There are few songs that get me in a good headspace like “Can’t Tell Me Nothin'” by Kanye West.
- In lieu of coffee this morning, I hooked this tweet directly to my veins:
- On top of assuming WR1 duties, Darnell Mooney has positioned himself this offseason to be a vocal leader. And, frankly, I love it. We’ve previously discussed examples of Justin Fields stepping up in his leadership role this offseason, which is a welcome development. Who knew it would be easier to lead when you weren’t sitting behind Andy Dalton on the depth chart? But Fields can’t lead alone. This is where someone like Mooney can step up and lend a helping hand.
- Mooney isn’t just a hype man. Remember, Mooney was making strides as a vocal leader and locker room presence when things were hitting a rough patch last season. And when spit hit the fan at the height of the drama, Mooney carried on professionally in a way that others should’ve been following. The Bears have a keeper with Mooney. And as the elder statesman and top dog of the wideouts, he’ll have everyone’s attention going into camp.
- To be clear, there aren’t enough rah-rah hype words to make the Bears an instant Super Bowl contender. But because football is a game where effort and energy is needed at every turn, all good teams have those types of players who push everyone to be better. And a team like the Bears that is clawing from the bottom needs as many as it can get. It might not translate into wins right away, but leadership from Fields and Mooney could at least get the Bears heading in the right direction.
- Loved feeling the love from Kyle Long yesterday. They don’t make ’em like him any more:
- If you were looking forward to a potential splash trade acquisition of Terry McLaurin, I’m sorry to deliver the disappointing news of his extension in Washington. But if it is any consolation, one way-too-early mock draft has the Bears targeting a different Ohio State product. One who has bonkers numbers (surpassing McLaurin, in this case):
- On the one hand, the idea of the Bears being bad enough to pick second makes me itchy. But on the other hand, so long as Fields proves to be worthy of building around, adding a dynamic receiver could be a game-changer moving forward. We’ll see how the cookie crumbles in due time.
- For your enjoyment:
- Are you the giving type? Then this might be for you:
- “Tomorrow” is “today” … so here is the latest on Deshaun Watson’s disciplinary hearing, which enters its second day:
- The NFL continues to push for an indefinite suspension that is (at a minimum) a year long, but would come with an opportunity to apply for re-instatement after the one year is up. Meanwhile, Watson’s representation and the NFLPA are pushing for a much shorter sentence. It is possible the two sides could settle this before retired judge Sue L. Robinson comes through with a decision. In the end, I feel as if the ruling comes down by Friday. Not that I’m wearing a tinfoil hat on my head this morning, but I wouldn’t put it past the league to want to try to bury this on a Friday ahead of a three-day weekend.
- I guess this is something worth keeping in mind as this stuff shakes out:
- If the Bears can add a reputable center in free agency, then I have faith Artūras Karnišovas can do the same for the Bulls:
- I feel bad for Mike Trout:
- If only Mike Trout had teammates like Nico Hoerner, who went out and put up a three-hit game and now owns a .304/.338/.422 slash line that comes with a 110 wRC+ and 2.3 WAR. He is good. And I didn’t think he had *THIS* in him. Kudos to him for proving me wrong. There is no shame in missing a player assessment every now and again. It is humbling. But also, fun to watch. All of this should serve as a reminder to Bears fans that development isn’t always linear. Now, who wants to have a surprise mini-breakout for Chicago’s football team?
- Alex DeBrincat’s presence was one of the reasons I was willingly turning into Blackhawks games last season, so I hope they don’t trade him: