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The manner in which Bears head coach Lovie Smith heaped praise on Kellen Davis this offseason made it sound as if the club would aggressively try to re-sign the free agent tight end.

"I think if you want to feature Kellen Davis you can do that," Smith said last month at the NFL Combine. "Great size, great in-line blocker, skilled enough of an athlete to be able to move outside and do some things. I really like him."

The Bears could still bring back the 2008 fifth-round draft choice, but they will have competition.

A league source confirmed Tuesday night that Davis is scheduled to visit the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. The news was first reported by ProFootballTalk.com.

After the Bears traded away Greg Olsen last summer at the start of training camp, Davis started a career-high 15 games in 2011. An above-average run blocker, Davis caught just 18 passes for 206 yards and five touchdowns. However, those numbers did come under former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who has always failed to truly utilize the tight end position in the passing game.

If Davis decides to not re-sign with the Bears, the club did express interest in tight end John Carlson on Tuesday, per a league source, but the former Notre Dame standout is currently scheduled to first visit the Kansas City Chiefs.

This is the fourth 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.

Surely at some point in the in the playoffs the Chicago Bears front office watched the exploits of tight ends around the league, and wondered why under former offensive coordinator Mike Martz and the team basically eliminated the position, reducing it to nothing more than an extra offensive lineman.

Five of the tight ends featured in the postseason (New Orlean's Jimmy Graham, New England's Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, Green Bay's Jermichael Finley and San Francisco's Vernon Davis) individually produced more in terms of receptions and yardage than every tight end on the Bears roster combined. In fact, of all the teams that advanced to the postseason, only one starting tight end -- Denver's Daniel Fells -- generated fewer catches (19) than Chicago tight ends Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth (25), but matched their yardage (256).

Of the 12 starting tight ends on playoff teams just two -- Fells and Jake Ballard of the New York Giants -- caught fewer than 51 passes. To really put that into perspective, consider the fact that Chicago's leading receiver -- running back Matt Forte -- finished the season with 52 receptions.

Ten tight ends on playoff teams eclipsed Forte's numbers, and four of them -- Detroit's Brandon Pettigrew, Atlanta's Tony Gonzales, Graham and Gronkowski -- finished 2011 with at least 80 catches. A Bears player hasn't accomplished that feat since 2002, when receiver Marty Booker finished with 97 receptions.

So despite the rosy outlook from the coaching staff regarding the team's tight ends, clearly the Bears need more from the position, especially in the red zone where the Bears scored 20 touchdowns in 38 drives inside an opponent's 20 in 2011.

"We have an excellent tight end," Bears coach Lovie Smith said of Davis, who is an unrestricted free agent. "We brought Matt Spaeth here to primarily be a blocker for us, and he filled that role well. Kellen Davis can do anything the good tight ends in this league can do. I think we had a combination of as good a tight end -- the makings of -- as anyone around in Kellen."

THE CURRENT ROSTER

•Kellen Davis: Despite pedestrian statistics, Davis led the Bears with five touchdown receptions, finishing his fourth season with 18 catches for 206 yards. An unrestricted free agent, Davis might be offered a minimal deal to re-sign. But if the Bears -- under new GM Emery -- decide to upgrade at the position, they could decide to let Davis sign elsewhere. Davis has flashed ability as both a blocker and receiver over the past two seasons, but lacks consistency in both areas.

•Matt Spaeth: Brought in as a blocking tight end, Spaeth played 15 games, catching seven passes for 50 yards. The Bears signed Spaeth to a three-year contract last year in free agency, and -- counting his bonuses -- he basically earned more than $285,000 per catch last season. With Spaeth to receive $1.775 million in base salary for 2012, the front office may decide that’s too much to pay for a one-dimensional tight end. In fact, the Bears could use that money to try to lure back Davis.

•Kyle Adams: Contributed primarily as a special teamer for eight games as a rookie, before a torn hamstring landed Adams on the injured reserve. One of just five undrafted free agents to make last year’s team, Adams also showed promise as a developmental tight end that might thrive with an NFL offseason under his belt that might open up the door to a strong training camp.

•Andre Smith: Spent the first eight games on the practice squad before the Bears promoted him to the 53-man roster after Adams was placed on injured reserve. Although he was on the active roster, the Bears placed Smith on their inactive list in each of the last eight games. Like Adams, Smith is another developmental prospect that displays promising upside.

•Draylen Ross: Spent time briefly with the Bears during 2011 training camp, and was signed to the practice squad when Adams was placed on IR and Smith was promoted to the active roster. If Ross makes it to training camp, he’ll have a difficult time sticking.

Bears free agents: Davis

POTENTIAL FREE AGENT TARGETS

•Jermichael Finley, Green Bay Packers, unrestricted
•Fred Davis, Washington Redskins, unrestricted
•Martellus Bennett, Dallas Cowboys, unrestricted

WHY BENNETT MIGHT MAKE SENSE

There's no way the Packers let Finley see the open market, and Davis' 2011 drug suspension might be too much of a red flag for the Bears under new GM Phil Emery. Bennett (6 foot 6, 270 pounds) makes for an interesting prospect for a variety of reasons. According to a Cowboys source, Bennett was the team's best blocker, is immensely athletic and possesses solid hands. But he's been plagued by immaturity. Like quarterback Jay Cutler, Bennett has often been criticized for his body language.

Bennett, who will be 25 in March, might be able to thrive in Chicago because of the Bears' established group of leaders, and the fact Halas Hall isn’t the circus atmosphere the tight end has become accustomed to in Dallas. With the Bears, Bennett would take a lead role, as opposed to being merely a backup to Jason Witten. Throw in a strong-minded coach in Smith, a top quarterback in Cutler, and an established group of leaders in the locker room, and Chicago might be the place where Bennett can finally flourish.

Believe it or not, Bennett’s skill set is very similar to those of Pettigrew and Finley.

IRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys have no interest in putting in a claim for quarterback Donovan McNabb, a source said Friday.

The Cowboys backup quarterback, Jon Kitna, has back issues and isn't expected to play this week at Arizona. Currently, Stephen McGee is the backup to quarterback Tony Romo.

Read the entire story.

DALLAS -- If the Chicago Bears believe they’ll get much of an offensive boost from the three former Dallas Cowboys they signed, it certainly wasn’t based on the film from the teams’ meeting last season.

Running back Marion Barber rushed for 31 yards on 11 carries in the Cowboys’ 27-20 loss to the Bears, a typical performance for him last season. Roy Williams caught four passes for 53 yards, which was actually a very productive day by his Dallas standards. Sam Hurd didn’t catch a pass, as was the case in six other games last season.

Maybe Mike Martz, the man Williams considers the smartest offensive mind in the game, can work his magic on the former Cowboys.

Here’s what the Bears are getting based on the perspective of what the ex-Cowboys did for Dallas:

Barber: The man dubbed “Marion the Barbarian” by Terrell Owens still has a warrior’s heart, but his physical running style has taken a toll on his body. He played through a variety of nagging injuries the past two seasons, but he often didn’t play well. He especially struggled in 2010, when Barber rushed for only 374 yards on 113 carries. Barber was never a burner, but he has lost burst since his 2007 Pro Bowl campaign, when he rushed for a career-high 975 yards and 10 touchdowns. He still runs hard, but Barber doesn’t break nearly as many tackles as he did during his days as one of the league’s best backups.

Williams: The blockbuster trade bust not-so-subtly points the finger at Jason Garrett for his lack of production with the Cowboys, but Owens and Miles Austin managed to be Pro Bowl receivers in the same system. Williams’ biggest issues in Dallas were poor route running and inconsistent hands, which resulted in never earning the trust of Garrett and Tony Romo. As much as Jerry Jones hates to admit it, Williams wasn’t that productive in Detroit, either. He’s only had one 1,000-yard season, which came when he was coached by Martz.

Hurd: He’ll be one of the Bears’ special teams players. He’s strong and absolutely fearless, attributes that also make him a tremendous blocker for a receiver. Hurd was known for making acrobatic catches during training camp, but he never solidified a role in the Cowboys’ offense despite being considered even with Austin on the depth chart as recently as two summers ago.

SAN ANTONIO -- There is absolutely no denying that the Roy Williams deal was a disaster for Dallas.

“I’d love to have that trade back,” Jerry Jones said, stating the obvious about a trade that cost the Cowboys first- and third-round picks for a receiver released days ago after two-and-a-half extremely disappointing seasons in Dallas.
Read the full story.

Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Roy Williams wants to sign with Chicago, where he would be reunited with Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, according to a team source.

The Detroit Lions traded Williams in October 2008 to Dallas, which released him Thursday, freeing him to strike a deal with Chicago. In 40 games with the Cowboys, Williams had 94 catches for 1,324 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Are the Chicago Bears establishing a reputation as big hitters who intimidate opponents?

Depends on who's asked.

Bears cornerback D.J. Moore actually thought Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten looked 'scared to get hit,' according to the Chicago Sun-Times, and he said Witten "short-handed" a pass as if he were about to get hit during the Bears' 27-20 win Sunday in Dallas. Moore had two interceptions.

Read the entire story.

I admit to not being familiar with Bears cornerback D.J. Moore's body of work before yesterday's game, but the former fourth-round pick made a believer out of me with two interceptions. Moore also showed some versatility in his postgame comments, having the gall to suggest that Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten might have heard footsteps on a ball that deflected off his back hip into the hands of the nickel cornerback.

Read the entire story.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Dallas kept bringing heat.

So the Bears made the necessary adjustments to pack the Cowboys’ pass rush in ice.

“We let up,” Dallas cornerback Mike Jenkins said. “We should have kept the pressure on them.”

Uh, no. They shouldn’t have, based on what we’ve learned about their blitzing from ESPN Stats and Information. After the Cowboys pressured Jay Cutler relentlessly on four of his first five attempts, the Bears adjusted to the heavy pressure by switching personnel on the line and making adjustments to the play calling and the length of the quarterback’s drops.

The moves paid dividends in the Bears' 27-20 win on Sunday.

“We knew we were going to have a tough time taking seven steps and protecting everything,” Cutler said. “So we thought the next best thing was to empty [the backfield] out and see if they wanted to blitz or if they wanted to play soft, and get it out quick.”

The Cowboys chose the blitz route, according to ESPN Stats and Information, and Cutler made them pay. Dallas played its base 3-4 defense for the majority of the game, thinking the rush could get to the quarterback sooner, and defended with five or more defensive backs on just 11 of Cutler’s passing attempts.

In 2009, Cutler completed 58.9 percent of his passes, and threw 20 interceptions when opponents defended him with five or more defensive backs. But the Cowboys chose to defend Cutler with four or fewer Sunday, and the quarterback hit on 15 of 18 in those situations for a 9.9-yard average and a passer rating of 147.7.

Cutler threw all three of his touchdowns with the Cowboys utilizing four or fewer defensive backs in coverage.

“They kept coming,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Protection got a little better. We gave Jay a little more time. When you blitz, there’s a lot of risk involved as far as giving up the big play.”

Dallas learned that the hard way.

“We kept a good defensive front at bay, and our guys on the outside were able to make a lot of plays,” Bears tight end Greg Olsen said.

Because of the pressure from the Cowboys, the Bears -- looking to bolster the protection -- operated out of three-wide sets on 46.9 percent of their total plays, and 58.1 percent of passing plays. Just last week against Detroit, the Bears used three-wide sets on 71.4 percent of their total plays and 83.7 percent of pass plays. So it’s safe to say the Bears sacrificed receiving targets for blockers.

The move worked well for Cutler, who pumped out the third-best passer rating of his career (136.7). He delivered when the Bears trailed, completing 8 of 8 passes for two touchdowns and a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in that situation.

“We are creating so many matchups for guys,” Cutler said. “They don’t know where we are going or what we are doing in some of these formations or where we’re headed. So it’s worked out out to our advantage, and we have a guy like Mike Martz who knows how to take advantage of all that.”

Just ask the Cowboys.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears' rankings on offense (1st) and defense (2nd) dominated the talk and headlines this week, while the obstacle holding the club back received nary a whisper.

The club ranks sixth in the NFL in penalties, with officials flagging it nine times for 100 yards in the season opener. Bears coach Lovie Smith wants to see the Bears make strides toward improving the situation today against the Dallas Cowboys.

“You can’t have it,” Smith said. “But a lot of times [in] first games, those things do pop up. That’s more than we normally have. We’re on top of it. We realize that we can’t have it.”

If it continues, Smith knows a penchant for penalties kills drives for the offense and keeps them alive for opponents’ offenses.

The Bears offensive line generated four holding penalties coming from Roberto Garza, Brandon Manumaleuna, Chris Williams and Olin Kreutz. Garza was also called for false start. Three Bears -- Julius Peppers, Rashied Davis, and Brian Urlacher -- received 15-yard personal-foul penalties, and Garrett Wolfe was called for an illegal block.

In the first quarter against Detroit last week, a Peppers roughing-the-passer penalty on third-and-8 -- in which Matthew Stafford completed a pass for six yards -- gave the Lions a fresh set of downs. Four plays later, the Lions scored to go up 7-3.

Then, in the second quarter officials flagged Urlacher for a personal foul after a fumble recovery by Tommie Harris. Had the Bears not been called for the penalty, the offense would’ve taken possession at the Detroit 22.

Instead, the unit took over at the 37, and settled for a field goal after gaining 24 yards in three plays. The lost real estate potentially cost the Bears a touchdown, when considering the club would’ve needed to gain just 22 yards instead of 37 for a score.

“We had great field position during the day, but some of [the penalties] really hurt our field position, and just in general. Normally, there’s a big improvement from Game 1 to Game 2 in all areas. That’s definitely one we need to improve on this week.”

Three keys for the Bears

Go deep: It’s pointless to possess speed on the outside if it’s never put to use. So it’s worth it to take a shot or two deep with Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester or Greg Olsen. Chicago’s receivers own a speed advantage over the Cowboys secondary. Dallas corner Terence Newman is aging, and Mike Jenkins struggles to against taller receivers. Cowboys’ safety Gerald Sensabaugh lacks ball skills.

Take advantage of Dallas' struggling offensive line: Right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Kosier return to the lineup for the Cowboys, after missing time with injury and left tackle Doug Free is inexperienced. So take advantage of the returners’ not-so-good playing shape and Free’s lack of experience by lining up Julius Peppers in a variety of spots along the defensive line. Peppers should consistently win his matchups against both Cowboys tackles.

Take the halftime lead: The Bears typically don’t thrive in come-from-behind situations, so it’s important for the club to put points on the board early. Opponents outscored the Bears 96-36 in the first quarter of games last year, which needs to change for the club to achieve any level of consistency. The Bears are 36-6 since 2004 when they lead at halftime and 10-33 when they trail.

Three keys for the Cowboys

Blitz the linebackers: Because of Jay Ratliff’s ability to generate pressure up the middle, the Bears will devote plenty of manpower to firming up the interior of the line with double teams. And on the outside, shaky Bears tackles Chris Williams and Frank Omiayle will struggle to neutralize Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. That should leave plenty of rush lanes for Dallas’ interior linebackers.

Hit Jay Cutler: Even if the Cowboys aren’t ringing up sacks, they need to hit Cutler often and get into his face nearly every play. Cutler receives praise for his durability and toughness. But like most quarterbacks, he’s shown a penchant for becoming antsy in the pocket when he’s hit often, which leads to him not stepping into throws; thus interceptions and errant attempts.

Stop Peppers at all costs: Neutralizing Peppers won’t be easy, but it’s the best way to keep Tony Romo comfortable in the pocket. Besides that, the Bears haven’t displayed any consistent ability to win one-on-one matchups with any of the other pass rushers. So make the Bears beat you with manufactured pressure -- which exposes the secondary -- or guys such as Mark Anderson and Israel Idonije instead of Peppers.

Matchup to watch: D.J. Moore vs. Miles Austin

D.J. Moore doesn’t lack in confidence, but that might not be enough to overcome inexperience, or the challenge of lining up against Cowboys slot receiver Miles Austin.

The starting nickel corner, Moore said he expected to line up across from Austin on most third downs when the Cowboys go to three-wideout formations.

“It’s football, man,” Moore said. “They run routes and I cover them.”

How well, however, could make the difference in whether the Bears win. When the Bears pressure Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo on third down, they can expect him to look Austin’s direction, according to research conducted by ESPN Stats and Information. Romo has completed 70.9 passes to Austin over the past two years when defenses pressure with five or more rushers, with the receiver averaging 13.2 yards per catch in such situations.

“I feel like if teams do go at him, he’ll have opportunities to make plays,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said of Moore. “He has great hands. They’re going to try to match D.J. up a little bit. Again, I feel like he’s one of our starters, and he can hold his own even if someone tries to [attack him].

Streaks

• The Cowboys have won two in a row over the Bears, and four of the last six meetings in the series.

• Cutler has posted passer ratings of 100 or better in three consecutive outings. Interestingly, Cutler is 16-0 as a starter when his passer rating is 100 or better.

• Linebacker Brian Urlacher tied his career high for sacks (2) in his last game against the Cowboys

• The Bears have won 14 of their last 17 when Charles Tillman intercepts a pass.

• Peppers has posted seven sacks, in addition to two interceptions and two forced fumbles in six career games against the Cowboys.

• Austin has averaged 95.3 yards per catch in his last seven home games, in addition to scoring six touchdowns.

Bears by the numbers

1: Player in the NFL (Matt Forte) since to 2008 to gain 2,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving.
82: Sacks by Peppers since 2002, which ranks him third in the NFL for sacks during that span behind Jason Taylor and Dwight Freeney.
23: Career interceptions for Tillman, which ties him for No. 9 on the franchise’s all-time list.
23: Players on the roster with at least five years of NFL experience.
.400: Chicago’s winning percentage over the past 10 years on the road. The club has compiled a 32-48 record in road games from 2000-2009.

Michael Irvin talks Bears-Cowboys.

Red-zone performance

Despite being tied for first in the NFL in total offense after amassing 463 yards in their season opener against Detroit, the Bears sputtered in the red zone. They went 0-for-4 from inside the Lions' 20, in addition to finishing 0-for-2 in goal-to-go situations. The Bears can march up and down the field on the Cowboys all game, but it's pointless if the club can't take advantage of scoring opportunities. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz attributed the offensive anemia to inadequately preparing for goal-line scenarios due to extensive installation of the base packages. Excuses clearly aren't putting points on the board. So it's now time for the Bears to deliver on the promises of potency on offense -- especially in the red zone.

The rushing attack

The Bears showed commitment to the ground game in the opener, handing the ball to running backs Matt Forte and Chester Taylor 17 and 9 times, respectively. One of the most effective ways to slow down Dallas' relentless pass rush is to mix in plenty of runs with the pass-heavy components of the offense, because it would keep the Cowboys from basically pinning back their ears in attack mode all game. Forte and Taylor, however, need to do more with their opportunities against the Cowboys than they did against the Lions for the club to be able to successfully commit to the run. The duo averaged 3.4 yards per carry in the opener, which might not be good enough against the Cowboys.

Communication between Jay Cutler and the receivers

Communication between Cutler and his receivers continues to be an issues. Against the Lions, Cutler misread a coverage, and tossed an errant pass towards Johnny Knox -- who made the correct adjustment on the play -- early in the game. Such mistakes kill drives with incompletions and senseless interceptions. It's likely the Cowboys will show a few wrinkles that the Bears didn't cover in the week leading up to the game. That won't be a problem if the offense quickly identifies these looks, makes the appropriate adjustments and communicates them to everyone. The Cowboys will play aggressive bump-and-run coverage to disrupt Chicago's timing on offense. Cutler and the receivers need to get into synch quickly on possible improvisations.

Cutler's protection

Expect to see the running backs chipping off the edge more this week, because lining up tight ends next to left tackle Chris Williams failed to neutralize the Detroit pass rush in the opener. Dallas' front seven is one of the most skilled the Bears will see this season. So they've got to go all-out schematically on protections to keep Cutler comfortable in the pocket. Combinations of Olin Kreutz and guards Lance Louis and Roberto Garza against Jay Ratliff might be the club's most important matchup on offense this week because of the defensive tackle's ability to generate pressure up the middle, which is the quickest route to Cutler. The quarterback took four sacks against the Lions. So that number needs to diminish against the Cowboys. Dallas will try to confuse the Bears with a spinner (a rusher in a 3-4 defense, who will line up and blitz from a variety of spots). Cutler and the offensive line need to recognize him quickly and make the appropriate adjustments to the protections.

How the Bears defend Dallas' three-prong rushing attack
Lance Briggs talked about the importance of the defense consistently filling its gaps to stop the Cowboys' trio of Marion Barber, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones. The defense also needs to quickly develop a feel for the different styles of each runner, and use the knowledge to its advantage. A physical downhill runner, Barber will handle most of the inside runs, while Choice is more of a cutback threat. Jones gives the Cowboys a speed dimension on screens, outside and off-tackle runs. So by knowing the best attributes of the backs, the Bears can better anticipate the types of play calls they'll see based on who's in the backfield. Briggs remains the key because he's often protecting from an opponent's blocking schemes by Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Urlacher and the defensive tackles, which frees him up to run around and make plays. So if Briggs puts together a performance similar to last week's look for the rush defense to hold the Cowboys to less than 100 yards.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- D.J. Moore passed his first test at nickel.

The second-year defensive back handled whatever little action come his way during the Chicago Bears opening weekend victory over the Detroit Lions.

But the Dallas Cowboys are a different kind of animal.

While the Lions were forced to play backup Shaun Hill for the entire second half, the Cowboys have no shortage of talent on offense, starting with veteran quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten and receivers Miles Austin, Roy Williams and rookie Dez Bryant.

Expect Dallas to challenge Moore if possible on Sunday.

"That would be our guess, that they're going to try match D.J. up a little bit," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "D.J. has done well throughout camp and did well the first game. I know he's looking forward to this next opportunity.

"I feel like if teams do go at him, he'll have an opportunity to make plays. He's got great hands, and I feel like he's one of our starters, and he can hold his own even if somebody tries to [challenge him]."

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It's no secret the Dallas Cowboys' defense thrives on pressure created by a front seven led by outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer and nose tackle Jay Ratliff.

That's why the Bears had little or no reaction when informed Ware told reporters in Dallas "we're going to be coming" [after quarterback Jay Cutler].

"You always want to prepare for the worst, so that's what we are doing," Bears right tackle Frank Omiyale said. "Whatever they do we'll be able to talk about it on the sideline and get it straight.

"It's a game. When the lights go on, they'll have a job to do, and we'll have a job to do."

The Cowboys' 3-4 front presents new challenges for a Bears offensive line that received mixed reviews following the team's Week 1 victory over the Detroit Lions.

"They use their hands a lot better [than Detroit] because of the 3-4 defense," Omiyale said. "We just have to work at staying on our blocks and finishing while the ball carrier is going through the hole."

Ware and Ratliff were 2009 Pro Bowl selections, but Dallas did little to rattle Washington quarterback Donovan McNabb on Sunday. McNabb was only sacked once (by Ware) and hurried five times in the Redskins' 13-7 win. However, the Cowboys' track record of pressure -- especially by Ware -- speaks for itself. The outside linebacker recorded 20 sacks in 2008 and 11 sacks in 2009, while Ratliff posted an impressive 13.5 sacks over the past two years from his nose tackle spot.