ALLEN PARK — Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall talked about a lot of things during his ESPN tour on Friday.

What Marshall did not say might be of interest to the Detroit Lions.

Marshall, who was traded by the Miami Dolphins to the Chicago Bears this offseason, visited the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., today. He appeared on multiple programs, including First Take, SportsCenter and NFL Live.

While in-studio, Marshall discussed a variety of topics, including the incident outside a New York nightclub, why he wrote the op-ed piece in the Chicago Sun-Times after the Junior Seau tragedy, how group therapy is helping him, and reuniting with his former Broncos teammate Jay Cutler.

ESPN’s Trey Wingo asked Marshall what Chicago needs to do to keep up with the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions in the NFC North. Marshall paid homage to Green Bay, but not Detroit.

“I look at it the other way,” Marshall said. “You have to pay respect to the Packers because they won the division, but those teams don’t have a defense like we do. On the offensive side of the ball, we know what we have in Matt Forte and Jay Cutler, and adding me to the passing game — and opening up other alleys for Devin Hester and Earl (Bennett) — it’s just going to make our offense and our team that much better. But what we have that they don’t have is that defense.”

Considering Green Bay finished the regular season 15-1 and recently won a Super Bowl, it might explain why Marshall omitted Detroit in his answer. Green Bay’s success is hard to ignore.

However, Detroit is a pretty good team, too. Detroit does not have Green Bay’s track record of success, but the Lions did split last year’s series with Chicago. Maybe Marshall’s recognition will come after facing Detroit twice this year.

Of course, if you are Lions coach Jim Schwartz, your response to Marshall might be something along the lines of, “When respect equals wins or losses, let me know.”

CHICAGO (AP) From the moment the Chicago Bears hired him as general manager in January, Phil Emery has been a busy man.

His next task? The draft that starts Thursday night.

The Bears hold the 19th pick, and it seems there are a number of ways they could go in the first round and beyond. There are issues on both lines, a need for a young linebacker and holes at receiver even with Brandon Marshall in the mix.

The only certainty so far is this. The Bears will have a different look next season.

”What we’ve done in free agency really allows us the chance to go one way or the other,” Emery said. ”It’s given us flexibility in terms of we can draft into perceived strength so that we make sure we get the player who’s going to help us win a championship the quickest way possible, or we can go and fill in what we perceive as a need. So it has given us great flexibility.”

Emery said the Bears have about seven players in mind for the 19th pick, and it’s a good bet at least a few of them are defensive ends, considering Chicago tied three other teams for 19th last season with 33 sacks. Julius Peppers would love to see another end to take some of the double-teams away from him, and options could include Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw, North Carolina’s Quinton Coples and Illinois’ Whitney Mercilus.

The Bears finished 8-8 last season following a late collapse. Coming off a run to the NFC championship game, they were sailing along at 7-3 until Jay Cutler broke his right thumb trying to make a tackle following a late interception against San Diego in the 10th game. The offense suffered another huge blow when Matt Forte sprained the MCL in his right knee against Kansas City on Dec. 4, and the late slump ultimately cost general manager Jerry Angelo his job.

Now, the Bears appear to be in a better spot.

”You want to have your roster as strong as it can be before the draft,” coach Lovie Smith said. ”We feel like we’ve done that.”

Emery made a huge splash when he acquired Pro Bowl receiver Marshall from Miami, addressing Chicago’s biggest need, but that isn’t the only hole he addressed. He filled a big one at backup quarterback, signing Jason Campbell from Oakland, and beefed up the backfield by signing former Raiders running back Michael Bush to a four-year, $14 million deal to team with the unhappy Forte.

Emery also added special teams star Eric Weems, with Johnny Knox’s status uncertain because of a back injury, along with guard Chilo Rachal and linebacker Geno Hayes. The Bears also took care of some of their own, most notably giving linebacker Lance Briggs an extension through 2014, even though he had two years left on a six-year, $36 million deal, but Forte’s situation remains unresolved. He hasn’t signed his $7.74 million franchise tender.

Even so, the Bears believe they have narrowed the gap with Green Bay.

”We got better,” linebacker Brian Urlacher said. ”On paper we’re a better football team than we were last year at the end of the season, so I’m excited about that. Phil Emery knows what he’s doing, obviously.”

Emery did not mention any specific prospects during his news conference this week, but he did say wide receiver, defensive end and defensive tackle are strong positions in this draft and added there are several offensive tackles who will likely be interior lineman as pros.

”That mid-level is probably the toughest level because there’s so many things that can happen in front of you,” Emery said. ”The further you get away from those top 10 picks the more you have a feel for the players that will be available from say 25 to 35, that are going to fall in that range and you can get it down to maybe three. In that middle range, so much can happen, trades.”

Bears fans are eager to see what Emery can do. Emery was an area scout for the Bears from 1998-2004 and was the Kansas City Chiefs’ director of college scouting when the Bears came calling.

The team will have a new look on the sideline, too.

Gone is offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who had an expiring contract, and quarterbacks coach Shane Day. Offensive line coach Mike Tice is the new coordinator following a promotion.

Emery was given one mandate from president Ted Phillips: Close the talent gap with Green Bay and Detroit in the NFC North.

During Angelo’s 11-year run, the Bears won four division championships, reached the Super Bowl and got back to the NFC championship game last season. But he was undone on several fronts – especially when backup Caleb Hanie struggled after Cutler was hurt.

Adding wide receiver Brandon Marshall to what was a .500 team has made the Chicago Bears popular.

That is evident as they totaled the maximum number of prime-time games – five — when the NFL released the 2012 schedule Tuesday evening. Their first night game will be at Green Bay in Week 2 on Thursday, Sept. 13, as the league has expanded to Thursday games throughout nearly theentire season starting this year.

The Bears open the preseason with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on Thursday, Aug. 9, and then start the regular season with his former team. They will host the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 9 at Soldier Field, setting them up for a likely matchup with Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterbackexpected to be the No. 1 pick in next week’s draft.

Since 1984, the Bears are  16-3 when they open the season at home.

“We started our offseason program yesterday and received our schedule today, so our 2012 season is officially underway,” coach Lovie Smith said in a statement released by the team. “I love starting the season at home in front of our fans. I don’t think there is a better place to kick off the season than playing at Soldier Field on the lakefront. Playing five of our first 10 games in prime time also stands out. Each week brings its own challenge and we are excited to begin our pursuit of a world championship.”

The Colts are the first opponent in a stretch that could help the Bears to a fast start. While it will be difficult facing the defending NFC North champion Packers on a short week in Green Bay, they then return home to host the Rams at noon on Sept. 23 and then go to Dallas on Monday night, Oct. 1, in Week 4 for the second-prime time game. The other three prime-time games are vs. Detroit at home on Monday, Oct. 22; vs. Houston at home on Sunday, Nov. 11; and at San Francisco on Monday, Nov. 19.

In Week 5, the Bears play at Jacksonville at 3:05 p.m., the third opponent of the first five starting with a new coaching staff. The Bears will be off the week of Oct. 14. After hosting the Lions, they will host
Cam Newton and Carolina on Oct. 28. Next up are two games against the AFC South: at Tennessee on Nov. 4 and home vs. Houston.

After visiting San Francisco, the Bears will host Minnesota on Nov. 25 and Seattle on Dec. 2. Then come two games against division rivals: at Minnesota on Dec. 9 and home vs. the Packers on Dec. 16,their final regular-season home game.

The Bears close the season on the road at Arizona on Dec. 23 and Detroit on Dec. 30. While they have three of their final four games on the road, the Vikings and Cardinals both struggled last season.

The Bears have opened at Soldier Field in each of the previous two seasons after starting on the road for five consecutive years. Game times for the final six games are subject to change because of flexscheduling.

Based on the Aug. 9 date for the first preseason game, the Bears will be able to hold their first practice of training camp at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais on July 26. The club has not released
the training camp schedule yet. 

Other Bears schedule notes:

*Last year, the Bears had four prime-time games, appearing twice in NBC’s Sunday night slot and twice on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.” The team is 1-6 in its last seven appearances on Sunday night. Overall, the Bears are 8-8 in the time slot under Lovie Smith. The team has done well on Mondays in recent history, winning seven of the last nine dating back to the wild 24-23 victory at Arizona during the 2006 Super Bowl season.

*The Bears will play at Jacksonville and Tennessee for the first time since 2004. It marks quarterback Jay Cutler’s first trip to Nashville in the regular season as a member of the Bears. It will only be the second regular-season game the Bears have played in the city.

*The week off falls in Week 6. The Bears have been fortunate to have their week off near the middle of the season in the recent past. In three of the last four seasons, the Bears’ bye came in Week 8 and in2007 it was in Week 9.

*The Bears will play the Seahawks for the fourth consecutive year and the eighth time total since 2006, counting playoff games in 2006 and 2010. All but two of the games have been played at Soldier Field. The Seahawks are not the only NFC West foe frequently on the docket. The trip to San Francisco marks the fifth time the teams have met under Smith and the sixth time since 2003.
 
*In five of the previous eight seasons, the Bears’ final regular-season game was vs. Green Bay or Minnesota. The league has placed a premium on having division games played late in the season in an effort to ensure as many games as possible have significance in the closing weeks. In the final three weeks over the previous eight years, the Bears played 15 NFC North games (out of a possible total of 24).

*It used to be the Bears tangled with the Lions regularly on Thanksgiving. But Detroit hosts Houston this season in its annual holiday appearance. The Lions and Cowboys rotate between hosting an AFC team and an NFC team for television purposes with the Fox and CBS contracts. The Bears have not played at Detroit on Thanksgiving since 1999. That’s a 13-year stretch. From 1977 to 1999, the Bears had seven meetings with the Lions on Thanksgiving at the old Pontiac Silverdome. The previous longest stretch without a Thanksgiving meeting between the clubs was from 1965 to 1976. It used to be the Bears and Chicago Cardinals did battle in Thanksgiving annually. They played annually from 1922 to 1933.

*Counting preseason, the schedule adds up to 14,256 air miles for the Bears. That is less than the 20,118 they logged last season thanks to the London game against the Buccaneers. It’s the fifth-most for the franchise since 1998.

bmbiggs@tribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs

The Chicago Bears just announced the 2012 schedule. NFL.com noted the Bears have a few tough short weeks on the schedule, starting the season with two games within five days. The Bears also play three Monday night games, one primetime Sunday game and a Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers in week 2.

The schedule is below. See the Bears website for more information.

PRESEASON
Thursday, Aug. 9, Broncos, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18, Redskins, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24, @ Giants 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 30, @ Browns, 6:30 p.m.

REGULAR SEASON
Sunday, Sept. 9, Colts, 12 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 13, @ Packers, 7:20 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 23, Rams, 12 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 1, @ Cowboys, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 7, @ Jaguars, 3:05 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 22, Lions, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 28, Panthers, 12 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 4, @ Titans, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 11, Texans, 7:20 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 19, @ 49ers, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 25, Vikings, 12 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 2, Seahawks, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 9, @ Vikings, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 16, Packers, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 23, @ Cardinals, 3:15 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 30, @ Lions, 12 p.m.

Breakdown: The NFL gave the Chicago Bears the maximum allowable number of prime-time games. Amazingly, all five will come in the first 10 games of the season. (Full schedule here.)

They include a Week 2 trip to the Green Bay Packers (Thursday night), a Week 4 trip to the Dallas Cowboys (Monday night), a Week 6 game hosting the Detroit Lions (Monday night), a Week 10 game hosting the Houston Texans (Sunday night) and another the following week, at the San Francisco 49ers (Monday night).

That should leave no doubt about the entertainment value, if not competitiveness, the NFL is expecting from the Bears after the reunion of receiver Brandon Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler, along with other offseason improvements.

Complaint department: Soldier Field is a great advantage in the second half of the season, but the Bears will play three of their final four games on the road. They’ll no doubt appreciate hosting the Packers in Week 14, but they’ll conclude the season with a long trip to the Arizona Cardinals followed by a season finale at the Lions, a game that figures to carry heavy playoff implications.

For openers: Like the Packers, the Bears play their first two games in five days. Unlike the Packers, however, the Bears don’t get both of them at home. After hosting the Indianapolis Colts in the Sept. 9 opener, they’ll travel to Lambeau Field on Sept. 13. But as quick road turnarounds go, it doesn’t get any easier than the quick trip trip between Chicago and Green Bay.

Bears Regular-Season Schedule (All times Eastern)

Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, Indianapolis, 1:00 PM

Week 2: Thursday, Sept. 13, at Green Bay, 8:20 PM

Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, St. Louis, 1:00 PM

Week 4: Monday, Oct. 1, at Dallas, 8:30 PM

Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Jacksonville, 4:05 PM

Week 6: BYE

Week 7: Monday, Oct. 22, Detroit, 8:30 PM

Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, Carolina, 1:00 PM

Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Tennessee, 1:00 PM

Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, Houston, 8:20 PM

Week 11: Monday, Nov. 19, at San Francisco, 8:30 PM

Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, Minnesota, 1:00 PM

Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, Seattle, 1:00 PM

Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Minnesota, 1:00 PM

Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, Green Bay, 1:00 PM

Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Arizona, 4:15 PM

Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Detroit, 1:00 PM

The Chicago Bears have been searching for a No. 1 wide receiver for what seems like forever.

Last week, they proclaimed they got one in Brandon Marshall.

I’m sorry, but I’ve heard that before. A few times.

Remember David Terrell? How about Muhsin Muhammad? Marcus Robinson? Jeff Graham?

All those players were the guys Bears’ brass thought were top receivers.

Heck, even last year, they were all excited for Roy Williams being a No. 1. They’ve been trying to sell Devin Hester as a No. 1 for years.

In other words, the Bears have a bad track record with wide receivers.

Can you tell me who the Bears all-time leader in receiving yards is? Give up?

It’s Johnny Morris, who played from 1958-67, with 5,059 yards.

You know who the Bears’ all-time leader in receptions is? Walter Payton, the best running back ever.

But he wasn’t a receiver.

The Bears have had 11 1,000-yard seasons in franchise history. In contrast, the Green Bay Packers have had 31. Even the Detroit Lions have had 23.

The last receiver to have a 1,000-yard season in Chicago was Marty Booker. And that was 10 years ago in 2002.

Since 1980, the Bears have used their first draft pick on a wideout four times. They selected Willie Gault in 1983, Wendell Davis in 1988, Curtis Conway in 1993 and Terrell in 2001.

Gault and Conway had decent careers, but they weren’t absolute, no-question No. 1 guys.

Davis had his career cut short by a horrific injury (two torn ACLs on one play) at Veterans Stadium in Philly.

Terrell, well, he was terrible. An absolute bust.

So, yeah, I hope you get the point. The Bears haven’t exactly lit it up in this new passing era of the NFL.

Now the Bears have Marshall, a guy who has had big seasons before with current Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. They know each other.

But Marshall has baggage. A whole walk-in closet full of baggage.

He’s had run-ins with the law. He’s had domestic violence issues. He is wide open about his struggles with borderline personality disorder.

Yet, the Bears are sure of him.

I really do hope they’re right. I hope Marshall is the piece the Bears have been waiting for. I hope Marshall puts his past behind him. I want Marshall to succeed in Chicago.

Just last season, Marshall had 81 catches for 1,214 yards and six touchdowns. That’s a pretty good season.

And that was with Chad Henne and Matt Moore throwing to him.

History says he could do that with Cutler easily. But, we’ll see.

Like I said, I hope Marshall is the receiver Bears’ fans have been waiting lifetimes for.

But, we’ve heard this before. Until I see it with my own two eyes, I’ll believe it then.

TOM ENGLISH is sports copy editor for The Southern Illinoisan. He can be reached at tom.english@thesouthern.com or at 618-529-5454, ext. 5177.

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith has been inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Even though he seems to have become the coach we love to hate lately, his accomplishments throughout his career in football could be considered pretty impressive. Does he deserve the honor, or should he be judged on the job he is doing now, not just what he has done in the past?

Smith was a two-time All American in college , went to state three times in high school, and began his coaching career at the same high school where his football career started. As a coach for the Chicago Bears, he ranks just behind Coach Ditka and Papa Bear Halas in number of victories.

Let’s face it, as far as Lovie’s number of victories, we can assume that is only due to tenure. Other coaches who have done equally poorly in individual seasons (does anyone remember Dave Wannstedt?) did not stay with the team nearly as long as Lovie. Smith has been re-signed when other teams would have let their coach go. The Bears re-signed him after their embarrassing loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006 Super Bowl. He was extended again this year, so he will be with us until at least 2013.

Jerry Angelo has gotten much of the blame for not bringing in the talent needed, but Lovie needs to be held accountable too. After Cutler was injured this season, Smith refused to try to get more depth in the position. He stated that “We have our quarterbacks here now. There are quarterbacks here, we have two of them—we really have three of them.” This was despite the fact that players like Donovan McNabb had become available. McNabb might not have been the best player for the Bears, but this move just highlights Lovie’s stubbornness and resistance to change.

Honestly, Lovie has had it easy in the NFC North. Up until this past season, the Detriot Lions have been a non-factor, and the Minnesota Vikings have been a shadow of their former selves. A little bit of luck against the Green Bay Packers has been all the Bears have really needed to look good in their pack. It is not hard to do well when you are the best of the worst.

So when the Chicago Bears website puts Lovie in the same sentence as Halas and Ditka, it is really doing a disservice to the coaches who have really done something with our team. Lovie may be deserving of a nod in his home state of Texas, but he is less deserving of any accolades when it comes to the things he has done here in Chicago. Maybe the Bears organization will see that now that Lovie doesn’t have Jerry Angelo to blame anymore.

Whitney Levon is a Chicago native whose dedication to the Bears goes back to her first football memory; the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl victory.

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