Author Archives: Tom Shannon

Bears general manager Phil Emery is a tough guy to figure out, especially when it comes to the NFL draft.  Emery has a habit of going his own way.  He sticks to his board and takes the guys he believes … Continue reading →

Dan Pompei at Sports on Earth tells this story of Seattle head coach Pete Carroll: “True story: At the NFL meetings in Orlando, Fla., a couple weeks ago, one coach of Carroll’s vintage stopped by the bar and complained about … Continue reading →

Bears general manager Phil Emery discusses the need for secrecy during negotiations with new defensive end Jared Allen.  Via Dan Wiederer at the Chicago Tribune: “‘It does make a difference on any contract situation,’ Emery said, ‘because you remove the pressure of other situations. … Continue reading →

Rich Campbell at the Chicago Tribune writes a nice article on the evolution of the Bears defensive scheme.  He describes what coaches around the league are thinking when they consider what a disruptive defense looks like: “‘Talent is important, but you … Continue reading →

From ESPN.com: “When the Chicago Bears restructured Jay Cutler‘s contract to clear cap space, speculation surfaced that it was to enable the Bears to sign All-Pro receiver Brandon Marshall to a long-term extension. “Instead, Chicago signed free-agent DE Jared Allen … Continue reading →

This item was buried in the Chicago Tribune article covering the death of Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson: “According to the Buffalo News, the team will be placed in a trust, which likely will control the franchise for a minimum of a few … Continue reading →

Last week I wrote that with the release of wide receiver Earl Bennett, the Bears would be in need of a new third wide receiver. Yesterday at the league meetings head coach Marc Trestman confirmed that wide receiver Marquess Wilson … Continue reading →

John Mullen at CSNChicago.com addresses the question of whether Mark Sanchez is in the Bears’s future: “The unknown is whether the Bears may take a flyer on Sanchez because [quarterback coach Matt] Cavanaugh knows him from New York, or take a pass for precisely the same reason: because … Continue reading →

Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs visited the NFL Network and talked Bears [link]. Amongst his comments, I can completely agree with his statements regarding the signing of cornerback Charles Tillman.  Briggs said he was “the happiest man in Chicago” when Tillman resigned.  If … Continue reading →

Apparently moving kickoffs from the 30 yard line to the 35 yard line a few years ago didn’t take things far enough for at least some NFL owners.  Via profootballtalk.com: “The Competition Committee announced today that owners will vote at next … Continue reading →