I’m looking forward to the release of the Star Wars Episode IX teaser trailer, which is rumored to be released this morning. But if I’m being honest, it doesn’t matter what the trailer shows because I’m going to theaters on opening night to see Star Wars. No, I’m not sharing that thought just to get back in Michael’s good graces. Why would you even suggest that?
(Michael: It’s working. The force Force is strong with this one.)
(Luis: You didn’t capitalize Force, sir. I’m reporting this to the boss.)
The Bears are hosting their annual local Pro Day which shines the spotlight on area prospects looking to make a good impression on NFL talent evaluators. This region has some great football talent and perhaps some of the names here will catch someone’s eye:
I’m always rooting for the local guys to perform well. And if one happens to end up on the Bears, then it’s doubly good. Best of luck to all of the participants who will be getting down at Halas Hall. May good things be in your respective futures.
Elsewhere in the draft-related world, 670 The Score’s Greg Gabriel presents seven options at outside linebacker who could be found in the middle rounds of the upcoming draft. Unlike last year at this time, edge defender isn’t a position of desperate need. Instead, the Bears are in a position to seek out depth with upside in players who can contribute now to a roster squarely in its competitive window. Chicago has struck gold in the middle rounds of previous drafts by snagging under the radar studs and taking gambles on high-upside players with injury-riddled pasts. Perhaps following the path that helped the team land the likes of Adrian Amos, Eddie Jackson, Jordan Howard, and Tarik Cohen will push them toward finding another mid-round breakout performer.
There are some fun nuggets in Brad Biggs’ most recent mailbag. The Chicago Tribune reporter fields questions surrounding a potential position switch with Cody Whitehair and James Daniels, as well as dissecting the possibilities of a draft-weekend trade. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels as if there will be a loud segment of Bears fans who will be upset if they don’t trade one way or another. I love trades as much as the next guy, but we shouldn’t need the Bears to make a trade (whether it’s up or down) in the draft to feel good about what’s happening. This isn’t to say I wouldn’t embrace a deal, but making moves just to do so seems like the start of a slippery slope.
Can’t get enough Roquan Smith highlights? Good. Us either:
Mark Potash of the Sun-Times came away impressed with Smith’s rookie season. As we have discussed to no end, Smith’s stats were superb. But still … nothing stands out like Smith improving as the weeks went on instead of hitting the rookie wall like many other first-year players.
Moving on from one University of Georgia product to another, Brendan Sugrue (Bears Wire) notes that wide receiver Riley Ridley – the younger brother of Falcons 2018 first-rounder Calvin – visited Halas Hall. Ridley shared an Instagram story image at Javon Wims’ locker. Could Ridley follow his former wide receiver running mate from Athens, Ga. to Chicago? The Bears’ receivers group is better than what it was when Mitch Trubisky arrived on the scene in 2017, but can one ever have too many pass-catching options? I’d think not.
Love seeing that Mitch Trubisky continues to do good things in his community:
Our friends at BN Bulls found the next great basketball star:
So … what needs to be done to build a robot kicker who is nails from distance? I’ll start donating to that kick-starter now.
Soccer is coming to Soldier Field this summer:
https://twitter.com/SoldierField/status/1116363306221092864
For our friends who are Cubs fans, there is a 25 percent off flash sale and you might want to check it out and treat yourself to something nice on a Friday:
NEWSLETTER
