Monthly Archives: April 2015

The Bears Have a Bad Day. And Other Points of View.

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Bears Adam Schefter at ESPN reports that the Bears are “entertaining trade offers” for tight end Martellus Bennett. Bennett has been problematic for the Bears for some time and now isn’t showing up for offseason workouts. The staff at NFL.com … Continue reading →

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Pray the Bears Don’t Take a Pass Rusher in the First Round

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Ian Rapoport and Albert Breer at NFL.com report that Randy Gregory‘s stock is falling precipitously as teams wonder if he’s got the mental makeup to make the jump to pro football: “The situation for the Cornhusker All-American is like this: The natural … Continue reading →

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NFC North Roundtable

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Adam Bringedahl (Detroit Lions), Brian Slattery (Green Bay Packers), Davey Randa (Minnesota Vikings) and I review hot topics currently affecting the NFC North and the upcoming 2015 NFL Draft in this most recent edition of the Next Fan Up podcast. … Continue reading →

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Niggling Doubts About Antrel Rolle

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Nate Atkins at chicagofootball.com interviews new Bears safety Antrel Rolle: “‘I don’t think I was ever involved with a player who was more sincerely interested in how his team could improve,’ Giants coach Tom Coughlin, now in his 31st year … Continue reading →

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Hub Arkush: Draft Information Worth Noting

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Hub Arkush at chicagofootball.com rips the process of putting together mock drafts. Justifiably. But then gives out some information that he thinks is reasonably reliable based upon sources were willing to go on the record on: “One team’s general manager … Continue reading →

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If the Minicamp Doesn’t Affect the Draft, Why Have It Now?

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune doesn’t think the Bears voluntary minicamp, which starts today, will affect their draft much: “It’s difficult to imagine that much of what happens on the field will affect plans for the draft. General manager … Continue reading →

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Martellus Bennett. Again. And Other Points of View.

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Bears Regular readers of this blog will know that I participated in a mock draft with other fans around the country representing all 32 teams.  Former ESPN producer Jay Soderberg put us all together to explain our picks in a podcast.  The first 16 … Continue reading →

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A Dissenting Voice on Ray McDonald

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Adam L. Jahns at the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Bears defensive end Ray McDonald has been cleared of violating the NFL player conduct policy by the league office. The Bears signed McDonald after three runins with the law in seven … Continue reading →

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Drafting Pass Rush Is a Priority. But at What Price?

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune puts up his mock draft. Here are his top 10 picks: 1. Buccaneers: Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State 2. Titans: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon 3. Jaguars: Dante Fowler, DE, Florida 4. Raiders: Leonard Williams, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, New York Jets, NFL Draft, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans | Leave a comment

Transition to the 3-4 Defense May Be Over Blown

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Tom Shannon

Hub Arkush at chicagofootball.com makes me feel a bit better about the Bears transition to a 3-4 defense as he talks about the variations in the scheme: “The original 3-4 defenses were very different from the 4-3 and even many … Continue reading →

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