The Bear's Den, June 30, 2016

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BUDDY RYAN

Smith: Buddy Ryan’s philosophy, quarterbacks must be punished - ProFootballTalk - Buddy Ryan coached in the NFL at a different time, a time when coaches who put bounties on opposing players were labeled tough guys, not banished from the NFL. A quote from Ryan's defensive playbook encapsulates that well.

Mullen: Buddy Ryan changed the NFL game forever, and more than once - CSN Chicago - In the end, Buddy Ryan belonged to more than just the Chicago Bears. He belonged to the NFL, which was changed forever by him.

Pompei: Buddy Ryan's coaching legacy lives on, starting with his sons - Chicago Tribune - Virtually every team in the league has what is now known as a "Bear" front in its playbook. This is the same front Buddy Ryan created and called the 46.

Baffoe: Buddy Ryan Was The Soul Of The ’85 Bears - CBS Chicago - If bombastic personalities like Ditka and McMahon were the sizzle of the 1985 Bears, Ryan and his defense were the steak.

Phil Simms on Buddy Ryan - ESPN - Former Giants QB Phil Simms compares Buddy Ryan's defenses in Philadelphia and Chicago and shares stories about playing Ryan's teams.

Mullen: Mike Ditka on Buddy Ryan: 'We never were as good separately as we were together' - CSN Chicago - Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan were joined in football history in one of the great “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” in all of sports.

Legwold: Buddy Ryan has an improbable road to be enshrined in Hall of Fame - ESPN - Despite Buddy Ryan's accomplishments, the road to the Hall of Fame is difficult for coaches who spend most of their career as an assistant.

Perez: Buddy Ryan talks about what made the 1985 Bears’ defense special - Bears Wire - Former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan talks about what made the Bears' 1985 defense so special

Mullen: Buddy Ryan's unique path to Bears and the letter that kept him in Chicago to build Super Bowl defense - CSN Chicago - Former Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan took a unique path to become one of the most legendary coaches in NFL history.

BEARRRSSSS

Arthur Arkush: 2016 Bear Necessities No. 18, C Hroniss Grasu - Pro Football Weekly - Entering his second season, can Grasu bring stability to overhauled Bears O-line?

Emma: Kyle Long Feels The Potential For His Bears - CBS Chicago - A leader for the Bears, Long is making sure to drive his teammates so they can live up to their potential.

Dickerson: Can Bears' Alshon Jeffery rise to top-five WR status? - ESPN - If healthy, Alshon Jeffery could be primed for a big season, according to NFC North writers.

A look at the Refrigerator who made the Bears’ 1985 defense special | Bears Wire - Once upon a time, William ‘The Refrigerator’ Perry was a dominant, freakish talent in the middle of the Bears’ defensive line. Today, he’s struggling with obesity and alcoholism as friends and family fear for his life.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Brown: A bowl game at Lambeau Field would be awesome - SBNation.com - Here's who should play in it.

AP: Ex-Colts RB Zurlon Tipton dies after accidentally shooting himself - NFL.com - Zurlon Tipton, a former Indianapolis Colts running back, has died after accidentally shooting himself at a car dealership in suburban Detroit. He was 26.

Gantt: Jake Plummer slams “billionaire a–hole” Jerry Jones over weed policy - ProFootballTalk - A number of former and a few current players have been able to eloquently state their cases for research into the use of medicinal marijuana as a pain-killing alternative for players.

Ganguli: Are growing pains ahead for Bear's first opponent, Brock Osweiler and Houston Texans? - Houston Texans Blog- ESPN - Is Brock Osweiler enough of a known quantity that Houston will be able to avoid the growing pains that come with young quarterbacks?

Bowen: NFL veterans are affected by condensed offseason program - ESPN - From a late start in early April under the new CBA to only brief appearances at training camp, technique and injury concerns are becoming more of an issue for NFL players.

UPDATE: Mike Singletary to work with Los Angeles Rams' defense this season - AP - Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary will work with the Los Angeles Rams' defense this season, returning to coaching after a two-year absence.

Morrissey: Hey, broadcasters, tell it like it is, and you'll be respected - Chicago Sun-Times - One sports observer’s thoughts for local play-play announcers and their sidekick analysts, after decades of watching and listening: You’re not on the team you work for. You might think you are, but trust me, the players and the coach/manager don’t.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Smith: Minnesota's Defense Ranked as Third-Most-Underrated Unit - Vikings.com - With training camp just one month away, Brian Baldinger of NFL.com looked at the most underrated defenses around the league. Baldinger, a former NFL offensive linemen, had the Vikings at No. 3 on his list. He said the Vikings have improved by leaps and bounds over the past two seasons under Head Coach Mike Zimmer.

Reisman: Will Detroit keep three quarterbacks? - Pride Of Detroit - The depth chart is set for the Detroit Lions quarterbacks in 2016, but how many passers will they keep on the active roster?

Follow WCG on Twitter; follow Ken on Twitter; like us on Facebook (& click on 'Follow')