The Bear's Den: August 16, 2016

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

BEARRRSSSS

Emma: Bears Can’t Afford To Test Offensive Line Depth - CBS Chicago - The Bears have desperately patchworked offensive line depth.

Dickerson: Expect Jay Cutler to focus on turnovers, not passing yards in 2016 - ESPN - Don't look for Jay Cutler to light up the fantasy scoreboard with yards and touchdowns, but it's fair to expect him to cut down on his interceptions.

Fishbain: In fourth summer with Chicago Bears, DB Demontre Hurst hopes versatility can help his roster chances - Pro Football Weekly - Hurst is one of only a few players who was with the Bears' defense in 2013.

Arkush: New England Patriots offer important challenge to Chicago Bears in joint practices - Pro Football Weekly - Bears getting good experience by practicing vs. Patriots.

Mayer: Bears hold first practice with Patriots - ChicagoBears.com - Conducting joint practices with a perennial Super Bowl contender this week in New England is giving the Bears an opportunity to get better.

Perez: Four Chicago Bears who need to improve in Week 2 of preseason - Bears Wire - A look at four Chicago Bears players who need to improve in Week 2 of the preseason versus the New England Patriots. Ken's Note: How about 85 Chicago Bears that need to improve in week 2 of preseason?

Finley: Day 1 of Bears-Patriots joint training camp practice - Chicago Sun-Times - The Chicago Sun-Times’ Adam L. Jahns and Patrick Finley and Mark Potash break down the Bears’ first joint practice Monday against the New England Patriots.

Perez: Brawl breaks out at Bears-Patriots joint practice - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears WR Alshon Jeffery and New England Patriots CB Malcolm Butler got into a fight at the teams' joint practice today,

Jahns: Jay Cutler continues to shrug off talk about Martellus Bennett - Chicago Sun-Times - Zach Miller, meanwhile, got a warm welcome from his former teammate.

Finley: Bears' guard Kyle Long and brother Chris relish their reunion - Chicago Sun-Times - When a fight broke out Monday, Kyle Long joked his head was on swivel.

Jahns: Kevin White learning to play big vs. Patriots' physical ways - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears receiver Kevin White lost Round 1, and everyone saw it on the practice fields vs. the Patriots. White’s response, though, said much more. He won Round 2. He muscled through Butler’s aggression, gained separation with his size and a cut outside and came back to the ball for a completion.

LeGere: Rolling Meadows grad Garoppolo ready for NFL's brightest spotlight - Daily Herald - Arlington Heights native and Rolling Meadows High School product Jimmy Garoppolo will be stepping into the NFL's brightest spotlight when he opens the regular season as the New England Patriots' starting quarterback.

Bears-Patriots Joint practice analysis - Chicago Tribune - The Tribune's Dan Wiederer, along with NESN's Courtney Cox and Doug Kyed discuss the Bears-Pats joint practice. (NESN)

WIederer: Storylines abound as Bears pay a visit to Patriots - Chicago Tribune - This week should offer the Bears a better indication of their progress as they compete against the Patriots, who have won 13 division titles in 15 seasons.

Wiederer: Alshon Jeffery's day ends after skirmish in Bears-Patriots practice - Chicago Tribune - Alshon Jeffery and Malcolm Butler tusseled, and that mushroomed into a skirmish involving players from both teams. Bears Chairman George McCaskey intervened.

Biggs: Patriots show how much Bears need to improve - Chicago Tribune - The Patriots are one of the NFL's best franchises, and the Bears got to see how far they have to go to join them as the teams practice together in Foxborough, Mass.

Campbell: What we learned: Bears look up to Patriots, who 'do it the right way' - Chicago Tribune - During the Bears' practice with the Patriots on Monday, former teammate Martellus Bennett dropped a couple of passes, Jacoby Glenn has a great opportunity, and Eddie Royal returned to football activities

Finley: Martellus Bennett 'can do pretty much anything' - Chicago Sun-Times - The Patriots coach was complimentary Monday when asked about the early performance of new tight end Martellus Bennett

Reiss: Kyle Long on Pats-Bears fight: Was looking out for brother's dropkick - ESPN - Kyle Long and his brother Chris were on opposite sides of the field for the New England Patriots-Chicago Bears scuffle.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Florio: NFL prepares to use Brady precedent to force cooperation with PED investigation - ProFootballTalk - The obvious headline from the letter sent Monday by the NFL to the NFL Players Association regarding the Al Jazeera investigation is that the league has threatened to suspend Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, Packers linebacker Julius Peppers and Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Hill: How the Patriots used Shea McClellin in a fun, new way - Pats Pulpit - It looks like head coach Bill Belichick has cooked up a new style of defense.

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