Bears coach Lovie Smith likes O-line because Williams, Carimi will be back

The Bears didn’t use any of their six draft picks to upgrade an offensive line that has allowed 105 sacks over the past two seasons.

But coach Lovie Smith says it’s almost as if some new talent has been added to the unit that was depleted by injuries in the 2011 season.

“I know a lot of you have asked about the offensive line and what we are going to do with it,” Smith said. “We like our offensive line that we have with Chris Williams getting back out on the football field and Gabe Carimi. We feel like we’re adding two more offensive linemen.”

Carimi won the starting right tackle job last season as a rookie but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second game. Williams started the first nine games at left guard but missed the final seven with a dislocated wrist.

General manager Phil Emery said players at other positions offered the Bears a better chance to get better quicker. In the second round, offensive tackles were taken with three of the four picks before the Bears selected wide receiver Alshon Jeffery 45th overall — Cordy Glenn to the Bills (41st), Jonathan Martin to the Dolphins (42nd) and Jeff Allen to the Chiefs (44th). After Jeffery, the next offensive lineman taken was Wisconsin center Peter Konz (55th) to the Falcons, followed by Ohio State tackle Mike Adams (56th) to the Steelers.

“With Alshon, that was a shining light up there,” Emery said. “He was the highest rated player on our board and the highest player available to make plays that determine winning games. So that’s why we went after him. When you do that, some positions are going to go by the wayside.”

Crowded house:

With the addition of wide receivers Brandon Marshall and rookie Alshon Jeffery and kick-returners Eric Weems, Devin Thomas and rookie Greg McCoy, what will Devin Hester’s role be in 2012?

“(Returners) get on hot streaks and sometimes they get on cold streaks, and it’s good to have other options out there,” Phil Emery said. “Devin’s role has not changed. We see him as a guy that is going to help our receiving corps in a big way. We want to make sure that we have a special plan for Devin, we have the ‘Devin Package,’ a package of plays as a receiver.

“You never know where he’s going to line up, and I don’t want to tell other people what we’re going to do with him. But we will have a package of plays that we feel can bring his dynamic ability to the forefront, not only carrying or catching the ball, but sometimes (as) a decoy.”

Filling the roster:

Eleven undrafted rookie free agents agreed to terms Sunday, including Wyoming running back Sylvester Alexander, Troy offensive tackle James Brown, Old Dominion defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron, Louisiana Tech linebacker Adrien Cole, Maine safety Trevor Coston, Western Illinois WR Terriun Crump, West Texas A&M WR Britton Golden, Albany offensive tackle A.J. Greene, Wayne State safety Jeremy Jones, Liberty WR Chris Summers and Southern Mississippi linebacker Ronnie Thornton.