Bears Bullets: Good News from Kyle Long, Future Pro Bowlers, Acho Headed to Nigeria, More

Kyle Long is making progress toward his return to NFL action:

The three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman ended the 2016 season on injured reserve with an ankle injury that required surgery (but also a shoulder injury – on which he elected not to have surgery). So any time he shares a positive progress update, it’s a welcome sign. It looks like Long will be switching positions in 2017, making the move from right guard to left guard. And if that’s how it goes down this season, it will mark the third different position Long has started at in as many seasons.

But no matter how the puzzle pieces fit in the interior line, it still projects to be a strength with Long, Josh Sitton, and Cody Whitehair.

  • Speaking of Whitehair, who had a breakout year as a rookie center in 2016, the former second-round pick is starting to receive some proper recognition for his work. Perhaps more such recognition will come later in the year when the NFL’s Pro Bowl squads are announced. Marc Sessler sought out to find a potential first-time Pro Bowler for each NFC team, and concluded Whitehair projects to be that type of player. Whitehair earned an 87.2 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2016, which was sixth among NFL centers and highest among players on the Bears’ offense.
  • Unless Whitehair goes through a position change, Mitch Trubisky will eventually be taking snaps from the top-notch center. As it stands, Trubisky is still in the development phase of his young career. With that in mind, Chris Emma of CBS Chciago writes that attention to detail will be at the forefront of Trubisky’s development. The No. 2 overall pick is spending a significant amount of time with his nose in the Bears playbook and attempting to tune out distractions as he transitions from the college game.
  • Trubisky has high hopes for his NFL career, and has had them for quite a while. CSN Chicago unearthed video from Hyundai’s “Rolling With The Rookies” segment, in which Trubisky’s family share stories and anecdotes about the Bears’ rookie quarterback. Trubisky believed he would be a football star since he was in first grade. Hopefully, his vision comes true in Chicago. You can check out video below:
  • Roll with Mitchell Trubisky through Mentor, OH as he reflects on his journey to become the top QB prospect in the NFL Draft.

    Posted by Hyundai on Thursday, April 27, 2017

  • Former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase is in his second year as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, and the early returns on his offense during OTAs are positive. Most of the offense from a team that won 10 games and earned a playoff spot remains in tact (save for the notable departure of tight end Dion Sims, of course) and quarterback Ryan Tannehill is looking healthy after season-ending knee surgery caused him to miss the team’s playoff game. Gase is leading one of those under-the-radar teams to watch for, but as always, the Dolphins will have their work cut out for them knowing they have to play the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots twice.
  • From a fantasy perspective, Pro Football Weekly takes a look at the three quarterbacks, tight ends, and place kickers who could pick up some points with fresh starts in new places. The list features some current and former Bears, including Mike Glennon – who makes the list despite having questionable receivers and a rookie potentially breathing down his neck. I would consider Glennon a deep sleeper, and is maybe someone you can start in a pinch if the matchups are favorable. However, I definitely wouldn’t count on him to be a fantasy savior.
  • After the conclusion of next Thursday’s OTAs, Larry Mayer writes that linebacker Sam Acho will be leaving for Nigeria. This isn’t a first-time trip for Acho, who started taking this journey as a 12-year-old. Acho will leave as part of an annual two-week medical mission with Living Hope Christian Ministries, which is a non-profit organization that has been operated by Acho’s parents since 1989.
  • 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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