I learned how extremely difficult it is to type on a black keyboard, at high noon, when you’re directly under the sun. Summer weather often pushes me to work on a patio or in the yard, but now I know to make sure I work under some sort of shade if I’m going to be outside. The more you know, I guess.
You’re never going to see a rookie year like the one Devin Hester put up with the Chicago Bears:
https://twitter.com/nflthrowback/status/1149732460449562624
Hester earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors as he racked up 1,128 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns … and didn’t even take one offensive snap. Take a moment to think about what kind of impact you’d have to make on special teams to put up those numbers, then remember that Hester did it. Hester was a game-changing player whose speed and skills are still mind-boggling.
Using Pro Football Refernece’s Approximate Value (which attempts to fit a player’s contributions in one convenient number) as our guide, Hester was one of football’s most valuable players as a rookie in 2006. His 14 AV ranked tied for 35th. Players Hester was tied with included Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, and Bengals receiver Chad Johnson. That’s ridiculously good company to hang with for a rookie return specialist.
So who wants to be the Bears rookie who opens eyes like Hester? David Montgomery should get ample opportunity to do so coming out of the backfield. Riley Ridley could emerge as a favorite target of Mitch Trubisky if his reliable hands and sharp route-running translate to the pro game as well as they did when he was a standout at the University of Georgia. Could Kerrith Whyte Jr. have a breakout campaign as a return specialist? Do the NFL’s rules even allow for that? In any case, I’m open to seeing someone break through in a big way this coming season. Championship-caliber teams always have stud rookies and unexpected performances, and I don’t expect this year to be any different.
And then there’s Khalil Mack, who was aces from the first whistle of the 2018 season:
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1149744240907444224
It’s crazy to think about how awesome Mack was *DESPITE* not participating in the offseason training program and sitting out the preseason. It almost makes me wonder how necessary the preseason is in the first place. Then reality sets in and I remember that players like Mack can do things others can’t, and to expect others to have the commitment and discipline to keep their minds and bodies in game shape would be wrong. Mack is an entirely different beast, one we should cherish for as long as he wears a Bears uniform.
Second-year receiver Javon Wims is the training camp sleeper Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton thinks fans should keep an eye on. Wims had a monster preseason in 2018 working with the reserves, didn’t get much playing time in the regular season, but put together some impressive tape in a Week 17 win against the Vikings. Wims has since built upon that performance by playing his way onto the first-unit offense during OTAs. Competition will be stiff among the Bears’ wide receiver corps, but Wims showed he can play inside and out in spurts. If he can catch Mitch Trubisky’s eye, Wims has a fighter’s chance at making the club.
Who has better talent around him, Trubisky or NFC North rival Kirk Cousins? The debate rages on:
https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1149094256969179136
LOL! These poll results should’ve never been this close:
Amazon’s early Prime Day deals continue, and it includes – among other things – one of those Dyson ball animal vacuums on a huge discount. If you have a pet hair situation, this might be right in your wheelhouse.
This is where the fun begins:
A touching and inspiring story:
Baseball is a beautiful, magical game:
Coby White makes me smile:
https://twitter.com/BN_Bulls/status/1149324886927654913
NEWSLETTER
