Chicago Bears: Jordan Love to Packers mean fallout with Rodgers?Vincent Pariseon April 27, 2020 at 1:00 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears saw their biggest rival make a splash in the 2020 NFL Draft. Does that mean there is trouble in paradise?

The Chicago Bears finished the 2020 NFL Draft on Sunday along with the rest of the National Football League. Their bitter rivals, the Green Bay Packers, had themselves a very interesting draft. They, by far, had the worst draft of any team in the NFC North Division. They are still going to be a respectable football team in 2020 but this draft definitely raised some questions about their future plans.

They started it off by selecting quarterback Jordan Love from Utah State University. The problem with that pick is that they have Aaron Rodgers there who had yet another elite year in 2019. He went 13-3 with Green Bay before making a run all the way to the NFC Championship. He threw 26 touchdowns to only four interceptions and completed 62 percent of his passes.

In all 15 years of Rodgers’ career, the Packers didn’t draft a single skill position player in the first round. Rodgers made it known that he is aware too that fact earlier in the day on Thursday. Well, instead of fulfilling Rodgers’ request, they went out and drafted his potential replacement.

A lot of people are comparing this move to when the Packers drafted Rodgers with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. They still had Brett Favre at the same age as Rodgers is at now. There two key differences to this situation. The first is that Rodgers was a much higher touted college prospect than Love. The second is that Favre made retirement comments many times. Rodgers shows no signs of wanting to be done playing football.

That has some people thinking if this will cause a fallout between Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers organization. He has been known to have an attitude at times but it is extra hard to imagine that he is happy about this pick. It clearly isn’t something that is going to affect him in the short term but they now have a potential plan for life after Aaron Rodgers.

You can also argue that it does affect him because Love is going to be holding a clipboard for at a minimum, three years. Instead, they could have drafted one of the great wide receivers this draft had to offer. It was an all-time great draft in terms of depth at that position and the Packers didn’t take a single one. That has to frustrate number 12.

It might take a while for us to see the results of this draft pick but it is only fair to wonder if this will have a negative impact on their organization. If it does, that is awesome news for the Chicago Bears. They have been the better team for a long time and all we want to see is the tides turn at some point.

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Chicago Bears: What is the ceiling on tight end Cole Kmet?Dominique Blantonon April 27, 2020 at 2:00 pm

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The selection of newly Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet drew a mixed reaction from fans.

On one end you have some Chicago Bears fans that love the pick and think that the team got a high caliber talent at the tight end position. On the other end you have a group of fans that feel that the general manager blew this pick. No matter how we feel about the pick, what is done is done.

Despite the high volume of TEs on the depth chart, the position was a need based on the quality of personnel. The Bears signed Jimmy Graham to be the move TE in head coach Matt Nagy’s offense. The In-line TE was a question mark with the likes of Demetrius Harris and Adam Shaheen at the position. That was until the Bears used the No. 43 Notre Dame’s TE Cole Kmet.

The first thing that stands out about the former Fighting Irish stand out is his size. At 6-foot-6 262 pounds, Kmet is an imposing figure at the position. He is a mismatch for opposing linebackers and nickelbacks over the middle of the field.

The comparisons to current Bears’ TE Shaheen will come to mind because of their identical size. However, Kmet is much smoother as a runner after the catch than Shaheen. He is not in the same class as George Kittle or Zach Ertz after the catch. However, he is not the rumbling and stumbling athlete as Shaheen.

Kmet is not a field stretcher, but a solid dependable target over the middle of the field. He should be able to give you those 10-20-yard completions more often than not. Maybe even the potential big play downfield if not accounted for. He is not the most explosive route runner, but Kmet makes up for with a big catch radius.

Maybe where Kmet will mostly make an immediate impact is in the red zone. His big frame and go up and get it ability will be welcome in that area of the field.

If you are looking for a player comparison to match him up with, it would be another former Notre Dame TE Kyle Rudolph. Like Kmet, Rudolph was not the most explosive athlete at TE position when he arrived with the Minnesota Vikings.

However, he developed into that dependable target over the middle of the field and red zone threat. He also established himself into a solid in-line blocker later in his career. Kmet still has room to grow in that area, but certainly has the potential to develop into a consistent solid blocker.

If Kmet develops into a Travis Kelce or Kittle type of player, great for the Bears. If his career ends up similar to Rudolph, as a Bears fan you almost have to take that as a success.

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Chicago Bears: What is the ceiling on tight end Cole Kmet?Dominique Blantonon April 27, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bulls: Overcoming Detroit was a big key to successVincent Pariseon April 27, 2020 at 3:00 pm

AUBURN HILLS, UNITED STATES: Grant Hill of the Detroit Pistons (L) and Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls (R) fight for a loose ball in the first quarter of their 13 April game at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan. (Photo credit should read MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Last Dance continues to go over the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls team. It goes over how defeating the Detroit Pistons early on was huge.

The Chicago Bulls had to overcome some adversity before they were able to take the next step and ultimately become one of the great dynasties in North American sports. The biggest was the elite team that was the Detroit Pistons. It happens all the time in sports before teams become great. They need to overcome a team that was elite before them to get to that level.

The Detroit Pistons were known as the “Bad Boys” for a reason. They, similarly to the Bulls, had to get passed the Boston Celtics in order to get to where they were. Well, they did and won the NBA title in 1989 and 1990. They went through the Bulls in both title runs and a total of three straight seasons.

The Last Dance documentary on ESPN had episode three debut on Sunday night. It focused on Dennis Rodman‘s role in the Chicago Bulls run. Well, he played for the Pistons during those days that they were the “Bad Boys” team before he came to Chicago. He was super important to their second run of titles but he was on the other side for the first half. Then in episode four, there was more detail given about how the Bulls-Pistons rivalry reaching new heights.

Well in 1991, the Chicago Bulls finally slew the dragon. They remarkably went from losing to them in three straight postseasons tournaments to sweeping them in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls finally got past the arch-rival team that made life hard on them for years. They took that beating they put on the Pistons and used the momentum to defeat Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers for Chicago’s first-ever NBA title.

Michael Jordan and company defeating the Magic and the Lakers were certainly cool and he was finally on his level in terms of being an all-time great but beating the Pistons was the key. Isiah Thomas and most of his teammates couldn’t even stay on the court and shake hands with their opponent that just owned them. The Pistons, as a result of all this, are now one of the most hated teams in Chicago sports history. Since sweeping them in that series, the Bulls have gone on to win six titles and the Pistons only have one.

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Moms Who Drink And Swear Facebook LiveNicole Knepperon April 26, 2020 at 5:10 pm

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Chicago Bears Draft: Signing Ledarius Mack a heartwarming, risky moveRyan Heckmanon April 26, 2020 at 3:00 pm

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Following the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears signed undrafted free agent pass rusher Ledarius Mack, brother of Khalil Mack. Was this risky?

Over the course of this offseason, the Chicago Bears have completely changed their edge rusher room. Following the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s going to look even more different.

As soon as the draft concluded, the Bears began working on finding the undrafted free agents they’d like to sign, and one of them now has the chance to play with his brother.

Ledarius Mack, the brother of current Bears star Khalil Mack, agreed to terms with the Bears yesterday and joins the pass rushing group that looks a lot different than it did last season. Playing at the same school as his brother, Ledarius went undrafted out of Buffalo.

Now, the Bears have Khalil, Robert Quinn, Barkevious Mingo and fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson as the main guys in their outside linebacker room. Ledarius will have to fight for his roster spot over the offseason and training camp, but how will that shake out?

On film, you see a lot of similarities between the brothers. Ledarius definitely has a motor and, at times, looks ferocious rushing the passer. He is a little smaller than Khalil, but you can see he plays with a lot of similar tendencies.

Ledarius plays with a reckless mentality. He honestly just wants to destroy the quarterback, and that’s a welcomed addition to the Bears’ already feared defense. It also helps that he feels both himself and the program he comes from has been disrespected for a while.

If you want that “I’ll run through a wall” feeling listen to Ledarius Mack (@leemack52) talk about how hungry he and all @UBFootball is because they feel disrespected by outsiders. It’s clear @CoachLeipold has something special brewing for @UBAthletics and Mack is further proof. pic.twitter.com/mcJ2nJHRge

— Greg Vorse TV (@GregVorse) April 17, 2020

The University of Buffalo has not historically been a factory for NFL talent, outside of the obvious in Khalil, and his brother Ledarius knows that. Ledarius plays with a chip on his shoulder, and hearing him say he’s just getting started makes me feel some type of way. I hope this kid pans out and get absorb everything he possibly can from not only his brother, but all of the talent around him in Chicago now.

While this makes for a phenomenal story, and it’s going to be a lot of fun watching the brothers play together, how will this story end?

I want to hope for the best, and that Ledarius ultimately makes the team. He’ll have his brother pushing him, obviously. But, on the off-chance that Ledarius doesn’t quite add up, what does that conversation look like?

Better question: What do both conversations look like? The one with Ledarius, and then the one with older brother Khalil?

The Bears don’t dare cut the brother of the face of their franchise, do they? That instantly becomes a tense dynamic, even though we all want to think Ledarius makes the team. But, this is a risky move in a way, because if Ledarius ends up not being good enough to make the roster, you obviously disappoint two people instead of just one.

At this stage, Khalil understands this is a business. After all, his experience with the Raiders proves that fact. But, this is his family we’re talking about, not just a close buddy.

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I am hoping Ledarius improves the areas he must improve and balls out over the summer. That’s the way I look at it. I’m sure most fans agree when I say I don’t want to think about how the situation would pan out, should the Bears have to cut Ledarius.

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Chicago Bears Draft: Signing Ledarius Mack a heartwarming, risky moveRyan Heckmanon April 26, 2020 at 3:00 pm Read More »

William Safire on the origins of ‘Have a nice day!’Margaret H. Laingon April 26, 2020 at 12:00 pm

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Chicago Bears Draft: Cole Kmet was a Matt Nagy pickVincent Pariseon April 26, 2020 at 12:21 pm

Chicago Bears (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears made a few selections in the 2020 NFL Draft but Cole Kmet is more than likely one that was influenced by Matt Nagy.

The Chicago Bears were a bit busy during the 2020 NFL Draft. For the second year in a row, they didn’t have a first-round pick thanks to the Khalil Mack Deal with the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. Well, that made their second-round selections that much more important. They made two but the first one at pick 43 was for a tight end from Notre Dame named Cole Kmet.

The pick was clearly one that fits the mold of a “Matt Nagy pick.” Nagy is a coach that runs a very particular type of offense and it needs a tight end. The Bears offense was putrid in 2019 and having no legit tight end option was a big part of the problem. They had the second-worst production at the position in the entire National Football League. That needed to improve in order to get things done in 2020 and beyond.

It showed that their offense can be at least good enough to make the playoffs in 2018 and they had Trey Burton playing very well. He was very good in his first year with the Bears and the offense saw good results to follow. He had a mystery absence from their playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Wild Card Weekend and things were not the same since.

Well, that could all come to an end with the addition of Cole Kmet. The Bears needed to add someone like him to help them out in all areas as a receiving tight end. They added Jimmy Graham in free agency which might be a nice RedZone option at times but Kmet is probably going to be the number one guy right away. The Bears have so many players at the tight end position going into camp but the list will surely be shortened by the time final cuts are made.

This was a pick filled with mixed reviews for Ryan Pace and his staff but it better prove to be a good one. He has been very shaky in the first two rounds of the draft but hopefully, this starts to turn the tide in the right direction.

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Chicago Bears Draft: Grades for entire NFC NorthVincent Pariseon April 26, 2020 at 1:00 pm

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The Chicago Bears and their NFC North Rivals are officially done with their 2020 NFL Draft. Each team had selections that earned them specific grades.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears had an okay draft. There have been some mixed reviews on some of their picks but overall, they improved their football team by virtue of adding some pieces that weren’t already there. What makes a draft impactful or not, however, is if you added the right players for what your team needs or taking the best available player. The Bears never seem to do that but they did get some needs taken care of here.

It started with taking Cole Kmet from the University of Notre Dame. It was a pretty good pick as far as the need for a tight end to come in but there have been arguments made that it wasn’t a proper value pick. Either way, Kmet should be a great player for them and could end up being a key piece to their offense right away.

That, however, is basically where the help for the offense ended for a while. It was clearly the weakness of the team in 2019 but they upgraded their elite defense anyway. They used their next three picks in the draft to select players on the defensive side of the ball. They are surely going to have another good defensive unit in 2020 but the offense still needs to hold out hope that it is at least able to improve a little bit.

Their picks are as followed:

Round 2, Pick 43 – Cole Kmet, TE
Round 2, Pick 50 – Jaylon Johnson, DB
Round 5, Pick 155 – Trevis Gipson, OLB
Round 5, Pick 163 – Kindle Vildor, DB
Round 5, Pick 173 – Darnell Mooney, WR
Round 7, Pick 226 – Arlington Hambright, OL
Round 7, Pick 227 – Lachavious Simmons, OL

For not having a first or a third-round pick, it was a pretty okay haul. That is what happens when you acquire a superstar like Khalil Mack in a trade. Well, Pace might have slightly saved his draft grade by drafting some offensive linemen with the last two picks but being seventh rounders, we have to wait and see if they will make an impact.

Draft Grade: C

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Chicago Bears Draft: Grades for entire NFC NorthVincent Pariseon April 26, 2020 at 1:00 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears: Blunt, unfiltered grades for 2020 NFL Draft picksRyan Heckmanon April 26, 2020 at 2:00 pm

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The 2020 NFL Draft is in the books and the Chicago Bears would like to think they’re a better team after all is said and done. Is that really the case?

Just like that, the 2020 NFL Draft has come and went. Was it everything we thought it would be and more? Well, for the Chicago Bears, not really. But, as football fans, it was fantastic.

How great was it to have some type of live, meaningful sports in our lives? I’m sure many of you had wonderful weekends full of football, because that’s exactly what I had. It was a pleasant break from all of the craziness in this world.

But, as I said before, it wasn’t all peaches and cream for the Bears. Most fans fully expected Pace to make a deal or two, but I don’t think anyone expected him to stay put in the second round.

With other NFC North rivals having some success in this draft, like the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, the Bears came away with a much less-impressive class. In fact, the Vikings had one of the best drafts in all of football this year. There is no denying they played this weekend right and were left with a fantastic haul of picks.

As for Detroit, we now get to see Jeffrey Okudah and D’Andre Swift twice a year — that alone is an impressive first two rounds for the Lions.

How about the Green Bay Packers? Well, at least maybe one of the Bears’ rivals could have had a worse draft — or, at least, more confusing. What on earth is Aaron Rodgers thinking as his team picked a quarterback in the first round? I don’t fully understand the Jordan Love pick. But, we can talk about that another day.

Right now, we’re here to talk about not fully understanding the Bears’ draft. Let’s go through each pick, one by one, and try to make sense of it all. Spoiler alert: There will be little sense made.

Next: Cole Kmet

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Chicago Bears: Blunt, unfiltered grades for 2020 NFL Draft picksRyan Heckmanon April 26, 2020 at 2:00 pm Read More »