The Bear’s Den, February 4, 2021

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Kyle Long Sees Trubisky Leaving, Not Optimistic About Signing Watson - The Sports Bank - Kyle Long thinks Nick Foles will be QB1 next year, with Mitch Trubisky out, potentially heading to San Francisco. As for signing Deshaun Watson?

Five Steps the Bears Can Take to Accelerate Their Super Bowl Timetable (Or, Get Deshaun) - Da Bears Blog - If it’s simply a matter of what team can offer the most, the Chicago Bears have no shot at getting Deshaun Watson. Thankfully, that’s not the case. “The player” can pick his next team and the Bears have to sell him on the Bears being that team.

Chicago native Mike Kafka making impression as rising coach - 670 The Score - Chicago native and Northwestern product Mike Kafka has established himself as a rising name in the NFL coaching industry. He’s currently serving as the Chiefs’ quarterbacks coach and from Patrick Mahomes to Andy Reid, Kafka has many believers.

Six potential landing spots for Raiders’ Derek Carr - 670 The Score - The Las Vegas Raiders could look to make a quarterback switch by trading Derek Carr and pursuing Texans star Deshaun Watson. If they do, the Bears are among the Bears that figure to be interested in Carr.

Chicago Bears Q&A: What could the trade compensation for Deshaun Watson look like? - Chicago Tribune - Questions about the offseason quarterback carousel — and whom the Chicago Bears might end up with — continue to dominate Brad Biggs’ weekly Bears mailbag.

Will the Chicago Bears be scrambling at the draft? – The Athletic - From Matthew Stafford to Deshaun Watson, the QB dominoes have kept the offseason interesting. But what about the Bears?

2021 Senior Bowl Report, Latest Bears QB Buzz, New Coaches (And More) - Chicago Audible Podcast - Listen as the guys share their report from the Senior Bowl, the latest surrounding the Chicago Bears quarterback search, the new coaches and more.

2021 NFL Draft: Bears' big board targets round-by-round - RSN - Here are the players on the Bears' big board they should be targeting in all seven rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Deshaun Watson trade: Why star QB may stay in Houston for 2021 season - RSN - Reality check, buzz kill, or both?

Why Chicago Bears Need a Tackle and Players to Watch in Draft - Sports Illustrated - Charles Leno Jr., Bobby Massie and Germain Ifedi haven't been bad tackles for the Chicago Bears but the need for more physical play in the outside-zone blocking scheme requires someone who could be a better fit, and the draft could hold the key.

Chicago Bears Hire Michael Pitre as Backs Coach According to Report - Sports Illustrated Chicago Bears News, Analysis and More - The Chicago Bears could be done hiring assistant coaches after Michael Pitre was hired Wednesday to become running backs coach, but it's possible they could still hire a few more veteran assistants in advisory type roles.

How Losing Deshaun Watson for Chicago Bears Could Still Net a QB - Sports Illustrated - It's all based on a good deal of speculation and guesswork in a Las Vegas report, but the logic of a three-way deal placing Derek Carr in Chicago for two first-round draft picks has some solid footing if not precedent.

Chicago Bears Dollars and Sense: Keeping Jimmy Graham a Close Call - Sports Illustrated - The Chicago Bears have to decide whether Jimmy Graham is an essential cog with Cole Kmet expected to take on a bigger role in the offense, and whether they might be better off with about $3.9 million in cap savings by cutting him.

Chalk Talk: Will there be a 17-game NFL season in 2021? - ChicagoBears.com - Senior writer Larry Mayer discusses whether the NFL will expand to a 17-game season in 2021, whether the Bears have filled all of their coaching vacancies and if seven teams will continue to make the playoffs in each conference.

Former Bears nemesis Ndamukong Suh eyes first Super Bowl ring with Buccaneers - Chicago Sun-Times - Suh is as surly as they come on the field, but he seems like a completely different person off of it. On Sunday, he gets a shot at the only missing piece of what looks like a Hall of Fame career.

Mike Singletary wants back in the game - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears Hall of Fame linebacker interviewed for the Bears’ defensive coordinator position and didn’t get it. But, after learning some hard lessons as coach of the 49ers, he’s "absolutely ... interested" in returning to the NFL after a four-year absence.

Analyst Kyle Long talks Bears QBs, predicts 2021 starter - Chicago Sun-Times - The former Bears star said the team needs to "learn from their mistakes" after not talking to Deshaun Watson as his pro day.

Bears to hire Oregon State’s Michael Pitre as new running backs coach: report - Chicago Sun-Times - Matt Nagy’s staff is essentially intact with the addition of Pitre, who replaces Charles London.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Brett Favre throw stones at Deshaun Watson from the porch of a glass house - ProFootballTalk - Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has every right to express his opinion on any and all topics on which he chooses to express an opinion. And anyone who chooses to react to Favre’s opinion with an opinion of their own has that right to do so.

Texans adding DC Lovie Smith’s son, Miles, as linebackers coach - ProFootballTalk - Head coach David Culley’s first coaching staff continues to come together in Houston.

How each NFC team can take the Bucs’ place at Super Bowl LVI - NFL.com - Will Aaron Rodgers’ Packers or Russell Wilson’s Seahawks make it to Super Bowl LVI? Gregg Rosenthal zeroes in on what each NFC team must do to replace the Buccaneers atop the conference next season.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Jared Goff’s first impression with Lions: ‘This is how it’s supposed to feel’ - Pride Of Detroit - Jared Goff is already sensing a good chemistry with the Lions organization.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Report - Bears hire Michael Pitre as running backs coach - Windy City Gridiron - According to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, the Chicago Bears are set to hire Michael Pitre as their new running backs coach.

Wiltfong’s Bears 2021 Roster Turnover: Will this be the offseason they get the QB right? - Windy City Gridiron - In this 13 part series we’ll take an in depth look at each position group for the Chicago Bears with an eye towards the 2021 season. We’ll speculate on who stays, who goes, and some potential additions we’d like to see general manager Ryan Pace make.

Chicago Bears’ 2021 off-season roundtable: Fortunate sons - Windy City Gridiron - The Bears have a first-round pick again. For now. How they should proceed with such a ticket this spring is anybody’s best guess.

THE RULES

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