The Bear’s Den: January 17, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS

Biggs: Former Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing in consideration for Bears’ QB coach job - Chicago Tribune - The Tribune has learned former Raiders offensive coordinator Todd Downing will be interviewed for the Bears' quarterbacks coach job.

Biggs: Sources - Bears inform strength coach Jason George he will not return - Chicago Tribune - The Bears have informed strength and conditioning coach Jason George he will not return, sources told the Tribune.

Mayer: Cohen named NFC North rookie of year - ChicagoBears.com - ESPN has named Bears running back/return specialist Tarik Cohen the NFC North’s rookie of the year for 2017.

Mullin: For hopeful Bears, more object lessons from NFL divisional round - NBC Sports Chicago - So another playoff weekend and with it some takeaways of greater or lesser relevance for the Bears.

Mullin: Will Bears see instant improvement under Matt Nagy? Putting his first-year expectations in context - NBC Sports Chicago - Will the Bears improve right away under Matt Nagy? John "Moon" Mullin tries to put the new head coach's first-year expectations in context.

Emma: Bears Plan To ‘Attack’ Changes At Wide Receiver - CBS Chicago - Players like Jarvis Landry, Sammy Watkins and Allen Robinson should appeal to the Bears in free agency.

Kenney: List of Bears worst free-agency signings of 2017 - Chicago Sun Times - Let's look back at some of general manager Ryan Pace's total flops from last year's free agency.

Biggs' Bears Q&A: Will Vic Fangio or Harry Hiestand impact the No. 8 pick? Which receivers will return? - Chicago Tribune - The Tribune's Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly.

Moreano: Success in 2018 will come from Bears' defense - Da Bears Brothers - Despite the chatter being primarily about head coach Matt Nagy's offense, the Bears will need to rely on their defense to be competitive next season.

Cox: 2017 playoffs show importance of building around quarterback - Bears Wire - The success of the teams in the 2017 playoffs should remind the Chicago Bears that building a contender goes far beyond Mitchell Trubisky.

Cohen named ESPN's NFC North Rookie Of The Year as Vikings dominate the rest of the awards - ESPN - Case Keenum, Harrison Smith and Mike Zimmer were voted the NFC North's best by ESPN's reporters, with the Bears' Tarik Cohen taking rookie honors.

Granziano: Best, worst NFL free-agent signings of 2017 offseason (any guesses who is the worst?) - ESPN - The Vikings signed a backup quarterback in an under-the-radar deal last March. Now that QB has them one game from the Super Bowl. Here are the deals that exceeded, met or fell short of expectations -- good and bad. Ken's Note: Not hard to guess who the worst FA signing was this year, and frankly it wasn't even close.

Video Highlights: Top trick plays of 2017 - ChicagoBears.com - Trick plays? We’ve got several good ones for you!

Video Highlights: Every Trubisky Touchdown - ChicagoBears.com - Relive every touchdown from Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's rookie season.

DRAFT / FREE AGENCY

Bears free agency profile: Vontae Davis - 247Sports - Vontae Davis could fill the role of Prince Amukamara in 2018 for the Chicago Bears.

Higdon: 2018 East-West Shrine Game Preview - Revenge of the Birds - A look at the East-West Shrine Game.

Kadar's 2018 NFL mock draft: How QB changes will alter the draft - SBNation.com - Where veteran signal callers go will greatly impact where rookies end up. Chicago Bears: Calvin Ridley, WR, Alabama Although an outside pass rusher is a greater need for the Bears, you’re taking a risk with Arden Key of LSU. The Bears could go with Ridley here and follow it in the second round with someone like Lorenzo Carter of Georgia.

2018 NFL Mock Draft 1-16-18 - The Sports Bank - Yes, it's 2018 NFL mock draft time. Quarterbacks, quarterbacks everywhere in this 2018 NFL mock draft. Supply may not meet demand here.

NFL Draft 2018: East-West Shrine Game player measurements | NFL | Sporting News - The week of practice will make the difference for the NFL Draft prospects playing in the 2018 East-West Shrine Game, but the evaluation process begins with weigh-ins. Players are poked, prodded, weighed and measured before they ever take the field.

Goodbread's Shrine Game Day 1 Notebook: J.T. Barrett takes command - NFL.com - Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett's leadership skills made themselves obvious on the first day of practice for the Shrine Game.

2018 East-West Shrine Game preview: 9 defensive players for the Lions to watch - Pride Of Detroit - The Detroit Lions staff is in attendance for the East-West Shrine Game, so we’re looking into some of the players to watch out for.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Monson: Offseason needs for all 32 NFL teams - Pro Football Focus - Sam Monson dissects every NFL team's biggest need during the offseason with free agency and the NFL draft looming. Not really surprisingly, Chicago gets a WR.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Mathews: Detroit Lions free agents in 2018, ranked - Pride Of Detroit - It’s officially the offseason for Detroit, and the Lions have some critical decisions to make about their roster.

Erikson: Saints' Thomas Morstead, who played hurt, to donation to Minnesota hospital - myheraldreview.com - Minnesota fans donating money to New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead's foundation to honor his toughness, foundation will use money raised in Minnesota.

D'Andrea: Saints vs. Vikings - Why did the Vikings line up for a meaningless XP anyway? - SBNation.com - It’s a regular-season rule related to point differential and playoff seeding.

Dougherty: Packers poised for free-agent pursuits - PackersNews.com - NFL teams have learned a thing or two in the last decade. Free agency still has its perils, but smart teams use it.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Ten Thoughts on the NFL - Windy City Gridiron - Give our post-Divisional round thoughts a gander, and make sure you leave a few of your own in the comment section.

Silverstein: Brian Urlacher will be a 1st ballot Hall of Famer. This is why. - Windy City Gridiron - WCG historian Jack M Silverstein has five reasons Urlacher will be in the Hall in 2018.

Zeglinski's Bears mailbag call: Nagy and Fangio-Mania - Windy City Gridiron - In case you've been living under a rock, the Bears have a new head coach. Naturally, there should be plenty to discuss in that light.

Wiltfong: Chicago Bears’ Tarik Cohen named top rookie in the NFC North - Windy City Gridiron - This is the first, but hopefully not the last, postseason award for the Chicago Bears.

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’s a chance it will be linked right here in the Den.

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments, FanPosts, usernames or anywhere else in an SB Nation community: Comments, FanPosts or usernames that are intolerant or prejudiced; racial or other offensive epithets; Personal attacks or threats on community members; Gendered insults of any kind; Trolling; Click link for full information.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes, and any posts that do this will be deleted and the poster will be admonished. We do not allow comments posted where the apparent attempt is to cause confrontation in the community. We do not allow gender-directed humor or sexual assault jokes. The staff of WCG are the sole arbiters of what constitutes “apparent attempt to cause confrontation”. We do not allow the “calling out” of other members in any way, shape or form. Posts that do this will be deleted on sight. Bottom line, it’s fine to debate about football, but personal jabs and insults are strictly prohibited. Additionally, if you keep beating the same dead horse over and over and fail to heed a moderator’s warning to stop, you will be banned.

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