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Report: Judge Nelson Lifts The Lockout

25th April 2011 by under 2011-2012 Schedule, NFL News     

According to a report out of St. Paul, Minnesota the NFL lockout has been lifted.

Here’s what the Associated Press had to say about the matter:

“A federal judge on Monday ordered an end to the NFL lockout, giving the players an early victory in their fight with the owners over how to divide the $9 billion business.

U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson said she was swayed by the players’ argument that that the lockout, now in its second month, was causing irreparable harm to their careers.

The plaintiffs “have made a strong showing that allowing the League to continue their ‘lockout’ is presently inflicting, and will continue to inflict, irreparable harm upon them, particularly when weighed against the lack of any real injury that would be imposed on the NFL by issuing the preliminary injunction,” Nelson wrote.

The NFL promised an immediate appeal.

“We will promptly seek a stay from Judge Nelson pending an expedited appeal to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals,” the league said. “We believe that federal law bars injunctions in labor disputes. We are confident that the Eighth Circuit will agree. But we also believe that this dispute will inevitably end with a collective bargaining agreement, which would be in the best interests of players, clubs and fans. We can reach a fair agreement only if we continue negotiations toward that goal.”

Here’s what Yahoo Sports had to say about the matter:

“Nelson heard arguments on the injunction at a hearing on April 6 and ordered the two sides to resume mediation while she was considering her decision. The owners and players, who failed to reach consensus after 16 days of mediated talks earlier this year, met over four days with a federal magistrate but did not announce any progress on solving the NFL’s first work stoppage since 1987.

If her ruling stands, it is still unclear exactly what happens next. The collective bargaining agreement has expired, so how the league would handle free agency, trades and offseason workouts at team headquarters, all of which were banned under the lockout, remains to be seen.”

All quotes from SI.com and sports.yahoo.com.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker

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Could WR Mike Sims-Walker Be Heading To The Bears?

21st April 2011 by under 2009-2010 Schedule, 2011-2012 Schedule, Bears News, NFL News     

Could free-agent wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker be playing in the Windy City in 2011?

Would he be a good fit in Mike Martz’s offensive system? Let’s first take a look at what the Bears currently have at the wide receiver position.

The Bears currently only have four wide receivers on their roster—Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Andy Fantuz. Knox, Hester and Bennett all will contribute on offense, but 6’4″ Andy Fantuz is no guarantee to make the roster. Fantuz was very successful in the CFL, but success doesn’t always transfer over to the NFL, plus he isn’t known for being the field-stretching type.

Free-agent receivers in the Bears system, Rashied Davis and Devin Aromashodu, will be looked over. Aromashodu, a restricted free agent, just simply didn’t show up last season, so the Bears didn’t tender him, and he will be free to sign with any team.

Davis, on the other hand, is a 31-year-old receiver who is a solid contributor on special teams. When he gets chances at playing wide receiver, he usually shines. In the Week 17 finale against Green Bay, Davis reeled in seven passes for 63 yards.

So, with the Bears potentially having Knox, Hester, Bennett and Davis under contract for the 2011 season, would adding Sims-Walker to the mix be a good idea?

Consider this: Knox reeled in 51 passes for 960 yards and five touchdowns, while Hester and Bennett combined for 86 catches for 1,036 yards and seven touchdowns. Would Sims-Walker actually be able to change this offense?

“Most of our guys [such as] Johnny [Knox] — Earl [Bennett is] a little bigger — they are smaller receivers,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “So to just add a little bit different flavor [in terms of size] wouldn’t be a bad idea. As much as anything, though, we’re just trying to add a guy that can play ball. We’re going to try to improve the receiving corps just like all our positions. We’re going to always look to improve, but we have a solid core in place right now.”

Knox and Bennett are the likely starters with Hester again focusing on punt returns, but would the 6’2″ Sims-Walker actually improve from last season, with Knox and Bennett on the field?

A former third-round pick from the University of Central Florida, Sims-Walker has spent the last three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he experienced some success. In those three seasons, Sims-Walker played in 38 games, making 122 catches for 1,648 yards and 14 touchdowns. Last season, Sims-Walker made only 43 catches 562 yards and seven touchdowns, a significant drop-off from his 2009 campaign.

Jacksonville let Sims-Walker go when the season was over after he failed to win the number one wide receiver position. Analysts say the Bears need a true number one receiver, but I don’t think they’ll find one in the draft. They could find him in free agency, but it could be costly, that’s why Sims-Walker could be a good fit. Sims-Walker is a good fit and a cheap option, who would fit nicely in Mike Martz’s offense.

Sims-Walker could be the pickup the Bears need. He is a nice deep threat, who when healthy can put up nice numbers—just look at his 2009 season (63 receptions, 869 yards, seven touchdowns).

Sims-Walker would be a cheaper option with a lot of upside and would give the Bears a big deep threat who could stretch the field. If the Bears look for a wide receiver, free agency would be a better spot, since most of the wide receivers in this year’s draft class this year likely won’t contribute right away.

What would you think if the Bears added Mike Sims-Walker to their receiving core?

All quotes from ESPNChicago.com

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Another Look: Potential Problems With The Bears 2011-2012 Schedule

20th April 2011 by under 2011-2012 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears have the 18th hardest schedule in the NFL next season according to their opponents records in 2010, 128-128.

So, what does that mean for the Bears? Well it means that they play four division winners between the NFC and AFC. Kansas City, Atlanta, and Philadelphia are all division winners that each won over 10 games. Seattle is the other division winner, but they only won seven games.

Don’t forget the Bears play Green Bay twice, a team that earned one of the wild card spots with 10 wins. The Bears play them Week three in Chicago and again in Week 16 in Green Bay on Christmas night.

The first three opponents the Bears play, Falcons, Saints and Packers had a combined winning percentage last season of (.708). Those first three games are certainly going to be tough, luckily two of them are at home at Soldier Field.

Week five to Week nine doesn’t provide the Bears with much rest. Two Monday Night Football games (Detroit and Philadelphia), one Sunday Night football game (Minnesota) and one trip to London against (Tampa Bay) won’t give the Bears much of an advantage against their opponents. Luckily the Bears get a bye in Week eight before their big Week nine match-up in Philadelphia. Three night games and a trip to London will likely take a toll on this Bears team.

The next hardest stretch in this Bears schedule is the final two games. Week 16 against Green Bay on Christmas night. Lambeau Field will be cold and loud with the NFC playoff spots likely still being figured out. There is nothing better than the Bears against the Packers, but will the Bears be distracted because of all the pressure on Christmas night.

The last game of the season in Week 17, the Bears travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings on New Year’s Day. Could this too be a distraction game for the Bears. We’ll have to wait and see, but Lovie Smith usually has the Bears minds on the big games, minus the season finale in 2006, when Rex Grossman posted a QB rating of 0.0.

The Bears will certainly have to battle if they want a shot at the NFC North title because the start of the season and the end of the season for the Bears could turn out to be ugly.

Bears mock draft coming soon….

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Evaluating The Chicago Bears 2011-2012 Schedule

19th April 2011 by under 2011-2012 Schedule, Bears News     

Here’s your 2011-2012 Chicago Bears schedule:

Week 1: Sept. 11, Atlanta , 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 2: Sept. 18, at New Orleans, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 3: Sept. 25, Green Bay, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 4: Oct. 2, Carolina, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 5: Oct .10 at Detroit, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Week 6: Oct. 16 Minnesota, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Week 7: Oct. 23 vs. Tampa Bay at London, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 8 Bye

Week 9: Nov. 7 at Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

Week 10: Nov. 13 Detroit, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 11: Nov. 20 San Diego, 4:15 p.m. ET, CBS

Week 12: Nov. 27 at Oakland, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 13: Dec. 4 Kansas City, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

Week 14: Dec. 11 at Denver, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 15: Dec. 18 Seattle, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

Week 16: Dec. 25 at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

Week 17: Jan. 1 at Minnesota, 1 p.m. ET, Fox

What I Think?

Bears opponents in 2011-2012 were a combined 128-128 in 2010, which would make their schedule the 18th hardest in the league. They play their first three games against last year’s No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs (Falcons) and the last two Super Bowl champions (Saints and Packers). That is certainly a tough start to the season for the Bears. Luckily two of the three games are at Soldier Field.

The Bears are a team that has started the season of fast the last couple of seasons, but with three tough games in a row, their record could be any ones guess heading into week four against Carolina.

After the Bears host Carolina, they will travel to face Detroit on Monday Night Football, return home to face Minnesota on Sunday Night Football and then head to London to play Tampa Bay. However, the league announced that if an agreement on a new CBA is not reached by Aug. 1, the game in London will be moved to Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium.

Week eight the Bears will get a much needed bye week. They return to action against Michael Vick and the Eagles in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football.

After that game the Bears host NFC North rival Detroit. Then they play four straight games against AFC West teams. Home against San Diego, on the road against Oakland, home against Kansas City and on the road against Denver.

Those four games won’t be easy for the Bears, the AFC usually fares well against NFC teams. The week 14 match-up in Denver will certainly be an interesting one. It is going to be fascinating to see what reaction Jay Cutler gets from Denver Broncos fans. The last time Cutler played in Denver was in the 2009 pre-season and that was the year the Bears acquired Cutler from Denver.

The Bears then welcome Seattle to Soldier Field, who they manhandled last season in the NFC Divisional game.

Week 16 the Bears travel to Green Bay to take on the Super Bowl champs on Christmas night on Sunday Night Football. This game will be interesting. If the Bears can get through the tough part of their schedule, the first three weeks (Atlanta, New Orleans and Green Bay) and the week 11-14 stretch against the NFC West, then this Christmas night match-up could decide the NFC North.

The Bears finish up the season on New Years’ Day against Minnesota.

Final Thoughts

The Bears will play on New Year’s Day for just the third time. The Bears will play on Christmas Day for only the second time in team history. The Bears will open back-to-back campaigns at home for the first time since 1998-99. The Bears are 15-3 in season openers at home since 1984.

What do you think of the Bears 2011-2012 schedule?

It sure seems like the NFL wants a season because they sure have some beautiful match-ups in the first three weeks of the season.

It is way to early to even predict any of these games, but hopefully after the draft we will have a better feeling for this 2011-2012 Bears roster.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

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Report: Bears To Travel To London To Play The Bucs

12th April 2011 by under 2011-2012 Schedule, Bears News     

ESPNChicago.com is reporting the Bears will travel to London, England to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Wembley Stadium.

This will be the Bucs second trip to London. The last trip they had in 2009 was one to forget. A 35-7 loss to the New England Patriots.

The Bears haven’t been to London since they played a preseason game there against the Cowboys in 1986.

The Bucs didn’t sell out any of their home games, therefor blackouts were issued in the local area. This game certainly won’t be a blackout. A sold out crowd will be expected.

The Bears should be excited to get an opportunity to showcase their talents outside of the United States. Last season’s match-up against the Bills in Toronto helped them do that and it turned out to be like a home game for them. Hopefully the Bears fan will show up in London.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

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Bear Down: 2011 NFL Preseason Schedule Announced

12th April 2011 by under 2011-2012 Schedule, Bears News     

The Chicago Bears will open up the 2011 NFL Preseason against the St. Louis Rams on August 7th in the Hall of Fame game. With the NFL still experiencing a lockout the game could possibly never be played.

Even if the game is up in the air, the Bears should be excited about the opportunity to showcase their team in the league’s first game since Super Bowl XLV.

This would be the first time the Bears would play in the Hall of Fame game, since 2005.

Here is a look at the Bears Preseason schedule:

Sunday Aug. 7- Chicago v.s. St. Louis, at Canton, Ohio (8 PM ET) NBC

Saturday Aug. 13-Buffalo v.s. Chicago (TBD)

Monday Aug. 22- Chicago at N.Y. Giants (8 PM ET) ESPN

Saturday Aug. 27- Chicago at Tennessee (TBD)

Thursday Sep. 1- Cleveland at Chicago (TBD)

In addition to home and away games against NFC North rivals Lions, Packers and Vikings, the Bears will host the Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks, Chiefs and Chargers; and visit the Saints, Buccaneers, Eagles, Broncos and Raiders next regular season

The regular season schedule will likely be announced Tuesday, April 26.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.


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ESPN Draft Gurus Kiper And McShay Believe The Bears Will Select DT Austin

11th April 2011 by under 2011-2012 Schedule, Bears News     

The Bears need help at offensive line after last years unit allowed a league high 56 sacks. Defensive line could arguably be just as big of a need as an offensive tackle or guard for the Bears.

With the release of DT Tommie Harris forcing a big need on the defensive line, the Bears could look for a defensive tackle early. Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije are the projected defensive ends for next season, but the starting interior line is any ones guess. Henry Melton and Anthony Adams right now look to be the starters, if Adams is signed.

But if the Bears don’t decide to look at a young defensive tackle, that would mean that would likely sign a veteran free agent, like Cullen Jenkins. The younger route could be the better way to go considering the athleticism behind this years defensive tackle class.

Marvin Austin out of the University of North Carolina could be that guy for the Bears. ESPN’s Mel Kiper has the Bears selecting the 6’3″ Austin in the second round, while ESPN’s other draft guru Todd McShay has the Bears selecting Austin in the first round.

Austin carries a second-round grade and would be a reach here,” says ESPN’s draft guru Todd McShay, “but there is a big drop-off in this class in the mid-20s and at this point the Bears could take any of about 15-20 players and not see a big difference in talent level.

Kiper believes the Bears will take big 6’8″ tackle Nate Solder out of Colorado with the #29th pick. It will be interesting to see what the Bears do because as of right now it seems they could take a lot of positions at #29. DT, DE, OG, OT, C, and CB have all been mentioned at that selection in the first round for the Bears.

Check it out: PrideofDetroit.com has the Bears taking Austin at #29, read up on what they had to say about the pick.

All quotes from ESPN.com.

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