NEWSLETTER
Because my friends understand me, I made piña coladas and margaritas last night. Anyone want to party?
• Roster cuts are coming. This is the first of 21 that need to be announced before 3 p.m. CT today:
#Bears have informed DL Trevon McSwain, an undrafted rookie free agent from Duke, that he will be placed on waivers.
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) September 5, 2020
• This is important to remember:
Something to keep in mind as cuts go down today: The Bears’ roster is currently at 74. With the expanded practice squad of 16, plus the 53-man roster, there’s a decent chance only five of the players cut today aren’t at Halas Hall next week.
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) September 5, 2020
• Maybe you were making dinner when the news came down like I was on what was otherwise a normal Friday evening. But in case you missed it, Mitchell Trubisky is expected to be the Bears’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Whether it was the outcome you wanted or not, Trubisky is The Guy. He won the camp battle. Trubisky winning is a bit surprising. Do I have full faith in Trubisky as QB1? To be honest, I have my doubts that are rooted in three years of inconsistent performance. But am I going to watch? You better believe I will.
• In other news concerning 2017 first-round quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson got PAID. I bet he has Week 14 at Soldier Field circled on his calendar.
• To summarize the offseason for the three quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft:
(1) One received an extension that makes him the league’s highest-paid player during the time of the deal
(2) Another was given a mega-extension worth $500 million
(3) The third – who was the first one off the board, mind you – held off Nick Foles to retain his status as QB1.
Sigh.
• Trubisky’s career arc is compelling. One-year starter at college. First QB taken in his draft class. Third-stringer as a rookie behind Mike Glennon and Mark Sanchez. Named starter after the Glennon experience flopped. Pro Bowl alternate as a second-year player. Humbled in Year 3 with serious regression. Started Year 4 with his team trading for competition and not picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Ended the summer as QB1 after a camp battle. Whatever the next chapter is, we’ll be here to follow.
• What makes this entire situation complicated is that Trubisky was so clearly not it last year. There were no metrics pointing to his growth. Nor were there anecdotal clues that suggested what we saw in 2019 was a blip. Unfortunately, no one truly knows if Trubisky is better now than when we last saw him because there were no preseason games.
• The Bears’ first three opponents are the Lions, Giants, and Falcons. Trubisky has torched Detroit to the tune of a 132.4 passer rating in three starts since 2018. The Giants defense looks shaky as heck, even with new leadership. And the Falcons have been a perennial disappointment since blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl. This schedule lends itself to Trubisky getting off to a hot start, building confidence, and proving doubters wrong. Then again, everything this offseason pointed to him having a leg up in running away with a quarterback competition. Instead, Foles reportedly made it challenging enough for the Bears to make an announcement on Friday night of a holiday weekend.
• Should the Bears seek more quarterback depth, Josh Rosen is officially on the market:
Sources: The #Dolphins are releasing former first-round pick QB Josh Rosen after attempting to trade him for the last few days. Rosen will attempt to restart his career elsewhere.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 5, 2020
• Rosen has a unique prospect pedigree, but will be on his third team in as many years to start his pro career. That Arizona and Miami were quick to move on from Rosen feels like a red flag. Nevertheless, his talent alone should be worth kicking the tires for a quarterback-starved franchise like the Bears.
• Let’s get weird:
https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1302191820143820800?s=20
• I love art:
https://twitter.com/BearsLocal/status/1302276697643986946?s=20
• I can’t imagine how difficult it was to find 11 places of optimism for Lions fans:
For our subscribers)
We found 11 reasons to believe in the #Lions this season. (No, really.)
Check them out:https://t.co/7PLnwy7JNv
— Freep Sports (@freepsports) September 5, 2020
