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BEAR DOWN!!!!
DRAFT / FREE AGENCY
Wiltfong: NFL Draft Grades Recap, the Chicago Bears are the Salutatorians of the 2016 Class - Windy City Gridiron - We'll recap some of the 2016 NFL Draft grades for the Chicago Bears and take a look at their GPA from Football Outsiders.
Brandt: Instant-impact rookies from the 2016 NFL Draft (Bears-free list) - NFL.com - The draft is obviously about the future, but it's also about the present. Sure, you want to invest in players who will deliver long term -- but sometimes, you just want guys who can make an immediate impact practically from the moment they step on the field.
Relive the Bears 2016 Draft (video) - ChicagoBears.com - Relieve all the excitement from the Bears 2016 NFL Draft.
Wiederer: Bears Q&A with Cody Whitehair's offensive line coach at Kansas State - Chicago Tribune - Kansas State offensive line coach Charlie Dickey on the Bears' second-round draft pick: "He just had that football savvy."
Rosenthal: Collateral Damage, 20 veterans hurt by 2016 NFL Draft - NFL.com - The draft was the culmination of a life's journey for 253 lucky rookies, but it marked a turning point for many veterans battling for their jobs. Gregg Rosenthal names 20 veterans hurt by the 2016 draft. (Ken's Note: If Slauson had still been around he might well have been on this list.)
Rosenthal: Collateral benefits, Veteran players boosted by draft - NFL.com - In past years, the Miami Dolphins gave Ryan Tannehill limited tools to succeed, but that's no longer the case. Gregg Rosenthal looks at 10 veteran players who benefited from the 2016 NFL Draft.
Renot: Ranking the NFC North's draft classes - Pride Of Detroit - Who had the best 2016 NFL Draft class in the NFC North? why, that would be the Chicago Bears according to our sister Blog Pride Of Detroit.
Ottochain: Bears seventh-round pick could be team’s steal of the draft - Bears Wire - Daniel Braverman is an unheralded prospect that the Bears were lucky to land in the seventh round. He has home-run potential.
Rish: Tracking NFL Draft Efficiency: How Contingent Is Success To Draft Position? - Forbes - (Ken's Note: An article from last year, but relevant to this time of year's discussion) On Monday morning during a discussion which appeared on CNBC's "Squawk Box", I addressed some of Richard Thaler's findings in his examination of whether NFL teams overvalue first-round draft picks while undervaluing later-round picks. Despite all the advanced metrics being developed to assess ideal playing strategies, training methods, and other in-game and [...]
Ottochain: Bears focused on length and athleticism with day-three picks - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears three rookie defensive backs will all bring outstanding physical traits to the secondary.
BEARRRSSSS
Biggs Bears Q&A: Leonard Floyd's coaches at Georgia - Chicago Tribune - This is the first in our annual series of conversations with each Bears draft pick's collegiate coaches. First up: Leonard Floyd out of Georgia.
Mayer's Chalk Talk: How many draft picks will start opener? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses how many Bears draft picks could start the season opener, comparisons between fourth-round pick Deiondre' Hall and Charles Tillman, and why the Bears traded up in the first round of the draft?
Practice Snaps: Photos from Bears practice 05.03.16 - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears moved to the practice fields on Tuesday morning for phase two of the voluntary off-season program.
NFLN: Braverman talks playing style - ChicagoBears.com - Former NFL scouts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks interview current Chicago Bears wide receiver Daniel Braverman before the draft.
Dickerson's Chicago Bears Twitter mailbag: Is Eddie Royal the next to go? - ESPN - The Bears are hoping Eddie Royal will stay healthy and put up better numbers in 2016.
Fishbain: Which Chicago Bears could see rookies cut into their playing time? - Pro Football Weekly - Additions at RB, ILB, OLB and DT mean veteran Bears have more competition
Cox: Bears director of college scouting Joe Douglas interviewing with Eagles - Bears Wire - Ryan Pace might be losing one of his right-hand men as the Philadelphia Eagles are interviewing his director of college scouting.
TRIBUNE'S MAILBAG
Biggs: Why did the Bears let Matt Slauson go? - Chicago Tribune - Why did the Bears let Matt Slauson go?
Biggs: Who will be the starting safeties? - Chicago Tribune - Who will be the starting safeties?
Biggs: Any chance Alshon Jeffery gets traded? - Chicago Tribune - Any chance Alshon Jeffery gets traded?
Biggs: How many rookie starters will the Bears have this year? - Chicago Tribune - How many rookie starters will the Bears have this year?
Biggs: Why did A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed fall to the second round? - Chicago Tribune - Why do you think A'Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed dropped to the second round of the draft?
Biggs: Could the Bears sign cornerback Chris Culliver? - Chicago Tribune - Could the Bears sign cornerback Chris Culliver?
BEARRRSSSS FOR LIFE
Chicago Bears in the Hall - George Trafton - There was very little commodity known as consistency in the National Football League. Teams organized, joined the league and disbanded with monotonous regularity. Players quickly came and left the same way in relatively short careers. Those who did stick around for any length of time invariably played for several teams, many times more than one the same year. But there was one notable exception to this general pattern of confusion. That exception was a player named George Trafton and, for 13 years from 1920 through 1932, he was the durable, hard-hitting center of the Chicago Bears. At this stage of pro football history, he is the only player of note to have even played that long, let alone with one team.
POLISH SAUSAGE
Sessler: Cardinals coach Bruce Arians: 'This will be my last job' - NFL.com - Gearing up for this weekend's rookie minicamp, coach Bruce Arians knows anything less than a championship won't cut it in Arizona, a welcome pressure for what he called his last NFL job.
Matt Slauson lines up visits with Chargers, Bills | ProFootballTalk - The Bears released guard Matt Slauson last Sunday and it hasn't taken long for the first report about visits with other teams to surface. Adam Caplan of ESPN reports that Slauson is scheduled to visit with the Chargers and Bills. Slauson will find familiar faces in each stop. (Ken's Note: Matt... brudda... you could chose to winter in San Diego or Buffalo. Think HARD about the weather options. Just sayin.)
Bills say they’re "very comfortable" with Manuel as their backup | ProFootballTalk - It's been a rough year for Bills quarterback EJ Manuel: He came in third in the training camp battle with Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel last year, and he got more competition when Cardale Jones, but... the team says they are confident in Manuel if he has to play this season... (Ken's Note: Seriously, Bills, PR spin should at least be 'remotely" plausible...)
Florio: Former Tunsil business manager/financial adviser becomes main suspect in hacking case - ProFootballTalk - The true villain in the Laremy Tunsil draft-night free fall continues to be the person who accessed his social media accounts and posted damaging information with the obvious intent to spark a slide. Tunsil's camp eventually could figure out who did it.
KNOW THY ENEMY
Smith: Davante Adams may struggle to make Packers’ roster : ProFootballTalk - As a second-round draft pick in 2014, Packers receiver Davante Adams has been a disappointment. And he may be running out of time to change that. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Adams is one of the receivers who will be "battling for their lives" in training camp. (Ken's Note: I guess leading the world in dropped passes isn't resume-enhancing?)
Zinski: Willie Beavers may have been a huge reach in the fourth - thevikingage.com - Willie Beavers looked good to the Vikings in the fourth round, but not everyone agrees that it was a smart pick.
Meinke: After tragedy strikes, Lions fan Anthony Zettel drafted by Detroit - MLive.com - Anthony Zettel is a Michigan kid, and he's headed home.
FANPOST OF MERIT
FANPOST: 5 Technique Extravaganza!!! - Windy City Gridiron - by Compliant Bears Fan: Most of WCG seems to agree that Pace and Fox have done an outstanding job thus far in the offseason, but a huge hole on the roster remains at Defensive End. My hope is that this Fanpost will give...