ESPN

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.

Chicago Bears defensive end Corey Wootton's impressive season earned the former fourth-round draft choice a minimum $733,000 raise next year, according to documents obtained by ESPN Chicago.

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RISING

1. Brandon Marshall, WR: He led the team in receptions with six, and flashed what should have been an inspiring effort on a 15-yard touchdown in the first half. Eventually, the Green Bay Packers took Marshall out of the game. But afterward, Marshall made a long overdue plea for accountability on offense. While collectively the group probably isn't as talented as Marshall, if they put forth his effort on a week-to-week basis, we wouldn't be discussing the possibility of the Bears possibly missing the postseason.

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Reviewing the Chicago Bears at their bye:

Record: 4-1

Five-game capsule: The Bears are in excellent position after rebounding from a Week 2 debacle at Lambeau Field. Their defense leads the NFL in takeaways (17) and touchdowns (five), getting elite performances from stalwarts (two touchdown returns apiece for linebacker Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman) and relative newcomers (five combined sacks for defensive ends Corey Wootton and Shea McClellin) alike. Quarterback Jay Cutler has settled after throwing four interceptions and taking seven sacks in Week 2, limiting himself to two interceptions and five sacks over the next three games. Importantly, he has worked hard to keep receiver Brandon Marshall (35 receptions, 496 yards) involved in the offense. In short, the Bears have the look of the championship-caliber team they envisioned this summer.

MVP: Briggs and Tillman deserve the attention they've received, and defensive tackle Henry Melton (4.5 sacks) has had a nice start. But the Bears' best player over five games has been cornerback Tim Jennings, who has made teams pay dearly for targeting him over Tillman. Opponents have thrown his way an NFL-high 46 times, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and he has responded with a league-leading four interceptions and 14 total pass breakups. Those plays have left opposing quarterbacks with a 23.4 passer rating on throws in his direction, the second-lowest rating against a qualified cornerback in the NFL. (Via PFF.) Jennings has locked down one of the few question marks the Bears had on their defense.

Biggest surprise: For as much attention as left tackle J'Marcus Webb has received since the start of training camp, culminating in the now-infamous events of Week 2, he hasn't been half-bad during the Bears' three-game winning streak. Webb gave up a sack to Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware, but otherwise he has done what you'd hope for from a left tackle: Not drawn attention with his play. He has committed a modest two penalties, one false start and one for holding, and has rebounded admirably from the public embarrassment of his performance against the Green Bay Packers.

Stat to note: Offensive coordinator Mike Tice's background is in the power running game, but the most notable aspect of his scheme so far has been the frequency of deep shots down the field. Cutler has thrown 21 passes that traveled more than 20 yards downfield, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the second-highest total in the league. He has completed 10 of them, including four for touchdowns. For comparison, consider that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford have combined for 25 such throws.

Bonus stat to note: As productive as Marshall has been over the first five games, would you believe he is behind the pace set by former Bears receiver Marty Booker in 2002? Through five games that season, Booker had caught 37 passes for 566 yards. He finished the year with 97 receptions for 1,189 yards.

Looking ahead: The Bears will return from their bye with a Monday night game (Oct. 22) against the Lions, but they won't have another division game until Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings. That schedule quirk, which leaves them playing NFC North opponents in four of their final six games, will make the final month of the season awfully interesting.

Bye the by series: Last week's post on the Detroit Lions.

After the Chicago Bears' 41-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. ESPN.com
   Based on the final score, it's hard to believe the Bears needed a nine-minute drive at the start of the second half just to take a 6-3 lead. It also might be hard to digest that after a 501-yard offensive performance, the Bears' highest total since 1989, the defense deserves top credit for this victory. The floodgates didn't open until cornerback Charles Tillman returned an interception for a touchdown on the Jaguars' ensuing possession. Only then did the offense get in gear. In the end, the Jaguars managed just 189 total yards and 10 first downs. In the Bears' current three-game winning streak, the defense has actually scored more touchdowns (six) than the offense (five). The Bears' defense leads the NFL with 17 takeaways, is tied for the lead with 18 sacks and is the first in league history to return five interceptions for touchdowns in the first five games of a season. No matter what the stat sheet says or media hype suggests, the Bears continue to be a team led by its defense.
2. With that said, the Bears should be encouraged by what they've seen from receiver Brandon Marshall over the past two weeks. Here are the numbers: 19 receptions, 282 yards and two touchdowns. Sunday, quarterback Jay Cutler targeted him 17 times. No other pass-catcher had more than four passes thrown his way. Much of Marshall's success has come once the Bears are already ahead, but let's not diminish the value of putting teams away. It's not surprising that his one-on-one opportunities have come more often with the Bears in the lead and opponents lineup up to stop the run. Here's the next step for the Marshall-Cutler duo: Early success to stake the Bears to a first-quarter lead.
3. All of a sudden, the Bears have a tackle under scrutiny -- and it's not J'Marcus Webb. Right tackle Gabe Carimi, who many thought was the best offensive lineman on the team entering the season, had a rough go of it Sunday. A holding penalty negated as 12-yard pass to tight end Kellen Davis, and Carimi committed consecutive false starts in the third quarter. That brought Carimi's penalty total this season to six in five games. He's been flagged for three false starts, twice for holding and once for unnecessary roughness. The bye will come at a good time for Carimi to reflect on the early portions of the season and presumably make the necessary adjustments.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

Where did Corey Wootton come from? I know his background, of course. He was a highly-regarded pass-rusher at Northwestern whose production tailed off while recovering from a knee injury, and his first two NFL seasons after the Bears made him a fourth-round draft choice were almost totally vacant. The Bears drafted Shea McClellin in the first round this year, and I wrote off Wootton as a talented player who couldn't stay on the field and was destined to play elsewhere in 2012. Instead, he has made a significant impact in limited playing time. He played 22 snaps Sunday and had two sacks, bringing his season total to 3.5 along with two forced fumbles. He's reached those totals while playing on about 40 percent of the Bears' defensive snaps. Wootton has my vote for perhaps the biggest surprise of the early season in the NFC North.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It took a couple of years, but Chicago Bears defensive end Corey Wootton is starting to resemble the dominant pass-rusher he was at Northwestern where he registered 10 sacks as a junior before suffering a serious knee injury in the 2008 Alamo Bowl.

Wootton has already had his best professional campaign after just two weeks of the regular season with 1.5 sacks, three quarterback pressures and a forced fumble. Wootton and 2012 first-round pick Shea McClellin have solidified themselves as key members of the Bears' defensive end rotation behind starters Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije.

“It’s been nice," Wootton said. "Just the rotation is giving people a different look. One play it’s Izzy, one play it’s myself, one play it’s Shea, one play it’s Pep, so it gives everybody a different look. And inside they’re doing a good job of rotating as well. It’s different looks all across the board.

“I think I’ve done a pretty good job so far. I’m always looking to improve on the little details and just getting more pressure. I think the biggest thing is staying to our routine every week. Coach always strives, get off and just getting to a spot. That’s what we’ve been trying to do. He says, ‘Four equals one,’ and we’re all trying to rush as a unit together.”

A limited Wootton returned from a knee injury to play his senior year for the Wildcats, and despite a dip in production, was still selected by the Bears in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) of the 2010 NFL draft. But the knee continued to be an issue for Wootton as a rookie. He appeared in just six games and had one sack, albeit a memorable one against Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre on a Monday night game when the Bears clinched the NFC North title.

Wootton's fortunes did not improve much last season when he sustained another knee injury in the preseason opener and failed to record a sack while being active in seven games.

BOURBONNAIS, Ill -- Because of all the attention lavished on first-round draft choice Shea McClellin in the aftermath of the Bears' first padded practice, third-year defensive end Corey Wootton's on-field performance flew under the radar. But make no mistake about it, the Bears would love to see Wootton emerge as a consistent and reliable presence in their rotation at defensive end after he was limited to 13 games the past two seasons.

"A lot of people are doubting my abilities and if I can come back," Wootton said. "I'm trying to show them the player I can be and everyday that's what I'm trying to prove."

A dominant pass rusher his junior year at Northwestern to the tune of 10 sacks, Wootton suffered a serious knee injury during the 2008 Alamo Bowl. Wootton returned to the field the next fall for the Wildcats but continued to battle knee issues. That didn't stop the Bears from taking Wootton in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft even though his knee was still not 100 percent when he reported to training camp as a rookie. Wootton showed up to camp last summer healthy, but got hurt again on the opening kickoff of the club's preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills. Wootton dressed for just seven games last season and so far has only 13 tackles and one sack to show for his time spent in the NFL.

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This is the seventh installment of a 10-part series that reviews every Bears position group on offense and defense, while also taking a quick look at potential free agent targets and the top prospects in the upcoming NFL draft.

The defensive line combined for all but three of the team’s 33 sacks, with defensive end Julius Peppers racking up a team-high 11 for his third double-digit sack campaign in four years.

But the Bears finished 2011 tied for 19th in that statistic, which wasn’t sufficient in the eyes of Bears coach Lovie Smith.

“We got good pressure from our front four,” Smith said. “But to say that we got enough the entire [season], I can’t say that. Each year that I’ve been here, we’ve tried to improve our defensive line; that’s always. You look at our league [and] we’ve got three quarterbacks I think that threw for over 5,000 yards. You need to be able to rush them better. That is an area we need to improve.”

The team ushered in the post-Tommie Harris era at defensive tackle with strong campaigns from first-year starter Henry Melton and free-agent acquisition Amobi Okoye, who combined for 11 sacks. Melton posted seven sacks, which tied for third in the NFL at his position, and Okoye’s four sacks tied him for 11th.

But the rest of that position group didn’t contribute much to the team’s totals, although it did fare well at stuffing the run.

The Bears ranked No. 5 in the NFL against the run, and according to STATS LLC, tied for the second most “stuffs” -- a tackle of a rusher for negative yards -- in the league in 2011 with 54 for 144 yards in losses. Since 2004, the Bears lead the NFL with 452 stuffs, and the defensive tackle position plays a significant role in the team’s ability to post such numbers.

That doesn’t mean the position group doesn’t need to improve. With Melton and Matt Toeaina set as the starters, the team needs to coax more out of veteran Adams -- who is coming off somewhat of a down year -- as well as Amobi, a free agent, and 2011 second-round pick Stephen Paea, who wasn’t able to crack the rotation until Week 6.

The defensive ends, meanwhile, might be in line for an upgrade opposite Peppers. With opponents devoting so much to neutralize Peppers, his counterpart -- Israel Idonije -- contributed just five sacks in 2011, and is set to become a free agent. The staff considers Idonije a “core player”, but it would seem unlikely the team would be interested in bringing him back as anything more than a rotational player.

THE CURRENT ROSTER

•Anthony Adams: Played the first seven games -- starting two -- but was inactive for five of the team’s next eight outings. Adams hadn’t been inactive in that many contests since 2008. Nagging injuries appeared to be a factor in Adams’ struggles, and Smith also cited mediocre practices as one of the reasons for the veteran’s lack of playing time. Adams contributed 17 tackles and eight quarterback pressures, but finished without a sack in 2011 for the first time since the 2008 season. Adams enters the final year of a two-year contract signed just before the start of last year’s training camp, and is scheduled to receive $1.9 million in base salary. He’ll count $2.65 million against the salary cap.

•Henry Melton: The coaching staff -- especially Smith -- raved about Melton all offseason, and the three-year veteran justified the team’s position with a promising debut as an NFL starter. Melton notched 16 tackles and seven sacks to go with 34 quarterback pressures. Melton started the season with six tackles, three sacks and 12 quarterback pressures in his first four games, but experienced a lull in production. Melton admitted to pacing himself as an attempt to conserve energy for the duration of games, and thinks that played a role in his inconsistency. With a year of experience as a full-time starter, Melton will be a more consistent performer in 2012.

•Jordan Miller: Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Southern, Miller caught the staff’s attention in training camp and the preseason, eventually earning a spot on the practice squad. Miller needs to take full advantage of the club’s conditioning program to make a legitimate push to get on the field in 2012.

•Amobi Okoye: Signed to a one-year contract last Aug. 1 that included a paltry signing bonus of $82,500, Okoye -- a former first-round pick of the Houston Texans -- appeared to be merely a reclamation project. But Okoye proved much more by contributing four sacks, 27 tackles and 27 quarterback pressures. Keep in mind Okoye came into the 2011 season with just 11 career sacks in 150 career games. Instead of being a bust, Okoye appears to have been miscast in Houston’s 3-4 scheme because his skill set is more conducive to success in an attacking one-gap system. The Bears will likely try to bring back the free agent if the sides can agree to a cap-friendly deal.

•Stephen Paea: Paea’s strange inactivity over the first five games conjured “bust” whispers. But the truth is the second-round pick struggled to transition into the pro game, and was also working through the soreness and fatigue associated with recovering from a knee injury suffered prior to the draft. Paea contributed two sacks, 18 tackles and two quarterback pressures as a rookie. The defensive tackle recorded the club’s eighth safety since 2004 when he sacked Donovan McNabb in the end zone in Week 6. Paea spent the majority of last offseason rehabbing from the knee injury. But now that he’s fully healthy, expect Paea to grow tremendously this offseason.

•Matt Toeaina: The starting nose tackle, and one of the main reasons the Bears were successful stuffing the run, Toeaina tallied 21 tackles and no sacks, and was inactive four games because of a sprained knee. Toeaina posted a season-high five stops on Dec. 18 against the Seattle Seahawks. Having signed an extension in December 2010, Toeina is under contract through 2013.

•Julius Peppers: Peppers posted nine of his sacks over the final 11 games, and he tallied at least one in seven of those outings to eclipse 10 sacks for the seventh time in 10 NFL seasons. Peppers also forced three fumbles to run his career total to 36. That number ranks as the fourth-most in the NFL over the past 10 seasons. Interestingly, the majority of Peppers’ production seemed to come after Week 5 when the veteran suffered a sprained knee in a loss to the Detroit Lions.

•Israel Idonije: Contributed five sacks, and now has 13 over the past two seasons as the full-time starter. Idonije also scored a touchdown on a recovered fumble in the end zone in Week 15 against the Seahawks. Although the veteran set career highs in tackles (57), and fumble recoveries (2), Idonije might not be back with the Bears in 2012 as the starter opposite Peppers. Idonije just finished the final season of a three-year contract, and will likely be allowed to test free agency for a more lucrative deal than what the Bears might be inclined to pay.

•Corey Wootton: Seemed to be putting together a strong training camp, but nagging injuries derailed what could have been a breakout season. Wootton suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff of the exhibition opener that required arthroscopic surgery. After sitting out the first three games, Wootton returned in Week 4 to face the Carolina Panthers. In the week of practice leading up to the following game at Detroit, Wootton suffered a broken hand. Wootton possesses the potential to develop into a starter, but needs to find a way to shake the injuries.

•Thaddeus Gibson: Signed to the active roster on Dec. 19, Gibson contributed on special teams in the last two games of the season. A former fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010, Gibson possesses impressive physical attributes, but is raw. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli seems to be the ideal coach to aid in Gibson’s development.

•Chauncey Davis: Signed with the Bears in November, Davis made three tackles in a loss to the Oakland Raiders in his debut. Davis played the final six games and registered nine tackles and a sack. Prior to joining the Bears, Davis played in 96 games (25 starts) in seven seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.

Bears free agents: Okoye and Idonije

POTENTIAL FREE-AGENT TARGETS

•DT Jason Jones, Tennessee Titans, unrestricted
•DT Cory Redding, Baltimore Ravens, unrestricted
•DT Kendall Langford, Miami Dolphins, unrestricted
•DE Mario Williams, Houston Texans, unrestricted
•DE Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions, unrestricted
•DE Jeremy Mincey, Jacksonville Jaguars, unrestricted

WHY ADDING THROUGH DRAFT MIGHT BE BEST

Unless the team seeks an upgrade at the under-tackle spot currently manned by Melton, it’s unlikely the Bears make any moves at this position during free agency outside of potential backups. But if the team wants to upgrade opposite Peppers, it would have plenty of gifted options, not to mention more than enough cap room to pull off a high-profile acquisition.

Perhaps a significant deterrent to making a move in free agency is the fact the club already has $20.15 million committed in 2012 base salaries to just three players on defense (Peppers, Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs). That number would likely swell to approximately $26 million or more if the team picked up a high-profile pass rusher to play opposite Peppers.

So Williams might be too expensive, and Avril is believed to be a top priority in Detroit. That might make Mincey an intriguing option. Mincey, 28, is coming off a breakout season in which he posted eight sacks, 57 tackles and four forced fumbles playing in a 4-3 system similar to Chicago’s. But the Bears might be apprehensive about how Mincey arrived at those sacks because five came in two games against a struggling Indianapolis Colts offensive line, and he notched three more over 14 other outings.

That could potentially push down Mincey’s asking price to a number closer to what the Bears were paying Idonije.

But with new general manager Phil Emery running the show, the team might feel the safer play is to bring back Idonije or try to boost the pass rush through the draft.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Chicago Bears fans clamoring to see rookie Nate Enderle make his NFL debut will be kept waiting.

Enderle is inactive Sunday versus the Minnesota Vikings, which means Caleb Hanie is the No. 2 quarterback behind starter Josh McCown.

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STREAKING

1. Devin Hester, WR: Hester missed the entire week of practice leading into Sunday’s game because of a sprained ankle, before a bout with strep throat casted further doubt about his availability. Hester overcame those obstacles Sunday to put together yet another electric performance in the return game. His 82-yard punt return in the second quarter gave Hester his 18th return TD. He’s now just one return TD away from tying Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ record (19) for combined return touchdowns.

2. Charles Tillman, CB: It’s interesting that 30-year-old receivers aren’t referred to as old as much as Tillman seems to be. But in any case, Tillman, 30, proved against the Lions that there’s plenty left in the tank. In shadowing Lions receiver Calvin Johnson -- arguably the game’s best at his position -- Tillman limited him to 81 yards and no touchdowns, despite 19 targets. Johnson was coming off four consecutive 100-yard games when he faced Tillman.

3. Julius Peppers, DE: Peppers has been hobbled by an injured knee since Oct. 10, but his production hasn’t dipped. Peppers forced a first-quarter fumble, a turnover that led to the team’s first touchdown, and later registered a sack for an 11-yard loss. The Bears have been creative with the way they’ve deployed Peppers, and the veteran has responded by becoming a matchup nightmare for opponents. Peppers has now forced 33 fumbles since 2002, and has 95 sacks over that same span.

SLUMPING

1. Jay Cutler, QB: He put on a brilliant performance in the first loss to Detroit, followed that with a strong game against the Vikings and then struggled in the win over Tampa Bay in London. Cutler came back strong against the Eagles, then played poorly Sunday in the win over the Lions. See a pattern here? Cutler possesses the skills to be an elite quarterback, but hasn’t played consistently enough to be placed in that category. Cutler completed less than 50 percent of his passes against the Lions for a passer rating of 46.3.

2. Corey Wootton, DE: So much for the strong training camp performance of this second-year player. Wootton wowed spectators in the summer before a knee injury put him on the shelf for the first three games. Wootton returned against the Carolina Panthers and registered nothing in terms of statistics, then injured his hand the next week in practice. Wootton hasn’t been active for five consecutive games now, and the team’s decision to sign Chauncey Davis might be an indicator of where he stands.

3. Roy Williams, WR: For three consecutive weeks, Williams caught at least three passes going into Sunday’s game. In fact, he’d hauled in multiple balls in four games. But Williams finished without a catch for the first time this season since the team’s Oct. 2 win over the Carolina Panthers. In his defense, Cutler threw just two passes Williams’ direction and neither were particularly catchable. Cutler didn’t even look Williams’ direction until the second quarter. If the team plans on Williams being a major weapon, it has to get the receiver involved earlier.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Injured Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett (torso) returned to the field Thursday for the first time in almost a month and practiced on a limited basis. Bennett had been running on the side at practice for the last week, and went through a workout in Detroit with the club's training staff hours before kickoff of Monday night's game against the Lions.

The receiver will not play Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings, but could be medically cleared next week to begin participating in contact drills, according to a league source. At this point, it's possible Bennett may be ready to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 23 in London, or worst case scenario the wideout should be available following the bye when the Bears travel to Philadelphia on Nov. 7.

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo admitted Monday night that Bennett may miss a few more weeks because of the serious nature of the torso injury.

Meanwhile, defensive end Julius Peppers (knee), defensive tackle Matt Toeaina (knee), cornerback Charles Tillman (hip), and right tackle Gabe Carimi (knee) all sat out practice on Thursday.

Defensive end Corey Wootton (hand) had full participation.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears defensive end Corey Wootton hasn't ruled out returning from a knee injury in time for the regular season opener on September 11.

However, the 2010 fourth-round pick has yet to practice since undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair meniscus damage in his right knee. Wootton suffered the injury covering the opening kickoff in the Bears preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills on August 13.

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