NEWSLETTER
This looks like one of those days where everyone is going to put up their “out of office” messages at 2 p.m. … and I wouldn’t blame ANYONE.
• A nice reminder that there’s no fun like fun at the ol’ ballpark:
Justin Fields Just Hit Some Home Runs at Wrigley Field, NBD – https://t.co/tZixYuqat2 pic.twitter.com/a6v5UUvKAS
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) June 9, 2022
Dinger derby 💥 pic.twitter.com/SsXbJaA3xI
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 9, 2022
• Here’s the thing about Justin Fields hitting monster dongs onto Waveland Avenue: It’s freaking awesome. The Bears have a fun quarterback. And that is so sweet!
• Here’s some free money for the NFL: Play a Bears-Packers game at Wrigley Field. Just one. Make it a special occasion. Call it a throwback game. Just don’t make them wear hideous throwbacks or leather helmets. What will be lost in ticket sales will be made up by TV ratings and brands shelling out crazy money for advertising in the game. You’re welcome, NFL.
Some friendly competition at the Friendly Confines pic.twitter.com/kjWiHcH4BE
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) June 10, 2022
• There was no denying that this Bears franchise was needing new energy coming into this season. And sometimes, it takes outside-of-the-box thinking to get to that place. To that end, I would say that using one of the team’s OTA days for a team-building activity at the best baseball stadium in the country is a creative way to bring guys together. Kudos to Head Coach Matt Eberflus, who said he had been planning this date for a while. Good thinking, coach.
• Now, once the Cubs’ season is over, I fully expect the North Side Nine to play some flag football at Soldier Field. Or perhaps they can play at the Arlington Park property the Bears are purchasing. Good luck defending Jason Heyward’s 6-5, 240-pound frame in the slot. That guy pretty much catches everything — and has the Gold Gloves to prove it.
• With that being said, I don’t want to take too many targets away from Darnell Mooney, who is on the cusp of WR1 status:
Two seasons of making tough catches for the @ChicagoBears.
Big year three coming for @Darnell_M1? 👀 pic.twitter.com/3s6QBmaBL8
— NFL (@NFL) June 10, 2022
• If you have the ability to exercise just a hint of patience, the payoff could be spectacular. Yet another way-too-early NFL mock draft has the Bears connected to Ohio State wide receiver prospect Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who Mark Schofield has going eighth overall to Chicago. For some perspective, the Falcons had the eighth pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and chose USC receiver Drake London. Atlanta made London the first receiver off the board in this class, which gives us an idea of what the Bears could be looking at value-wise when it comes to the pick. Also? Let’s keep in mind that the Falcons went 7-10 en route to getting the No. 8 pick. In other words, we could be in for some turbulence in the year to come. But the juice could be worth the squeeze.
• Kyle Long – a former Bears standout with a baseball background – gave his stamp of approval for Chicago’s QB1:
I’m gonna drop everything I’m doing this instant to say that this kid is more than just an extremely high ceiling QB. He’s a freak of nature. I’m all in on him now https://t.co/EYD3CF72KC
— KyleLong (@Ky1eLong) June 9, 2022
• While offensive linemen are on our mind, Brad Biggs (Tribune) reminds us that this game of musical chairs the Bears are playing in the trenches is part of an open competition ahead of the season to come. We’re far too familiar around here with coaches saying there will be open competitions, but not actually going through with them. And I think the Bears suffered with complacency in some areas. So, with that being said, I’m digging the willingness to give everyone a fair shot at winning a role on the team. Even still … I have my concerns about Teven Jenkins – a second-round pick last year who many were projecting to be a first-rounder – possibly falling out of favor. Then again, if he is as good as we think he can be, he’ll show it in practice and on the field.
• As if the receiver market wasn’t already bananas, the Las Vegas Raiders gave Hunter Renfrow (not the Brewers OF with a similar name), a two-year extension featuring $21 million in guarantees and is worth up to $32 million. A nice chunk of change for a seventh-round pick who grew into a Pro Bowl talent. It’s been a wild offseason for the Raiders, who have a new coach and GM, brought in a new star receiver, poached some Bears along the way, and spent gobs of money in the process:
The Raiders' offseason spending list:
▫️ QB Derek Carr: 3-years, $121.5M
▫️WR Davante Adams: 5-years, $140M
▫️DE Maxx Crosby: 4-years, $98.98M
▫️OLB Chandler Jones: 3-years, $51M
▫️WR Hunter Renfrow: 2-years, $32MOver $440M in max commitments to 5 players.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) June 10, 2022
• All this spending and the Raiders might be the third best team in that division? And that’s no knocking the Raiders. That figures to be a good ball club next year. It’s just that the Chiefs, Chargers, and Broncos will make that division hard to escape from with double-digit wins.
• Some good perspective to keep in mind:
Powerful words from Tyler Lockett about mental health 👏 @TDLockett12 pic.twitter.com/ZWz23ukgNt
— ESPN (@espn) June 10, 2022
• Ex-Bear in the CFL alert:
🐎's galloping with a head of steam 💨
Ka'deem Carey rumbles for 28 yards!#CFLGameday | @calstampeders pic.twitter.com/iZCIQTeOhk
— CFL (@CFL) June 10, 2022
• And here come the interviews:
REPORT: Blackhawks Request Interviews with Two Head Coaching Candidateshttps://t.co/IIFUR6EPYQ pic.twitter.com/Ch9D8rEGqC
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) June 9, 2022
• Not cool, dude:
A Michael Jordan Rookie Card Was Stolen in a Chicago Burglaryhttps://t.co/jWQ0VsAw0l pic.twitter.com/xmquv6BzQ6
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) June 9, 2022
• What a wild one in South Bend:
Benches Clear Twice As the South Bend Cubs Win Late – https://t.co/656FCviteV pic.twitter.com/1VSnk5nKPz
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) June 10, 2022
