Seeing Brian Urlacher in the front with Ray Lewis is oh, so right:
Makes you wonder how anyone could have considered having a class with Lewis, but without Urlacher. I, for one, am glad we don’t live in an alternate universe where a Hall of Fame caliber player didn’t make it on the first ballot.
Matt Nagy hasn’t coached a single game for the Chicago Bears, but he is already being used in an off-the-field recruiting pitch. The Chicago Tribune reports Nagy appeared in Chicago’s pitch to bring Amazon’s HQ2 to the Windy City. You can see Nagy’s cameo in the recruiting video starting around the 1:09 mark. Chicago is one of 20 finalists for the new headquarters. If the city is to come away with another big win, it will have to beat New York, Miami, Denver, Boston, and others.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune talked with Washington State football coach Mike Leach about the team’s new strength coach. Leach lauded Jason Loscalzo’s work, particularly with the team’s offensive linemen. The Bears will enter 2018 with a renewed vigor in attacking the offensive line with a new offensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator. And after parting ways with Josh Sitton, the Bears need every edge they can get in rebuilding the front five responsible for protecting Mitch Trubisky and clearing running space for Jordan Howard.
Speaking of Sitton, his former Packers teammate is trying to recruit him to join his new team. Guard T.J. Lang spent time next to Long as members a Packers line blocking for Aaron Rodgers and now hopes to reunite with the Lions. “I’ve got a place for you to stay big boy!” wrote Lang, who was quote tweeting a Pro Football Talk post headlined “Josh Sitton feels he has “prime years” left.” Detroit has successfully used free agency to rebuild their offensive line, signing tackle Ricky Wagner and Lang last season. Sitton is a strong short-term fit for the Lions, especially if he can stay healthy – something he didn’t really do in two years for the Bears. But the long-term risk that comes in investing long-term with multiple 30-year-old linemen could be significant.
It’s not hard to make a case for Sitton as the best free agent guard on the market. Sitton’s 86.0 grade from Pro Football Focus is the second highest among free agent guards, trailing only Andrew Norwell of the Carolina Panthers. Fittingly enough, Norwell would fit the Bears’ plans of getting younger at the position, though it will come at a premium and a projected higher price than what Sitton would have cost in 2017.
If you’re hoping the Bears dive deep into free agent waters to sign an upgrade at kicker, just know that Ryan Succop’s deal probably just set the top of the market. Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk reported the Titans signed Succop to a five-year deal worth as much as $20 million and included a $3.5 million signing bonus and $2.25 million as a base salary. Succop nailed 86.5 percent of his field goals in his last four seasons in Tennessee. The kicking game has been a sore subject for Bears fans since the team released Robbie Gould before the start of the 2016 season. Things hit a fever pitch in 2017 when Gould re-emerged as one of the league’s top kickers as Connor Barth floundered and Cairo Santos ended up on injured reserve. The team could ultimately decide to bring back Santos and Nugent for some sort of kicking competition. Both kickers have a higher accuracy rate in recent years than big-name free agent possibility Sebastian Janikowski.
One of the most productive receivers in NFL history has ranked this crop of draft-eligible wideouts:
One receiver who might not end up on the Bears’ radar is Florida’s Anthony Callaway. In Lance Zierlein’s “Sources Tell Us” column, an AFC Pro Personnel Director doesn’t think the juice is worth the squeeze. “Really natural athelete and pretty good player but there are just too many headaches to deal with so I can’t see us taking a chance on him. Our owner will say no and I don’t think we would put him on our board to be honest.” Callaway is a talented receiver prospect who was accused of sexual assault in 2015 (an independent officer in a Title IX investigation found him not responsible of sexually assaulting the accuser) and was cited for marijuana possession in May 2017.
Former Bears tight end Martellus Bennett had quite the public fallout with the Packers right before he was scheduled to make his triumphant (?) return to Soldier Field. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports the talented (and mercurial) tight end wants to keep playing in 2018. Even though Bennett previously stated 2017 was going to be his last year, it’s possible last season left a sour enough taste in his mouth to give it another shot at finishing his career on a high note. For what it’s worth, the Patriots have Bennett under contract for a $3.6 million guarantee, but could save $6,187,500 by releasing him before June 1.
NEWSLETTER
