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1. It's Shea McClellin's world, and the Bears defense lives in it.
Late last night, Adam Jahns, a good follow, wrote how Shea McClellin is the new "quarterback of the defense", which is a turn of phrase I don't care for while simultaneously acknowledging that it perfectly describes what you're trying to say.
Anyways, those of you who remember Shea McClellin from such plays as "being nowhere near the ball" and "getting stood up by inferior offensive tackles" are probably using this as a cause for concern, which I won't say is unwarranted. I am willing to say, however, that given Fangio's track record with defense I'm willing to at least give them a preseason game. Fangio told McClellin he was getting these duties before the offseason program, so Fangio has to see something in there.
2. The Bears' back-up running back battle actually kinda matters for once.
I think, in this instance, that "back-up" is really a misnomer. Back-up implies that this is the person who will do work when the primary option fails. While that's been the case for the Bears, who have worked Forte beyond the point in which mortal men would break, I'm not sure it will be going forward.
LeGere writes about this in a column discussing the running backs. It's a loaded competition right now. My gut feeling says Forte, Langford, Rodgers, Perry make the cut. Ka'Deem Carey will then immediately be picked up by the Packers and will go on to lead the league in rushing in 2015.
3. Prepare for a defense that is not good.
I don't think they're going to be as bad as last year. I'm not sure anything could be as bad as last year. There's a lot of questions related to the Bears secondary. The front seven may be good enough to mask some of that, but yet again the offense is going to need to be efficient and productive for this team to have any real chances at success in 2015.
4. Seattle doing it the right way.
They have 9 figures wrapped up in 10 guys, per Peter King per Mike Florio.. That's a lot. I'd argue too much, but that's the nice problem you tend to have when you've recently been to Super Bowls and won one. They're likely to see a big talent migration soon, and then we'll see how long-term their plan is.
5. Junior Galette signs with Washington because of course they would sign him.
Galette has had a pretty rough time lately, what with getting arrested this offseason, and the video which shows a guy who is supposedly Galette hitting a woman.
Granted, that's all alleged, and it doesn't mean that he can't change and become a better person. But if you told me someone had possibly punched a lady and was also driving around getting misdemeanors like ice cream cones, ad then asked me to guess what team he was about to join, Snyder's motley crew would be at or near the top of my list.
6. Dez Bryant gets all slap-happy about his new contract.
Dez Bryant got into some stuff with cornerback Tyler Patmon this weekend. You can see some of the video right over here, if you want, but it doesn't look like anything fightworthy, Possibly the most interesting part was the fact that this tweet came from the Cowboys account:
Dez Bryant - Tyler Patmon Fight Full Video & Reaction MUST WATCH: http://t.co/egrkA9lI0R pic.twitter.com/oTWsb5zk1X
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 3, 2015
Leave it to the Cowboys to turn their twitter feed into World Star.
7. Seau's family no longer silenced, will speak at HOF enshrinement.
After being told they can't speak because of a five-year-old rule that nobody inherently knew or cared about, Junior Seau's daughter will now be able to speak:
Sydney will be given the chance to participate in an on-stage interview conducted after the unveiling of Seau's bust. The Hall also has invited Sydney and Seau's three sons to unveil his bust on stage. Normally, the unveiling is only done by the presenter and enshrinee.
This whole situation seemed like generally dirty pool by the Hall, who would presumably prefer that Seau's family not talk about why he was unable to be at his own enshrinement. For those who do not remember, Seau committed suicide in 2012. Later, Seau's brain was found to show definitive signs of CTE, commonly related to continued and sustained head injury. A major symptom of CTE is depression.
I'm glad they'll get to speak, and it's sad that they have to.
I know this is a drill to practice some agility, and attentiveness, and, uh, how to bat the ball up in the air?, but based on the trash cans I'd just figured they were getting ready to play the Jaguars.
See, because the Jaguars are historically garbage.
9. Matt Cassel is really making that stint with the Patriots count
Matt Cassel, who you may remember from this story six weeks ago on NFL.com, where they discuss how he may not make the Bills roster, is now apparently the front runner for the QB job.
Cassel, who turned a time running the Belichick system into paychecks from Kansas City, Minnesota, and now Buffalo, is likely to beat out Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel, which seems like a functionally low bar until you remember that EJ Manuel was a first round draft pick two years ago.
Also, according to this article, neither of them can throw downfield. And yet somehow Rex Ryan will repeatedly go 9-7 and somehow make the playoffs.
With the Bentley's lights still off, he turned down a residential street, trying to evade me. Upon pressing the Bentley's brakes to slow before turning into a driveway that wasn't his, I noticed the tail lights and was able to pull behind the Bentley.
WHAT?!?!
Bro, you were driving a BENTLEY. That's like a $200,000 car. (Waiting for someone to correct me on that.) What neighborhood do you pull into where you're like "this won't stand out."
That's not even the best part of this story, though. Shortly before this news broke, Richardson answered a question about his arrest. This is an exact quote from Richardson, one hour before the report surfaced (emphasis mine):
"I failed every drug test and this drug test, so there wasn't no reason to appeal it,", he said. "I take full accountability for my actions. Like I said before, I apologize to my teammates, to this organization, I told them you don't have to worry about my name being in the news again."
Sometimes the universe just aligns, friends. Have a week.