Your Friday Fields, Mack Recruits, Monty’s Time is Coming, and Other Bears Bullets

I’m still pretty steamed about yesterday’s Anthony Rizzo trade. And only a little bit of it has to do with the Cubs’ failure to acquire Yankees prospect Luis Medina.

Rizzo was the type of player that a self-proclaimed die-hard Cubs fan (who happens to own the team) would keep around because they understood what they meant to the fan base at both a baseball and emotional level. One of the perks of transitioning away from a soulless corporation ownership like the Tribune into one with a human face was that the human element would do things a conglomerate wouldn’t. Boy, do I feel duped. And judging by the reaction of Cubs fans yesterday, I don’t think I’m alone. Frankly, anyone who doesn’t understand that won’t, so don’t feel obligated to explain to them what’s up. In the words of urban wordsmith Pusha T: “If you know, you know.”

•   I can’t front. Yours truly was one moment away from putting together a “Help me, Justin Fields. You’re my only hope.” Star Wars/Bears meme mashup yesterday. Our eyes now turn to QB1-of-the-future:

•   Here’s a thing I needed to see at a time when I needed to see it:

https://twitter.com/DBro_FFB/status/1420906176049553411

•   Also important, The MMQB’s Albert Breer tweets: “[I]n his presser coach Matt Nagy mentions QB Justin Fields was solid in his first full camp practice—got to his 3rd progression a couple times where he knew where he’d go pre-snap.”

•   A reality check from Adam Hoge, who writes Andy Dalton and Justin Fields look you’d expect after one full day of training camp.

•   Updates on opposite ends of the injury front. On the not-so-great side, rookie left tackle Teven Jenkins remains out while dealing with back tightness (Brad Biggs). Head Coach Matt Nagy correctly points out we have so much time ahead of us, there is no reason to go overboard with overreactions when it comes to Jenkins not practicing. We’re so early in the game, the right/smart thing to do is prioritize health and safety with eyes on Week 1. Anything else is malpractice. Get these guys in football shape. Once you get there, keep them healthy.

•   On the other end of the spectrum, Akiem Hicks is back in action after a foot issue kept him out of yesterday’s practice. And while this is just one tweet, it looks like nature (and Hicks’ foot) is healing:

•   Elsewhere on defense, we learned (via NBC Sports Chicago’s Alex Shapiro) that Khalil Mack and Vic Fangio helped steer free agent pass-rusher Jeremiah Attaochu to the Bears. Between the familiarity that came in playing in Vic Fangio’s scheme in Denver and Mack’s recruitment efforts, it was pretty easy to make a fit happen. Attaochu, 28, is fixing to play an underrated role in the defense. That third edge rusher does a lot of grunt work throughout the year. If Attaochu can make the most of being on the field while attention is going to Mack, Robert Quinn, Akiem Hicks, and Eddie Goldman, then this defense will still be good.

•   Good news for fans who take in the game via the radio, as Jeff Aggrest (Sun-Times) reports Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer will hit the road again for broadcasts. As baseball fans can attest, the game is relayed differently when you’re embedded with the team and in the stadium than when you’re broadcasting off what you see on a TV set.

•   I’ve got a good feeling about RB1:

•   At several points this offseason, Nagy has discussed a target number of 20 carries per game for Montgomery this season. If Montgomery lands north of that number, I’ll feel good about the Bears’ chances. Three years worth of trends suggest Nagy likes running the ball to ice games. Therefore, if Montgomery is getting 20+ carries, Chicago’s football team is likely winning. But, hey, don’t be afraid of calling some of those runs early. Just a friendly suggestion.

•   Some quality notebook stuff from the Sun-Times, Tribune, and The Athletic.

•   Cole Kmet side-stepped questions about vaccination during OTAs. But on Thursday, his answer came through loud and clear:

•   As we discussed in yesterday’s Bullets, there figures to be a sentiment among players who will ultimately get the vaccine because they don’t want to let their team/teammates down. It’s only human to do something for the greater good of community. Let’s be real. These guys go to battle with each other and for each other year round. No one wants to be the guy who lets down their “brother” who is next to them. To be clear, I know not all players will fall under this umbrella. But I think there are more than we might have otherwise expected.

•   Something worth jotting down:

•   Offensive linemen are criminally under-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. So I’m glad Jimbo Covert is getting his day in the sun:

•   This makes sense. I mean, have you seen this offense in recent years?

•   Way to go, Chuck Pagano:

https://twitter.com/ACwishtv/status/1420903196038414336

•   I share a special bond with Eli, as there have been moments where covering the Bulls and Bears has been a complete slog. Jim Boylen and John Fox. Wendell Carter Jr. and Mitchell Trubisky. I could go on. But for the sake of our souls, it’s best that I stop. Instead, I want to look forward. Because, after getting a preferred prospect in the draft, the vibes are trending in the other direction:

 

written by

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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