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It Finally Came Out Why Kyle Monangai Rose Up Depth Chart So Fast

By
Erik Lambert
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kyle monangai

Kyle Monangai has been a revelation for the Chicago Bears. Disappointment reigned everywhere during the NFL draft in April. Fans had been geared up for weeks, hoping the team would go after a running back early in what was billed as one of the strongest classes in recent memory. Unfortunately, they missed several opportunities in the first few rounds. Rather than force the issue, GM Ryan Poles opted to focus elsewhere. Not until the 7th round did he finally make the move, scooping Monangai up.

Most people didn’t know him. That comes with playing at Rutgers, the perennial bottom-feeder of the Big Ten. It didn’t help that he lacked what many saw as anything elite: size, strength, speed, and quickness. Nothing about the running back situation had changed. Then things began shifting. Monangai started getting more and more work with the top offense. People were surprised. How had it happened so fast? Adam Jahns of CHGO finally added crucial details on what the rookie did to win over the coaching staff.

It was simple, but not at all easy.

He’s in the door at Halas Hall by 6 a.m. – 6:30 a.m. at the latest, he said – and the earliest that he’s left so far is 7 p.m.

“That’s a typical day,” Monangai told CHGO. “It’s a grind. That’s what training camp is. I hear it from all my friends in the league that your rookie year is your longest year. So I went into this year with that mindset.”

Why is Monangai arriving at the Bears’ facility that early?

“It’s just the mental and physical part,” Monangai said. “Mentally, getting in my playbook and getting ready for the install for the day, reviewing the install from before. And then physically taking care of my body, getting my body ready to go perform. We got a walk-through and then we’ll have actual practice, so it gives me a lot of time to get my body right to go be at my best for practice.”

Kyle Monangai is merely the latest proof of the NFL.

It has never been all about the talent. It’s about what you get out of your talent. There are guys with elite ability who never made it beyond three or four years in the league. Meanwhile, more than a few who weren’t even considered draftable ended up in the Hall of Fame. Kyle Monangai is probably a six out of ten on the talent scale. To compensate for that, he couples it with an elite work ethic. Putting in over 12 hours a day honing your craft might be obsessive, but it’s necessary in this case. He doesn’t just want to be on a roster. Monangai wants to play. He wants to show everybody he belongs at this level. We already see how this guy delivered back-to-back 1200-yard seasons despite playing for a mediocre program in a top conference. Bet against him at your own peril.

Chicago Bears Have An Unexpected Wrinkle Unfolding On Roster

By
Erik Lambert
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theo benedet

The Chicago Bears looked like they already had their depth chart mostly set at offensive tackle. Darnell Wright is the starting right tackle. Braxton Jones and Ozzy Trapilo would battle it out at left tackle. Whoever loses would be the primary swing tackle alongside Kiran Amegadjie. However, if there is one thing we learn every year, it is never to assume anything about how the roster shakes out. The Bears have a situation unfolding at tackle they probably didn’t expect when training camp began. Now, after the first preseason game, there is no choice but to acknowledge it.

That situation is Theo Benedet.

Fans might remember he was the undrafted rookie from Canada that the Bears picked up. He earned immediate fame for his memorable striptease song during rookie initiation on Hard Knocks. Unfortunately, an injury sidelined him for the preseason, and he never got the chance to prove himself. This time around, he is taking full advantage of his opportunity. In 29 snaps on Sunday, he didn’t allow a single pressure on the quarterback. That included 13 in which he was one-on-one with no help. Outside of an unfortunate penalty, it was almost a flawless performance.

The Chicago Bears have a tough decision ahead of them.

Currently, Wright, Jones, and Trapilo are unquestioned locks for the main roster. That leaves a fourth spot up for grabs. Amegadjie felt like the obvious choice as a former 3rd round pick. The problem is he’s been injured for the past week. In that time, Benedet strung together some solid practice performances and followed it up with one in actual game action. Teams never want to give up on higher draft choices too soon, but Amegadjie is putting the Chicago Bears in a tough spot. His continued absence can’t be excused away, not when another guy gives them plenty of reasons to warrant a roster spot. While Jones vs. Trapilo is the main event of the tackle discussion, Benedet and Amegadjie might be almost as important.

Luther Burden Has Experts Shocked After Preseason Debut

By
Erik Lambert
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luther burden

Austin Booker stole the show for the Chicago Bears in the preseason opener. He dominated the Miami Dolphins’ offensive line for three sacks and almost had at least two others. While the competition may not have been elite, it was a surefire sign that he’s made rapid progress from last season. However, the other name that drew a lot of attention was Luther Burden. The 2nd round wide receiver from Missouri wasn’t getting much national buzz after missing most of the spring with a hamstring injury. He only caught two passes for 29 yards in the game.

So what is the buzz about?

Much of it stems from how he looked. Experts already knew Burden had excellent speed. He could chew up space remarkably fast and make it seem effortless. Yet what has surprised many was how good he looked running routes. He showed a veteran savvy against accomplished defensive backs, particularly on his big 3rd down conversion that led to the team’s first touchdown. Evidence suggests Tyson Bagent missed two touchdown opportunities on back-to-back plays because he didn’t look Burden’s way.

Luther Burden just looks like an NFL wide receiver.

They always say there is timed speed and field speed. This rookie has the latter. He glides in and out of cuts and can accelerate to create separation. His tape shows the ability to use his hands to subtly nudge defensive backs off of his body without drawing interference penalties. This doesn’t look like a raw talent who needs development. Luther Burden has enough knowledge to play immediately. Suddenly, the Bears might have one of the deeper receiving corps in the NFL. They already had D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze going into this year. They added Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency, who’s had a terrific camp. Throw Burden on top of that pile and Chicago may have more options than any defense can handle.

Mike McDaniel Told Why Ben Johnson’s Success With Bears Is Inevitable

By
Erik Lambert
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mike mcdaniel

Hiring a head coach is never a guarantee. The Chicago Bears know that more than most NFL organizations. Over the past 30 years, only two of the seven they’ve brought in (Lovie Smith and Matt Nagy) ended up with winning records. Ben Johnson hopes to become the third, and by far the most successful. That means doing something not accomplished in 40 years: winning a Super Bowl. One person who knows what the new Bears head coach is going through is Mike McDaniel.

He also took over a deflated organization in Miami a few years ago. Through great motivational skills and offensive genius, he’s led the Dolphins to three consecutive winning seasons and two playoff appearances. McDaniel was already aware of Johnson by reputation from his time in Detroit and got to know him last week during a joint practice between the two teams. He can already see two qualities that have made for great head coaches. One is the constantly aggressive mindset. The other is something that too often gets overlooked.

“I have the highest regard for him as a football coach,” McDaniel said of Johnson. “Offensive football is made to have kind of an attack-like pretense to it. He attacks all the time. He’s innovative and puts his players in positions to succeed, which I think is the nameplate – head coach, you should be able to do that for players.

“I feel super old talking to him about, ‘Well, when I was in Year 1.’ But it’s a real conversation, just because you’re navigating waters that you’ve seen, but you’ve been in the boat on the side of the waters. You haven’t been in the waters totally the way you are as a head coach. So, I know he’s going to do a phenomenal job.”

Mike McDaniel saw other coaches exhibit the same trait.

It was Mike Shanahan in Denver, Gary Kubiak in Houston, Dan Quinn in Atlanta, and Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. Great head coaches always know how to maximize their players. It isn’t just about coaching them up; it is also about understanding their strengths and weaknesses. This was a constant criticism of previous Bears head coaches. Most of them never seemed to understand how to use players properly. Noah Sewell is a perfect example. He was a non-entity for two years under Matt Eberflus. Now he’s thriving under Dennis Allen because they’re using his strengths correctly. That opportunity came because of Ben Johnson. You can already see the same on offense with the creative ways they use DJ Moore and Luther Burden.

People take for granted how easy the good coaches make utilizing their players look. It is not. Mike McDaniel knows this. People thought Tua Tagovailoa was a lost cause under Brian Flores. McDaniel took over and immediately adjusted the offense to fit what the QB does best. Johnson will likely do the same in Chicago.

Catcher’s Return to Roster Leads to Intriguing Cubs Decision

By
Aldo Soto
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Mar 18, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, JPN; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Ben Brown (32) (right) celebrates with catcher Miguel Amaya (9) (left) after stirking out Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) (not pictured) in the sixth inning during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs are now carrying three catchers on their 26-man active roster after Miguel Amaya was reinstated from the injured list. Veteran infielder Jon Berti was designated for assignment on Tuesday, meaning backup catcher Reese McGuire is sticking around with the Cubs along with Carson Kelly.

Amaya has been out since May 24, when he suffered an oblique strain against the Cincinnati Reds. The right-handed batter posted an .819 OPS in 27 games to begin the season as Amaya slashed .280/.313/.505, with four home runs and 25 RBI in 100 plate appearances. Dating back to last July, when Amaya made significant adjustments at the plate, he’s recorded a 123 wRC+ over 173 plate appearances.

McGuire, who at one point asked and was granted his release at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs in early May, returned to the organization right before he was called up to replace the injured Amaya. McGuire has exceeded expectations, posting a .709 OPS in 27 games this year with the Cubs, so it’s not surprising that the team chose him over Berti, who had a .492 OPS in 107 plate appearances.

So, here’s how the active roster looks like following Tuesday’s movement.

Pitchers
Javier Assad
Ben Brown
Matthew Boyd
Shōta Imanaga
Colin Rea
Cade Horton
Ryan Brasier
Taylor Rogers
Andrew Kittredge
Drew Pomeranz
Caleb Thielbar
Brad Keller
Daniel Palencia

Catchers
Miguel Amaya
Carson Kelly
Reese McGuire

Infielders
Michael Busch
Nico Hoerner
Dansby Swanson
Matt Shaw
Justin Turner

Outfielders
Ian Happ
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Kyle Tucker
Seiya Suzuki
Willi Castro

Although Amaya was primarily used against right-handed pitching before his oblique injury the Cubs are going with Kelly behind the plate in Toronto Tuesday night against José Berríos.

The Cubs begin their six-game road trip trailing the Milwaukee Brewers by 6.5 games for first place in the NL Central. The Cubs currently sit atop the NL Wild Card standings with a 67-50 record.

Cubs Roster Change Highlights Another Jed Hoyer Failure

By
Aldo Soto
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May 1, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Jon Berti (5) runs to third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

At the end of the day you need your star players to step up and lead the team through tough times, which has not happened with the Chicago Cubs for the past couple months. The Cubs have been a .500 club since the middle of June and the offense has been frustratingly bad since the All-Star break. The big names aren’t producing, but it also doesn’t help that guys who were added as insurance have been pretty close to worthless for the Cubs yet again.

Veteran Jon Berti is the latest name among a growing list of players the Cubs have brought in to be depth options off the bench that have finished their time on the team with negative value. Berti was designated for assignment on Tuesday as the Cubs made room on the active roster for Miguel Amaya.

The 35-year-old played in a total of 53 games this year and slashed .210/.262/.232, with no home runs, 12 runs scored, two RBI and 11 stolen bases. Berti was worth -0.4 fWAR with the Cubs. Even with a relatively small salary of $2 million, that’s an awful investment by Jed Hoyer and the Cubs.

Berti was supposed to provide some back up at third base this year in case rookie Matt Shaw struggled. And guess what, Shaw did and was sent down to Triple-A in mid-April. Berti was so bad while he filled in that he pretty much became a ghost on the roster once the calendar flipped to June. In the month of May, Berti was 3-for-29, at the plate. After that Craig Counsell rarely used Berti, limiting the veteran player to 25 plate appearances from June through Aug. 10.

At the end of July, the Cubs also designated Vidal Brujan for assignment. He was brought in via trade from the Miami Marlins in the offseason and Brujan put up a -0.2 fWAR in 36 games with the Cubs, hitting .222/.234/.289, in 47 plate appearances.

The best bench bat Hoyer acquired this past offseason has been Justin Turner, who has gotten red-hot against left-handed pitching, but is otherwise having an underwhelming year overall with a 77 wRC+. Yet, Turner does have an .822 OPS against lefties, which has at least given the Cubs something positive off the bench.

Not saying that finding adequate bench pieces is easy, but Hoyer’s miss rate has been brutal dating back to 2023.

Caleb Williams Might Not Like the Bears Latest Move

By
Dave
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Jul 24, 2025; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver John Jackson III (82) looks on during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears announced several roster moves on Tuesday.

Signings

DB Millard Bradford

DB Mekhi Garner

DB Kaleb Hayes

DB Mark Perry

Waived

WR John Jackson

K Jonathan Kim

Waived/Injured

DB Major Burns

Placed on Reserve/Injured

DB Shaun Wade

Among the most notable moves was the release of wide receiver John Jackson. If you watched the full preseason game against the Dolphins on Sunday (and if you did, hats off to you), you’ll likely remember Jackson’s wide open drop on first down late in the game, that could have put the Bears in field goal range to win it.

Jackson, reportedly one of Caleb Williams closest friends, spent much of last season bouncing between the practice squad and the active roster. He was viewed as a familiar face to help ease Williams into his rookie year. However, after a shaky camp/preseason game marked by a couple drops, his release wasn’t surprising.

Could this disappoint Williams? Maybe slightly. But the NFL is a business, and Williams likely understands that. There’s still a chance Jackson could return later if injuries open a roster spot or he’s brought back to the practice squad.

We Finally Know Why Caleb Williams Didn’t Play In Preseason Opener

Colson Montgomery Joins Rare Rookie Home Run Company

By
Mitchell Kaminski
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Aug 11, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery (12), left, celebrates in the dugout after he homers during the fifth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Colson Montgomery has just 11 hits in his last 53 at-bats, but when seven leave the park, it’s easy to overlook the 18 strikeouts during that stretch. 

Montgomery continued his power surge Monday, blasting his 10th homer in 18 games, in what turned out to be the White Sox lone run in a 2-1 loss to the Tigers. It also marked his second homer in as many nights after getting a fresh batch of torpedo bats. 

The White Sox rookie has been taking the MLB by storm. He is now the third rookie since 2020 to record 10 home runs in an 18-game stretch, joining fellow rookie Nick Kurtz of the Athletics and the Giants’ Tyler Fitzgerald, who accomplished the feat in 2024.  

Montgomery is also now one of just three rookies in White Sox history to hit 10 home runs in his first 32 games, along with Jose Abreu, who hit 12 in 2014, and Zeke Bonura, who also hit 10 in 1934. 

The 23-year-old showed flashes of power in the minor leagues, but not to the level we have seen since he got called up to the majors. In 242 plate appearances in Triple-A Charlotte this year, he hit 11 homers, which comes after he had 18 in 130 games last season. 

At the time of his callup, Montgomery had just gotten his OPS above .700 while posting a near 40% strikeout rate. While his strikeout rate remains high, and he hasn’t drawn many walks, he has showcased tremendous bat speed since putting on a White Sox uniform. 

All 10 of Montgomery’s homers have come off swings topping 78 mph, and his 77 mph average bat speed would rank among MLB’s best if he had enough at-bats to be considered a qualified hitter. Only 18 players in the MLB have ten homers with a bat speed over 78 mph. Montgomery is the only one to have played less than 40 games. 

What has been most impressive is that Montgomery hasn’t necessarily been trying to hit homers. After getting off to a rough start in the minor leagues, Montgomery was sent to Arizona midway through the season to work with White Sox hitting coordinator Kyle Fuller. Since then, Montgomery says he has been working on hitting low line drives, which keeps him tighter to the ball. 

While the change hasn’t resulted in many line drives at the big league level, it has certainly helped his power numbers with a .585 expected slugging percentage. The more compact swing has helped him get the barrel to the baseball more consistently. 

His use of a torpedo bat, which he has used for eight of his ten homers, has also aided his contact point. Montgomery began using the torpedo bat on July 22nd against the Tampa Bay Rays after talking to coaches, and proceeded to hit his first career MLB homer later that night. 

The tailor-made bats have weight distributed toward the barrel, with an untraditional design that places the barrel closer to the hitter’s hands and features a slimmer top end. This creates a bowling pin-shaped barrel with more wood around the sweet spot, where hitters are most likely to make solid contact with the ball. Coincidentally, Montgomery has posted a 16.2% barrel rate, which would also rank among the game’s top hitters. 

Montgomery’s high strikeout and chase rate remain a concern as pitchers continue to adjust to him. However, his ability to keep a consistent swing this early into his MLB career has been a welcome sign for the White Sox, who now rank 23rd in homers after finishing dead last a season ago.

Underrated Pitcher Returns to Cubs Starting Rotation

By
Aldo Soto
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Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Javier Assad (72) throws a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies in the first inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Right-handed pitcher Javier Assad will make his 2025 debut Tuesday night as the 28-year-old has been activated from the injured list. Assad was shut down early in spring training with an oblique strain and then suffered a setback in April, when he was on a rehab assignment at Triple-A with the Iowa Cubs. Now, Assad is healthy and is back in the starting rotation.

Ben Brown was the scheduled starter for the series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, but that has been changed to Assad.

Assad made his MLB debut during the 2022 season with the Cubs. Since then, the right-hander has been a steady performer no matter what role he’s been asked to fill. Assad has a career 3.40 ERA in 294 innings. In 2024, Assad made 29 starts and ended the season with a 3.73 ERA in 140 innings of work.

Javier Assad Career Splits
As Starter: 47 G, 3.45 ERA, 7.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9
As Reliever: 23 G, 3.18 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 3.7 BB/9

The Cubs optioned right-handed reliever Nate Pearson to Triple-A following Sunday’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. Pearson tossed four shutout innings in a pair of two inning appearances.

Assad’s last outing at Triple-A was on Aug. 6. He pitched 4.1 innings and threw 68 pitches. So, we’re probably looking at Craig Counsell taking out Assad after 75 pitches or so against the Blue Jays tonight and then potentially go with Brown right after.

Starting pitching hasn’t necessarily been the problem for the Cubs despite how irate the fan base was following the trade deadline. Michael Soroka was the only starter added to the roster and he only pitched two innings before going on the injured list with a shoulder issue. Yet, since the beginning of July, the rotation has actually been great for the Cubs.

The offense has been slumping and guys like Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch along with Pete Crow-Armstrong have to bounce back for this team to get back to winning. Still, it’s good to have another solid arm back in the mix with Assad coming back.

Revolving Door in Cubs Bullpen Continues with Latest Demotion

By
Aldo Soto
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This should actually be an upgrade as the Chicago Cubs will be adding a pitcher prior to their series opener Tuesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Right-handed reliever Nate Pearson, who was called up from Triple-A last week, has already been sent back to the minors.

Pearson pitched twice in his most recent stint with the Cubs and worked around some trouble to throw four shutout innings. He struck out one, walked one and gave up four hits in his four innings of work.

The Cubs are expecting to have Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad back soon. There’s a chance that one of the two could take Pearson’s spot on the active pitching staff tonight in Toronto.

(Previous Update)

The Chicago Cubs have to make a roster move before Tuesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds after right-handed starting pitcher Michael Soroka injured his shoulder last night. A brutal blow to the Cubs, who were counting on Soroka to cover valuable innings in the final few months of the regular season. Now, the team is hoping the right-hander can return and not miss the rest of the year. Anyway, Soroka’s roster spot has to be filled and the pitcher who showed up to Wrigley Field on Tuesday isn’t exactly who fans wanted to see.

I’m not really sure there’s any particular pitcher from Triple-A that would excite fans, especially out of the group of relievers, but the Cubs are once again giving Nate Pearson a chance in the majors.

Pearson, 28, was in the bullpen to begin the 2025 regular season, but he was ousted to the minors in mid-April after he was having trouble finding the strike zone and when he did Pearson was getting crushed. The Cubs called him up once before in June, but the audition went poorly as the righty gave up five earned runs in two innings of work against the Seattle Mariners.

The Cubs acquired Pearson in 2024, trading prospects Josh Rivera and Yohendrick Pinango to the Toronto Blue Jays. The hard-throwing pitcher was in his fourth season attempting to make an impact with the Blue Jays, but it was no longer working out. He posted a 5.63 ERA in 40 innings before the Cubs scooped him up and Pearson actually ended the 2024 season with good numbers in Chicago.

In 19 games with the Cubs, Pearson recorded a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings. He struck out 23 batters and only walked four. However, there was still one concerning aspect to Pearson’s performance because despite the better results he allowed four home runs with the Cubs.

Well, Pearson’s numbers regressed awfully quick and he gave up at least one run in six of his first eight appearances. Add in the June outing against the Mariners and Pearson has surrendered a run in seven of nine chances out of the bullpen this year. He wasn’t even striking out batters at a decent rate anymore and in 10.2 total innings this year Pearson has more walks than strikeouts in the majors ( 6 K, 9 BB).

The positive is that Pearson has at least pitched well for the Iowa Cubs at Triple-A. The righty has a 2.27 ERA in 35.2 innings this year and has 43 strikeouts in 31 games. Still, those numbers don’t really mean much when it comes to getting MLB hitters out. Pearson has to be able to throw strikes because once he fails to do so hitters have shown how easy it has been to lock in during favorable counts and hit Pearson like it’s batting practice.

We’ll see how long Pearson is even up for. It may not even matter if he performs well or not because the team will need a pitcher who can provide length after losing Soroka. Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad aren’t too far off from returning from their respective rehab assignments.

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