The Bear’s Den, June 18, 2019

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

BEARRRSSSS

Stankevitz: Why ‘Turbo’ Taylor Gabriel fell in love with the slow-paced game of golf - NBC Sports Chicago - One of the Bears’ fastest players loves playing one of the world’s slowest sports as a way to relax and take his mind off football.

Quick hits: Nagy on rookies, speaking to Ditka - ChicagoBears.com - Bears coach Matt Nagy was impressed with what he saw from the team’s rookies throughout the course of the offseason program. “The biggest thing would be that they’re just all extremely mature,” Nagy said.

Chalk Talk: Will Burton be ready for camp? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses the likelihood of tight end Trey Burton being ready to practice when training camp starts, how rookie receiver Riley Ridley fared during the offseason program and the role tight end Adam Shaheen will fill this season.

Eddie Jackson is Ready to Do the Only Thing Left to Do (And That’s Win The Whole Freaking Thing) - Bleacher Nation - Eddie Jackson is in it to win it.

Wood; In Appreciation of Tarik Cohen - Da Bears Blog - Tarik Cohen followed up a solid rookie campaign with a really good sophomore season in 2018. Despite playing less than half of the available offensive snaps and getting fewer than 100 carries and 200 total touches, he finished with 1,169 yards from scrimmage, scored 8 touchdowns, and was one of the most explosive players in the NFL. For good measure, he was also a 1st team All Pro as a punt returner after leading the NFL in punt return yards and finishing 5th in yards per return.

Video: Woody, Fox pick Bears as NFL team with worst offseason - ESPN - Dianna Russini, Damien Woody and John Fox pick the teams that have had the worst offseason in the NFL

State of the Franchise: Matt Nagy’s Bears eager to build off 2018 - NFL.com - The Bears are back! A year after the team reclaimed the NFC North, Adam Rank summarizes how the Bears got here and writes why Mitchell Trubisky and Co. have what it takes to take the next step in 2019.

NFL postseason odds 2019: Bears lead NFC North in pre-summer update - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears were listed as having the fourth-best odds to make the playoffs in the NFC behind the Rams, Saints and Eagles.

Finley: Josh McCown, QB for Bears and myriad others, retires - Chicago Sun-Times - Josh McCown, the affable backup quarterback who excelled with Jay Cutler injured in 2013, retired Monday, two weeks shy of his 40th birthday.

Biggs: Leonard Floyd is bigger, stronger, healthy - and ready for a breakout season opposite Khalil Mack - Chicago Tribune - Leonard Floyd wowed the Bears during the offseason program and could be in line for a much awaited breakout season. It depends if his rush plan works.

Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 81, Eddie Jackson - Chicago Tribune - Before the Bears’ 100th season, the Tribune’s Bears reporters and editors ranked the 100 best players in franchise history. Eddie Jackson is No. 81.

Waszak: Former Bears quarterback Josh McCown retires after 16 seasons in the NFL - Chicago Tribune - Josh McCown wrote in a piece for The Players’ Tribune posted Monday that he is retiring from playing football after a career that spanned 16 NFL seasons and included stints with 10 teams, including the Bears.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Josh McCown joins ESPN – ProFootballTalk - Josh McCown suggested in his retirement announcement that his future could include broadcasting. Well, that didn’t take long. ESPN announced it has hired the former quarterback as an NFL analyst.

NFL Division Power Rankings: NFC North stands above the rest - NFL.com - Gregg Rosenthal examines each division heading into the 2019 NFL season, ranking them 1-8. Which quartet reigns supreme? And who’s bringing up the rear?

KNOW THY ENEMY

Packers’ head athletic trainer Pepper Burruss will retire after long NFL career - Acme Packing Company - The longtime Packers trainer is calling it a career this summer.

Matt LaFleur, Aaron Rodgers know they have to work through “the audible thing” – ProFootballTalk - The first snippet emerged on Friday, and it wasn't a great look for a franchise quarterback with a propensity for passive-aggressive commentary. The full story has now landed, and it's clear that both Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers currently don't see eye-to-eye reg...

Packers claim TE Michael Roberts off waivers - Acme Packing Company - The Packers have added tight end Michael Roberts off waivers days after his previous team unsuccessfully attempted to trade him.

Report: Green Bay Packers claim former Lions TE Michael Roberts - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions’ former 4th-round pick is staying in the NFC North.

Detroit Lions podcast: Breaking down the impact of the Michael Roberts release - Pride Of Detroit - The PODcast crew tackles every angle of the Michael Roberts waiving.

Detroit Lions TE Logan Thomas and family overcome heartbreak, appreciate ‘miracle’ son - Pride Of Detroit - The tight end and his family endured pain but have come out stronger on the other side.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Where do you rank Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks as a pass rushing duo? - Windy City Gridiron - When it comes to getting after the quarterback, few tandems in the NFL cause as much havoc as the Bears’ Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks.

Zeglinski: What binds George Halas and Vince Lombardi, and Bears-Packers - Windy City Gridiron - Two people epitomize football’s oldest rivalry. Two men, of different backgrounds, cut from the same cloth. Halas and Lombardi.

NFL win totals: Why each NFC North team will go over and under in 2019 - SBNation.com - Vegas win totals are set for the 2019 season. With teams through their offseason workout program, it’s time to consider where each team will land.

Wiltfong: Bears’ legend Josh McCown hangs ‘em up - Windy City Gridiron - Earlier today, Josh McCown announced his retirement via an article in The Player’s Tribune.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

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