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It was a busy Friday night for both of Chicago’s professional football teams. The Rush were looking to continue their winning streak while the Bears were bringing in talent for the future…..
The Rush made their way to corn country on Friday night as they took a trip to Des Moines to take on the Iowa Barnstormers. The Rush lost to the Barnstormers in their season opener back on March 23rd. After looking to Spokane a week later, the Rush went on a three-game winning streak.
As they made their way into Iowa, first place in the AFL Central Division was on the line. This game would push both teams to the limits as it took overtime to settle this one. It looked Week 1 was repeating itself early on as the Barnstormers quickly jumped out to a 13-0 lead.
The Rush offense struggled in the opening moments of this game. But some how, some way, the flame lit underneath Carson Coffman as he would lead the Rush on a 21-0 run in the next 12 minutes and 30 seconds. With the Rush leading 21-13, Iowa would battle back. Barstormers quarterback J.J. Raterink led his team to two scoring drives.
The Rush took a narrow 28-26 lead at the break. The second half was back and forth all the way until the very last second. Rush kicker Jose Martinez attempted a game-winning field goal but a bad snap put an an end to any game ending heroics. They ended regulation all tied up at 56.
In the overtime period Iowa struck first after Raterink found Barnstormers wide receiver Marcus Harris to take a 63-56 lead at the start of OT. The Rush would win the game on their only possession of the extra frame as quarterback Carson Coffman marched his team down the field, leading to a Kelvin Morris touchdown run.
The Rush elected to gamble and go for a two-point conversion as opposed to kicking the extra point. The gamble paid off as Coffman found receiver Jared Jenkins in the back of the end zone to walk out of Des Moines with the 64-63 victory. The Rush are now 4-2 on the season and they increase their winning streak to four games.
They are in control of their own destiny as they are still on top of the Central Division. The Rush also improve to 3-0 on the road which equals their away game victory total from last season. Hopefully the Rush can keep up these type of performances. Carson Coffman had another solid effort by completing 23-of-36 passes for 354 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Big Play” Reggie Gray led all Rush receivers by catching 12 of Coffman’s 23 passes for 234 yards and six touchdowns. Rush defensive back Jorrick Calvin was the leading tackler with 12.5. The Rush will return home on Saturday May 4th to welcome the Philadelphia Soul to Allstate Arena, yours truly will be in attendance.
As for the Bears, the NFL Draft has kept them very busy over the last couple of days. It all started on Thursday night. They had the 20th pick overall as the first round opened up things in New York City. There were many mock draft predictions as well as rumors that the Monsters of the Midway would trade that pick.
Instead they used it to draft Oregon guard Kyle Long. Many were hoping that the Bears would have taken a more notable lineman or perhaps a tight end or a defensive player. Kyle Long is the son of NFL Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long and the younger brother of St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long.
Despite the family name and the pedigree, Long isn’t exactly your top notch prospect. At 6’6″ and 313 pounds, Long only started four games as a member of the Oregon Ducks in 2012. Before attending Oregon, Long played at a community college for two years with most of his games as a defensive lineman just like his father and brother.
He moved to offensive line in 2011 and then transferred to Oregon. Speed is a concern for Long among other things, so the Bears coaching staff will have their work cut out for them. While the Rush were handling business in Iowa on Friday night, the 2013 NFL Draft resumed.
In the second round the Bears had the 18th pick {50th overall), and decided to go defense this time around. They drafted Florida middle linebacker Jon Bostic. A vicious defender who was one of the best defenders in the Southeast Conference in 2012. He was named second team all SEC last year.
But despite his strength, credentials, and physical presence, speed can be an issue with him at times. But the Bears will bring him in and he’s expected to compete with D.J. Williams for the starting middle linebacker position that was vacated by Brian Urlacher back in March.
The Bears did not have a third round pick on Friday thanks to the Brandon Marshall trade, but here are their remaining picks:
4th Round: #20/117th overall
5th Round: #20/153rd overall
6th Round: #20/188th overall
The Bears do not have a 7th round choice this year. With three picks left, the Bears are expected to possibly draft another offensive lineman, another defensive player, perhaps a tight end, or maybe even a backup quarterback. When the clock strikes 11am on Saturday morning we will have our answers.
This Sunday afternoon I will be at U.S. Cellular Field covering the White Sox game as they will take on the the Tampa Bay Rays. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm. For sports anytime you can always follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
The salary cap casualties continue for the Bears as they now find themselves in need of a backup quarterback. Earlier this week Jason Campbell {pictured above}, signed a two-year $3.75 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. This the the fourth franchise that Campbell will suit up for in his career.
Before the Bears, Campbell was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the first round and was their starter from 2005-2009. In 2010, Campbell was dealt to the Raiders after the Redskins brought in Donovan McNabb. Campbell started for Oakland in 2010, but a broken collarbone in 2011 ended his career in the black and silver.
The Bears pulled him off of the free agent market in 2012 and signed him to a one year contract. Heading into 2013, the Bears have been hit hard by the salary cap. This has caused the departure of numerous players from last season. Most notably linebacker Brian Urlacher and defensive back D.J. Moore.
Not only did the Bears have a rough time giving Campbell the contract he was looking for, the Browns are offering Campbell an opportunity to start. Once Cleveland put it’s new coaching staff in place for 2013, they said that last year’s starter Brandon Weeden would have to compete for the 2013 starting job.
So now Jason Campbell will have his first opportunity to start in the NFL in four seasons. So where do the Bears go from here? Jay Cutler is still the starting quarterback which is a good thing. Now the Bears need to find a backup and reorganize the depth chart. Matt Blanchard is still on the roster, and Josh McCown is still in the fold although he is a free agent.
Josh McCown has been with the Bears on and off since 2011. He was brought to the team after Jay Cutler went down with a season ending hand injury late in the 2011 season. He started the final two games that year and the Bears went 1-1 in that stretch. Last year, he competed with Matt Blanchard for the third string job in the preseason.
He was cut after the final preseason game, but was re-signed after Jay Cutler missed two games with a concussion. He would remain on the roster as the third string QB once Jay Cutler returned. The Bears made additional roster moves to make this possible. It is very likely that the Bears could re-sign him. As for Matt Blanchard….
Last year the Lake Zurich native was an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin-Whitewater. After putting up some surprising performances in the preseason, the Bears signed him to the practice squad. The Bears initially kept two quarterbacks on the roster until the addition of McCown.
But now Blanchard will have another opportunity to prove himself. But there is still the possibility the Bears could bring in another free agent quarterback or draft one. There are a number of quarterbacks still available on the market. This years NFL Draft isn’t rich with quarterbacks but there still are some prospects out there.
The Bears wont go quarterback in the first round, but there will still be some signal callers available in the later rounds. Perhaps the Bears could land Kansas State’s Collin Klein or Florida State’s E.J. Manuel. But the bottom line is that new head coach Mark Trestman and general manager Phil Emery will have some challenges ahead of them as the salary cap has hit this team hard.
Saturday night I will be at Allstate Arena covering the Chicago Wolves game. They will take on their arch-rivals the Milwaukee Admirals with the puck dropping just after 7pm. You can follow me on Twitter for game updates @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
They both made big headlines across Chicago today. First with the major story of the day……
Major news coming out of Halas Hall today that could have a huge effect on the Chicago Bears future. After 13 seasons of wearing the orange and blue, Brian Urlacher has decided to leave the Bears franchise and test the free agent market. Many Bears fans took to Facebook and Twitter expressing their outrage.
While it may be disappointing to the 4th Phase, I had a feeling this move was coming for quite some time. I ask you, the Bears fans to put your anger aside and try to understand what was at play here. The Bears are in salary cap hell right now. They don’t have a whole lot of financial room to work with and because of this, D.J. Moore was not re-signed and Kelvin Hayden was released.
Henry Melton got the franchise tag, and they just signed free agents Martellus Bennett and Jermon Bushrod to moderate contracts. Israel Idonije is still unsigned, Lance Louis is gone, Nick Roach is now in Oakland, Geno Hayes went to Jacksonville, Chris Spencer is hoping to re-join the team as is Amobi Okoye, back up quarterback Jason Campbell is a unrestricted free agent, Kellen Davis and Matt Speath were cut to make room for Bennett {because of their poor play while in a Bears uniform}, Nate Collins was brought back for a smaller price, Turk McBride was signed today, and Josh McCown and Kahlil Bell are also free agents.
So here is the list of 2012 players who are free agents:
DE Israel Idonije
OL Chris Spencer
DT Amobi Okoye
QB Jason Campbell
QB Josh McCown
RB Kahlil Bell
Here’s the dilemma, Idonije wants a big contract and the Bears are not in a great position to do that. They are hoping to re-sign him for less. The Bears may draft an offensive lineman or two or sign a couple from free agency. Chris Spencer had a difficult 2012 season so the Bears could most likely look elsewhere. The jury is still out on Amobi Akoye, Jason Campbell would require a decent price to re-sign, I would not be surprised if Josh McCown goes somewhere else, and how do you spend money on a guy who’s been signed, cut, the re-signed again multiple times? I’m referring to Kahlil Bell of course.
The Bears just don’t have the available funds to bring back all of these players thanks to the salary cap. This is why Brian Urlacher has left town. The Bears offered him a two year contract for $1 million per year with another $1 million guaranteed. Urlacher was looking for a two year deal worth $5 million per year.
Again, taking Urlacher’s proposal mixed with the current salary cap status, this would prevent the Bears from bringing back Idonije or Campbell. Another thing to consider is that Brian Urlacher will be 35 this year. The last couple of seasons saw #54 struggle with numerous injuries, a telling sign that he is getting older.
His speed has also declined slightly, and Urlacher has said that football is starting to take a toll on his body. You put all of that together and it makes bringing him back almost impossible. There is no doubt that Urlacher has made his mark as a hall of famer and a Bears legend. Simply put, it’s time to move on. So now the Bears have to decide what to do with Urlacher’s spot.
Of course they could grab a free agent but how much are the Bears willing and able to spend in that department? The other option would be to draft a new middle linebacker. Could Phil Emery end up taking Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o in April? Only time will tell….
The other story of the night has some historical implications…..
For the first time in school history, the Illinois-Chicago Flames have won a postseason basketball game. Yes you heard me correctly…. Even though they did not get into the NCAA or NIT, they did get into the College Insider Tournament. Tonight they hosted Chicago State at the UIC Pavilion.
CSU had made it’s own history coming into tonight’s game. For the first time in the history of their program, they won their conference tournament, a conference championship, and made their first postseason tournament. But their fun would be short lived as the Flames had way too much talent and depth for Chicago State to handle.
Daniel Barnes got his first career double-double with 22 points and and a career high 10 rebounds. Gary Talton had 12 points with 8 assists, Josh Crittle and Hayden Humes scored a combined 32 points. Quinton Pippen, Matt Ross, and Jamere Dismukes all scored in double figures for the Cougars.
CSU even outscored UIC 39-34 in the second half, but it just wasn’t enough. UIC advances to the second round with an 80-69 win. Their next opponent is still to be announced. Chicago State can still hold their heads high and now they finally have something that they can pitch to high school recruits. And that’s pretty big considering they share the same city as Northwestern, DePaul, and Loyola.
Earlier today I joined the “Cooley and Chivari show” on Sports Town Chicago. Here is the link to that podcast:
This Saturday night, I will be at the Allstate Arena covering the Chicago Rush’s home opener against Iowa. Kickoff is at 7pm and tickets are still available. You can get Rush updates from me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports #REDemption
As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday, there is a feast of sports news to catch up on. Starting with our “beloved” Chicago Bears…
Last night the Bears continued their winless streak in San Francisco as the Bears were pounded on by the 49ers by a final score of 32-7.
This was a battle of the backup quarterbacks as both Jay Cutler for the Bears and Alex Smith of the 49ers were sidelined with concussions sustained in their respective games last week.
Second year Niners quarterback Colin Caepernick had his way with the Bears defense. He was dual threat both passing and rushing.
The Frisco ground game also pitched in, but the biggest story was the 49er defense. Their pass rush made the Bears’ offensive line look like statues as Jason Campbell was sacked and hit multiple times.
The offense had no answer or solution to the dominant 49ers defense. To make matters even worse, the Bears defense looked lost out there.
The consequence of last night’s loss is that the Bears are now tied with those damn Green Bay Packers for first place in the NFC North (7-3 record).
The Packers also own the tie breaker over the Bears due to their victory at Lambeau Field back in week two.
Jay Cutler will speak with the media at 11am today to update the masses on his recovery. It is still unknown as to whether or not he will play this Sunday.
Perhaps today’s press conference at Halas Hall will shed some light on the situation. Regardless of who starts under center this week, the Bears still have to play the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Both sides of the ball will be tested as the Bears will have their hands full. On the offensive side, they will need to protect either Cutler or Campbell from Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.
Allen is a fierce pass rusher and can stop the run when needed. On the defensive side, the Bears will have the daunting task of trying to either stop or contain Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.
Peterson has had a remarkable recovery from ACL surgery, and has put up solid numbers this year.
If the Vikings can’t get it done on the ground, they will turn to second year quarterback Christian Ponder.
Ponder has been having a pro bowl year so far. He makes the big throws, he’s not afraid to take a hit, and he can make the Bears pay if they focus too much on Adrian Peterson.
The schedule from here gets a little harder for the Bears. They need to win if they are to keep pace with the Packers.
The Bulls haven’t done much better than the Bears as they have also lost two in a row. The 5-5 Bulls are in the final stages of their annual “circus road trip”.
Tonight they make their way into “Clutch City” to take on the Houston Rockets. This will be a good opportunity for the Bulls to take advantage as the Rockets have lost their last three and only sport a record of 4-7.
The blockbuster James Hardin trade at the beginning of the season hasn’t quite worked out the way the Rockets were hoping.
Their other big acquisition, Jeremy Lin, has also struggled. Lin hasn’t been the same since he had knee surgery which caused him to miss the second half of last season.
Hopefully the Bulls can take advantage of the Rockets woes and get back into the win column. As for the other United Center tenant, the Chicago Blackhawks are still in limbo as the NHL is still on strike.
Both the NHLPA and the NHL Owners remain at a stalemate and it doesn’t look like this will end any time soon. The league has already cancelled the annual New Years Day Winter Classic.
Our good friends at the Chicago Rush have been very busy during the Arena Football League’s offseason.
Yesterday the team announced that it had re-signed some key players from the 2012 season. Defensive linemen Derek Walker and and Darrel Campbell, fullback J.J. Payne, offensive lineman Ryan O’Neill, and defensive backs Semaj Moody and Jorrick Calvin will all be returning for 2013.
While all of these men were key players last season, the biggest re-signing has been top wide receiver Reggie Gray.
Reggie Gray has been the leading receiver for the Rush the last couple of seasons. He is also a fan favorite, and he is very involved in the Chicago community and with charitable causes.
After teasing fans about a possible move to another team on his Facebook page over the last couple days, Gray officially announced just after 5pm on Monday that he will indeed to return to the Rush.
These transactions are just a small portion of what the Rush have done since the free agent signing period in the AFL began. You can see the rest of the Rush’s offseason activities here: http://arenarush.com/news/rush/?article_id=238
There are also rumors swirling that the Rush could see either a change in color scheme, logo, or both.
Nothing has been confirmed so stay tuned. This weekend I will be back on the beat as I will be covering the Wolves game this Saturday night.
The 8-5-2-0 Wolves will play host to the Milwaukee Admirals who have become one of the Wolves’ biggest rivals.
Face off is just after 7pm from the Allstate Arena, and you can follow me during the game on Twitter @GabeSalgado82 #Q101Sports
You can also friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GabeSalgado82
I am also on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/gws1182
Price played with Tampa Bay last year.
Out of all of the off season moves the Bears made during the spring, many felt that the defensive tackle position wasn’t addressed properly. Well now the Bears have finally done so with the trade they made today. In exchange for a late round draft pick in 2013, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were more than kind enough to send defensive tackle Brian Price here to Chicago. The 6’1″ 343 pounder has played in the NFL since 2010, he’s only 23 years old. He played his college ball at UCLA where he was a three time all-american and an Outland Trophy finalist.
But despite this move by the Bears front office there are concerns about the big guy. Due to past injuries Price has only amassed 27 total tackles and 3 total sacks in his young career. Which is less than stellar for a second round draft pick. Also, the reasons surrounding the Bucs willingness to trade him so easily raises red flags in the eyes of some as well. During a Bucs team meeting in the spring, Price allegedly punched another teammate. There was also concern for his mental well being after he missed multiple spring workouts after the loss of his sister in May.
He was so grief stricken that he spent time in a Tampa hospital while the Buccaneers were taking part in their organized team activities. But despite all of the adversity he’s faced the Bears must have some confidence in him to bring him in. This move was made to boost the defensive tackle position after the losses of Anthony Adams and Amobi Okoye at the end of 2011. Adams is still a free agent while Okoye is playing with Brian Price’s former team the Buccaneers. At the moment Henry Melton and Matt Toeaina are at the top of the depth chart at the position.
Stephen Paea is still on board but he has yet to make an impact with this Bears team. The rest of the current defensive tackles on the squad are a mixture of relatively unknown young players and obscure veterans. I wouldn’t be surprised that once practice officially begins tomorrow that Price will be thrown into the top four on the depth chart. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, expect the Bears to give Brian Price plenty of reps within the next few weeks. Players reported to Bourbonnais today and so far all players on the roster are accounted for.
It must be noted that wide receiver Johnny Knox has already been placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, don’t be surprised if he his put on injured reserve during the month of August. And in regards to my previous article: http://q101.com/2012/07/another-afl-work-stoppage-in-the-works/ I reached out to AFLPU Executive Director Ivan Soto for comment on the new labor dispute in the Arena Football League {Note I corrected Ivan Soto’s official title with the AFLPU he is the Executive Director and not the President I apologize for the editorial error}.
The only response I have received from him so far is a Twitter message stating “I will respond to your e-mail shortly”. So far my e-mail has not been replied to and the Arena Football League has not commented or even adknowledged the matter. I will keep you posted on the developments as they come in.
You can follow me on Twitter: @GabeSalgado82 Hashtag: #Q101Sports
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A holdout no more, Matt Forte and the Bears have finally come to terms on a new contract that will keep him in a Bears uniform through the 2015 season. The four year $32 million dollar deal guarantees $16 million, and also means that Matt Forte will report to training camp next week on time. It was a very suspenseful spring and early summer for both sides. The Bears initially offered Forte the franchise tender which would have paid him $7.7 million for this upcoming season.
Forte had wanted a long-term deal with big money, he mainly wanted the financial guarantee so that he had money for a rainy day just in case God forbid he had a career altering injury. This desire for a guaranteed contract and the money that comes with it was also due to the following reasons… Matt Forte has led the Bears in rushing since he’s been wearing the Burnt Orange and Blue. He has also been one of the best receivers as well.
But he also wanted the security blanket because of injuries that have racked up over his career. On the other hand, the Bears were hesitant to give him such money because of his past injuries. Bears management felt that Forte should have another injury free season before giving him that kind of cash. Forte has been consistent when healthy, like he was during his rookie season in 2008. But in 2009 Forte kinda hit a “sophomore slump” as injuries kept him off the field at times.
In 2010, despite sharing the field with Chester Taylor, Forte managed to rack up another 1,000 yard season. He also had 6 rushing touchdowns and led the team in receiving. But last season was the defining season that fueled these contract negotiations. Forte started off having the season of his career, then in that late season game against Kansas City Forte went down with a sprained MCL. This came exactly a week after Jay Cutler had his season ending hand injury. Forte would not return to the Bears lineup.
Marion Barber would step in and give it his best until he was banged up towards the end of the year. The final three weeks of the 2011 season would see the emergence of new running backs in the forms of special teamer Kahlil Bell and rookie Armando Allen. The spark provided by these young backs would also be a factor in negotiations. Once the season ended, Forte came off the injured list to play in the pro bowl.
This was very much frowned upon by Bears management, but Forte did it at the encouragement of his agent. This was done for two reasons:
1. To show the Bears why they needed to give him a long-term contract.
2. To show other teams he is a solid player when healthy in case he did test the free agent waters.
Initial negotiatons went nowhere, both sides could not agree. But this is usually the case when contract talks begin. Then in March the Bears made huge offseason moves. Aside from the Brandon Marshall trade, and the Jason Campbell acqusition, the Bears signed another running back much to the dismay of both Forte and Marion Barber. The signing of Michael Bush outraged Matt Forte, and at the same time caused Marion Barber announce his retirement.
The Bears insisted that Michael Bush was not a replacement, he was just a piece to the puzzle. Complicating matters was when the Bears officially placed the franchise tag on Matt Forte. This postponed negotiations for several weeks. Forte says the Bears were looking to replace him with these manuvers, the Bears say that was not the case. And while I did support Forte’s desire for a new contract, I also believed the Bears front office.
I think that the Bears placed the franchise label on Forte so no other teams could sign him away. Smart move on the part of Ted Phillips and company, just try to convince Matt Forte of that. When Forte decided to no-show offseason workouts, mini-camps, etc…. The Bears decided to return to the bargaining table with a better offer. And after a few more months, a compromise was finally reached. The Bears paid Forte a very good amount of money without breaking the bank.
And Forte finally got his financial commitment from the Bears. So Forte will be back on the field, Bush will be the #2 and now the battle will be waged between Kahlil Bell and Armando Allen for the third spot. Forte is a very talented player. He’s pretty much an every down back, he grinds out yards, and he’s deadly in the passing game as both a receiver and blocker. But he does struggle in goalline and short yardage situations, this is where the Bears bring in Michael Bush.
And then with Bell and Allen, both guys are speed demons. They can flat out run, but they will most likely be competing for a special teams spot. But at the moment that’s neither here nor there as practice has not yet begun. So Bears fans rejoice that Matt Forte will play another season {or 4) at Soldier Field.
In just 12 days the Bears will report to Bourbonnais for the 2012 edition of Chicago Bears training camp. The first practice will be on Thursday July 26th, and from that day forward the Bears begin their quest for that elusive super bowl title. The Bears made some huge moves in the offseason, it was one of the most active offseasons in franchise history. The first thing the Bears did was trade for Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall.
It only took a couple of draft picks to do it. Then the Bears decided to bring in an insurance policy for Jay Cutler in the form of former Redskins/Raiders Quarterback Jason Campbell. They also re-signed Quarterback Josh McCown who did a solid job replacing Caleb Hanie who was a bust while replacing an injured Jay Cutler. Former Raiders Running Back Michael Bush {Teammates with Campbell in Oakland} was brought in to replace Marion Barber who unexpectedly retired at the end of last season. But some feel that he was brought in to replace Forte if he were to holdout.
Kahlil Bell also resigned with the team. Brian Urlacher is healing nicely from his knee operation, Johnny Knox was seen at Halas Hall during mini-camps, and the Bears keep bringing in talent to fill out the roster. So here is what I’ll be looking at during training camp this year:
Quarterback: After his season ending injury last year, and after spending most of his offseason planning his wedding and preparing for the birth of his child, will Jay Cutler return to his natural form on the field? How will Jason Campbell fit into the offense? Campbell has played for a different offensive coordinator for all 8 seasons of his NFL career. Can Josh McCown hang onto the third string job, or will rookie Matt Blanchard make his mark?
Running Back: Will Matt Forte show up to training camp regardless of whether he gets a new contract or accepts the franchise tender? Can Michael Bush handle the load if Forte is absent? Will Kahlil Bell finally break out of his shell? Will Armando Allen prove that he belongs in the NFL?
Wide Receiver: We all know that Brandon Marshall can deliver on game day. But has he finally been able to put his personal problems behind him? Can rookie Alshon Jeffery manage his weight and stay in shape? Can Dane Sanzenbacher keep his roster spot? How will all of the other receivers fit in around Marshall?
Offensive Line: Will we finally see Gabe Carimi’s full potential? Can Roberto Garza still be the anchor of this offensive line? Who will the other three starters be? Can the Bears find dependable backups for the five starters?
Defense: Will the fresh faces in the secondary boost a pass defense that has declined recently? Can the Bears bring back the pass rush? Is Brian Urlacher fully healed from last seasons knee injury? How much does Lance Briggs have left in the tank? What type of impact will the younger linebackers make? Why is Craig Steltz still on the roster?
Special Teams: Can guys like Eric Weems, Earl Bennett, and Greg McCoy take pressure off of Devin Hester in the kick return game?
Rookies: Can first round draft pick Shea McClellin prove that he is an every down defensive end and not just a pass rush specialist? I’ve already mentioned Alshon Jeffery. Is Evan Rodriguez a fullback, tight end, or H-back? I guess will find out when camp starts. Is Brandon Hardin better than Al Afalava? If you may recall, Afalava who was also an Oregon State Safety was drafed pretty high by the Bears in 2009.
Afalava started off great but then injuries derailed his career and the Bulls cut him before the season was over. How many total rookies will the Bears keep on the roster this year? It’s going to be an interesting summer for this Bears team and I look forward to watching it.
You can follow me on Twitter: @GabeSalgado82
Jay Cutler getting his first taste of the Bears new offense.
The Bears have been in the early stages of preparing for the upcoming 2012 season at Halas Hall this week. Organized Team Activities or OTA’s as they are commonly known, are underway in Lake Forest as the Bears bring the veterans, rookies, and players in between to gel together for the upcoming season.
But while the team is learning the new offense, bringing the new players up to speed on defense, and helping the rookies adapt to NFL life, there are some notable absences for the Bears this time around. Brian Urlacher has yet to take the field as he is still recovering from his knee injury he sustained in last season’s finale against Minnesota on New Year’s Day.
According to Urlacher he narrowly avoided surgery after the injury happened. He spent the off season rehabbing, strengthening, and exercising his knee back into shape. Urlacher said that he probably won’t be on the field for this round of OTA’s. He said there is a slim chance he will participate in the OTA’s June 4-7, but he did say that he could see the field during the full-squad mini-camp June 12-14.
But one thing is for sure, Urlacher will be ready for training camp in July. Another Bear that is absent due to injury is Wide Receiver Johnny Knox. It is highly likely that Knox won’t be able to play during the 2012 season, but he has been at Halas Hall rehabbing his injured back. As much as we all love Knox’s big time catches, it’s a miracle that he’s even walking today.
I’m sure we all remember this injury from Week 15 of the 2011 season:
Knox was carried off the field on the stretcher and was brought to an emergency room where he required surgery to stabilize his vertebra. After a couple of weeks in the hospital, and months of rehab, Knox has been working to get his upper body stronger and to get back into football shape.
While this is promising news, I must reiterate that chances are Knox will not play this season. And then there is the most talked about Bears absence from OTA’s in Running Back Matt Forte. He continues to holdout while seeking a long-term contract. Currently the Bears have offered him the $7 million franchise tag which he refuses to sign.
While the Stalemate continues, Kahlil Bell and free-agent signee Michael Bush got the reps at running back with the #1 offense this week. Cornerback D.J. Moore has been excused from practice for personal reasons, and Cornerback Kelvin Hayden also did not practice today.
Despite the notable absences from practice this week, the Bears added a player to the roster. Defensive Tackle Nate Collins was added to the mix, he previously played with Jacksonville and the New York Giants. The Bears now have 90 players which the off season limit for NFL teams.
This Sunday night at 9pm you will be able to hear me on the radio. I’ll be on WVON-AM 1690, I’ll be a featured guest on the show “Stats and Stilettos” talking Chicago sports. You can follow the hosts on Twitter: Faruq Basir: @Ruq77 Thai Eileen: @ThaiEillen You can also follow the show itself: @StatsStilettos
You can also follow me on Twitter: @GabeSalgado82 Hashtag: #Q101Sports
Last weekend the Bears made their picks in the 2012 NFL Draft. They drafted a total of 6 players, and they needed help on both the offensive and defensive lines, as well as the secondary. Here are the players they drafted, and here’s how I think the Bears did:
1st Round Pick: Boise State Defensive End/Outside Linebacker Shea McClellin
The Bears drafted him to be an everyday 4-3 defensive end. But most people say that he better suited for a 3-4 outside linebacker pass rush specialist position. McClellin says not only is he capable of playing both, he says he can also contribute on special teams. But McClellin also said that he would be willing to line up in a three point stance every play if he is asked too.
He doesn’t have the size of most 4-3 defensive ends {He’s 6’3″ 260}, but his strength and speed will give him and edge over opposing offensive linemen. At the end of the day, it’s up to him to prove that he can play with the big boys.
2nd Round Pick: South Carolina Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery
He’s the ideal size for today’s NFL Wide Receivers {6’4″ 230}. His wing span gives him the ability to push past defenders, break tackles, and create space in the open field. His height gives him the advantage to make catches in the face of defenders, over the heads of defenders, and to overpower defenders in mid-air. His weight however has been a concern.
During his college days, his weight fluctuated at times. He lost 10 pounds before he went to this years scouting combine. If he can stay in shape, he can be a legit #3 or #4 receiving option for Jay Cutler.
3rd Round Pick: Oregon State Safety Brandon Hardin
While he did have a solid college career, I’m skeptical about this pick because the last time the Bears drafted a safety from OSU {Al Afalava}, he didn’t finish his rookie season with the Bears and was eventually let go. I hope that this situation will be different.
4th Round Pick: Temple Fullback/Tight End Evan Rodriguez
The Bears may have finally found the “H-Back” that they have been looking for these last couple of seasons. They tried unsuccessfully to do that with Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark. They were able to do that with Brandon Manumaleuma but they relased him. And they tried to convert Matt Spaeth and Kyle Adams into that mold but with mixed results. But this time, they may finally be able to make the Fullback/Tight End hybrid happen with Evan Rodriguez.
His size, speed, strength, and blocking ability already give him an upper hand. But his ability to open up the passing game makes him even more dangerous. This was probably the Bears second best pick of this years draft.
6th Round Pick: Nevada Cornerback Isaiah Frey
Isaiah Frey is the second smallest player taken by the Bears in this years draft. While he may have had a solid college career, he did so against low level competition by playing in the Western Athletic Conference. Due to his size {or lack there of}, he’s going to have to prove that he can take on the bigger wide receivers in this league.
7th Round Pick: Texas Christian Cornerback Greg McCoy
McCoy was the smallest player that the Bears drafted this year. But they didn’t exactly draft him for his defensive abilities. The Bears drafted Greg McCoy for his potential contributions on special teams. McCoy was mainly used as a kick returner for the Horned Frogs last year. And as the Bears are looking to ease Devin Hester out of the return game, they will need all the help they can get.
Overall, I give the Bears a C grade for this years draft. They could have drafted an offensive lineman at some point. They also could have drafted another safety, they already had plenty of corners before the draft. So now we await for workouts and mini-camps to start.
Tonight was the first big test for Bears General Manager Phil Emery as the NFL Draft begun with the first round. And while we all knew the Bears were looking to the defensive line for their first pick, Bears fans were hoping for a bigger name. The Bears chose Boise State Defensive End Shea McClellin. The 6’3″ 260 pound pass rusher is the first Boise State player to be drafted in the first round since the New York Jets drafted Defensive Back Kyle Wilson back in the 2010 draft.
McClellin is also the first of two Boise State players to be drafted in the first round of this years draft. The other player was BSU Running Back Doug Martin who was selected by Tampa Bay. This also marks the first time in NFL Draft history that Boise State had two players picked in the first round. Now while McClellin may not be a household name, scouts and coaches have said quite a few good things about him.
And in reaction to being chosen in the first round, Shea McClellin wrote this on his Twitter page: “Truly blessed to have such great family, friends, teammates, coaches, fans, the list go on… I appreciate all the support!” There is also a highlight video of him circulating on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBo1St4vArc
He hasn’t played a game yet but he’s already been compared to guys like Clay Matthews and Jared Allen. He ran a 4.63 at the combine, however he only pushed 19 reps in the 225 pound bench press. But the scouting report says his combination of speed and strength will help him shed blocks and his small stature {for a lineman} will give him leverage against bigger offensive linemen.
So hopefully Phil Emery and the Bears scouting department saw something that nobody else did. But I will say that when the Bears made this pick, Syracuse Defensive End Chandler Jones {The best D-Lineman in this years draft and younger brother to UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones.}, Illinois Defensive End Whitney Mercilus, and Clemson Defensive Tackle Brandon Thompson were still available.
But again, perhaps the Bears know what they’re doing. Of course you can’t blame Bears fans for being pessimistic about this years draft. The bad decisions made in previous drafts by Jerry Angelo are still fresh in Bears fans minds. However, there are still two more days of this draft left to go with the second round starting on Friday night.
The Bears will be picking at #18 in the second round and it is expected that they will either draft an offensive lineman or a wide receiver. And if that is the case here the available players that I think are the best choices for the Bears:
WR- Stephen Hill/Georgia Tech: People underestimate him because of the offense he played in while in college. I say he is this years draft sleeper.
OT- Johnathan Martin/Stanford: He had to protect Andrew Luck, enough said!
OG- Brandon Brooks/Miami-Ohio: He is a brutal force in the trenches, but didn’t always get enough attention because he played in the Mid-American Conference.
C- Peter Kontz/Wisconsin: He was the anchor of the offensive line that led the one of the most powerful offenses in the Big Ten last year.
So now we wait and see what the second round has in store for the Bears. There were also a handful of local college talents that were taken in the first round tonight. Notre Dame Wide Receiver Michael Floyd was taken 13th overall by the Arizona Cardinals. Floyd who led all Notre Dame receivers the last couple of seasons was on the Bears radar as well. Notre Dame Free Safety Harrison Smith was taken 29th overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
Illinois Fighting Illini Defensive End Whitney Mercilus was taken 26th overall by the Houston Texans, and Illini Wide Receiver A.J. Jenkins was taken 30th overall by the San Francisco 49ers. Other local players hoping to have their names called are as follows:
Northwestern:
Defensive End Vince Browne
Tight End Drake Dunsmore
Wide Receiver Jeremy Ebert
Offensive Lineman Al Netter
Illinois:
Offensive Tackle Jeff Allen
Kicker Derek Dimke
Running Back Jason Ford
Safety Tavon Wilson
Northern Illinois:
Quarterback Chandler Harnish
Offensive Tackle Trevor Olson
Center Scott Wedige
Southern Illinois:
Running Back Jewel Hampton
Monmouth:
Quarterback Alex Tanney
Notre Dame:
Cornerback Robert Blanton
Offensive Tackle Taylor Dever
Outside Linebacker Darius Fleming
Cornerback Gary Grey
Running Back Jonas Grey
Kicker David Ruffer
We here at Q101 wish all of these players the best in their careers. Now for a few side notes which I always like to sneak into the mix. First and foremost we here at Q101 are still holding our pledge drive so we can bring Chicago our annual Jamboree concert. We only have 8 days left to reach our goal so we can bring the show to you this year.
Log onto: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/611184624/jamboree-q101-chicago
And once you’re there you can find out how you can get your hands on Chicago Rush tickets and perhaps a skybox during a Chicago Rush game at the Allstate Arena! And to those who have already given their generosity, muchas gracias amigos! Speaking of the Rush, they make their way to San Antonio this weekend to take on the Talons in the famous Alamodome.
If you want to watch the live online video stream log onto: http://arenarush.com/ kickoff is at 2:30 this Saturday afternoon. Friday night the Wolves hope to advance to the next round when they take on the San Antonio Rampage in game 5 of their first round AHL series. After being down 2-0 last week, the Wolves crawled back this week to force game 5.
If you want to help cheer the Wolves on, go to their website http://chicagowolves.com/ for ticket information. And finally this Saturday night I will be at Toyota Park covering the Chicago Fire as they host the Seattle Sounders. If you see me walking around the stadium, don’t be afraid to say hello. And of course I will be writing and posting pictures and videos from the game so follow me online and keep your browser logged onto Q101.
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