Ryan Poles’ first six months as the Bears’ general manager have been marked by a down-to-the-studs roster clean-out that will give him what he arguably needs most — a fresh start.

Poles traded linebacker Khalil Mack, cut nose tackle Eddie Goldman and had little to no interest in free agents who could have been productive in 2022 — guard James Daniels, wide receiver Allen Robinson, defensive end Akiem Hicks and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols among them.

Poles still has a foundation of players he inherited from Ryan Pace, with linebacker Roquan Smith topping that list. But most of them are young players more likely to blossom in more effective offensive and defensive schemes — quarterback Justin Fields, tight end Cole Kmet, wide receiver Darnell Mooney and running back David Montgomery on offense; cornerback Jaylon Johnson, defensive end Trevis Gipson and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga on defense.

In fact, only four Pace-era starters who are still around have played more than three years in the NFL — defensive end Robert Quinn (11), guard Cody Whitehair (six), safety Eddie Jackson (five) and Smith (four). And Quinn is not likely to stay for too much longer.

(Six months after Poles took over, the Bears have just 12 of the 23 players who started eight or more games last season — and 27 of the 63 players on the roster at the end of last season. At the same juncture of Pace’s tenure as GM in 2015, the Bears had 16 of 23 starters who had played eight games or more in 2014, and 42 of the 63 players on the roster at the end of the previous season.)

And then there’s Teven Jenkins. On the overall list of discards (Goldman, Daniels) and keepers (Smith, Mooney), the second-year offensive lineman looks like the ultimate ‘tweener. It’s hard to tell exactly what Poles thinks of him.

Jenkins epitomizes the transition the Bears are in. A projected first-round pick who surprisingly dropped to the Bears at No. 39 overall in the second round in 2021, he could blossom into a nice parting gift from the Pace regime. Or, after a difficult rookie season in which he played only five games on offense because of back surgery, he could be cast off if players drafted by Poles emerge quickly.

Had Pace survived the 2021 season, Jenkins would have been locked in as a foundation piece in 2022 at either right or left tackle. Under Poles, he’s already in limbo — demoted to second-team right tackle behind 2021 fifth-round pick Larry Borom in OTAs and veteran minicamp after opening the first practice of the Eberflus era as the starter.

Truth be told, it’s hard to tell exactly what’s what in the offseason. Eberflus made it clear that under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and offensive line coach Chris Morgan, the Bears would mix-and-match players throughout the line to find the right combination. And he acknowledged that it’s hard to tell anything about any of them until they’re going full speed in pads in training camp and the preseason.

And Jenkins is even a bigger X-factor after losing 20 pounds — from 345 to 325 — to fit the “lighter, quicker” body type Poles wants in his offensive linemen. Jenkins said he dropped his body fat from 33% last season to 24% this season.

It remains to be seen if Jenkins will be better at the lighter weight. Even he doesn’t know. When you’re lighter, you’re quicker — but if you’re weaker, it might be a wash.

“That’s all to tell once we start putting on pads,” Jenkins said. “Everybody knows that.”

Training camp figures to tell the tale.But the reality is that every Pace holdover — including Fields and Smith — will have to prove themselves to the new regime. And there are other Pace-acquired players in the same position as Jenkins who are getting a chance to excel in a new scheme or will be quickly dismissed as a remnant of the Pace era and replaced by Poles acquisitions.

Here’s a look at four others:

DE Trevis Gipson

He has a golden opportunity to blossom, not only based on his production last season (seven sacks), but also because he’s returning to the position he mostly played at Tulsa.

RB Khalil Herbert

Not only was he productive in both starts in place of David Montgomery last year (37 carries, 197 yards, one touchdown), but he could excel in a Getsy offense that likely will rely more on two backs and be more of a true run-first attack.

OL Larry Borom

The 2021 fifth-round pick held his own in eight starts as a rookie and will open training camp as the starting right tackle. The Bears clearly like what they’ve seen so far. And Borom also can play right guard if others emerge at the tackle spots.

DT Khyiris Tonga

A seventh-round pick in 2021, Tonga played 216 snaps at nose tackle as a rookie, due in part to Eddie Goldman’s lackluster performance. He’s a dedicated nose tackle (in college and the NFL) who’s being given a chance at defensive tackle in Eberflus’ scheme. He’s a free roll of the dice for Eberflus and coordinator Alan Williams.

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By all accounts — public and behind the scenes — Patrick Williams had an impressive week of practice and workouts with the Bulls’ Summer League team.

He should have, considering he’s entering his third season and was a No. 4 overall pick.

And he had better because he’s arguably the most important Bull in the starting lineup.

All-Stars Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan are hit-the-ceiling type of players at this point in their careers. Zach LaVine is now a max player, but pretty much is what he is, with the hope that his defense can become more consistent. Then there’s Lonzo Ball, who undoubtedly will miss at least 20 games for some injury or assortment of injuries but remains a point guard who can run the team at a high pace as well as give the Bulls a three-point threat from the corner.

Williams, however, is the enigma.

Will he be the power forward who scored 35 points in the season finale against the Timberwolves or the passive 19-year-old who played 26 minutes against the Celtics two games before that and scored only five points? Will he be the player who was basically a no-show for the first three games in the playoff series against the Bucks or the threat he was in Games 4 and 5 in which he scored 20 and 23 points, respectively?

His growth this summer and into fall camp in the mental-assertiveness department will be key.

If Williams remains at that nine-point, four-rebound level, the Bulls can pencil in reservations for the No. 5 or 6 seed in the Eastern Conference and surely will be headed for a one-and-done against the big four.

But if he can put up 15 points and grab 7.5 rebounds per game a la Raptors Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and develop into an elite wing defender, the Bulls have a chance to host a first-round playoff series rather than pack lightly for one.

That’s where rookie Dalen Terry just might come in.

Terry, who was selected 18th overall in the draft last month, made his Summer League debut Friday, scoring nine points, shooting 3-for-7 from the field and grabbing five rebounds in a 100-99 overtime victory against the Mavericks. He also had six assists.

But his real mark was felt in those practices leading up to Summer League in which Ayo Dosunmu and Williams participated.

Terry opened Williams’ eyes, earning “most competitive” votes from the Bulls starter, and made his presence felt in other ways. The two guarded each other at times throughout the week, with Terry pushing Williams into the art of trash-talking as they bantered frequently.

“I’m gonna compete, just like [Williams] said, so I’m not backing down,” Terry said when asked about the showdown.

It’s just what Williams might need.

Since being selected out of Florida State in the 2020 draft, Williams has been handed more than he has earned.

Terry is in no danger of stealing Williams’ starting spot just yet, but he is a threat to grab minutes. They are built differently, but the Bulls insisted on draft night that the Arizona product would be groomed to be a wing defender with the hope that he can become an irritant who can guard a Jaylen Brown or a Jimmy Butler, the types of players Williams has been assigned to when healthy.

So while watching Terry in Summer League the next week or so generates a bit of intrigue, his real impact might not be felt until the Bulls start voluntary scrimmages later this summer.

Let the trash-talking commence.

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LOS ANGELES — Cubs left fielder Ian Happ charged hard, knowing he had to field the low line drive cleanly to keep the game going. But Dodgers cleanup hitter Will Smith’s RBI single evaded him and ended the game in a walk-off.

The Cubs lost to the Dodgers 4-3 in 10 innings, dropping the first two games of the series.

The Cubs scored first on shortstop Nico Hoerner’s solo home run leading off the fifth inning. They tacked on two more runs the next inning. David Bote led off with a single, and Christopher Morel laid down a textbook push bunt to get on base and move Bote into scoring position. They both advanced on a wild pitch before Ian Happ drove them in with a double up the left-field line.

Cubs starter Keegan Thompson didn’t allow an earned run in 5 2/3 innings, and it looked like he’d gotten out of the sixth with another scoreless frame as Smith lofted a fly ball into right field with two outs and a runner on second. But it glanced off of Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki’s mitt, and the Dodgers’ first run scored on the error.

Veteran reliever Chris Martin replaced Thompson, who faced the minimum in four of the almost six innings he pitched.

Dodgers designated hitter Jake Lamb cut the Cubs’ lead to one with a solo shot in the seventh. Mookie Betts tied the score in the ninth with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly against closer David Robertson, sending the game into extra innings.

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Manager Tony La Russa doesn’t see urgency as a problem for the White Sox, who entered the second half Friday night needing to gain ground on the first-place Twins and second-place Guardians in a stretch of 19 consecutive games against division foes that concludes July 24.

“I think you need to feel the urgency every day because you’ve got to collect wins,” La Russa said.

After a 7-5 loss to the Tigers, the level of desperation heightens for the Sox (39-43), who fell to 17-25 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Lucas Giolito’s five innings of one-hit ball vanished when Jeimer Candelario hit a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth. Former Cub Javy Baez later hit a two-run double off reliever Joe Kelly to cap a four-run seventh and responded to a chorus of boos by opening his arms as he stood at second base.

Center fielder Luis Robert, who hit a two-run homer in the first, dropped a fly ball hit by Spencer Torkelson with two outs in the eighth, enabling the Tigers to add another run.

The sub-.500 home record has been extremely disappointing, especially after the Sox held the league’s best record over the previous two seasons (71-40) while returning the fulcrum that produced consecutive playoff appearances over that span.

“It’s a different year,” said shortstop Tim Anderson, who momentarily overran and slipped off second base, resulting in him being tagged out to end a rally in the fifth. “Things happen. Try not to dig too much into it.”

On his sudden decline, Giolito was succinct.

“It was good, and then it was really bad,”

he said.

Giolito (5-5) retired the first two batters in the seventh, which, according to La Russa, earned him the right to try to finish the inning after allowing a hit and a single.

But Candelario, who struck out in his first at-bat, foiled Giolito’s attempt by hitting a tie-breaking single to right.

“[Giolito] was the guy that I thought earned that right to get that out, and I was confident he would,” La Russa said in a terse tone.

Despite the offense’s mid-game siesta, the Sox rallied for three runs in the eighth and put the tying run at first in each of the final two innings. But that’s little consolation for thousands of antsy and irate Sox fans who expected a deep run in the postseason.

“I think you have to identify what’s different about playing at home, playing on the road,” La Russa said before the game. “The explanation doesn’t jump out at you. We haven’t been as productive, so we’ve got to come up with some answers about that.”

Identifying the problems at home could be easier than washing off the stench of some of their toughest losses, starting with a 12-9 loss to the Guardians in 11 innings on May 9, when the Sox blew an 8-2 lead heading into the ninth.

One month later, a 4-0 lead dissolved amid questioning of La Russa’s decision to intentionally walk Trea Turner with two strikes in order to pitch to Max Muncy, who hit a home run that fueled an 11-9 Dodgers win.

Monday’s 6-3 loss to the Twins in 10 innings included Adam Engel and Yoan Moncada running into a triple play.

“The [home] record speaks for itself,” La Russa said. “So you identify the problem, and you attack it. We’ve noticed for a while, especially compared to last year. This is a brand new year.”

The offensive struggles at home remain puzzling, as the Sox were hitting 36 points lower at home (.236) than on the road and had a .358 home slugging percentage — 39 points lower than on the road — entering Friday.

“The guys like to play here, and the fans are very vocal and supportive,” La Russa said. “So it really is not an easy answer.”

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LOS ANGELES – Cubs right-hander Marcus Stroman is scheduled to return from the 15-day injured list to start against the Dodgers on Saturday, the team announced Friday.

Cubs manager David Ross declined to announce Sunday’s starter. But Cubs lefty Drew Smyly, on a rehab schedule parallel to Stroman’s in recent weeks, appears to be on track to pitch in the weekend series finale.

The Cubs will continue to monitor Stroman (inflammation in his right shoulder) and Smyly’s (right oblique strain) workloads when they return. Both threw about 50-55 pitches in their rehab starts, according to Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy.

“So, you’re not going to jump to something crazy,” Hottovy said. “But these guys were stretched out prior to their injuries, it wasn’t like it was building up from a crazy low number. So, right now we just have to continue to listen to how they’re feeling and how they’re progressing, and, obviously, make the best decision we can in those moments.”

Lefty Justin Steele and right-hander Kyle Hendricks were lined up to start Saturday and Sunday. But Steele did not travel with the team to L.A., instead returning to Chicago to await the birth of his child. The Cubs had yet to place him on paternity leave. And Hendricks (right shoulder strain) landed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday.

‘Starting to trend in the right direction’

Hottovy isn’t ruling out a return this year for right-hander Adbert Alzolay. A strained right shoulder has sidelined him since a few weeks before spring training. According to Hottovy, Alzolay has progressed to long toss and touch-and-feels – light side sessions that may only last 10 or 15 pitches.

“Whatever we can get this year – even if it’s for the last month of the season, he throws 35, 40 innings – that’s a bonus,” Hottovy said. “So, we’ve just got to keep building it the right way. We don’t want to push him just to get him back this year, but I think he’s starting to trend in the right direction.”

Whatever Alzolay’s workload proves to be this year will affect the Cubs’ plan for next season. Dramatic spikes in workload from one season to the next can come with injury risk. Veteran lefty Wade Miley, for example, suspects his injury-laden season has a lot to do with that kind of fluctuation over the past few years due to the pandemic.

Rehab assignments

Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal (strained left groin) and reliever Daniel Norris (sprained left index finger) began their rehab assignments with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday in style.

Madrigal went 1-for-3 with an RBI, and he made the I-Cubs’ highlight reel on defense, fielding a ground ball up the middle and slinging a jump-throw to first base to get the out.

Norris allowed just one hit and pitched a scoreless inning.

Cubs first baseman Frank Schwindel (low back strain) joined them Friday to start his rehab assignment.

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Victory Gardens Theater, currently amid a week of tremendous upheaval, announced on Friday the cancellation of all remaining performances of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s critically acclaimed production of “cullud wattah,” effective immediately, following the playwright’s decision to pull the play from production.

In a statement, Dickerson-Despenza said of her decision: “As a result of the white supremacist capitalist patriarchal values espoused by the Board of Directors at Victory Gardens Theater, I have pulled the production of my show, CULLUD WATTAH, effective immediately.” The play, which received four stars in a recent Sun-Times review, was slated to run through July 17.

The move comes on the heals of a week filled with turmoil for the theater company including the decision by the company’s board of directors, led by chairman Charles E. Harris, to place artistic director Ken-Matt Martin on leave. The move prompted Marissa Lynn Ford to withdraw her name as candidate for the position of executive director, and the resignation of ensemble playwrights Marisa Carr, Keelay Gipson, Isaac G?mez and Stacey Rose as well as resident directors Lili-Anne Brown and Jess McLeod. The theater’s acting managing director, Roxanna Conner, has announced her intentions to resign at the end of the month.

Also on Friday, Actors Equity, the union that represents professional theater actors and stage managers, issued a statement in support of the actions taken by the individuals who resigned. “Actors’ Equity Association stands fully in support of our members, and their right to a safe work environment — as well as the right of all workers to work in a safe environment free from harassment, discrimination and bullying.

“It is deeply disheartening to see an organization that has very publicly wrestled with institutional racism in recent memory again be perceived as unable to support workers of color without whom Victory Gardens Theatre [sic] could neither exist nor thrive,” the union’s statement read, in part.

A letter to the board of directors signed by all of the resigning ensemble playwrights and resident directors, and posted on Medium by Gomez, detailed the artists’ reason for resigning:

“The same lack of transparency and accountability informed by toxic behavior from this board that led the previous Playwrights Ensemble to resign in 2020 has now led to the loss of a dedicated board member; two experienced and well-respected Black leaders who have worked tirelessly to help this theater to live up to its stated values of integrity, diversity, innovation and excellence; and every single one of Victory Gardens’ most recent cohort of playwrights and resident artists. This situation is not tenable for Victory Gardens, and we have serious concerns about the theater’s ongoing viability if another artistic leadership transition takes place so soon after bringing Ken-Matt into the organization,” the letter read, in part.

The letter writers did not specify the “toxic behavior” they were alleging.

The theater’s board of directors addressed the entire matter with a statement of its own issued in response to Gomez’s post:

“We are a 48-year-old theater company with a rich history of bold and diverse productions. Collectively, our board members have more than 100 years of experience with Victory Gardens, and we know well the delicate balance of managing the artistic well-being of the theater with our fiduciary responsibility. We have invited our playwrights and resident directors to board meetings to weigh in on various issues but ultimately, certain decisions must happen at the board level. We regret the resignation of our playwrights’ ensemble, which was shared today, but we stand by the difficult and significant decisions we have made as a board that have kept this theater financially solvent for so many decades, including through the unprecedented COVID shutdown,” the statement read, in part.

This is a developing story…

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The Chicago Bulls began Summer League with a gritty overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks

The Chicago Bulls began their Summer League campaign on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks. The game on Friday was the first of five Summer League games for the Bulls. The Bulls went on to win 100-99 in overtime. The Bulls mounted a late comeback to force overtime at 90-90 that was marked by this Marko Simonović dunk.

The Bulls barely pulled ahead in overtime to secure the victory. Marko Simonović was huge for the Bulls down the stretch. He drew a foul and intentionally split his foul shots with 0.7 seconds left in overtime which gave the Bulls the lead at 100-99 and the win.

Fans will recognize Marko Simonović and Malcolm Hill from last season’s Bulls roster. Recent 1st-round draft pick Dalen Terry joined them in the starting lineup, as did Carlik Jones and Justin Lewis. Fans can view the complete Bulls Summer League Roster here.

Marko Simonović set the tone for the Bulls as he recorded their first 6 points. Simonović finished the game with 27 points while shooting 10-19. He also recorded 13 rebounds in 30 minutes which included this impressive putback dunk.

Simonović spent much of last season with the Windy City Bulls and will be looking to cement a spot in the Bulls’ NBA rotation this season. Friday’s game was a step in that direction for Simonović. Malcolm Hill was also impressive as he finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds in 27 minutes. Hill is under contract this season as a two-way player.

Dalen Terry will be watched most closely by fans throughout Summer League. Many will be curious about what they can expect from the Bulls’ only rookie this season. Fans can get to know Terry’s game a little better here.

Terry recorded 9 points and 6 assists in 31 minutes in his first Summer League game. The 6’7″ wing had a fair amount of ball-handling responsibilities in his first game. As expected, Terry’s passing skills were also on display.

Terry also received his very first technical foul. He was whistled for hanging on the rim after this dunk. Despite that, Simonović found Terry on a clean outlet pass for this highlight dunk.

The Bulls were down 47-33 at halftime and went on to trail nearly the entire second half. The young team showed a lot of fight down the stretch and teased several comebacks before forcing OT. Despite the victory, turnovers plagued the Bulls in this game. The Bulls committed 21 turnovers compared to 15 by the Mavericks. That shouldn’t be a surprise because much of this roster is still getting used to playing with one another.

Watching some of these young players grow as Summer League continues should be interesting. This impressive comeback should bring the Bulls a great deal of momentum as they progress through Summer League.

The Bull’s next Summer League game is on Sunday, July 20th. Fans can view the complete Summer League schedule here. 

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