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Sam Acho Warns People Overlook a Key Addition to Bears Pass Rush

sam acho

The most persistent concern of the Chicago Bears 2018 offseason remains so even after free agency and the draft. Most football fans understand basic realities of the game. After the obvious choice of quarterback, the second most important position on the field is the edge rusher spot. If you can’t pass the ball, you at least have to have men in place who can make sure the other team can’t either. Many feel the Bears didn’t adequately address this problem. Veteran Sam Acho begs to differ.

The concerns were already there before the offseason began. Yet they really went to the next level when three of their top contributors over the past few years was gone from the roster in the space of days. Pernell McPhee and Willie Young were cut. Lamarr Houston became a free agent. This left Leonard Floyd as the only man on the roster with any credible experience and he’s coming off a season-ending knee injury.

This was likely a reason Acho was re-signed. However, it did little to assuage fears about the positions’ situation. On paper, it seemed like the Bears lacked both frontline talent and critical depth. Given how injuries struck last season, this felt like playing with fire. Acho though doesn’t seem the least bit concerned.

Sam Acho insists the Bears got a steal in signing Aaron Lynch

The most notable addition to the pass rush after its purge was former San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aaron Lynch. Drafted in the fifth round back in 2014, he’d spent a year under Vic Fangio and collected six sacks as a rookie. After Fangio left though he steadily declined. Over the past two years, he has just 2.5 sacks. That doesn’t seem to discourage Acho though. He thinks the Bears got a potential stud.

“I think Aaron Lynch is a pretty awesome pass-rushing ‘specialist,’ to be honest. I remember watching him when I was in Arizona, he was playing in San Francisco, and I was thinking, ‘Man, this dude is a beast.’ He reminded me of Aldon Smith, with the raw athleticism. So I’m happy they brought him in, Isaiah [Irving] is growing, Leonard is a beast.

And I’m pretty good. And the young guys can contribute. But Aaron is pretty awesome.”

The intriguing part about Lynch aside from his talent is the fact he just turned 25-years old. He’s still quite young and already has four years of experience. He proved he could be productive as a reserve pass rusher under Fangio as a rookie. What could happen if he ends up starting across from Floyd? This could explain, to a degree, why the Bears haven’t been more active adding to the position.

Top Draft Prospect Thinks He’s Exactly What The Bulls Need

chicago bulls

A lot of Chicago Bulls fans were crushed upon news coming out about the NBA draft lottery. For the second-straight year they found out their team would be picking 7th overall. What makes it so painful is what could’ve been. Had they not won the coin toss with the Sacramento Kings earlier in the season, the collection of events that followed would’ve resulted in them picked 2nd instead. Ouch.

Truth be told they only have themselves to blame. Since January 1st they went 8-1 against the other bottom seven teams in the NBA. If people were looking for a reason why this team isn’t picking higher, it doesn’t get much clearer than that. All that being said, it shouldn’t be considered the end of the world.

The 7th pick has produced star-studded talent in the past. Stephen Curry can attest to that. Lauri Markkanen, whom the Bulls took at that spot just last year is shaping up to be a strong player too. So why can’t they strike it big? It comes down to a fortunate break ahead of them along with finding a player who fits what they do.

One prospect, in particular, thinks his skill set can take them to the next level.

Michael Porter Jr. believes he has what the Chicago Bulls are missing

The NBA draft is always about taking risks. They don’t come much bigger than Michael Porter Jr. The Missouri small forward played a grand total of three games during his college career. He injured his back against Iowa State in the season opener and wasn’t able to return until late in the year when the Tigers entered the NCAA tournament.

Yet even in that brief snippet coming off the bench, he displayed the skills that made him such an exciting prospect. Against Florida State in the first round, he was a problem with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. Though his team lost it was apparent the 6’10” kid was healthy and not overwhelmed by the big game atmosphere.

Porter Jr. knows he’s running behind other top prospects in terms of game film and experience. That hasn’t shaken his confidence though. He feels he can be a huge benefit to any team that wants him, but seems to be keeping a close eye on Chicago.

He’s not wrong. Of the five main positions, the weakest on the Bulls roster is definitely small forward with Justin Holiday, Denzel Valentine and Paul Zipser as their primary options. Pairing Porter with Markannen is hard to overlook. Given the latter’s long-range shooting prowess, that would provide Porter more space to operate. A bad thing given his size and athletic combination.

He’s definitely willing to do whatever it takes to prove he’s worthy.

Porter Jr. was considered the best prospect in the country when he chose to attend Missouri. His injury depressed a lot of basketball fans. They knew what he was capable of and it’s possible he could’ve taken that team a long way if he’d played all year. In the end, though that injury could end up being a blessing in disguise if he falls to the Bulls when the draft gets going.

Here’s What You Should And Shouldn’t Believe About The Latest Cubs Trade Rumor

Yes, the Chicago Cubs would love to trade for Manny Machado, so yes you should believe Jon Heyman’s latest report that says the Baltimore Orioles star is their main target at the trade deadline.

The trade rumors keep heating up and before it was simply speculation, throwing out possible scenarios for the Cubs to get Machado, but now Heyman is taking it to the next level.

Sit back Cubs fans because it sounds like the Cubs are hot and heavy for Manny.

Via FanRag Sports.

The Chicago Cubs will take a look at acquiring superstar shortstop Manny Machado, sources say. Machado was speculated by FRS Sports a few weeks back as a likely candidate for the Cubs, with Addison Russell seen as part of a possible package for the Orioles, and word now is that he is the Cubs’ main target at the deadline.

Machado currently has a slash line of .342/.422/.652, with 13 home runs, 11 doubles and 23 walks in 42 games this season. Hell yeah the Cubs would want to trade for him.

HOWEVA!

I also believe in Theo Epstein 100 percent and just last week he said the following about trading away young players and prospects for half-year rentals. Machado will be a free agent at the end of this season.

“As a rule, we will not be paying premiums for rentals,” Epstein said. “We just won’t. It’s hard to build an organization that way. Let’s be honest: We’ve poured a lot of resources into this team and this group, a lot of crazy dollars and a lot of trade resources. We’ve made a number of trades over the last few years. If we play ourselves into a position where we can benefit from some improvement and we’re a legitimate championship contender, absolutely we will be pushing the envelope to try to get better. But that will probably not include paying a significant premium of future assets for a rental, because we have to build this organization and keep our focus on this group and this year’s team and the immediate future in the next couple years but also keep an eye on what’s going to happen after 2021. We can’t be sacrificing all of our future assets in drafting guys exclusively to trade them. We can’t do that. We have to build farm system. It’s been used quite a bit to support this group, and we need to start growing the farm back as well.”

(Theo Epstein)

You can hate Addison Russell’s off-field shit all you want, or be disappointed in his .718 career OPS, but no one is just trading away 3.5 years of at the minimum elite defense at shortstop under team control and then a few more guys for half a year of Manny Machado, even as great as Machado is.

The payoff simply isn’t enough with Machado most likely leaving somewhere else in free agency. He can love his time with the Cubs and the city of Chicago all he wants, but that by no means guarantees he’d re-sign. Then you’re left with Javier Baez, who is great at second base, as the shortstop, where he’s not as great, and a combo of Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist at second next year? The defense would suffer.

But hey, I’m not Theo Epstein or Jed Hoyer, I have no clue what they’ve internally determined is Russell’s ceiling. Maybe they think he won’t get any better and are willing to deal him away.

Yet, based off the comments and their track record of transparency I don’t see a trade for Machado that involves 24-year-old Addison Russell.

Now, if the Orioles get desperate, I’d love to see what Theo tries to pull off.

Of This New Bears Offense, Matt Nagy Already Has a Favorite

matt nagy

Former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer had a great line about the reality of being a head coach in the league in regards to personal feelings about players. “Right, wrong, or otherwise you have favorites.” This is a reality that new Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy is going to face as he embarks on his own career running a franchise. While it’s his job to motivate and elevate the entire roster, he inevitably will have favorites among them.

The obvious choice based on early impressions for Nagy would be Mitch Trubisky. The two hit it off from the moment they met before the draft a year ago. Their relationship is going to determine just how good this Bears team becomes in the months and years ahead. One would imagine the young QB is firmly established as the favorite.

Well based on reactions from team practices, that may not be the case. Nagy took time after the teams’ second OTA to talk about his impressions of the offense so far. He liked what he saw from tight end Adam Shaheen and is encouraged by the progress Kyle Long and Allen Robinson are making in their returns from injury though.

Yet his most animated response was saved for another.

Matt Nagy is already a huge fan of Tarik Cohen

One thing that became clear during the practice was how the Bears offense was utilizing running back Tarik Cohen. It’s clear they have big plans for him. Nagy could barely contain himself when talking about the young running back.

“He’s actually the one kid on this team that I knew had a lot of talent, but he comes out here and runs every route the right way, catches most balls and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. You see how he is in the meetings rooms: he listens to the play and when he comes out here, how serious he is and he knows how to have fun. He’s a player that you get giddy about, but you also know you got other players too. You can feel where I’m at on that.”

It’s not hard to understand why Nagy is excited. Cohen features many of the same skills that made Tyreek Hill so electric in that same offense with the Chiefs. He can line up almost anywhere and be considered a threat thanks you pass catching ability. In fact, he might be more dangerous due to his ability as a running back whereas Hill is a wide receiver.

Either way, it’s clear the Bears have even bigger plans for Cohen moving forward and Nagy can barely contain himself.

Thyago Vieira Named to MLB Pipelines Prospect Team of the Week

In an attempt to woo Shohei Ohtani to Seattle this offseason, the Mariners traded Thyago Vieira to the White Sox in exchange for $500,000 of International Bonus Pool Money. Vieira, a flame-throwing right-hander, arrived with red flags. He provided little evidence of commanding his 99+ MPH heater; but at 24 years old, he’s worth taking a risk on.

The White Sox have a history of coaching up and developing talented arms with a poor track record (Bobby Jenks, Tommy Kahnle, Anthony Swarzak, even Estaban Loaiza(pre-drug kingpin)). So, a guy like Vieira makes perfect sense and what do you know? Look who’s turning the corner.

The most impressive number shown here is the zero walks. The name of the game with Vieira is command, command, command. His stuff is not the issue. He mixes in a decent curveball with his ++ fastball which can be a really effective combo at the big league level.

The Sox bullpen has been bad. I’m talking really bad. They currently rank last in the MLB in strikeouts. They have walked the second most batters in baseball, trailing only Atlanta and have the second-worst ERA (5.41) behind our dear friends in Kansas City.

It will not be long before we see Vieira if he continues to perform at this level. He would not only provide a jolt to the bullpen but it will also give him the chance to work directly with Don Cooper. Coop is regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in baseball. More time spent with Coop will pay dividends for Vieira.

Stan Bowman Discusses Chicago Blackhawks’ 2018 Offseason Priorities

The Chicago Blackhawks’ 2017-18 season was a bit chaotic, to say the least. The team failed to make the playoffs and the season was filled with injuries and tons of frustration on all accounts. Many star players did not show up last season and failed to produce at their usual level. However, there are also some bright spots for the Blackhawks going forward, such as the development of young talent like Alex DeBrincat, who tallied 28G and 24A and also led the league in Hat Tricks (3 Goals in 1 game) with 3 total, and Connor Murphy, who showed everyone why he was a former 1st round pick by displaying some upside and promise at the Hawks’ problematic defenseman position.

General Manager, Stan Bowman, and Head Coach, Joel Quenneville, took it upon themselves to get to the root of these problems as it may be their last chance to fix them. They both went on to analyze the Blackhawks’ 2017-18 season and presented us with their 2018 offseason priorities:

2018-19 Offseason

Next season, the NHL salary cap is expected to increase from $75 million to somewhere between $78-$82 million. Here, you can see the progression of the salary cap since 2013.

This is great news for the Blackhawks. If the NHL salary cap increases to the minimum projected number of $78 million, there will be over $8 million in cap space for next season. If the salary cap increases to the maximum projected number of $82 million, there will be over $12 million in cap space. These projections leave them in much better shape to make moves, unlike in recent seasons.

The complicated Marian Hossa situation throws a wrench into the plans this summer. A progressive skin disorder formed as a result of an allergic reaction to wearing hockey equipment and he sat out the entire 2017-18 season, but he is still under contract and owed $5.275 million in 2018. Hossa was on the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) last season which freed up his salary for the 2017-18 season.

Placing a player on the LTIR frees up their salary for the current season and allows you to either sign players or call players up from the American Hockey League (AHL) to fill the newly freed salary and the roster spot. This move will allow the Blackhawks to be more creative in their effort to find replacement players in 2018-19.

However, Hossa technically cannot go on the LTIR until the first day of the 2018-19 NHL regular season, so his $5.275 million salary will remain on the Blackhawks’ books throughout the summer during the NHL offseason. This would give them significantly less wiggle room during that time if they wanted to try and sign some much needed veteran defensive help this offseason on a short-term deal.

In addition, it is unclear as to whether or not he will play in this upcoming season, but it is looking more and more like Hossa will not return to the team with recent reports.

What Does the Future Hold?

Stan Bowman noted that some of the Blackhawks’ cap space will be dedicated to locking up young studs Alex DeBrincat, Nick Schmaltz, Vinnie Hinostroza, John Hayden, and Anthony Duclair on long-term deals, so they will have to use their cap space wisely this offseason in order to preserve money for each of these players’ future contract extensions.

The defense was the team’s weakest position by far and there are a few ways to make quick improvements. They will be able to afford to sign a Top 4 defenseman (plays on top two lines of defense) this offseason, but if the Blackhawks’ first priority is to extend the contracts of DeBrincat, Schmaltz, Hinostroza, Hayden, and Duclair, then this may not best the best option.

They can also take the money-saving route of calling up some of the young defensive talent from the Rockford IceHogs like Adam Clendening, Gustav Forsling, and Viktor Svedberg who all have previous NHL experience. There’s also 2017 1st round pick, Henri Jokiharju, who is currently tearing it up in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The best part is that Jokiharju is only 18 years old right now.

Unrestricted Free Agents That Fit Blackhawks Agenda

Here are some names of players that I would love the Blackhawks to pursue if they decide to upgrade via free agency. First, I will start with defensemen. The first name on my list, John Carlson, would only make sense if he was signed to a long-term deal at a moderate price. These are some of the better defensemen that would be available to sign to an affordable short-term deal.

Next, I will move on to forwards. These forwards are all relatively young and would be able to contribute right away.

For the first time in a long time, the Blackhawks are not as restricted by the salary cap as they have been the past few seasons, which allows them to be more flexible and gives them a ton of options. Also, keep in mind that the Hawks have both the 8th pick and 27th pick in the 1st round of the 2018 NHL Draft. Stay tuned Blackhawks fans, it will be an interesting offseason. The possibilities are essentially endless at this point.

Bulls Draft Possibilities For Lucky Number 7

On Tuesday, May 15th, 2018 the NBA draft lottery was held. Bulls fans everywhere watched anxiously to see where the Chicago Bulls would end up. With an 18.3% chance to land in the top 3 optimism was running rampant within the fan base. The Bulls were slated to pick 6th after winning a tiebreaker against the Sacremento Kings on April 13, 2018.

In a shocking turn of events, the Bulls fell to the 7th pick during the draft lottery and optimism seemed faint.  Here is why Bulls fans should keep calm and have some faith.

Assuming Marvin Bagley III, Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic are off the board, here are some realistic draft targets for the Bulls.

Mohamed Bamba (Texas, C)

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18Texas292830.2.603.280.67810.4.5.83.712.9

 

The 6’11 center out of Texas has been high on a lot of Chicago Bulls fans list. Bamba is an athletic freak who can play great defense in the paint and also contribute on the offensive end. Bamba has an extraordinary work ethic as well, training with future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett to improve his draft stock.

Why Bamba Makes Sense At 7

Bamba can come in right away to help take the pressure off of Lauri Markkanen in the paint. Bamba was a feared shot blocker at Texas and with his lengthy frame. That skill set should translate over to the NBA. Offensively Bamba has been working on his 3pt shot and his footwork before the draft. His work ethic is something that is very intriguing and should be praised before the upcoming draft.

Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke, F/C)

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18Duke373726.8.561.413.7389.12.0.82.113.5

 

Carter is a bit more polished offensively than Mo Bamba on the inside. Strong and physical, Carter had advanced post moves for a freshman. He also doesn’t mind getting down and physical in the paint.

Why Carter Makes Sense At 7

A big body in the paint that can step out and hit a mid-range jumper, Carter, brings a lot to the table offensively. Polished post moves and good footwork can really compliment Lauri Markkanens game.

Mikal Bridges (Villanova, G/F)

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2015–16Villanova40020.3.521.299.7873.2.91.1.76.4
2016–17Villanova363329.8.549.393.9114.62.01.7.99.8
2017–18Villanova404032.2.514.435.8515.31.91.51.117.7
Career1167327.3.525.400.8454.31.61.4.911.3

 

Mikal Bridges is the safe pick here for the Chicago Bulls. He declared for the NBA draft after his junior year and is slated to go in the lottery. In his three years at Villanova, Bridges has improved every year. Rasing his scoring and hitting the 3pt shot at a better percentage every year he was there.

Why Bridges Makes Sense at 7 

Bridges can be the 3 and D guy the Bulls can use at the small forward position. His success does not rely on him having the ball constantly. With having Kris Dunn and Zach Lavine showing last year they can move the ball throughout the offense, Bridges becomes the plugin type of player that can wait on the wings. Putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim and hitting the three are things he brings offensively and his defense is something the Bulls are in need of.

Michael Porter Jr. (Missouri, F)

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2017–18Missouri3117.7.333.300.7786.7.31.0.310.0

 

Now, this actually might be the riskiest pick for the Bulls. Coming off major back surgery fans did not get to see what MPJ is all about in college. In high school, Porter was ranked the number one prospect in the country. At 6’10 Porter can dribble the ball like a guard and shoot like a young Kevin Durant.

Why Porter Makes Sense At 7

Potential, potential, and more potential. This young man has been compared to Kevin Durant and that alone is enough for most Bulls fans. Due to his injury, teams didn’t get to witness the play that made him the number one prospect heading into college, but there is a reason he is still within the top 10 on every mock draft around. If Porter can be what most experts say he could be, the Bulls shouldn’t pass up on a talent like him.

Trey Burton Already Has a Bold Comparison for Mitch Trubisky

trey burton

The Chicago Bears are placing their hopes in Mitch Trubisky. It marks the first time that the franchise has truly geared an entire offseason towards building around their quarterback. Not even Jay Cutler saw this much attention in terms of money and draft picks over the course of a few months. Among their most intriguing additions was tight end Trey Burton.

Most forget about him due to the fact he’s projected as more of a backup and gadget player behind Adam Shaheen. In truth, he has a lot of talent that could excel in this new offense being constructed by head coach Matt Nagy and his staff. One thing about Burton is he knows what premier quarterback play looks like. So it would be interesting to hear what his initial impressions of Trubisky are.

Burton took time away to appear on “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network to talk about his whirlwind past few months since winning the Super Bowl with Philadelphia to signing with the Bears in free agency. Inevitably he got asked the question about what he thinks of his new quarterback. His answer was somewhat eye-opening.

Trey Burton sees a ton of Carson Wentz in Mitch Trubisky

“He’s special. He’s right in the category with Carson (Wentz). I’m really impressed with him so far.”

Of course, there are people who will roll their eyes at this. Trubisky had a somewhat average rookie season. Why should anybody expect him to reach a similar level to Carson Wentz? Perhaps because the two share so much in common. Both are former #2 overall picks. Both came from programs with no history of producing top quarterbacks. Also, both are versatile athletes being coached by an Andy Reid disciple (Doug Pederson and Matt Nagy).

People forget Wentz wasn’t overly spectacular as a rookie. He threw 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. There was a learning process he had to go through. Then last year he threw 33 touchdowns to seven interceptions before tearing his ACL after 13 games. Is it so unreasonable to think Trubisky can’t make the same leap? The Bears did the exact same thing Philadelphia did a year ago. They surrounded him with weapons and protection in order to help him excel.

Burton saw the process up close in Philadelphia. It’s little wonder he has similar expectations for Chicago. It worked once, why not again? Either way it’s beyond encouraging to hear this sort of optimism about a Bears quarterback from a guy who just met him.

WATCH: Byfuglien Tosses Around Two Golden Knights Like Trash Bags

Dustin Byfuglien has been impressing with his play as well as his strength throughout these NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the second time in less than a month he dragged around two NHL players like they were trash bags.

In case you missed the first time, here is Byfuglien tossing around a couple of those insufferable Predators.

Ryan Reaves of the Golden Knights says he’s the strongest player in the league but he sure doesn’t flex his muscles like Big Buff. I’ve got Byfuglien in the feats of strength.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for hockey musings.

Matt Nagy Is Using Clever Tactics To Make Believers of Bears Defense

matt nagy

Matt Nagy knows his primary job is to turn the Chicago Bears into a winning team. That’s obvious. His other job, the one he was hired for, was to turn Mitch Trubisky into a top NFL quarterback. They saw the work he did with Alex Smith. They know his background as a QB in college and the Arena League. His qualifications are all geared towards that endeavor.

There’s nothing wrong with that. The Bears have too often been held back because their offense couldn’t carry the load. If Nagy can fix that, it’s a great thing. The key though is the same challenge that many coaches like him have faced. The challenge of elevating the other side of the ball from your area of expertise. It’s such an overlooked aspect of what separates average coaches from great ones.

Can a coach who is steeped in an offensive background do enough to ensure his defense isn’t neglected? This was the exact problem that ruined the run of Marc Trestman in Chicago. Even as the offense improved, the defense sank to its lowest depths in franchise history. Then John Fox came in and merely flipped the script. The defenses were good but the offense collapsed.

This is the pitfall Nagy approaches in his first year.

Matt Nagy already crafting ways to motivate the defense

The first and most vital thing he needed to do was put a good defensive coordinator on his staff. Retaining Vic Fangio was the wisest, most obvious choice. However, there’s more to being a head coach than hiring a good assistant. You’re expected to be the biggest voice in the room. The man who takes the lead and demands excellence from everybody, not just one side of the ball.

It seems Nagy understands this and has taken a variety of measures to get the defense united and amped up for this year. Danny Trevathan noticed it early on when the coach began his first meetings with the team.

“He came in humble but he was hungry. He came in anxious, moving around in the meetings. I like that. That gets me fired up. I feel like we’ve got a good leader up here in the head coach.”

Talking alone though isn’t enough. Players will only respond to words so much. They need to see action too. A sign that the coach cares about their well-being, both on and off the field. Little gestures like taking them on fun excursions can often be huge for team unity. Nagy did this a week ago when he took the Bears to Topgolf in Naperville. Eddie Jackson was a big fan of that.

“[Nagy] won us over I think really last week with the Topgolf thing. It was something where everybody can get to know each other better with coaches and players.”

At the end of the day though, defensive players tend to be a talkative bunch.

It’s not easy to play defense this day and age. Players need to carry themselves with a certain cockiness and swagger. They love to trash talk, see if they can get under the skin of the offense. It’s one thing to hear a quarterback or a wide receiver jaw right back. It’s another thing when the head coach is doing stuff like that. Cornerback Prince Amukamara took delight in going back and forth with Nagy during practice.

“I like to talk stuff to him. He’ll say something like, ‘We’re coming at you 2-0’ and stuff like that. That just brings out the competition, and you always want that in your head coach.”

This demonstrates an understanding by Nagy that not all players are the same. It takes different methods to motivate them all. The famous line about Vince Lombardi was he treated everybody the same, like dogs. That’s not true. He treated certain players like dogs but only because he felt that was the best way to get their best effort from them.

Nagy seems to operate in the same manner, which is a welcome sign.