Fresh Starts for Free Agents, NFL Draft Busts, Power Rankings and Other Bullets

Mar 15, 2017

Tough news last evening, if you missed it, as former Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs is dealing with symptoms of CTE. But, even still, he’s using this time to raise awareness and educate others about the condition.

Onward with your Bullets:

Free agency in March leads to familiar faces in new places when the regular season begins in September. Over at Pro Football Weekly, Arthur Arkush has 11 players who were given a much-needed new lease on their football life. Among them are a pair of players with Bears ties, Mike Glennon and Alshon Jeffery. Glennon’s fresh start in Chicago comes as the Bears wiped their slate clean by releasing Jay Cutler. It’s not the best situation, with questions along the offensive line and in the receiving corps, but I suppose it’s better than being a backup. Meanwhile, Jeffery is in one of the best situations of any free agent as he tries to cash in on a make-good one-year deal. After a year of quarterback instability in Chicago, Jeffery gets to catch passes thrown by talented up-and-comer Carson Wentz.

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New cornerback Marcus Cooper’s powerful letter to Bears fans will give you a small reason for optimism. Hopefully, that can translate on the field:

Dear Chicago…..@ChicagoBears @BACSports pic.twitter.com/uWa39ej7wG

— Marcus Cooper (@Mr_Cooper860) March 14, 2017

Declaring winners and losers in free agency isn’t just for the games between the lines, but also for fantasy football. Analyst Michael Fabiano runs down the winners and losers who have changed teams this offseason, with a fantasy twist. It’s a list you’ll want to check out in full if you’re trying to get a head start on your competition, but seeing Mike Glennon in the loser column isn’t a great sign. In fairness, Glennon isn’t being drafted (unless you’re in the deepest league in fantasy history) and his top targets (Cameron Meredith, Kevin White, Markus Wheaton, Zach Miller) aren’t going to instantly be better because of Glennon’s presence. All things considered, the Bears are probably better off giving the ball to a fantasy (and real-life) difference maker in running back Jordan Howard.

Meanwhile, the New York Jets might consider themselves winners if Jay Cutler is their next quarterback:

Jay Cutler has played 11 seasons in the NFL.

He finished the season with a better passer rating than the Jets' primary QB in all of them. https://t.co/hiuO0ulFUg

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) March 14, 2017

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However, if Cutler does move on to the Jets, he might need some new choices in head gear. Cutler’s wife Kristin Cavallari posted a video of him playing in the snow on her Snapchat feed, and one of the more noticeable things is his choice in winter hats. Look closely and you’ll see Cutler sporting a Bears hat less than a week after being cut by the team. After eight tumultuous years in Chicago, it’s easy to forget that Cutler himself was a Bears fan growing up.

It’s never too early for power rankings, so here is one of the earliest sets you’ll see. Elliot Harrison conjures up the first batch of power rankings after free agency’s early wave, and the Bears are fourth … from the bottom. Things could be worse for the Bears, who are ahead of the 49ers, Jets, and Browns on the power ranking list. Even still, it’s a reminder that the Bears have a long way to go, so perspective will be needed moving forward.

Brace yourselves, more cuts will be (eventually) coming:

For whatever it's worth, Bears currently have 72 players under contract. Seven draft picks.

— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) March 14, 2017

As if the Bears needed a steeper mountain to climb, the Packers’ signing of tight end Martellus Bennett ranks as one of the five early free agency moves that will have a significant impact on the 2017 regular season, according to NFL columnist Jeffri Chadiha. Further, Bennett (and fellow tight end addition Lance Kendricks) both believe they will quickly get on the same page as quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, former Packers tight end Jared Cook was expected to visit the Vikings today after visiting Seattle on Tuesday.

With that in mind, perhaps the Bears would consider drafting LSU safety Jamal Adams – or any other defensive playmaker?

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At least Eddie Lacy is out of the picture after signing with the Seahawks on Tuesday … right?

Scored six TDs in six games vs. #Bears. 4.58 yards/carry vs. CHI was best showing vs. NFC North opponent.

Bye, Eddie. ? https://t.co/sySHaDW32p

— The Ten-Yard Line (@TheTenYardLine) March 14, 2017

As much as we’re all looking forward to the draft as an avenue in which the Bears can add some much needed talent, sometimes things don’t always go as planned:

Less than 4 years later, 7 of the top 12 picks in the 2013 draft have been dumped by their drafting teams. pic.twitter.com/Oh2NhXLhUX

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 14, 2017

written by

Luis C. Medina

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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