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Bears roster firming up but questions remain - Rich Campbell's assessment of the roster position-by-position, examining key developments and pondering important questions that remain.
Larry Mayer's Chalk Talk - Larry Mayer discusses the battle for No. 2 RB, if Ryan Mundy has secured a starting job, and if Chris Conte will make his preseason debut Friday night in Seattle.
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Bears sign Santonio Holmes, release Eric Weems
Roster news - Larry Mayer: The Bears on Saturday signed receiver Santonio Holmes to a one-year contract and terminated the contract of Eric Weems.
Bears sign Holmes, release Weems - Not-Hub Fishbain: No player on the roster has stepped up to grab the No. 3 WR spot with Marquess Wilson out; this will essentially be a two-week tryout for Holmes.
Bears sign veteran WR Santonio Holmes, release Eric Weems - Chris Boden: Not only must Holmes show he's a viable option physically, but he'll have to show he can mesh into the Marc Trestman culture. Moon Mullin: Weems issues opened door for Holmes.
Holmes latest twist in search for No. 3 WR - Michael C. Wright: Signing Santonio Holmes was about adding competition to the mix, but the Bears also might be concerned about the abilities of the incumbent candidates.
Santonio Holmes next in line to be Bears’ No. 3 receiver - Mark Potash: Bears giving Holmes a two-week trial to prove he can learn quickly and accept a complementary role in the offense.
Holmes up for Bears' No. 3 receiver slot - Bob LeGere: Lack of interest in Holmes leaguewide speaks volumes about his deteriorating production on the field and his reputation as a divisive presence in the locker room and on the field.
Holmes must leave troubles behind - Dan Wiederer: The Holmes signing, as calculated and low-risk as it seems for the Bears, also comes with a plethora of fine-print warnings. Moon Mullin: Signing makes team 'leadership' statement.
Holmes’ 'fit' with Bears doesn’t solve one big concern - Moon Mullin: Signing perhaps an indication that Bears expect the return of Chris Williams from his hamstring strain sooner rather than later.
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Bearsss
Bears’ first-team offense has looked good, but sample size is small - Mark Potash: Early signs have been positive ones — enough to at least think the offense can get off to a fast start against a difficult schedule in the first month of the season.
Battle for backup QB still undecided - Larry Mayer: Halfway through their preseason schedule, the Bears aren’t yet ready to declare a winner in the battle between Jimmy Clausen and Jordan Palmer.
Bears hopeful for Conte return in Seattle - Jeff Dickerson: Chris Conte has yet to participate in live action since being elevated off the PUP list, although that could change on Friday when the Bears travel to Seattle.
Bears running on empty so far - Bob LeGere: The Bears' running game has limped along for the most part through the first two preseason games, but Marc Trestman believes it's not far from where it needs to be.
Draughn surprisingly in prime position to be No. 2 RB - Not-Hub Fishbain: Shaun Draughn has emerged as the Bears' current No. 2 back, but the 26-year-old has bounced around enough to know not to take that for granted.
Bears wait for backup RBs to set themselves apart - Patrick Finley with a look at the candidates and how they’ve fared thus far.
For Lynch, Bears camp a long way from NIU - Barry Rozner: Jordan Lynch was on stage for Heisman ceremony pictures in December, but Thursday night he was being stepped over by reporters wanting to talk to another undrafted rookie RB.
Bears not getting much in returns - Bob LeGere: Some phases of the Bears' special teams showed improvement in the second preseason game, but kickoff and punt returns continue to falter, making the decision to let Devin Hester walk away in the off-season seem ill-advised.
Just how close are Bears and Packers? - Actually-Hub Arkush: The two clubs are very close, but based on last season and heading into this season, probably not quite as close as Bears fans like to think,
Sun-Times Bears section here.
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Ditka
Ditka - Da Coach on Cutler's comfort level with the offense, whether Marc Trestman can help him be one of the top QBs in the game, Marshall's weekly appearances on "Inside the NFL", and the league's policy on domestic violence.
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Polish sausage
David Bass recounts racial profiling in Ferguson area - Robert Klemko: A graduate of Missouri Western with a degree in criminal justice, Bass says he gets stopped regularly by police when he returns to his hometown.
The making of the 53-man roster - Greg Gabriel: The key factors that go into assembling a team’s final roster.
Know thy enemy: Vikings 30, Cardinals 28 - Dave Campbell: Bridgewater, Vikings rally past Cardinals and give Zimmer more to think about in battle of starting QB. [Video] Highlights from NFL.com.
Know thy enemy: Packers 21, Rams 7 - R,B, Fallstrom: Everything went according to plan for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. [Video] Highlights from NFL.com.
Know thy enemy: Lions 26, Raiders 27 - Josh Dubow: Lions' first-team offense looked sharp even with Calvin Johnson held out of his second straight preseason game, but ended up losing it with their reserves late. [Video] Highlights from NFL.com.
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