The Bear’s Den: February 2, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS / DRAFT / FREE AGENCY

Biggs: After missing on Stephon Gilmore, maybe Bears will target Malcolm Butler - Chicago Tribune - Bears thought they awful close to signing Patriots' cornerback Stephon Gilmore in free agency last March. Now, he's playing in the Super Bowl and teammate Malcolm Butler soon will be a free agent. Could the Bears make a play for Butler?

Biggs: Dan Pompei discusses how the case for Brian Urlacher will be made - Chicago Tribune - Chicago Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Former Tribune sports writer Dan Pompei, who will present the case Urlacher at the selection meeting, discusses the process that goes into it.

Thompson: An all-Bears insider's tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame - Chicago Tribune - The Bears are an integral part of the NFL's history, and they're well represented in exhibits at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. But not all of the Bears' artifacts are on display.

Kane: Kyle Long says he's done with offseason work on his body - Chicago Tribune - Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long posted a photo of himself headed into surgery.

Biggs: Josh McDaniels, John DeFilippo both praise Bears and Ryan Pace for hiring process - Chicago Tribune - One-third of the candidates the Bears considered for head coach are in Super Bowl LII. Josh McDaniels and John DeFilippo both had very positive things to say about the Bears and general manager Ryan Pace.

Campbell: Jordan Howard's criticism of 'basic' offense highlights Bears' complex problem - Chicago Tribune - Jordan Howard described the Bears offense as basic and predictable, but it's dangerous to infer blame because the Bears' offensive problems are multifaceted.

Thompson: Ray Lewis may prove that Hall of Fame game is won in the stenches - Chicago Tribune - Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher are vying to be the latest middle linebackers to join the Pro Football Hall of Fame when the committee votes in the Class of 2018 on Saturday, but at least in Lewis’ case we know he passes the smell test, so to speak.

Zrebiec: Brian Urlacher over Ray Lewis? Rex Ryan says don't be ridiculous - Chicago Tribune - The former NFL head coach and Ravens defensive coordinator and current ESPN analyst hardly agrees with Kevin Mawae's comments preferring the former Bear over the Baltimore legend.

Jahns: With Bears great Brian Urlacher up for debate, here's what HOF voters look for - Chicago Sun-Times - But what do voters look for in Hall of Fame players? With Urlacher up for debate for the first time, the Sun-Times reached out to voters.

Finley: Bears candidates John DeFilippo, Josh McDaniels praise process, coach Matt Nagy - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears spent five-and-a-half hours interviewing Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo for their head coaching vacancy last month.

Finley: Ex-Bears WR Alshon Jeffery - 'I was wanted more in Philly than where I was at' - Chicago Sun-Times - When Alshon Jeffery became a free agent last offseason, he wanted to go to a team that would appreciate him. That wasn’t the Bears.

Finley: Jordan Howard on 'vanilla' Bears scheme in '17 - 'People knew what we were doing' - Chicago Sun-Times - Calling last year’s play-calling bland, Bears running back Jordan Howard said he was excited about Matt Nagy bringing a new offensive direction.

Ingalls: Six Receivers That Could Enter Free Agency (And Come to Chicago) - Da Bears Brothers - Bad News – It's not a great time to need a wide receiver in free agency. Here's a list of potential players who could hit the open market and become a Bear.

Biggs: Post-Bears career has been more than Eagles' Corey Graham could have dreamed - Chicago Tribune - Former Bears fifth-round draft pick Corey Graham, a postseason hero for the Ravens in the past, is preparing for a second Super Bowl appearance, and the Eagles safety might be pivotal in Philadelphia's plans to cover Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The Case for Canton: Urlacher vs. Lewis - NBC Sports Chicago - Hub Arkush breaks down the Hall of Fame case for Brian Urlacher compared to Ray Lewis.

Mullin: Brian Urlacher considering 3 Bears coaches if he needs presenter for HOF induction - NBC Sports Chicago - When Brian Urlacher picks a coach to help introduce him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who will he choose?

Mullin: Brian Urlacher, the Bears' accidental middle linebacker - 'They did the right thing' - NBC Sports Chicago - Brian Urlacher is a Hall of Fame finalist this weekend. But first he was a chance draft pick, a potential safety and a strong-side linebacker before becoming one of the Bears' best middle linebackers ever.

LeGere: Urlacher's Hall of Fame-worthy career about more than stats and awards - Pro Football Weekly - Former Bears' linebacker and team-first guy a lock for Hall, not necessarily this year

Mayer: Star opponents believe Urlacher belongs in Hall - ChicagoBears.com - Some NFL greats who battled against Brian Urlacher believe that the former Bears middle linebacker deserves to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Mayer's Chalk Talk: How many 100-yard games did Payton have in playoffs? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses Walter Payton's top playoff performances, former Bears who will play in the Super Bowl and if Patriots offensive lineman Ted Karras is related to the former Bears player with the same name.

Mayer: Ex-Oregon star - Bears lucky to have Helfrich - ChicagoBears.com - According to one of his former players at the University of Oregon, new Bears offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich is an excellent coach and an even better person.

Mayer: First meeting with Urlacher left Graham speechless - ChicagoBears.com - Now with the Eagles, ex-Bears cornerback Corey Graham described Brian Urlacher as “an amazing guy and an amazing teammate” who deserves to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Perez: Jordan Howard says opposing defenses knew what was coming every play in 2017 - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears RB Jordan Howard is welcoming Matt Nagy with open arms after the team's struggles on offense in 2017

Perez: Bears TE Zach Miller says mental aspect is toughest part of comeback attempt - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears TE Zach Miller is struggling with the mental aspect of his injury during his comeback attempt

Perez: Josh McDaniels says Bears GM Ryan Pace was ‘tremendous’ during interview process - Bears Wire - Patriots OC Josh McDaniels said Bears GM Ryan Pace was tremendous during the team's interview process

Emma: Bears Great Brian Urlacher Left No Doubt To Hall Of Fame-Worthy Legacy - CBS Chicago - Urlacher's teammates know well what defined a career worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

No Jordan Howard PFF?

POLISH SAUSAGE

Bergman: Arthur Blank unhappy Kraft made 283-diamond rings - NFL.com - Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, whose team memorably blew a 28-3 lead to Kraft's Pats in Super Bowl LI, confronted Patriots owner Robert Kraft in August over his insult-by-karat.

Stebbins: Another coaching job for John Fox? He's reportedly mulling offers for 2018 - NBC Sports Chicago - According to one NFL Insider, former Bears' head coach John Fox is "mulling over" several coaching offers for the 2018 football season.

Wilner: NFLPA boss 'We prepare for war' over new labor agreement - Chicago Tribune - The head of the NFL Players Association quickly said the current 10-year collective bargaining agreement will not get extended beyond the 2020 season.

Rosenthal: Pylon on - NBC's making a goal-line stand to cover Super Bowl from all angles - Chicago Tribune - Spending money as it makes money at the Super Bowl — and promoting the Pyongchang Winter Olympics — NBC is deploying 106 cameras, including 20 in pylons and two SkyCams for the Patriots and Eagles on Sunday, But do people tune in more for that than, say, the $5 million ads or the football game?

KNOW THY ENEMY

Packers 2017 Acquisitions: Tight Ends show the risk of heavy free agent investment - Acme Packing Company - The performance of the Packers’ tight ends in 2017 illustrates why Ted Thompson was so averse to taking risks in free agency throughout his career.

Bukowski: Aaron Rodgers unhappy he wasn’t consulted on Packers’ dismissal of quarterbacks coach - Acme Packing Company - Mike McCarthy’s de facto firing of Alex Van Pelt doesn’t sit right with his star quarterback.

Gates: The Vikings might be waiting on John DeFilippo - Daily Norseman - He could be the team’s next Offensive Coordinator

Gates: Amidst the QB drama, remember: The extensions are coming - Daily Norseman - There are a whole lot of Vikings that are in line for paydays

Gates: Thursday Night Football to move to FOX - Daily Norseman - There might be a silver lining to this

Gates: Spielman - Tolling Teddy Bridgewater’s contract an “NFL decision” - Daily Norseman - Things may have just gotten more interesting

Kato: What does a general manager look for in a head coach? - Pride Of Detroit - If you read our other article, the answer is: exactly what you expect.

Stapleton: Aaron Rodgers wants to play as long as Tom Brady, thinks he might have to leave Packers to do it - Chicago Tribune - Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he wants to play into his 40s like Tom Brady, but he might have to leave Green Bay to do that.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante: Seven possible backup quarterback options for the Bears - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears are going to need to find an insurance option for Mitchell Trubisky this offseason.

Wiltfong's Chicago Bears 2018 Roster Turnover: How big of a need is tight end? - Windy City Gridiron - In this 13 part series we’ll take an in depth look at each position group for the Chicago Bears with an eye towards the 2018 season. We’ll speculate on who stays, who goes, and some potential additions we’d like to see general manager Ryan Pace make.

x160630: Trade down? Historically speaking, maybe. - Windy City Gridiron - In my previous fan post, I took a look at the historical accuracy of the #8 pick. In this fanpost, I am looking at the most likely suitors for a trade up. Prior to posting, the Redskins made a move...

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