MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Timberwolves postponed games scheduled for Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.
Major League Baseball’s Twins and Boston Red Sox were scheduled to begin a four-game series Monday afternoon at Target Field. The Twins said their decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and state and local officials “out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday.” There was no word yet about rescheduling or the status of games set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The NHL’S Wild were supposed to host the St. Louis Blues on Monday night, a game the team said was postponed “out of respect for the community.” That game was rescheduled for May 12.
The NBA also announced that Monday night’s scheduled game between the Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets was postponed “in light of the tragic events in the Minneapolis area.”
The shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright occurred Sunday after a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a suburb adjacent to Minneapolis. The death sparked violent protests, with officers in riot gear clashing with demonstrators into Monday morning. The Brooklyn Center police chief said the shooting was accidental, as the officer involved intended to fire a stun gun and not a handgun during a struggle with Wright. Police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.
The metropolitan area already has been on edge because of the ongoing trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death last May.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – FEBRUARY 11: Madison Bowey #29 of the Chicago Blackhawks controls the puck during a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center on February 11, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Jackets defeated the Blackhawks 6-5. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Chicago Blackhawks snuck in a last-minute trade before the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline passed. The announcement came well after the buzzer but as long as the trade is submitted to the National Hockey League before the deadline, it can be processed. That happened here when the Hawks acquired a 2021 fourth-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Madison Bowey and a 2021 fifth-round pick. That is an interesting trade for the Hawks to close out the trade deadline.
The ChicagoBlackhawks snuck in one last trade before the deadline hit.
This trade is one that is more than likely going to be proven late in time as there is a lot of unknown here. The Hawks barely used Madison Bowey in the NHL as he only had one assist in two games played with them. Before that, he had 154 games played with the Washington Capitals and Detroit Red Wings. Now, he is headed to the Vancouver Canucks where he might get more of a chance to play.
The Hawks used Bowey to upgrade a fifth-round pick to a fourth-round pick in 2021. That isn’t terrible as the team looks to add as much young talent as they can. You are more likely to do that in the fourth round than the fifth round so you can chalk this up as a win for the Hawks for now. It is up to them to take advantage of having that extra fourth-round pick in a draft that has a lot of unknowns.
It is probably going to be the last trade that comes in for the Blackhawks who were very busy on this big day. The key is the team preparing for the future by getting as many quality assets as possible. It will be fun to see how these trades work out for them in the future. This one involving Bowey is the one that could go either way as it seems like they did a very good job with the first three trades.
The Minnesota Twins postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox at Target Field because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area. | Bruce Kluckhohn/AP
The Minnesota Twins postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Twins postponed their game against the Boston Red Sox on Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man and the potential for unrest in the area.
The Red Sox and Twins were scheduled to begin a four-game series Monday afternoon at Target Field. The Twins said their decision was made in consultation with Major League Baseball and state and local officials. There was no word yet about rescheduling or the status of games set for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The shooting of 20-year-old Duante Wright occurred Sunday after a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, a suburb adjacent to Minneapolis. The death sparked violent protests, with officers in riot gear clashing with demonstrators into Monday morning. The Brooklyn Center police chief said the shooting was accidental, as the officer involved intended to fire a stun gun and not a handgun during a struggle with Wright. Police were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.
The metropolitan area already has been on edge because of the ongoing trial of the first of four police officers charged in George Floyd’s death last May.
The #MNTwins issued the following statement regarding the decision to postpone today’s scheduled game against the Red Sox. pic.twitter.com/7U1S2P928j
“Out of respect for the tragic events that occurred yesterday in Brooklyn Center, and following the additional details in this evolving situation, the Minnesota Twins have decided it is in the best interests of our fans, staff, players and community to not play today’s game,” the organization’s statement said. “The Minnesota Twins organization extends its sympathies to the family of Daunte Wright.”
In this image from video, Philonise Floyd, brother of George Floyd, becomes emotional as he testifies as Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill presides over court Monday, April 12, 2021, in the trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, in the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. | AP
Philonise Floyd, 39, shed tears as he was shown a picture of his late mother and a young George. “That’s my oldest brother George. I miss both of them,” he testified
MINNEAPOLIS — George Floyd’s younger brother took the witness stand Monday and lovingly recalled how George used to make the best banana mayonnaise sandwiches, how George drilled him in catching a football, and the way George used to mark his height on the wall as a boy because he wanted to grow taller.
Philonise Floyd, 39, shed tears as he was shown a picture of his late mother and a young George.
“That’s my oldest brother George. I miss both of them,” he testified at the murder trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, accused of killing George Floyd by putting his knee on the 46-year-old Black man’s neck during an arrest last May.
Philonise Floyd took the stand as part of an effort by prosecutors to humanize his brother in front of the jury and make him more than a crime statistic. Minnesota is a rarity in allowing “spark of life” testimony during the trial stage.
Philonise Floyd described growing up in a poor area of Houston with George and their other siblings.
“He used to make the best banana mayonnaise sandwiches. And he used to make the best syrup sandwiches because George couldn’t cook, he couldn’t boil water,” he said.
He said Floyd also played football and purposely threw the ball at different angles so Philonise would have to practice diving for it. “I always thought my brother couldn’t throw. But he never intended to throw the ball to me,” he said, smiling.
He said that as a child, George used to mark his height on the wall, because he loved sports and wanted to grow taller. And he said his brother was someone he went to for advice.
Earlier Monday, the judge refused a defense request to immediately sequester the jury, the morning after the killing of a Black man during a traffic stop triggered unrest in a suburb just outside Minneapolis.
Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson argued that the jurors could be influenced by the prospect of what might happen as a result of their verdict.
“Ultimately, your honor, the question becomes will the jury be competent to make a decision regardless of the potential outcome of their decision,” he said.
But Judge Peter Cahill said he will not sequester the jury until next Monday, when he anticipates closing arguments will begin. He also denied a defense request to question jurors about what they might have seen about unrest following Sunday’s police shooting of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center.
In the wake of the shooting, hundreds of protesters broke into about 20 businesses at a shopping center, jumped on police cars and hurled rocks and other objects at officers in Brooklyn Center, about 10 miles from the heavily fortified Minneapolis courthouse. Police in riot gear fired gas and flash-bang grenades.
The Brooklyn Center police chief later called the shooting accidental, saying the officer who fired apparently meant to draw a Taser, not a handgun.
Prosecutor Steve Schleicher argued against sequestering the Chauvin jury, saying: “I don’t think that would be an effective remedy.” He also opposed questioning the jurors.
“World events happen,” Schleicher said. “And we can’t have every single world event that might affect somebody’s attitude or emotional state or anything be the grounds to come back and re-voir dire all the jurors.”
The judge previously told the jury to avoid the news during the trial.
The ruling came as the trial entered its third week, with the prosecution close to wrapping up its case and giving way to the start of the defense. Prosecutors built their case on searing witness accounts, experts condemning Chauvin’s use of a neck restraint, and medical authorities attributing Floyd’s death to a lack of oxygen.
When testimony resumed Monday morning, Dr. Jonathan Rich, a cardiology expert from Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, echoed earlier witnesses in saying Floyd died of low oxygen levels from the way he was held down by police.
He rejected defense theories that Floyd died of a drug overdose or a heart condition. Floyd had fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system and had high blood pressure and narrowing of the heart arteries, according to previous testimony.
“It was the truly the prone restraint and positional restraints that led to his asphyxiation,” Rich said.
In fact, the expert said, “Every indicator is that Mr. Floyd had actually an exceptionally strong heart.”
Rich said he had reviewed Floyd’s autopsy report. He said that some narrowing of the arteries is extremely common, and that Floyd had a mildly thickened or mildly enlarged heart but that that would be normal in someone with high blood pressure.
Corroborating other experts’ testimony, Rich said that Floyd was “restrained in a life-threatening manner,” noting among other things that he was facedown on the ground, a knee was on his neck, his hands were cuffed behind his back and being pushed upward, and a knee was on the lower half of his body.
Rich said that as one officer noted on video that Floyd was passing out, police probably still could have saved his life if they had repositioned him so that his lungs could expand again. And once an officer noted that Floyd’s pulse had stopped, police still had a significant opportunity to save his life by administering CPR, he said.
On cross-examination, Nelson tried to shift blame onto Floyd for struggling with police when they tried to put him in their car. The defense attorney asked Rich if Floyd would have survived if he had “simply gotten in the back seat of the squad car.”
But Rich quickly reiterated the death was caused by the officers’ actions: “Had he not been restrained in the way in which he was, I think he would have survived that day. I think he would have gone home, or wherever he was going to go.”
Nelson responded: “So, in other words, if he had gotten in the squad car, he’d be alive.”
Derek Chauvin, 45, who is white, is charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25 death. Police had been called to a neighborhood market where Floyd was accused of trying to pass a counterfeit bill.
Prosecutors say Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck as he lay pinned to the pavement for 9 1/2 minutes. Bystander video of Floyd crying “I can’t breathe!” until he finally went limp sparked protests and scattered violence in Minneapolis and around the U.S.
Chauvin’s attorney is expected to call his own medical experts to make the case that it was not the officer’s knee that killed Floyd. The defense has not said whether Chauvin will testify.
Rush University Medical Center staff collect swab samples last fall. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
The state’s seven-day test positivity rate jumped to 4.4% and continued an incremental upward trend that could lead officials to again place stronger restrictions on businesses. The statewide positivity rate had dipped to 2.1% on March 13.
Officials on Monday announced that Illinois’ coronavirus test positivity rate has reached its highest point since late January, when a previous surge in cases was tapering off.
The seven-day positivity rate — a crucial figure for measuring the virus’ spread — jumped to 4.4% and continued an incremental upward trend that could lead officials to again place stronger restrictions on businesses. The statewide positivity rate had dipped to 2.1% on March 13.
Chicago’s numbers are even more alarming. On Monday, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported that the city’s positivity rate now sits at 5.6% — up from 5.1% just a week earlier.
Last week, CPDH spokesman Andrew Buchanan said that figure and other important metrics, including case numbers and hospital data, would factor into any decision to implement stronger mitigations and restrictions, including barring fans from baseball games.
The World Health Organization has advised governments that test positivity rates should remain at or below 5% for 14 days before reopening.
The Illinois Department of Health also announced 2,433 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed from 53,115 tests. Eighteen additional deaths were also reported.
Nearly 2,000 people diagnosed with the virus were hospitalized Sunday, according to the agency’s data. That’s the highest number of statewide hospitalizations since Feb. 10.
Meanwhile, the number of inoculations administered Sunday dropped to 64,772 after five straight six-figure vaccination days, state health officials reported. So far, more than 7.2 million vaccine doses have gone into arms.
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Illinois’ COVID-19 positivity rate jumps to highest level since late January; 2,433 new cases
Officials on Monday announced that Illinois’ coronavirus test positivity rate has reached its highest point since late January, when a previous surge in cases was tapering off.
The seven-day positivity rate — a crucial figure for measuring the virus’ spread — jumped to 4.4% and continued an incremental upward trend that could lead officials to again place stronger restrictions on businesses. The statewide positivity rate had dipped to 2.1% on March 13.
Chicago’s numbers are even more alarming. On Monday, the Chicago Department of Public Health reported that the city’s positivity rate now sits at 5.6% — up from 5.1% just a week earlier.
Last week, CPDH spokesman Andrew Buchanan said that figure and other important metrics, including case numbers and hospital data, would factor into any decision to implement stronger mitigations and restrictions, including barring fans from baseball games.
The World Health Organization has advised governments that test positivity rates should remain at or below 5% for 14 days before reopening.
2:23 p.m. CPS ‘firmly committed’ to reopening high schools next week despite CTU’s threat to stay remote
Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesCTU members voted for high school teachers and staff to work remotely, starting Wednesday, if a reopening deal with Chicago Public Schools isn’t reached by then.
Chicago Public Schools officials say they are “firmly committed” to reopening high schools next week for the first time during the pandemic despite a plan by the Chicago Teachers Union to have high school teachers and staff work remotely Wednesday in an attempt to pressure the district into a reopening agreement.
The district has held “productive discussions with CTU leadership to ensure a smooth transition back for our students and staff,” and the two sides are working to reach an agreement “as soon as possible,” CPS CEO Janice Jackson and the district’s education chief, LaTanya McDade, wrote in a letter to high school families Monday.
“Over the weekend we made progress on a number of areas and have general alignment on topics including the scheduling models schools will use and safety protocols to keep students and staff safe in high school buildings,” they wrote.
“We have also agreed that high school staff will be able to work on Wednesdays, which is a remote day for all students, and we will work to support vaccinations for students when they are eligible and doses are available.”
The union’s House of Delegates, however, “told the leadership of the CTU in no uncertain terms that we’re not simply reopening schools without more progress at the bargaining table and without a return agreement in high schools,” CTU President Jesse Sharkey told reporters during a virtual news conference Monday.
1:42 p.m. Muslims navigate restrictions in the second pandemic Ramadan
CAIRO — For Ramadan this year, Magdy Hafez has been longing to reclaim a cherished ritual: performing the nighttime group prayers called taraweeh at the mosque once again.
Last year, the coronavirus upended the 68-year-old Egyptian’s routine of going to the mosque to perform those prayers, traditional during Islam’s holiest month. The pandemic had disrupted Islamic worship the world over, including in Egypt where mosques were closed to worshippers last Ramadan.
“I have been going to the mosque for 40 years so it was definitely a very, very, difficult thing,” he said. “But our religion orders us to protect one another.”
Still, “It’s a whole other feeling, and the spirituality in Ramadan is like nothing else.”
Egypt has since allowed most mosques to reopen for Friday communal prayers and for this Ramadan it will let them hold taraweeh, also with precautions, including shortening its duration.
12:35 p.m. US colleges divided over requiring student vaccinations
BOSTON — U.S. colleges hoping for a return to normalcy next fall are weighing how far they should go in urging students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, including whether they should — or legally can — require it.
Universities including Rutgers, Brown, Cornell and Northeastern recently told students they must get vaccinated before returning to campus next fall. They hope to achieve herd immunity on campus, which they say would allow them to loosen spacing restrictions in classrooms and dorms.
But some colleges are leaving the decision to students, and others believe they can’t legally require vaccinations. At Virginia Tech, officials determined that they can’t because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has only allowed the emergency use of the vaccines and hasn’t given them its full approval.
The question looms large as more colleges plan to shift back from remote to in-person instruction. Many schools have launched vaccination blitzes to get students immunized before they leave for the summer. At some schools, the added requirement is meant to encourage holdouts and to build confidence that students and faculty will be safe on campus.
“It takes away any ambiguity about whether individuals should be vaccinated,” said Kenneth Henderson, the chancellor of Northeastern University in Boston. “It also provides a level of confidence for the entire community that we are taking all appropriate measures.”
9:14 a.m. CTU members vote to work remotely starting Wednesday if high school reopening agreement isn’t reached
With thousands of high school students expected to return to the classroom next week for the first time in over a year, the Chicago Teachers Union is putting pressure on Chicago Public Schools to finalize a reopening agreement early this week.
CTU members Sunday voted for high school teachers and staff to work remotely, starting Wednesday, if a reopening deal with Chicago Public Schools isn’t reached by then, the union said in a statement.
CPS officials have directed 5,350 high school teachers to return to buildings Monday with or without an agreement in preparation for about 26,000 students in grades 9-12 to resume in-person learning next week.
Teachers and staff are planning to honor that request and report in-person Monday and Tuesday while CPS and CTU officials work to solidify a final high school reopening agreement, sources said. That means that staff will be present when juniors at some high schools are scheduled to take the SAT in person Tuesday.
But if a deal isn’t struck or there isn’t “adequate movement at the table” by Wednesday, high school teachers and staff will begin to work remotely, the union said.
8:21 a.m. After Kamala Harris visit, business jumps at Brown Sugar Bakery on Chicago’s South Side
GettyVice President Kamala Harris chats with the staff of Brown Sugar Bakery as she receives a piece of German Chocolate Cake on April 6.
Since Vice President Kamala Harris visited the Brown Sugar Bakery on the South Side last Tuesday to throw a spotlight on small Black female-owned businesses, in-store retail sales jumped 21% overall and online sales increased 88%, according to owner Stephanie Hart.
Harris made a brief stop outside the bakery at 328 E. 75th en route back to Midway Airport after she toured a COVID-19 vaccination center at 2260 S. Grove St., organized by the Chicago Federation of Labor.
She picked up a slice of German chocolate cake – her favorite – and the bakery staff presented her with two trays of caramel, strawberry and lemon cupcakes.
Something meaningful happened as a result of those few minutes. It resulted in a real time positive economic impact for a business that had to shut down for a few months last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state has also seen an increase in coronavirus hospitalizations over the last month. As of Saturday night, 1,834 beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients — up 23% from last week. Of those, 409 were in intensive care units and 173 were on ventilators, officials said.
The state injected 131,285 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Saturday, marking the fifth consecutive day Illinois has inoculated more than 130,000 in a single day. Over the last week, Illinois has reported three record-setting vaccination days, including Friday when the state administered an all-time high of 175,681 shots.
The ChicagoBlackhawks have been one of the most active teams in the National Hockey League on trade deadline day 2021. It was assumed that a few guys would be traded away as they are on expiring contracts. They also made a few trades to acquire youngsters that came out of nowhere. Carl Soderberg was […]
Carl Soderberg scored 15 points in 34 games with the Blackhawks before being traded Monday. | AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
The Hawks acquired Ryder Rolston, the Avs’ fifth-round draft pick last year currently playing for Notre Dame, and minor-leaguer Josh Dickinson in exchange for Soderberg.
The Blackhawks’ parade of trades continued Monday afternoon as they recouped a few small assets for Carl Soderberg.
Soderberg, a pending unrestricted free agent, was dealt to the Avalanche in exchange for prospect Ryder Rolston and minor-leaguer Josh Dickinson.
Hawks general manager Stan Bowman has now made three deadline-day moves, acquiring Adam Gaudette from the Canucks and selling off both of his notable UFAs, Janmark and Soderberg.
Rolston, 19, was the Avs’ fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft and recorded six points in 28 games as a freshman wing at Notre Dame this past season. He’s not a highly-touted prospect but has some value, and the Hawks likely saw him often this season while scouting Notre Dame teammate Landon Slaggert.
Dickinson, 23, has spent the majority of the past three seasons in the ECHL. His contract expires this summer and he’ll likely be released then.
Soderberg scored 15 points in 34 games for the Hawks this season, even scoring a goal Saturday against the Blue Jackets, but seemed likely to be traded. The 34-year-old veteran center returns to Colorado, where he played from 2015 to 2019.
The Silver Room is a Hyde Park-based boutique specializing in creative jewelry and accessories and also hosts arts shows and music parties. | Sun-Times file
Eric Williams, the owner of the Silver Room in Hyde Park, made the announcement Monday.
One of the main events on summer’s social calendar for many Black Chicagoans — particularly South Siders — is gone for 2021.
The Silver Room Block Club Party, which normally takes place in July, is canceled for consecutive summers amid COVID-19 and business concerns.
Eric Williams, the owner of the Silver Room in Hyde Park, made the announcement Monday on the podcast “Randomly Selected.”
He attributes the 2021 cancelation to rising COVID-19 cases and the lack of business due to the pandemic, which slowed the preparation for the Block Party down to a halt.
On Sunday, state health officials announced 2,942 new and probable COVID-19 cases, bringing statewide pandemic totals to 1,279,772 cases.
“These events take about a year to plan,” said Williams, adding he didn’t want to rush an event so many Chicagoans look forward to. “Usually, I’ll start thinking about the Block Party in September; it’s always the third Saturday in July. Come September, you’re thinking about the following year. You have to think about who’s performing, start trying to secure equipment and all the logistics — it’s too much to do in two months.
“And because we were closed — the retail store — for almost three months, my focus was getting my store back open, and getting that business going. So many retail stores have closed especially the ones that are in the Black community.”
Rohan AyindeEric Williams, founder/owner of the Silver Room.
Later in the podcast, host Mario Smith asked Williams if the popular event intends to stay in Hyde Park after the previous iteration was hosted in Wicker Park.
Williams’ reply: “I don’t know.”
And what can longtime fans of the annual Block Party do to possibly ensure an event for 2022?
Williams encourages them to schedule their COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
“I think we have to get through this pandemic first and foremost,” said Williams. “For those who want to get vaccinated, go ahead and do that. For those who don’t, let’s make sure that we would be safe. I think we’ll be in a lot better place next year. We’re still in a place where some people don’t feel comfortable going out. And, also, there’s no way you can have social distancing at the Block Party — it’s just impossible. Because of the increased crowd size the last several years, there’s going to be even more people coming, so let me take the year off and really think about how this can look the next year.”
Bears running back David Montgomery eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards last year. | AP Photos
Two years and two weeks ago, the Bears’ running backs made up their worst offensive position group. Now, the running back room might be the best.
Part 2 of a 10-part series previewing the NFL Draft and analyzing the Bears’ needs.
Two years and two weeks ago, the Bears’ running backs made up their worst offensive position group. General manager Ryan Pace had just traded Jordan Howard to the Eagles rather than pay the inflated final year of his rookie deal. That left the newly signed Mike Davis, who’d started only nine games in four years in Seattle and would later earn 11 whole carries in his Bears career, to join Tarik Cohen in the backfield.
Now, the running back room might be the best among Bears offensive groups.
David Montgomery is coming off a breakout second season in which his 1,070 rushing yards trailed only Derrick Henry, Dalvin Cook, Jonathan Taylor and Aaron Jones. More than half that total — 598 yards — came in Montgomery’s last six regular-season games, when he reaped the dual benefits of a solidified Bears offensive line and inferior opposing defenses.
Cohen is expected to be healthy after having surgery to repair his torn right anterior cruciate ligament in October. In his two healthy seasons under coach Matt Nagy, he’s caught 150 passes.
Damien Williams, signed to a one-year free-agent deal last month, will be the Bears’ third running back. The last time stepped on a football field, Williams became the first player eve to run for at least 100 yards and score both a rushing and receiving touchdown in the Super Bowl.
Williams sat out last season due to coronavirus concerns, in part to help care for his mother with Stage 4 cancer. The Chiefs cut him in March.
Williams will soon learn that it was easier to shine in the Chiefs’ revolutionary offense than that of Bears head coach Matt Nagy, who has struggled for three years to establish a consistent rushing threat. But Williams’ elite speed will give the Bears a different dimension both as a runner and a pass-catcher — and provide new running backs coach Michael Pitre with an every-down rushing option, too, were Montgomery to get hurt. That’s an upgrade over Cordarrelle Patterson, the return ace who never quite fit as an offensive piece. In the one game Montgomery missed due to a concussion last year, Patterson averaged 2 ½ yards on 12 rushes in a loss to the Vikings.
Throw in special teamer Ryan Nall and second-year rusher Artavis Pierce, and the Bears have no reason to pursue a running back in the draft.
This year’s crop isn’t a particularly deep one for running backs, anyway. Alabama’s Najee Harris and Clemson’s Travis Etienne are the only two with a chance of being picked in the first round. They’ve combined for 1,324 career rushes over the past four years with the college game’s two most decorated programs.
The Bears won’t do their shopping at the high end of the draft. In fact, they probably won’t shop for a running back at all.
RUNNING BACK
Grading the Bears’ need: Low. Two years ago, the Bears drafted David Montgomery. In the last nine months, they’ve given Tarik Cohen a three-year contract extension and signed Damien Williams to a one-year deal.
On the roster: David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, Damien Williams, Artavis Pierce, Ryan Nall
The five best prospects: Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Alabama’s Najee Harris, North Carolina’s Javonte Williams, Memphis’ Kenneth Gainwell and Ohio State’s Trey Sermon.
Keep an eye on: Whether history repeats itself. Last year, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, an undersized lightning bolt from LSU, became the first running back selected when the Chiefs used the last pick of the first round on him. At 5-10, Etienne is three inches taller than Edwards-Helaire, but just as quick. He’d fit nicely in the Buccaneers’ running back room when they make pick No. 32.
Close to home: Michael Pitre, the Bears’ new running backs coach, has a pupil who figures to be taken on Day 3: Oregon State’s Jermar Jefferson. Pitre served in the same role for the last three years with the Beavers, who boast alums Artavis Pierce and Ryan Nall in the Bears’ running backs room. Jefferson was the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year after Pierce got hurt in 2018. Despite playing in only 27 games, he left Corvallis, Oregon, ranked fifth in program history in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and 100-yard-plus performances.
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