Bears Bullets: New Offensive Formations, Glennon Prediction, Fantasy Sleepers, Harbaugh Under Fire, More

Today is Memorial Day, so it would be remiss of me if I didn’t share my thanks to those who have served the armed forces in the past and those who still serve today. A sincerest thank you from The Ten-Yard Line.

Moving on quickly with today’s Bullets:

  • Brad Biggs’ mailbag over at the Chicago Tribune is a treasure trove of information, and you should give it a thorough read when time permits. Biggs provides insight into several areas of interest. Among them, Biggs hinted at the Bears opting to use fewer four-receiver sets because of the talent level at that position (it’s deep, but won’t strike fear in too many secondaries) … which could lead to more three-tight end formations, which would be a better use of the Bears’ available talent. A healthy Zach Miller has proven to be a productive pass catcher, while the team holds out hope that Dion Sims develops into a two-way threat after signing him to a free agent deal. The Bears also thought highly enough of Adam Shaheen to draft him in the second round. While the Bears signed a slew of free agent receivers who have flashed with their previous teams, the players lining up at tight end have more upside as offensive weapons.
  • (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

  • Dowell Loggains’ offense could start two new receivers in 2017, but Biggs notes that it’s Vic Fangio’s defense that could have four new starters in the secondary. The Bears spent significant dollars on the market, but didn’t handcuff themselves with short-term deals for cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper, or safety Quintin Demps. Rookie safety Eddie Jackson could break out and unseat starter Adrian Amos.
  • Again, there’s more in the mailbag including nuggets on Kevin White, expectations for Jaye Howard, free agent futures, and more.
  • Over at Bleacher Report, Sean Tomlinson takes a stab at what each of the NFL’s starting quarterbacks’ respective stat lines will look like at year’s end. Don’t hold your breath in hopes of seeing Mike Glennon post a Pro Bowl caliber year in his first season as a starter 2014. Tomlinson pegs Glennon to have a respectable year, throwing for 3,584 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. However, an average of 224 yards per game, 58.4 percent completion rate, 19 touchdowns, and 3,584 passing yards would all be fewer than what Bears quarterbacks collectively posted in 2016. The 16 interceptions would be three fewer than the 19 the team’s signal callers threw in 2016 – but it’s not the stark improvement the team needs from the position. All things considered, those are the type of numbers one would expect from a placeholder quarterback holding down the fort for a top quarterback prospect.
  • Perhaps a healthy Kevin White could help Glennon out in his first season with the Bears. Dan Glasgens of Pro Football Focus lists White among the five potential fantasy starters with low average draft positions. White enters his third season with the Bears still unpolished, but potentially facing plenty of fantasy scoring opportunities because of how many points the defense projects to give up. Someone has to emerge as a high volume target who reels in passes and receiving yards, and White – a 2015 first-round pick of the Ryan Pace regime – has a fighting chance to be that player in 2017. However, he can’t do it if he isn’t healthy – which is a concern that recently re-emerged.
  • You can really see why Eric Berry would have been a hot commodity had he not re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and hit free agency instead:
  • Brandon Jacobs had just five carries for seven yards in two career games for the San Francisco 49ers, but that hasn’t stopped him from sharing some peculiar thoughts on his former coach Jim Harbaugh. Jacobs has shown not to be a big Harbaugh fan, tweeting that he plans to “expose” his former head coach and get him fired from Michigan. What started as something minor stemming from an interview on CBS Sports Radio has started to snowball into an intriguing news item. However, Jacobs has since deleted his tweet claiming he would get Harbaugh fired, meaning this storyline could soon be coming to an end.
  • Is it ever too early for 2017 awards predictions? Analyst Bucky Brooks takes an early look at the favorites for the NFL’s Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards. There are several names Bears fans should be familiar with on both sides of the ball. Brooks calls Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and New York Jets safety Jamal Adams as the “sexy” picks for their respective sides of the ball. The Bears were linked to both throughout the pre-draft process, but both were ultimately passed on by the front office.
  • 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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