Optimistic Urlacher, Boring Super Bowl Logos, Amos Shines Unexpectedly, and Other Bullets

Jan 29, 2019

It’s going to be dangerously cold in Chicago the next few days, so I hope you’re doing everything you can to stay warm and stay well. Be smart, friends.

Maybe the real Super Bowl champions are the friends we made and the fun we had along the way. Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher is filled with optimism after the Bears’ resurgent 2018 season, writes Larry Mayer of the Bears’ official website. Among the highlights was Urlacher sharing a story about how Akiem Hicks used to play as Urlacher when he used to play Madden. Don’t think of it as getting old, #54. It’s a sign of respect.

The Bears figure to be fun next year, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But Chicago has a conundrum on its hands as it is left to decide whether there is cap room left for Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan after signing Bobby Massie to an extension. Perhaps the case for Amos is stronger than we would have expected:

Adrian Amos played more snaps in coverage than any other safety – and finished with the 8th-highest grade at the position. pic.twitter.com/z9DHaK8Ucj
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) January 29, 2019

Leading the NFL in coverage snaps while coming up with a top-10 grade from Pro Football Focus is no small feat. PFF’s metrics have loved Amos’ play the last few years, but to have a high grade while racking up the snaps is something worth noting. It’s numbers like that which make you understand why early projections have Amos fetching a contract in the open market that would pay him between $8-9 million per year.

Well, at least someone learned something from this:

#Rams QB coach Zac Taylor on the loss to the #Bears: "We learned a lot from playing in that game, on the road, against a tough D. It was one of those games that we needed. It was not fun at the time, but we learned a lot from it & have been able to perform because of that game.”
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) January 29, 2019

Super Bowl talk. Sigh. Shouldn’t the Bears still be playing?

Maybe the next Super Bowl the Bears play in will have a more lively logo:

the super bowl logo used to be creative each year and now it's just predictable and boring pic.twitter.com/DM5FNrEmGG

— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) January 27, 2019

Part of me is going to watch this game red-faced because I sat in the cold and saw the Bears beat the Rams with my own eyes and also watched this team (albeit at less than 100 percent with an injured Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson) hang with the Patriots. The Bears were talented enough to beat anyone in the NFL. But as we all know too well, any team can beat another on any given Sunday.

I don’t blame you if you believe the Bears would still be playing if Cody Parkey made that darn kick against the Eagles on Wild-Card Weekend. Beating the Rams in Week 14 on Sunday Night Football allowed Bears fans to dream big after a statement win. And seeing how the NFC playoffs turn out, there is an argument made for the Bears (even with their flaws) being a team that could have pulled off what would have otherwise been viewed as an improbable run.

At least the kicking competition can officially get underway:

#Bears roster update:
We have signed the following Reserve/Future player:
K, Redford Jones

— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) January 28, 2019

Signing Redford Jones is a low-risk move that takes up just one spot on the 90-man roster that will eventually be trimmed to 53 when the 2019 season opens up. Jones is the first new name to join the Bears but certainly won’t be the last of the kickers brought in to give Parkey a run for his money. The Bears could still go into free agency and pluck a powerful leg. But since there are still 43 days to go until we cross that bridge, the Bears should continue to search every corner of the kicking galaxy in order to find a solution.

The Bears are set at offensive line after signing Bobby Massie to a four-year extension, but that’s not going to stop me from thinking about what could have been with Quenton Nelson. Larry Mayer of the Bears’ official site caught up with Nelson at the Pro Bowl, where he credited Bears Offensive Line Coach Harry Hiestand for his development. Nelson was often linked to the Bears during the pre-draft process in 2018, but the Colts swooped in and picked him with the sixth overall selection. The Bears did well by drafting Iowa offensive lineman James Daniels in the second round, while first-round pick Roquan Smith helped solidify the interior of the team’s group of linebackers. But still … Nelson was a Pro Bowler who was named a first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers of America, and Sporting News. He is clearly on another level as far as guard play is concerned.

To be clear, Roquan Smith was no slouch as a rookie. Just ask Matthew Stafford:

View this post on Instagram

Who you callin’ rookie?? #MonstersOfTheMidwayMondays

A post shared by Chicago Bears (@chicagobears) on Jan 28, 2019 at 11:49am PST

Way to go!

SO EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE IM ONE OF THE LUCKY 3 HEADED TO ATLANTA FOR SUPER BOWL 53!!!

Thank you to all the Bears Fans from the bottom of my heart! Your support means the world to me!

Thank you to @Ford and of course the @ChicagoBears and @BUrlacher54!

I can't wait to get there! pic.twitter.com/f1rKqBVPZZ

— BEARMAN (@bearman4634) January 29, 2019

Love to see it:

#DaBears put their 🎳 skillz to the test for a good cause.@spiceadams takes us inside @SmashAmos38's celebrity bowling night. https://t.co/xSXdbInCwy

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) January 28, 2019

Fancy pots and pans, food dehydrators, and crazy masks/earplug-type things are among your Deals of the Day at Amazon.

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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