Charles Tillman Won't Rest On Last Season's Pro Bowl

Charles Tillman was sent to his first career Pro Bowl last season, but according to the Sun-Times' Sean Jensen, Tillman isn't satisfied with that. He said he wants to be like Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, and Julius Peppers, guys considered to be perennial Pro-Bowlers.

"I want to be like them. I want to make it multiple times. I don't want to be a one-and-done guy."

But the competitive drive goes a little deeper than that.

The Bears added a lot of pieces to the cornerback position this offseason, and while they mostly appear to be backup and developmental pieces, he considers all of them a "threat" for his spot on the depth chart.

"We all need to be pushed," Tillman said.

He also discussed the addition of Brandon Marshall and what it means for him to practice against a bigger receiver.

"We have big receivers in our division,'' Tillman said. ‘‘From that standpoint, the first thing I thought about was I was going to get better. He would make me a better player.

"Is he going to catch some balls? Oh, yeah. But if you go against the best or one of the best every day, it can only make you better. He'll push me."

Tillman is entering his tenth season in the NFL having played less than 14 games only once in his career and playing at a fairly consistent level throughout - he can generally be put down for three interceptions, eleven deflected passes, three or four forced fumbles and about 70 tackles a year, and typically he'll hit those numbers. Arguably, 2010 might have been a better season - two additional interceptions versus returning two of his interceptions in 2011 for touchdowns.

What is your outlook on Charles Tillman for 2012? Do you think he can improve on his numbers from the last couple years? How will Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery impact him as a player? How will the extra pass rush from Shea McClellin benefit him?