NEWSLETTER
No one does pre-game openers like they used to back in the day.
Then again, broadcasters such as Howard Cosell don’t grow on trees:
This Monday Night Football opening two minutes from 1978 is better than anything on TV today.
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) December 17, 2020
• When Brett sent me this tweet, I stared in awe and found myself dumbstruck by its ridiculousness. Hence, I’m sharing it at the top of today’s Bullets. Because if I had to see it, so do you:
#EaglesTwitter: Would you do this trade?
Carson Wentz to Chicago
Nick Foles and a 2021 1st to #Eagles** Foles makes $4 million, 1 year left
** No QB competition — Foles would be backup to Hurts— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) December 17, 2020
• Imagine giving up a first-round pick as the cost of doing business to take on an awful contract of a player who’s been injury prone in recent years. The only thing more mind-blowing is that around 50 percent of respondents have said no. I imagine a healthy chunk of Bears fans have weighed in with an answer. But I don’t think it’s enough to swing it that much. In other words, there’s a healthy amount of #EaglesTwitter that wouldn’t accept a first-round pick and a cost-efficient backup QB for Wentz. That’s wild!
• As we discussed last Sunday, the Bears will be connected to any and every quarterback this coming offseason. At least, that’s the case until further notice.
• That will make two consecutive offseasons in which the Bears are expected to be in the thick of a hunt to get the quarterback position right. One popular name that was thrown around last winter/spring was Derek Carr. Unfortunately, Carr was injured during the Raiders’ loss on Thursday Night Football. But because Marcus Mariota performed admirably in his place, I couldn’t help but think about Carr as a potential target next offseason. So much has to happen between now and then for that possibility to even emerge. However, it’s worth pointing out that Las Vegas can save an estimated $19 million in cap space with a projected dead money hit of $2 million if they cut Carr this upcoming offseason. I don’t want to dive too deep down that rabbit hole, but it’s something to keep in mind for another time.
• Meanwhile, Justin Herbert exemplifies why teams might prefer passing on an expensive veteran for a rookie with tremendous upside:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1339746089675591680
https://twitter.com/Chargers/status/1339755019503947781
https://twitter.com/Chargers/status/1339760099175251968
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1339795173799120901
• I liked what I saw early in Herbert’s college career at Oregon. Then I started seeing some less-than-desirable things about him during some rough patches. Ultimately, it led me to sour on him. But since taking over for the Chargers, he’s looked more like the player I liked and less like the one I grew to worry about as a prospect going to the next level. We’re only 13 games into his career, but this could be a reminder to trust what you see and believe more than what others show you. And bonus points for focusing on what a guy can do instead of dwelling on what he can’t.
• That game doesn’t go into overtime if not for two missed field goals by Michael Badgley and a 65-yard attempt from the Raiders that never even got off the ground because of a bad snap and botched hold. So with that being said, let’s take a moment to be thankful for long-snapper Patrick Scales, punter/holder Pat O’Donnell, and kicker Cairo Santos. Scales has been nails as a long-snapper since arriving in Chicago back in 2015. When in doubt, poach special teamers from the Ravens until further notice.
• Speaking of special teams, one might think the Bears are cursed in the return game:
Two injuries, a released veteran and COVID-19: A look at the Chicago Bears’ fraught search for a punt returner. ‘It is 2020. It just kind of goes with the year.’ https://t.co/M3xropw21r
— Colleen Kane (@ChiTribKane) December 17, 2020
• A timeline of the Bears’ punt returners in 2020: Tarik Cohen ⇒ Anthony Miller ⇒ Ted Ginn Jr. ⇒ Dwayne Harris ⇒ Anthony Miller (again) ⇒ DeAnthony Carter ⇒ Anthony Miller (because three times is a charm). Looking back on it, Chicago’s punt returners have has suffered two season-ending injuries (Cohen, Harris), lost their gig because of a failure to field punts (Ginn), and have tested positive for COVID-19 (Carter). Someone put Miller in a bubble, please!
• The Bears brought Lamar Miller into the fold after losing Cohen to a season-ending injury. But Miller’s time in Chicago is over after being poached off the practice squad by Washington’s football team. Unsurprisingly, the Bears had a handful of running backs visit Halas Hall:
Wes Hills, Darius Jackson, Rod Smith, Spencer Ware visiting Bears
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 17, 2020
• Seeing Spencer Ware pop up intrigues me. I thought Ware was a sensible option when David Montgomery suffered an injury in training camp. Granted, Montgomery didn’t miss a game due to his summertime groin injury. So it’s not like it hurt the Bears to not go down that road back in August. But because Ware has knowledge of the system and a history with Head Coach Matt Nagy, it makes sense that he was among the visiting backs.
• Toys, housewares, Echo Dot, and more are deals today at Amazon. #ad
• In some not-so-breaking news, Khalil Mack is still good at football:
https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1339684816103550981
• Welcome back:
#Bears roster move:
We have restored OL LaCale London from Reserve/COVID-19 back to the practice squad.— Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) December 18, 2020
• For your listening pleasure:
https://twitter.com/NBCSBears/status/1339601508053131265
• Coming soon:
Neat. pic.twitter.com/PQHjUWOf0v
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) December 17, 2020
