Faith in Amos, Peanut’s Takes Punch to the FBI, Secondary as Primary Need, and Other Bullets

In case you missed it, Kyle Long has agreed to a restructured contract that’ll help the Bears salary cap situation. We have the initial details right here, but we’ll get into the weeds later today. Stay tuned!

For now, bullets …

  • Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune talk it out as the Bears’ offseason begins with needs on the offensive side of the ball taking center stage. Changes on offense have been necessary in recent years in order to take the group from a bottom feeder to being respectable. But a team in its window of contention can’t settle for middling offense. Upgrades at kicker (because, duh), at the “Y” tight end position, and in the backfield are top of mind as we enter Combine week.
  • One offensive playmaker who has been loosely connected to the Bears is Le’Veon Bell. But for what it’s worth, ex-NFL agent and current CBS Sports salary cap guru Joel Corry doesn’t list the Bears among the potential suitors for Bell. And considering their current cap situation (which has already changed since this morning) it’s understandable. Corry views the Jets, Texans, Colts, and Packers as possible destinations for the Pro Bowl running back.
  • HOWEVER, Corry offers up a warning to take any Bell-Packers speculation with a grain of salt:
  • And yet, I wouldn’t take it lightly. After missing the playoffs the last two years, I can’t imagine Green Bay’s front office is taking it easy north of the border.
  • For the record, the Bears still have defensive needs. And if slot cornerback Bryce Callahan heads elsewhere, Chicago could turn to a short-term veteran presence to help fill the void. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport tweets the Panthers are releasing Captain Munnerlyn, who turns 31 in April and has 154 games of experience as a nickel defender. Munnerlyn isn’t the playmaker he was earlier in his career and the fact that he has just one interception in the last 45 games he has played over the last three years is far from encouraging. But a seasoned professional playing that spot for a fraction of the cost it would take to re-sign Callahan might be intriguing on some level. Munnerlyn’s name is one to keep an eye on should the Bears go in a different direction at slot corner.
  • Pro Football Focus believes in Adrian Amos:
  • Speaking of the Bears’ secondary, we’re not sure if ex-Bears cornerback Charles Tillman will use his “Peanut Punch” on bad guys, but we can’t wait to find out as he rides off to become one of the FBI’s newest agents.
  • Chris Emma of 670 The Score notes that the Bears are a more stable franchise now than they have been heading into recent trips to the Combine. And yet, the team still has questions to answer about its future. Surely, searching for solutions in the secondary is at the top of the Bears’ likely to-do list at the Combine.
  • Long-time NFL running back turned NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew seems to have the pulse of the Bears’ offseason needs. Jones-Drew lists finding a “clutch kicker,” adding depth to the defensive backfield, and figuring out how to create more versatility in the running backs as priorities for Chicago as the new league year approaches.
  • Oh, you better believe Akiem Hicks is a goal-line option:
  • https://twitter.com/NFLCanada/status/1099343641162575872

  • For at least one more year, they’ll be known as the Oakland Raiders:
  • Does that make them the Oakland Raiders of Marry Ol’ London when the Bears play them later this year? Asking for editing purposes.
  • The Michael Crabtree experience in Baltimore is over after the Ravens cut him one year into a three-year deal worth $21 million. It’s a move that will save them more than $4.6 million in cap space and create an opening for a different type of receiver for Lamar Jackson. A year ago at this time, Crabtree would have been a more highly sought-after receiver from our point of view. However, Crabtree’s catch percentage has fallen in each of the last two years and he had some high-profile drops that ultimately led to Baltimore cutting ties with the 31-year-old receiver.
  • The Atlanta football scene is no stranger to taking a hit. Between the Falcons’ Super Bowl collapse and a pair of late-game stumbles by Georgia against Alabama, the region’s football fans have taken it on the chin in recent years. I’m not sure what the emotional investment has been in the Alliance of American Football’s Atlanta Legends has been, but the constant coaching changes (as detailed by the AP’s Charles Odum) isn’t a great look for the team (or league, for that matter).
  • Blenders, comforters, and chargers are among your Deals of the Day at Amazon today.
  • written by

    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.

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