Edmunds Days, LB Shuffle, What’s Up With Chris Jones? And Other Bears Bullets

I want to see the Barbie movie today because the buzz is too much for me to not have a slight interest. But on the other hand, I need a day to unplug and reset. So there is a high likelihood that it’ll have to wait a few days. If I wait it out, I’ll still not have seen a non-Star Wars movie on its first weekend since going to see The Hangover with friends just weeks after my college graduation. Maybe I need to get out to the movies more often.

  • Bears quarterbacks and rookies began showing up at Halas Hall on Saturday ahead of this week’s start of training camp. But around the league, not everyone is going to show up. For instance, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Kansas City Chiefs stud defensive tackle Chris Jones is holding out as he seeks a new deal with the team. Jones is coming off an awesome year for the defending Super Bowl champs, collecting 15.5 sacks, earning a first-team All-Pro nod, and finishing third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. NFL Media’s Bobby Kownack has more details on Jones’ situation and hints that increased urgency in negotiations could be on the horizon with the talented DT not showing up for camp.
  • There is an alternate universe in which I’d kick the tires on the idea of the Bears inquiring about Jones’ availability (on the off chance he can’t strike a deal with Kansas City). Heck, I want to spend some time right now banging that drum. I can’t deny that putting Jones in the middle of Chicago’s defense would be a game-changer. Jones plays that defense tackle position that makes the Matt Eberflus-Alan Williams defense go. In an ideal world, Bears GM Ryan Poles would pull a rabbit out of his hat and make this happen. If only finding the right deal was as easy as the oldest magic trick in the book.
  • Unfortunately, I struggle to find a deal that makes sense for both sides. Why would K.C. want to trade its best defensive player before a title-defense season? What could the Bears offer in a trade that doesn’t limit the team in the future? Nevertheless, we’ll monitor this situation from afar for the time being. It’ll be interesting to see how Jones’ next contract resets the market.
  • Circling back to players who are currently on the Bears, I’ve gotta say new linebacker Tremaine Edmunds looks good in his new threads:
  • Just 49 days until Edmunds makes his regular-season debut with the Bears. Edmunds was Chicago’s marquee free-agent signing this past offseason. After watching him from afar, it’ll be fun to see what he can do up close. Edmunds was a Pro Bowler in 2019 and 2020, but hasn’t quite reached those levels the last two seasons. And yet, Edmunds was PFF’s fifth-highest-graded linebacker last year. Right behind him? Fellow free-agent addition T.J. Edwards at No. 6. You’re probably wondering where former Bears linebacker Roquan Smith lands on PFF’s grading scale. Roquan was 26th among the 81 qualifiers.
  • And to think, the Bears are still looking to add to their defense. One report has Chicago trying to bring in pass-rush help ASAP. Yannick Ngakoue’s name came up in the report — and I’m still trying to figure out why he remains a free agent. Perhaps that won’t last much longer. With NFL training camps opening up this week, this is the time of year when we see waves of veteran free-agent signings as teams try to tie up loose ends on the roster. So keep your eyes open for moves that could go down this week. Remember, it was around this time last year (just before the start of camp) when the Bears signed Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield to patch up their OL depth. I’d be surprised if GM Ryan Poles doesn’t channel that energy again, but this time applying it to the defensive side of the line.
  • This is worth repeating:
  • Yannick Ngakoue’s name is the most high-profile of the bunch. But he isn’t the only worthwhile defensive end worth exploring. It is always good to keep your options open.
  • Also worth pointing out: It was around this time last year when Roquan Smith’s “hold-in” with the Bears was about to begin. A part of me feels that it’s a shame that we can look back at that situation and see how that was the beginning of the end of that partnership. But there is a part of me that realizes parting ways with Roquan was an important first step toward the Bears making it to this point. Don’t get me wrong. There is still plenty of building for Poles to do moving forward. However, that step down was important to take before climbing up.
  • Beyoncé is back at Soldier Field AGAIN tonight. After that, the next star to play there will be Justin Fields … in 20 days. In the meantime, check out which Bears have a favorite Beyoncé album. It turns out QB1 and I have something in common on that front.
  • So … Bryce Harper is a first-baseman now. That’s cool:
  • With football season on the horizon, I’m looking forward to sharing awesome catches from the gridiron.
  • Blackhawks draft picks Connor Bedard and Oliver Moore were featured in the NHL’s behind-the-scenes NHL Draft video. (BN Blackhawks)
  • Over at BN Bulls, Eli dives into the latest basketball-centric activities. It’s been a busy time in the land of Chicago buckets with the team bringing back Ayo Dosunmu, losing Javon Freeman-Liberty to Toronto, and trying to reel in Grant Williams in free agency.
  • ‘Tis the damn season for the BN Blogathon:
  • 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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