Looking for answers to the Bears’ quarterback situation, the Chicago Tribune’s David Haugh talked to the man who faced the draft’s three top prospects – Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky, and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.
North Carolina State football coach Dave Doeren – who coached the 2012 Northern Illinois Huskies to the Orange Bowl – saw all three play against his Wolfpack, meaning he had a front row seat for NFL-caliber quarterback talent. Doeren dishes on all three quarterback candidate, weighing in on everything from Watson’s interceptions, how Kizer’s ability showed on tape, what he thought was Trubisky’s biggest questionmark, and more.
Of course, quarterback isn’t the only question the Bears will seek answers for this offseason.
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Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye is on the brink of hitting free agency, and fits a need on the Bears defense. Over at CBS Chicago, Chris Emma writes Bouye is exactly the kind of player the team is looking to add to its secondary this offseason. Bears cornerbacks left much to be desired in 2016, and adding Bouye is the kind of move that fixes short-term problems and projects to stabilize the position for years to come. Signing Bouye, who likely won’t receive the Franchise Tag from Houston, would be similar to the kind of signings GM Ryan Pace pulled off when the team signed linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman away from the Broncos and Colts, respectively.
There was a time Tommie Harris was a star on the Bears defense. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, first-team All-NFC (Pro Football Weekly) and second-team All-NFL (Associated Press) in 2005. Harris, who has been retired since 2011, recently penned an emotional tribute at The Players’ Tribune to his wife Ashley, who passed away in 2012. Harris opened up about how he found out about her death (by reading an internet news article), earning an MBA, and becoming a better person than the one his wife knew – all while wishing she was still by his side. It’s a truly touching piece.
With Jordan Howard in tow, the Bears aren’t in the market to use a high-round draft pick on a running back, but since it is a position that needs depth and talent to be at peak efficiency, here is a look at the draft’s top-five prospects at the position.
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There are a lot of things you can question about Jay Cutler’s time in Chicago, but his toughness isn’t one of them, as Tom Waddle let’s Stephen A. Smith know on First Take:
Over at ESPN, analyst Matt Bowen draws up the 20 plays every NFL coach needs to steal and put in their playbook. It’s a different perspective, providing the kind of insight on what makes certain plays work. Surely, having personnel with the ability to execute the offensive and defensive plays diagnosed by Bowen would help matters. But having the plays is a good place to start. And since there are no Bears plays in this mix, perhaps it would be nice for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to have these plays on hand when camp rolls around.
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was charged with four felonies and one misdemeanor stemming from an alleged fight in Pittsburgh last weekend. Revis has yet to turn himself in to local authorities at press time. Revis had a rough 2016 on the field, grabbing only one interception and his 72.1 grade from Pro Football Focus represents a career-low.
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It’s that time of year where NFL teams announce player cuts that make you go, “That name sounds familiar. Wait. I know that guy!” The latest example is defensive end Mario Williams, who was released by the Dolphins on Thursday. Williams racked up 96 sacks in 145 games from 2006 to 2015, highlighted by five seasons with at least 10 sacks, four Pro Bowl seasons, and first-team All-NFL seasons in 2007-08 (Sporting News) and 2014 (Pro Football Writers, Associated Press). Unfortunately for Williams, his production was virtually non-existent in 2016, as he picked up only 1.5 sacks in 13 games. However, his 70.7 grade from PFF in 2016 was better than his 38.5 grade in 2015.
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