The Bear’s Den, July 3, 2019

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

BEARRRSSSS

Zeglinski: Trubisky and offense must take next step – The Rock River Times - The weight of expectations on a No. 2 overall pick is different than for most NFL players. They’re the savior. The best and sometimes only hope. The face of an era marked by a vibrant culture and self-assurance.

Chicago Bears Inside Linebacker Preview - ChicagoAudible.com - The Chicago Audible continues its annual countdown to Chicago Bears training camp with an in-depth look at (and preview of) the team's inside linebackers.

Moreano: How Nagy’s Creativeness Gives Bears Offense Plenty of Options - Chicago Audible - Here's how Matt Nagy gives the Chicago Bears a competitive advantage.

Stankevitz: Which kickers could be available for the Bears if Elliott Fry, Eddy Pineiro don't pan out? - NBC Sports Chicago - Ten teams besides the Bears have two kickers on their roster right now, meaning Ryan Pace will have some options on the trade market and waiver wire if Elliott Fry and Eddy Pineiro flop during training camp.

Are Trubisky/Nagy the best QB-coach combo in NFC North? - Bears Wire - The Chicago Bears will field quite the QB-Coach combo, but is it the best in the NFC North?

Mayer: Bears to give away bobbleheads at all home games - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears on Tuesday announced that they will give away bobbleheads at each preseason and regular season home game this year as part of their centennial season celebration.

Dannehy: Expect A Heavy Workload For David Montgomery - Da Bears Blog - Give Matt Nagy credit for saying he wants to use a committee approach when it comes to the running back position, but don’t be surprised if rookie David Montgomery is the bell cow before long. While the Bears have generally been trying to keep their depth chart a secret (and not allowing media members to report on the topic) it seems the rookie has already been getting playing time with the first team, a rarity for any mid-round running back.

LaFleur's coaching style, Trubisky's evolution among NFC North storylines - ESPN Video - Dianna Russini, Victor Cruz and Mike Tannenbaum detail what they have their eyes on in the NFC North, including Matt LaFleur as first-time head coach with the Packers.

Schein: Mack high on list of NFL’s most indispensable defensive players for the 2019 season - NFL.com - Which defenders can NFL teams simply not do without? Adam Schein identifies the nine most indispensable defensive players in 2019. Which defensive lineman tops the board? Who’s the lone defensive back?

Price: Bears giveaway schedule 2019: Bobbleheads coming for every home game - Chicago Sun-Times - Which bobblehead do you want the most?

Akiem Hicks is in London to promote the Bears-Raiders game — and he’s taking notes: ‘I get to go back to Chicago and impart this wisdom’ - Chicago Tribune - Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is one of a dozen players in London this week to help the NFL promote the Bears-Raiders game Oct. 6 at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium.

Thompson: A ‘Mitch Trubisky for MVP’ bet got too rich for Las Vegas - ‘Is everybody drinking, like, Soldier Field water or something?’ - Chicago Tribune - At least two major Las Vegas sports books moved the line on Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky winning the NFL MVP award after receiving too many wagers to comfortably cash out,

POLISH SAUSAGE

PFT 2019 storyline No. 22: Will Jimmy Garoppolo begin earning his contract? – ProFootballTalk - The 49ers surprisingly traded for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo during the 2017 NFL season. Even more surprisingly, Garoppolo performed incredibly well during the final weeks of his first year in San Francisco, leading the team to five wins in five starts.

Hall of Fame Class of 2020 tentatively set to include 20 inductees – ProFootballTalk - It already was known that the Pro Football Hall of Fame would have a Centennial Class for 2020. What wasn’t known was how many. As it stands now, the maximum number of inductees in a year is eight.

Ezekiel Elliott issues apology after Goodell meeting - NFL.com - Ezekiel Elliott met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday to discuss a May incident in Las Vegas. Elliott issued an apology for his off-field conduct via Twitter following the conclusion of the meeting.

Patrick Mahomes shedding ‘baby fat’ in offseason - NFL.com - Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is focused on shedding body fat this offseason. Mahomes’ goal is to shed three to five percent by training camp.

NFL, NFLPA to meet July 17-19 to negotiate new CBA - NFL.com - The NFL and NFLPA continue to try to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2019 season. Sides will reconvene July 17-19 to work toward a new CBA.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Report: Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2020 could have 20 inductees - Daily Norseman - And Jim Marshall

2019 NFL preview: Ranking the NFC North quarterbacks - Pride Of Detroit - We know the best and the worst. But who gets the edge in the middle?

Lions notes: Trey Flowers’ contract named Lions riskiest offseason move - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions gave the edge defender a huge deal, will it prove to be worth it?

Detroit Lions CB Darius Slay makes Pro Football Focus’ ‘All-Underrated Team’ - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions’ star CB is underappreciated, and he could be even better in 2019.

Packers’ faith in young receivers likely led to the team ignoring Randall Cobb in free agency - Acme Packing Company - The veteran didn’t even get a contract offer from the Packers this spring, and the young corps is probably a big reason why.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Infante: Bears rookies get unfavorable Madden 20 ratings - Windy City Gridiron - Ratings for rookies in Madden came in lower than normal this year, and the Bears’ youngsters felt that affect.

Leonard Floyd: Roundtable Discussion, Part 1 - Windy City Gridiron - Leonard Floyd has been a polarizing figure since he was drafted, but since he is not locked into Chicago for another two years (barring a trade), it’s probably worthwhile to take stock of what he offers the Bears.

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

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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.