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Bears Make Big Change To Mitch Trubisky Plans vs. Titans

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky starting job

It’s clear after two weeks of preseason that Chicago Bears coaching staff have had to alter their timetables regarding the Mitch Trubisky starting job plans. After Mike Glennon threw two bad interceptions in back-to-back games and looked overly shaky, it’s apparent he might not be able to hold the rookie off, experience or not. Head coach John Fox made that clear at the end of practice on Wednesday.

He stated that the QB depth chart remains unchanged. However there will be a small tweak for the third preseason game against Tennessee. Mike Glennon will start and play the first half as usual. Trubisky will start the second half, but this time he will do it with most of the top offensive guys still on the field.

This will mark the first serious opportunity for Trubisky to showcase whether or not he can hang against front line NFL defenses. Having a quality line and the best receivers on the roster at his disposal will be a key difference. It’s something many fans and experts have called for. Give the kid a chance.

Mitch Trubisky starting job push has Glennon under microscope

Of course the one man who is not happy about this is Glennon. This only increases the pressure on him to perform well against Tennessee. Another big mistake and the odds increase that he could lose his opportunity to play at all. Unfortunate? Yes. Unfair? Not in the NFL. He even admitted he’s feeling a sense of deja vu after what happened in Tampa.

Sometimes things just happen that way. The fact that he hasn’t been able to weather the storm is perhaps an indication Glennon isn’t meant to be a starter in the NFL. Starting QBs are supposed to know how to handle pressure. Be it from opposing defenses or in-roster competition. The Bears are testing him and he’s not passing.

So they’re making alternative plans.

Chicago Bears Approaching a 4-Year Extension for Charles Leno Jr.

By
Erik Lambert
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charles leno

GM Ryan Pace is a busy man even at this time of year. There are a number of players on the current roster who demand attention for contract extensions. Of course most would assume defensive end Akiem Hicks takes priority but as yet that hasn’t happened. So it appears that the front office shifted their focus to another pending 2018 free agent. That being left tackle Charles Leno Jr.

A lot of people might be upset by those numbers. Leno will be making a little over $9 million per year but understand that this is an affordable rate. By comparison Russell Okung got handed over $13 million per year by the Los Angeles Chargers. As of now Leno is making the same as Jason Peters of the Philadelphia Eagles and Duane Brown of the Houston Texans. The key difference being he’s 25-years old.

Both of them are over 30.

Charles Leno Jr. isn’t great but he’s good enough

Nobody is going to say that Leno is a budding superstar. He’s not. At the same time he’s shown enough to be C+ to solid B caliber. That’s okay. Why? They have a star-studded interior with Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and Josh Sitton. Leno is athletic and steadily improved both his strength and technique over the past few seasons.

Sure he’ll have his occasional gaffes but most often that’s coming against top caliber defenders. He knows his job. It’s to keep the quarterback clean. Provided he can do that 85-90% of the time, then the Bears will be fine with him for the future. Never mind the benefits his presence long-term will bring for chemistry sake.

Jaye Howard Was Blown Away By How Good Eddie Goldman Is

By
Erik Lambert
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nose tackle eddie goldman
CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 22: Eddie Goldman #91 of the Chicago Bears celebrates after sacking quarterback Brock Osweiler #17 of the Denver Broncos in the first quarter at Soldier Field on November 22, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

Jaye Howard could end up being the most underrated signing of 2017 for the Chicago Bears. The veteran defensive end was outstanding in 2015 for the Kansas City Chiefs but a hip injury slowed him last year. If his body gets right going into this season, the defense will have added a highly capable lineman to what was already a solid mix. None more so, at least in Howard’s mind, than nose tackle Eddie Goldman.

The middle man of the Bears defense still has high expectations from coaches and teammates. They feel when he’s healthy, his impact up front is impossible to ignore. Like most nose tackles his size and strength help against the run. However, what sets him apart is his additional ability to generate pressure on the pocket.

Howard noticed that almost immediately as he told the Chicago Sun-Times. In fact he sees striking similarities to another top interior defender.

“I didn’t know him until I got here,” Howard said. “But by playing alongside Dontari Poe [the two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle with the Chiefs], I can definitely see he can be in that same caliber — especially with the pass rush. They’re both big guys who can move well and disrupt the quarterback. Any time you can get that from the nose, you’ve got something.”

Nose tackle Eddie Goldman only as good as his health will allow

Indeed the tape backs up what he’s saying. Goldman isn’t just there filling space. He’s forcing blockers to deal with him. Trying to run it in his direction? That’s fine. He is almost always on the running back when they get close. Dropping back to pass? That won’t work either as he’s developing quite the arsenal of rush moves, which is amazing for a man who is north of 320 lbs.

It always comes back to his health. In the past two seasons Goldman has missed a combined 11 games with injuries to his lower extremities. Coaches, teammates and fans are praying he can make it through this year unscathed. Not only because injuries will stunt his growth further but also because his absence is noticeable for the Bears defense.

In a prior article I explained just how much. In the six games he played in 2016, the Bears allowed 118.83 yards on 31.5 carries on average. That settled on 3.77 yards per carry. In the 10 games he was out those numbers ballooned to 123.7 yards on 25.4 carries for an average of 4.87 per carry.

Howard is right. The impact he has and can have are tangible. It’s about making sure he stays on the field so he can do it. If so, the Bears have another Pro Bowl-caliber talent in the making.

White Sox Giolito Must Refine Flawed Mechanics As Part Of Big-League Development

By
Matt Enuco
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White Sox Giolito debuts with a solid outing.
Jon Durr/Getty Images North America

Two players with bright futures debuted in new roles for the Chicago White Sox this week. Carson Fulmer took the mound in his first start for the big-league club on Monday while Lucas Giolito ascended to the majors for the South Siders after a bumpy ride with the Washington Nationals late last summer.

Giolito was outstanding on Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins considering he threw over 70 percent fastballs – and not the kind that tail; he went with the straight four-seamer.

“I felt relaxed,” Giolito said after the game as reported by Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. “I felt confident the whole time.”

Perhaps confidence was behind Giolito’s love affair with the fastball on Tuesday. Debuting in a new city in a new league, Omar Narvaez and Rick Renteria were wise in going to the well so many times.

“He made a lot of good pitches (with the fastball). Every time we worked behind he just came back with the fastball,” said Narvaez.

Giolito admitted he didn’t have a feel for his curveball and instead of letting counts dictate pitch selection, the pair challenged Twins hitters with stuff and location.

“I feel like my stuff plays. … I was able to command the fastball pretty well, but fastball-changeup was pretty much all I had,” offered Giolito.

There is little value in forcing youngsters to develop too quickly given the rate of the White Sox climb back to contention. Giolito’s reliance on straight stuff illustrates the strength behind the idea of locating pitches and allowing youngsters to continue developing in the big leagues.

Giolito closed his south-side debut with four strikeouts over six innings without a walk. He fired 65 percent of his pitches for strikes; a figure many would like to see higher, but outstanding for his debut.

Since the end of last season, the youngster has been rediscovering his mechanics after failed experiments by the Nationals’ coaching staff to smooth out his delivery. It is certainly possible that Giolito’s effectiveness is a product of his unorthodox throwing motion, but sooner or later he must address these mechanical flaws to avoid injury.

The Nationals undoubtedly wanted to avoid shoulder troubles with their mechanical submissions and their willingness to separate from the heralded prospect appears to suggest their concern. Giolito has a long separation in the back of his delivery and lands closed on his front foot. Thus, he must throw across his body to get to his release point – which is remarkably consistent considering the hurdles to such regularity.

Baseball Savant

Fortunately for Giolito, he was blessed with strong leverage points and length that may insulate him from tragedy. Many major-leaguers possess talent beyond skill that allows them to get away with faults that would otherwise hamper their results. Yet, the body withers over time and to avoid an abbreviated career, Giolito must address his mechanical flaws.

 

Chicago Bears Defense Has Talent But Also Something Even Better

By
Erik Lambert
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leonard floyd

The Chicago Bears defense is under a heavy burden of responsibility in 2017. They will be expected to carry the load. Then again this is nothing new. Bears defenses pretty much have that line chiseled on their locker room walls. Carrying the team to championships is kind of their thing. It was true in 1963, again in 1985 and almost one more time in 2006. With the team trying to finally fix the quarterback problem, they will need time.

Maybe Mitch Trubisky is the guy, but until they know for sure it’s going to be old school. That means smashmouth running the football and playing great defense.

Indeed the Bears may be onto to something with this latest incarnation. Through the exhaustive efforts of the front office and coaching staff they’ve put together what looks like an athletic, smart and fast group. They’ve already showcased some of that potential in the preseason, allowing just 73 rushing yards and 10 points in four quarters of action. This without some of their top guys in the lineup.

So the talent is definitely there, but it’s not perhaps the scariest thing about them.

Chicago Bears defense has youth heavily on its side

  • Prince Amukamara – 28
  • Marcus Cooper – 27
  • Quintin Demps – 32
  • Eddie Jackson – 24
  • Cre’Von LeBlanc – 23
  • Jonathan Bullard – 23
  • Eddie Goldman – 23
  • Akiem Hicks – 27
  • Leonard Floyd – 24
  • Jerrell Freeman – 31
  • Danny Trevathan – 27
  • Pernell McPhee – 28
  • Willie Young – 31

Average age:  26.76

These 13 names are expected to be locks for the final roster and will see significant playing time. Aside from Young, Freeman and Demps there isn’t a player in that lineup who goes above the age of 28. Not only that but five of the members including two potential stars in Floyd and Goldman are 24 or young. If Jackson is as good as the rumors are insisting then that’s a third.

The point is that good defenses tend to be the ones that can grow together over the course of a couple years. It was true of the Bears unit in the 1980s and again with the Seattle Seahawks from 2011 to 2014. There are plenty of examples. Point being of course that once chemistry catches up to talent, that produces results. This is why units must be built young and GM Ryan Pace is doing that. Conceivably, if the health issues let up this is a group that could largely stick together for at least three seasons.

Even longer if the Bears continue to feed it with quality draft picks. Something they stopped doing towards the end of the 2000s.

Carlos Rodon Is Finally Transforming Into A Frontline Ace

By
Emmet McClain
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Carlos Rodon has a good fastball to set hitters up, and a slider to put them away.

For everyone that was worried about Carlos Rodon, worry no more. He finally seems to have put everything together and is turning into one of the best young pitchers in baseball. Take a look at some of his last starts, all against first place teams:

This was before he played in the first game of yesterday’s double-header, where he threw another gem against Minnesota. 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 9 K’s.

When he is healthy, Carlos has proven he can be the ace of this staff for the foreseeable future. His wipeout slider is absolutely disgusting, and one of the main reasons why the White Sox drafted him no. 3 overall just a few years ago. What has been really impressive as of late though has been his fastball. Not just how hard he has been throwing it or commanding it, but how he has been able to change the speeds on it.

Yesterday during Rodon’s outing, Steve Stone was explaining how young pitchers don’t typically understand that their fastball can actually be used as two, or even three pitches. Rodon finally seems to be understanding that now. He can throw his normal fastball, that typically reaches 95 mph, or he can take something off of it and bring it back to the 92-90 range. Don’t confuse this with a changeup, which is thrown with a different grip and usually rests in the 80-83 range. By changing up the speeds on his fastball, Rodon has been able to effectively throw off the timing of the batters without even needing to go to his changeup. Then he uses his slider as his out pitch.

In fact, Carlos Rodon trusts his slider so much, he has been throwing it in fastball counts.

In this video we have Rodon throwing his slider to 4 different batters. 2 of those situations there was a full count. Typically when the count is full, pitchers throw fastballs in the zone in fear of walking the batter. Instead, Rodon throws his slider in the dirt for the strikeout to end the inning on two separate occasions.

That is a confident man throwing the ball right there. And he is only going to get better and better with more experience. The only question again, is his health. He got off to a slow start this season and didn’t make his first start until about halfway through the year. It took him a few starts to settle in and find his groove, but now that he has, he has been lights out.

Rodon has recently gone toe to toe with the best of the best in the American League (and the Dodgers in the National League) and more than held his own. Imagine what he can do against the bottom dwellers. With Lucas Giolito starting tonight, Reynaldo Lopez already on the team, and Michael Kopech and Alec Hansen moving on up, the future of the rotation is slowly starting to take shape. 4+ Aces on the staff is not entirely out of the question. If that is the case, expect Carlos Rodon to be the one leading the charge.

Bears Kicker Roberto Aguayo Humiliated By Former Team On Instagram

By
Erik Lambert
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bears kicker roberto aguayo

New Chicago Bears kicker Roberto Aguayo has endured more than his fair share of media bashing over the past few months. Drafted in the second round of 2016 by Tampa Bay, he was instantly thrust into the limelight. The pressure that put on his shoulders was both obvious and unfair. Sadly it had an effect. Aguayo struggled as a rookie with multiple missed kicks. Then this offseason the issues continues. So the Buccaneers cut him.

Undeterred the Bears brought him in as competition for veteran Connor Barth. That didn’t stop his former team from continuing to take shot at the poor 23-year old though. During their rookie entertainment show, a list was brought forth of “10 Things You Won’t See Happen at Training Camp.” It started off innocently enough but soon started to get vicious.

Cornerback Brent Grimes got a nasty one declaring his lack of control over his marriage. Grimes of course is well-known for having a wife who is highly outspoken on Twitter. However it was the ninth line on the list that really got rough. Desean Jackson shared a screen shot of it on Instagram.

Bears kicker Roberto Aguayo will either rise or crumble from scrutiny

It pretty much ends what has been a rough week for Aguayo. Getting cut was bad enough. Missing his first field goal as a Bear and then having this surface online? It’s hard to imagine how a man can cope with such things. There’s no telling what the Bears will do with Aguayo. They may end up just cutting him or maybe even slip him onto the practice squad.

Hopefully there he could get out of the spotlight and rebuild his confidence. All things considered that might be the best thing for him right now. Otherwise his once promising NFL career will be given that photo as a lasting imagine. Nobody deserves that.

Conspiracy Theories That Might Explain Bears Holding Back Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
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playing mike glennon

Chicago Bears conspiracy theories are fun and have been around for decades. Some are outlandish, but there are others that continue to stick around to this day. Most of them involve referees and the league intentionally costing the team games to hold them down. There’s no way to prove such things but that won’t stop people from grumbling about it.

Well Bears fans have a new one to chew on of that. That’s the conspiracy that the team is intentionally holding back #2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky. By many accounts the rookie has looked strong in practice. Thus far through two preseason games the stats and tape show him outperforming proclaimed starter Mike Glennon.

Now of course it’s still a bit early to hand him the job outright but what has so many people confused is the fact the Bears won’t give him more reps. Specifically a chance to play with the second team. It’s a confusing and muddled situation that makes little sense. Often this is where speculation gets creative.

Chicago Bears conspiracy theories that may clarify Trubisky issue

Why are conspiracies so compelling? Partly because they sound so realistic (most of the time) and offer explanation for unexplained situations. Also, in the rarest of circumstances, they can turn out to be true. Thus people cling to them. Bears fans are reaching the point where it feels like the teams’ refusal to given Trubisky a fair shot at the starting job is deliberate.

So why? Here are a couple theories that at least might offer some clarity.

#1:  The schedule

The one that makes the most sense at this point is simple. Chicago has the single-most daunting open to a schedule in 2017 than any other team. Not only do they have to start the season against the NFC champion Atlanta Falcon, it doesn’t get much easier over the next month and a half. Two of the follow three opponents, Pittsburgh and Green Bay, were also in the conference title games. Then there’s Tampa Bay who walloped the Bears 36-10 last season.

The logic here is they keep Trubisky on the sidelines and let Glennon endure the obvious difficulties playing against those teams. This will let the rookie get a glimpse in person and on film of what top NFL defenses look like at full speed. Then they can choose to debut him in week five at home against the Minnesota Vikings. That or simply wait until after the bye week on November 12th in a home stand rematch with Green Bay.

#2:  Glennon and the trade market

Almost from the moment that Trubisky was drafted, speculation began that the Bears might try to pull an Eagles maneuver. For clarification it goes back to 2016. The Philadelphia Eagles had just signed veteran QB Sam Bradford to a contract extension. Then not long after they traded up in the draft to select Carson Wentz. The plans were initially for Bradford to start while Wentz learned on the sideline. Sound familiar?

Those plans changed when Teddy Bridgewater shredded his knee in practice for Minnesota. Desperate for QB help, the Vikings dealt a generous package of picks to Philly for the rights to Bradford. Thus the Eagles got back a lot of what they gave up for Wentz and were able to start him immediately.

Of course Glennon doesn’t have near the value Bradford did at that point, but Chicago might be hoping to change that. It’s already been rumored that Glennon had some interested suitors this offseason. If the Bears could give him an “audition” run early this season and he plays reasonably well they might be able to ship him out in 2018 for a decent return.

Don’t forget the guaranteed money in his contract will be all but gone by next year. So a team will have two years of control while having to guarantee almost nothing. It’s truly an ideal scenario. Provided of course he doesn’t completely flub it.

#3:  Saving him for the next coach

This one is probably the most far-fetched but there is still an element of intrigue to it. Rumors and innuendo have remained strong for months that John Fox has lost standing in the organization. It’s been said that the team even insisted he resign or retire. This of course so they could get him out without having to pay the guarantees remaining in his contract. Fox refused and so they’re stuck with him for another year.

This might explain the buzz on draft day that he was “surprised” when the Bears picked Trubisky, suggesting he wasn’t in the loop. Those rumors were denied. Nonetheless it was another sign that a rift was forming between him and the rest of the top brass. It’s quite possible that the Bears placated Fox with Glennon but always had the intention of drafting their future QB.

In other words Fox is free to go down fighting with his veteran quarterback. Meanwhile Trubisky could sit back and learn how to run a pro-style offense. Then in 2018 the team could seek out a new head coach who could develop him into the star he can be. After all it’s not like they aren’t aware of Fox’s reputation. To date he’s never successfully developed a rookie QB into a starter.

So why would they trust him to do right by Trubisky?

Grown Woman Decides To Steal A Foul Ball From White Sox Fan

By
Matt Eastman
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There was a happy ending to this one though….so kudos to the White Sox for making that happen.

Bears Starter Compared Trubisky To Another Former 1st Round Pick

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky johnny manziel

It’s no secret that the excitement in Chicago for Bears football got a huge shot in the arm after Mitch Trubisky was drafted. He’s the first top five quarterback the team has taken since way back in 1982. There were already comparisons being thrown around from Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and Rich Gannon. Ironically enough though the craziest comparison didn’t come until months later when an actual Bears player dropped a Mitch Trubisky Johnny Manziel connection.

Oh very dear. That certainly isn’t something Bears fans will want to hear, but it became reality. During a segment on NFL Live, the analysts that included Adam Schefter and former coach Herm Edwards discussed the million dollar question. Will Trubisky swipe the starting job from Mike Glennon by week one of the regular season?

In the midst of answering, Joanna Levesque dropped a big name when revealing what a Bears “starter” told her.

Mitch Trubisky Johnny Manziel comparison happened

Mentioning the name Manziel these days is akin to mentioning Voldemort in the Harry Potter books. It’s done in hushed tones while looking over the shoulder. That is how much of a disaster the former first round pick of the Cleveland Browns became by the time he left the NFL.

Few players ever came in with more hype than the man known as “Johnny Football.” He was a star at Texas A&M, exhibiting a combination of natural scrambling ability and arm talent that drove defenses insane. At the same time he had reputation for immaturity and a love for the partying life style. That included booze and drugs. Some were afraid he wasn’t ready to handle the temptations of the NFL when he declared for the draft in 2014.

They were right

Manziel was a lightning rod in Cleveland from the start. He struggled early when he got on the field and the ongoing mess that the Browns were at that time from top to bottom only made matters worse. He started getting in trouble off the field including an ugly situation that involved a domestic dispute with his girlfriend in 2015. By the end of the year he’d alienated the organization and his substance issues were out of control.

Thus a potentially brilliant NFL career went down in flames. So one can understand why Bears fans might be nervous about Trubisky being compared to him. Of course the comment was centered around a physical comparison. In that context it’s true. Trubisky has the same athleticism and mobility Manziel did. He’s got the same caliber of arm as well. The better part is he’s more accurate and also bigger at 6’2″. Manziel was 6’0″.

The biggest difference though lay between the ears. Manziel was a fun-loving party boy known for being a bit lazy except for big games. Trubisky, by all accounts, is a tireless worker who never had any substance issue ever in his life. Hence why excitement remains so high.

Maybe he is another Manziel, but more what Manziel could’ve been had he kept himself out of trouble.

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