Earlier in the offseason it looked like the Chicago Bears were going to re-sign their veteran defensive end, Israel Idonije, but so far, there hasn’t been any progress in that direction, while the Tennessee Titans have increased their interest and effort in trying to obtain the services of the player.

Idonije has been playing for the Bears since 2004, beginning as a defensive tackle before moving to the edge of the line. He has been quite productive over the last few years, recording 20.5 sacks in 48 games. The Titans had quite an awful defense last season, but didn’t address their need in the pass-rush with a high pick, instead taking a defensive end at 142 overall.

With that kind of approach, it’s more than likely they’ll be looking to improve by signing a veteran, and Idonije, 32, who has missed only one game over the last six seasons, seems like the first name on the board they would like to try and take off.

There isn’t a lot of quality left to pick from, with Idonije, who hasn’t been mentioned much before the draft, soon to become a hot name for teams still looking to improve their pass-rushing once the word of him and the Chicago Bears not really seeing eye to eye anymore floating around.

The Titans showed some interest last month in Idonije, but like most teams, decided to wait till the NFL draft and see the developments there before committing to a player they were quite sure wasn’t going anywhere in April. If they do sign him eventually, after his visit, they’ll prove that patience can pay off, if you’re lucky enough.