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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
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.
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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.
You can follow me on Twitter: @GabeSalgado82
As you are aware the NFL draft is just a couple of weeks away. And I’m sure you’ve seen all of the scouting reports, analysis, and mock drafts on television. But let’s be honest, while the top 2 or 3 picks can be easily predicted, the rest of the draft cannot. Yes we all have players that we would love our teams to draft, and yes we’d like to think that the teams we cheer for will pick the ideal player for our team.
But this is the NFL and stranger things do happen. So instead of predicting what player will go to which team, I’m just going to state what needs each team has. So here we go:
1. Indianapolis Colts and 2. Washington Redskins {Remember what I said about the top 2 picks being predictable?} We all know that one team will end up with Stanford Quarterback Andrew Luck and the other will end up with Baylor Quarterback Robert Griffen III.
3. Minnesota Vikings: They had a terrible 2011 season and if Head Coach Leslie Frazier is going to keep his job then his team needs more stability. Now that Christian Ponder is the starting quarterback for the Vikings I think that a solid backup QB would be a great place to start for this team. A few fresh faces on defense could help as well.
4. Cleveland Browns: I can’t believe I’m saying this but the Browns will once again be looking for a quarterback with their first round pick. This would be the third time in franchise history that they have done so. They also need a HUGE upgrade on defense, and there will be plenty of defensive players in this years draft. Might I also mention replacing Peyton Hillis…..
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Poor Josh Freeman, he’s just had one difficult NFL career. And a bad offensive line is one of those reasons why. So get a couple of offensive linemen in there, and get some assistance on defense as well.
6. St. Louis Rams: Everyone thought that the Rams were going to draft another quarterback. But new Head Coach Jeff Fisher said that he would keep Sam Bradford around. And he proved his loyalty to Bradford when he traded the #2 pick to Washington for their current #6 pick. Sam Bradford is not the problem. A bad offensive line and and even worse defense were the Rams problems in 2011.
Sam Bradford can’t make the big throws if he’s running for his life. And Steven Jackson can’t rush for 100 yards a game if the line can’t open holes for him. The O-Line should be the Rams first priority. Then start working on the defense. The Rams have 8 draft picks to work with this year.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: With a new coach comes new hope or at least that’s what the fans in Jacksonville are hoping for. Blane Gabbert had one craptacular rookie season. But it wasn’t entirely his fault. Perhaps an investment in the O-Line and maybe some extra receivers could be the remedy.
8. Miami Dolphins: At first the thought was that the Dolphins would take a quarterback in the first round. This thought was especially echoed when the Dolphins were unable to sign former Packers 2nd string Quarterback Matt Flynn. Now while drafting a signal caller could still be an option, the Dolphins signed former Jaguars starting QB David Garrard. I think replacing the recently traded Brandon Marshall should be reserved for the first pick.
Then putting some fresh faces on a weak defensive line would also help this team.
9. Carolina Panthers: If you think about it, the Panthers weren’t that bad during the 2011 season. Their offense did surprisingly well with a rookie quarterback. The defense is what held this Panthers team back last season, and the defense should be the focus of this years draft for the Panthers.
10. Buffalo Bills: The Bills have already starting heading in the right direction by signing free agent defensive ends Mario Williams and former Chicago Bear Mark Anderson. They also managed to re-sign running back Fred Jackson. The next step for the Bills would be to get a backup for Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and to improve their secondary.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: I’m kinda confused about KC. They lose Kyle Orton to Dallas and replace him with his former backup in Denver Brady Quinn. Then they pull Peyton Hillis away from Cleveland which could mean Thomas Jones may be free to sign elsewhere. I’m not sure which is the lesser of two evils there. Also Dwayne Bowe still has yet to sign his franchise tender. It will be very interesting to see what KC does in the draft.
Their defense needs some improvement, and they should definitely get a wide receiver in case Bowe holds out.
12. Seattle Seahawks: Well they figured out their quarterback situation by getting Matt Flynn to leave Green Bay. All they have left do to is upgrade at the wide receiver position, and improve the defensive line.
13. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals were said to be interested in a quarterback as well. While that could still be the case, I think more depth at running back and some help on defense would better suit this Cardinals team.
14. Dallas Cowboys: For the last few seasons the offense has always been a concern with the Cowboys. There is always the question of how far Tony Romo can actually take this team. Well in case Romo fails they have former Bear, Bronco, and Chief Quarterback Kyle Orton to turn to. Draft wise Dallas could use some help in the secondary.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: They use could more depth at all positions on the field. Injuries set this team back at times last season.
16. New York Jets: The Jets would like you to assume that they’ve sured up the quarterback position by re-signing Mark Sanchez and trading for Tim Tebow. How this plays out during the season will be very interesting. If LaDainian Tomlinson doesn’t re-sign the Jets may need to draft a running back. But their biggest need is on the defensive line. And maybe draft another quarterback for insurance purposes.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals had improved during the 2011 season by making their first postseason appearance since 2009. Cedric Benson did well in the Bengals running game, but now they’ll be even better with BenJarvus Green-Ellis taking the handoff’s from Andy Dalton. The Bengals needs for 2012 are on the defensive side of the ball.
18. San Diego Chargers: The losses of Darren Sproles and LaDainian Tomlinson hurt the Chargers running game dramatically in 2011. Philip Rivers had way too much pressure on him and as a result the Chargers offense suffered. Bringing in a top notch running back will stitch the wounds from last season. They also need a wide receiver to replace Vincent Jackson.
19. Finally, our beloved Chicago Bears: Well most of the holes have been filled already. They re-signed Josh McCown and brought in Jason Campbell to resolve the backup quarterback situation. They addressed the issue of depth at the wide receiver position by trading for Brandon Marshall and reeling in free agent Devin Thomas. They also signed Running Back Michael Bush much to the dismay of Matt Forte and Kahlil Bell.
However, should Forte holdout {Forte was designated a franchise player but has yet to sign the tender or be given a new contract}, perhaps the Bears may need to draft a running back. This may also hold true if Kahlil Bell does not sign his offer sheet. There is also a chance that the Bears could draft another wide receiver into the fold. Defensively, the Bears addressed the cornerback situation by re-signing Tim Jennings. They also signed free agent corners Kelvin Hayden and Johnathan Wilhite.
Why the Bears keep bringing back Craig Steltz is beyond me. But they do need more help at the safety position. Also, the defensive line needs re-tuning. Anthony Adams and Amobe Akoye are gone so don’t be surprised if the Bears draft a defensive lineman as well.
20. Tennessee Titans: The problem with the Titans was a lack of depth so look for them to draft at all positions. They may also bring in another quarterback. After all, they try to sign Peyton Manning.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Read #17.
22. Cleveland Browns: Read # 4
23. Detroit Lions: Last season Detroit had it’s first playoff season since 1999 and sadly last year’s 10-6 record was one of the best seasons in team history. The only issues I see with the Lions is Ndamukong Suh needing anger management, and they need more depth at the linebacker position.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are always one of the best teams in the league. At the moment they only thing I see them needing is a replacement for Hines Ward. Plus, Pittsburgh always uses the draft to find undiscovered talent that fits their system perfectly.
25. Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning is a Bronco now and that’s all I need to say about that. The Broncos are the defending AFC West champions, I see them using the draft to add more depth across the board.
26. Houston Texans: Coming of their first winning season in franchise history, the defending AFC South champions don’t have too many flaws on their team. But I could see them adding a rookie quarterback, more depth to the running back position in case something happens to Arian Foster, and perhaps maybe a boost at either tight end or wide receiver.
27. New England Patriots: There is no question that they need a running back to replace BenJarvus Green-Ellis that was a huge loss for this team.
28. Green Bay Packers: I hate the Packers but I am also a journalist. They had the NFL’s best record in 2011 {Damn how it hurts to say that}. They could go anywhere in the draft.
29. Baltimore Ravens: They lost a few players from last years defensive unit so I look for them to use this years draft to replace some of those players.
30. San Francisco 49ers: No major losses from last year and Alex Smith was re-signed a few weeks ago. This pick is a toss up because last years roster is still intact.
31. New England Patriots: Read #27
32. New York Giants: You figured that being the defending super bowl champions they wouldn’t need anything. But they actually do. They lost a few key players from last years super bowl squad.
Again these are just my takes on this years draft. These 32 teams could make some unexpected decisions on draft day.
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