The Bear’s Den, March 2, 2022

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

NFL Scouting Combine podcast: Bears GM Ryan Poles stops by - Chicago Sun-Times - The new Bears general manager talks during the NFL Scouting Combine.

How Matt Eberflus plans to increase Chicago Bears takeaways - Chicago Tribune - New Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus is singing a familiar refrain for his defense: Takeaways must be the top priority. But Eberflus might have a system that turns such talking points into meaningful production.

Column: Ryan Poles must deal to give QB Justin Fields chance - Chicago Tribune - Ryan Poles has talked about finding value in free agency and acknowledged there are a lot of holes to fill on the Chicago Bears roster. But the new GM probably has to make a big move or two to give QB Justin Fields a chance.

NFL combine: Ryan Poles' plan to rebuild Chicago Bears - Chicago Tribune - As the NFL combine gets underway, new Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles has a straightforward blueprint for resurrecting his team. Establish a culture. Build a core through the draft. Use free agency as a supplement.

Bears brass at the combine: 10 takeaways from Matt Eberflus, Ryan Poles and what’s ahead – The Athletic - Eberflus and Poles met the media and gave some insight on the types of players the Bears seek ahead of free agency and the draft.

Why Bears' Darnell Mooney impressed Ryan Poles from Day 1 - RSN - The new Bears GM singled out the young wide receiver when talking about his roster evaluations.

Bears sign Joe Thomas, former Packers linebacker - RSN - Thomas will likely figure into Richard Hightower's special teams unit, while providing linebacker depth.

Bears prioritizing 'culture' as they prepare to rebuild - 670 The Score - New Bears coach Matt Eberflus still has his house in Indiana’s capital city, which he called home for the last four years. He walked back through those doors this week and savored the calm.

Poles: Bears have to provide better support for Fields - 670 The Score - When new general manager Ryan Poles was hired by the Bears in January, he had already studied quarterback Justin Fields plenty.

Next up in Justin Fields’ growth: getting him a ‘dependability piece’ - Chicago Sun-Times - A second-year quarterback needs a best friend to throw to when times get tough.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Frank Reich says Colts are still in process of evaluating Carson Wentz - ProFootballTalk - Colts coach Frank Reich had no update today on the status of quarterback Carson Wentz, whose late-season struggles appear to have him on the chopping block.

Bruce Arians: Buccaneers won't accommodate Tom Brady, if he wants to play for a new team - ProFootballTalk - Tom Brady is retired. Unless he isn’t. In recent days, a sense has emerged that he specifically has retired from the Buccaneers, and that he’d perhaps like to play somewhere else.

Kevin Colbert: We'll be open to every option possible at quarterback - ProFootballTalk - Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert is stepping down from his position after this year’s draft. But before he does, he’s helping lead the search for Pittsburgh’s new quarterback to replace the retired Ben Roethlisberger.

Ex-Bears coach Matt Nagy ‘fired up’ to rejoin Chiefs as QBs coach - Chicago Sun-Times - Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s only hesitation was whether Nagy would be enthusiastic despite a fatiguing tenure in Chicago and having to accept a lateral move.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Bears sign Joe Thomas - Windy City Gridiron - Just six weeks after the Chicago Bears signed Lamar Jackson, then have now added another “name” player in Joe Thomas. But just like Chicago’s Jackson isn’t that Lamar, Chicago’s Thomas isn’t that...

2022 NFL Draft: Infante’s “My Guys” defensive team - Windy City Gridiron - Which defensive players is Windy City Gridiron’s Lead Draft Analyst going to bat for in the 2022 NFL Draft?

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.

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bear With Me from Robert Schmitz, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder (their BOB YouTube Channel can be found here), Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Rule of 3 with R. Schmitz, Danny Meehan, and Brandon Robinson, Bear & Balanced from Jeff and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., and T Formation Conversation from Lester; EJ also co-hosts The Bootleg Football Podcast with Brett Kollmann; R. Schmitz has a film breakdown show on YouTube titled Run Pass Opinion; Will Robinson II has his WhiskeyRanger YouTube channel, and Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert.

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; Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Will Robinson II; Robert Schmitz; T.J. Starman; Robert Zeglinski; Bill Zimmerman; Like WCG on Facebook.