backfield, recording 50 or more receptions in each of his first seven seasons. Obviously, I have no idea if Tomlinson is open to the idea of coming to Chicago and splitting time with Matt Forte, but if that idea is well received, I'd strongly consider LT. Chester Taylor is probably the ideal choice because he doesn't have as many miles -- 1,028 career regular season carries versus Tomlinson’s 2,880 -- but if Taylor isn't attainable, LT seems like a perfect Plan B.

Q: Do you think that there is any chance the Bears could try to go after Bob Sanders? -- Rob, Canada.

A: That doesn't seem likely because there's been no indication the Colts will cut Sanders, who signed a 5-year extension near the end of 2007. Injuries have been a major issue with Sanders -- he's only played in eight regular season games over the past two years -- but here's a quote I found from Indianapolis general manager Bill Polian on the Colts' official website:

"There's no way we would cut Bob Sanders unless he's completely incapable of playing, and I don't think that that's the case. I think he'll be back better than ever as the saying goes next summer. I see no situation where we would cut him."

Polian made those comments back in November, so unless something has radically changed, I don't see Sanders being an option for the Bears.

Q: What's the problem with Mark Anderson? Can this guy still play? -- Christopher, Richmond, VA.

A: Anderson is a situational pass-rusher. End of story. I thought his former Alabama teammate and current New Orleans safety Roman Harper provided some nice insight on the Bears' defensive end last week in South Florida. Once again, the Bears did a poor job of properly identifying the talent on their roster, and screwed up royally by pushing Anderson ahead of Alex Brown in 2007. Even though the Bears eventually rectified their mistake, Anderson was never able to regain the form we saw in 2006, and only has 9.5 sacks the last three years combined. However, I thought he played a little better down the stretch last year, so I wouldn't completely write him off. But the Bears need a dominating left defensive end, and I just don't see that guy currently on the roster.

Q: Are the Bears going to bring back Tim Shaw? I thought he did a great job on special teams last year, and may be a future Brendon Ayanbadejo. What do you think?

A: This one is a no-brainer; Shaw will be back with the Bears in 2010. Because Shaw only has two accrued seasons in the NFL he's labeled as an exclusive rights free agent. His 2008 stint in Jacksonville does qualify as a credited season, but because he only played in three games it does not qualify as an accrued season. The Bears are expected to tender him at the three year veteran minimum salary, $545,000 according to NFLPA records. Since exclusive rights free agents are unable to negotiate with other teams, there's really no other option for Shaw -- which is a good thing for Bears' fans. Teams have until March 4 to submit their offers to all exclusive rights free agents.

CHICAGO -- Wanted to follow up on an issue we weren't able to address in Tuesday's mailbag: restricted free agency. Teams must submit their tender offers to the league on or before March 4, otherwise the player becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Let's just operate under the assumption 2010 will be played without a salary cap; in that event the Bears' restricted free agents will be:

Nick Roach -- 3 accrued NFL seasons

Danieal Manning -- 4 accrued NFL seasons

Mark Anderson -- 4 accrued NFL seasons

Jamar Williams -- 4 accrued NFL seasons

Josh Bullocks -- 5 accrued NFL seasons

*NFLPA records list Dusty Dvoracek as a restricted free agent, but I'm not including him in this discussion.

In terms of compensation, here is what the tender amounts are for players with three accrued seasons, according to NFLPA documents distributed at the Super Bowl.

Original draft pick compensation (what round player was selected in): $1,101,000:

Second-round tender: $1,684,000
First-round tender: $2,396,000
First- and third-round tender: $3,043,000

For example; if the Bears place a second-round tender on Roach, another team would have to give up a 2010 second round pick to sign the linebacker. A first round tender means the Bears would get a first-round pick in return as compensation. A first and third round tender means, you guessed it, the Bears get back a 2010 first- and third-round pick. We should point out that Roach was undrafted out of Northwestern, so the Bears would not receive a draft pick if they stuck him with the low tender amount ($1,101,000).

Here are the amounts for players with four accrued seasons:

Original draft pick compensation: $1,176,000
Second-round tender: $1,759,000
First-round tender: $2,521,000
First & third round tender: $3,168,000

For example; if the Bears placed the original draft pick compensation (low tender) on Manning -- 2006 second-round pick -- a team would have the give up a 2010 second-round pick to sign him. For Anderson, it would be a 2010 fifth round pick. For Williams, it would be a 2010 fourth-round pick.

Here are the amounts for players with five accrued seasons:

Original draft pick compensation: $1,226,000
Second-round tender: $1,849,000
First-round tender: $2,621,000
First & third round tender: $3,268,000

Keep in mind the Bears have seven days to match any offer placed on their restricted free agents. If the Bears choose not to match the offer, they would receive draft pick compensation based on the tender placed on each individual player. Restricted free agents have until April 15 to sign offer sheets from other NFL teams.

Mike Martz has been making the rounds in the media this week after officially starting as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator on Monday. In a Q&A with the team's Web site, Chicagobears.com, Martz talks about the balance of using Devin Hester on offense and special teams.

Q: What role do you envision Devin Hester filling on offense?

Martz: I think he’s still the best special teams return guy in the league, period. We have to be careful about how much we ask him to do on offense. That’s really a reason the Bears have won some games is because of Devin and what he does in the return game. So we’ll be very judicious in what we ask him to do offensively. But he’ll be very involved and we’ll ask him to do some really dynamic things where we can get him isolated in [favorable] personnel match-ups.

Read the full story.

By JEFF DICKERSON

Q: What will it take for Lovie Smith to take off the blinders? Are we fans the only ones that can see Matt Forte is not what he was cracked up to be? -- Cheryl Lewis, Goldthwaite, TX.

A: Despite a mediocre 2009 season, I'm still a believer in Matt Forte. You cannot overlook the two injuries he dealt with last year -- hamstring in the offseason / MCL sprain in the regular season -- and in my opinion, both played a role in his lack of burst as a runner. Plus, let's not discount how poorly the left side of the offensive line performed, especially the first six games of the year. It seemed like whenever Forte ran to the left, Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale were incapable of sustaining their blocks and opened up little space. When a running backs lacks faith in his offensive line -- my opinion, Forte never said that -- bad things tend to happen. All that being said, I know the Bears want to add another running back this offseason, a guy with a little "juice,” to pair with Forte in 2010. I'm all in favor of that line of thinking, but I think it's unfair to write off Forte after just two seasons.

Q: I love what the Bears are thinking with Pisa Tinoisamoa. I believe Tinoisamoa being healthy next year, with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs back together, you could stamp that as a three-headed monster. Kind of makes me think back to the days of Rosie Colvin and Warrick Holdman. -- Tony, Peru, IL.

A: I don't think there's any question linebacker is the strongest group on the defense. Even with all the injuries last year to Urlacher and Tinoisamoa, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach and Jamar Williams stepped in and did a nice job. Tinoisamoa is a quality individual, and unless he gets a better offer from another team, he should come back on a one-year deal. That would give the Bears incredible depth, and perhaps allow them to shop around somebody like Hillenmeyer, who is coming off one of his best professional seasons. I still like Roach's athletic ability and versatility, so I would not rule out the Bears finding some way to utilize him next season, even if Tinoisamoa is the starting strong side linebacker. Any way you look at it, if Urlacher comes back healthy, this unit will once again carry the defense.

Q: If Devin Hester produced on special teams, why don't the coaches have him returning kickoffs? After all, isn't that what made him a household name? -- Mario, Atlanta, GA.

A: In case you missed it, Hester told ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy last week he wants to play more special teams next season. I'll believe it when I see it. The way for Hester to get paid is as a receiver, and the more hits he takes in the return game, the less chance he has to collect on those offensive incentives. I don't blame Hester for wanting off special teams (we all want more money, right?), I blame the Bears for anointing him their No. 1 wide receiver. When the head coach came out and announced to the team that Hester was going to be the Bears top wideout in 2008, that planted the seed for Hester to view special teams as a much lower priority. As expected, Hester hasn't been nearly the kind of impact player in the return game, scoring a grand total of zero touchdowns in 2008-09. Compare that to 13 special teams scores in his first two seasons. Coincidence?

Q: How much faith do the Bears have in Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton to contribute at defensive end? -- Matt Siehoff, Spain.

A: Let me tell you, the Bears have a lot of faith in Gilbert and Melton, and some in the organization feel Melton will have a major impact next year. I don't quite share their enthusiasm, because I really never saw Melton do anything last year in training camp. In fact, I viewed his placement on injured reserve as the only way the Bears could have afforded to keep him around. But I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and look forward to seeing him compete at either end or defensive tackle in the spring. Gilbert also showed very little in limited playing time, so it's impossible for me to predict whether or not he'll make a splash this upcoming season. But here is what I can say with a fairly high degree of certainty; because of the lack of draft picks, and the uncertainty surrounding free agency, the Bears better pray these two turn out to be future starters.

Q: Mike Tice has the reputation for excelling in the run game. Mike Martz is a pass-first type of guy. Will they be able to co-exist? -- Mr. Cox, Greenville, NC.

A: Even though everybody at Halas Hall is saying all the right things, the Martz/Tice relationship has the potential to be highly combustible. Notice I said potential, because at the moment, I'm inclined to give the Bears the benefit of the doubt on certain matters. Put it this way: what's going to happen next fall if after two plays Martz decides to scrap the entire 50-page game plan and begins to call things entirely on the fly? You think Tice is going to be cool with that? My guess is that could cause problems, and might lead to some very interesting dialogue over the coaches' headsets. It's always a little complicated when two strong personalities are on the same coaching staff, on the same side of the ball. But at least things won't be boring on offense this year, and I think most Bears' fans would view that as progress.

Chicago Bears receiver Earl Bennettdidn't waste any time introducing himself to new offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

“He made a great impression,” Bennett told chicagobears.com about his meeting with Martz at Halas Hall on Monday, the coach's first full day at the office. “He’s a mastermind offensive coach who’s going to spread the ball around and wants to take us to that next level. I’m ready to work hard for him.”

Read the full story at Chicagobears.com.

MIAMI -- Sitting on a bus in bumper-to-bumper traffic trying to leave Sun Life Stadium has afforded me the opportunity to jot down a few final thoughts:

• It's amazing how a short quarterback like Drew Brees can stand in the pocket and survey the entire field. Both Brees and Peyton Manning showed, for the most part, exactly how a quarterback is supposed to go through his reads and check down on certain plays. Even though Manning's late game interception was inexcusable, that 27-yard throw he made to Dallas Clark in the third quarter was incredible.

• I still want Colts safety Antoine Bethea on the Chicago Bears next year. Too bad he'll be a restricted free agent if 2010 is played without a salary cap.

• Saints running back Pierre Thomas was the most impressive person I interviewed this week. I had no idea he was so charismatic off the field. On the field, he's quickly developing into an upper echelon running back, and it's sad Ron Turner's pleas for the Bears to sign Thomas back in 2007 fell on deaf ears at Halas Hall.

• For my money, there is not a single more exciting moment in sports than the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl. I've been lucky enough to cover the last six, and I get chills every single year when all those flashes go off around the stadium.

• The crowd was dead when The Who performed at halftime. Maybe it's time the NFL went back to scheduling current acts for their Super Bowl halftime show. I nominate Lil' Wayne and Lady Gaga for 2011, but seeing that the game will be played in Dallas, I have a hunch it'll be a well-known country music performer.

MIAMI -- Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees put on a clinic.

That's the best way to describe the New Orleans Saints quarterback’s performance in the biggest game of his career. Brees completed a remarkable 32 of 39 pass attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns. But maybe just as important, he never turned the ball over.

"We knew that would be a key statistic coming into the game," Brees said. "We knew we had to win the turnover battle, take care of the football, and convert of third downs and score some touchdowns.”

New Orleans also took some chances in their 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, the biggest being an outside kick to start the second half.

"That's the type of team we are," Brees said. "We play with a very aggressive mentality and a lot of confidence. We came into this game knowing we had to play loose and take a chance in order to win."

MIAMI -- It's hard to say what was more stunning in the New Orleans Saints' 31-17 Super Bowl win over the Indianapolis Colts. Was it Tracy Porter's 74-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter or Peyton Manning's bad throw that led to the turnover?

"He made a good break on it, and just made a heck of a play," Manning said in his postgame interview.

The Colts made a few bizarre decisions Sunday night, including calling a run play for Mike Hart on third-and-1 from their own 10-yard line with only :51 seconds left on the clock. Indianapolis failed to convert, the Saints got the ball back and eventually kicked a field goal as time expired in the first half.

"We gave them a short field, so that was a disappointing series," Manning said.

It was also odd to see Indianapolis try to run the ball with Joseph Addai on their second-to-last offensive play of the night. Addai was stopped for a two-yard loss. Then on fourth down from the Saints’ 5-yard line Manning threw an incomplete pass to Reggie Wayne.

For an offense that was so precise leading up the Super Bowl, it's puzzling why Manning and his teammates seemed to struggle for a good portion of the game.

MIAMI -- "We're Super Bowl champs, we're Super Bowl champs," former Illinois and current New Orleans Saints running back Pierre Thomas kept repeating after his team’s 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Thomas played a major role in the Saints’ offensive attack, compiling 85 all-purpose yards, including a 16-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.

"It was one of our regular screens we always run," Thomas said. "It was a quick little draw fake, and I thought I was going to get held up by one of their linemen, but luckily he fell down. My offensive line and receivers did a heck of a job setting up their blocks downfield, and I just read my blocks. All I kept thinking about was to get in that end zone because this was going to be a big momentum swing."

"Pierre is a great player with a lot of heart," fellow Illinois alum and Indianapolis defensive back Kelvin Hayden said.

So just how long is the party going to last in New Orleans?

"Forever," Thomas said, smiling wide.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Former Bears defensive end Richard Dent was once again denied enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This marks the sixth time in the last seven years Dent was named a finalist only to be turned away by voters.

Dent did survive the first cut -- where the 15 finalists are trimmed to 10 -- but was eliminated from consideration in the second round of voting.

"I think he should have been in years ago, and I think some of the people they put in recently ahead of him are unjustified in my opinion," Dent's former teammate Jimbo Covert told ESPNChicago.com earlier in the week. "There's a few people who will say things like he didn't play the run or he was only a pass rusher, I don't know, I played against him every day in practice and I think he did a hell of a job. The Hall of Fame is about people who have excelled and gone above and beyond, and he certainly has done that."

Dent amassed 137.5 sacks over his 15-year NFL career, and was selected to play in four Pro Bowls.

The Hall of Fame class of 2010 includes: Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, John Randle, Rickey Jackson, Floyd Little, Dick LeBeau and Russ Grimm.

The Chicago Bears promoted Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator, the team announced Friday.

The team also hired Eric Washington as defensive line coach, Shane Day as quarterbacks coach, Andrew Hayes-Stoker as offensive quality control and Mikal Smith as defensive quality control.

Marinelli, who remains an assistant head coach, was in charge of the defensive line last season. The Bears' defensive front tied for ninth in the NFL with 24 sacks this season.

Read the full story.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- A day after NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith rated the seriousness of the league's labor situation a 14 on a scale of 1-10, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell used far softer rhetoric on the subject.

"I couldn't make that prediction, and I sure hope he's wrong," Goodell said Friday. "I sure hope it doesn't become a self-fulfilling prophecy. We don't need a lot of focus on that, we need to take advantage of the opportunity we have right now to structure an agreement, and sit down and negotiate. That's how this is going to get done, and we will have an agreement. It's just a matter of when."

"But talking about options like work stoppages is not going to get us there. We need to sit down and make those deals and figure out how to structure something that makes sense. A work stoppage is not a positive outcome for anybody. Both sides will lose money, and the fans most importantly, will lose football."

"We have got to avoid that, and our commitment and our determination is to work hard to do that."

Goodell claims owners have lost $200 million since 2006.