The Bear’s Den, May 1, 2018

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

BEARRRSSSS / DRAFT / FREE AGENCY

Price's NFL Draft grades 2018: Bears' picks earn early praise - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears GM Ryan Pace is being praised around the league for his work at the 2018 draft.

Finley: Analyzing the biggest questions about the Bears' draft class - Chicago Sun-Times - How should the Bears feel about the entire draft? Sun-Times expert Patrick Finley analyzes their selections:

Potash: Analyzing the biggest questions about the Bears draft class - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears general manager Ryan Pace said he "couldn't be happier with the way the draft unfolded" and critics seem to agree. But how should the Bears feel

Hoge & Jahns Podcast: Bears GM Ryan Pace joins the show to talk draft and more - Chicago Sun-Times - In episode 153 of their podcast, the Chicago Sun-Times' Adam L. Jahns and WGN Radio's Adam Hoge talk with Bears general manager Ryan Pace.

Jahns: Analyzing the biggest questions about the Bears' draft class - Chicago Sun-Times - Bears general manager Ryan Pace said he “couldn’t be happier with the way the draft unfolded” and critics seem to agree.

Kenney: Bears' Mitch Trubisky invites other Chicago teams to do 'Arm Wrestle Challenge' - Chicago Sun-Times - The "Arm Wrestle Challenge" is the newest social media campaign raising awareness and funds for charity.

Morrissey: Is this the time the Bears finally get it right? Um ... - Chicago Sun-Times - Are the Bears where the Cubs were in 2014, in the last stages of incubation before greatness is hatched? It's very hard to commit to that idea.

Wiedman: Chicago Bears Finish Strong in 2018 NFL Draft - Our Turf Football - OTFB's Wanda Wiedman highlights how each new 2018 NFL Draft pick will fit into the team.

Photos of Bears' 7-player draft class: From Roquan Smith to Javon Wims - Chicago Tribune - The Bears drafted 7 players in the 2018 NFL draft.

AFC draft grades: The Broncos are alone at the top followed by a lot of pass/fails - Chicago Tribune - Breaking down the AFC teams' draft hauls.

NFC draft grades: The Giants and Cardinals pass with flying colors. The Saints do not. - Chicago Tribune - Breaking down the NFC teams' draft hauls.

Bears Download Podcast: Bears' 2018 draft class - Chicago Tribune - Welcome to the weekly Bear Download podcast with Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer.

Rosenbloom: The big hole in the Bears' 2018 draft - Chicago Tribune - Most draftniks loved the Bears selections, but imagine the praise GM Ryan Pace would get if he had aggressively addressed the Bears’ need at edge rusher. Pace knows the Bears have a need at edge rusher, right? Right? Someone? Anyone?

Wiederer & Campbell: Why Roquan Smith will be the Bears' heartbeat and what that means for their defense - Chicago Tribune - Linebacker Roquan Smith, the Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick, will be the defense's heartbeat. In Real Talk, Dan Wiederer and Rich Campbell examine what he will provide a top-10 unit and the locker room as a whole.

Blocker: Introducing James Daniels - The Ideal Interior Lineman for the New Bears' Offense - Da Bears Brothers - Here's why the Bears second-round pick is a perfect fit for Matt Nagy's offense in Chicago.

Fezler: Dissecting the Chicago Bears 2018 Draft Class - Da Bears Brothers - It's easy to see why Bears Fans are excited about this core group of young players.

Perez: Ryan Pace excited about 2018 draft haul after Bears stayed true to their board - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace is excited about the Chicago Bears' 2018 NFL draft haul after the team stayed true to its board

Kaberon's Notes from the North: 2018 NFL Draft - ChicagoBears.com - The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books, so it’s time to take a look at some of the new players the Bears will be facing twice a year in NFC North Division competition.

Mayer: Miller penned powerful letter to NFL GMs - ChicagoBears.com - Bears second-round pick Anthony Miller penned a powerful letter to NFL general managers on "The Players' Tribune" before the draft about why they should pick him.

Mayer's Chalk Talk: Does Roquan Smith compare to Urlacher? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses whether first-round pick Roquan Smith compares athletically to Brian Urlacher, if second-round pick Anthony Miller projects as an outside or slot receiver, and more.

Hughes: Change in Draft Strategy Signals Transition for Ryan Pace’s Chicago Bears - Da Bears Blog - Ryan Pace has his quarterback. And he treated the 2018 NFL Draft differently because of it. No longer was the young GM looking for freakish athleticism and under-performing college guys with upside. No longer was he willing to bypass win-now needs for the myth of “best player available”. All but one of the seven players selected by Pace and his staff over three days in Dallas fit a clear and distinct need for this franchise now, today, for the 2018 campaign.

Eurich: Dane Brugler credits Bears with best 2018 NFL Draft class - 247Sports - The best draft class in the NFL can be found with the Chicago Bears.

Eurich: Undrafted free agents with best chance to make Bears roster - 247Sports - The Chicago Bears can still find contributors in these undrafted free agents.

Eurich: How Nick Kwiatkoski can be a situational pass-rusher for Bears - 247Sports - Nick Kwiatkoski offers intrigue as a pass-rushing specialist for the Chicago Bears.

Gabriel: Bears Do Superb Job Of Adding Speed, Athleticism In New Draft Class - 670 The Score - Roquan Smith, Anthony Miller and others project to make Chicago more dynamic.

McNeil: NFL Draft Is Gone, But We'll Hear It Comin' Again - 670 The Score - The draft has become the biggest event ever about nothing.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Wesseling: Harbaugh - Ozzie Newsome's last draft might be finest - NFL.com - In his final draft as the general manager of the Ravens, Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome continued his offensive overhaul and might have laid the foundation for Baltimore to return to contention.

Smith: After drafting Rashaad Penny, Seahawks got a trade offer for him – ProFootballTalk - Usually, when teams talk trade on draft night, they're talking about trading for a pick, so they can draft a player. But on Thursday night, the Seahawks got an offer to trade a player they had just drafted.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Bukowski: Packers’ investment in cornerbacks & scheme change could boost pass rush - Acme Packing Company - Green Bay didn’t draft a pass rusher over the weekend, but Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson could be why.

Western: Packers release quarterback Joe Callahan after two seasons in Green Bay - Acme Packing Company - The Packers are now back down to four QBs after reportedly agreeing to a deal with an undrafted rookie.

Gates: Cayleb Jones suspended for four games - Daily Norseman - Another Viking getting hit for using performance enhancers

Reisman: Bengals fans were LIVID when the Lions drafted Frank Ragnow - Pride Of Detroit - A little payback for last year’s game.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Curl: PFF grades Bears’ draft “below average,” embarrasses selves, but it was an error! - Windy City Gridiron - Pro Football Focus eschews their massive database of unique and detailed player information to pass out arbitrary draft grades. The results demonstrate a glaring lack of professional focus.

MDC's biggest post-draft question: What is the pass rush going to look like? - Windy City Gridiron - While everyone is excited about the Bears 2018 Draft haul, myself included, I know this is the #1 question on everyone's mind: Where is the pass rush going to come from? We didn't get Landry...

de Sade: Looking Ahead to 2019 - Windy City Gridiron - With the draft completed, we finally have a decent idea what the 2018 Bears squad is going to consist of. I’m excited to see this season play out, but I also want to look forward to what the roster...

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

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