Former Bears quarterback Nick Foles has agreed to terms on a two-year contract with the Colts, NFL Network reported. Foles, 33, will back up veteran Matt Ryan, who was acquired by the Colts in a trade with the Falcons for a 2022 third-round draft pick.

Foles spent the past two seasons with the Bears after being acquired in a trade with the Jaguars in 2020. He threw three touchdown passes in relief of Mitch Trubisky against the Falcons in Week 3 in 2020, but faltered in seven starts following that game. Foles had a 79.6 passer rating as a starter (seven touchdowns, seven interceptions) and the Bears went 2-5.

One of his two victories as a starter came against the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers, when he completed 30-of-42 passes for 243 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 20-19 victory at Soldier Field on Oct. 8, 2020.

Foles suffered an injury against the Vikings and was replaced by Trubisky for the final seven games of the 2020 season. He fell out of favor with the coaching staff and was the No. 3 quarterback behind Andy Dalton and rookie Justin Fields last season.

Foles led the NFL in passer rating (119.2) in 2013 with 27 touchdowns and two interceptions. He also was the MVP of Super Bowl LII, throwing three touchdown passes and catching a touchdown pass from tight end Trey Burton in a 41-33 victory over the Patriots in 2018.

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The Chicago Bears shook up the roster in the 2022 offseason by trading Khalil Mack

This offseason, the Chicago Bears have been making a bevy of roster changes. Led by new general manager Ryan Poles, the Bears traded fan-favorite Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Bears received a 2022 2nd round draft pick, and a 6th round 2023 pick.

Safety Jaquan Brisker, out of Penn State, was drafted by the Bears with the 2022 pick acquired from the trade from the Chargers.

Jeffri Chadiha, a columnist for Nfl.com, put the Mack trade on his list of ten most impactful trades from the offseason. Here’s what Chadiha wrote:

“The Chargers needed to bolster an underwhelming defense, which is why Mack ranks so high here. Everybody knew the Chargers had issues stopping the run in 2021. Mack helps there. Pro Bowl defensive end Joey Bosa needed a pass-rushing counterpart. Mack is a difference-maker there, as well. For all the skeptics who point to the foot surgery that ended his season after seven games last year, the 31-year-old Mack still had six sacks before going on injured reserve. He’s also earned six Pro Bowl nods (most recently in 2020) and been a disruptive force on every defense he’s joined. The Chargers made a lot of moves to improve their defense. Mack will make good on his end of the deal.”

Losing a veteran’s leadership

This trade, while frustrating for Bears fans and players (Bears linebacker Trevis Gipson said he was bothered by the news of the trade.) who enjoyed seeing Mack’s veteran experience on the team, will be beneficial for both franchises. The Chargers will add depth to their pass-rushing scheme. Mack will have a chance to contend for the Super Bowl. Chadiha mostly mentioned how the trade would help the Chargers, but the move will help the Bears as well.

The Bears added a solid safety in Brisker, who will likely start this season. Some national analysts are already putting the Bears’ secondary as one of the most improved units with the addition of Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon. The Bears will be able to see the full fruit of the trade next year in the 6th round.

Mack, at age 31, is probably a little too old to lead the Bears in their quest to “remodel” the team. He added a lot of pressure in the pass rush but didn’t put up great numbers in recent years. Mack hasn’t had double-digit sack years since 2018 and has been plagued by injuries recently. Dead space will hurt this year for the Bears, but it will free up cap space for the next three seasons, 28.5 million alone in 2023.

Bears could trade more

Rumors are going around that the Bears are still looking to shop pass rushers from the 2021 squad. The Bears should look to see if they can get good value for Robert Quinn. His stock will likely never be higher after his 2021 total of 18.5 sacks.

While the value the Bears got via the trade to the Chargers was too low, especially in comparison to what they gave up to get him (two first round picks and more), the Bears will be better off in the next few years with the free cap space and Brisker pick.

Make sure to check out our Bears forum for the latest on the team.

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The 2021-2022 Chicago Bulls’ campaign was a tale of two seasons. They started 26-11 and had the 5th best net rating in the league through January 11, while holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference as late as February 25.

As injuries began to pile-up with Patrick Williams and Alex Caruso both suffering significant wrist injuries, Lonzo Ball tearing his meniscus, and Zach LaVine dealing with a knee issue, they limped to the finish line.

Chicago went 19-25 in their last 44 games before Milwaukee made quick work of them in the first round of the playoffs, winning the series in five games with an average margin of victory of 19.25 points.

There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the Bulls heading into the summer, as they attempt to determine whether the first half of the season reflected something real, or if they’re actually closer to the team we saw in the latter portion of the year. Let’s explore three specific questions worth asking heading into this off-season:

Should the Chicago Bulls offer Zach LaVine a max contract?

The biggest piece of the puzzle that will need to fall into (or out of) place is LaVine, who heads to unrestricted free agency. There are so many intricate moving parts in this particular situation, including the fact that the Bulls decided to kick the can down the road last summer, choosing to use their available resources to improve the team around LaVine, rather than extend his contract.

To a certain extent, the plan worked; Chicago spent significant dollars to acquire Caruso, Ball, and DeMar DeRozan, helping the Bulls to the most successful regular season since 2014-2015. All that said, no matter how much weight you put on the injury problems, the end result was a quick first-round playoff exit with LaVine often playing second fiddle to DeRozan. One would think that leads to questions on both sides: do the Bulls want to offer the max to LaVine, a deal that would reportedly pay him $212 million over five years, tying up a significant portion of their cap for a roster that might not be good enough to win a title? If they do extend that offer, does LaVine want to stay, or is he intrigued by the idea of playing somewhere else and willing to take less money to do so?

LaVine was willing to play through a significant left knee injury for a good portion of the season, including the postseason. Unfortunately, that same issue is going to force a scope procedure this summer, raising concerns over his long-term health. It’s the same knee in which LaVine tore his ACL in 2017, which further complicates matters.

Despite the concern over the knee, LaVine just turned 27 years old and is an extremely efficient, high-volume scorer with career 46.1%/38.6%/83.0% shooting splits. He’s coming off his second straight all-star season and is the last remaining piece of the Jimmy Butler trade. Chicago cannot afford to have him leave for nothing, while finding realistic and workable sign-and-trade deals is difficult. It seems safe to expect the Bulls to offer LaVine the full max and hope he comes back ready to help Chicago make a leap.

Which direction do they go in the NBA draft?

The cost of the Nikola Vucevic trade included two first-round draft picks: one in 2021 and another in 2023. Fortunately, Ayo Dosunmo was available for Chicago in the second round last year and played at a much higher level than what you would anticipate from the 38th player off the board. The Bulls are without a first-round pick again in 2023 and assuming the front office can continue to find hidden gems late in the draft is unrealistic, placing increased importance on getting the 2022 selection right.

The Bulls hold the 18th pick and have multiple holes to fill on the roster. They are woefully short on big, sturdy wings, often asking Caruso, Ball, and Dosumno to defend at significant size disadvantages. With that in mind, do they look at Tari Eason, a 6-foot-8 swingman from LSU? If there is concern that Ball’s knee injury might continue to linger, perhaps another reliable ball-handler like Ochai Agbaji of Kansas intrigues them. With one year left on Vucevic’s contract, they may try to find his successor in Auburn’s Walker Kessler.

Knowing that their next first-round pick won’t come until 2024, they could explore moving up. Does packaging Coby White with the 18th pick entice another team to move down a couple spots? Whichever route the Bulls go, they’ll likely need immediate production from the selection in order to seriously compete next year.

Is there an upgrade over Nikola Vucevic available?

At the time of the deal last March, it was hard to not be excited about the trade that brought Vucevic to Chicago. The price of Wendell Carter Jr. plus two first-round picks was certainly steep, but it seemed clear that LaVine was growing frustrated with the constant sub-par rosters surrounding him. Vucevic represented the best teammate LaVine would share the floor with in a Bulls uniform, giving him a legitimate 2-man game partner who made two all-star teams.

Even heading into last summer, it appeared as though the move was going to pay off, with Vucevic averaging 21.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in 26 games with Chicago after the trade on shooting splits of 47.1%/38.8%/87.0%. We also have to consider the effect of having Vucevic on the roster, and how differently the outlook of the team must have appeared to DeRozan and Ball as they made decisions in free agency.

Although it would have been impossible for anyone to predict Vucevic’s 3-point shooting would fall off a cliff, all that matters is he simply didn’t produce at a level close to justifying the price Chicago paid to get him. He shot just 31.4% from behind the arc on 4.5 attempts per game, which included prolonged slumps where his confidence seemed to waver. Combining the shooting woes with the fact that he’s a subpar defender with limited athletic tools, the Bulls might need to explore avenues to improve at the center spot.

Considering Phoenix’s shocking postseason collapse and head coach Monty Williams’s comments after their game 7 loss to Dallas, it would certainly seem that Deandre Ayton is available.

The Bulls and Spurs have a recent history of completing deals, so perhaps Chicago could pry Jakob Poeltl away from San Antonio. If there is an intriguing big man available for the Bulls to take with the 18th pick in the draft, maybe they can move Vucevic for wing depth.

With one year left on his contract at $22 million, in addition to the Bulls lack of assets, it’s hard to imagine workable deals that makes sense for both sides. That said, Chicago’s front office should leave no stone unturned.

Make sure to check out our Bulls forum for the latest on the team.

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The New York Yankees entered the weekend with only one series loss. Likewise, the Yankees possess the best record in the MLB and are a measuring stick for this Chicago White Sox roster. The White Sox, meanwhile, have proven throughout the start of the season why they can compete with the best teams. At the same time, they are hovering around the .500 mark.

The weekend series was an odd one, starting with a postponed game and being capped off with a doubleheader. However, the doubleheader capped off a series that the White Sox have to feel great about. The team won the two games and once again, the starting rotation stepped up.

Cueto & Kopech’s Strong Starts

In two starts, it looks like Johnny Cueto hasn’t missed a beat. His pitches don’t have the same life as they did in his younger years. However, at 36-years-old the right-hander can still pitch multiple strong innings. The ability to mess with the hitter’s timing helps and has particularly become a strength for Cueto with the White Sox.

Cueto pitched six innings and despite allowing five hits, gave the White Sox a scoreless start. Moreover, Cueto’s sinker and slider carried the veteran pitcher, as he used the two pitches for 68 of his 95 pitches. The Yankees lineup is built off power but facing an off-speed pitcher who doesn’t pitch with a rhythm threw left them swinging at air.

Kopech, meanwhile, went with the heat, something the Yankees normally would crush. It didn’t matter as Kopech pitched his best game of the season. In seven innings, Kopech allowed only one hit and two walks while striking out six batters.

Kopech’s start was proof that when a pitcher is dialed in, he can’t be hit. The 26-year-old pitcher threw the fastball for 54 of his 92 pitches, including many high heaters. Yet, the Yankees still struggled with the pitch forcing weak contact or late swings. Kopech has the ceiling to become an ace and when his pitches are clicking, he is unhittable and another pitcher that fuels a strong rotation.

White Sox lineup steps up

The White Sox scored five runs twice in the weekend series but only won one of those games. The Yankees average 4.97 runs per game, third-most in the MLB. High-scoring games looked like they were going to be necessary for a series win, so it seemed. The team needed runs and with the warmer weather came the hot bats as the White Sox scored 13 runs in the series.

The 7-5 loss was defined by the power at the top of the order. Jose Abreu got a cutter inside and managed to pull the ball for a three-run home run. However, the rest of the scoring surge would be defined by the depth of the lineup.

The 3-1 win saw Yasmani Grandal drive in the first run while AJ Pollock hit the go-ahead home run in the ninth inning. In the final game of the series, the White Sox again rallied late with Andrew Vaughn and Reese McGuire rapping singles to put the first two runs on the board. Vaughn and McGuire were the eighth and ninth hitters in the lineup and proved that the White Sox possess a deep batting order along with a powerful one.

With a 2-0 lead, the bottom half of the lineup set up the biggest plate appearance of the weekend. It was an at-bat that define the series for the White Sox and the Yankees.

Anderson’s big hit to cap off the series

Tim Anderson was thrown into the headlines over the weekend and in many ways, it was a tough weekend for the star shortstop. After multiple plate appearances where Anderson was booed by the fans at Yankee Stadium, the all-star left the crowd stunned and silent.

With two runners on base, Yankees reliever Miguel Castro entered the game to try to get the final out in the eighth inning. With a slider left over the heart of the plate, Anderson got the full barrel on the ball and powered the pitch over the right-field fence.

Anderson trotted around the bases with a weight off his shoulders. The swing ended the series with an exclamation point and Anderson once again proved why he is one of the more complete players in the game. Not only does he make the White Sox a fun team but he carries the roster, with both great fielding and significant plate appearances to lead off the lineup.

What the series means for the White Sox

The White Sox played the Yankees last week. In the series, the Yankees displayed the talent gap, particularly between a good team in the American League and a World Series contender. The series showed some of the underlying weaknesses within the White Sox that proved they could be a good team but can only go so far with the current team.

The White Sox won back-to-back games to take the series. While one good day doesn’t make a team elite, the wins displayed a more complete team. The White Sox still trail the Minnesota Twins for the division lead and have stumbled to start the season. However, the series proved the team is poised to make a run and pile on the wins. Additionally, the series proved they can and will compete with the best teams in the league with one of the most talented rosters in the league.

Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.

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Rich basketball and coach Jamere Dismukes are the perfect match.

Following the consolidation of the district’s high school athletics, which included closing Rich East following the 2019-20 school year, you have a basketball program in desperate need of stability.

In Dismukes, who was hired this spring to take over the basketball program, Rich has an up-and-coming young coach who will resonate with kids in the area.

More importantly, he’s heavily invested in the school and has a legit passion for the place. Dismukes grew up in the district and starred at Rich East, where he graduated in 2009.

“This is the right opportunity at the right time,” Dismukes said. “It was a no-brainer for me when it was offered.”

Dismukes was considered to be one of the rising young coaches in the Public League when he took over the Hyde Park program in 2020. But after two seasons in the city he is returning to the south suburbs.

“This is home for me,” Dismukes said. “And it’s always great to go home and coach where you grew up.”

Dismukes was the former coach at Rich East. When the school district, due to declining enrollment numbers, consolidated and went to two campuses — at Rich Central and Rich South — Dismukes was out of a coaching job. The district decided to go with Cornelius Crossley for the past two seasons.

Now Dismukes is back in the district and at a school where one south suburban head basketball coach says “Rich Township is a sleeping giant with the right head coach.”

And Rich has found that in the well-liked, personable and seasoned Dismukes, who has also coached at junior college power Indian Hills. You can hear the genuine energy and excitement in Dismukes’ voice when asked about how high of a ceiling this program has in the south suburbs.

“I think this place is a gold mine,” Dismukes said. “It’s a program that should be competing for sectional championships on a regular basis. Everything is in place to do that. The mindset they have here now, the resources they are putting into Rich Township and getting behind. It’s exciting.”

A brand new fieldhouse with three regulation wood courts will be completed this summer. And while the tradition-rich Big Dipper is a shell of itself, the holiday tournament played at Rich South for decades, Dismukes plans to revive it sooner than later.

“I am 100 percent invested in getting that tournament going again,” said Dismukes, who has played and coached in the tournament. “That’s a huge goal of mine, to revamp that tournament and get it back to where it once was — as one of the most prominent tournaments in the state.”

Dismukes says he will be “heavily involved” in the Big Dipper, both in trying to attract teams and, most importantly, to “make it fun and attractive again.” This was once a must-see tournament in late December, especially in the south suburbs.

“I think you will see a drastic change in the Dipper,” Dismukes said.

Dismukes says he can see all the district is implementing, both academically and athletically.

Then there is the large geographical area the district covers in the south suburbs. There are parts of Richton Park, Park Forest,Country Club Hills, Matteson, Chicago Heights and Tinley Park within the district.

“There are so many kids and so much talent,” said Dismukes of a school with roughly 3,000 students. “The main thing for me now is to keep those kids here, keep them home. They are right in our backyard. There have been so many kids and players who have left our feeder schools to go to CPS.”

Dismukes grew up in the area, so he has strong, established ties to the community. He hopes those relationships will make a difference in keeping talent home. He says he has received a ton of support already. But he also knows that going from three high schools in the district to one — and all the challenges that come with that — is still a work in progress.

“We are no longer rivals or against each other,” Dismukes said. “We are all one now, so bridging that gap is important.”

While Dismukes wants to keep young talent in place in the district, he believes he has enough talent this year to be more than just competitive.

Ray Austin, a 6-0 junior guard this past season, is a player Dismukes believes will break out as a senior. The scoring guard will be joined in the backcourt with Tyler Wooten, a promising 6-3 combo guard in the Class of 2024.

“I really do think we have a chance to be pretty good,” Dismukes said.

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