The Bear’s Den, July 30, 2019

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

BEARRRSSSS

Wood: 2019 Bears - “No Reason to Think They Won’t Be Really Good Again” - Da Bears Blog - I recently looked at the history of teams to make a significant improvement from one year to the next and found that many of them win fewer games the year after their breakthrough season. This suggests that the Bears might be due for a bit of a letdown from their 12-4 record in 2018 (though they do match the profile of teams that generally stay good after making the jump.)

Bernstein: Success Means Less Drama For Bears Camp - 670 The Score - We already know who the Bears’ starters are at every position but placekicker.

Khalil Mack Bringing Disruptive Play To Bears Training Camp - 670 The Score - Bears edge rusher Khalil Mack has been busting up plenty of the plays on offense since the team began work in training camp.

Bears’ Ryan Pace: As Fun As 2018 Was, ‘What Did We Really Do?’ - 670 The Score - The Bears are using the unceremonious ending to their 2018 season as motivation to reach their ultimate goal of winning a championship.

Aaron Lynch Fighting For Long-Term Future With Bears - 670 The Score - Signed to another one-year deal, Bears outside linebacker Aaron Lynch is plenty motivated for 2019.

Former Bears wide receiver Cameron Meredith released by New Orleans Saints - NBC Sports Chicago - Ryan Pace was right.

Inconsistency of Bears passing attack in practice raises eyebrows - Bearmaven - Is it possible Level 200 courses for Mitchell Trubisky are too advanced?

Hoge and Jahns: Akiem Hicks, Charles Leno Jr., and a Surprisingly Exciting Kicking Competition | WGN Radio - 720 AM - Akiem Hicks and Charles Leno Jr. both join the podcast from training camp as Kevin Fishbain once again fills in for Adam Jahns. The guys discuss what has turned into a surprisingly entertaining and competitive kicking competition and also break down some of the other winners and losers from the first few days in Bourbonnais.

Jackson named 30th best player in NFL by peers - ChicagoBears.com - Bears All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson has been voted the 30th best player in the NFL in a poll of league players conducted by NFL Network.

Quick hits: Fry shines, Shaheen sits out again - ChicagoBears.com - Despite steady rain that made the field slick, kicker Elliott Fry delivered another strong performance in Monday’s practice, making 8-of-10 field-goal attempts.

NFL officials talk rule changes at Bears camp - ChicagoBears.com - NFL officials who worked the Bears practice Monday in Bourbonnais spoke to the media about the league’s new rules for the 2019 season, including expanded replay.

Here’s how Trubisky plans to keep getting better - ChicagoBears.com - Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky on Monday provided some interesting insight into how he attempts to improve his game, beginning with what he looks for while watching tape.

Getting to Know the 2019 Chicago Bears: Inside Linebackers - Bleacher Nation - Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith make for one of football's best inside linebacker tandems.

Even the Packers Knew It Was About Damn Time Akiem Hicks Cracked the NFL's Top-100 List - Bleacher Nation - The big man finally gets his due!

Mitch Trubisky Knows He Hasn't Played His Best Football Yet and Is Ready to Show Out - Bleacher Nation - Mitch Trubisky is only beginning to test his powers.

Bears training-camp kicker watch: Elliott Fry doesn’t slip up - Chicago Sun-Times - Fry made 8 of 10 field goals, missing one of his kicks when he slipped.

‘I’ve never coached an athlete like this’: A closer look at Leonard Floyd and the Bears edge rushers - Chicago Tribune - Just how much better can Khalil Mack get? What has Bears coaches so enthused with Leonard Floyd? A deeper look at the Bears edge rushers.

5 observations from Bears practice Monday, including Mitch Trubisky’s deep ball, Khalil Mack’s explosiveness and kicking in heavy rain - Chicago Tribune - Coach Matt Nagy had hoped the Bears offense would rebound Monday after the defense clearly had the upper hand the day before. Instead, steady rain, wind and intermittent downpours were problematic for throwing and catching.

How much will Mitch Trubisky improve? A closer look at the Bears quarterbacks - Chicago Tribune - If Mitch Trubisky is more comfortable, he should play faster, which should allow his athleticism to shine.

Zeglinsky: Small in size, big in heart - Bears’ Duke Shelley refuses to set limits on himself – The Rock River Times - Upon initial glance, the first feature you notice about Duke Shelley is his beaming smile. It isn’t a (listed) 5-foot-8, 181 pound stature that sooner looks like it belongs in any other professional setting except football.

How Matt Nagy is approaching the NFL’s new pass interference review rule - NBC Sports Chicago - Matt Nagy will use the Bears' preseason games as a testing ground to see what works and what doesn't when it comes to challenging pass interference.

Under Center Podcast: Kickin' in the rain - NBC Sports Chicago - JJ Stankevitz and Cam Ellis go over a crummy day in Bourbonnais in this episode of the Under Center Podcast. Elliott Fry missed a couple of kicks in the rain, but Matt Nagy wasn't going to let the weather be an excuse.

Bears see natural talent, and room to improve, in David Montgomery - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears saw David Montgomery do some good things and some not-so-good things over his first two padded practices in the NFL.

Sloppy conditions at Monday's practice tested the Bears offense and kicking game - NBC Sports Chicago - It was a rainy start to the week in Bourbonnais.

Bears intent on more than a Super Bowl and believe that core elements beyond talent are in place - NBC Sports Chicago - Danny Trevathan saw it in Denver, as a member of the Broncos. Eddie Jackson saw it in Alabama, where playing for less than a national championship at the end of a season was an admitted disappointment.

2019 NFL season: Kyle Fuller one of top 10 cornerbacks - NFL.com - Eight-time Pro Bowl selectee Patrick Peterson is the current standard for cornerbacks, writes DeAngelo Hall. The former NFL CB, a three-time Pro Bowler himself, reveals his top 10 players at the position ahead of the 2019 season.

Cameron Meredith released after 1 year with Saints - NFL.com - Cameron Meredith is looking for a new team after the Saints released the receiver, who finished his first season in New Orleans on IR in 2018.

'Top 100 Players of 2019': Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson - No. 30 - NFL Videos - Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson has been ranked the No. 30 player on "The Top 100 Players of 2019."

Bears’ Akiem Hicks still a man on a mission - Chicago Sun-Times - After finally getting recognition — a Pro Bowl and the No. 39 ranking in NFL Network’s Top 100 — he’s not resting on his laurels. "You’ve still got to say, ‘I’m going to get up and still kick ass today.’"

Multi-day UNO games (and fights they cause) get Bears’ o-line through camp - Chicago Sun-Times - The offensive line is the offense’s closest, most dependable unit.

Bears QB Mitch Trubisky: facing dominant defense ‘a challenge every single day’ - Chicago Sun-Times - This year’s version of the Bears quarterback is more consistent and less mistake-prone than last training camp, even as his team’s defense has proven superior through the first four days of practice.

Morrissey: We won’t know anything about Bears’ kickers till games start - Chicago Sun-Times - Practice is one thing, but the pressure of 11 angry men rushing a kicker and a stadium with 65,000 queasy Bears fans who can’t bear to watch any more catastrophes is another matter altogether. That’s the only standard that counts.

Bears training-camp report: Team works through downpour - Chicago Sun-Times - The Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley breaks down practice Monday, the fourth of camp.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Le’Veon Bell apologizes to fantasy owners for 2018 - NFL.com - New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell took to social media Monday to give a long overdue apology to fantasy football owners for missing the entire 2018 campaign.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Matt LaFleur’s offense may be built around the run game, but will still pass plenty - Acme Packing Company - No one should be worried an offense predicated on running the ball will subvert Aaron Rodgers’ role. The 2016 Falcons with Matt Ryan provide the blueprint for efficiency in this offensive philosophy with a heavy dose of RB use.

Matt Patricia explains why Detroit Lions continue to shake up offensive line - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions keep rotating between 2 offensive line combinations. But why?

Brandon Powell may benefit most from Theo Riddick’s release - Pride Of Detroit - The wide receiver may be the true beneficiary from the Lions’ surprising move on Saturday morning.

5 observations from Detroit Lions training camp: Week 1 - Pride Of Detroit - A recap of the first week of training camp.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to return to practice on Tuesday - Windy City Gridiron - In a video shared on Twitter, Bears’ safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix claims that he’ll return to practice tomorrow.

Wiltfong, Schmitz & Snyder: Day 3 Chicago Bears Training Camp Recap - Windy City Gridiron - Robert and EJ put a bow on our WCG Podcast Training Camp Trilogy as they record an episode of Bear With Me live from Bourbonnais.

Infante: Bears FS Eddie Jackson ranked No. 30 on NFL Top 100 list - Windy City Gridiron - Eddie Jackson proved to be a top-tier safety in 2018, and his NFL Top 100 ranking solidifies that.

Wiltfong's Chicago Bears 2019 Position Battles: Do they have the best inside linebacker duo in the NFL? - Windy City Gridiron - Our 11-part Bears training camp preview series is all about the inside linebackers today.

Zeglinski: Former Chicago Bears receiver Cameron Meredith released by Saints - Windy City Gridiron - The young playmaker’s career has come to a crossroads.

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.