Improving the pass rush is one of the Bears' priorities, but adding Marinelli is a great start, according to Smith.

"Of course that'll help whenever you can add a top-flight defensive lineman who's a pass rusher," Smith said. "But the first thing you do is what we did. We brought in the best defensive line coach in the game."

Smith worked with Marinelli for five years on Tony Dungy's Bucs staff in Tampa, where they were roommates on the road.

"I know what type of coach he is and what type of man he is," Smith said. "I know what he will bring to our football team. He's bringing a lot of excitement in the building. The players are excited about getting a chance to work with him."

Smith isn't the only one singing Marinelli's praises.

"The Bears are a much better football team right now, just because of Rod Marinelli," said Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who was not rehired by the Bears after coordinating their Super Bowl XLI defense. "He will get guys to play better than they ever have."

General manager Jerry Angelo believes the Bears can be a better team simply through better coaching and improved attitude, and Smith considers the addition of Marinelli and secondary coach Jon Hoke part of that equation. One of the Bears' most notable underachievers last season was former three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris. He and his linemates have the chance to flourish under Marinelli, Angelo said, if they want it enough.

"If a player wants to be great, there shouldn't really be anything outside of injuries to keep him from being great," Angelo said. "With a coach like Rod, if Tommie wants to be great, he can be great. Rod's got a great track record, but the mindset starts with the player. The coach is the facilitator. The player has to have the passion to be great, and I believe Tommie has that passion. If they want to be great, they're in a real good situation with Rod Marinelli."

--Matt Forte got 379 touches last season as a rookie, and there's a difference of opinion on whether or not using him so much might lead to him being used up prematurely.

"I'm OK with him getting that many touches his first year," coach Lovie Smith said. "Do we need a good complement to go along with him? Yes, we're always trying to do that. I think as you look at our history since we've been here as a staff, we've had our most productive years when we had two running backs that we really felt comfortable playing, and you would like to get back to that situation. Maybe we have that complement there right now."

That could mean the Bears plan to re-sign Kevin Jones, who becomes an unrestricted free agent Friday. Early last season it appeared Jones would be the ideal complement to Forte. He carried 30 times in the first five games but only four times in the final 11 games. Garrett Wolfe carried just 15 times last season for 69 yards, and 38 of the yards came from punt formation on a fake.

"I'm not going to rule Kevin out of the mix," general manager Jerry Angelo said. "We like Kevin. We wish we could have seen more of him, but we didn't. I won't bore you with all the reasons why it didn't happen, but he's a good competitor, and we feel that he showed some good things there, (so) I wouldn't rule that out."

Clearly the Bears weren't confident in Jones last season, as he attempted to come back following knee surgery that ended his 2007 season. Jones should be healthier this year, but if he's not the answer, the Bears better get someone who can give Forte more down time, or he won't be around for long.

--Oregon's Jairus Byrd is one of the top few cornerbacks in this year's draft, and no NFL team has more information on him than the Bears.

That's because Byrd's father is the Bears' assistant defensive backs coach, Gill Byrd, a two-time Pro Bowl player who holds the Chargers' franchise records with 42 interceptions and 546 interception-return yards.

Jairus Byrd left school a year early after starting 37 games and intercepting 17 passes. At 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, he is more than sturdy enough to support the run or make the move to safety if it turns out he doesn't possess the necessary speed and quickness for cornerback. Whichever position teams project him to, Byrd isn't expected to last much past the end of the second round.

Of course, Jairus was asked at the Scouting Combine who was the better player, his father or him.

"Me," he said, grinning, but then quickly backtracked. "I take that back. He's already proven himself, but I hope some day to surpass him."

While most athletic children would enjoy watching their father play in person, Byrd wasn't one of them.

"I hated going to his games," he said, laughing. "Me and my brother just wanted to play, but we had to get dressed up and go sit and watch the game."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We have more positions where we want to create more competition, probably have a few more holes than what we've had in past years, so that's going to be open." --Bears G.M. Jerry Angelo discussing positions he would target in the first round of the draft.