The Bear's Den: July 15, 2016

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

BEARRRSSSS

Brooks: Alshon Jeffery's worth to Bears: Franchise player or solid WR1? - NFL.com - The deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign new deals is Friday at 4 p.m. Should the Bears pony up big money for Alshon Jeffery? Bucky Brooks polls NFL execs -- and provides his own thoughts.

Fishbain's 2016 Chicago Bears training camp preview: Wide Receivers - Pro Football Weekly - Kevin White will be under the spotlight, but don't forget about Eddie Royal and other Bears WRs

Perez: No long-term contract expected for Alshon Jeffery - Bears Wire - ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting no long-term deal is expected for Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery

Cox: What we do and don’t know about the Bears’ cornerbacks - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears have their starting cornerbacks in place, but there are still many question marks around the position at training camp.

Jahns: Alshon Jeffery wants an elite-receiver deal, but is he one? - Chicago Sun-Times - The who’s who of NFL wide receivers begins with A.J. Green, Dez Bryant, Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones because they have the biggest contracts at

Video: Will Alshon Jeffery stay on the Franchise Tag? - CSN Chicago - The SportsTalk Live crew talks about the Chicago Bears trying to get a contract extension done with Alshon Jeffery and whether he'll stay on the franc

Bears' 2016 strength of schedule has increased since April's NFL Draft - CSN Chicago - The Bears' strength of schedule has increased since April's NFL Draft, writes Rotoworld's Warren Sharp.

Mullen: Bears have quantity at LB, but do they have elite quality? - CSN Chicago - With the Bears converting to a 3-4 base defense last season, the foundation of a definitive pass rush rests squarely with their linebackers.

Mayer: Bears boast quality depth in backfield - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears will head to Bourbonnais in two weeks with a group of talented young running backs, led by 2015 fourth-round draft pick Jeremy Langford.

Clark: Bears’ OLB Lamarr Houston appears on ‘The Schmo and The Pro’ - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears' outside linebacker Lamarr Houston sits down with The Schmo to discuss the art of the sack, NBA players getting paid in the offseason and Chicago pizza on this week's "The Schmo and The Pro.

Davenport: One Chicago Bears player the Philadelphia Eagles would love to have - Bears Wire - In this special contribution by Eagles wire managing editor Turron Davenport, one Bears player who would make an impact in Philly is chosen

Perez: One Philadelphia Eagles player the Chicago Bears would love to have - Eagles Wire - In this special post by Bears Wire managing editor Bryan Perez, one Eagles player is chosen as a guy who would make a huge impact in Chicago

Lambert: John Fox Has Chance to Do Something Rare with Bears - Sports Mockery - The 2016 NFL season represents an important one for the Chicago Bears, but especially head coach John Fox. After finishing with a 6-10 record the year before, recent off-season additions have raised expectations among the fans.

Wiltfong: FACT, The Chicago Bears have the best fans in the NFC North - Windy City Gridiron - Over at ScholarBlogs, Dr. Michael Lewis, who has a PhD in Marketing, an MBA and a Masters in Industrial Engineering, has scientifically proven that the Bears have better fans than the Packers, Lions or Vikings. #Science

Lambert: Bears' Ryan Pace Makes Huge Jump In Court of GM Rankings - Sports Mockery - John Fox may be the head coach and Jay Cutler may be the quarterback, the two most visible spots on the entire Chicago Bears roster, but everybody knows the captain that really steers that ship is GM Ryan Pace. He’s the one who chose to hire Fox and keep Cutler as the starter. He’s the one charged with rebuilding what was the oldest roster in the NFL when he took over command control in 2015.

LIVING IN THE SEASON OF THE LISTS

Perez: Top 25 most important Bears of 2016, No. 18 Willie Young - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears' outside linebacker Willie Young will be one of the more important leaders and pass rushers on the defense in 2016

Wiltfong's 10 Most Important Bears of 2016: #3 Can Eddie Goldman be a dominant force? - Windy City Gridiron - For the 8th straight year, I'm bringing you who I believe will be the ten most important Chicago Bears for the upcoming season. Up at number 3 is big man in the middle of the Bears defense, Eddie Goldman.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Hangst: Seven franchise-tagged NFL players facing Friday’s contract deadline - TheComeback.com - For seven NFL players who have been given the franchise tag for the 2016 season by their respective teams, July 15th date marks the end of negotiations.

NFC North Q&A: Who will be the division's MVP? - ESPN - Who will be the MVP of the NFC North this season? Our division writers are unanimous in their selection of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Chipps: Who will play under the franchise tag in 2016? - ESPN - With just one day before the franchise tag deadline, it looks like Cousins, Berry, Jeffery, Wilkerson and Johnson will play on the franchise tender.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Williamson: New Vikings stadium to be subject of $300,000 bird fatality study - TheComeback.com - The Minnesota Vikings' new stadium, U.S. Bank Stadium, will be the subject of a $300,000 bird fatality study.

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