SB Nation - Israel Idonije

Friday Injury Report: Packers at Bears

Brandon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:37:23 -0000

It's a fairly short injury report for the Green Bay Packers, only 9 players listed, but it includes the top 4 defensive lineman. The Bears report is even shorter, but it might expose their lack of depth at wide receiver.

For the Packers: the big story has been that their top 4 defensive lineman are listed on listed on the injury report. While technically true, the only player likely to miss the game is NT Ryan Pickett, who hasn't practiced all week as he tries to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered during the win on Monday night. NT B.J. Raji will slide into replace him, and he's already making friends with Bear C Olin Kreutz. Raji is listed too, but he was a full participant in Friday's practice. DE Cullen Jenkins and DE Johnny Jolly were both limited in Friday's practice, but I expect they'll go. Late in the Monday night game, DE Jarius Wynn was in on several plays, and I don't expect the coaching staff has any concerns going with the 277 lb. rookie, if necessary.

Everyone else was a full participant in practice, except backup LB Jeremy Thompson, as he tries to recover from a career threatening neck injury. One name not listed is rookie OL T.J. Lang, who missed last Monday's game with a concussion, which is good news since LT Chad Clifton did miss some practice this week, and Lang will also be available to spell RT Mark Tauscher, if he needs a break.

For the Bears: it looks like WR Devin Hester is unlikely to play. While he isn't the greatest receiver and he's no longer the best kick returner on the Bears either, but he's still their leading receiver. Their great kick returner, WR Johnny Knox, would be counted on more in the offense, alongside WR Earl Bennett. Their bigger problem is that they don't have any depth at receiver behind their top 3 (none of their other receivers have more than 2 receptions on the season). The Bears might rely on their 2 TE packages even more than usual. LT Orlando Pace could return this week, but it's not clear whether he would start even if healthy. LB Lance Briggs should return this week, but his replacement, LB Jamar Williams, did very well in his place with 18 tackles against the Rams last week.

The complete injury report is after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Nick Barnett	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Hamstring	Full Participation	Probable
Jermichael Finley	TE	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Probable
Johnny Jolly	DE	Knee	Limited Participation	Questionable
Ryan Pickett	NT	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
B.J. Raji	NT	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Jeremy Thompson	LB	Neck	Out	Out
Charles Woodson	CB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Lance Briggs	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Tommie Harris	DT	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Devin Hester	WR	Calf	Did Not Participate	Probable
Hunter Hillenmeyer	LB	Groin	Full Participation	Probable
Israel Idonije	DT	Knee	Full Participation	Questionable
Orlando Pace	T	Groin	Limited Participation	Probable

Tommie Harris' Future With the Bears

wiltfongjr — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

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Tommie Harris... What to do with Tommie Harris? His salary, though not as out of line as many think, is still a large chunk of change. But if he's wreaking havoc like the Pro Bowl Tommie, does anyone really care how much his deal is worth? Many people have floated the idea of trading him, myself included, but is there a market for him and would any potential deal bring anything worth the salary relief? The Cover 2 defense looks to be in place again next year, so that 3 technique tackle is a necessity. If it isn't Harris, is there someone on the current roster that can be that guy? Questions, questions, questions...

For the record here's the info on his contract; Last summer he signed a four year $40 million extension that takes him through 2012. $18 million of the deal is guaranteed and next year he's set to make $1.235 million (and a $2.5 million roster bonus in June if he makes the roster), in 2011 he'll make $2.3125 million, and in 2012 he'll make $2.5 million. A lot, yes, but not untradeable.

I think the best case scenario for all involved, would be if Harris were 100% healthy for 2010 and was able to play at that Pro Bowl form. But how realistic is that? The last two seasons he's started slow, not to mention the "benchings" he received in each of the last two years, and hasn't really showed any consistency in being the player he was. He's showed flashes, but he hasn't been able to maintain it. Against the Rams he didn't play as much as in weeks past because his knee was acting up. Asides from the best case scenario, here are a few other possibilities for Tommie as they finish out the season.

1) He keeps this upward swing in play going for the rest of '09 and gives some hope to the Bears that 2010 will be a big year for him. If Harris were to finish strong the Bears would have some options.

a) Ride it out and see if he can regain his old form. Let's face it, if he's right, he's one of the best DT's in the league, and why move away from a potentially dominating force inside.

b) If he can finish strong, it'll be the highest his trade value will be since 2006. I don't think they'll get too much for him (a late second or third round draft pick at most). In trading him the Bears will have to find another team that is lacking at DT, a team that is willing to take on the salary, and a team that really believes in Tommie.

c) Keep him and reevaluate him before the 2010 trade deadline. This could backfire if he regresses next season, but if he looks good a trade could present itself. Then again if he's looking good why trade him?

2) He continues to show flashes of his brilliance, but no consistency.

a) Trade him, but what would he bring as a shell of his old self? A sixth or a fifth round pick at best? Finding a willing trade partner with him not going good will prove to be tough.

b) Cut him this off season. They'll be no stud DT coming in the draft, so is Marcus Harrison gonna be that guy? Israel Idonije? Jarron Gilbert?

c) Keep him because even at less that 100% he's still the best you have. I really think this may be the way the Bears go.

I guess one other scenario could play itself out. He could keep struggling with injuries the rest of this season and show no signs of improvement this off season. Then the writing would be on the wall in regards to his future. Honestly I hope he can bounce back from his recent struggles, everything I've read and heard about him off the field paints him in a good light.

Poll

What do you believe the future holds for Tommie Harris?

The Bears Den - 11/27/2009

ChiFan13 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:00:14 -0000

....where we're cautiously excited to be at the game on Sunday.

ChicagoBears.com

Israel Idonije was chosen as the Bears' winner of the Ed Block Courage Award.

The Bears' D is preparing for Brett Favre.

The Vikings present a problem. Ya think?

Chicago Sun-Times

The Vikings-Bears injury report.

Roberto Garza returned to practice yesterday.

Dan McNeil: Lovie, some time off will be good for you.

Chicago Tribune

The D wants to show Bernard Berrian wrong.

Jared Allen is more than a mouthful.

Corey Graham is looking to make the most of his chance in the nickel.

Israel Idonije was fined for pulling on McNabb's facemask.

David Haugh: Cutler is still the Bears' main building block. Thanks, David.

CSN Chicago

John Mullin: A three-course Thanksgiving blog.

Daily Herald

The Bears beating the Vikings would be a statement game....if it would happen.

Ron is focusing on the Vikings. Fantastic.

Bob LeGere: Lovie, stop coddling Cutler.

Favre likes Cutler as a QB.

ESPN Chicago

Mission impossible: Stop AP.

Favre thinks nothing is wrong with Cutler. Good read.

Jared Allen and Jay Cutler are ready to renew their acquaintances.

Lovie and Ron are focusing on the Vikings, which, I suppose, is good.

Final Injury/Practice Report: Chicago Bears (3-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

Kirkendall — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:56:31 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

OUT	PROBABLE
T Andre Smith (foot)	TE Daniel Coats (shoulder)
	DT Tank Johnson (foot)
DOUBTFUL	RB Brian Leonard (groin)
S Roy Williams (forearm)	WR Chad Ochocinco (hip)
	DT Domata Peko (knee)
QUESTIONABLE	DE Frostee Rucker (ankle)
DT Jonathan Fanene (illness)	DT Pat Sims (biceps)
WR Chris Henry (illness)

CHICAGO BEARS

OUT	PROBABLE
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee)	S Josh Bullocks (ankle)
	CB Corey Graham (ankle)
DOUBTFUL	LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (rib)
DT Tommie Harris (knee)	DT Israel Idonije (knee)
RB Adrian Peterson (knee)	S Kevin Payne (toe)

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	FP
S Roy Williams (forearm)	DNP	DNP	DNP
T Andre Smith (foot)	LP	LP	FP
TE Daniel Coats (shoulder)	FP	FP	FP
DT Tank Johnson (foot)	FP	DNP	FP
RB Brian Leonard (groin)	FP	FP	FP
DE Frostee Rucker (ankle)	FP	FP	FP
DT Pat Sims (biceps)	FP	FP	FP
DT Jonathan Fanene (illness)	--	DNP	DNP
WR Chris Henry (illness)	--	--	DNP
WR Chad Ochocinco (hip)	--	--	DNP

BEARS	WED	THUR	FRI
DT Tommie Harris (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP
RB Adrian Peterson (knee)	DNP	DNP	DNP
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee)	DNP	OUT	OUT
S Josh Bullocks (ankle)	LP	LP	FP
CB Corey Graham (ankle)	LP	LP	FP
LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (rib)	LP	FP	FP
DT Israel Idonije (knee)	LP	FP	FP
S Kevin Payne (toe)	--	LP	FP

Practice Report: Chicago Bears (3-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)

Kirkendall — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:59:09 -0000

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll (TRY TO) update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP
S Roy Williams (forearm)	DNP	DNP
T Andre Smith (foot)	LP	LP
TE Daniel Coats (shoulder)	FP	FP
DT Tank Johnson (foot)	FP	DNP
RB Brian Leonard (groin)	FP	FP
DE Frostee Rucker (ankle)	FP	FP
DT Pat Sims (biceps)	FP	FP
DT Jonathan Fanene (illness)	--	DNP

BEARS	WED	THUR	FRI
DT Tommie Harris (knee)	DNP	DNP
RB Adrian Peterson (knee)	DNP	DNP
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee)	DNP	OUT
S Josh Bullocks (ankle)	LP	LP
CB Corey Graham (ankle)	LP	LP
LB Hunter Hillenmeyer (rib)	LP	FP
DT Israel Idonije (knee)	LP	FP
S Kevin Payne (toe)		LP

Idonije To Have Surgery

Dane Noble — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:31:30 -0000

According to Brad Biggs' blog, Israel Idonije is set to have arthroscopic surgery on one of his knees today.

Idonije has been on the injury report since the beginning of the season with a knee listed as his ailment, and he was questionable for Sunday's game against Detroit. He played and was credited with a forced fumble and a sack. Idonije was also involved on special teams, but didn't look as quick as usual. By doing the procedure today, there is a chance Idonije will return quickly. While it's unknown the exact reason they are working on his knee, it's not out of the question that he could be back on the field when the Bears play at Atlanta Oct. 18. The bye will certainly help.

So far this season, Idonije has registered 4 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble, and has shown good ability to rush the passer.

Seattle Seahawks First Quarter Notes: Blocking

John Morgan — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:56:55 -0000

Blocking:

The Bears blitzed five times in the first quarter. Seattle's offensive line was steady with few exceptions. Ray Willis was beat around the edge once, and on another play the defensive end took him deep into the pocket. Seneca Wallace refused to step up in the pocket and instead scrambled left.

Willis was having the most trouble pass blocking and Max Unger was having the most trouble run blocking. He missed two blocks on defenders that would end up tackling Jones.

2-7-CHI 31 (1:28) 22-J.Jones right end to CHI 28 for 3 yards (38-D.Manning)

Unger pulled right and dropped a nice looking cut block, but he went down too fast and didn't get a body on Manning. Manning avoided the block and tackled Jones.

The single most impressive pull of the quarter was by Chris Spencer on this play:

1-10-SEA 15 (5:27) 22-J.Jones up the middle to SEA 31 for 16 yards (38-D.Manning)

Spencer snapped and then fluidly pulled into the second level without delay. He engaged Hunter Hillenmeyer and took him out of the play.

The single most impressive block was by Rob Sims. He locked up right defensive tackle Israel Idonije and then threw him to ground.

1-10-CHI 45 (12:43) 22-J.Jones right tackle to CHI 40 for 5 yards (53-N.Roach).

Nick Roach beat John Carlson and tackled Jones after five.

QuickHit: Personnel Match Ups @ Seattle

Dane Noble — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:51:38 -0000

More photos » by Charles Rex Arbogast - AP

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When the Bears take the field in Seattle, the Seahawks and their fans are probably going to witness the toughest test their team will face at Qwest Field this year. It is natural in a contest like this for all eyes to be on the QB play, with Chicago fielding a legitimate player at that position, and Seattle having a huge question mark with whoever lines up for them. But let's go deeper than just the QBs.

Earlier today, SackMan let us in on a couple of key match ups to keep an eye on: Lance Briggs versus the Seattle run game, and how our WRs will stack up against their CBs.

So, outside of these, what are some other battles to keep an eye out for? Follow me inside to take a look.

Seattle runs a base 4-3 defense, and defensive end Lawrence Jackson (who is listed as a backup behind Cory Redding) has three sacks to his name through the first two games of the season. Chicago offensive tackle Chris Williams, who had a solid preseason, and looks good thus far in the season, will have his hands full on the right side of the line Sunday. When QB Jay Cutler rolls out of the pocket, he tends to favor the right side, and that is likely to be where the most pressure comes from. This should be a good test for the Bears first round draft pick from a year ago.

On the other side of the line, we'll get to see a battle of veterans. Orlando Pace, in his 14th season, will face off against Patrick Kerney, in his 12th season. This should be a good match up as well, with Kerney (6'5", 275) having long, strong arms battling Pace's enormous size (6'7", 325).

Seattle drafted offensive lineman Max Unger in this year's draft, and the rookie will be battling Tommie Harris and Israel Idonije. Unger has a ton of talent, but the defensive line of Chicago seems to be playing with a lot more speed this season, thanks to the tutelage of Rod Marinelli. And the one thing that is the hardest for rookies to adjust to is the speed of the NFL. Look for Chicago to go after Unger on Sunday.

Special teams are likely to play into Chicago's favor Sunday as well. If Seattle's offense sputters, look for the Bears punt return team to have plenty of opportunities for big plays, as well as setting up good field position for our offense.

So far in 2009, Seattle has been penalized 10 time for 70 yards, and Chicago 9 times for 77 yards, with the majority for both teams coming last week.

Friday Injury Report: Bears at Green Bay Packers

Brandon — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:00:26 -0000

The complete injury report for the Packers and Bears is after the jump. It's a short list for both teams.

The Friday injury report is the only one I watch all week. It's the final one before the game, and gives the clearest indication of who's out on Sunday.

According to Mike McCarthy, CB Will Blackmon and NT B.J. Raji are game-time decisions. Blackmon will be missed on punt returns, but WR Jordy Nelson is his replacement, again according to McCarthy, and he's almost as good. Blackmon might not be missed at all on defense because the Bears love running in a two tight end set and the Packers might not use a dime package.

Raji could be missed as he'd battle the two new starters on the right side of the Bears o-line. Improving the run defense is a priority, and without Raji, it's the same defensive front seven that struggled against the run last season. But if his ankle isn't ready to go, he should be held out.

RB Brandon Jackson has been hurt for a couple weeks, so his absense isn't surprising. Mike McCarthy prefers leaving RB Ryan Grant in for most of the game anyway, so the few times Jackson would have played will easily be covered by RB DeShawn Wynn.

Everyone in Chicago has been watching the return of CB Charles Tillman. He had back surgery in July and just returned to practice on Monday. He might be healthy enough to play, but he's probably not in football shape yet.

From Packers.com:

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Will Blackmon	CB	Quadricep	Limited Participation	Questionable
Matt Flynn	QB	Right Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable
Brandon Jackson	RB	Ankle	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
B.J. Raji	NT	Ankle	Limited Participation	Questionable
Aaron Rouse	S	Hamstring	Full Participation	Probable

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Devin Aromashodu	WR	Quadricep	Limited Participation	Questionable
Israel Idonije	DT	Hamstring	Full Participation	Probable
Charles Tillman	CB	Back	Full Participation	Questionable

Bears Make 53

Dane Noble — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:20:43 -0000

A few surprises, but not too many. Today, the Bears whittled their roster down to the league mandated 53 players by terminating 3 contracts, waiving 16 players, and placing 3 on Injured Reserve.

Players who were waived included guard Johan Asiata, defensive ends Ervin Baldwin and Joe Clermond, offensive tackle Cody Balogh, quarterback Brett Basanez, cornerbacks Rudy Burgess, Marcus Hamilton and Woodny Turenne, fullbacks Jason Davis and Will Ta’ufo’ou, linebackers Marcus Freeman, Kevin Malast and Mike Rivera, receiver Eric Peterman, and center Donovan Raiola.

The Bears can establish an eight-man practice squad on Sunday and also can claim players who’ve been waived by other NFL teams. In past seasons, the Bears have typically stocked their practice squad primarily with players they released a day earlier during final cuts.

Here’s a breakdown of the 53-man roster as it stands now (in alphabetical order):

Quarterbacks (2): Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie.

Running backs (3): Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe.

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie:

Wide receivers (6): Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.

Tight ends (4): Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis, Michael Gaines, Greg Olsen.

Offensive linemen (8): Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Frank Omiyale, Orlando

Pace, Kevin Shaffer, Chris Williams.

Defensive linemen (9): Anthony Adams, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown, Jarron Gilbert, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Adewale Ogunleye, Matt Toeaina.

Linebackers (6): Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Urlacher, Jamar Williams.

Cornerbacks (6): Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, D.J. Moore, Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher.

Safeties (5): Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks, Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz.

Specialists (3): Robbie Gould, Patrick Mannelly, Brad Maynard.