He is as raw as a New England oyster, but every now and then defensive end Israel Idonije provides a glimpse of how dominant of a pass-rusher he eventually could become. During Saturday’s scrimmage, the Bears got another one of those glimpses.
On third-and-9, the 6-foot-7-inch, 290-pound Idonije overpowered his blocker and sacked quarterback Jeff Smoker. It was the Bears’ No. 2 defense’s biggest stop of the day.
The Bears believe Idonije only needs time and experience to develop. A Canadian still learning the nuances of the game, Idonije made progress this summer playing for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europe and currently is competing for the Bears’ fourth defensive end spot with rookie fifth-round pick Claude Harriott and intriguing rookie free-agent Alain Kashama. . . . Harriott also had a sack on the final series.
John Tait spent the day at right tackle with Qasim Mitchell on the left side. Terrence Metcalf remained at right guard. . . . Running back Thomas Jones and free safety Mike Brown were held out to avoid injury. Backup fullback Rabih Abdullah didn’t play either. Injury-wise, wide receiver Marty Booker sat out as a precaution after returning to practice Thursday. . . . Sound familiar? The Bears’ most impressive showing may have come from punter Brad Maynard, who booted two punts for an average of 54 yards. Backup Brooks Barnard had two for a 48.5-yard average. . . . Rookie cornerback Alfonso Marshall might receive some ribbing in the film room after allowing Smoker to effectively block him on a reverse. . . . Because there was an admission charge, scouts from other teams were allowed to watch and take notes.
Backup linebacker Jerry Schumacher, an Illinois product, may not stick with the Bears because he’s not an ideal fit for the scheme but continues to show the abandon of an NFL linebacker. . . . Wide receiver Ahmad Merritt, whose professionalism is obvious every training camp, made a nice grab on a 22-yard catch from Jonathan Quinn. . . . Bears coach Lovie Smith had an easy explanation for calling off the scrimmage with 12 plays left for each side. “We ran out of bodies really,” he said.
