The Bear's Den: January 4, 2017

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

BEARRRSSSS

Mayer: Bears sign 8 to reserve/futures deals - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears on Tuesday signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts, including cornerbacks De'Vante Bausby and Jacoby Glenn and offensive lineman Cornelius Edison.

Kwiecinski: Bears come in twice on NFL’s list of top 10 dropped passes in 2016 - Bears Wire - Bears receiver ranked in two of the NFL's top-10 worst drops of the season

Finley's Podcast: 3 injured Bears that can make a huge impact in 2017 - Chicago Sun-Times - In the latest episode of Halas Intrigue, Patrick Finley looks at three injured Bears who can make a huge impact on the team in 2017:

Potash: Even after 3-13, continuity a key for Bears rebuild - Chicago Sun-Times - There have been difficult times in recent Bears history, but few as awkward as the Bears find themselves facing

Gabriel: Should The Bears Attempt To Trade For Jimmy Garoppolo? - CBS Chicago - The Bears need a franchise quarterback, and the Patriots' Garoppolo may be available.

Mullin: First-year evaluations of Bears ’16 draft class bode well for future - CSN Chicago - The Bears had a bad 2016 season, but the rookie class showed some promise that could mean better things are ahead.

SportsTalk Live: Pace, Fox address media Wednesday - CSN Chicago - The SportsTalk Live team talks about the Bears' end of year press conference.

John Fox, Bears to coach top NFL prospects at 2017 Senior Bowl - CSN Chicago - For the fourth time in franchise history, the Bears — along with the Cleveland Browns — will coach in the 2017 Reese's Senior Bowl.

Mullin: Bears staff changes to be among topics raised as Ryan Pace, John Fox address media on Wednesday - CSN Chicago - Ryan Pace and John Fox are scheduled to meet with the media around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, and the topic of staff changes will be raised.

LeGere: Less talk, more action needed for Bears to improve - Daily Herald - Among the gibberish and the plethora of platitudes that rained down at Halas Hall Monday, there were some valid opinions regarding the requirements for a return to respectability. No Bears team has ever lost more games than this year's 3-13 edition.

Mayer: Bears to coach in Senior Bowl - ChicagoBears.com - Bears coach John Fox and the rest of his staff have accepted an invitation to coach the North squad in the annual Senior Bowl later this month in Mobile, Alabama.

Finley: Bears sign eight players to futures deals - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts Tuesday,

Mayer: Long shares thoughts on health, Cutler - ChicagoBears.com - Rehabbing from one surgery and preparing for another, Bears guard Kyle Long shared his thoughts this week on his health, the future of teammate Jay Cutler and more.

Jahns: Bears lose RBs coach Stan Drayton to Texas - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears running backs coach Stan Drayton is leaving for a job at the University of Texas, sources confirmed to the Sun-Times.

Honored to have been somewhere on the edge of @MattForte22 and @JHowardx24 film. These are the guys that make football so much fun to play! pic.twitter.com/656hiXTRL8

— Kyle (@Ky1eLong) January 3, 2017

Finley: Bears to coach in Senior Bowl - Chicago Sun-Times - John Fox's coaching staff will coach the Senior Bowl, the all-star game announced Tuesday.

Thompson: Kyle Long defends his commitment, challenges troll on Twitter - Chicago Tribune - Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long has never been shy about engaging Twitter trolls and this week is no exception

Campbell: Bears sign eight players to futures contracts - Chicago Tribune - The Bears on Tuesday signed eight players from their practice squad to reserve/futures contracts as they expanded their roster with an eye on 2017.

Haugh: Bold trade for QB is Bears GM Ryan Pace's best path in defining offseason - Chicago Tribune - Ryan Pace can start the offseason by thinking big, pursuing a quarterback with Pro Bowl potential and treating the decision as if his job depends on it.

Rosenbloom: Some things I’d like Bears GM Ryan Pace to say Wednesday - Chicago Tribune - Ryan Pace will submit Wednesday morning to a postmortem on a 2016 that death-spiraled into the worst 16-game season in franchise history.

Campbell: Coaching at Senior Bowl will give Bears staff up-close look at prospects - Chicago Tribune - The Bears staff will coach at this month’s Senior Bowl, game officials announced Tuesday, giving the team an up-close head start on this year’s pre-draft

Biggs: Bears coaching staff will have at least one change: Running backs coach Stan Drayton won't return - Chicago Tribune - Running backs coach Stan Drayton, who oversaw rookie Jordan Howard’s 1,313-yard season, has chosen not return to the Bears, a source informed the Tribune.

Wiederer: Bears leaders must forget bluster, get real - Chicago Tribune - The words the Bears speak, the assertions they make, the regard in which they hold themselves never seem to match their on-field performances.

Mayer: Lunch with Larry 1.3.17 - ChicagoBears.com - Bears Senior Writer Larry Mayer discussed running back Jordan Howard, what to expect this offseason and more in his final "Lunch with Larry" of the 2016 season.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Wesseling: Kendall Wright ready to be 'free' of Tennessee Titans - NFL.com - Wide receiver Kendall Wright told reporters Monday that he will not be "part of the 2017 Tennessee Titans." Is the impending free agent ready to test his market value?

Jackson: Report says Seahawks will sign Devin Hester - ProFootballTalk - Veteran return man Devin Hester will sign with the Seahawks for the playoffs, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported Tuesday night. The Ravens cut Hester, 34, in December. He handled their return duties for 12 games this season.

Bonesteel: Chip Kelly's business plan is sound: Get fired, collect all the money - Chicago Tribune - Chip Kelly is going to be getting paid by two NFL teams not to coach, and if he gets hired again he'll be getting paid by three.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Zeglinski: Guarantees and promises, a Bears’ overplayed message - Windy City Gridiron - The NFL is a results-driven league, so what exactly do the Bears have to fall back on?

Wiltfong: It looks like the Chicago Bears are keeping the band together - Windy City Gridiron - In Lester’s latest T Formation Conversation podcast he discusses the Chicago Bears’ seemingly bringing everyone back for another go in 2017.

Zeglinski: Bears and John Fox to coach in Senior Bowl - Windy City Gridiron - Chicago opts to take a key scouting opportunity for the upcoming 2017 NFL Draft.

Wiltfong: Chicago Bears sign eight to reserve/futures contracts - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears have signed eight players to reserve/futures contracts today and they are as follows; Dres Anderson, WR, Utah (6’2", 190) De’Vante Basuby, CB, Pittsburg State (6’2", 190) David...

Wiltfong: Ten Thoughts on the NFL - Windy City Gridiron - Check out my NFL Thoughts this week as I hit on my Wildcard predictions, some rumored trades and more!

FANPOSTS

Ronzie2004: A J McCarron or Draft Pick? - Windy City Gridiron - Fox likely will be gone after 2017 season,which makes it a no brainer for them to bring Mike McCoy on board as OC and Fox's successor as head coach in 2018. Will have to overpay to keep him away...

Dave Wannstash: Reasons for Optimism - Windy City Gridiron - Call me the anti-Rosenbloom, the anti-Bernstein... but here are a few things for Bears fans to be optimistic about.

FanPosts - Recent - Windy City Gridiron - Here's a link to our FanPost section, where YOU have the opportunity to contribute to Windy City Gridiron. Take a few minutes and write a post about what you are thinking about regarding the Chicago Bears, and there'a chance it will be linked right here in the Den.

THE RULES

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