Friday, April 3, 2026
✶ Untold Chicago Stories ✶ Amazon Music
Home Blog Page 2859

Akiem Hicks Sees Two Teammates Having Big Years in 2018

By
Erik Lambert
-
leonard floyd

The Chicago Bears know they need their best players to step up in 2018 to make sure they get off on the right foot. Akiem Hicks is near the top of that list. He was brilliant last season, collecting seven sacks and easily being their most dominant defensive presence. However, just the good players from last year playing well won’t cut it. After all, the Bears finished 5-11 so that’s not going to be enough.

They need other names to take the next step up. Who will that be? That’s a game for educated guessers to play. Everybody has their theories. Most are centered around Mitch Trubisky for obvious reasons. Almost every notable move made by the team to this point was to his benefit in some fashion. Matt Nagy hired as head coach. Allen Robinson signed at wide receiver.

However, ask Hicks about this and the defensive leader might have a different answer. While he too is excited about his young quarterback, he has other names in mind for who could be ready to step into the spotlight this season.

Akiem Hicks sees big years from Leonard Floyd and Nick Kwiatkoski

Hicks is a smart guy. He knows what good football looks like, having played in New Orleans and New England before Chicago. So his opinion on this matter is worth hearing. It’s also worth reminding that he’s a defender at heart. He was bred to hate offensive guys. So is it any surprise that his choices for breakout players were both on defense?

It felt like Floyd was on the cusp of breaking out over the past two years but injuries got in the way. Last year he had 4.5 sacks in six games but hurting his knee that ended his season. As a rookie, he had 4.5 sacks in three games in late October and early November before a concussion against the Giants slowed him down. One can imagine he’s frustrated and carrying a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

That’s good.

It means he’ll come into 2018 with a purpose. Hicks believes the same can be said for fellow front seven teammate Nick Kwiatkoski.

The case for him is a bit different. He didn’t come in with high expectations like Floyd. He was a fourth round pick in 2016 who was expected to play a reserve role and perhaps work his way into the starting lineup. Though he saw the field quite a bit his first two years, he was unable to maintain a grip on the starting job when opportunities came.

Now the competition has vanished. Jerrell Freeman was cut. Christian Jones left to sign in Detroit. Unless the Bears draft somebody high, it looks like Kwiatkoski finally has his shot. He got experience now. If he can stay healthy it might indeed be a big year for him.

Mitch Trubisky Drew Shocked Responses During First Bears Practice

By
Erik Lambert
-
mitch trubisky

Expectations for Mitch Trubisky going into 2018 are high. Chicago Bears fans are starved for a good quarterback. The closest they’ve gotten in the past 30 years is Jay Cutler and he was considered barely above average by most. Trubisky is a #2 overall pick and is going into his second season. He has experience now. Not only that but he also has help around him.

GM Ryan Pace made it his mission this off-season to build a top supporting cast for his young quarterback. Something far, far above what he had as a rookie. The results to this point are impressive. They secured two playmaking wide receivers in Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel. Gadget tight end Trey Burton also brings massive versatility to the this.

Yet the biggest addition may be head coach Matt Nagy. The Bears became infatuated with him during their work to find John Fox’s replacement. The Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator came with a strong reputation for developing quarterbacks and expressed sincere desire to coach the team. He was granted his wish.

At last the first chance to get Trubisky in practice came on Tuesday. First impressions? Unexpected.

Mitch Trubisky his head coach with his sharpness and preparation

Cutler always said that it takes three years to master an NFL offense. That’s a fair assessment. His third year in Denver resulted in a Pro Bowl. It seems rather ironic he never got a third year with anybody in Chicago. The Bears are hoping to avoid that mistake with Trubisky. It will take time for him to grow into Nagy’s offense, but the head coach admitted he came away surprised from how the QB looked in their first practice together.

Indeed it wasn’t just Nagy who have noticed how different Trubisky is since things got going. Akiem Hicks and Jordan Howard were asked about him during their respective pressers. Each admitted in turn that it’s hard not to be drawn in by his desire and his charisma. Certain qualities that weren’t mentioned much with previous quarterbacks.

There is plenty of proving left to do but it’s nice to hear all the same. Trubisky has talent and a reputation for a tireless work ethic. He’s also clearly smart and takes his role as leader seriously. The only thing left for him to do is prove it on the field. Then again that’s not only his job. The rest of this Bears team knows that time has come.

VIDEO: 3 Years Ago Today Someone Yelled “You Suck” At Kris Bryant In His MLB Debut

By
Aldo Soto
-
Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

There’s nothing you can guarantee in sports and that is especially true when it comes to prospects in baseball. Yet, if there was ever a prospect that you could bet everything on to be great it was Kris Bryant.

Today, we celebrate the three-year anniversary of Bryant’s MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs by giving a shoutout to whoever yelled, “you suck,” in the fifth inning of his first MLB game.

I think most fans remember it like it was yesterday. James Shields was starting for the San Diego Padres was just a terrible matchup for Bryant, who finished the game 0-for-4, with three strikeouts.

The Cubs lost that game 5-4, and even though Bryant went hitless in his MLB debut, one fan gave us all something to remember. The last of Bryant’s three strikeouts came in the fifth inning, when the Cubs had already scored two runs to take a 4-2 lead and had runners at second and third with only one out.

Bryant struck out and an on-field microphone clearly picked up a fan yelling, “you suck,” at the future 2015 National League Rookie of the Year, 2016 MVP and World Series champion.

So yes, it’s a reminder that as much as we call out other fan bases like the Yankees, who booed Giancarlo Stanton in his home debut this year, there was a time that Kris freaking Bryant was booed in his very first game at Wrigley Field.

By the way, there is no doubt in my mind that the dude yelling not only has a signed Kris Bryant jersey, but most definitely has a Kris Bryant tattoo on him too.

Another White Sox Prospect Gets Injured, Out At Least 8 Weeks

By
Aldo Soto
-

The Chicago White Sox have been frustrating to watch through the first two weeks of the 2018 season, but the minor-league year has started out with a bang. However, injuries continue to plague prospects for the White Sox.

Outfielder Ryan Cordell will be out of action for at least eight weeks after leaving Monday night’s Charlotte Knights game. Cordell crashed into the center-field wall and immediately crumbled to the ground in pain.

The White Sox acquired Cordell from the Milwaukee Brewers last year in the Anthony Swarzak trade.

Cordell, 26, was in spring training with the White Sox this year, hoping to win a roster spot and possibly the starting job in center field.

The right-handed hitter hasn’t played in the big leagues yet and was set back last season because of a back strain. In 68 games at Triple-A in 2017, Cordell had a slash line of .284/.349/.506, with 10 home runs.

Cordell was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2013, and was traded to the Brewers in 2016, as part of the Jonathan Lucroy deal.

Yet another set back for Cordell, who could have been a starter for the White Sox this season. Now, he’s out for a few months after already getting off to a 5-for-38 start with the Knights.

In March, Cordell was ranked 17th in the White Sox top-30 prospects list on MLB.com.

Jordan Howard Finally Speaks on His Trade Status

By
Erik Lambert
-
jordan howard trade

The Jordan Howard trade rumors sent the entire Chicago Bears fandom into a mass panic last month. Here the team was. They had just added a slew of new offensive weapons. Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel at wide receiver. Trey Burton at tight end. Suddenly the Bears offense around Mitch Trubisky looked formidable. Then, out of nowhere, word emerges they might be shopping their best player.

Howard is 23-years old. He just completed the best first two years as Chicago running back has ever had with over 1,000 each. He did most of that with teams stacking the box to stop him. Now just when the box is about to get lighter, they want to deal him. Why? Some misguided belief he’s not an ideal fit for head coach Matt Nagy’s offense, which demands the running back be able to catch passes.

Admittedly with 12 drops so far in his career, that’s not a strength of Howard’s game. Yet he’s still a budding star. Could Nagy really not find a use for his obvious talents? People wanted to know. At last Howard himself was given the chance to address these matters after the teams’ first practice of 2018.

Jordan Howard was informed Bears have no trade plans for him

Everyone knew the questions were going to come up. Howard spoke about Nagy the coach and also his quarterback, Mitch Trubisky. Soon enough though somebody asked about the trade situation. Howard explained quite clearly that the Instagram incident where all his Bears photos vanished was nothing and that his agent was informed directly by the Bears that no trade was in the works or being planned.

There it is. Straight from the man himself. Now he could be deflecting to avoid making a scene, but Howard is a straight shooter. He’s not one to deceive like other players might. It’s okay to take him at his word. This means he will be a Bear in 2018 and hopefully for years to come.

Beginning Of The End For Aaron Rodgers In Green Bay?

By
Kyle Yates
-

Bears fans have had it rough. The team’s most hated rival, the Green Bay Packers, have had the Quarterback position figured out for over two decades now. Quarterbacks Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers have terrorized the city of Chicago and have caused fans to rejoice whenever the backup QB has to play.

(This GIF still breaks my heart, by the way, and causes me to curse Chris Conte’s name repeatedly).

Rodgers is, arguably, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Bears fans know it, which is why it’s so frustrating to go up against an offense lead by him twice a year. But something might be brewing up in “Cheese Land” that should have Bears fans clapping their hands in excitement.

Rodgers is reportedly becoming discontent with the way management has handled certain situations without consulting him this offseason. Robinson, a writer for Yahoo Sports, brings up two major components of his discontent; Jordy Nelson being released and QB coach Alex Van Pelt being let go. Two major decisions that directly affect the star QB.

Nelson was a long-time friend and close teammate of Rodgers, who was also a thorn in the side of Bears fans. Van Pelt has worked closely with Rodgers since 2014 and was part of the Green Bay coaching overhaul that took place this offseason. But these two issues aren’t the only things that could be leading to a potentially messy divorce…

Rodgers is grossly underpaid. As one of the greatest to ever play the position, Rodgers is seeing guys like Jimmy Garoppolo sign contracts in excess of well over 100 million dollars and has been wanting a contract extension. (Essentially a “Pay me what I’m worth” argument).

Up until this point though, no news has come out of the Packers looking to extend Rodgers. From their perspective though, it makes sense to not extend him at this point. He’s under contract through 2019 for a very reasonable amount, which they can then take the money that they would be paying him and use it to fill holes on their roster. Except this can start to affect the relationship between Rodgers and the organization…

Would Rodgers leave Green Bay after 2019 to head somewhere else? It’s possible. He wants to be treated like the centerpiece of the organization that he is, like Tom Brady, and be included on conversations that directly pertain to him. He also wants to be paid like the superstar QB that he is. These are three major components that could combine for the perfect storm, coming together to cause Rodgers to go play somewhere else to finish up his career.

Is it a small percentage chance that Rodgers actually leaves Green Bay? Absolutely. However, this storyline certainly warrants closer attention moving forward. For Bears fans though, it’s a glimmer of hope. It could be the beginning of the end for Rodgers terrorizing the city of Chicago on a regular basis.

Hey, who knows, maybe Rodgers will leave and Jay Cutler will come back out of retirement in two years to play for another NFC North team. Talk about a dream scenario for Bears fans.

This Team May Call Bears For a Trade If Right QB Falls

By
Erik Lambert
-
chicago bears trade

Last week a strong rumor emerged about a possible Chicago Bears trade in the first round of the draft. GM Ryan Pace is interested in a move down. His goal is to gain an extra pick or two after losing a healthy amount last year due to the Mitch Trubisky trade with San Francisco. It’s not a bad idea. The challenge is finding a team that wants to move up. One who will pay a price that Pace deems fair for his team.

In such situations, there is one position far more than any other that gets movement in the first round. That’s quarterbacks. The Bears can consider themselves fortunate. Looking at the board as is, there are seven teams within striking distance of their #8 pick with varying degrees of need at the QB position. This certainly increases the number of suitors.

The question of course is will any of them bite. If so, which one? Answering this often comes down to desperation factor and the QB available. One notable expert seems to think Chicago is a prime landing spot if UCLA’s Josh Rosen ends up falling as some have predicted he will.

Arizona seems like the ideal Chicago Bears trade partner

Among the seven teams who could move up on April 26th with the Bears, none hold that desperations factor more than the Arizona Cardinals. Right now their two best options at QB are Sam Bradford and Mike Glennon. Bradford has glass where his knees should be. Glennon fell flat on his face in Chicago last year. Not ideal. That’s why Mike Jurecki of 98.7 Arizona’s Sports Radio Station believes they have every intention of moving up.

This idea holds plenty of merits. It’s not just because Rosen is one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the class either. He’s also widely considered the most pro-ready. He was developed at UCLA by former NFL head coach Jim Mora Jr. He already has a good grasp of what to expect in the big league. That ideal for Arizona, who may prefer to just start fresh rather than play out a pointless epilogue with Bradford or Glennon.

Gaining the #47 pick would secure three total picks in the top 50 for the Bears. That would present a huge opportunity for Pace to infuse his young roster with three major contributors. Given the success he had with five picks total in 2017, having three that high likely would seem like Aladdin finding the magic lamp for Pace. If nothing else, this is proof that despite not needing one themselves, eyes of Bears fans should be locked on the quarterbacks when the draft begins.

Bears Mailbag – How Will Bears Replace Cameron Meredith?

By
Dhruv Koul
-
cameron meredith

This past Wednesday, the Chicago Bears surprisingly declined to match the offer sheet that the New Orleans Saints had signed WR Cameron Meredith to.

It had been a foregone conclusion that Bears’ GM Ryan Pace, who came from the Saints’ organization and signed Meredith as an undrafted free agent a couple season ago, would match the reasonable offer sheet and keep his promising, young receiver. But he didn’t, sparking surprise, and hilariously, panic, throughout Bears Twitter.

Losing Meredith isn’t a big deal, especially considering he was likely to be a prime PUP candidate to begin the year on a $5 million salary. The Saints, built to contend for a championship, could afford to wait for Meredith. The Bears, who need results this upcoming season in the worst way, couldn’t afford to wait.

Chicago made up for it, slightly, by signing former Broncos’ WR Bennie Fowler to a one-year contract to help provide some depth. But wide receiver certainly is a depth target in the upcoming NFL draft.

With that, we reach into this week’s Bears Mailbag. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions! We always appreciate the participation.

The prevailing thought was that the Bears wouldn’t need high-value depth at WR after their offseason because their free agent signings (Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel), along with Meredith’s return, would set the Bears up quite well in the depth department. But when Pace chose not to match Meredith’s offer sheet, WR became a pretty important need yet again.

So that being said, we have no idea where and when the Bears will choose a receiver (except we know it won’t be in the first round) because we don’t know how Pace’s draft board will stack up. Remember, he’s proven that he’ll draft the best player available (per his and his team’s scouting) in every round. So WR could very much be in play in the second round.

The thing about Meredith was that despite his size, he could play outside and in the slot, too. He had solid speed, agility, route-running ability, and his hands were above average. So he was more or less a full package at receiver. There aren’t too many full package receivers in this draft, so the Bears will have to do the best they can to find someone that can contribute right away.

Some of the better receiver prospects that I like in this draft that the Bears could target, and which round I think they could be available in:

Christian Kirk — 2nd round
DJ Moore — 2nd round
Courtland Sutton — 2nd round
DJ Chark — 4th round
Anthony Miller — 4nd round
Equinameous St. Brown — 4th round
Keke Coutee — 4th round
Michael Gallup — 4th round
Simmie Cobbs — 5th round
Deon Cain — 5th round

Unfortunately, if the Bears don’t take an EDGE rusher in the first round, they have no shot at grabbing Harold Landry, who is the best pass rusher in this draft, in my opinion. And the issue with this EDGE class is that while there are a number of intriguing talents, they all have something or the other that hinders them from being considered worthy, high picks.

So, here are the prospects I like after the first round that I would hope the Bears would consider, along with a target round:

Lorenzo Carter — 2nd round
Kemoko Turay — 2nd round
Josh Sweat — 2nd round
Hercules Mata’afa — 2nd round
Jeff Holland — 4th round
Duke Ejiofor — 4th round
Dorance Armstrong — 4th round

You’re absolutely correct in saying that teams should be looking at talent and not just needs — but not just in the first round. That should be the case in every round. And credit to Ryan Pace, his draft strategy is clear that no matter what round it is, he will take whom he believes is the best player available. That’s commendable.

Here are my Top 5 prospects in this draft (non-QB edition). The nice thing is that since many teams ahead of the Bears need a quarterback, they’ll take one and push some of this talent down to the Bears. Here’s hoping they land one of them!

1. Quenton Nelson
2. Roquan Smith
3. Derwin James
4. Harold Landry
5. Denzel Ward

If I had included quarterbacks, then Baker Mayfield would be second, and Sam Darnold would be fourth for me. And no, your eyes do not deceive you: Saquon Barkley and Bradley Chubb don’t belong here for me.

The Bears shouldn’t, and if we’ve learned anything during the Ryan Pace era, won’t reach for anybody. The picks may seem unconventional at the time (e.g. Adam Shaheen, Tarik Cohen, etc.), but Pace takes whom he really believes is the best available player at the time, at the right value.

That being said, whom the Bears take depends entirely on who has been picked already and who is available. Quenton Nelson is the (mostly) consensus best player in this draft, and if he’s available, I imagine that the Bears will submit their pick in under five seconds. There are a few others who, in my opinion, are worth taking at eighth overall: LB Roquan Smith, EDGE Harold Landry, and S Derwin James.

No WR is worth a Top 10 selection in this draft. Vita Vea is a great talent and would be a monstrosity on the Bears’ defensive line if they were to take him, but eighth overall seems like it might be too rich for Vea.

Of the prospects I listed, Smith is the best inside linebacker prospect in this draft, and would be a Day 1 starter next to Danny Trevathan. Landry is the best pass rushing EDGE in this draft, in my opinion, and would likely supplant Aaron Lynch across Leonard Floyd on Day 1 as well. James is one of the best DBs in this draft (I have him ahead of Minkah Fitzpatrick), and would solidify the Bears’ defensive backfield. Yes, they have Adrian Amos who is coming off a strong season in relief of Quintin Demps. But James is a very, very good prospect, and would be a big-time upgrade.

There you have it — that’s the pool of players from which the Bears should select at the top of the draft.

Keep in mind, no matter what happens, the Bears are in DIRE need of EDGE depth. So I imagine that they’ll double-dip at some point.

Want Bradley Chubb? Here’s The Cost For Bears to Get Him

By
Erik Lambert
-
bradley chubb

The 2018 draft is going to have its share of surprises. What a lot of people want to know is will the Chicago Bears be involved in it. They certainly were last year when the turned the draft upside down by trading for quarterback Mitch Trubisky. That made for the second-straight year GM Ryan Pace moved up in the first round for a player. Now many are wondering if he might go three-in-a-row. It’s a matter of whom his target could be. Enter Bradley Chubb.

People will say Quenton Nelson but the reality is the N.C. State pass rusher is the only viable candidate the Bears would likely move up for. This is driven by simple necessity. Chicago has one of the thinnest pass rush groups in the NFL as of now. Pernell McPhee, Willie Young, and Lamarr Houston are gone. Leonard Floyd is their only proven commodity and his 2017 season ended with a knee injury.

Aaron Lynch? Experience but has just 2.5 sacks in the past two years. Howard Jones? Journeyman cut by his previous team. Isaiah Irving? Still unproven former undrafted free agent. Chubb represents the absolute ideal solution for the Bears. He’s a polished, proven rusher from a good program and can start right away. Unfortunately, he’s like not getting out of the top five.

This is where the talk of trading up begins.

Bradley Chubb trade cost comes down to how high Bears go

ESPN columnist Bill Barnwell did a piece recently detailing potential draft trades for all 32 teams. Knowing Chubb is the obvious target, where would the Bears have to go in the top five to get him? The prevailing belief is they stand a good chance if they land the #4 pick from Cleveland. Presuming they’re interested, here’s the projected cost.

“Bears get: 1-4; 4-114
Browns get: 1-8; 2-39

If quarterbacks come off the board 1-2-3, the Browns will be sitting pretty with the fourth overall pick. They also might be in a situation where it would be better to trade down in lieu of taking Barkley or Chubb, given that Cleveland’s biggest need after drafting a quarterback is probably in the secondary…

…With that in mind, the Bears can trade up here and grab Chubb, who profiles best as a 4-3 defensive end but shouldn’t be out of sorts as a 3-4 outside linebacker who will spend 70 percent of his time as a defensive lineman in sub packages. The Browns would then have picks 33, 35 and 39, setting them up for a possible move back into the first round for what would be their third first-round selection.”

It’s not cheap to move up in the top 10. Pace learned that last year when he gave up two third rounders just to go from #3 to #2. Still, the Bears would solve their last major roster problem and have three fourth round picks at their disposal later in the draft. Don’t forget that’s the same round where Pace landed Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen last year. It’s an interesting idea with a lot of moving parts.

Would you do it?

Packers Primed To Draft Bears’ Worst Nightmare

By
Kyle Yates
-

Read pretty much any other article on our site and you’ll see the need the Bears have for pass-rushers. It’s been well-documented. Leonard Floyd, Aaron Lynch and Sam Acho are the only OLB’s on the roster at this point after the releases of Pernell McPhee and Willie Young.

That’s why, going into this NFL Draft, so much talk has been centered around who the Bears could target for pass rush help with the #8 overall selection. The only problem is that Bradley Chubb is the only player who seems to be worthy of that high of a selection in a thin edge-rusher class and he’ll likely be gone by the time the Bears are on the clock.

That’s why eyes turned towards Harold Landry, an edge-rusher out of Boston College, who finished with 16.5 sacks his junior season. An injury-plagued senior season lead to only 5 sacks and he saw his draft stock plummet. However, after a solid combine where he proved he’s back to full health, Landry’s stock has started to rise again.

The question remains though: is Landry a reach with the #8 overall selection?

With mock drafts coming across your computer screen furiously at this point in April, there’s a lot of speculation out there as to where Landry might end up if he’s too rich of a pick for the Bears. The popular location should terrify Bears fans.

Many mock drafts, including this one by Jonah Tuls of NDTScouting, have Landry suiting up in that hideous green and yellow next season.

This has to be the Bears’ nightmare scenario. The Packers are also in need of edge-rushers and are actively looking for help to bring down Mitchell Trubisky. If the Bears go another route, such as Denzel Ward, this leaves them susceptible to letting Landry (a player commonly compared to sack artist Vic Beasley) fall right into the waiting and open arms of the Green Bay Packers.

Many draft experts are viewing Landry at #8 to the Bears as too high of a price to pay. For a player who has 16.5 sacks in one season in college, and has shown all the traits on tape to be a phenomenal player off the edge, the price might be just right.

Combine that, with the fact that if they don’t draft him he might terrorize Trubisky twice a year for the next decade, and Landry just might become the Bears pick at #8.

Would Landry be considered a reach? Or would it be worth it to make sure the Bears most hated rivals don’t snag him?

1...2,8582,8592,860...3,195Page 2,859 of 3,195

Subscribe to our Newsletter

✶ An Unfiltered Voice For Chicago Sports Fans ✶

Chicago Sports News

About Us

© Sports Mockery, Inc. 2026