The Bear’s Den: February 6, 2020

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

Ken’s Note: Bonus points if you can tell me BOTH movies this song is from...

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

BEARRRSSS

Poll Results: Bears Fans Want the Team to Re-Sign Nick Kwiatkoski – On Tap Sports Net - Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski, and Kevin Pierre-Louis are the three inside linebackers set to become UFA’s on March 13th. Who should the Bears re-sign?

Pursuit of Cam Newton Would Put Bears on Risky Path - SI.com - There is one wild card in the Chicago Bears quarterback hunt which could disrupt everything.

Why Chicago Couldn’t Be Landing Spot for Alex Smith - SI.com - One name never far from the lips of Bears coach Matt Nagy is Alex Smith, the quarterback he helped train to run the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense.

Welp, I Guess We’re Keeping an Eye on Nick Foles Rumors Again - Bleacher Nation - In a piece in which The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia shares 20 bold predictions, there is one that stands out above the rest because of how it impacts the Chicago

These Bears Are Set to Hit Free Agency on March 18 - Bleacher Nation - Let’s jump into the Bears who are set to hit the free agent market when 2019 player contracts expire.

Jay Cutler Has Reportedly Met with ESPN and CBS To Discuss Broadcasting Career - Bleacher Nation - Jay Cutler’s return to football could be on the horizon. But no, it won’t be as the Chicago Bears’ next quarterback. Or anybody’s. Bobby Burack of The Big Lead

Bears Need Defense to Buy Time - Da Bears Blog - While much of the focus is on fixing the Bears offense, the reality is their defense is still the key to winning in 2020 and they must buy more time for the offense to get right.

Bears Offseason Outlook: Wide Receiver - 670 The Score - Allen Robinson will lead the Bears’ receiving corps moving forward, and he’s positioned to cash in after a stellar 2019 season.

Bears don’t get Super Bowl love from oddsmakers - Chicago Sun-Times - The Chiefs are early favorites to win Super Bowl LV with 7/1 odds. The Bears come in at 40/1. Ken’s Note: I’m laying $100 down on my Bears for next year’s ‘ship, who’s with me?

Column: Kyle Long is a natural on ESPN radio - Chicago Tribune - If we’re playing “Shot/No Shot” on whether newly retired Bear Kyle Long has a successful radio career ahead, the answer is “Shot.” If Long wants one, that is.

Chicago Bears Q&A with Brad Biggs - Chicago Tribune - Brad Biggs’ Bears mailbag includes questions about Greg Olsen, Nick Kwiatkoski, Taylor Gabriel and Super Bowl fullbacks.

Bears podcast talks Mitch Trubisky and Patrick Mahomes - Chicago Tribune - Mitch Trubisky is no Patrick Mahomes. But can the Bears quarterback pick up some of what the Chiefs star has done to become a Super Bowl champion? Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer talk potential in the wake of an exciting NFL season finale.

Zeglinski: Keep it tight, keep it light -Tight end a loose end for the Bears – The Rock River Times - In hindsight, it’s no coincidence the Bears’ offense has been surprising to middling during Matt Nagy’s first two seasons: They not only haven’t had the quarterback, a viable and justifiable tight end hasn’t entered their line of sight.

What Went Wrong: The Bears come out flat against the Packers in Week 1 - NBC Sports Chicago - Turns out, there were warning signs from the start.

Predicting 6 moves the Bears will make this offseason - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears will have a busy 2020 offseason that could be highlighted by these six moves.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Jimmy Garoppolo will use fourth quarter breakdown as offseason fuel – ProFootballTalk - Blame can be apportioned in many areas after the 49ers failed to hold onto a 10-point fourth quarter lead against the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV and some of it has been fixed to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Eagles, Bills among potential landing spots for Amari Cooper - NFL.com - If the Dallas Cowboys don’t re-sign wide receiver Amari Cooper, he will hit the free agency market in March. David Carr lists five potential landing spots — including a return to Dallas — for the former first-rounder. Ken’s Note: On the one hand, he’s look great in Navy & Orange... but on the other hand, not if that jersey is a Bronco’s one.

Sanders has rewatched Titanic SB loss ‘5 or 6 times’ - NFL.com - Niners wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has already watched his team’s Super Bowl loss multiple times and keeps hoping for a new ending even though he knows it won’t happen. Ken’s Note: Wait, what? There was a nekkid woman in the Super Bowl being being drawn by an artist? I have no recollection of that moment during the game whatever, and I’m pretty sure I would have noticed.

Russell Wilson is hoping for more up-tempo moments – ProFootballTalk - With eight years of his NFL career already in the books, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has become more willing to be more candid about what he’d like to see over the next eight years of his career, and beyond. (He has said on multiple occasions that he plans to play until he’s 45.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

2020 Detroit Lions free agent profiles: Will Kenny Wiggins be re-signed? - Pride Of Detroit - If Glasgow is headed to free agency, does that mean the Lions need to keep Wiggins around?

2020 Detroit Lions positional preview: Don’t expect many changes at linebacker - Pride Of Detroit - You may not like it, but the Lions seem content with their linebacking corps. Ken's Note: Outstanding news, Bears fans. We love the Lions linebacking corpse (oops, I mean corps) just like it was in 2019

Report: Detroit Lions hiring new defensive assistant Tony Carter, who played under Matt Patricia - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions are bulking up their defensive staff. Ken's Note: The Lions Super Bowl odds just improved to 8-1 because of this hire! OK, not really, I'm lying. I'm LOLying about the LOLions.

How long will it be before the Detroit Lions win a Super Bowl? - Pride Of Detroit - It might be a while. Ken's Note: Dear Lions friends, the Super Bowl is what happens when the two conference winners meet at the end of the year to play for the championship. Teams win the conferences by defeating other teams in the playoffs. To do this, teams play each other and the team with the most points wins. I know this is all confusing, since you've seen nothing like this whole "winning a playoff game" this century, but we'll go through learning about this topic slowly, so you can learn at your own pace...

Unbelievable! - 2019 Defensive Review - Daily Norseman - BJ Reidell and Drew Mahowald review the performance of the 2019 Vikings defense.

Packers 2020 Free Agents: Lazard should return, but what happens with Allison? - Acme Packing Company - The Packers have a few easy decisions with their free agent receivers, but is there a chance they bring back one of 2019’s bigger disappointments?

IN CASE YOU YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Sunderbruch: The Cupboard Wasn’t Bare - Windy City Gridiron - People seeking to explain the length of the Bears’ struggle for identity claim that Phil Emery left behind a uniquely depleted roster. This just isn’t true.

Infante's draft profile: Purdue TE Brycen Hopkins an ideal fit in Bears’ offense - Windy City Gridiron - Tight end is a position of major need for the Bears, and Brycen Hopkins could be the player that fixes that hole.

IOftenPanic: 2020 NFL Draft Big Board - Post Super Bowl Rankings - Windy City Gridiron - This Fanpost was written by a Windy City Gridiron member, and does not necessarily reflect the ideas or opinions of its staff or community.

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

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: 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.