The Bear’s Den, July 11, 2018 - Draft Day!

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

BEARRRSSSS / DRAFT / FREE AGENCY

NFL Supplemental Draft: How the Bears can find a steal - 247Sports - The Chicago Bears have a chance to find a diamond in the rough in this year’s supplemental draft.

Wiederer: How quickly can Bears rookie Roquan Smith become a Pro Bowl playmaker? - Chicago Tribune - The Bears are thrilled with Roquan Smith's proven production and long-term potential. Now it's up to Vic Fangio to find the best fit for Smith alongside veteran Danny Trevathan.

Wiederer: Will Matt Nagy's system be the fire that ignites Tarik Cohen? - Chicago Tribune - As the Bears get ready for training camp, the Tribune assesses the running backs position, analyzing the breakout potential for Tarik Cohen and the best fit for Jordan Howard.

'Madden 19' player ratings: Bears' full list includes underwhelming Mitch Trubisky - Chicago Sun-Times - EA Sports released the complete player ratings for 'Madden NFL 19' on Tuesday, and there's both good and bad news for Bears fans.

Gil Brandt's greatest defensive ends of all time features 5 former Bears - NFL.com - NFL Media senior analyst and personnel guru Gil Brandt ranks the greatest defensive ends in NFL history. Take a look at how they stack up.

Demara: Colin Cowherd makes picks Bears dead last in NFC North division in 2018 - 247Sports - Colin Cowherd's picks are in for the NFC North in 2018.

Eurich: Top storylines of the NFC North heading into training camp - 247Sports - The NFC North is filled with storylines heading into training camp.

NFC North Q&A: Who is the rising star in the division? - 247Sports - Dalvin Cook flashed greatness in four games with the Vikings, and there's another young running back in the division to keep an eye on as well.

Medina: More Snaps Out of the Shotgun Could Elevate Jordan Howard's Game - 10 Yard Line - The Bears' running game could be in line for big things with a small tweak in the team's offensive philosophy.

Mayer: Bears relying on Hicks to anchor defensive line - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears will head to Bourbonnais next week once again counting on veteran defensive end Akiem Hicks to be one of their most productive and dependable players this season.

Cox: Trey Burton says Tarik Cohen ‘is right up there with’ Darren Sproles - Bears Wire - Chicago Bears tight end Trey Burton compared Tarik Cohen to his former teammate, Darren Sproles. The similarities go beyond their height.

Cox: Bears training camp preview: Defensive line - Bears Wire - Jonathan Bullard may be penciled in as a starter on the Chicago Bears defensive line, but Roy Roberston-Harris is gunning for his spot.

Team for the Ages: Dick Butkus, an all-time legend - Pro Football Weekly - Butkus is considered by many to be the greatest defensive player in the history of the game

Gabriel: Bears Solid Up Middle But Need Outside Linebackers To Step Up - 670 The Score - The Bears' linebackers have an injury-riddled history.

Eurich: Allen Robinson's top games with Jaguars and what it means for the Chicago Bears - 247Sports - History suggests Allen Robinson is only scratching the surface of his potential.

Emma: True Potential Of Bears' Mitchell Trubisky Will Be Revealed In Year 2 - 670 The Score - "I know what I'm capable of," Mitchell Trubisky says.

Bears training camp questions: Can Mitch Trubisky take off in Year 2? - USA Today - The Chicago Bears are hoping second-year QB Mitch Trubisky can show major improvement in his second season the way peers Carson Wentz and Jared Goff did in 2017.

Patra: Trey Burton - Ton of similarities between Eagles, Bears - NFL.com - Tight end Trey Burton says he sees a ton of similarities between the team he won a Super Bowl with last year, Philadelphia Eagles, and his new team, Chicago Bears.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Supplemental draft begins with a lottery, has 10-minute rounds – ProFootballTalk - For NFL fans, the supplemental draft often feels shrouded in mystery: Unlike the regular draft, which is a much-hyped major event, the supplemental draft comes and goes before many fans even realize it. This year’s supplemental draft begins Wednesday at 1 p.m.

KNOW THY ENEMY

5 things EA got wrong with the Lions ratings in Madden NFL 19 - Pride Of Detroit - Surprise, surprise, a Lions blogger thinks EA got it wrong when it came to rating Detroit’s roster.

Let’s take another look back at Percy Harvin’s time in Minnesota - Daily Norseman - With every touchdown he ever scored in purple

Packers 2018 Roster Prediction: Williams gets the opening week nod at RB - Acme Packing Company - APC expects four backs to make the final roster and Jamaal Williams to start the season opener against rival Chicago.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante: Bears ratings for ‘Madden NFL 19’ revealed - Windy City Gridiron - A lot of Bears players were given the shaft in EA Sports’ ‘Madden’ ratings, while a few received ratings that may have been a little too generous.

Leming: Projecting the final 2018 Chicago Bears offensive depth chart - Windy City Gridiron - Training camp is just over a week away. So, what better way to celebrate that than to project the final roster?

Wiltfong’s 10 Most Important Bears of 2018: #4 Will Akiem Hicks get some respect? - Windy City Gridiron - For the 10th straight year, I’m bringing you who I believe will be the ten most important Chicago Bears for the upcoming season. Defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is going to have a breakout season.

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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WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Andrew Link; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.