The Bear’s Den, January 7, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

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

BEARRRSSSS

Bernstein: Wacky NFL Gives Bears Hope - 670 The Score - No league brings the opportunity for a quick turnaround quite like the NFL.

Bears Sign TE Darion Clark To Reserve/Future Contract - 670 The Score - Looking to add depth at tight end, the Bears have signed former college basketball player Darion Clark to a reserve/future contract.

Bears LB Nick Kwiatkoski Proved His Place - 670 The Score - Kwiatkoski is set to become a free agent after a strong showing as a starter.

5@5: What’s Kyle Long’s Legacy As A Bear? - 670 The Score - The Mully & Haugh crew debates a five-pack of questions every weekday.

Morrissey: Tom Brady to the Chicago Bears? Why would he want them? - Chicago Sun-Times - It would be criminal if Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy didn’t take a hard look at a man who was the NFL’s most valuable player just two seasons ago. You know, when he was 40.

Kyle Long: Chicago Bears guard steps away from football - Chicago Sun-Times - Long is not definitively ending his career, a source said; his “stepping away” is indefinite. He also has no interest in playing for any other team, and when he does retire, he wants it to be as a careerlong Bear.

Chicago Bears offseason: The Beas are an interesting mess - Chicago Sun-Times - A pumpkin dropped from an eighth-story window is entertaining. So are the Bears.

Chicago Bears: 6 biggest what-if moments from 2019 season - Chicago Tribune - A look at the six biggest what-if moments of the Bears season.

Bears Offseason Discussion: Eddie Jackson Extended, Coaches Hired-Fired and Kyle Long Retired - Chicago Audible Podast - In this podcast episode, the guys discuss the latest Chicago Bears news including a new contract for Eddie Jackson and Kyle Long hanging up the cleats.

Kyle Long’s retirement is a stark reminder of how much he’s meant to the Bears - NBC Sports Chicago - His career on the line went criminally underappreciated, so let’s make sure his retirement doesn’t.

Under Center Podcast: Football Aftershow crew reviews 2019 Bears season - NBC Sports Chicago - After a rough year, the Bears are reviewing their season to discuss what went wrong in 2019. The Football Aftershow crew does it for them.

New Bears Tight End Played Only College Basketball - SI.com - Bear Maven is a Sports Illustrated Channel featuring Gene Chamberlain to bring you the latest news, rumors, notes, and quotes surrounding the Chicago Bears

Kyle Long tweets that he’s ‘stepping away’ from NFL - ChicagoBears.com - Guard Kyle Long announced on Twitter Sunday night that he’s moving on from the NFL after spending his entire seven-year pro career with the Bears.

How Kyle Long’s exit from Chicago affects Bears’ salary cap in 2020 - With Kyle Long’s career done in Chicago, the Bears will have to find a replacement at RG, but they’ll benefit in terms of the salary cap.

Bears ink ex-college hoops player as tight end - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears on Monday signed tight end Darion Clark, a former college basketball player, to a reserve/future contract.

Important dates for 2020 NFL offseason - ChicagoBears.com - The NFL’s busy offseason includes free agency, the draft and training camp. Grab a calendar and mark down these key dates that impact the Bears and the rest of the league.

Bears’ 2019 position review: Quarterback - ChicagoBears.com - Bears starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky had a roller-coaster 2019 season, performing well at times but also struggling with consistency.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Tua Tagovailoa's leap of faith: Uncertainty for draft-bound QB - NFL.com - Now that Tua Tagovailoa has announced he intends to enter the 2020 NFL Draft, Chase Goodbread examines the unique challenge the Alabama QB presents to personnel evaluators around the league.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

2020 NFL Draft: Detroit Lions projected to receive 0 compensatory picks - Pride Of Detroit - But some of their free agency choices will give other teams extra draft picks.

Projecting The 2020 Compensatory Picks - Over the Cap - Projecting The 2020 Compensatory Picks | Over the Cap

Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa declares for NFL Draft: How the Detroit Lions benefit - Pride Of Detroit - Tua is headed for the pros and that’s good news for the Lions.

A TED Talk, Wildcard Round - Daily Norseman - Chasing the ghosts of 1987

Dallas Cowboys hire Mike McCarthy as head coach, per reports - Acme Packing Company - The former Packers head man is back in the NFL, this time with one of Green Bay’s historical rivals.

Wade Phillips out as Rams coordinator – ProFootballTalk - Wade Phillips is a free agent again. The veteran defensive coordinator will not return to the Rams next season, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. The 72-year-old Phillips took the fall for a defense full of expensive veteran stars not matching the previous season's level.

Sean McVay praises Wade Phillips on his way out the door – ProFootballTalk - As the Rams move on from defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the public praised being heaped upon him by coach Sean McVay raises an obvious question. Why isn't Phillips being retained? Technically, his contract has expired.

Mike McCarthy's up-tempo offense will boost Dak's development - NFL.com - Mike McCarthy is tasked with further developing Dak Prescott as the new Dallas Cowboys head coach. James Jones, who played for McCarthy in Green Bay, explains why he's a good fit and why the young passer is poised to improve.

IN CASE YOU YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Bears sign a 10th player to a reserve/future contract - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears have added a 10th player on a reserve/futures contract and he’s a former NCAA basketball player.

Wiltfong: Bears have several free agents in 2020 - Windy City Gridiron - We look at the free agents, the types of free agents, some possible cap casualties, and the salary cap for the Chicago Bears in 2020.

Schmitz' BWM Podcast: Hirings and firings and extensions, oh my! (with ECD!) - Windy City Gridiron - In the latest episode of Bear With Me, Robert S. brings on WCG’s own ECD to talk through the many different moves the Bears made over the last week. Extensions, firings, hirings, we talk through it all!

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.

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, Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, and T Formation Conversation from Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.; Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert; and Robert Zeglinski’s The Blitz Network

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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; Bill Zimmerman; Like us on Facebook.