LM: Why did the Bears re-sign linebacker Darrell McClover rather than pursuing a more experienced veteran at the position after Hunter Hillenmeyer injured his rib against the Seahawks, and how close is injured strongside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa to returning?
JA: We signed Darrell McClover for special teams purposes as what we did with Tim Shaw because Nick Roach and Jamar Williams got promoted as starters. Pisa will be back here shortly—if not this week then after our bye week against Atlanta. In the event that he and Hunter aren’t ready to go this week, then Jamar and Nick will be our starters. That would take them off special teams, so we needed a player to replace them in that area.



(chicagobears.com)

In another sign that the Bears believe they will be healed up soon at linebacker, the club has made a roster move at the position with an eye toward special teams and not the defense.

That means Derrick Brooks is not coming to town. Instead, veteran linebacker Darrell McClover has been brought in for the second time in just more than a month, according to a source close to the player. McClover was signed by the team and takes the place of DeAngelo Smith, who was claimed off waivers from the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago. The Chicago Tribune first reported Smith would be cut. McClover can help on special teams immediately, an area that has been thinned out because of the injuries at linebacker. The Bears signed Tim Shaw was as a young guy who could come in and help out on special teams after Brian Urlacher was lost for the season. McClover can also do that and he's probably more familiar with the defense than Shaw.

McClover was the sixth linebacker the team kept on the roster last year. He appeared in 10 games but was placed on injured reserve in late November with a pulled hamstring. He produced 14 tackles on special teams and added a blocked punt. McClover made 36 special teams tackles in 28 games for the Bears from 2006 to 2008, earning the nickname "Commando" from teammates. He had a tryout with the Houston Texans during the offseason, and then was brought in for the final two preseason games where the Bears got a look at him and then made him one of the final roster cuts.



(suntimes.com)

The Bears will release linebacker Darrell McClover, a special teams standout who was signed two weeks ago. If the team needs special teams help down the line, it's possible he could return.



(suntimes.com)

The Bears brought back the Commando prior to the Denver game in order to energize special teams. That's what he does. He's not a contributor on defense but the Bears usually give special teams coordinator Dave Toub one player on the roster to be a designated core special teams guy. McClover could have arrived in the nick of time.



(suntimes.com)

Linebacker Darrell McClover, re-signed by the Bears last week, started the game on the kickoff unit and also played on the kickoff, punt and punt return.




(chicagotribune.com)

Commando, and I'm not talking about the California governor. They call linebacker Darrell McClover "commando" and he's back on the scene for a role on special teams. Coordinator Dave Toub is usually given a roster spot to get one guy who serves as a core, four-phase contributor for him. You'd have to think that is what McClover was re-signed to do. Whether he fills the role remains to be seen, but he'll make it more interesting at the bottom of the depth chart at linebacker. Jamar Williams has an undisclosed foot/ankle injury. Hunter Hillenmeyer has been in a battle most of camp and played well at Buffalo. Undrafted rookie free agent Kevin Malast has done some positive things. Rookie fifth-round pick Marcus Freeman probably will not make the team. Does McClover pose a danger for Hillenmeyer, who is probably an average special teams contributor?



(suntimes.com)

With their special teams always in mind, the Bears signed veteran linebacker Darrell McClover to a one-year contract Tuesday.

McClover made 14 special-teams tackles in 10 games for the Bears last season before being put on injured reserve with a pulled hamstring. He was the sixth linebacker the team kept on the roster at the start of the season and was on the field for 201 special-teams snaps -- 11th on the team despite missing six games.

McClover made 36 special-teams tackles for the Bears from 2006 to '08 but didn't find any takers after his contract expired at the end of last season. He had two blocked punts in that span, one last season.

McClover did some extra sprints after practice and is expected to be involved in two phases of special teams Sunday night.

With Jamar Williams battling a foot injury, there could be an opening for McClover. Rookie Marcus Freeman has had a quiet summer, and Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer are working as backups.

The Bears also waived tight end Fontel Mines and guard Tyler Reed, both of whom underwent knee surgery. They will revert to the team's injured-reserve list when they clear waivers.

The Bears have 79 players on their roster, including cornerback Charles Tillman, who is on the physically-unable-to-perform list. They must cut to 75 players by Tuesday, and the final cut to 53 is Sept. 5. Defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek is expected to miss the season, so he likely will clear one roster spot.



(chicagotribune.com)

The Bears made a few roster moves today, re-signing linebacker Darrell McClover and waiving tight end Fontel Mines and guard Tyler Reed, both of whom suffered season-ending knee injuries in the preseason.

McClover appeared in 28 career contest with the Bears from 2006-08 but became a free agent following the '08 season. He did not catch on with another team.

McClover, who played for the Miami Hurricanes, was originally a seventh-round draft pick of the New York Jets. Bringing back McClover makes sense considering his ability to contribute on special teams, but it also might mean that Jamar Williams' ankle injury is more serious.



(chicagosports.com)

Darrell McClover signed with the Houston Texans on Thursday. He spent the last three seasons in Chicago and was vital to their special teams successes. Congrats to Darrell as he joins fellow Hurricanes: Eric Winston, Andre Johnson, Darnell Jenkins and Rashad Butler.


(espn.com)

Below proCanes.com analyzes the NFL U free agent market and tries to give you, the fans, a better idea of where these free agents may end up for the 2009 season. First off, here are the different types of free agents defined in case you don't now the difference:

Unrestricted Free Agents
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFA) are players who have completed four or more accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They are free to sign with any club.

Restricted Free Agents
Restricted Free Agents (RFA) are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until April 21, at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.

Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
Exclusive-Rights Free Agents (ERFAs) are players who have completed between 0-2 accrued seasons of service whose contracts have expired. If tendered, they have no negotiating rights with other clubs and must sign their tender with their old club or sit out the season.

2009 UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Phillip Buchanon CB 5-11 186 7th Season Buccaneers:
According to members of the Buccaneers organization, many from within believe Phillip Buchanon was their most consistent cornerback last year. At the beginning of the offseason many people thought the Bucs would let Buchanon go because of the coaching changes and and change in defensive philosophy. That looks to not be the case though. The Bucs will be talking to Buchanon's agent Drew Rosenhaus this week and hope to sign before he hits the open market. After a rough beginning to his career, Buchanon seems to have settled and become a vital part of the Tampa Bay defense. Look for him to remain a Buccaneer.

Vernon Carey OT 6-5 350 5th Season Dolphins:
Vernon Carey actually never hit the free agency market despite not being franchised by the Miami Dolphins. Once the Dolphins elected not to franchise him most people began to speculate that they no longer wanted Carey and both the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings would go after him. One day later though, the Dolphins did sign Carey to a 6-year $42 million contract making him the highest paid right tackle in the league. Congrats to Vernon!

Bubba Franks TE 6-6 265 9th Season NY Jets:
Bubba Franks had a disappointing 2008 season despite being teamed up with Brett Favre again. Bubba's best seasons as a Green Bay Packer were with Favre, but they never seemed to to find that magic last year as Jets. Bubba fought through injuries during the season but missed 8 games. He finished the season with only six reception for 47 yards and no TDs. The Jets did released TE Chris Baker, which would create an opening for Bubba, but they do have Dustin Keller who they are pretty high on. If Bubba stays looks for him to be Keller's backup which is a possibility as long as he can show that he can stay healthy.

William Joseph DT 6-5 308 6th Season Raiders:
Joseph was signed last offseason by the Raiders to give them help along the defensive line with the loss of Warren Sapp. Joseph was cut right before the beginning of season, but was then signed in week 8 and played the last 7 weeks of the season accumulating 8 tackles. Since being drafted by the NY Giants in the first round in 2003, Joseph has not lived up to expectations. He will probably get signed by someone in need of DL depth and it very well could be the Oakland Raiders.

Ray Lewis LB 6-1 250 13th Season Ravens:
It is rumored that the Jets are making salary cap room to possibly sign Ray Lewis. The Cowboys have been rumored to be a destination Ray would potentially prefer as well. Ray has said before that he would like to end his career as a Raven and the Ravens would really like to sign him before the free agency period begins on February 27, despite being irked by his comments at the Pro Bowl which most people think were said to get him a bigger contract. This would be the first time Ray would hit the free agent market and the Ravens are afraid that if he does he will be gone. Look for the Ravens to sign him before he hits the market.

Darrell McClover LB 6-1 226 5th Season Bears:
McClover has been important cog in the Bears' special teams for the past few years, but he missed the last 6 games due to injury this year and the Bears do not seem to be interested in resigning him. He has been a career special teams player but also has the ability to play the OLB spot. If the Bears do not re-sign him, which looks unlikely, look for him to get picked up by a team with special teams needs like the Patriots, Chiefs, or Titans.

Jerome McDougle DE 6-2 2646th Season NY Giants:
McDougle has dealt with a lot of adversity during his short career and unfortunately has never lived up to expectations despite always performing well in training camps. More than anything, he is happy to be alive considering his near-death experience of being shot in the abdomen. McDougle didn’t contribute much to the Giants, and now Osi Umenyiora is presumably coming back to join what should be a three-man end rotation with Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka. Dave Tollefson (an exclusive rights free agent) figures to be the fourth. If there’s a fifth, it’ll come out of the draft. Look for McDougle to get one more shot in someone's training camp, he has shows great resiliency throughout his tough career.

Brett Romberg C 6-2 298 5th Season Rams:
Though a little undersized Romberg has been in the thick of the starting center position for the last few years in St. Louis. He started three games in 2006, nine games in 2007 and six games in 2008. Last year he broke his hand in training camp and lost the job to Nick Leckey. Romberg did end up starting the last 6 games of the season though. The Rams seems to like Romberg more than Leckey so look for them to re-sign Romberg.

Jonathan Vilma LB 6-1230 5th Season Saints:
Re-signing MLB Jonathan Vilma is the Saints' top priority. Vilma, who was traded to the Saints a year ago, is said to be very interested in re-upping with New Orleans, but the team will not strike a deal with him until Feb. 27 — the start of free agency — at the earliest, guaranteeing that Vilma will hit the open market. Signing him before then would force the Saints to give up higher draft picks to the Giants and Jets — first- and second-rounders, respectively, instead of second- and third-rounders — per the deals for TE Jeremy Shockey and Vilma. The Saints are optimistic he will be back and so are we. Unless someone throws a lot of money in Vilma's direction look for him to sign with the Saints as soon as he hits the market.

Nate Webster LB 6-0 232 9th Season Broncos:
Webster beat out free-agent Niko Koutouvides for the starting MLB spot last fall which was a huge surprise to many considering the large contract that was given to Koutouvides. The Denver defense last year was bad. Many people blamed Webster but the problems ran much deeper than him. The DL was atrocious and injuries took their toll as well with DJ Williams missing time as well as Webster. Koutouvides was recently cut by the Broncos, which could mean that the Broncos are interested in keeping Webster. If they do, look for him to be more of an insurance policy as he can backup all three LB positions or if Williams is moved back to MLB then Webster could find a spot on the outside.

2009 RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Rashad Butler OT 6-4 309 3rd Season Texans:
Butler is well-respected in the Texans organization because of his ability to overcome the disease: ulcerative colitis. This was the reason for Butler's inability to keep weight on during his days in Carolina. Since then he has been able to control the disease and played in 8 games in 2007. He didn't see much action in 2008, but look for the Texans to resign him for a league minimum resulting in 3 offensive lineman from the U on the Texans (Chris Myers, Eric Winston, Rashad Butler).

2009 EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

Orien Harris DL6-3 300 1st Season Bengals:
Harris was a standout in Saints camp in 2008 and was surprisingly released before the season started. The Bengals though, snatched him up quickly and Harris saw action in 14 games and started Week 6 against the Jets. He is an exclusive rights free agent; the team has already signed FB/TE Daniel Coats, who was the other player in that category. Look for the Bengals to re-sign him and in the off chance they don't, the Saints will be in the running for his services.

RELEASED

Ken Dorsey QB 6-4 215 6th Season Browns:
Dorsey struggled towards the end of last year when he was forced into action for four of the last five games of the season throwing zero touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Dorsey has always been limited physically but has been a great tutor for Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn. If he lands anywhere it will probably be with Rob Chudzinski and the San Diego Chargers to mentor Phillip Rivers.

Najeh Davenport RB 6-1 247 7th Season Colts:
Najeh played 4 games for the Steelers last year in the middle of the season after being released in the offseason. He was then released by the Steelers and signed by the Colts where he played in two games before being released before the start of the playoffs. Davenports has shown he can still play both as a running back and also as a kickoff return man. In week 17 he had 8 carries for 26 yards along with four receptions for 54 yards. The knock on Davenport has always been his ability to stay healthy and stay in shape. Look for him to get signed by someone in need of RB depth and also special teams player.

The Bears placed a player on injured reserve Monday, but it wasn't one of the three hurt against the Rams.

Reserve linebacker Darrell McClover was shelved with a left hamstring injury suffered against the Packers. McClover was a significant contributor on special teams, so the Bears will have to compensate for his loss. Hunter Hillenmeyer, the former starter at strong-side linebacker, has become a regular on special teams.

(chicagotribune.com)

When Darrell McClover was bearing down on the punter this time, he took the time to see if he could direct what he knew would be a block.

McClover, the only man rushing Jason Baker on the first punt of the game, blew past Nick Goings for an easy block that Brandon Lloyd snatched out of the air and returned nine yards for a touchdown that gave the Bears a 7-0 lead.

''When I'm rushing I am not really looking at [Goings], I am looking at the punter,'' said McClover, who stormed in from the left end.
''I guess he thought I was holding him up and he let me go. I was just trying to hit it where we could get it.''

McClover had a blocked punt at Seattle in preseason but couldn't locate it, and it went out of the end zone for a safety.

(suntimes.com)

When Darrell McClover joined the Jets as a seventh-round pick in the 2004 draft, the 213th player selected, special teams coach Mike Westhoff sized him up quickly. "He said, 'Playing special teams is how you're going to make your money, how you'll make your mark,' and I took that advice and ran with it," McClover said.

Entering his fifth NFL season and third with the Bears, McClover might be hitting his stride as a special-teams ace. Early projections of the 53-man roster make it hard to imagine the Bears letting him go. He blocked a punt Saturday night against the Seahawks, and his value has been as obvious in the other three phases of special teams.

(chicagotribune.com)

The only points other than field goals in the first half came on a safety created by a blocked punt by the Bears' Darrell McClover against the Seattle Seahawks.

(suntimes.com)

Linebacker Darrell McClover tweaked his ankle during practice and was taken inside for treatment, allowing rookie Joey LaRocque, a seventh-round pick from Oregon, to get some reps with the second team.

(dailyherald.com)

If Lance Briggs is close to leaving the Bears -- with negotiations expected to continue this weekend with the Washington Redskins -- finding his replacement at weak-side linebacker could become a pressing matter.

The first name Babich offered up when asked about the subject twice was Darrell McClover, who was signed at midseason and became a special-teams ace. McClover has good speed and good hips, but he lacks experience with the defense.

(suntimes.com)

Darrell McClover is part of a Super Bowl team in large part because he happened to have a stopover at Midway Airport.

The linebacker's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, had lined up a workout for McClover with the Detroit Lions in October, but McClover didn't get a direct flight from Florida.

"I was connecting through Midway," McClover recalled. "Drew called me and said, 'Stay in Chicago. Don't go anywhere. They're sending a limo and it will be there in 15 minutes. I think they want to sign you.' "

The Bears did indeed sign McClover. And come Sunday, instead of being unemployed or being idle as a Lion, he'll be trying to help the Bears beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI as a key part of the team's kickoff coverage and return units.

MIAMI GARDENS · Chicago Bears linebacker Darrell McClover, a Coconut Creek High School graduate, didn't forget his high school coach.

McClover had tickets for Grantis Bell, now the girls' track coach and guidance director at Fort Lauderdale High, and his wife, Carla, when the Bears beat New Orleans in Chicago to win the NFC championship.

"We have stayed in touch since I left high school [1999]," McClover said, "and I wanted him there."

Bell, a former Northeast High star, and his wife will also be at Dolphin Stadium for Super Bowl XLI.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Bears stopped short of calling the New York Jets a desperate team, but their onside-kick attempt sure portrayed them that way.

After his team limited the Bears to 80 yards of offense in a scoreless first half and allowed them to cross midfield only once, rookie Jets coach Eric Mangini called for an onside try to open the third quarter. Kicker Mike Nugent set the ball on the tee and began walking backward before spinning and driving the ball into the ground to his left.

Chris Harris, lined up as the right tackle on the kick-return unit, fielded the ball easily at the Jets' 44, providing the Bears with positive field position and leading to their first score, a 20-yard Robbie Gould field goal. Harris was tipped off the kick was coming by teammate Darrell McClover, who was waived by the Jets in their final cutdown.

LAKE FOREST, IL — The Chicago Bears signed linebacker Darrell McClover to the active roster today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

A three-year NFL veteran, McClover was drafted out of the University of Miami by the New York Jets in the seventh round (213th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft. The 6-2, 226-pounder registered 25 special teams tackles while playing in all 16 regular season games and two post-season contests as a rookie in 2004. McClover missed the 2005 season due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason.

(sportsfeatures.com)

Reiss also reported that the Patriots had five more players in for workouts at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday. Two of them were veteran quarterbacks - Tommy Maddox and Todd Bouman. Defensive players visiting the stadium included defensive back Chidi Iwuoma and linebackers Mark Brown and Darrell McClover.

Of that group, notables include McClover, who appeared in all 16 games for the Jets in 2004 but missed 2005 due to injury was waived.
(seattlepi.nwsource.com)

"Special teams can win games, defense can win games. That's just the way it is in the NFL," said Darrell McClover, who showed how when he returned his own blocked punt 26 yards for the Jets' only score. Suddenly, a certain defeat had become a potential stolen victory with the deficit sliced to 13-7 and more than five minutes to play.
McClover is the first Jet to return his own blocked punt for a TD in any game since Chris Burkett did it against Miami in the 1991 regular season.
(northjersey.com)