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Fans Won’t Believe Bears Draft Plan Had They Not Gotten Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
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bears draft plan

Ryan Pace gave an honest answer as to why his Chicago Bears draft plan centered around moving up one spot to select Mitch Trubisky #2 overall. He had the conviction that a team must be aggressive if they want to be great. They identified a player they felt could change their fortunes at the most important position in football. So they went up and got him.

That’s the generally accepted part of the story. Easy enough to understand. No Bears QB has made a Pro Bowl since 1985. Their lone Hall of Famer Sid Luckman retired in 1951 and died in 1998. This franchise is long overdue for having an actual star at the position. They seem to think Trubisky can be that guy.

The truth is though that still doesn’t quite explain the trade. Sure, there was lingering fear another team might jump up. However, the odds favored Trubisky being available at #3 overall. As it turns out there was another piece of motivation involved.

Bears draft plan was basically Trubisky or bust

It seems Pace is a very picky man. He wanted Marcus Mariota in 2015 but couldn’t get him. He wanted Carson Wentz last year but couldn’t get him. Both times he did not select a quarterback in the entire draft. According to Albert Breer of the MMQB, the GM was prepared to do the same again if the Bears failed to land Trubisky.

“As I understand it, Trubisky wasn’t just the top-rated quarterback on the Bears’ board—there was no close second, and they weren’t going to take a QB if he’d gone first overall to Cleveland. After vetting all the quarterbacks, the Bears brass believed Trubisky was the most athletic and the most accurate and carried the most upside of any of this year’s prospects.”

In other words it was Trubisky or nobody. Pace has cemented himself as a man of high standards when it comes to the QB position. At least in the draft. If he doesn’t view the player as a future franchise guy, he’s content to ride it out with experienced veterans like Jay Cutler and Brian Hoyer. This of course better explains the aggressive push to sign Mike Glennon in free agency.

Had they not been able to secure Trubisky, it appears Pace would’ve spent the 2017 draft building up the offensive and defensive skill positions. Then it would be the Glennon show for this season. Maybe a bit anticlimactic but then again not surprising. Pace was bound to have high standards after watching Drew Brees for years in New Orleans.

It’s encouraging to think he saw enough in Trubisky to think he can be that type of player.

Javy Baez Unleashes Giant Water Gun To Celebrate Cubs Walk-Off Win

By
Gus
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We’re only a month into the 2017 season and the Cubs already have the reputation as being the “comeback Cubs.” Their starting pitching has made an unfortunate habit of giving up first inning runs on multiple occasions but thankfully the Cubs offense and bullpen has been able to bail out the rotation too many times already this season.

Today’s drama came in the form of a 5-4 come from behind victory over Philadelphia which resulted in the Cubs taking three of four from the Phillies. The game was a back and forth affair throughout a cold day at Wrigley but the Cubs were eventually able to walk-off in the bottom of the 13th on a throwing error by Freddie Galvas which led Albert Almora Jr. across the plate to win the game.

As is tradition, the player responsible for the winning hit is swamped by the dugout and usually results in a water bath, a ripped jersey, or some form of getting your ass kicked. And since Matt Szczur was the hero today, he was the one who got the special treatment. However, today’s walk-off was something that I’ve never seen in my 34 years of being a Cubs fan.

A Super Soaker.

The mammoth water gun was brought out by Javy Baez which is further proof of how young this Cubs team really is.

 

Let’s Count All The Bullsh*t Hypocrisies From The GarPax Press Conference

By
Matt Peck
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john paxson takes shot jimmy butler during press conference

I don’t want to say I told you so, but…

Just kidding. I absolutely do.

After the Bulls looked lifeless in two home defeats that brought their series with the Celtics into a 2-2 tie, I warned you of what was coming. And no, it wasn’t winter. The new season of Game of Thrones airs in July, but Chicago summer is just around the corner. Two more quick defeats and a playoff exit is what was coming. An embarrassingly one-sided home loss in Game 6 is what was coming. Another maddeningly confusing press conference from GM Gar Forman and VP John Paxson is what was coming.

Check, check and check. I told you so.

On Wednesday morning, less than a week after another painfully mediocre season came to a merciful end, the two-headed monster took to the podium to offer their thoughts and field questions. Honestly, they could’ve saved themselves and the media some time by simply emailing everyone a transcript of their press conference from April of last year. You know, the one they had after failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008? If you removed any mentions of new team staples Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade from Wednesday’s affair, the vague platitudes spouted by Forman and Paxson were a shot-for-shot remake.

Hypocrisy, conflicting strategies and a lack of a clear direction moving forward. Oh, what a difference a year makes.

So what, exactly, did we learn from this duo’s latest media session? Let’s dive in.

Same Page

Gar and Paxson did appear to have concrete opinions on a few ideas. For example, the importance of Rondo to this team on the court and in the locker room.

“Outside of Rondo, our point guards did not play with push and pace the way Fred wants to play. So yes, we have to continue to look at the style he wants to play, and look at players that fit that.” – John Paxson

…And yet your head coach benched Rondo in favor of young scrubs and you guys tried to trade him at the deadline. Good call. Hypocrisy #1.

“To a man, our young people loved Rajon. He was great in the locker room. He was great off the court with these guys; took them under his wing in a lot of ways, and he was responsible for a lot of the good things that came from them…To be candid with you, when we had that incident where Dwyane and Jimmy spoke up in January, when [Rondo] stood up for our young guys, that empowered them a little bit. It might be small but there was some growth with our young guys. Because they felt they had a voice as a young player and for us that was important.” – John Paxson

…Is that why you fined Rondo for the Instagram post? “We really appreciate your leadership and the mentor role you’re playing. Here’s a fine for speaking your mind.” Good call. Hypocrisy #2.

Despite the ugly hiccups that Rondo and his bosses endured midseason, his play down the stretch and into their first two playoff games apparently cemented his return. So take that $13.4 million out of the Bulls’ salary cap flexibility this summer.

Inconsistent Niko

Paxson, to his credit, didn’t mince words when he gave his first impression of the season before taking questions.

“We saw what you saw and what a lot of our fans saw. And that is inconsistency in our play and really a team that was searching for an identity much of the season.” – John Paxson

If there’s one player on this Bulls roster that defines the inconsistency that plagued the group, it’s Nikola Mirotic. The third year forward takes two steps back after every single step forward. He follows a strong performance by ghosting for a week or two. As a restricted free agent this summer, the Bulls need to decide if he’s a piece to keep moving forward.

“Obviously, Niko had an up-and-down year. He would be the first to tell you that he was disappointed he wasn’t more consistent, as were we at times. In saying that, we value Niko…We see him as a 25-year-old, six-foot-10 guy who can shoot. He’s got to get better in certain areas…As we talked to him, Niko made it clear that he wants to be in Chicago…But you don’t know what’s going to happen within the market, and those are decisions we’ll have to make as time comes. But we certainly would hope that Niko would be back.” – Gar Forman

It sounds like Gar and Paxson have every intent to keep Mirotic on board, in spite of his inconsistencies. You know, the kind of inconsistency that represented the team’s biggest problem this season. Good call. Hypocrisy #3.

I’m sorry, but if any teams out there offer Niko anything above minimum wage, the Bulls better let him walk. When Niko is good, he’s good. But for a three year veteran with overseas experience, his bad far too often outweighs his good.

Speaking of Niko, let’s now go over some of the more egregious examples of hypocritical nonsense offered by Forman and Paxson as they tried to spin-talk their way out of an ugly situation.

[USE ARROWS TO CONTINUE READING]

Cardinals Fan Hit With Stray Bullet While Watching Game Inside Busch Stadium

By
Sports Mockery
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During Tuesday night’s Cardinals game, inside Busch Stadium, a fan was reportedly grazed by a bullet that hit her in the arm. Police said there had been calls about shots fired in a nearby area just moments before a 34 year-old woman watching the game “felt a pain in her arm.”

She went to the first aid station, and workers there contacted an off-duty police officer working a secondary security job there, police said. There was reportedly a bullet casing found right by the woman’s seat.

Todd Porter, 54, who was sitting directly behind the victim, said the following to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

She suddenly said, “Wow, I think I’ve been shot,” just as the eighth inning was coming to a close, Porter said.

“We thought she was joking, but everybody turned around and she showed me the blood coming down from her elbow,” Porter said. “It looked real purple and red and it looked like there was a hole in her jacket.”

The man who was sitting with the victim then said, “We need security, she’s been shot,” Porter recalled.

In a statement, the Cardinals confirmed the incident and said: “There is nothing more important than the safety of our fans, and the Cardinals are grateful that no one was seriously injured.”

Team President Bill DeWitt III said security at the ballpark has never been tighter. Safety measures include surveillance cameras inside and outside; three explosives-detection dogs and a fourth on the way; two SWAT teams; and new metal detectors, which are all linked.

The police call received, about shots fired in the area, turned out to be less than one mile from the ballpark at 14th Street and Chouteau Avenue area.

Quite a scary incident that could have ended much worse.

ESPN Predicts Bears Will Pick This High In 2018 NFL Draft

By
Erik Lambert
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bears 2018 nfl draft

The 2017 NFL draft just ended. Amazing as that is to say, the fact remains that draft season is a 365-days-a-year thing. So it’s only natural that people have already turned their sights towards a Bears 2018 NFL draft rendezvous. In fact many were already looking that way before the 2017 version had even begun. Things can get weird sometimes.

Nonetheless it’s fair to ask the question. What do the experts think happen with Chicago glancing towards next April? Of course they all say it’s too early, but they hatch their predictions anyway. Noted ESPN expert Todd McShay wasn’t shy taking a crack at it. Not only did he predict where the Bears would draft in the overall order, but even who they’d take.

Who is the projected Bears 2018 NFL draft pick?

“12. Chicago Bears

Tarvarus McFadden, CB, Florida State*

Listed at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, McFadden is another big Florida State DB. He tied for the FBS lead with eight interceptions in 2016, an impressive feat in his first season as a full-time starter.”

McShay believes the Bears make up for what they didn’t do in the 2017 draft by taking a cornerback early. The more interesting part of this centers on where the pick is happening. He believes Chicago holds the #12 overall spot when the dust settles. For an idea of what that means, understand that the pick would’ve belonged to the Philadelphia Eagles in this past draft before they traded it to Cleveland. Philly finished the 2016 season with a 7-9 record.

In essence McShay is saying the Bears finish with that same mark. That marks a four-game improvement from this past season. Not the playoff push many fans are pining for but a considerable step in the right direction if nothing else. That would bring some optimism into 2018 where GM Ryan Pace, now armed with his future franchise QB, would be free to arm the defense.

Put that young man on this defense? It would be hard not to get a little excited about this teams’ prospects in the long-term.

Chicago Bears Draft Pick Expected To Make Immediate Impact In NFL

By
Sports Mockery
-

Fourteen rookies were recently selected by NFL.com’s Gil Brandt to be “instant-impact” players in the league and one of the Bears’ draft picks made the list. It’s obviously not Mitchell Trubisky considering he’s expected to sit for his first season and learn behind Mike Glennon. That would leave most to believe it’s the new tight end nicknamed “Baby Gronk” Ryan Pace chose to take in the second round, Adam Shaheen, that guess would be wrong.

Brandt selected Chicago’s fourth-round pick, 119th overall, Tarik Cohen. Cohen is a dynamic playmaker out of North Carolina A&T that seemed to fly under the radar for most casual fans that researched the draft. However, NFL GMs around the league have taken note of Cohen’s abilities. At only 5’6″, 179lbs., his draft profile compares him directly to Darren Sproles, a player Pace is very familiar with from his time in New Orleans.

Here’s what Brandt had to say about Cohen:

“Cohen should provide some additional burst out of the backfield for the Bears, especially as a receiver, where 2016 breakout back Jordan Howard doesn’t offer much. Cohen also should add juice to a return game that still hasn’t really replaced Devin Hester.”

Not only is Cohen expected to provide a change of Pace for current starter Jordan Howard, he’ll likely work his way into the return game bringing blazing fast speed and lightning quick feet and Chicago hasn’t seen that since #23…. in the orange and navy. Hester’s play-making ability for the Bears made him an instant fan favorite, Cohen is expected to leave a similar mark.

Image result for tarik cohen gif

Cohen finished fourth in rushing for the NCAA tallying up over 1,500 yards in 2016, he also ran a 4.42 40 yard dash at the NFL combine. Pace was said to be looking for a dynamic player, with speed to add to the backfield, that’s why whispers indicated Christian McCaffrey was high on Chicago’s board if Trubisky was gone and they moved down in the first round.

Nevertheless, Cohen will add skills that compliment Howard nicely. Nicknamed “the human joystick,” Cohen will enter the game and provide an immediate burst of speed after Howard does the dirty work in-between the tackles. This will give the Bears more flexibility in their running game and more team speed overall.

Many Bears fans mentioned Garrett Wolfe as a comparison when Cohen was selected, but it appears NFL analysts are a bit higher on him and liken him to Sproles.

As Chicago rebuilds their passing attack and figures out their receiving core, they’re expected to have a nice set of running backs to move the chains for the offense. Adding Cohen to the return game is simply icing on the cake.

If Cohen has early success running the ball, it could set the Bears up nicely to trade Jeremy Langford / Ka’deem Carey as well.

Another seemingly nice pick by Pace that the casual fan had no clue about.

In Pace we trust.

A Successful Mike Glennon Is Crucial To Ryan Pace’s Master Plan

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears stat projections

People are still trying to digest the logic behind the Ryan Pace Mike Glennon maneuver. It doesn’t make sense. If he always planned to take Mitch Trubisky, then why pay $18.5 million in guaranteed money for Glennon? Several GMs around the league were quotes as saying they didn’t quite understand it. Maybe that’s because most of them don’t see the big picture.

Most GMs these days are focused on the “one-game-at-a-time” philosophy. Or in this case the one season at a time. They ask themselves how can they improve the roster to make it a winner that given year. It’s apparent from almost everything he’s done to this point that Pace is much more focused on the long view.

People might not believe this, but Glennon plays an integral part to that plan. What that part is remains to be determined. If one thing is clear though, pretty much anything he does from this point forward can be spun as a positive for the Bears.

How is that possible?

The Ryan Pace Mike Glennon master plan

When Chicago drafted Trubisky, most Bears fans began to see the Glennon signing in a different light. To some he’s just the placeholder now. A veteran who can play the position at a decent level until the “franchise” is ready for action. That’s a fair idea. It’s also just one part of the plan. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN explained another, even more intriguing part of it that helps the Bears in the long view.

“If Glennon does well in 2017, and Trubisky develops and the Bears want him to start in 2018, then Chicago absolutely should look to trade Glennon next offseason. Sure, Glennon would be a solid No. 2 (theoretically next year) but he’s not going to want to be a backup. Why do you think he left Tampa for Chicago in the first place? The Bucs offered to make Glennon the league’s highest-paid backup, but he wanted a chance to start, which he found in Chicago (albeit seemingly temporarily).

All of Chicago should root for Glennon’s success. There is absolutely no downside here.”

That is not an untrue statement. When looking at the situation from a wide-angle lens the truth is the Bears are set up quite well regardless of what happens.

If he’s great:

That’s fantastic. The QB position is solved. Chicago is suddenly loaded at the position and can feel free to trade Trubisky at a later date. After all there’s bound to be some teams interested in acquiring the young talent who should have at least a year of NFL coaching under his belt by then.

If he’s good:

This will prove quite fruitful in 2018. Glennon will be just 29-years old by that point and most of the guaranteed money in his contract already paid. At the very least Chicago should be able to deal him to a QB-needy team to get back that third round pick they had to give up in the Trubisky trade with San Francisco. Remember Seattle got a fifth rounder for Matt Flynn back in 2013 just one year after signing him.

If he underwhelms:

Then they’ll know for sure that Glennon was always destined to be a backup. This isn’t such a bad thing. Trubisky will assume the mantle in 2018 and the Bears will have an experienced, professional reserve for at least two more years. By the time his contract ends will be the time Chicago hopefully is prepared to hand Trubisky a new contract.

All the bases are covered for Pace. Sure, Glennon might not be happy that he once again has to face stiff competition for the job. It’s basically Tampa Bay all over again with Jameis Winston. This time though is a little different. Chicago is giving him a chance to prove that job belongs to him. The Bucs had no such intention. If he wants to show the NFL he can be the guy for a team, this is his chance.

Eventually the sting of the Trubisky pick will dissipate. Pace knows that. Glennon, at the end of the day, is a pro. If he can’t handle competition, he’ll never be a successful starter in the NFL. At this point is doesn’t matter what he does. Every outcome should come out as a positive in some way for the franchise.

Why This Was The Best Bears Pick of the 2017 NFL Draft

By
Erik Lambert
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best bears 2017 NFL draft pick

The best Bears 2017 NFL draft pick? A good question. Much of answering it goes into personal opinion as most things do when it comes to judgment. Some people prefer the pick that fills the greatest need. Others like to seek out the one with the greatest overall talent. Those aren’t terrible ways to do it, but that’s not how this article will judge.

Sometimes the best way to gauge the best pick of a draft class is by combining a variety of factors. Namely talent, production, and where that player was selected. In that regard it’s hard to say Mitch Trubisky is the best pick of the draft. Is he the most important? Far and away. However, the Bears traded up to the #2 slot for him. They gave up a lot so the value part of that equation is somewhat weak.

No the best pick of this draft class has a tinge of irony attached to it. Not only is it the singular pick that came out of a top national program. It’s also the only defensive player selected by Chicago in the entire draft.

The best Bears 2017 NFL draft pick is Eddie Jackson

People will instantly denounce that idea because he’s coming off a broken leg from last season. Look there is no escaping the fact he got hurt, but by all accounts his surgery was a complete success. His rehab is full speed ahead and he should be good to go for training camp. That is what matters. Besides, he also tore his ACL early in 2014 but returned that same year to play 10 games.

The kid is tough.

After all it’s not like the Bears took him in the first round. They managed to swipe him in the fourth, and that could be a gigantic steal. It’s important first to understand something. The first two years Jackson played for Alabama in college, he was a cornerback. He’d primarily played that position on defense since high school. It wasn’t until 2015 that he made the switch to safety. A position he barely knew.

Didn’t seem to matter though. In a span of 23 games he managed to swipe seven interceptions and return three of them for touchdowns. Most would have you believe he benefited from QB overthrows, brought about by a great Crimson Tide front seven. The truth is that’s just not the case. There were quite a few instances where Jackson showcased his ability to read the quarterback and beat receivers to the spot.

A vocal leader

Yet the ball skills are just the tip of the iceberg with him. Something the Bears have really wanted to get more out of their safeties is leadership. Sure they’ve had some experienced veterans and aggressive guys who play with energy. Just nobody who was a standout voice in that secondary. Someone who could get everybody lined up right and set a certain level of expectation both from them and himself.

Jackson brings that reputation with him from Alabama. Head coach Nick Saban even went so far as to say the young man is one of his all-time favorites he’s ever coached at the position.

It’s hard to argue with that. Jackson always seemed to set the tone for Alabama in big games. His six interceptions in 2015 came against Wisconsin, Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Clemson. Two of those teams were nationally ranked and the other three were conference rivals. It’s fair to wonder how different the national championship this past season would’ve gone had he played.

Between the two title games, Deshaun Watson threw seven touchdowns and just one interception. Jackson was the man who got that interception. It was an absolutely crucial one too. Alabama trailed at that point 14-7 and had just punted. Clemson had a chance to widen their lead. Then Jackson stepped in and got the ball back. The Tide scored on the subsequent drive to tie the game 14-14 and regained momentum.

Could things have been different on that fateful final drive in the rematch had Jackson been there? Odds are teammates and coaches think so. It just feels like the Bears secured something they’ve sought for over a decade, and did it so casually that it’s almost easy to miss.

Well fans are likely to witness the depth of this steal when the real action starts in September.

The Work Ryan Pace Did On Mitch Trubisky Is Downright Obsessive

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears mitch trubisky

A lot of people are treating the Ryan Pace Mitch Trubisky decision in the NFL draft like it was made on a whim. As if the Chicago Bears GM felt the pressure of the moment, panicked and decided to spend valuable draft capital to secure a young, inexperienced quarterback who likely won’t help the team in 2017. Almost as if Pace was finally showing his own youth at the high profile job.

Why do they think that? Simple. It’s controversial, dramatic and easy to digest. Odds are it’s also completely false. Anybody who has watched Pace operate over the past three offseasons can see plain as day this is not a man prone to shooting from the hip. Every single signing and draft pick reflects a man who sees the big picture.

Saints head coach Sean Payton even admitted his admiration for the young executive. Back when he worked in New Orleans, his ability to find quality players in small places was lauded. A testament to his work ethic. Emily Kaplan of the MMQB revealed that this same borderline-obsession attention to detail went into the most important Bears draft pick of the past decade.

WATCH: These Bryzzo Bloopers Are Absolutely Hysterical

By
Gus
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The blooper real from the latest Bryzzo commercial was recently released by the MLB Twitter account and it’s probably the best two minute video I’ve watched in a long time. Watching all of these outtakes makes me wonder how long it actually took to get the full commercial filmed.

The best blooper has to be,

Rizzo: “You don’t know what an Old Fashioned is though that’s the thing.”

Bryant: “Yes I do. It’s my favorite doughnut.”

This is just really good.

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