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Scoop Jackson examines whether Jay Cutler is ready to become the face of the Bears franchise.

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The Chicago Bears released defensive tackle Matt Toeaina on Tuesday.

The Bears asked Toeaina to take a pay cut last month, and the five-year veteran refused. Toeaina, who played in just three games last season, had lingering knee problems that eventually required arthroscopic surgery and was placed on injured reserve Dec. 17.

Toeaina was entering the final year of a three-year extension he signed with the Bears at the end of the 2010 season. He was set to earn $760,000 in base salary, a $290,000 roster bonus and a $75,000 workout bonus with a salary-cap number of $1,625,000. The Bears will carry $500,000 worth of dead money toward this year's cap with the move.

Toeaina had a career-high 33 tackles in 10 starts with the Bears in 2010. He started 12 games in 2011 but lost his starting job to Stephen Paea.

HOUSTON -- Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys" at Texas A&M who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, died Monday.

He was 76.

In November, Pardee's family announced that he had gall bladder cancer that had spread to other organs and that he had six to nine months to live. The family has established a memorial scholarship fund in Pardee's name at the University of Houston, where Pardee coached from 1987-89.

"Today, we mourn the passing of a great man who dedicated his life to the game of football and was a true gentleman in every sense of the word," Houston athletic director Mack Rhoades said.

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The Chicago Bears opened the "voluntary" portion of their offseason program Monday, having made a series of mid-level moves last week that re-organized their linebacker group and effected a swap at right guard. After catching up on the rest of the division, let's dig a bit deeper into the Bears' moves.

After bidding farewell to middle linebacker Brian Urlacher (free agent) and strong-side linebacker Nick Roach (Oakland Raiders), the Bears signed free agents D.J. Williams and James Anderson. Both players received one-year contracts that at most will cost the Bears about $3 million combined, which should tell you all you need to know about the permanence of that situation. (Anderson signed for $1.25 million, while Williams will earn up to $1.75 million, according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.)

Williams' natural position is on the weak side, where Lance Briggs plays. So at the moment, he appears the most likely candidate to replace Urlacher in 2013. He will turn 31 in July and might be best-suited for an inside role at this point in his career. Anderson, who turns 30 in September, could wind up in Roach's old position.

I don't know if the Bears will alter their draft priorities after signing Williams and Anderson, but I don't think it should. If anything, what the Bears have done is provide a bridge to their next generation of linebackers. When the season ends, all three of their presumed starters -- Williams, Anderson and Briggs -- will be at least 30.

The Bears might no longer face the urgency of drafting an immediate starter at either position, but their need for long-term replacements at all three linebacker positions is no less acute. In some cases, a rookie can earn a starting job midway through the season if not before. Regardless, the position remains a high priority in this month's draft.

Meanwhile, it's fair for the moment to consider Matt Slauson as the replacement for right guard Lance Louis, who signed a one-year deal with the Miami Dolphins worth $1.603 million. I'm guessing the Bears didn't want to commit long-term to Louis while he rehabilitates his torn ACL, but it's only fair to point out he was the team's best offensive lineman last season. Slauson started 48 consecutive games over three seasons for the salary cap-strapped New York Jets, but he'll need to be a pretty successful free-agent signing to match Louis' pre-injury play from last season.

Note: The Bears got a head-start in their offseason program division because the NFL has a different schedule for teams with new coaches. During the next two weeks, players can participate in strength-and-conditioning workouts, as well as rehabilitation. Chicago will have a voluntary pre-draft minicamp from April 16-18, will start organized team activities (OTAs) on May 13 and have its mandatory minicamp from June 11-13.

The Chicago Bears announced Friday they agreed to terms with veteran quarterback Josh McCown on a one-year deal to serve as a backup to Jay Cutler.

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How does each team look at wide receiver, and what still needs to be done?

Chicago Bears: If I were in charge of the Bears, wide receiver isn’t a position I would pursue unless a prospect I really liked dropped in the draft and was just too good to pass up in the middle rounds. I really like what I saw from Alshon Jeffery in his rookie season, and his role should expand dramatically in 2013. Brandon Marshall, of course, is one of the best in the business, but the Bears were too reliant on him last season and need to spread the ball around more. Devin Hester has proved to be really only a return man, but he still could see some snaps on offense, and Earl Bennett remains a Jay Cutler favorite and a solid-if-unspectacular third wideout. Again, a middle- or late-round pick would be welcomed, but Chicago doesn't need substantial help at this position.

Detroit Lions: In Calvin Johnson, the Lions have the league’s best wide receiver. He is an unstoppable force in the prime of his fantastic career. The Lions have used a bevy of early-round picks on this position, so you would think they would be stacked at wide receiver. But that really isn’t the case, because they wisely parted ways with Titus Young, and Ryan Broyles is injured once again. Broyles tore his ACL on Dec. 2, so counting on him as an opening-day starter probably isn’t wise. But if Broyles returns to full health, he is an excellent wide receiver prospect and a great complement to Johnson. Nate Burleson and Mike Thomas have had success in this league and might be adequate until Broyles returns. Still, the Lions need help here, even though the addition of Reggie Bush, with his great receiving skills, lessens the concern. Offensive tackle and defensive end are much bigger needs than wide receiver, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Lions used a third- or fourth-round pick at this position.

Green Bay Packers: Greg Jennings is now a Viking and Donald Driver has retired, but Green Bay is still quite strong at this position. Jordy Nelson is just 27 and is a fine blend of size, reliability and big-play ability downfield. James Jones caught 64 passes last season, 14 of them for touchdowns. He is unlikely to match such lofty touchdown production, but you could do far worse than Jones as your third receiver -- and Green Bay employs a lot of three-receiver sets. The star in the making here is Randall Cobb. Cobb is a big-time playmaker who excels in the slot and can align in pretty much any spot in the formation, including at running back. As he and Aaron Rodgers continue to develop a great feel for each other, Cobb will rank among the most productive wide receivers in the game. The Packers’ top three wideouts are extremely strong, but Green Bay really has nothing outside these three. Expect Green Bay to add a bargain free agent and a draft pick before the season starts to round out the depth chart.

Minnesota Vikings: Although the Vikings picked up a first-round pick in the process, losing Percy Harvin was definitely a big blow to Minnesota’s offense. Adding Jennings helps for sure, but I have my doubts about whether he is still a true No. 1 wideout. Harvin is the superior player. But the Vikings do have two first-round picks, and one of those selections must be used at this position. The most probable name is Keenan Allen, whose stock probably will soar between now and draft day. But maybe Tavon Austin will slip in the first round and the Vikings will make a move to go up to snag him as Harvin’s replacement. Or possibly the Vikings will trade back a bit and secure a prospect such as DeAndre Hopkins, Justin Hunter or Robert Woods. Assuming Minnesota uses a first-round pick at this position, that shouldn't eliminate the notion of using another pick in the fourth or fifth round on a wideout. Also, a free agent such as Domenik Hixon could be a fine addition to Jennings, Jerome Simpson, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs. Simpson is loaded with ability, so I didn’t criticize the Vikes for bringing him back, but to call him unreliable would be generous. Wright is very intriguing, though. He isn’t Harvin, of course, but he was used in some similar ways while Harvin was out of the lineup last season -- and Wright looked very good in those situations. Obviously, the Vikings need more at this position, but when opening day rolls around, I highly doubt wide receiver will be a weak position for Minnesota.

The Chicago Bears continued to fortify the offensive line for 2013 as the team agreed to terms on a one-year contract with former New York Jets guard Matt Slauson.

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The Chicago Bears announced Thursday that reserve running back Armando Allen signed his exclusive rights tender with the team.

A two-year veteran, Allen (5-8, 190 pounds) played in 15 games last season, and ran the ball 27 times for 124 yards and a touchdown, in addition to making two catches for 16 yards. Allen also tied for fourth on the team with seven special-teams tackles.

In 17 career games with the Bears, Allen has rushed for 172 yards on 42 attempts with one touchdown.

Allen sits at No. 3 on the depth chart at running back behind Matt Forte and Michael Bush.

Naturally, nostalgia and familiarity lead to death-blow thinking when pondering the face of the Chicago Bears' new linebacking corps sans Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach.

But a strong debate can be made that new additions D.J. Williams and James Anderson might represent a considerable upgrade at the position.

A free agent, Roach bolted Chicago for the Oakland Raiders on March 15. Less than a week later, the Bears announced March 20 that they couldn't come to an agreement with Urlacher, the face of the defense for 13 years. In a statement, general manager Phil Emery said "both sides decided to move forward."

The Bears wasted little time in doing so. Two days after the Urlacher announcement, the Bears signed Williams, a nine-year veteran. Two days later, the club signed seven-year vet Anderson, giving it a trio of starting linebackers -- with Williams and perennial Pro Bowler Lance Briggs also in the mix -- that possesses experience, and likely more athleticism than the group that featured Roach and Urlacher alongside Briggs over the years.

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MIAMI -- Offensive lineman Lance Louis, still rehabilitating from a season-ending knee injury, signed Wednesday with the Miami Dolphins.

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CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Browns have signed free agent quarterback Jason Campbell to a two-year contract, bringing the veteran in to provide competition for Brandon Weeden.

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New Bears linebacker James Anderson joined "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 and talked about what's it like to join the Bears linebacking corps in the post-Brian Urlacher era.

Anderson also discussed fitting in at outside linebacker.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with offensive tackle Jonathan Scott, the team announced.

Scott started seven of the 12 games he appeared in for the Bears last season after joining the team during Week 2.

"Looking at Jonathan, he added positively to our group. He helped us win games," general manager Phil Emery said at the NFL combine.

Scott was flagged for just one penalty, gave up just one sack, five quarterback hits and five pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Scott may be more of a swing tackle than a starter. Scott has started in 35 of his 70 career games.

Michael Wright enters the Bears chat room at 12 CT.

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The Chicago Bears on Sunday agreed to terms with linebacker James Anderson, who was released by the Carolina Panthers earlier this month.

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