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News & Notes: Paea Aims For Return, Moore Back On The Field and Conte Shows Consistency

15th August 2012 by under News and Notes     

Paea aims for return:

Defensive tackle Stephen Paea suffered an ankle injury on Saturday and has been out since then.

He was out of his walking boot and told the media in Bourbonnais that he would try to return to practice by next week.

Without Paea in practice, Matt Toeaina earns another chance at being the starter heading into the season.

Defensive tackles Ronnie Price, Jordan Miller and Nate Collins will all get extensive time in practice as well in Saturday’s preseason game against Washington.

Moore back on the field:

Another key injury that is noteworthy was D.J. Moore’s thigh contusion. He returned to the practice field on Tuesday.

Backup Kelvin Hayden filled in for Moore at nickelback in Monday’s practice. Hayden provides the Bears with a very solid option off the bench.

Don’t be surprised if the Bears use Hayden in certain packages during the season. The cornerback depth is certainly better this season than in 2011.

Secondary news:

Safety Chris Conte continues to impress during training camp. He picked off two passes in practice yesterday.

He has shown consistency in the secondary during practices. He seems to be ready to take that next step in his sophomore season.

Conte isn’t the biggest of safeties, but has solid speed and knows where to be.

Rookie safety Brandon Hardin possesses the size at 6’3″ in a typical free safety. Hardin should expect to see the field at some point this season. It doesn’t hurt to learn behind starters Chris Conte and Major Wright for now.

Saturday will be a big game for both Conte and Hardin, who will be looking to make very few mistakes.

Look ahead:

“Five Players To Watch” coming Thursday and “Game Preview” coming Friday.

 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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News & Notes: Carimi Out For Sunday, TE Kyle Adams Put On IR, and Bears Chances To Win NFC North

9th November 2011 by under News and Notes     

Rookie right tackle Gabe Carimi isn’t expected to be active for the seventh straight week this Sunday against NFC North foe Detroit.

He was aiming for a return last week, but couldn’t give it a go after fully practicing last Thursday.

His knee became more sore from practicing so hard, so the Bears would be wise to play it safe with Carimi.

The Bears are in no rush to bring Carimi back to the lineup, but don’t expect him to be put on the injured reserve just yet.

The Bears offensive line has allowed only six sacks in the past four games.

Rookie TE Adams Put On IR

Undrafted rookie tight end Kyle Adams from Purdue suffered a torn hamstring on Monday night against the Eagles.

The injury occured on a field goal attempt. Adams played primarily special teams this season, but had a couple opportunities on offense.

Expect for the Bears to give him a chance to return to compete for a roster spot next season.

But for now practice squad tight end Andre Smith, undrafted out of Virginia will get his chance to play.

Smith is a big tight end (6’5″, 271 lbs), who could be used in some key blocking situations near the goal-line.

Taking Smith’s spot on the practice squad will be undrafted rookie tight end from North Texas, Draylon Ross.

NFC North Chances

The Bears are currently looking up at the 8-0 Packers and 6-3 Lions, but with a win Sunday over the Lions, they could be tied for second in the NFC North.

According to Accuscore, the Bears now have a 42.2% chance of making the NFL playoffs, which is a 12.9% increase from last week.

They have a 0.9% chance at winning the NFC North. The team directly in front of them, Detroit, have a 3.5% at winning the division. So, that means the Packers have a 95.6% chance at taking the division crown.

Crazy things have happened in the NFL over the years, but I doubt the Packers will fall apart.

The Bears best way to make the postseason at this point is to claim one of the wild card spots.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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News & Notes: Ex-Bear Benson In Trouble With The Law Once Again, Jim McMahon In A Car Accident and The Status of The Hall Of Fame Game

19th July 2011 by under News and Notes     

Ex-Bears running back Cedric Benson has gotten in trouble with the law too much in his six years in the NFL. The former first-round pick out of the University of Texas has again found his way behind bars.

Benson was arrested on an assault charge and was released from jail at 2 p.m. on Sunday after posting a $10,000 bail.

Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade said Benson was arrested in downtown Austin on a misdemeanor count of assault with bodily injury with family violence.

Benson’s attorney, Sam Basset considers the “family violence” aspect of the charge erroneous “since the alleged male victim no longer is Mr. Benson’s household member and was not a household member for the past few days.”

Benson could face a suspension from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell once the lockout is lifted. Benson is a free-agent, who is coming off two straight 1,000 yard campaigns as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. It could be tough for him to land that big contract he was desiring this off-season.

Jim McMahon’s car accident:

Former Bears QB Jim McMahon, who helped Chicago bring home a Super Bowl XX win was involved in a car accident yesterday. Apparently Jim McMahon and two others were injured Monday when a limousine crashed through a fence south of Reno. Nevada.

McMahon was being driven to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport in a limo with Lori Navon and one other person. The limo driver and the passengers, including McMahon were all treated at the Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno for non-life threatening injuries. The latest news reported by Profootbaltalk.com’s, Mike Florio was this “McMahon suffered a broken foot in the accident.”

Glad to hear that McMahon is okay after such a crazy mishap. The Bears need to keep as many players from their Super Bowl 20 shufflin’ crew together because they haven’t won much since.

Hall of Fame game status:

With the NFL lockout becoming closer and closer to being over the Hall of Fame game still has a shot of being played on Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio. But at the same time with each day passing that game might have a slimmer chance of happening because of it.

Bears head coach Lovie Smith said last week that if the lockout ended and the NFL wanted the game to be played, “we’ll be ready.” Offensive coordinator Mike Martz went farther, saying that if the NFL wanted the Hall of Fame game played one day after camp opened, “that’ll be plenty” of time to get ready.

Greg Aiello, the NFL’s senior vice president of public relations gives fans some hope by saying ”Nothing has changed. No games, including the Hall of Fame game, have been cancelled.”

I’m sure we’d all love to see the Hall of Fame game take place, but with the lockout still in place it would be extremely tough for the game to happen. Look out for more news on the topic in the coming days.

All quotes from NFL.com

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

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News & Notes: Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith To Make Roster Decisions Next Week and Some Potential Draft Picks at #29

29th March 2011 by under Bears News, News and Notes     

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said he will begin meeting with the coaching staff and making roster decisions starting next week.

It won’t be an easy decision for Jerry Angelo, Lovie Smith and Co. considering the Bears have 14 unrestricted free agents. With Matt Forte and Greg Olsen both looking for extensions it will only make their decisions on their key free agents more difficult.

Six-time Pro Bowler Olin Kreutz turns 34 this off-season and is one of the key unrestricted free agents the Bears have to take a look at. Kreutz has spent his entire career with the Bears and he is expected to be brought back on a short-term deal. Kreutz is a great leader and clearly still has some talent left.

DT Anthony Adams, P Brad Maynard, LB Nick Roach, G Edwin Williams, and LB Brian Iwuh are all free agents, who I believe will re-sign with the Bears.

S Danieal Manning, CB Corey Graham, LB Pisa Tinoisamoa, and WR Rashied Davis are all veterans the Bears will like to bring back.

TE Desmond Clark, LB Rod Wilson, RB Garrett Wolfe and S Josh Bullocks could be heading to new teams depending on what the Bears see in them.

It will be interesting to see what the Bears do in the coming weeks with these players. Angelo and Smith will have to think things through.

Other News:

Yahoo Sports has a recent mock draft where they have the Bears selecting Florida Gators guard Mike Pouncey with the 29th pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. It would be a great selection, Pouncey’s brother Marcus thrived with the Steelers last season when he came out in the NFL Draft.

Mike Pouncey plays a similar game to his brother. Mike can play both guard and center, so if the Bears are able to select Pouncey they can have Olin teach him the center position right away.

NFL.com’s writer Pat Kirwan believes the Bears will select Wisconsin Badgers offensive tackle Gabe Carimi with the 29th pick. The 6’7″, 314-pounder was a four-year starter at Wisconsin. Kirwan believes the Bears would be “fortunate” if he fell to them at #29. Kirwan also predicts that the Bears will choose Abilene Christian receiver Edmond Gates in the second round (62nd overall).

The NFL Draft will take place Thursday, April 28th.

For more news on Twitter, follow @Bearsbacker.

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News & Notes: Ron Rivera Takes Panthers Coaching Job, Bears Sign Future Contracts With Two and Rashied Davis’s Status For Sunday

11th January 2011 by under News and Notes     

Former Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who left the Bears after 2006, went to San Diego to take the same job. Rivera is now officially the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers, who are in total disarray after having a horrible season. They went 2-14 and just had nothing going on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily they have the number one pick in this upcoming draft and they have a fresh start with a good defensive minded coach in Ron Rivera.

Rivera will help the defense get up to speed, but the Panthers will have to find a good offensive coordinator. This is a great move by the Panthers to bring in Rivera, who has been wanted by many teams as a head coach since 2005.

It might take a couple of years for the Panthers to rebuild and fixing up the defense first is a great start.

Look for the Panthers to struggle on offense again next season, but their defense will be much improved with Ron Rivera.

Other news:

Bears sign two players to reserve/future contracts.  The Bears officially signed wide receiver Onrea Jones and defensive tackle Tank Tyler to reserve/future contracts.

Tyler was a third round pick out of NC State in 2007 by Kansas City. Tyler has 79 tackles in 43 games and 19 starts with the Chiefs and Carolina Panthers.

Onrea Jones, 5’11″ was an undrafted free agent of the Houston Texans in 2007 out of Hampton College. He appeared in two games with the Arizona Cardinals this season but did not have a reception.

These two players will have to show something special this off-season to get a shot at a roster spot.

Other notes:

WR Rashied Davis had seven catches for 63 yards last week against Green Bay filling in for a banged up Earl Bennett. Davis, is an unrestricted free agent after the season.

I don’t know how the Bears will use Davis this week against the Seahawks. I think he should be in the mix for some playing time. He made some great plays and some key first downs against the Packers. I think he might take some of the time away from Bennett.

Davis earned some playing time for this upcoming game for his performance. I would love to see him out there on the field against the Seahawks.

Passing is important and Davis will be apart of that, but the run game might be more important if the Bears want to head to the NFC Championship game.

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News & Notes: Chester-Kahlil Scuffle, Pat Mannelly’s Record and Pisa’s Knee Injury

3rd December 2010 by under News and Notes     

Lets start with a disappointing free agent signing by the Bears, Chester Taylor. Taylor’s nickname is “Che Tay” sounds friendly right? Not yesterday.

According to Bears officials, running backs Chester Taylor and Kahlil Bell had to be separated during practice yesterday afternoon in the Walter Payton Center. The scuffle was broken up before it could escalate to something worse.

Head coach Lovie Smith had no comment on the scuffle between Taylor and Bell.

This isn’t the smartest move by “Che Tay” considering the Bears signed him to big money to be that change of pace back behind Matt Forte and he hasn’t contributed much this season.

In 11 games this season, Taylor has 213 yards on 82 carries and one touchdown, averaging 2.6 ypc. He has also added 14 catches for 100 yards. With those stats their is no reason for Taylor to be fighting in practice.

Taylor needs to worry about himself  because if he can’t step it up he could be looking for a new gig next season.

Kahlil Bell on the other hand is probably gone after this season, considering he hasn’t appeared in a game this season and is a free agent once the year is over.

Fighting in practice is not like Bears players, but the last time it did happen it was during the 2006 Super Bowl run between running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. I wonder if fighting between running backs leads teams to Super Bowls, probably not, but it might help the Bears chances this year.

In other news, long snapper Pat Mannelly became the first player in franchise history to play in 200 regular-season games last Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mannelly has been so consistent in those 200 games, it’s not that easy being a long snapper in the NFL, it’s impressive that Mannelly has managed to stay healthy long enough to break some records. I don’t know how much Mannelly has left in him, but he will be honored by the Bears once he retires, I guarantee that.

Lastly, LB Pisa Tinoisamoa’s knee is acting up again. He missed practiced Wednesday and was limited yesterday, his knee injuries seem to be lingering. He is listed as questionable for the Lions on Sunday and if he can’t play expect Nick Roach to step in to replace him for the second time this season.

Head coach Lovie Smith had this to say about Pisa’s knee:

“Pisa has a little soreness in his knee, so he wasn’t able to do a whole lot today, a little bit of a concern for him.”

It might be better to let Tinoisamoa rest his knee, but he needs to get his knee problems figured out before the final four game stretch, if he can’t he might not be back next season. Tinoisamoa is a free agent and I’m sure the Bears want to resign him, but his knee problems have to improve. Look for him to rest this Sunday.

all quotes from chicagotribune.com

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News & Notes: Nick Roach Seems Invisible This Season, Rookie Josh Moore Gets In The Mix And A Former Draft Pick Returns

21st October 2010 by under News and Notes     

Linebacker Nick Roach has been pretty quiet this season. Roach didn’t beat out veteran Pisa Tinoisamoa for the starting linebacker job next to Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs this off-season.

Roach has been playing on special teams all season, but it feels like he never makes a play. Roach has three solo tackles this season in five games.

I would have played Nick Roach over Brian Iwuh last week when Lance Briggs went down, but Iwuh was handed the start. Roach might be in the future plans at linebacker for the Bears, but for now he seems invisible.

Maybe a couple more tackles on special teams will make Bears fans and coaches notice him. I’m a big fan of Roach’s and I wouldn’t mind seeing him step in for one of the current linebackers, hopefully he doesn’t have to, but Roach is ready to play off the bench.

Another player who will most likely see time on special teams is rookie cornerback Josh Moore. Moore will likely see his first action as a Bear this Sunday when he takes the roster spot of the injured Zackary Bowman. Bowman’s injury is minor, so Moore will have to impress coaches if he wants a shot at playing again this season.

Moore had this say about getting playing time:

“I figure I am ready to play, definitely on special teams. I feel I was ready to play on special teams when the season started. As the season goes on, you gain confidence. I am ready to play on defense, special teams, wherever they need me at.”

Lastly the Bears brought back a former draft pick, his name is Ervin Baldwin. Baldwin a defensive end spent six games last season on the practice squad and that’s where he will put with the Bears, the practice squad. Baldwin appeared in three games for the Colts last season and looked pretty solid. Baldwin knows the Bears system, so this is a solid addition to the roster. I expect him to make it to the active roster sometime soon.

All quotes from Chicagotribune.com

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News & Notes: Butkus Disses Bears, Bears Dump Charles Grant And Grossman Expecting Boos In His Return

19th October 2010 by under News and Notes     

Bears Hall of Famer Dick Butkus had some interesting things to say about his former team. It seems like he dissed them.

Here is what Butkus had to say:

“(The offensive line) is awful, the Skins and whoever else they play have to be looking at tapes today and licking their chops. The Bears have their hands full.”

“It would be different if it was just the left tackle blowing a block every other time. But this is the left guard, then the right tackle  … They’re taking turns and it is not good.”
“If I was playing defense against the Bears, I would blitz them every play. I’m not sure that they will be able to run the ball any better than they are with that line. Everyone thinks blitzes are great to stop the pass, but they are excellent against the run also.”In other Bears news:Veteran DE Charles Grant was released today. Grant was signed to replace the disappointing Mark Anderson back on October 5th.

This has to be disappointing for Grant, who figured to atleast have a shot at cracking into the rotation.

I guess Grant will never be sporting a Bears jersey. Undrafted DE Barry Turner figures to take his spot on the roster, he showed flashes in the preseason and it seems likely that he knew the system better than the veteran Grant.

Lastly, QB Rex Grossman is returning to the place he was drafted, Chicago. Soldier Field will most likely boo the poor guy. Grossman got so much crap in his six years with the Bears. We all know Rex is Good Rex and Bad Rex, but Bears fans thought he was Bad Rex on a consistent basis.

If I was there on Sunday I would give Rex a standing ovation because what he went through in his time with the Bears was tough. Let me be the first to thank you Rex Grossman for you six seasons in Chicago.

All quotes from Chicagotribune.com

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News & Notes: Randy Moss Returns To The Vikings, Mark Anderson Lands With The Texans And Charles Grant’s Status For Sunday

6th October 2010 by under News and Notes     

Yes, that is right Randy Moss will soon be mooning Green Bay Packers again. WR Randy Moss was traded by the Patriots back to the Minnesota Vikings where he last played in 2004. The Patriots are reportedly getting a third round pick back in return.

Moss is currently 33 years old, but he is still a solid player. The Vikings will be much improved with him at wide receiver. Now Brett Favre has Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe and Randy Moss has targets.

The 1-2 Vikings will be much better and by the time the Bears and Vikings meet November 14th, wide receiver Sidney Rice might be back as well. This team could be scary good. Randy Moss back in the purple and gold is a very bad thing for the NFC North, especially the first place Bears.

Other News:

Recently released DE Mark Anderson signed with the Houston Texans today. Anderson will probably get playing time with Houston because they have been searching for a DE across from Mario Williams ever since Connor Barwin. Anderson is reunited with DE Adewale Ogunleye, who was also let go by the Bears this offseason.

DE Charles Grant replaced Mark Anderson on the Bears roster and he hopes to be ready for Carolina on Sunday. Grant has spent his whole career at left end and he can also play inside. Look for Grant to be in the rotation on the defensive line this Sunday against the Panthers.

This is what Grant had to say about his age:

“Age doesn’t have anything to do with,” Grant said. “How old are you? If you know how to play this game, you know how to play the game.

“How old was Michael Strahan? When he retired, he had one of his best years. I know the game. I’m just humbled to be back in the NFL. The NFL has given me everything I’ve wanted, except going to a Pro Bowl.”

All quotes from Chicagotribune.com

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News & Notes:Harris, Bowman, Aromashodu and Throwback Uniforms

30th September 2010 by under News and Notes     

Bears head coach Lovie Smith decided to bench DT Tommie Harris for the Packers game last Monday night and it seems like it was the right decision. The defense didn’t really miss a beat with Matt Toeaina and Anthony Adams taking over for Harris.

Harris has been disappointing this season and his work ethic isn’t the greatest. Lovie Smith was trying to send him a message by saying practice harder or you won’t play.

Harris was once a dominant defensive player, he is still young but he has been very disappointing the last couple of years. Harris will likely be dressed for this Sunday night’s game against the New York Giants.

Harris might want to step his game up on Sunday because he could find himself without a job in the next coming weeks. The Bears aren’t paying him seven million dollars a season to disappoint. It’s make or break time for Tommie Harris.

Zackary Bowman who was named the starter at left CB after a successful 2009 campaign was benched in favor of veteran CB Tim Jennings on Monday night. Jennings brought a spark into the game that Bowman lacked. Bowman was missing tackles left and right and wasn’t doing the greatest job covering WR Greg Jennings.

Bowman is still a great athlete, but he needs to improve his tackling and I’m sure he will be working on that in practice this week. Lovie Smith still has confidence in Bowman, but Jennings proved what type of spark he can bring in the game. This Bears defense is made up of a lot of hard hitters and Jennings was playing like a hard hitter Monday night.

I expect Jennings to get the nod over Bowman on Sunday night, but because Bowman is a big corner he will eventually work his way back in the lineup.

Another disappointing player is Devin Aromashodu. Aromashodu flashed what kind of player he could be at the end of the 2009 season. He started week one against the Lions and had a solid game,  but he doesn’t want to play in the slot.

The slot receiver is currently Earl Bennett, who might be the most consistent receiver on the team, he seems to catch everything that comes his way. Aromashodu should be disappointed that he is not playing, but he has to show coaches that he is willing to learn new things in this offense.

Aromashodu will be utilized sometime this season, I don’t know if it will be this Sunday night, but he is a big receiver and the Bears need one of those. Coaches know Aromashodu is a good player, but he has failed to learn the new offense, which makes it hard for him to get playing time. Hopefully he learns quickly because it could be a long season for Devin Aromashodu.

Lastly, I hope you enjoyed watching the Bears wear the 1940 throwback jerseys on Monday night because I did. They were awesome. I would rather the Bears wear those as their alternates over the orange jerseys. Hopefully the next time they put on those throwback jerseys they have the same spark out on the field.

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