NEWSLETTER
Maybe it’s just me, but breakfast is better when (1) I cook it for someone else or (2) someone cooks it for me. But when I cook it for myself, I often find myself wondering how I could’ve made it better. That constant pursuit of perfection doesn’t end, does it?
- Do you remember when the Madden games were good? I do. And I know they haven’t been the same since they got rid of mini-camp drills:
- EA Sports is right. If it’s in the game, it’s in the game. And just as it is the case that football is better when you do the simple stuff better, I bet Madden’s NFL game would be an improved product if it followed that bit of instruction. Doing the little things better will make for a great game. Here’s hoping some folks at Madden get around to seeing this section of Bullets. Bonus points if they want to throw in a PS5 and a game my way. My DMs are open!
- Part of me is looking forward to playing Madden when it drops with friends because the Bears offense might be usable for a change. Justin Fields should have arm strength, speed, and elusiveness ratings rise after his 2022 season. Adding DJ Moore as a go-to receiver should make a difference. And if you’re someone like me who loves working the intermediate routes because their friends do everything to take the deep ball away, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool working underneath routes could do damage. I can’t believe I’m looking forward to a Madden release. Weird.
- I’m not sure what to make of the Bears’ defense (at least when it comes to the next Madden game). Traditionally, Chicago’s defense has long been playable in video games. The only teams that could keep video game Mike Vick in check were ones that had Brian Urlacher patrolling the middle. But that defense isn’t walking through the door this year. Is it better than the group we last saw take the field in early January? It sure looks that way. But we don’t quite know how these new puzzle pieces will fit. Then again, I’m not too worried about it. We’re in May, after all.
- Jadeveon Clowney’s name is one of the high-profile names still hanging around on the free agent market. And while I’ve begun talking myself into him as a possible Bears fit, there’s been no movement on that front. For what it’s worth, Clowney seems to have an interest in returning to the Texans:
- Clowney has been alternating good years with bad as of late. Last year was a down year, so I think we can guess what is coming next. With that in mind, shouldn’t teams be jumping through hoops to bring him on board for a one-year “prove it” deal? At least, that’s how I’d see it.
- Can you spot the Bears rookies?
- Over at BN’s NFL wing, Patrick dives into more rookie talk and asks who should be taken with the first pick in a dynasty super-flex rookie draft:
- Yours truly has the Nos. 3 and 10 picks at his disposal after a year of tanking, so I found this relevant to my interests. And while my draft won’t come until August, I’ve seen that some people are doing drafts as early as now. For me, it’s too early to be neck-deep in fantasy draft discussions. However, it is never too early to be knowledgeable. Presuming Falcons RB Bijan Robinson goes first overall, maybe I’ll roll the dice on Colts QB Anthony Richardson and Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba if possible. Keeping tabs on Vikings WR Jordan Addison and Ravens WR Zay Flowers for later picks makes sense, too. It feels like last year’s key to my two championship-winning teams last year at Yahoo! and ESPN was stockpiling RBs and WRs. Maybe I’ll apply that thinking to this other league.
- P.S.: I just want to let you know that I hate that I’m tanking while I have Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. However, the rest of the team I inherited two years ago is a bloody mess. Guess I’ll follow the Ryan Poles plan and build through the draft.
- Carolina’s hockey team was doomed as soon as The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus hit send on this tweet:
- Can we get him to bang the drum before all Carolina Panthers home games? That would be one way to re-pay the Bears franchise that gave him $18 million to masquerade as a starting QB for a few weeks in 2017.
- Saturday’s Cubs-Phillies game felt over before the bottom of the first could come to an end. But hey, that gave our friends at BN Cubs some time to round up some much-needed prospect highlights.
- Eli has a scary offseason thought (as if there are any other kinds right now). (BN Bulls)
