Chicago Sports

MILWAUKEE — What could be better than a birthday complete with a gem of a performance on the mound, win No. 1 as a Cub and — oh, yeah, almost forgot — nausea-inducing anxiety?

We learned Sunday that Cubs newcomer Marcus Stroman isn’t exactly a cool customer before starts.

“Every start day is kind of similar with the anxiety and stress that kind of starts the night before, slash, the nausea,” he said. “That’s pretty routine.”

Yeah, well, happy birthday, bub. Stroman rang in No. 31 with his best outing of the season, throwing seven shutout innings at the first-place Brewers — and outdueling the outstanding Corbin Burnes — as the Cubs won 2-0 to avoid being swept in a three-game series.

Five months to the day after signing a three-year, $71 million free-agent deal, Stroman (1-3) gave up only two hits, retired the last 14 batters he faced and then rewarded himself with a delicious Popeyes chicken sandwich at his locker. OK, fine, all the Cubs had them, but still.

“I’m definitely getting more comfortable with each and every rep and getting to a place where I think I can kind of succeed from here on out,” he said.

The Cubs (9-13) came in having lost nine of 11 and been outscored by a cartoonish total of 20-2 in the first two games of the weekend. The hardest game was supposed to be the last one, with reigning National League Cy Young winner Burnes on the hill. Burnes more than held up his end of things, striking out four of the first five batters he faced and 10 in all over seven innings to become only the second pitcher in franchise history — joining Yovani Gallardo in 2011 — to have three straight starts with double-digit Ks.

“That guy’s incredible, man,” Stroman said. “He’s one of the very few pitchers I watch video on and really kind of dive into his stuff, his sequencing, his tunneling. I think he’s incredible with his pitch mix. Any time you’re going up against that guy, you have to bring your ‘A’ game.”

Stroman was hit hard in two of his first four starts. That led manager David Ross to make a comparison to Jon Lester’s early outings as a Cubs free-agent prize in 2015, the thinking being that perhaps Stroman was putting extra pressure on himself and trying a bit too hard. It’s certainly true that this year’s abbreviated spring training didn’t help starting pitchers, who customarily have more time to ramp up so they can hit the ground running once the games count.

“I don’t make excuses, man,” Stroman said. “I just didn’t pitch good in those starts.”

It was the first time Stroman gave up zero runs in a start since he went eight innings against the Reds last July as a member of the Mets. And it was his first birthday start since 2019, when — pitching for the Blue Jays — he was knocked out of a game in the fourth inning after a three-run double by Angels superstar Mike Trout. Not a very thoughtful present at all.

This time, Patrick Wisdom had his back with a long solo home run and Seiya Suzuki ended an 0-for-15 slump with an RBI double. Both hits came against Burnes, one of the many power pitchers who make the Brewers (15-8) so dangerous.

Reliever David Robinson put a bow on Stroman’s first Cubs “W” with an appearance that might be hard to top. He inherited two base runners in the eighth but struck out Jace Peterson to end the threat, then struck out Kolten Wong and Andrew McCutchen in the ninth — breaking Christian Yelich’s bat on a weakly hit grounder for the middle out.

“That’s my job,” Robertson said, “to come in and be that tough guy that you’ve got to battle with in the ninth or eighth, doesn’t matter to me [which].”

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MILWAUKEE — New month, new Cubs?

They’d probably like to think so after beating the Brewers 2-0 in Sunday’s finale of a three-game series. The Cubs were outscored 20-2 over the first two games and ended April in a 2-9 slide.

April was rough, even with a lockout-delayed Opening Day and a 6-4 start by the Cubs that looked at least as good as that record. But the quality of at-bats dropped, strikeouts mounted and the team’s fielding went from flawless to fumbling from there as 6-4 turned into 8-13.

“We’ve got to clean up some things,” manager David Ross said. “Got to clean up the bases, got to clean up some of the mistakes we’ve made in the field. If we do that, we’re two or three games above where we’re at, in my opinion.”

As it is, they head home — to host the White Sox next — a hefty 5 1/2 games behind the Brewers, who are the defending NL Central champs and the clear favorites to win the division in 2022.

But, hey, 1-0 in May is just plain perfect, right?

“Month to month, you try to assess,” Ross said. “You try to win every game, but you can assess where you’re at, the kind of month you had, try to improve and see some trend lines over that month. That’s kind of how I try to look at it.”

Ross didn’t have many months to assess in the 60-game 2020 season, his first on the job. He had some tense months before the 2021 trade deadline and some lost ones, roster-wise, after it. What does he have in Year 3?

“We’ve got a group that I believe can win a lot of baseball games,” he said. “I think we’ve got a group that plays together. We’re just going to have to continue to pitch and play defense — [the] staples that kind of show up every single day — and if we do that, we’re going to be all right.”

Running tally

The Cubs have won only nine games, but three of them have been shutout and two of them have come at the expense of the Brewers. This one, by the way, put the Cubs back ahead 193-192 in the all-time series.

Here’s something strange, considering the Cubs have been less than stellar offensively for quite a while now: They’ve gone 68 games without being shut out themselves, the longest streak in baseball.

But don’t get too excited about that — this is the same team that scored one lonely run in four of the six games of a 2-4 road trip. Two runs on getaway day almost felt like an outburst.

Bullpen moves

The Cubs optioned leftyLocke St. Johnto Triple-A Iowa and placed rightyEthan Robertson the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 30) with right shoulder inflammation, reducing the active roster to 26.

Get semi-excited

How psyched is Ross to clash with the Sox at Wrigley Field this week?

Somebody hold him back.

“It’s a really good semi-rivalry of, like, crosstown,” he said.

Want to try that again?

“I love that series,” he said. “It’s fun for the environment at Wrigley and on the South Side.”

ON DECK

White Sox at Cubs

Tuesday: Michael Kopech (0-1, 1.42) vs. Drew Smyly (1-2, 2.79), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, NBCSCH, 670-AM, 1000-AM.

Wednesday: Lucas Giolito (0-1, 2.57) vs. Kyle Hendricks (1-2, 5.47), 6:40 p.m., Marquee, NBCSCH, 670-AM, 1000-AM.

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Before Sunday’s game against the Angels, White Sox manager Tony La Russa seemed confident in struggling starter Dallas Keuchel.

“Most times out there, he’s thrown the ball well,” La Russa said. “The one day in Cleveland, it was kind of a wash for our whole team that day. I think he’s going to give us a chance to win today.”

The Sox did give themselves a chance but still took a 6-5loss, their 11th defeat in 13 games.

Keuchel went fiveinnings, giving up fourrunsand six hits while walking five (one intentional). Over his last two outings, Keuchel has walked 10 batters, though on Sunday his ERA actually dipped to 8.40 through four starts.

The lineup didn’t produce until the ninth. And it almost produced a miracle.

Trailing 6-0, the Sox got back into the game on Leury Garcia’s two-run double, Josh Harrison’s run-scoring double and Tim Anderson’s RBI single that pulled the Sox to within 6-4. Luis Robert was initially called out on a two-out grounder, but the call was overturned to keep the game alive.

Facing Angels closer Raisel Iglesias with the winning run at the plate, Yasmani Grandal walked to load the bases before Jose Abreu was hit by a pitch to make it 6-5. Former Sox pitcher Ryan Tepera replaced Iglesias and got Gavin Sheets to ground out softly to end the game.

That ninth almost turned around an otherwise-rough day for the Sox.

Mike Trout punished Keuchel in the first, driving a cutter out to right-center field. The 429-ft. homer left Trout’s bat at 111.4 mph, and was the first of five times he reached base.

Los Angeles got more against Keuchel in the third. Following a Taylor Ward infield single and a Trout double, Shohei Ohtani’s groundout brought in Ward to give Los Angeles a 2-0 lead. Trout scored on Anthony Rendon’s sacrifice fly to right, pushing the Angels advantage to 3-0.

Keuchel’s issues continued in the fourth when Andrew Velazquez doubled in Max Stassi on a ball that AJ Pollock couldn’t reach after taking a circuitous route. The Angels couldn’t build on that 4-0 lead after leaving the bases loaded on an Ohtani groundout.

The Sox finally threatened Lorenzen in the sixth, getting runners to first and third with one out. But Sheets grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the scoring chance.

Pinch-hitting for Ohtani in the ninth after he was removed with right groin tightness, Jack Mayfield’s single against Tanner Banks pushed the Angels’ lead to 5-0. The run snapped Banks’ career-opening 13 2/3 scoreless streak, the second-longest in franchise history. Los Angeles scored again when a soft liner went off Josh Harrison, allowing Trout to cross home for a 6-0 lead.

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The Chicago Bears have released quarterback Nick Foles, the team announced Sunday.

The Bears originally acquired Foles two seasons ago in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for a fourth-round draft pick.

After starting seven games in 2020, the Super Bowl LII MVP logged only one start last season, leading the Bears to a 25-24 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks in which he threw for 250 yards and a touchdown pass.

1 Related

The Bears will save $3 million against their salary cap with the move, which comes with a $7.66 million dead cap charge, according to Spotrac.com. The Bears will be up to $54 million in dead cap money once linebacker Danny Trevathan‘s release becomes official after June 1.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles confirmed in March that the team had been trying to trade Foles after adding veteran backup Trevor Siemian in free agency.

A veteran of 10 seasons, the 33-year-old Foles has thrown for 14,003 yards with 82 touchdowns and 43 interceptions.

He earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013 but had his most notable season in 2017 when he was called upon to replace an injured Carson Wentz in Week 15 and then later that season led the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship, completing 72.6% of his passes that postseason for 971 yards with six touchdowns and just one interception in three games.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin contributed to this story.

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You can just throw out the records whenever the White Sox and Cubs meet on the baseball field. No, really, throw out the records — please.

OK, so April didn’t really go as planned for either of the city’s big-league teams. The Sox sputtered, wheezed and leaked fumes, and that was when they weren’t booting balls all over the diamond and getting injured. The Cubs? Since a 6-4 start that involved a good bit of hitting and the breakout of Seiya Suzuki, they’ve played with all the promise and panache of a rebuilding team going nowhere fast.

It has been anything but pleasant, but the good news is the Sox and Cubs are getting ready to play each other again, as they have a handful of times a year since interleague play took hold in 1997. How does a pair of games at Wrigley Field sound right about now? It’s not possible both teams will somehow manage to go 0-2 on Tuesday and Wednesday, is it?

But we kid. If you ask us, these head-to-head meetings never fail to hit the spot. It’s South vs. North, Addison Street vs. 35th Street, blue vs. black, the “Crosstown” this or the “Crosstown” that, and here’s to a welcome couple of days of fun in the (maybe?) sun. We’ve earned it by enduring painful displays of baseball on both sides of town.

April is in the rearview, at least. May the rest of the season be much better. And here’s what’s happening:

MON 2

76ers at Heat, Game 1 (6:30 p.m., TNT)

Philly opens the second round without superstar Joel Embiid, who took an elbow to the face on Thursday and suffered a mild concussion and a fractured orbital bone to go with the torn ligament in his right thumb. Easy for us to say, but come back soon, big fella.

Mavericks at Suns, Game 1 (9 p.m., TNT)

Luka Doncic can’t wait to put his team on his back and get after the defending West champs. It’s pretty amazing to think that he’s still just 23, or exactly one-third Chris Paul’s age.

TUE 3

Bucks at Celtics, Game 2 (6 p.m., TNT)

Let some other suckers try to deal with Giannis Antetokounmpo for a while, right? But look out for these Celtics, who’ve been the NBA’s best team over the last three months.

White Sox at Cubs (6:40 p.m., Marquee, NBCSCH)

Both teams have disappointed, but the Sox — still the betting favorites to win their division — clearly have more on the line. Does that mean the Cubs are playing spoilers already?

Warriors at Grizzlies, Game 2 (8:30 p.m., TNT)

The NBA has become a guards’ game, and good luck finding any two who are more fun to watch than Stephen Curry and Ja Morant. Show us a good time, little dudes.

WED 4

White Sox at Cubs (6:40 p.m., Marquee, NBCSCH)

Sweet peppers? Hot giardiniera? It has been too long since these city rivals have had a major beef between them. At least pretend you don’t like each other, fellas.

Blues at Wild, Game 2 (8:30 p.m., ESPN)

How evenly matched are these Central rivals? Put it this way: They outpointed the Blackhawks by 41 and 45, respectively, during the regular season.

THU 5

Predators at Avalanche, Game 2 (8:30 p.m., TNT)

Everything about the ‘Lanche screams Stanley Cup except, perhaps, for veteran goalie Darcy Kuemper’s modest track record? Time for him to become a legit star?

FRI 6

Dodgers at Cubs (1:20 p.m., Marquee)

One huge-market team is charging hard toward another World Series. The other huge-market team is hiding loose change under its mattress. We’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which.

Sparks at Sky (7 p.m., NBA)

It’s the season opener for the Sky, who won the whole WNBA shebang last season. If you haven’t gotten on board by now, consider this your cue.

Aces at Mercury (9 p.m., NBA)

Two title contenders go at it, but the story is who isn’t in the building — Phoenix center Brittney Griner, detained in Russia since February.

SAT 7

Kentucky Derby (1:30 p.m., Ch. 5)

Will it be Epicenter? Will it be Taiba, Zandon or Messier? And who in the heck thought it was a good idea to name a racehorse Slow Down Andy?

White Sox at Red Sox (3:10 p.m., NBCSCH)

A funny thing has happened along the way: Neither of these teams can hit. Hey, it’s still early. They’ll be bashing in no time.

SUN 8

White Sox at Red Sox (10:35 a.m., Ch. 5, Peacock)

Who knew baseball could be played at this hour? The good news: Tony La Russa should finally be able to grab the early-bird special for dinner.

Dodgers at Cubs (6:08 p.m., ESPN)

The Cubs make their “Sunday Night Baseball” season debut. What did baseball fans around the world do to deserve that?

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The Sun-Times’ Mark Potash breaks down the state of the Bears on the heels of the draft:

Have the Bears done enough to help Justin Fields this offseason?

Only if Luke Getsy is the real deal. With the modest free-agent hires to replace Allen Robinson, James Daniels and Jimmy Graham and an influx of draft picks, the Bears clearly are counting on Getsy’s offensive system to provide the biggest boost, because on paper the sum of the Bears’ offensive pieces isn’t any better than the offensive roster under Matt Nagy last season.

Which of the Bears’ Day 2 picks will have the biggest impact this season?

Jaquan Brisker. While Kyler Gordon has a clear path to a starting job, he’ll also have the tougher assignment as a rookie cornerback in a developing defense. Brisker figures to get plenty of opportunities all over the field. He’ll mostly have to learn well and play football.

If not Kyler Gordon, who would you have taken at No. 39 overall?

Western Michigan wide receiver Skyy Moore. At 5-10, 195, he doesn’t have dominating height, but he has everything else –the short-area quickness to get open the big hands to catch anything near him and the athleticism to make tough catches in a crowd.

I like this addition:

Center Lucas Patrick. It says everything about Poles’ initial offseason that a center is the pick here. But Patrick, with solid NFL roots with the Packers’ offensive line, looks like a consistent, no-nonsense player who will solidify the Bears’ line and become the leader in Year 1.

What is the biggest need that remains unresolved?

After missing out on the first-round wide receiver rush in the draft, the Bears still don’t have a proven No. 1, go-to wide receiver. Darnell Mooney has that potential, but every receiver on this roster has been a supporting player. Third-round pick Velus Jones has the potential, but he’s a developmental player at the NFL level with modest production in five college seasons at USC and Tennessee.

Which veteran should be worried about his roster spot?

Mario Edwards has been sufficient as a pass-rush specialist in two seasons with the Bears. But after being suspended two games last season and still with a knack for getting roughness penalties, he could be expendable if doesn’t prove himself valuable right away in Eberflus’ defense. Especially if the Bears stick with Robert Quinn.

What do we know about Ryan Poles thus far?

It’s easy to see why he was highly regarded in the hiring process. Poles has the right temperament and makeup to not only do this job, but to get better at it as he goes along. He’s disciplined and progressive — a pretty good combination in an authority position. Giving his scouts media time during the draft was an impressive new twist. Poles still has to get it done on the field. But if he has success, there’s a good chance he’ll be able to sustain it.

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The White Sox are making a point of keeping Yasmani Grandal fresh for the long season ahead. Reese McGuire is helping them do that.

Acquired April 3 from Toronto for Zack Collins, McGuire is making his 11th start behind the plate Sunday against the Angels. Grandal, serving as the Sox designated hitter, has actually made one fewer start at catcher than McGuire.

And it’s clear the Sox trust McGuire in a role that was going to get a lot of work, regardless of whoever got the job. Sox manager Tony La Russa said McGuire was a ” real good late-spring training get by the front office” who fits well and is a good all-around player.

“The fact that Reese has really been impressive, it just improves our chances to win when he plays,” La Russa said. “You can’t run Yaz into the ground. You’d have either paid now or paid later for that.”

Change with the times

Sunday’s 1:10 p.m. scheduled start was the Sox’ third game in three days with a different first-pitch time. Friday was 6:10 and Saturday was 3:05.

La Russa said “it’s something to mention and consider, but it’s the cost of doing business.”

“A lot of people, you go to work at the same time and your body gets in a routine,” La Russa said. “But the way the major league season’s been going on for a long time now, with the travel, the adjustments that you have to make, physically and mentally, are really demanding. These are pretty simple, so it’s not a big deal. Especially yesterday, where you’re worried about whether you’re playing and now it’s game time and you can play.”

Charlotte watch

Yoan Moncada (right oblique strain) was the designated hitter for Triple-A Charlotte. He began his rehab assignment Saturday, and news of his attempted stolen base reached La Russa.

“It was very good, even to the point where he tried to steal a base, which was, ‘What are you doing, man? I know your legs are feeling good, but that’s not what you should do your first day out there,'” a smiling La Russa said. “But I heard all the moves were good, no discomfort, took good at-bats.”

Joe Kelly (right biceps nerve) was also slated to begin his rehab assignment Sunday with the Knights.

Two down…

On Monday, rosters will be reduced from 28 to 26 players, forcing the Sox and the rest of baseball to trim two players. La Russa said that means there will be “two guys who are very useful that won’t be here, one a pitcher, one a (position) player.”

“I don’t think we’re out of the ‘fingers crossed’ part of our schedule where you feel like guys are stretched out, the players and pitchers,” La Russa said. “But rules are rules, and as long as everybody has the same ones, (you) make the adjustment.”

Vaughn update

Andrew Vaughn was not in the lineup for the second straight day but La Russa said he’s been swinging a bat and is doing much better after getting hit in the right hand Friday. There’s a good chance, La Russa said, Vaughn will play Monday. And if the Sox needed him, Vaughn could pinch-hit Sunday.

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Just two days after the end of the regular season, the Blackhawks’ coaching changes have already begun.

Neither associate coach Marc Crawford nor assistant coach Rob Cookson will return to the Hawks next season, the team confirmed Sunday.

“They have each made significant contributions to our club and we appreciate their dedication,” the team said in a statement. “We wish them the best in their future endeavors.”

Cookson’s departure is hardly surprising. The 61-year-old former Flames and Senators assistant –a longtime friend of Crawford — was brought into the Hawks in November to provide much-needed experience and manpower to Derek King’s shorthanded interim coaching staff. But his presence never seemed likely to be long-term; his contract was for 2021-22 only.

Crawford’s removal, however, is more notable. He’d been a fixture of the Hawks’ bench for the past three seasons and had a year left on his contract.

The Hawks somewhat surprisingly retained him in fall of 2019 when a number of physical abuse allegations against him by players he coached with the Kings and Canucks came to light. Crawford was suspended for a month and investigated, but rejoined the team after apologizing for times he “crossed that line,” reaching out to former players and stating he’d undergone nine years of counseling.

The Hawks also somewhat surprisingly retained him this past fall when Jeremy Colliton was fired and King was installed as interim. Fellow assistants Sheldon Brookbank and Tomas Mitell were also fired; only Crawford and goalie coach Jimmy Waite stayed.

And Crawford seemed to fill an even bigger role under King than he did under Colliton. He basically ran many practices, especially during the first few months of King’s transition, and provided an intense, vocal, leader-type personality to balance King’s easygoing vibe.

“We are really good together because we understand that you can’t take yourself too seriously,” Crawford said in November. “He likes to have fun. As much as I want to be serious, I also like to have fun, too. We’ve got a nice balance.”

Crawford’s extremely eventful Hawks tenure came to an abrupt end Sunday, though. And it may be just the start of another extremely eventful period for Hawks coaching.

General manager Kyle Davidson said April 1 the head coaching search would begin after the season, so it may have begun already. Even then, he was already doing “prep work and profiling on different things we want.” Davidson is scheduled to speak to the media again Tuesday.

King will certainly be a candidate. Davidson has praised his impressive job reuniting the team and keeping morale up during this difficult season, and has acknowledged his hands were tied in terms of his freedom to make tactical changes. He’d obviously have more freedom — and time to implement such changes — if named permanent coach.

King, too, has diplomatically (as always) made his interest in sticking around clear.

“The process will take place and if I’m part of it, great,” King said last week. “If not…I respect their decision. I have no grudges, no nothing. This has been a great experience for me, I’m a better coach for it, and we’ll see what happens.”

Numerous others will also be candidates. The Hawks may be hesitant to permanently hire yet another internal interim guy after already doing so with Davidson, too.

Former Stars coach (now Blues assistant) Jim Montgomery, former Rangers coach David Quinn and rising European coaching star Rikard Gronborg, who currently works in Switzerland but is widely perceived as ready for the NHL leap, are three of the most notable available coaches around the hockey world.

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The Chicago Bears have agreed to release quarterback Nick Foles, the team confirmed Saturday night.

The Bears originally acquired Foles two seasons ago in a trade with Jacksonville for a fourth-round draft pick.

After starting seven games in 2020, the Super Bowl LII MVP logged only one start last season. He carried a $10.67 million salary-cap hit in 2022.

Chicago general manager Ryan Poles confirmed in March that the team had been trying to trade Foles after adding veteran backup Trevor Siemian in free agency.

ESPN’s Courtney Cronin contributed to this story.

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The Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley breaks down the state of the Bears on the heels of the draft:

Have the Bears done enough to help Justin Fields this offseason?

Noooooooooooooooooope. But that was more a failing of free agency than the draft, where the Bears have known for a year that they wouldn’t have a first-round pick. It’s essential that the Bears build a functional offense around Fields simply so they can evaluate him in 2022. They better hope they can find a veteran offensive lineman between now and Week 1.

Which of the Bears’ Day 2 picks will have the biggest impact this season?

Third-round pick Velus Jones, who figures to return kicks and punts from Day 1 and give the offense a burst of speed. He’s not an every-down receiver, but new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will find ways to get him the ball in space.

If not Kyler Gordon, who would you have taken at No. 39 overall?

David Ojabo. The edge rusher was a first-round pick before tearing his Achilles tendon at Michigan’s pro day. The Bears, who are eating dead cap space this season with eyes on 2023, would have been the perfect landing spot for his redshirt season, with hopes he’s a star once he gets healthy.

I like this addition:

Getsy. It took the Bears almost 100 years to discover the forward pass. When they found it, it was fleeting — Marc Trestman’s offense dominated for a season, and he was fired 13 months later. Getsy gives the Bears a chance to meld a modern passing attack with a dangerous run game. Then again, so did Matt Nagy.

What is the biggest need that remains unresolved?

Wide receiver. Poles said at the NFL Scouting Combine that the second-year quarterbacks who make the biggest leaps have receivers they can trust. He then added Byron Pringle (who was arrested a week-and-a-half ago), Equanimeous St. Brown, David Moore and Jones. That’s not enough.

Which veteran should be worried about his roster spot?

Nick Foles was the obvious answer — and then the Bears agreed to release him Saturday night. I’ll be interested to see if teams pursue defensive end Robert Quinn, though draft weekend would have been the ideal time to do it.

What do we know about Ryan Poles thus far?

He’s a realist — and what he sees is an overhaul that will take more than one season. As much as he hemmed and hawed when asked about rebuilding last week, Poles came out and said it Friday night: “We can’t fix everything in one year.”

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