Bears Trade Quinn To Eagles For 4th Round Pick
October 26, 2022, 4:33 PM CDT
The Bears have traded edge rusher Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a fourth round pick in 2023. The move kicks off the Bears 2023 Trade Deadline transactions.
Quinn became the Bears All-Time Single Season Sack Record holder last year when he recorded 18.5. However, this year has gone completely different. He has one sack and six tackles through seven games this year, a horrible season especially after the incredible 2021 he had. The move sheds future cap for the Bears, as they eat this years salary but clear the salary for 2023 and 2024. This means we add more cap space this offseason, despite already having the most in the league by a country mile. This team is young, so the move allows guys like Dominique Robinson and Trevis Gipson to get even more playing time. Both of them should be the Bears pass rush core for a while to come.
Robert Quinn is headed to Philly
Shocker, The Bears Trade Roquan Smith To Ravens
October 31, 2022, 2:52 PM CDT
I was preparing to write my recap in my study hall period for yesterday’s game. As my last period before my study hall let out, I got the news that Roquan Smith had been traded to the Ravens. It’s a 2nd and 5th round pick this year coming back to us.
Roquan, let’s recall, requested a trade back in training camp as extension talks weren’t going the way he wanted. As the year progressed, and he played well, it looked like betting on himself was working out. However, the Robert Quinn trade must have taken a toll on him, as he followed up a tremendous game against New England with an abysmal performance against Dallas. This must have been enough for Ryan Poles to trade him. The Ravens will get a stud linebacker for at least the remainder of the year. It’s said, as two of our captains have now been traded in this deadline window. There’s still a chance at him being brought back in the offseason, however, this could be the end of Roquan’s time spent in Chicago in the NFL.
The team will look toward guys like Jack Sanborn, Sterling Weatherford, and possibly DeMarquis Gates getting starting reps for us. And significant reps at that.
Update: After I published this, I learned that the Bears are acquiring LB AJ Klein from the Ravens as well. He is a 31 year old LB, who has played two games this year with four tackles. He may just be a placeholder for the remainder of the year, we'll see.
Roquan Smith is now a Baltimore Raven
Bears Interested In Acquiring WR Kendrick Bourne
November 1, 2022, 11:04 AM CDT
Ryan Poles hasn’t made a big splash to acquire a player yet. The only trade he’s made for a player was the N’Keal Harry trade, where he sent a 7th round pick to New England for the wideout. Now it appears he may be looking to strike another deal for a Pats wide receiver. NFL reporter for PFF Doug Kyed reported that the Bears have called the Patriots to check Kendrick Bourne’s availability prior to the deadline. It seems as though we cannot have enough offensive weapons at WR, despite the fact that we have no true WR1 on this team. Now, I don’t think we will trade for Bourne, simply due to the depth we have. He has 203 catches for 2,725 yards and 16 touchdowns in his six year career, but is struggling to find a role with the Patriots this year. This could be a decent trade for a guy who had his best career year last year, however, I ultimately think this is just a check-in, and Poles won’t end up getting him.
Kendrick Bourne with the Patriots
Bears Acquire WR Chase Claypool From Steelers
November 1, 2022, 12:52 PM CDT
Ryan Poles has woken up. After speculation earlier about the Bears adding Kendrick Bourne, Poles has pivoted and acquired a big name for Justin Fields. He traded the Bears original second round pick (not the second round pick he got in the Roquan Smith deal) to the Steelers for WR Chase Claypool.
Claypool was a second round pick in 2020 by Pittsburgh, and he is one of the most physically gifted wideouts in the NFL today. He had over 800 receiving yards in his first two NFL seasons, with 11 touchdowns those two years. He has not been utilized well this year, largely due to poor offensive playcalling. He now gets a fresh start on a Bears team with an offense up and coming under second year QB Justin Fields. It was worth it to trade Roquan because we are able to still have a second round pick and by pulling the trigger on this trade, we prevented the Packers from making their last gasp move to try and save their season. They did nothing at the deadline, while Ryan Poles focused on building for the future. Claypool will likely be our WR1 moving forward, and here's to hoping he gets significant reps on Sunday. He can show what he is made of, and show why this Bears offense is not to be messed with.
The Bears have added Chase Claypool to the WR room
Bears Activate WR Pringle Off IR Prior To Clash With Lions
November 12, 2022, 5:58 PM CST
The Bears are activating WR Byron Pringle off the Injured Reserve for tomorrow's game against Detroit. His window for practice has been open since October 26th, meaning the Bears used a good chunk of time to get him up to speed. He has been out since the Week 3 clash against Houston with a calf injury. He left the stadium that day in a walking boot, per Bears reporters. Pringle hasn't had a super impressive campaign to begin his time in Chicago. He had 2 catches for 33 yards, one against San Francisco and the other in that Houston contest. He has been solid in the blocking game, however, and we hope he can use that to help our run game out even more.
Other roster moves include DE Gerri Green and DB Harrison Hand being elevated from the Practice Squad for this game. Kindle Vildor was already ruled out, and Jaylon Johnson is Questionable for this one, so Hand helps provide depth should we need it. Al-Quadin Muhammad is listed as Doubtful, so bringing up Green is a good sign he will be out Sunday. TE Jake Tonges, who was waived earlier in the week (presumably to make room for Pringle's return) was signed to the practice squad and DB Davontae Harris was released from the practice squad.
Byron Pringle will play for the first time since Week 3
Bears Lose Herbert To Hip Injury, Sign A Defensive End
November 16, 2022, 12:26 PM CST
The Bears have made a number of roster moves the last two days. RB Khalil Herbert has been placed on IR with a hip injury he suffered against Detroit on Sunday. Herbert had 643 rush yards on 108 carries this season with 4 touchdowns. The Bears will likely bring RB Darrynton Evans ip from the practice squad for the next few weeks. We were awarded DB Justin Layne off waivers from the Giants. A 4th Year player, Layne has 32 career tackles, mostly on Special Teams. He came into the league with Pittsburgh in 2019. We also waived DE Kingsley Jonathan, who we originally got on waivers earlier this season. He had one tackles with us. LB Matt Adams will be activated off IR later today, and we signed DE Taco Charlton off the Saints Practice Squad. A former first round pick in 2017, Charlton struggled to get things going in Dallas and has bounced around the league. He will now get an opportunity in Chicago and hope to boost a weak pass rush up to this point in the season. In his career, Charlton has 53 tackles and 11.5 sacks. His best season was in 2019 with the Dolphins, where he had 5 sacks, 14 tackles, and 2 force fumbles. Hopefully he can rediscover the talent he had in college that got him to be a first round selection. The Bears also released LB AJ Klein, who was acquired in the Roquan Smith trade a few weeks ago.
The Bears have signed Taco Charlton off the Saints Practice Squad
Bears Inactives: Velus Jones Jr. Returns
November 20, 2022, 10:49 AM CST
Velus Jones Jr will play today for the first time since Week 8. He has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks after dropping a deep pass against Dallas. However, due to injury to Khalil Herbert (hip) and N'Keal Harry dealing with an illness, he will get another opportunity today. Expect him to be on kick return duties and maybe a few jet sweeps. Also active today is Teven Jenkins, who missed last week and a couple days of practice this week with a hip injury. His presence will be great to have back today, as he's been our best offensive lineman this year. Inactives today are N'Keal Harry (illness), Dane Cruikshank (hamstring), Justin Layne, Ja'Tyre Carter, Lamar Jackson, and Alex Leatherwood.
Velus Jones Jr will get another opportunity today
Justin Fields Injury Update
November 21, 2022, 9:14 PM CST
When QB Justin Fields got hurt on Sunday, we were hoping for the best case scenario that it wouldn't be long term. Unfortunately, despite more clarity on the injury, we still have a lot of uncertainty on the situation. In Matt Eberflus' press conference, he said Fields is "day-to-day" with a left shoulder injury, though he wouldn't rule out the injury being season ending. Ian Rapoport said on Twitter that Fields dislocated his shoulder, which would mean he'd miss some time. HOWEVER, Adam Schefter and Pro Football talk have said that Fields didn't dislocate his shoulder. Some doctors noted on Twitter that it doesn't look like a shoulder dislocation, as he was holding his AC joint when being carted off. We won't know for sure until Flus lets it out on Wednesday, so some anticipation still being built about this situation.
Justin Fields against Atlanta
Darnell Mooney Feared Out For The Season With Ankle Injury
November 27, 2022, 8:11 PM CST
Multiple Bears left today's game with injuries. One of the only ones not affected by the turf is Darnell Mooney's. He had a Jets player roll over his ankle on a play, and he exited the game. League reports from Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero say that the Bears fear Mooney is done for the year with an ankle injury, with surgery likely needed to repair torn ligaments. He will get more tests tomorrow, but there is little hope for a Mooney return this year. Mooney did not have a catch or target in today's game. If he cannot come back this year, he ends his thrid season with 40 catches for 493 yards and 2 touchdowns. Him and Fields were building a lot of chemistry, and it was showing throughout the year. The Bears were earlier rumored to have mutual interest with Mooney over an extension in the offseason. The injury might not affect things too much. Mooney's career numbers through this year end up amounting to 182 catches for 2,179 yards and 10 touchdowns. An extension would be well worth it, likely in the 3-4 year range. The Bears don't have much to play for other than a top draft pick from here on out, as their record dipped below .500. Even if there was a chance at a late season return, Mooney should just rest and get prepared for next season. Now, I expect most of the targets to go to Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet for the rest of the year. But maybe one of the guys on one year deals, like EQSB, Pettis, Pringle, and Harry can break out for the remainder of the year. Keep an eye on Velus as well to get a more expanded offensive role from here out.
The Bears fear Darnell Mooney is out for the year
Bears Lose Mooney, Jackson For Season To Injury
November 29, 2022, 11:28 AM CST
The Bears have lost two of their best players this season for the year due to injury. Yesterday, Matt Eberflus officially confirmed that Darnell Mooney was done for the year due to the ankle injury he suffered on Sunday, and he likley will need surgery. It really aucks for one of the young budding stars on this team. This morning, it was reported that the Bears would be losing Eddie Jackson for the year due to a Lisfranc injury that took him out of the game on Sunday. The severity of which is unknown, although it was reported to be significant. Despite being an at best six week injury, the Bears are not going to make the playoffs. So there is no chance that Eddie will return this season if it is confirmed as a Lisfranc injury. A tough break for Eddie, who was having his best year since 2018 with four interceptions, and he was likely going to make the Pro Bowl. Hopefully, with a better D-Line next year, he can have his best year of his NFL career.
The Bears have lost Darnell Mooney and Eddie Jackson for the year
Bears Make Flurry of Moves In Response To Injuries
November 30, 2022, 5:02 PM CST
The Bears have been heavily plagued by the injury bug the last couple of weeks. They've had to make some signings and some promotions to help fill these spots that have been voided by injury. Eddie Jackson and Darnell Mooney both headed to IR as their 2022 campaigns are done due to Lisfranc (Jackson) and Ankle (Mooney) injuries. The Bears promoted rookie Safety AJ Thomas from the practice squad, and they also signed veteran Safety Adrian Colbert to the Practice Squad. Today, Justin Fields was limited in practice with the shoulder injury, and Trevor Siemian was out due to an oblique injury he sustained in warmups against the Jets. The team signed QB Tim Boyle off the Lions Practice Squad as a precaution in case neither Fields or Siemian can go, which would've left Nathan Peterman as the only healthy QB in the organization. DT Andrew Brown was also signed to the Practice Squad, and Defensive Back Dane Cruikshank was placed on IR with a hamstring injury. A lot of injuries for the Bears at this point in the year, which won't help our chances against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on Sunday.
QB Tim Boyle has been signed as a precaution
Justin Fields Practices Fully + A Rant About Some "Fans"
December 1, 2022, 10:13 PM CST
Despite OC Luke Getsy saying that he expected Justin Fields to be limited in practice today, QB1 practiced in full. This means he is on track to play on Sunday. Some people still don't want him to play on Sunday because this is "a meaningless game" and we should lose to the Packers. Um, hello? These are our biggest rivals. The fact that some people want us to lose this game solely for "the tank" are clearly not real Bears fans. I'm sorry, but for you to root for us to lose to our biggest rivals is insanity. I don't care what kind of prospect is out there, we should be playing our rivals like it's our Super Bowl at this point in the year. This is all that's left to play for. There's a record that could be taken by Green Bay on Sunday. The All-Time most wins in NFL history record. The Bears have held a share of that record for over 100 years. The fact that some people just want to give that to the Packers just so we can keep "the tank" going is insane. Justin Fields is back, and I sure as hell want to see him absolutely destroy the Packers. A new era of Bears vs Packers begins on Sunday. One where the Bears begin their dominance, and put an end to Aaron Rodgers once and for all.
Justin Fields is on track to play against the Packers
Bears Injuries: Time For Leatherwood?
December 2, 2022, 10:37 PM CST
The Bears claimed OL Alex Leatherwood off waivers from the Raiders at the start of the year. The former first rounder would be given a chance to try and fill a spot on the roster at right tackle, a position with a lot of questions coming into this year. Then he got mono. He was out for a few weeks and was then activated when he became healthy. However, he hasn't played a single snap as a Bear. It's been all Riley Reiff and Larry Borom this season. Reiff won't be back with us next year, and Borom might be best used as a swing tackle. Reiff is listed as questionable for Sunday's game, and Borom is out with an ankle injury. This could give Leatherwood a chance to show what he's capable of for next year and the years beyond, as we still have him for two (possibly three) more years after the conclusion of this season. Many did originally see him as a reach by the Raiders, and he needed time to develop, which the Raiders did not give. Despite not getting any game time with the Bears this year, he's been working hard and learning the scheme in practice, so let's see what he can provide for us on Sunday should Reiff not be able to go.
With that covering the O-Line injuries and possible replacements, we move on to the rest of the team. Both of our second round picks, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, remain in concussion protocol and have been listed as out for Sunday's game. The only other DB injury is Kindle Vildor, who is questionable with an ankle injury but did practice in full today. Linebacker Sterling Weatherford is off the injury report as he has cleared concussion protocol. You may remember him as another guy we acquired off waivers earlier in the year. He's mainly played special teams, but I wouldn't be opposed to seeing him get an opportunity to spend some playing at linebacker this year. Moving back over to the offensive side of the ball, Chase Claypool (knee) and Dante Pettis (illness) are off the injury report and will play Sunday. With Darnell Mooney done for the year, now is the time for Claypool to step up in a big way and develop more chemistry with Justin Fields. Speaking of QB1, he practiced for the second day in a row and is off the injury report. He will start against the Packers as we look to defend our All-Time most wins in NFL history record, which we've held a share of for over 100 years. Finally, QB Trevor Siemian will undergo surgery on the oblique injury he sustained in pregame warmups against the Jets. He is done for the year, and Nathan Peterman will serve as the backup going forward.
It's time to see what Alex Leatherwood can do
Bears Take Chance On Corner Michael Ojemudia
December 28, 2022, 10:17 PM CST
The Bears have made a few roster moves today. First, they signed CB Greg Stroman Jr to the practice squad. You may remember him from having an interception in preseason with us in a great performance against the Browns. However, he did not make the final roster unfortunately. He will be available to be elevated for either of the next two games if needed. The next move we made was waiving Taco Charlton. Taco played in five games for us, but had very little impact. He only had three total tackles with just one of those being a solo stop. No sacks either. He may end up going down as one of those "I never knew he played for the Bears" players. The final move we made was claiming CB Michael Ojemudia off waivers from the Denver Broncos. Ojemudia was a solid player in his rookie year (2020) as a third round pick out of Iowa. However, injuries have limited him to just five games the last two seasons. He played three games this year, mainly appearing on special teams. From what I have heard from talking to Broncos fans, they think he has good potential, but injuries have sort of derailed his career. If he can be healthy, he could be another nice secondary waiver claim by Ryan Poles, just like Josh Blackwell earlier this year.
New Bears CB Michael Ojemudia breaks up a pass against the Jets
Bears Have Big Ten Commish Kevin Warren On CEO Radar
December 29, 2022, 12:18 PM CST
The Bears are reportedly close to hiring a new President/CEO. Current Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren has become a top target by the team. He previously has NFC North experience with the Lions, and he was also the Vikings CEO prior to being hired by the Big Ten. Some of his works in Minnesota include the stadium project, something he would help oversee the construction of with Ted Phillips retiring in February. I would assume he wouldn’t affect football operations, as it seems that has all been left to Ryan Poles. Warren won’t be the only candidate, but he’s had an interview and the Bears like him. We will see how this situation plays out.
Kevin Warren - Current Big 10 Commissioner
Ian Cunningham Drawing Interest In GM Market
January 9, 2023, 2:20 PM CST
Could the first member of the Bears new regime be hired away soon?
The Bears hired Eagles Director of Player Personnel Ian Cunningham to be our Assistant GM last offseason. Him and GM Ryan Poles built a bond here in Chicago that was thought to stick for a few years before Cunningham could be hired away. However, as the GM market begins to take shape, Cunningham could be on his way out. The Titans and Cardinals have already requested to interview Ian, but the Bears will obviously be hoping to retain him.
In my opinion, it would suck to lose Cunningham, who is basically as close of a thing to a sidekick as there can be. Him and Poles have traveled to multiple schools to evaluate prospects, and seeing him poached before we can draft any of those players would absolutely suck. This was a new position that had never been filled in the organization in the past, and Poles specifically hired Cunningham. Hopefully he stays with the Bears through this project, but I do believe it is inevitable that someday he becomes a GM.
Could the Bears be losing Assistant GM Ian Cunningham soon?
Bears Name Big 10 Commish Warren As President
January 12, 2023, 1:18 PM CST
The Bears have their new team president. With Ted Phillips retiring in a month, the Bears needed their successor. For the first time in franchise history, the team looked outside the organization for their guy, and found that person in Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren. Warren boasts over 20 years of NFL Front Office Experience, recently being the COO for Minnesota before going to the Big 10. With the Vikings, Warren was crucial in the development and building of US Bank Stadium, the state of the art stadium the Vikings call home. With the Bears closing in on purchasing the Arlington Racecourse Property, Warren will now take charge in developing a new stadium for the Bears to call home.
Warren could also help out in media rights as well, as he secured exclusive broadcasting deals for the Big 10 with CBS, FOX, and NBC worth over $7 billion dollars. His first day will be on April 17th, and GM Ryan Poles will report directly to him. Despite the latter statement, I do still expect Poles to be in complete charge of the football operations and building this team to be successful. Either way, I'm glad we could get this out of the way quickly.
The Bears have hired Big 10 commissioner Kevin Warren as President/CEO
David Montgomery Responds To A Recent Rumor
January 27, 2023, 1:35 PM CST
Recently, a Bears reporter said that David Montgomery could be inclined to ask for $12 million AAV, while saying the Bears could be inclined to offer $7 million AAV. This seemed to be misinterpreted by one larger Bears media outlet, who published an article saying that David Montgomery wants more than what the Bears were offering. Now, this was very likely a misinterpret, as saying Monty could be inclined to ask for that money doesn’t mean Monty is asking for that money. But Monty then responded to that article on Twitter, saying that it was essentially not true and next time to ask him. It’s true, the report never said that Monty is asking for $12 million and the Bears are only offering $7 million. It was just saying that he could ask for that money, but some thought it was the actual prices both sides are wanting. Whether Monty and the Bears are offering those prices to each other remains unknown, and it will be interesting to see if Poles is able to get a deal done with Monty.
Will David Montgomery be back in a Bears uniform next year?