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Anthony Rizzo Now Leads Cubs In HRs After Hitting 2 Rockets vs. Giants

By
Aldo Soto
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Every ball being hit to left field is getting knocked down by the wind, but Anthony Rizzo is finding the sweet spots at Wrigley Field and two Matt Moore pitches have found the barrel of the first baseman’s bat. Rizzo has two home runs on Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants, both solo dingers tying the game for the Chicago Cubs.

Rizzo leapfrogged Kris Bryant for the team lead in home runs, getting to 11 this season with his 14th career multi-homer game. He hit the first off Moore on the very first pitch and then jumped on the second pitch in his next at bat.

Rizzo gets streaky, but when he gets on a roll there aren’t many hitters more dangerous than he is.

Joe Maddon Reveals His First ‘Themed’ Road Trip Of The Season

By
Gus
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Cubs fans have become accustomed to Joe Maddon’s infamous “themed road trips” since he took over in 2015. The themed road trips fit perfectly with his dress code rule of, “If you think you look hot, you wear it” and some of the outfits we’ve seen Cubs players wear the past two seasons have been — well — pretty interesting to say the least.

If you recall last year, the team participated in a variety of themes throughout the course of the season.

We saw the ‘minimalist zany suit road trip.’

The ‘short shorts’ trip to Miami which included a mandatory toe-nail painting rule if you wore flip flops.

And who could forget the ‘track suit’ theme to pay homage to the NBA Playoffs?

After the Cubs finish off a four-game series against the Giants tomorrow at Wrigley Field, they will embark on their first major road trip of the season. They will head west for a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers followed by another three-game series against the San Diego Padres. So what better time to give the team their first themed road trip of the 2017 season?

The theme will pay homage to one of my favorite movie characters of all time, Ron Burgundy, who is the star in the movie Anchorman. If you haven’t seen Anchorman you are un-American and I won’t waste anyone else’s time explaining the premise of the movie. I’ll go on record and say that Anchorman (along with Coming to America) is arguably the most quotable movie of all-time and I can’t wait to see what some of the players pull out of their closet to fit this theme. (Leisure suits and fake mustaches have to happen)

The ‘Ron Burgundy’ theme seed must have been planted during Game 7 of the 2016 World Series when Anthony Rizzo, playing in the most important game of his life, quoted a line from Anchorman to show everyone exactly what he was feeling at that moment.

If you’ve ever wondered what Kris Bryant looked like in a 1970’s polyester suit or what Anthony Rizzo would look like with a bad ass 70’s haircut with some possible sideburns, you’ll get your wish soon enough.

 

 

Why The Media Is (Once Again) Dead Wrong About Ryan Pace

By
Erik Lambert
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bears front office

Poor Ryan Pace. The guy really has created a lot of enemies in the mainstream media with his steadfast cloak and dagger approach. Granted he’s nowhere near the President Trump levels but still. One would think he and the Chicago Bears front office might as well be the cast of Monty Python running through a skit rather than actual NFL business. This based on several of the reactions to their moves in recent weeks.

Most of them centering around his “curious” decisions in the draft. Of the head honcho in that regard was the Mitch Trubisky bombshell. Nobody saw it coming. Maybe that’s why people were so upset. More and more these days it feels like people would rather be proven right on a prediction than enjoy what a team is trying to accomplish in a draft.

Pace was railroaded from so many different directions of late. It hasn’t really let up since that day in late April.

Bears front office basically condemned for one move

Sean Wagner-McGough of CBS Sports recently did a power rankings of the best NFL front offices in the business. To the surprise of nobody he ranked the New England Patriots at the top. However, things started to really go off the rails when the 49ers were ranked second. Really? The team that just went 2-14 and now has a rookie GM with ZERO front office experience is suddenly the hottest thing going?

That already chewed away some of the credibility for those rankings. So naturally it wasn’t fun seeing the Bears ranked dead last at 32nd overall. Wow. Surely he had a good reason for this, right? Well that depends on the point of view. One could certainly argue it’s rather weak. The fact that it’s all based around one decision this offseason?

That takes the crazy cake.

“It’s a shame, the Bears were actually having a productive offseason before their decision to trade up one spot for the right to select Mitch Trubisky. But you can’t ignore that trade. The Bears were swindled by the 49ers, essentially bidding against themselves. They also gave Mike Glennon way too much money. Nobody will care about the trade if Trubisky ends up being good, but the process matters, as our Will Brinson explained recently. And the Bears messed up the process.”

My oh my. Where to start. First of all it’s been proven at length by a number of different sources including Peter King of the MMQB and the Chicago Sun-Times that the 49ers and other teams were getting a lot of calls about trades up. At least one or two of those calls were involving Trubisky. The fact that the calls stopped after the Bears made their move pretty much confirmed that reality.

They got the top QB

That pretty much confirmed Trubisky was the consensus top quarterback for most teams. Reinforced by the fact that Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, the next two taken, went #10 and #12 respectively. So that version of the argument is pretty torpedoed. The only thing left is the idea that the Bears got swindled by San Francisco, forcing them to give up way too much to move from #3 to #2.

First of all everything is expensive when it involves a franchise quarterback. Especially these days. Second, they really didn’t give up as much as these rankings imply. King broke down a similar trade made by the San Diego Chargers back in 1998, moving up from #3 to #2. Here’s how the numbers broke down.

“Let’s calculate how much San Diego GM Bobby Beathard paid to move up to get Leaf, and how much Bears GM Ryan Pace paid to move up for Trubisky, using an estimate of the 16th pick in the fourth round to calculate the value of the 2018 pick for this year’s calculus.

• Points Beathard paid to get in position to draft Leaf: 1,980.
• Points Pace paid to get in position to draft Trubisky: 580.”

They recouped the picks

This doesn’t even take into account the trade Pace made later in the draft, moving down from #36 to #45 with Arizona in exchange for extra fourth and sixth rounders in 2017 and a fourth in 2018. That move mitigated much of the damage created by the Bears’ earlier jump for Trubisky. Calculations estimate now that Chicago gave up the equivalent of a third round pick to get him. Just for quick reminding, here’s a recap of every Bears third round pick over the past 10 years.

  • Jonathan Bullard
  • Hroniss Grasu
  • Will Sutton
  • Brandon Hardin
  • Chris Conte
  • Major Wright
  • Jarron Gilbert
  • Juaquin Iglesias
  • Earl Bennett
  • Marcus Harrison
  • Garrett Wolfe
  • Michael Okwo

Not exactly a who’s who of Bears recent history. More like a who cares. It’s just further justification that Pace was well within his right to make that move. Almost no expense can be spared to find a franchise quarterback. This team can recover from the loss of a third round pick. They can’t recover from having no QB. Of course none of this is mentioned in the article. It looks and feels like a knee-jerk reaction built around a new hysteria where every draft pick must be treated like gold.

People keep forgetting the hot mess Ryan Pace inherited when he took over. Nobody is crowning him the king of anything yet. However, maybe it’s wise to do a little research before condemning him as some sort of village idiot.

5 Pitchers The Cubs Can Target At MLB Trade Deadline

By
David Holmes
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The Cubs won the World Series. Even after 202 days, it’s still a surreal feeling knowing that the Cubs dominated the rest of Major League Baseball with a 103-58 record on their way to winning the franchise’s first championship since 1908.

This time last year the Cubs were well on their way to securing the NL Central with a 29-14 record and a comfortable five-game lead in the division. Fast forward to 2017 and the Cubs are off to a vastly different start. Chicago currently possesses a 23-21 record and find themselves third in the division behind the Brewers and Cardinals.

A big reason the Cubs aren’t dominating the way they did in 2016 is that their starting pitching hasn’t produced in the same manner. In 2016, through 43 games the Cubs starting rotation had a 2.70 ERA which was one of the lowest in the majors. This year the Cubs currently sit just inside the Top-10 ranked 8th with a 3.92 ERA.

Chicago has a team built to compete for championships right now, and with a surplus of talented prospects, the Cubs have the pieces needed to bolster the rotation and make another deep run into the playoffs.

Here are five players Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer could target prior to the 2017 MLB trade deadline.

5. Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics

The Cubs are no strangers to trading with the Oakland Athletics, and Chicago would seem to be a perfect fit if they look to move Sonny Gray in 2017. In 2015 Gray was 14-7 with a 2.73 ERA and a 3.7 WAR on his way to an All-Star season.  The 2016 season wasn’t too kind to Gray. He was in and out of the lineup with various injuries and posted a sub-par 5-11 record with a 5.69 ERA and only .7 WAR in 22 starts.

That being said, Gray has started to look like his old self in 2017. Through four starts Gray sports a 1-1 record with a 3.97 ERA and .1 WAR. While not initially impressive, keep in mind this is only through 22 innings of work. Perhaps the most encouraging sign is that his velocity is starting to average 93 MPH which is on par with his averages pre-2016. Gray will turn 28 this November and is under contract through 2019. He would not only fill a need now but has the potential to fill a long-term need going forward.

4. Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays

A narrative that never seems to go away is the link between Joe Maddon’s former team the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs. The Rays have a relatively deep pool of talent at the pitcher position, but not a lot of impact talent around the rest of the diamond. That’s where the Cubs come in with their deep pool of offensive prospects.

What some may not remember is that Chris Archer was in the Cubs system from 2008 to 2010 prior to being traded to the Rays in 2011 for Matt Garza. Since then he has blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball and the Cubs along with the rest of the teams in the MLB would love to have him on their pitching staff.

In 2016, Archer had a Jekyll and Hyde type of season. During the first half of the year, he posted a 4.66 ERA while sporting a 5-14 record. However, during the second half, he returned to the type of pitcher we’ve come to expect. His record was slightly better at 5-9, but he did put up a 3.25 ERA. On the year he finished with 252 strikeouts, good enough for 2nd in the American League.

Chris Archer will turn 29 this fall and has four more years of control. He’d be worth the hefty investment and would position the Cubs rotation nicely for the foreseeable future.

3. Jake Odorizzi, Tampa Bay Rays

The Cubs would love to take Chris Archer off the Rays hands, but they would likely want a current major league talent like a Javy Baez or Kyle Schwarber plus some combination of their top prospects. While that scenario seems unlikely given Theo’s reservations about depleting the farm system too much, there is another pitcher on the Rays the Cubs could be interested in.

Jake Odorizzi is another talented member of the Rays staff, and he wouldn’t have near the same price tag as Archer. Since he became a full-time starter, Odorizzi has been a model of consistency. During his first three years as a starter, he has averaged 10 wins a season, with 163 strikeouts and a 3.72 ERA. An Illinois native and only 27 years old with two more years of control, Odorizzi would be an ideal candidate for the Cubs moving forward.

2. Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates

Gerrit Cole is a bonafide ace and is someone the Cubs would absolutely love to acquire. However, trading for someone like Cole comes with some challenges, especially for Chicago.

The Pirates are off to a rough start to the 2017 season. They are without Starling Marte, who was suspended for 80 games because of a positive drug test, and have no real replacement to fill his spot on the roster. Promising young pitcher Jameson Taillon is still recovering from testicular cancer. Star centerfielder Andrew McCutchen has yet to recover his pre-2016 form and may never be the same. All that combined has left the Pirates in last place in the NL Central without a clear plan moving forward.

That being said the Pirates still and rightfully so have reservations about trading their franchise ace, especially to a division rival. Cole throws 97 MPH and is only one year removed from being an All-Star with 19 wins and a 2.60 ERA. He turns 27 in September and has two more arbitration-eligible seasons after 2017. If the Pirates were to put Cole on the block it would take a ridiculous haul to not only appease the Pirates but to also fend off other potential suitors.

1. Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers

Yu Darvish may seem like an odd candidate for a potential Cubs target given the recent success by the Rangers, but if the Cubs elect to go for a rental approach there is no better potential option on the market.

With Cole Hamels out for the next few months and Adrian Beltre out for the next several weeks, it will be a tall task for the Rangers to keep their current momentum going. If they are unable to do so and fall out of the Wild Card position, the Rangers front office may start thinking about trading the soon to be free agent.

During his five seasons with the Rangers, Darvish has put up some very impressive numbers. A three-time All-Star he has averaged 10 wins a season, a 3.21 ERA with 176 strikeouts, and his WAR has never been below 2.7 over the course of a full season.

In 2017, Darvish is off to another impressive start. He has a 5-2 record with a 2.83 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 63 ⅔ innings. If he continues on this path he should see plenty of interest as we approach the trade deadline. The Cubs liked Darvish when he was first posted, and even put in a bid for him. So expect Theo and company to at least put in a phone call if/when Darvish becomes available.

Conclusion:

The Cubs are a team loaded with talent and have a reasonable chance of making multiple runs to the World Series during the next several years; however, they must address their rotation.

Jake Arrieta and John Lackey are likely to move on after this season, and the 5th spot in the rotation remains a question mark with Brett Anderson and Eddie Butler having mixed results so far. With that in mind, expect Theo Epstein and the Cubs to be active during the 2017 MLB trade deadline.

Even Patrick Kane Knows Predators Were The Much Better Team

By
Brian Foran
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While the fan in me remains bitter the Blackhawks were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for a second consecutive year (mostly financially bitter – since my job indeed mandates I cover the Blackhawks and that’s kind of hard to consistently do when they’re not playing), the hockey geek in me is ecstatic that the clear-cut best team in the NHL survived the utter bloodbath that is the West and will possibly (unless the never-say-die Ottawa Senators have something to say about it) meet the best in the East in what would be an epic, balls-to-the-wall track meet of a Stanley Cup Final.

If it wasn’t obvious after round 1 who the definitive  best team in the West was, it certainly is now. The Nashville Predators borderline effortless mopping-of-the-floor with the #1 seed Chicago Blackhawks makes a whole of a hell lot more sense in the present day after seeing them do just about the same thing to two of the West’s other top dogs, the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks.

I know many of you will disagree with me on this concrete fact since the Blackhawks are the center of the hockey-playing universe and there’s no way anyone could ever be better and all, but at least I can say I have one of the five best hockey players on the planet and someone who experienced the beating, firsthand, on my side: Patrick Kane.

This is what the all-world winger had to say about the Blackhawks first round sweep at the hands of the West’s representative in the Stanley Cup Final.

“Maybe we had a chance in Game 3 when we were up 2-0, but it was a clean sweep and that’s probably how it should’ve been,” Kane told CSN Chicago. “So now it’s time to regroup”.

I don’t think it should take Amy Adams’ expert linguist character in “Arrival” to translate exactly what Kane is trying to say here: The Predators were the much better team and by the waning games of what would be a clean series sweep, there was virtually no hope due to this realization.

And it was pretty obvious through their anemic performance. No matter what the Blackhawks did or tried, nothing was enough to penetrate what, throughout the playoffs – not just against the Blackhawks – has simultaneously been an impenetrable wall and unstoppable force. You almost can’t blame them for becoming consumed by demoralization and giving off as much energy and effort as a sloth on Xanax during those final games.

Historically, it would have been a vice versa situation with the formidable Blackhawks toying with the pedestrian Predators. The Blackhawks simply fell victim to this torment they had grown notorious for raining down upon the West for the betterment of the past 8 years. This time it was them who got the short end of the stick. The little brother who was always bullied by the big brother grew up to be 6’3, 230 and finally got his retribution by kicking big brother’s ass.

Jose Abreu’s Unusual Streak Continued With His 100th Career HR

By
Aldo Soto
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Jose Abreu, White Sox

Jose Abreu hit his 100th career home run with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 387-foot homer wasn’t enough to bring the White Sox back, as they lost 5-4, but it did extend an unusual streak for Abreu.

The Cuban first baseman has played in 43 of Chicago’s 44 games so far this season and a week before June, Abreu still doesn’t have a home run at home. His eighth-inning home run in Arizona was Abreu’s ninth dinger of 2017, all coming away from Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox have played more games on the road, but it’s incredible that in 16 home games Abreu still hasn’t homered.

In White Sox history, Abreu’s current road homer streak to start a season ranks as second longest. Tom Paciorek hit 11 home runs in 1982, and they all came on the road.

So, has Abreu always had more success hitting home runs away from Chicago since he signed with the White Sox before the 2014 season? Not at all. From 2014-16, Abreu clubbed 46 home runs at home and 45 on the road.

Anyway, Abreu also became the third Cuban-born player to hit at least 100 or more home runs in his first four MLB seasons.

Although Abreu hasn’t found the power stroke at home this year, he’s on pace to hit the most home runs after four seasons for any Cuban-born player.

Two Former Bulls Could Reunite Next Season

By
Matt Peck
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timberwolves derrick rose tom thibodeau free agency

For a while there, it looked like Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau could turn into the next star-coach duo to lead the Bulls to the promised land after Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson combined for six titles in the 1990s.

But things happened and that path to greatness took a dark turn. Several Rose injuries and a falling out between Thibodeau and the Bulls front office closed any brief opening of a championship window. Thibs got the boot after the Bulls failed to get past LeBron James and the Cavaliers in the 2015 playoffs. A year later, Chicago’s native son was shipped to New York in a trade that shocked some fans and relieved others.

Back Together

Fast forward to the present, and there’s growing noise of a reunion between Thibs and one of his favorite pupils. According to a recent ESPN report, the Minnesota Timberwolves are considering Rose as a potential free agent target this summer.

“The Minnesota Timberwolves view Derrick Rose as a potential free agent target this summer, league sources told ESPN…It is unclear at this point which other outside teams besides the Timberwolves view Rose as a potential free agent target. Some rival executives believe the San Antonio Spurs may have interest in Rose, depending on how the free-agent market for point guards develops.” – Ian Begley

This is not the first we’re hearing of a Rose-Thibs reunion. The former Bulls coach, now serving as coach and president of the Timberwolves, reportedly engaged in trade talks with the Knicks before this season’s deadline. Those talks, which centered around Rose and Ricky Rubio, eventually stalled when the Knicks wanted an additional piece and Minnesota refused. With Rose now set to enter free agency, the negotiating table will be about his wishes rather than those of Knicks president Phil Jackson.

Priorities

Rose’s free agency tour will be fascinating. Once the youngest MVP in league history, the 28 year old is coming off yet another surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. (I think we’re approaching a baker’s dozen, Bob.) He infamously said before the 2015-16 season began that he was looking forward to free agency, because he saw all of the huge contracts being handed out to other star-caliber players. In January, while the Knicks were sputtering through a disappointing season, Derrick declared that he’d be looking for a max contract this summer. Who, exactly, would put those kinds of offers in front of him based on his performance (and many absences) in recent seasons?

Staying in New York is theoretically a possibility. After all, Rose said he’s open to the idea of re-signing with the Knicks. Jackson was complimentary of his point guard and the way he handled the tumultuous season in New York. The losing record was just the tip of that iceberg, too. There was drama between front office and the coaching staff, Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, the never-ending spotlight of impatient Knicks fans and media, and on and on. At one point, Rose got so fed up with all of it that he disappeared and fled to Chicago. Seriously, he went AWOL.

The Knicks are a bigger mess than the Bulls, and that’s no easy task. While Rose and Jackson have both spoken positively about the idea of him re-signing, it’s likely just lip service. Rose’s free agency goals and the Knicks’ current “plan” to build around a younger core (assuming they finally split with Anthony) don’t mesh well together.

Not All About The Benjamins

As for Rose’s goals? He changed his tune recently, and it’s not all about getting that max contract. Back in March, with the Knicks’ season already dead, he said he’s putting his free agency priority on finding a winning team.

“Not even thinking money. I’ve got more than enough money saved. If I stopped playing basketball now, I’ll be all right. I want to win. I want to be happy and feel at peace with myself wherever I’m at…I’m not going to negotiate with people where money is the No. 1 thing I’m asking for. I want to win.” – Derrick Rose

Despite many predictions that Thibodeau would instantly turn the young Timberwolves into playoff party-crashers, they finished just 31-51. Rose’s Knicks finished with the exact same record. But with a core of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, Minnesota should be trending up while the Knicks appear to be going nowhere fast.

If Rose and his old coach sit down to talk this summer, can Thibs convince him the Wolves are primed to take a big step forward next season? What kind of money does Thibs think Rose is worth now, and will Derrick feel disrespected by that number? Where does point guard Kris Dunn – whom Thibs refused to trade after last year’s draft – fit into this equation? Will Rose follow through on his word and take less money to join a more legitimate contender like the Spurs?

Lots of interesting questions and no answers yet. It would make for a great story if they reunited and Rose had a career resurgence on a Thibs-led team that turned into perennial playoff contenders. But as Bulls fans found out all too painfully with these two, those dream scenarios rarely work out the way you want them to.

Ben Zobrist Gives An Exact Reason For The Cubs Early Season Struggles

By
Gus
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in Game Seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field on November 2, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ben Zobrist is no stranger to celebrating World Series championships. In his 12-year career, Zobrist has reached the World Series three different times and has left twice a winner (2015-Kansas City, 2016-Chicago). His versatility and clutch-hitting led him to be one of the most important players on both team’s post season rosters and Cubs fans saw just how important of a role he played last season. It was his clutch hit in the 2016 World Series that propelled the Cubs to their first championship in over a century and also resulted in him being named the World Series MVP.

Zobrist went on the Waddle And Silvy yesterday and shared his thoughts on a variety of issues including: his new cereal, Kyle Schwarber, the leadoff spot, and more importantly — the Cubs early season struggles.

Zobrist gave a very interesting answer when he was asked why he thought the Cubs have stumbled out of the gate to start 2017.

“Fatigue. I think we’re all a little bit fatigued still from the off-season.”

Zobrist essentially verified the dreaded “World Series hangover” excuse that most defending champions use to explain their early season struggles the year after they win it all. To be quite honest with you, I always thought this was a bullshit excuse until I started to look a little deeper into it.

Through their first 44 games following a World Series victory, here are the past five defending champions records:

2017 Chicago Cubs – 23-21

2016 Kansas City Royals – 23-21

2015 San Francisco Giants – 25-19

2014 Boston Red Sox – 20-24

2013 San Francisco Giants – 24-20

2012 St. Louis Cardinals – 25-19

As you can see, none of the previous champions have exactly had a blistering start to their encore season.

Zobrist continued,

“We hope this is the worst we are going to perform all year. The way everybody expects to perform, we can really only go up from here….We have to keep grinding to get ourselves to a point where can get our heads above water a bit.”

I don’t know if it’s the optimistic Cubs fan in me but I feel like this year’s team is at that point where their heads will be fully above water very soon. The first quarter of the season was ugly no doubt, but the fact the team is above .500 and still in the hunt for the division title has to been recognized. Also factor in how terrible the starting pitching has been, a mediocre defense, and the fact that the big bats of both Kyle Schwarber and Anthony Rizzo have struggled — Cubs fans should be happy this team isn’t sitting eight or ten games below .500.

We saw a flash last night of the team that Cubs fans thought would open up the 2017 season which gave every fan (myself included) a glimmer of hope that a change is about to come. The Cubs offense lit up Johnny Cueto and played outstanding defense behind the best start of any Cubs pitcher in 2017. Jon Lester threw a complete game for just the ninth time in the National League this season and needed only 99 pitches to earn the W to help the Cubs defeat the Giants 4-1.

I feel like I encapsulated most Cubs fans feelings after watching the “new” Cubs begin to turn the tide in 2017.

You can hear the entire Zobrist interview below.

 

Mike Glennon Says Bears Are His Team But This Says Otherwise

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky starting job

The Mike Glennon Mitch Trubisky debate is something that is going to envelop the entire Chicago Bears fan base for the next seven months. For 2017 though the veteran Glennon indicated several times during his first press conference at Organized Team Activities that the team had not withdrawn their promise that it was his show for this year. Drafting Trubisky had not changed that. It would be Glennon’s show.

Understandable in its outlay. Glennon of course has a much greater experience advantage and the Bears didn’t pay him $18.5 million in guaranteed money to sit on the bench. They promised him an opportunity and he’s getting it. GM Ryan Pace just wasn’t willing to mortgage his and the teams’ future on a former backup quarterback. The drafting of Trubisky was meant to add depth and competition.

However, there is reason to think that the Bears aren’t holding their breath on Glennon being anything more than a placeholder.

Mike Glennon Mitch Trubisky practice reps drop big hint

Initial impressions out of practice offer some interesting nuggets. The play of receivers Cameron Meredith and Kendall Wright stood out. Leonard Floyd looked bigger and stronger. Rookie tight end Adam Shaheen continued his string of impressive practices. The most interesting tidbit though was saved for the quarterbacks. Specifically the division of reps between Glennon and Trubisky.

Word is that Trubisky and Glennon are dead even in practice with how many snaps they’re getting with some believing that the rookie might even be getting a few extra. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains tried to explain this dilemma to ESPN recently.

“We have to be really smart with our plan and how we practice, because it’s not just one guy, it’s two guys [Glennon and Trubisky], and there’s [backups] Mark [Sanchez] and there’s Connor [Shaw],” Loggains said on Friday. “So we need to make sure that we’re getting everyone ready to play … because there’s three new faces and only one guy [Shaw] that was in the room last year.”

 

Few things can tell a greater story for how a team really feels about a player than how many reps he gets in practice. The fact that Trubisky might be getting as many or more snaps than Glennon is a huge hint from the team brass about where their expectations lay. If they were really behind the veteran like he says, then common sense dictates he gets the majority of the reps. This is after all a new offense he’s walking into. If he’s going to be effective like they hope he’d need every one.

Instead they seem dead set on developing Trubisky as fast as possible. This shouldn’t be a big surprise. Pace did trade up in the draft to get him. Clearly the GM has a strong belief that he can be the guy. If nothing else this sends a clear enough message. The 2017 season may belong to Glennon, but beyond that? Best not to hold his breath.

Kendall Wright Is Already Making The Bears Glad They Signed Him

By
Erik Lambert
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kendall wright dowell loggains

People don’t realize how strong the Kendall Wright Dowell Loggains connection really was. It’s without a doubt the biggest reason the free agent receiver signed with Chicago back in March. Why? If one were to do their homework they’d notice that Wright had by far the most productive stretch of his NFL career when Loggains was offensive coordinator in Tennessee.

Loggains took over that job on November 26th of 2012. From there the two would be together for a total of 20 games. In that time Wright would catch 110 passes for 1,267 yards. That averages out to 5.5 catches and 63.35 yards per game. For a comparison that’s the same productivity level put up by Mike Wallace last season. Not too bad.

The feeling is that Wright, with his particular skill set is a solid fit for what Loggains wants from his receivers. Given the early word out of organized team activities, it’s easy to see why.

Kendall Wright Dowell Loggains combo is already dominating

Remember that brief stretch last year where Josh Bellamy was turning into a force? Before the whole dropping every other pass deal, of course. He made a number of surprisingly good plays. Well keep in mind that Wright is a more talented version of Bellamy. It’s easy to forget he’s a former first round pick. According to Jeremy Stoltz of Bear Report, he looked every bit like one during the second OTA of the offseason.

“The MVP of practice today was WR Kendall Wright, who was unstoppable for most of the day working with the first team alongside Markus Wheaton and Cameron Meredith.

On the second snap of 7-on-7 drills, Wright ran a 15-yard out route and made a tiptoe sideline catch on a pass from Glennon. Later, Wright made a diving catch on a slant pattern, beating CB Cre’Von LeBlanc on an inside move.

He then made an impressive grab in traffic on an intermediate crossing route, snatching the pass out in front of him, and then easily beat CB Bryce Callahan on a skinny post, creating instant separation out of his break. At the end of practice, Wright found open area near the sideline after Trubisky bought time with his feet and made the easy catch before falling out of bounds.

Wright was not limited to slot duty and made catches from every spot on the field. He showed immediate chemistry with Glennon, using his outstanding quickness and burst to consistently make the secondary look silly.”

He wasn’t alone

Granted, this is practicing in shorts. It’s noted that the pads haven’t even gone on yet. Even so, this is a welcome sign that Wright hasn’t missed a beat despite being away from Loggains for three years. The best part is he wasn’t the only one who showed up ready to play. Word is Cameron Meredith, the teams’ surprise 2016 sensation arrived for practice in shape and sharper than ever in his mechanics.

Even Kevin White received praise from Mike Glennon for looking good during the first practice. It’s early and way too soon to let hopes get carried away. Still, history shows that Kendall Wright loves the offense Dowell Loggains runs. If that holds true, then the Bears should see good production out of him this year.

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