Izzy’s Power Play

For those who have been long-time fans and listeners to Bearscast you know that we have a long held affection for a Bears unsung hero Israel Idonije. Well it appears that Izzy would like to see the Bears front office show him the kind of appreciation we have as he has switched representation to power agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Idonije is among a number of veteran players who have one year left on their contract and to this point Jerry Angelo has appeared very hesitant to extend anyone, a prudent move after the lessons of the last season. That’s likely the motivation behind switch for Idonije who would like to get the Bears to the bargaining table.

The team obviously values Idonije after matching the offer he received from the Buffalo Bills and ex-coach Dick Jauron in 2006. Since then Izzy has been a stabilizing force on special teams both covering kicks and setting the wedge on the return unit along with blocking a number of field goals and extra points. Those contributions alone would be difficult to replace.

In addition to his special team duties Idonije has provided essential flexibility on the defensive line moving between defensive end and tackle. Improving during each of his five seasons with the Bears and culminating this season with a career high 3.5 sacks and 6 pass deflections, big numbers considering he is only a part-time player.

So while Angelo may be hesitant to extend any players after the disappointment in last season he can’t let a blank move keep him from doing the right thing. Israel Idonije’s position flexibility as well as his multi-faceted contributions are too important to let walk away. His services will undoubtedly be valued and sought after next offseason so Angelo should keep from getting himself into a bidding war and losing a key contributor like he did with Brendon Ayanbadejo last year.