The Bear’s Den, August 28, 2019

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

BEARRRSSSS

Final cuts a very difficult part of Nagy’s job - ChicagoBears.com - Matt Nagy loves nearly everything about being Bears head coach. But with final cuts set to be made Saturday, he’ll have to contend with one aspect of it that he dreads.

Bears rookie Shelley forms bond with teen - ChicagoBears.com - Bears cornerback Duke Shelley met teenager Tim Bannon in June. Two months, and one viral video later, the two have formed a special friendship.

The Bears Have More Than $22 Million In Salary Cap Flexibility Right Now - Bleacher Nation - Helloooooo financial flexibility

2019 Season Preview Volume I: The Facts - Da Bears Blog - This year the optimism is warranted. The Chicago Bears are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And there are three facts to support that contention.

Bernstein: Huge Vote Of Confidence For David Montgomery - 670 The Score - David Montgomery carries high expectations into his rookie season.

Bears’ Cody Whitehair Unconcerned With Extension Talks - 670 The Score - While the potential to sign a contract extension in the coming days looms, Bears offensive lineman Cody Whitehair is thinking only about football.

Bears’ Focus Is ‘All In’ On Packers As Opener Looms - 670 The Score - Secluded inside the Walter Payton Center in the final week of the preseason, the Bears are continuing their preparation for the Packers that began a two weeks ago, well ahead of the regular-season opener on Sept. 5.

Ready Eddy: Pineiro Prepared to Change the Kicking Narrative - Chicago Audible Blog - Ever since long-time fan-favorite Robbie Gould was forced out of Chicago, the kicking position has been a revolving door for the Monsters of the Midway.

Mitch Trubisky’s playoff legacy was erased by the double doink. Here’s how he and the Bears are building off it anyway. - Chicago Tribune - The debate about Mitch Trubisky's potential as a franchise quarterback would shift in his favor if a kick he watched from the sideline had split the uprights.

Zeglinski: Once upon a time … in Chicago – The Rock River Times - The 100th NFL season being on the horizon made the charter franchise Bears the ideal host to celebrate the league’s evolution into the most elaborate supplier of breads and circuses ever.

Five position battles still needing clarity as Bears head into final preseason game - NBC Sports Chicago - Most of the Bears' roster is set heading into Thursday's preseason finale against the Tennessee Titans, with a few exceptions that'll be worth watching.

'Those are the ones that rip your heart out': For coaches and players, the final preseason week is a bittersweet experience - NBC Sports Chicago - It's an exciting time for some, and a heartbreaking time for others.

Mike Zimmer sure does sound fed up with the kicking situation in Minnesota, and Bears fans can extremely relate - NBC Sports Chicago - Mike, take a number.

Matt Nagy says Bears want to be the NFL's best offense - Bearmaven - Better passing game, versatile running attack foster hope for Bears rise in point production.

Trio of most surprising Bears to make bids for roster spots - Bearmaven - Deon Bush, James Vaughters making big plays while Alex Bars prevents them.

Hoge and Jahns: Trubisky Breakdown, Bears Fantasy Football Preview, And Andrew Luck Retires - WGN Radio - Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns get ready for everybody's least favorite football game of the season: the final preseason game. Kevin Fishbain, from The Athletic, jumps on as a guest as well. They discuss Hoge's breakdown of every single pass Mitchell Trubisky threw last season.

Kenwood Academy visits Halas Hall for Varsity Bears - ChicagoBears.com - The Kenwood Academy Broncos joined the Bears for practice Tuesday at Halas Hall as part of this year’s edition of the Varsity Bears program.

Bears host Kenwood Academy team during practice - Chicago Sun-Times - The Hyde Park high schoolers stretched with the Bears, watched practice and took a team photo with them afterward.

Bears K Eddy Pineiro’s final test: slay Soldier Field - Chicago Sun-Times - To make the team, he needs to kick well at the Bears’ home stadium. Thus far this preseason, he’s 4-for-4 on field goal tries on the road – and 1-for-2 at Soldier Field.

NBC thrilled to have Bears back in ‘SNF’ rotation, expecting a big season - Chicago Sun-Times - Why did NBC choose the three games it did from the Bears’ schedule and what does the team’s resurgence mean for ratings? Also, Cris Collinsworth revisits his famous "Double Doink" call.

Northwestern, Cubs, Bears on preseason diss list - Chicago Sun-Times - Baseball Prospectus sold the Cubs short. Sports Illustrated has no use for the Bears. Then there are Pat Fitzgerald’s Wildcats, widely projected at around .500. They’re the Alabama of being overlooked, mainstays in the top 25 of the pay-no-mind list.

Idle in the preseason, Bears tight end Adam Shaheen is eager to prove himself - Chicago Sun-Times - With ‘‘Baby Gronk’’ label fading, the 2017 second-round pick wants to be as good as he can be — ‘‘I’m very excited to get out and play some football.’’

Dumped by Packers, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix relaunches career with Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is the weak link in the Bears’ defense until proven otherwise. He’s ready for that pressure.

NFC North threats: How the Lions could derail the Bears - Chicago Sun-Times - In Part 1 of a 3-part series breaking down the NFC North on the eve of the 2019 season, the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley looks at the Detroit Lions.

‘I feel like I need a few more’: The Bears renew their hunt for takeaways against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers - Chicago Tribune - What Eddie Jackson and the Bears defense have in store as a follow-up to 2018 is a major curiosity as preparations kick into high gear for the opener against the Packers at Soldier Field.

4 takeaways from a talk with NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’ crew, including how seriously they take Sports Illustrated’s 7-9 Bears forecast - Chicago Tribune - Sports Illustrated says the Bears will finish 7-9. “This is why predictions are a dime dozen,” NBC's Al Michaels said.

Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels discuss the ‘double doink’ call: ‘You almost forget you’re talking to 30 million people’ - Chicago Tribune - Months after Cris Collinsworth coined Cody Parkey's miss a "double doink," the phrase has stuck and is how that game and play are known for the game and play that ended the Bears season. Collinsworth and his NBC Sunday Night Football partner, Al Michaels, reflect on that turn of phrase.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Justin Pugh: Time to talk about NFL players’ mental health – ProFootballTalk - As Cardinals guard Justin Pugh took questions from reporters today about training camp practices and preseason games, he urged them to talk about something more important. “You guys don’t want to talk about what’s next for NFL players,” Pugh said.

Carli Lloyd is “seriously considering” NFL opportunity – ProFootballTalk - What the future holds for Carli Lloyd may be an opportunity to kick for an NFL team. With her trainer acknowledging that a team has offered the U.S.

2019 NFL season award predictions: Mahomes-Wentz MVP race? - NFL.com - Who’s the MVP favorite? Can anyone stop Aaron Donald’s reign as Defensive Player of the Year? Is Kyler Murray poised to run away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors? Our analysts provide their award predictions.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

T.J. Hockenson graded as 11th-best first-round rookie in preseason - Pride Of Detroit - Detroit’s tight end is having an above average preseason according to PFF.

Detroit Lions release RB Zach Zenner - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions running back was released days before the final preseason game.

Lions OTs Taylor Decker, Rick Wagner have been perfect in pass protection this preseason - Pride Of Detroit - Just the preseason or finally a good omen for the Lions’ offensive line?

Vikings solve their kicking woes - Daily Norseman - To go forward, you need to look backwards. Ken's Note: READ THIS ONE!!!

Vikings release two players - Daily Norseman - The cutdown to 53 begins

New Packers ILB Nicholas Grigsby returns to waivers after failed physical - Acme Packing Company - So much for that.

Five possible roster cut candidates who could help the Packers’ depth at ILB - Acme Packing Company - If the Packers look to the waiver wire this weekend for help on the inside of their defense, these players could be under consideration. Ken's Note: Isn't it interesting how the "mighty Packers" are really coveting our players over the last couple of years?

McVay, Shanahan, LaFleur on QBs, playbooks, learning in D.C. - ESPN - Three of the NFC's bright offensive minds weigh in on a variety of topics, including their start in Washington.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Mitchell: Early NFL Retirement - Lessons Learned From Luck, Brown, Sanders & Johnson - Windy City Gridiron - We’ve seen it several times now, Barry Sanders, Calvin Johnson, Jim Brown and now Andrew Luck... are there any lessons we can learn from them?

Chicago Bears Superlative Predictions for 2019: Who needs to rebound? - Windy City Gridiron - In this seven-part, sensational, superlative series, we’re giving our picks for the 2019 Chicago Bears. Next up we’re talking the Bear that needs to rebound this season.

Leming: Predicting the final 53-man Chicago Bears roster ahead of Thursday’s preseason finale - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears’ preseason finale is Thursday, but that won’t stop us from setting this roster in stone before hand.

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