CBA Tussle Begins, Throwback Mack, RoboKickers, and Other Bears Bullets

February 21, 2020, by Luis Medina Chicago Bears

Spring Training baseball games begin this weekend, which means it’s just about time to take a deeper dive into fantasy baseball prep. After missing the playoffs in the hyper-competitive 12-team, 20-keeper league I’m in, I went out and had an active offseason. My team has new players at first base, shortstop, four outfield spots, and six new pitchers. I traded away some valuable pieces for this re-tooling, but feel better about my team now than I did when the season ended. Hope springs eternal!

Onward with today’s Bullets.

WELP:

Rip it up! https://t.co/4bp5Aml88a
— Allen Robinson II (@AllenRobinson) February 20, 2020

Hard no on that proposed CBA.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) February 21, 2020

Has anyone even thought through a 17th regular season game? Like … logistically? It feels as if the owners have thrown in a 17th game into the fray for the sake of one last cash grab without thinking about any other party.
The only ideal scenario in which I envision a sensible 17th game is one where your team plays the same-place finisher from the opposite conference that your division isn’t playing that season. Using the 2020 schedule as an example, the Bears would play the third-place finisher in the AFC North, West, or East because they’re already playing everyone in the AFC South. So in this scenario, the Bears would play the Browns, Raiders, or Jets. It’s just a thought.

Eventually, players will vote on the proposed CBA that was signed off on by the owners. But the early returns aren’t all that encouraging.
Here’s some more details on what’s being voted on:

Regarding CBA players vote on today.
Rosters would increase to 48 players from 46 on gameday, with overall rosters going to 55 from 53; practice squads would increase to 14 players in 2022, and 12 this year, up from 10.
Teams would be allowed to bring back 3 players from IR.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 21, 2020

Some added details on CBA being voted on by players today:
—Playoff expansion is pretty much tied to CBA approval. So likely no expansion this year if players don’t approve the deal.
—17th game wouldn’t be an international game for every team. Would be a cap on total intl games.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 21, 2020

More:
—Though player discipline for off-field violations would be heard by a neutral arbitrator, appeals would go to the commissioner.
—The league would still conduct their own independent investigations into such matters.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 21, 2020

I feel uneasy about how aggressively the owners have pushed their CBA proposal. This could be because I have some strong skepticism vibes, but something feels out of place. And that I can’t totally grasp it right now is bothersome to me. Ugh. I just want both sides to make a deal that makes all parties happy, gives fans what they want, and isn’t something either side comes back to in a few years proclaiming as a mistake.
This tweet does a good job of capturing part of what I’m feeling:

It’s like making a deal with the Patriots. Makes you think. https://t.co/3HA2ZfNZkF
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) February 21, 2020

Wouldn’t it be something if the Bears played the Raiders with Khalil Mack and Derek Carr going into the Black Hole in Vegas as visiting players? Carr’s IG tease has us thinking about that possibility more than we expected.
Nathan Smith of the Bears’ official website talks about rule changes that have been at the forefront of discussion around sports in recent days. The NBA’s new All-Star Game format seemed to gain approval across the board. New XFL rules have football fans wishing the NFL adapted some of those concepts. And the MLB’s rule breakers are protected for some inane reason. At the end of the post is a space for fans to chime in with what rules they would like for the NFL to implement. Hopefully some good ones are shared, then forwarded to league offices.

Can I submit a rule in which the Bears are legally allowed to have an all-time great quarterback? Or maybe one that forces Aaron Rodgers to play with one hand behind his back? Just some thoughts.
Khalil Mack looked unstoppable as a Combine participant:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8y9slzlhca/

Replacing kickers with the spare parts of Star Wars Revenge of the Sith villain General Grievous would be a bold strategy:

The football went through the net.
NFL kickers will be obsolete soon.pic.twitter.com/N0ibqOdIQQ
— John Ewing (@johnewing) February 21, 2020

I’m going to pretend last night’s Bulls game didn’t happen and instead focus on a report that the team has their eyes on a GM candidate as the obsessive watch for front office change gets into gear: