LAKE FOREST – Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox has not watched the replay of the hit that broke a vertebra in his lower back and put his NFL career on hold.

Knox doesn’t plan to watch the replay from Dec. 18 anytime soon, either.

“I probably don’t want to see it until I retire,” Knox said Wednesday.

Knox watched the Bears’ organized team activities from the sidelines, and it’s uncertain when he will be able to join the action on the field. He acknowledged a possibility that he might miss the upcoming season but hoped otherwise.

“It could happen,” Knox said, “but I’m staying optimistic. My main focus is on the weight room. That’s all I’m focused on. I’m not in a rush.

“This is my spine, the core of my body I’m dealing with. It’s not my knee or my ankle or my shoulder. I’m taking my time.”

Knox, who was listed at 6-feet-tall and 180 pounds at the start of last season, said he lost about 30 pounds after his back surgery. He has regained about 10 pounds and hopes to add more via weight training, although he can train only with machine weights now because trainers fear that using free weights could lead to a setback.

Knox said he spent three days in the hospital and was forced to wear a back brace for 2 ½ months after his surgery. That was not easy for a player whose elite speed helped him tally 2,214 receiving yards and 1,506 return yards in three NFL seasons.

“It was tough at first, but I got used to it,” said Knox, who has resumed jogging. “But it was all for a good reason. My doctors and the training staff stayed hard on me, wanting to keep me in it, because it helped me get right.”

Knox said he never allowed “Why me?” questions to slow his progress.

“Since Day One, my mindset has been real positive,” Knox said. “No letdowns. No setbacks. I’m surrounded by a great group of people, a great organization, friends, family and they’re keeping me positive, and I’m just staying positive and moving forward.”

-Tom Musick

The Bears signed first round draft pick Shea McClellin to a four-year contract Friday with an option for a fifth season.

McClellin, who will wear No. 99 for the Bears, was on the practice field at Halas Hall for the team's first day of rookie minicamp within an hour after agreeing to his deal. He was the team's top pick (No. 19 overall) as a defensive end out of Boise State.

The Bears also signed a trio of defensive linemen to compete for roster spots this summer. They signed defensive tackle John McCargo, defensive tackle DeMario Pressley and defensive end Cheta Ozougwu to one-year deals each.

-Tom Musick

CHICAGO – The Bears signed sixth-round draft pick Isaiah Frey to a four-year contract Wednesday, bringing the team’s number of signed selections to four.

Frey, a cornerback who played at Nevada, was the Bears’ second-to-last draft pick at No. 184 overall. He was named to the first team All-WAC after leading the Wolfpack with five interceptions, 21 pass break-ups and 37 tackles as a senior in 2011.

By signing Frey, the Bears’ only remaining unsigned draft picks are first-round defensive end Shea McClellin and third-round safety Brandon Hardin. The team signed second-round wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, fourth-round tight end Evan Rodriguez and seventh-round cornerback Greg McCoy before signing Frey.

The Bears’ rookie minicamp opens Friday and continues through Sunday at Halas Hall.

– Tom Musick

James scores 29 points
as Heat eliminate Knicks

MIAMI – LeBron James had 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade both scored 19 points and the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks, 106-94, on Wednesday to win the NBA Eastern Conference first-round series in five games.

The Heat will meet Indiana in the East semifinals starting Sunday in Miami.

Grizzlies topple Clippers
to push series to Game 6

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Marc Gasol scored 23 points and Zach Randolph added 19 as the Memphis Grizzlies avoided elimination Wednesday by beating the Los Angeles Clippers, 92-80, forcing a Game 6 in the NBA Western Conference first-round series.

Hargrove disappointed NFL discussed statement

NEW ORLEANS – Suspended former Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove said he was disappointed his sworn statement regarding the NFL’s bounty investigation was leaked and that the league has “grossly mischaracterized” his words.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Wednesday by his agent, Phil Williams, Hargrove said he hoped the NFL would not discuss the signed declaration publicly.

Hargrove’s declaration explains how ex-Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and current assistant head coach Joe Vitt instructed him to deny the existence of a bounty program in New Orleans when he was interviewed by NFL investigators in 2010.

If rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffery runs routes as quickly as he signs contracts, the Bears could have a star player on their hands.

Jeffery agreed to a four-year contract Wednesday, which was five days after the Bears selected him in the second round (No. 45 overall) of the NFL draft. Jeffery is the first Bears’ selection to sign, and he is believed to be the first member of this year’s draft class to agree to a deal.

In 40 games with the South Carolina Gamecocks, Jeffery caught 183 passes for 3,042 yards and 23 touchdowns. He set a school record with 12 100-yard receiving games.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

-Tom Musick

LAKE FOREST - The Chicago Bears offense in 2012 is shaping up to be a little bit different than the one that finished 24th in total offense last season.

The Bears continued to upgrade their offense on Saturday, selecting Evan Rodriguez, a tight end out of Temple University, with their fourth-round selection (No. 111 overall). Rodriguez had 35 catches for 479 yards and two touchdowns in his senior year at Temple.

“We needed to develop weapons for [Jay Cutler],” Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery said. “We feel good about where we’re at in that progress.”

Rodriguez is listed at 6-foot-1.5, weighing 240 pounds. Rodriguez had the third-fastest 40-yard-dash time at the NFL Combine among tight ends, running it in 4.58 seconds. He also recorded the top vertical jump, 36 inches, for all prospective tight ends.
Emery noted that Rodriguez's versatility would be an asset for the Bears.

"We see Evan as a combination of a fullback and a tight end,” Emery said. “We really felt we had a very defined need with the system changes that [offensive coordinator Mike Tice] will bring in terms of having a vertical tight end."

Coming into the draft, there were questions about Rodriguez's off-field issues. During his freshman year at West Virginia, Rodriguez was charged with assault after an alleged altercation with a female resident advisor in a dormitory. He was suspended from the team, granted his release and transferred to Temple.

“We all make mistakes, it’s growing pains,” Rodriguez said on a conference call. “As long as you learn from your mistakes and don’t let it happen again and mature. I’m just happy to get this opportunity and I’m not going to let them down.”

The Bears' selection of Rodriguez is the second offensive player the Bears have added in the 2012 NFL Draft. The Bears selected South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery with the second round on Friday, trading up five spots to grab the highly regarded pass-catcher.

***

The Bears used their sixth-round draft pick to select Isaiah Frey, a defensive back out of Nevada-Reno.

Frey, listed at 6-foot and 190 pounds, was durable during his career at Nevada, not missing any games. He recorded seven interceptions over three seasons, including five during his senior year. Frey has good speed, running a 4.50 in the 40-yard-dash.

The Bears also signed two veteran free agents in Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite to bolster a secondary that finished 28th in passing yards allowed last season.

***

With their final selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Bears selected TCU cornerback Greg McCoy in the seventh round. McCoy (5-10, 180) . He also had two return touchdowns for the Horned Frogs last season.

-- Ross Jacobson