The Bear's Den: March 30, 2017

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

BEARRRSSSS

Wiederer: George McCaskey on Cubs boss Tom Ricketts: 'He has taught me a lot' - Chicago Tribune - As Bears owner George McCaskey wrapped up his obligations at the NFL’s league meetings on Wednesday morning, he briefly turned his attention to baseball.

Rosenbloom: Why is Ryan Pace saying such silly things about Bears quarterbacks? - Chicago Tribune - Wait, so now the Bears might not draft a quarterback? Again? For the third straight year?

Biggs: John Fox upbeat as he prepares for make-or-break third season - Chicago Tribune - John Fox has been doing this long enough to know the Bears need a breakthrough to prevent major turnover at Halas Hall.

Perez: Bears chairman George McCaskey is a fan of Ryan Pace - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears chairman George McCaskey is confident that general manager Ryan Pace is building the Bears the right way

Mayer: Pace, Fox both long-time Glennon fans - ChicagoBears.com - Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox have been Mike Glennon fans since the quarterback was in college and are confident he possesses the traits to succeed in Chicago.

Wiederer: John Fox wants a quarterback with the ability to inspire - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears continue pushing forward after last season’s 3-13 disaster, John Fox feels encouraged.

Campbell: Bears Chairman George McCaskey shows patience with John Fox, Ryan Pace - Chicago Tribune - Bears Chairman George McCaskey has consistently opted not to specify a win total that would satisfy him, and Wednesday was no different

Finley: George McCaskey on expectations, price hike, 'Hard Knocks' & more - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears chairman George McCaskey wants to see progress in the third year of general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox.

Mayer: McCaskey confident in Pace, Fox - ChicagoBears.com - While Bears chairman George H. McCaskey was disappointed with last year's 3-13 record, he sees progress and believes that GM Ryan Pace and coach John Fox will help lead a resurgence.

Hub Arkush: New additions on offense for Chicago Bears give John Fox encouragement for 2017 - Pro Football Weekly - Fox discussed additions of Glennon, Wheaton and Sims to the Bears' offense

Bears Chairman George McCaskey Not Setting Threshold For John Fox, Ryan Pace In Year 3 - CBS Chicago - McCaskey isn't mandating for anything more than progress in Year 3.

Finley: John Fox says Bears' replacing Alshon Jeffery 'a leap of faith' - Chicago Sun-Times - This isn’t the first time the Bears have replaced a Pro Bowler with a no-name.

Mullin: Why the Bears finally feel like they're in striking distance of a winning team - CSN Chicago - John Fox and Ryan Pace have maintained a bond through two tough seasons in Chicago and they believe the Bears are a team on the way up.

Wiederer: Bears Chairman George McCaskey heartbroken by Gale Sayers' battle with dementia - Chicago Tribune - Bears owner George McCaskey heartbroken by Gale Sayers’ battle with dementia

Bears Chairman George McCaskey sets 2017 demands for Ryan Pace, John Fox - CSN Chicago - Progress and results are vague terms, but Bears ownership is not setting a public fail-safe point for Ryan Pace and John Fox.

Finley: Bucs coach says Bears QB Mike Glennon reminds me of MVP Matt Ryan - Chicago Sun-Times - Of course Dirk Koetter likes Mike Glennon.

Wiederer: Bears getting back to basics after head injuries derailed Leonard Floyd - Chicago Tribune - Both times Leonard Floyd lowered the crown of his helmet and lost sight of what he was hitting. Both times he collided violently with Akiem Hicks.

Finley: George McCaskey's law, Bears need to improve this season - Chicago Sun-Times - George McCaskey didn’t want to be a lawyer.

Perez: Bears GM says Kevin White has to ‘step up and stay healthy’ - Bears Wire - Ryan Pace said third-year WR Kevin White has to step up and stay healthy in 2017

Gehlken: John Fox sees a Bears team in "striking distance" - ProFootballTalk - It is easy to be skeptical of the Bears' outlook for 2017. Of their current quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez attempted the most passes last year; he threw 18 as a backup in Dallas. They finished in last place in the NFC North for a third straight year.

DRAFT / PROSPECTS / FREE AGENCY

2017 NFL Draft Profile: Tennessee OLB Derek Barnett - CSN Chicago - Get to know Tennessee outside linebacker Derek Barnett with our latest NFL Draft Profile.

Emma’s NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Bears Face Fascinating Possibilities - CBS Chicago - The Bears could be enticed to move down in the draft and maximize their value.

Finley's Podcast: Would Bears GM Ryan Pace dare to not draft a QB? - Chicago Sun-Times - The Chicago Sun-Times' Patrick Finley welcomes CSN Chicago's Moon Mullin to debate all things quarterback?

Perez: Bears will have pre-draft visit with Ole Miss TE Evan Engram - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears will host a pre-draft visit with Ole Miss TE Evan Engram

Gabriel: Inside the process of stacking an NFL Draft board and developing a strategy - Pro Football Weekly - Now real fun begins in the leadup to 2017 NFL Draft

NFL Draft: Chidobe Awuzie, Jadar Johnson among DB sleepers - NFL.com - The 2017 NFL Draft is extraordinarily deep in the secondary, causing some prospects to get overlooked. Our resident DB, Ike Taylor, spotlights Chidobe Awuzie, Jadar Johnson and more.

Casserly mock draft 3.0: Browns make trade, add three stars - NFL.com - The Browns already own two draft picks in the first round. In his latest mock draft, Charley Casserly has them trading for a third, and dramatically overhauling their roster in the process.

Reuter's 2017 NFL Draft: 8 biggest boom-or-bust players on defense - NFL.com - Two of the draft's top defensive backs, and two stars from Alabama, make Chad Reuter's list of the riskiest potential picks on defense in the 2017 NFL Draft.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Smith: Lions want it both ways on Thanksgiving, early-season home games - ProFootballTalk - The Lions have talked to the NFL about getting themselves a more favorable early-season schedule after playing three of their first four games on the road the last two years.

McCarthy: Martellus Bennett "potentially" NFL’s best TE - ProFootballTalk - Martellus Bennett and Rob Gronkowski shared a depth chart in New England last season. Based on Wednesday comments, Packers coach Mike McCarthy believes there's a chance he got the better of the two in free agency.

PODcast: What’s the future with Matthew Stafford? - Pride Of Detroit - We also discuss the Michigan pro day and the Raiders move to Sin City.

Gates: Mike Zimmer Wants Linval Joseph To Work On Pass Rush - Daily Norseman - He’s already pretty good, but he could be even better.

Fitch: Breaking down Bennett, part 3: the poor receiving qualities - Acme Packing Company - Part 3 of 4 highlights the negative traits of Martellus Bennett as a receiver.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Silverstein: The WCG All-Bears Post-Ditka Team: defensive line - Windy City Gridiron - Julius Peppers, Tommie Harris, lead a stacked Bears front four in the Post-Ditka era.

Sunderbruch: 7-Round Mock: The PAC-12 Edition - Windy City Gridiron - One name out of Stanford keeps getting linked to the Bears, and they could do much worse than to draft him. What does the rest of Solomon Thomas’s conference have to offer, though?

Zeglinski: Ryan Pace’s tea leaves at the 2017 owner’s meetings - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears general manager offered up plenty in a meeting with reporters in Phoenix. Let’s take a look at some important points on the ledger.

FANPOSTS

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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