The Bear’s Den, April 15, 2019

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

BEARRRSSSS / FREE AGENCY / DRAFT

Stankevitz: As Bears report for offseason program, how will Matt Nagy handle change at Halas Hall? - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears will begin their offseason program on Monday with legitimate Super Bowl expectations.

Surrue: Akiem Hicks to Saints’ Cam Jordan: ‘Your defense can’t hold our jock’ - Bears Wire - Akiem Hicks and Cameron Jordan got into a heated exchange on Twitter that turned into an epic back and forth

Easterling: 2019 NFL draft: Under-the-radar prospects to watch - Draft Wire - If your favorite team is looking for value in the 2019 NFL draft, these under-the-radar prospects should be big bargains

Bears-themed fitness center to open Monday - ChicagoBears.com - Bears Fit, a Chicago Bears-themed fitness center located at 155 E. Townline Road in Vernon Hills, will open to the public for workouts on Monday.

Chalk Talk: Tracking worst-to-first teams - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses how many worst-to-first teams have repeated as division champions, how the Bears will create pressure situations in their kicking competition and Bears coaches who’ve been named NFL coach of the year in their first seas

Mayer: Ditka to appear at Bears100 Celebration - ChicagoBears.com - Legendary Hall of Famer Mike Ditka will appear at the Bears100 Celebration June 7-9 in Rosemont. “Da Coach” is scheduled to participate in the opening ceremonies, an autograph session and a panel discussion.

Medina: NIU Stud Sutton Smith Looks Like an Ideal Late-Round Draft Target for the Bears - Bleacher Nation - Sutton Smith was a star at NIU, but doesn’t seem to be a perfect fit at the next level. Hello, Bears?

Hughes: Draft Prospect - Zach Allen, DE, Boston College - Da Bears Blog - For those of you who are new here, here’s how I handle the NFL Draft. I watch a bunch of college football and when players stand out to me, I put their name in the Notes app on my phone. I don’t do any research on them. Just put their names in there. Then, around now, I see if they’re actually in the draft and find out what professional scout-types think.

Defensive linemen dominate the list of top available free agents – ProFootballTalk - Free agency has cooled down considerably in the NFL, but if you’re a fan of a team that needs some defensive line help, you’re in luck. Plenty of good defensive linemen are still available, a month after free agency began.

Johnson’s NFL Draft Review -- Linebackers - Our Turf Football - OTFB’s Lisa Johnson continues her look at the top players in the draft, starting with LSU linebacker Devin White and Michigan linebacker Devin Bush.

Finley’s NFL mock draft 2019: Picking a perfect plan for the Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - Here’s what a successful Bears draft would look like.

Finley’s NFL mock draft 2019: Will the Cardinals take QB Kyler Murray first? | Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears are sitting out the first round of the NFL Draft later this month. The Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley is not. Here’s a look at his mock draft.

Telander: As Bears legend Mike Ditka nears 80, he is shaken, not deterred - Chicago Sun-Times - ‘‘The thing about me,’’ Ditka says, ‘‘is that people didn’t think I had a heart. Now they found out I got one.’’

Potash: WRs Robinson, Gabriel, Miller provide foundation for Year 2 leap - Chicago Sun-Times - Nagy’s offense spreads the wealth, but each of them expects to put up bigger numbers in the second year of this offense.

Greenstein: A look at Matt Nagy’s father-son trip to the Masters, eating pimento cheese sandwiches and watching Tiger Woods on the 18th green - Chicago Tribune - Bears coach Matt Nagy from Augusta National: “There is nowhere else in the world like this.” Nagy took his oldest son, Brayden, to the Masters on Saturday.

Wiederer & Campbell: A closer look at the Aaron Rodgers drama in Green Bay. The Bear Download podcast breaks it down. - Chicago Tribune - The Tribune’s Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer break down the drama in Green Bay on the latest Bear Download podcast.

POLISH SAUSAGE

O’Gorman: The impact of a “possible” 2021 lockout on today’s contracts - Our Turf Football - The end of the current CBA brings not just a possible lockout, but a lot of complicated rules to the table. OTFB’s Dayna O’Gorman spoke with Miguel Benzan about the complexity of the next two seasons.

What makes a Super Bowl contender? Plus, a Giant WR question - NFL.com - When it comes to building a Super Bowl contender, what are the essential components? Bucky Brooks identifies 12 ingredients -- and spotlights five teams that have ‘em. Plus, an exploration of the Giants’ WR game plan and much more.

Hall of Fame plans a massive celebration for NFL’s 100th anniversary – ProFootballTalk - This season will be the NFL's 100th. But the 100th anniversary of the NFL comes in 2020. September 17, 2020, to be exact. That's one hundred years to the day after the day the NFL began, in Canton, Ohio. On that day, football will return to Canton, in a big way.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Vikings sign wide receiver Jordan Taylor to one-year deal - Daily Norseman - He had spent four seasons with the Denver Broncos

Packers Mock Draft 2019: Green Bay gets instant contributors at LB and WR - Acme Packing Company - Green Bay holds an intriguing pick at number 12 that could go many different ways, but finding a day-one playmaker is critical.

Favre says Rodgers and McCarthy should have won more – ProFootballTalk - Brett Favre believes Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy winning only one Super Bowl ring in their 11 seasons together was a disappointment. Favre, who was traded out of Green Bay in 2008, paving the way for the Rodgers-McCarthy run, told TMZ.com that he thinks the recent report at BleacherReport.

Matt LaFleur’s job won’t be easy – ProFootballTalk - Good news, Matt LaFleur, you're head coach of the Packers. Bad news, Matt LaFleur . . . you know where this is going by now, right? LaFleur takes over an iconic franchise, but the franchise requires some fixing.

Jordan Taylor signs with Vikings – ProFootballTalk - After signing wide receiver Adam Thielen to a big new contract yesterday, the Vikings have signed a slightly cheaper wide receiver today. Jordan Taylor has signed with the Vikings, according to multiple reports.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Schmitz' Film Study: Reviewing the 2019 Chicago Bears’ Runningbacks - Windy City Gridiron - With Howard gone and the draft approaching, Robert S. turns to film to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Bears’ current runningback room

Snyder & Infante WCG Draft Analyst Throwdown Showdown - Windy City Gridiron - It’s like Thunderdome, minus the chainsaws and giant rubber bands!

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 - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski - The Blitz Network

THE RULES

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