The Bear’s Den, February 20, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS / DRAFT / FREE AGENCY

Biggs: Bears must decide what to do with Kyle Fuller as window for franchise tag opens - Chicago Tribune - The Bears have a fascinating decision to make with former first-round draft pick Kyle Fuller as the cornerback is coming off the finest year of his career but will be a free agent. Tuesday is the first day teams can use the franchise tag. Here's a look at the options in play for the Bears.

Finley: Will the Bears give CB Kyle Fuller the franchise tag? Window opens Tuesday - Chicago Sun-Times - The window for deciding cornerback Kyle Fuller’s Bears future opens Tuesday, the first day that NFL teams can designate franchise or transition tags.

Biggs' Roster rundown: Bears could be looking at rare continuity at safety - Chicago Tribune - The Bears have struggled for continuity at the safety position for the longest time but the pairing of rookie Eddie Jackson with Adrian Amos in 2017 might just be a solution for the club moving forward. Jackson showed nice promise and Amos had his finest season in his third year.

Mullin: Unfinished Bears job a 'bitter pill' for John Fox, but the legacy lies beyond just the W-L record - NBC Sports Chicago - John Fox looks back on his tenure as Bears head coach, which turned out to be an unexpected bridge to current head coach Matt Nagy.

Letizia: Four Edge Rushers the Bears Should Target in the NFL Draft - Da Bears Brothers - Steve Letizia takes an in-depth look at four edge rushers the Bears should target in every stage of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Stankevitz' 2017 Bears position grades: Defensive Line - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears' defensive line was consistently the best unit in 2017, but despite that, it wasn’t as good as it could’ve been.

LeGere's Chicago Bears offseason positional analysis: Offensive Line - Pro Football Weekly - A lot of what the Bears’ offensive line looks like in 2018 depends on what they decide to do with four-time Pro Bowl OG Josh Sitton.

Perez: 2018 NFL Draft - Chicago Bears pre-combine 7-round Mock Draft - Bears Wire - A complete seven-round 2018 NFL Mock Draft for the Chicago Bears ahead of this year's NFL Combine. Ken's Note: It's a damned slideshow, you have been warned.

Dickerson: Kyle Fuller represents Chicago Bears' biggest free-agent decision - ESPN - The Bears' 2014 first-round draft pick looked all but done in Chicago before the start of the regular season, but he had arguably his best season.

Eurich: How the Bears can solve their kicking woes in 2018 - 247sports - The Chicago Bears must address the kicking situation in 2018.

Eurich: Drafting another young quarterback in 2018 makes sense for Bears - 247sports - The Chicago Bears would be smart to add another young quarterback to the mix in 2018.

Schein: Bears (barely) on list of top desirable free-agent destinations - NFL.com - What are the most desirable teams for free agents hitting the open market this offseason? Adam Schein identifies nine franchises with a lot to offer, including the Jimmy Garoppolo-led 49ers.

Hughes: After an Exhausting 2017 Season, Some Thoughts on Football Media – Chicago & Beyond - Da Bears Blog - (Excerpt, one of many points) I wish the NFL would take the All-22 tape away from everyone. You can argue it’s making fans more knowledgeable but it’s not. It’s a text. But you have to know how to read that text. And without input from those who’ve been involved in writing that text, you’re just guessing.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Patra: Bridgewater - 2017 was 'probably my favorite season' - NFL.com - Teddy Bridgewater attempted two passes in 2017 and appeared in just one game. Yet the Minnesota Vikings quarterback said this season was the favorite of his football career.

Carr: Ten quarterbacks worth pursuing in free agency/2018 NFL Draft - NFL.com - There are plenty of quarterback-needy teams this offseason, and David Carr is here to help. The former 11-year NFL QB ranks his top 10 quarterbacks worth pursing in free agency or the 2018 NFL Draft.

Patra: Devin McCourty - Pats knew Malcolm Butler would sit - NFL.com - New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler sat out of Super Bowl LII because of a coach's decision. Devin McCourty said the decision wasn't a shock because the team 'all knew' Butler wouldn't start.

Florio: Will Garoppolo, McCarron be able to adjust once defenses see what they can do? – ProFootballTalk - The 49ers made quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo the highest-paid player in NFL history based on seven career starts, five in Kyle Shanahan's system. Someone will be paying quarterback A.J. McCarron based on four career starts.

Florio: Jets will pay “whatever it takes” to get Kirk Cousins – ProFootballTalk - The Jets apparently want Kirk Cousins. They apparently want him badly enough that they're willing to break the bank for him. According to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, the Jets are "willing to pay whatever it takes" to get him.

Yoder: The NFL's solution to oversaturation is... more oversaturation - The Comeback - Oversaturation is part of why the NFL is running into ratings issues, with regular complaints about the quality of the diluted product. Trying to boost ratings by putting subpar content in yet more places may not be a long-term fix.

Ahar: Cleveland Browns Mock Draft: QB Scenarios - Our Turf Football
OTFB's Cleveland Kate breaks down the quarterback options for the Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Gates: Could Case Keenum be a candidate for the Transition Tag? - Daily Norseman - It works differently from the Franchise Tag, but how?

Gates: A brief history of the Minnesota Vikings and the Franchise Tag - Daily Norseman - They haven’t used it much.

Western: Franchise Tags could take possible Packers free agent targets off the market - Acme Packing Company - The Packers appear more likely to make a run at a top-level free agent than at any point in Ted Thompson’s tenure, but a couple appealing options seem to be good candidates for franchise tags.

Gates: Which Vikings player would you want as your neighbor? - Daily Norseman - In celebration of a very special anniversary

Just Say No 2.0: 5 more free agents the Lions should avoid - Pride Of Detroit - Round two of free agents the Lions have to run and hide from.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante: Things the Bears SHOULD do this offseason - Windy City Gridiron - If executed correctly, the 2018 offseason could be a catalyst for the Bears’ transformation into a playoff contender.

Wiltfong: NFL.com gives the Chicago Bears’ rookie class a B+ - Windy City Gridiron - When the 2017 NFL Draft concluded, most draft pundits didn’t think very highly of what the Chicago Bears did. One NFL executive was reported to have said that general manager Ryan Pace "just got...

Zeglinski's Bears 2018 free agency preview: Tight ends - Windy City Gridiron - Adam Shaheen is the workhorse. But what's the depth like? Do the Bears need a compliment to him? Examining the tight end free agent market.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

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