As far as one national football writer is concerned, Bears defensive tackle Henry Melton and kicker Robbie Gould don't receive as much recognition as they deserve.
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| Henry Melton |
Melton was voted to his first Pro Bowl last season when he registered 33 tackles with six sacks, five tackles-for-loss, a team-high 24 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.
The 2009 fourth-round draft pick from Texas enjoyed a breakout season in 2011 when he recorded a career-high seven sacks, third most by an NFL defensive tackle.
Gould is the fourth most accurate field-goal kicker in NFL history, having connected on 85.6 percent of his attempts (208 of 243). He also has made 10 straight field goals from 50 yards or more, one shy of the NFL record set by Tony Zendejas set from 1988-93.
"Gould has been one of the best NFL kickers since he came into the league eight years ago," Harrison writes. "Over his career, he's made 86 percent of his kicks, averaging over 110 points per season."
Louis departs: In other news Wednesday, free-agent guard Lance Louis left the Bears after four seasons to sign a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins.
The 6-3, 320-pounder appeared in 41 games with 28 starts after being selected by the Bears in the seventh round of the 2009 draft out of San Diego State. He became a full-time starter in 2011, when he opened 11 games at right tackle and two contests at right guard.
Louis started the first 11 games at right guard last year before suffering a season-ending torn ACL on a questionable block by Vikings defensive Jared Allen. On Antoine Winfield's interception return, Allen launched himself into Louis' upper body as the Bears guard looked downfield.
On his Twitter account Wednesday night, Louis wrote: "I want to thank all the fans in Chicago & the Bears for a great 4 yrs. Looking forward to the opportunities in Miami as a Dolphin!"
