:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16455395/20121119_ajl_al2_402.0.jpg)
Franchise tag, no long-term deal for Melton - (PAY WALL) Vaughn McClure: No surprise to DT that he and the Bears failed to come to agreement on long-term contract before Monday's deadline. Adam L. Jahns: Joins list of Bears on one-year contracts.
Bears position preview - Moon Mullin: The Bears have arguably their best starting DT tandem since Tommie Harris and Tank Johnson were at their peaks, and the best overall DT depth in any recent season. [Video] Melton: Would love to stay in Chicago.
Peter King's MMQB - Johnny Manziel incident at Manning Passing Academy putting his NFL reputation at risk; Aaron Hernandez; Broncos' DUIs.
Follow WCG on Twitter; like us on Facebook (& click on 'Subscribed to'). Hot diggity. Click for Chicago Bears Tickets for next season. Check out David "OSS" Taylor's CheekyMonkeyArt prints and t-shirts.
----------
Position group previews: Tight Ends
Depth chart breakdown - Adam Hoge: Having had the worst TEs in the NFL the last two seasons, it comes as no surprise that of the six on the current roster, four are newcomers.
2013's most important Bears - The Score panel has Martellus Bennett at #8 and says the Bears' new TE needs to produce immediately.
Linebackers
Bears position preview: LBs - (PAY WALL ...yeah, this was a terrible idea.) Brad Biggs: With Brian Urlacher gone, the Bears are looking to veteran Lance Briggs to lead the defense.
Bears position preview - Michael C. Wright: Urlacher's absence might hurt fans but, despite his tremendous contributions over the years, it's unlikely the team will miss him much once the season starts. Cheer up, you can always get yourself an Urlacher t-shirt. Or a Smudgers geometric Urlacher one.
2013's most important Bears - At #7, D.J. Williams: The Bears are counting on their new MLB to fill the void left behind by Brian Urlacher.
Wide Receivers
Depth chart breakdown: WRs - Adam Hoge: The WR position group isn’t particularly deep and could struggle if injuries hit hard:
----------
Bearsss
Roster notes - Kevin Seifert: 10 projected Bears starters, along with two other key players, will be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the season, affording a great deal of roster flexibility for the new coach.
Player profile - Dan Durkin's tape analysis on the good, the bad and the upside of Kyle Long.
Know thy coaches - Larry Mayer: Bears' first-year TEs coach Andy Bischoff knew that he wanted to enter the profession after managing a little league team at the age of 14.
[Video] CSNChicago discussion - On Moon Mullin's thought that Cutler will be staying in Chicago.
Cutler watches 'The Hills' and 'Laguna Beach' - So now you know.
Bears, Cubs, Bulls among most valuable franchises - Mark Strotman: Though the three teams have not won a championship since 1998, they still have plenty of value in the city of Chicago, according to Forbes.
Bad baseball means ridiculous Bears coverage - Dan Bernstein sneers, without a hint of irony, at "Chicago sports media (filling) time and space with a little bit of meaningful information and heaping amounts of cooked-up silliness."
----------
Polish sausage
Know thy enemy: Packers - Kevin Seifert: Morgan Burnett has yet to develop into the kind of play-making safety that teams covet in this passing era, but the team clearly valued stability and reliability above all else.
Non-gridiron link - Since Kinder Surprise are banned in the US, ever thought about putting together a giant homemade one for your beloved's birthday present? This step-by-step guide shows one man's attempt (with salty language).