There was a point in 2018 when I came to the realization that I wasn’t getting the sleep I needed because I was receiving push notifications on my phone late at night. Eventually, I muted all notifications after a certain hour and my life was immediately better for it. Only recently have I eased up on it, and while I rarely get good notifications after midnight, I finally received one that was worth my time. And because of it, I’ll be able to knock Target Field off the baseball stadium bucket list in August.
No, the Cubs won’t be involved. But I’ll (hopefully) get to see two of my favorite players (Francisco Lindor, Jose Berríos) in action. All things considered, that’s a win!
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix looks (and sounds) better than he ever did while wearing the mustard and relish colored jerseys worn by That Team in Wisconsin:
Danny Heifetz (The Ringer) rounds up the most underpaid veteran on each of the NFL’s 32 teams, and Clinton-Dix pops up as the Bears’ representative. The deal includes $500,000 in total guarantees at signing that is is tied for 93rd among safeties and a 2019 salary + bonuses number that checks in at 34th among players at his position. It’s absurd that a player with Clinton-Dix’s prospect pedigree and success at the pro level was available for a bargain basement price.
Clinton-Dix’s one-year “prove it” deal worth $3 million came after the likes of Earl Thomas, Landon Collins, Tyrann Mathieu, and Adrian Amos signed big-money multi-year deals. I can only imagine what it would feel like to watch my peers secure the bag while I was left holding an empty one. But if Clinton-Dix can rebuild his value playing next to Eddie Jackson, it’s possible he’ll soon join the 2019 class of free agents in getting paid.
At this time next week, I’ll be in Bourbonnais watching the Bears’ first open training camp practice. Let’s get it!
Last year, I was invested in seeing how Matt Nagy’s offense operated. We weren’t going to get the whole meal during summertime practices, but I figured we would be treated to a cookie or two. And we did. Nagy’s offense (even in its most basic practice form) was a treat. Fresh concepts provided a breath of fresh air that was greatly appreciated. But as we move into this year, I find myself more intrigued about the pieces within the offense. The blend of returning players and new additions has me geeked up about what Nagy’s offense will look like in Year 2.
Ted Nguyen (The Athletic) offers up new Bears receiver Cordarrelle Patteson as one of the 10 most valuable and versatile players in the NFL. Because even though Patterson never grew into the ace receiver he had the potential to be in Minnesota, he carved a niche as a winning player in New England, which helped make him someone the Bears felt they needed to sign in free agency. Patterson is listed as a receiver on the depth chart, but that’s because listing a player as APT (All-Purpose Threat) hasn’t caught on yet. In addition to his return prowess, the Bears figure to use Patterson as someone who can get handoffs on jet sweeps, reverses, and even out of the backfield. Good luck accounting for the most dangerous threat on the field when he and Tarik Cohen are lined up together.
The Bears have waves of playmakers who can break one off and take it to the house at a given moment. But to do so in practice, they’ll need to breakthrough one of football’s best defenses. I strongly believe practicing against the best can only make you better, so I’m imagining how some tough love from the defense could spark some things.
On the other hand, I can’t imagine it’s too much fun practicing against this beast:
Check out Vic Fangio helping to bring folks together:
For the first time since Denver fired him in 2008, Mike Shanahan will attend a Broncos’ practice at team’s training facility today. Broncos GM John Elway, HC Vic Fangio and OC Rich Scangarello were instrumental in bringing back Shanahan, who led Denver to two Super Bowl titles.
So many of you asked why Fangio would leave the comforts of running the league’s best defense for the challenges of being a head coach for a team that is building up after a rough season. Among the many answers I could give you, let’s not overlook the obviousness of getting to run your own ship the way you see fit all the way down to the smallest detail:
“There’s no music in games. And when it comes to the point where we need to simulate crowd noise in practice, which we will do, it will be noise. It won’t be music … Noise by definition is sounds annoying. Music sounds nice.”- Vic Fangio on why he’s not playing music in camp
Those of us at BN Bears can attest to the value of adding a superstar, so we’re hoping our friends at BN Bulls can get theirs soon. Bonus points if it’s a Chicago kid:
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
Let's get this out of the way from the top. Looking at an NFL team's strength of schedule for the upcoming season based on the previous year's opponent winning percentage means almost nothing. So much change (roster moves, philosophy shifts,...
The NFL's schedule release is just over 24 hours away, but we're already getting some juicy teasers this week. Here's a roundup and some upcoming NFL-related productions coming to Amazon in today's NFL Notes. Chiefs Will Host the Ravens in...
Coming home to a wonky wifi wasn't on my to-do list. But at least I'm home in one piece. Anyway, apologies if this set of BN Bears Bullets is brief because I can't spend all day on mobile hotspot. The...
I've said it, and I'll continue to say it: this chapter of Chicago Bears football feels different. Perhaps it's because the last time we did this, we were in a pandemic, and when the Bears jumped up to No. 11...
The Detroit Lions have been busy in recent weeks securing their core after a run to the NFC title game last season. Jared Goff became the latest player to get a new deal in Detroit, and he became the highest-paid...
The Buccaneers have made Antoine Winfield Jr the highest-paid defensive back in the history of the NFL. On Monday afternoon, Winfield Jr and Tampa Bay agreed to a four-year, $84.1 million deal. It also guarantees the Bucs' star $45 million....
The Chicago Bears offseason roster churn continues. In addition to their five-player draft class headlined by Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze (plus nine more players who were signed as undrafted free agents), the Bears have signed six free agents who...
One of my biggest frustrations with the Ryan Pace regime was how the former Chicago Bears general manager didn't invest in wide receiver upgrades the way you'd expect a team building around a young quarterback should. Meanwhile, his replacement, Ryan...
In yet another reminder that nothing in life is free, the folks at Awful Announcing put the total cost to access NFL games this season projects to be $855.86. With 272 games on the NFL schedule, that comes out to...
I was rounding up this morning's set of Bears Bullets when I saw this note from the Chicago Tribune's Dan Wiederer on rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze sitting out Saturday's practice with hamstring tightness and I knew I had to...
2024 PGA Championship Odds & Field- The second major tournament of the 2024 season is taking place this week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. The PGA Championship will run from Thursday, May 16 through Sunday, May 19. Defending...
The Chicago Cubs' President of Baseball Operations just hopped on 670 The Score On the Bernstein & Holmes Show, discussing a number of Cubs-related items. He led things off with a discussion of newly-acquired reliever, Tyson Miller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hes1lI-8ZCI So, then,...
The PGA Championship tee times are out and ready for your consumption. The second major of the 2024 calendar will take place at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky, from May 16-19. The 106th edition of the championship will be...
For the second time this season, Rudy Gobert has been handed down a hefty fine by the NBA. During the T'Wolves' Game 4 loss at home to the Nuggets, Gobert flashed the money sign with his hands directed at officials....
The NFL's schedule release is just over 24 hours away, but we're already getting some juicy teasers this week. Here's a roundup and some upcoming NFL-related productions coming to Amazon in today's NFL Notes. Chiefs Will Host the Ravens in...
I've gotten back into baseball cards, which, among other things, sends me down a lot of Memory Lanes. You pull a particular card, you think about that player, and you have various memories. It's part of the fun. The other...
Baseball's top two pitchers in the ERA department squared off last night and did not disappoint—that and more in today's MLB Notes. Shōta Imanaga Was Awesome (Again), But So Was Reynaldo Lopez I've watched a lot of Reynaldo López, given...
You're gonna need a bigger arena ... The Chicago Sky will be quite the draw for WNBA fans across the country. But don't just take my word for it. The Washington Mystics confirmed the excitement on Tuesday, announcing that the...
Bad news for the Boston Bruins this morning. Trailing 3-1 in their second-round series with the Florida Panthers, it was revealed that captain Brad Marchand will again not be available for tonight's win-or-go-home matchup in South Florida. https://twitter.com/FlutoShinzawa/status/1790401949998706932 Brad Marchand...
The Tyson Miller trade is now official, with the Chicago Cubs sending minor league utility man Jake Slaughter to the Seattle Mariners for Miller, who figures to be mostly a match-up righty/middle reliever in the bullpen. More on the trade...