#STARTER. ( amos burton. )

[aeternals]

@factiousfcrged gets an ish-plotted starter

another day, another tussle with james holden of the mighty rocinante. this one wasn't as rational as other times desi has raised his voice and, really, was only a heavy sigh. amos had been shot, someone else patched him back together, and desiderius was far too emotional to let the other man out of his sight. it was a dangerous game he was playing. the more time they spent together the deeper and deeper he'd found himself falling. tripping, really, into some emotional attachment with amos burton.

anything that could be diverted away from the gallery office and onto a video conference was moved. the data broker had cleared off the small table in the suite's kitchenette to serve as a new ' desk ' for the time being. realistically speaking, only about half of what he'd been working on was able to be moved in that way so he was in and out of the suite much more than he'd liked. gave him a great opportunity to re-evaluate where his head was, though.

on the way back from the gallery, desiderius picked up a bottle of whiskey, a bottle of wine, and food for them both. a place not too far from the gallery served amazing burritos, which were easy to carry along with everything else. it also allowed him to get another one for amos to eat while he was at the gallery the next day without having to worry about how much he was carrying.

" here, " he says with more exhaustion than he meant to. the bag of burritos and both bottles are set on one of the chairs in the room then slid over to the edge of the bed. " i brought food in case you're hungry. " auburn hair is brushed out of the way. another chair grabbed so that he can sit in it while sipping away at his wine. " how are you feeling?

[lastxdragon]

CS: Fireforged RP

PRIVATE ROLEPLAY: DO NOT REBLOG IF YOU ARE NOT MY PARTNER.

@violencefcrged​

╣❦╠ ƈօռզʊɛʀɨռɢ ֆȶօʀʍ ❧

“Try the locus, my sweet,” her betrothed encouraged Daenerys once again, but she merely shook her head, trying to quell her stomach as yet another contestant was brutally slaughtered in front of her. Dany hated having to reopen the fighting pits, more even than having to marry Hizdahr for peace. She had no idea that halfway through the fights, the Sons of Harpy seemed to appear everywhere at the same time. Her Knights guided Dany and Missandei down into the Pit, away from the Harpy’s stabbing Hizdahr. The rest was a blur. Drogon appeared from the sky, spears flew and dragonfire turned some to ash. Daenerys pulled a spear from Drogon’s shoulder, but she knew he would not stop.

Without hesitation, she scrambled up Drogon’s wing and they were airborne. As the ground grew more distant, Dany could only pray her people would be all right. What followed was a perilous time in the Great Grass Sea, coming close to death before a Dothraki Khalasar came upon Daenerys and Drogon. Her dragon rose above them, circling the group as they took Dany on their trek to Vaes Dothrak as Khal Drogo’s widow. Once there, she was called before the council of Khal’s and on her walk there, a plan formed in her mind. Standing before the Khal’s, hearing their threats, Daenerys did not hesitate, tipping the braziers one after the other.

Stepping out of the inferno, the Dothraki horde knelt en masse and Daenerys knew her gambit had worked. Drogon landed behind the horde with a deafening roar, but one man parted from the crowd, obviously not Dothraki and he brought a cloak up the steps to wrap around her shoulders with no fear of the fire. There was something about him that Daenerys sensed, almost like her dragons. “You have my thanks, good sir,” she told him as the horde proclaimed her ‘Vezh fin saja rhaesheseres - The Stallion Who Mounts the World’. “Come, Khal Jogo has no need of his manse now. There is much to plan and I would know more of you.”

[movedto--mysticandskepticmuses]

@magicandsciencemuses​ - amos burton liked for a starter from rey.

     “I’m surprised you have any free time, honestly,” Rey admitted, giving the mechanic a glance as she settled at the bar beside him.  So, she wasn’t entirely invited, but she’d joined the group of Resistance folks heading planet side, and while he wasn’t the most talkative of the bunch, she’d been more than a little impressed with his skills when he’d spent the better part of a few days helping her repair some of the worst damage that time itself had done to the Falcon.   “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you doing anything other than fixing something,” she clarified, with a half smile.  “I don’t think I’ve said thanks, enough, for all the hours you put in on the Falcon these last few days, I know there’s a lot of things that are probably higher priority; Finn said you were taking he time out of your own time, so ... I just.  Thanks.”  Apparently she was going to talk enough for both of them and then some.  “Can I buy you a drink or something?”

[prophecyread]

          if you would like a starter from amos in his dark verse ( info HERE ) hit the heart - if a multi please specify what character(s) you’d like a starter for and lmk if you want modern or expanse / future scifi setting.  please be warned that in this verse, whatever attempt at morality and betterment that amos has in the series is not present and that there is a high likelihood of violence and potentially triggering subjects / events.  (if you want dark amos in another au setting / demon / vampire whatever that’s open for negotiations just lmk.)

[tuppencetrinkets-a]

  @chokethelight liked for a one liner from amos burton.

     “It’s better to go down swinging than rolling over.” 

[infcinity]

“the seats free if you want to sit,” brienne smiled slightly, motioning towards the chair - the cafe was overly busy today and there wasn’t many free seats going for people to grab and that people would offer up. 

private starter for @softsliders19 ( amos burton )

[ocy-moron]

i am bored and so i’m analyzing the eagles and i’ve annoyed everyone i’ve texted about it so i’m gonna rant in here.

i do not care how good khalil mack is. i do not care that the bears have 27 interceptions. or that they have 50 sacks. or that their turnover ratio is +12. because you know what? they haven’t played the birds yet.

everyone also seems to forget that, last season, the birds killed the bears 31-3, what has changed since then? matt nagy is their coach, trubisky has gotten a lot better, khalil mack is playing, and ??? they’ve got trey burton now? idk man.

sure, we’ve lost some really good players (injury & offseason) but i don’t see the bears ballin out because of it.

look at every position, every starter:

foles vs trubisky? basically: superbowl MVP who balls out in crunch time vs. the second year player who is now reliable? advantage birds

ertz and goedert vs burton and shaheen? ... ertz ALONE is better than burton and shaheen combined. i mean, he broke an nfl record this season. advantage birds

jeffery/agholor/tate/matthews vs robinson/gabriel/miller/white? i want u to flash back to the alshon jeffery TD in the NFCCG against the “best defense in the league” and then you’ll know. advantage birds

adams/smallwood vs. howard/cohen? ok, yah, bears win this one. we lost blount this offseason, ajayi tore his acl, and clement has been in & out all season with injury. but don’t count out adams and smallwood, they’ve really been showin’ out recently. advantage bears

Offensive Lines? i think i would’ve sold our OL for a bagel earlier this season, but they’ve really been riding for foles. hard to compete against kelce, brooks, johnson, and, oh yeah, JASON FUCKIN PETERS. advantage birds

jenkins vs jackson/amos? i want you to go back, watch malcon jenkins KILL brandin cooks in the superbowl, then tell me who you think is better. advantage birds

cornerbacks? advantage bears. mills, darby, and sidney jones are all injured. but, still, douglas and maddox have shown out recently

cox/jernigan/ngata vs hicks/goldman/nichols? not to be dramatic but this is fletcher cox and timmy jernigan. i really don’t know how else how to explain it to you. advantage birds

bennett/long/graham vs mack/lynch/floyd? well, for starters, lynch may be out with injury. and, sure, khalil mack is the “big name” of this group that’s a headache for other teams. but don’t count out michael “i hardly wear shoulder pads” bennett, chris “i have good karma because i donate my whole salary” long, and brandon “i instagram live myself reading bedtime stories to my daughter” graham. these are character guys. besides... don’t forget “brady gets hit and THE BALL IS OUT” even

doug pederson vs matt nagy? doug pederson went for it on fourth down TWICE in the superbowl. once on a trick play, once to prolong the game winning TD drive. advantage birds.

say what you will about the bears, about how well they did this season. but these eagles have the offensive weapons and the strongly improved defense.

eagles 23 - bears 17

[junker-town]

The Bears’ top priority was an expensive Mitchell Trubisky backup plan

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago has a handful of problems to fix, and not many resources to solve them.

Last season was a regrettable one in Chicago. Head coach Matt Nagy failed to defend his NFC North title thanks in part to a concerning regression from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. With little consistent air support and an offense that ranked 29th in the league in both points scored and yards gained, the Bears slid from 12-4 to 8-8 and missed the playoff for the eighth time in the last nine years.

Fixing those problems this spring will be tough. Chicago doesn’t have a first-round pick thanks to its trade for Khalil Mack in 2018, and it has limited cap space to make any major moves in free agency.

Chicago Bears (8-8), missed playoffs

The Bears continue to field a championship-caliber defense, though some tweaks will be necessary to turn a top-10 unit back into a top-five squad. That means general manager Ryan Pace, resolute in his backing of Trubisky for the 2020 season, will have to focus his attention to a flagging offense that struggled to live up to expectations.

Before free agency:

Quarterback: Pace may be publicly content to roll with Trubisky, but a glut of available veteran quarterbacks will give him the opportunity to find a player who can push the young passer in training camp and/or step into the starting lineup should he underwhelm once more.

Tight end: Prized free agent signee Trey Burton missed eight games in 2019 and has caught more than 37 passes in a single season only once in his career. Former second-round pick Adam Shaheen has failed to turn into a dependable starter. Jesper Horsted is an interesting young talent, and Demetrius Harris adds athleticism and blocking, but neither is ready to carry the load at the top of the depth chart. Adding a member of a solid free agent class would give the Bears another trusted target downfield.

Offensive guard: Longtime starter Kyle Long is stepping away from the game at age 31. Depth option Ted Larsen is a free agent. The Bears could use some extra help up front to keep their QBs upright and to clear holes for second-year back David Montgomery.

What Windy City Gridiron wants most this offseason: Stability and competency at the QB spot would put this team squarely in the playoff race. Missing on the Trubisky pick could have set this franchise back even further, but with so many decent QBs available this offseason they can right the ship. Getting a right guard would help stabilize the running game too. — Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.

After free agency:

The Bears kicked off the offseason by getting their Trubisky insurance — and it wasn’t cheap. Chicago not only traded a fourth-round pick for Nick Foles, but also assumed the final three seasons of his four-year, $88 million contract in the process. Pace may be publicly content to roll with Trubisky, though Foles could wind up getting the call at the first sign of trouble. Chicago’s other big additions this March were tight end Jimmy Graham and Robert Quinn. That would be much more impressive if it were 2017.

Offensive guard: The Bears have the tailbacks to boast an aggressive and efficient ground game. They need blockers to clear a path for them (and take some pressure off the team’s aerial attack, too).

Safety: Eddie Jackson is a stud, but he’s lost his running mate — Adrian Amos and now Ha Ha Clinton-Dix — in each of the past two offseasons.

Linebacker: Nick Kwiatkoski and Leonard Floyd both departed this offseason, leaving gaps in Chicago’s second level.

After the draft:

The Bears took one step closer to fielding an all-tight end team when they drafted Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet at No. 43 overall. They bolstered the secondary with two nice additions at cornerback: Utah’s Jaylon Johnson (second round) and Georgia Southern’s Kindle Vildor (fifth round).

With the rest of their selections coming on Day 3, the Bears waited to address guard until late in the draft. Back-to-back seventh-round picks Arlington Hambright and Lachavious Simmons offer versatility along the offensive line. Chicago did not end up targeting a linebacker.

Dan Kadar’s draft grade: C+

[chorddebtor0-blog]

Projecting all the offseason moves for the Chicago Bears

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Bears offseason is upon us and because of that, it’s time to let the imagination fly. Even so, this is a team that is currently tight against the cap and will still have more movement before they can spend with any sort of impact, if that is indeed the plan.

There’s plenty that can happen in an offseason, so I’m going to do my best to project a combination of what I think general manager Ryan Pace would do and what I would do as well.

Without further ado, let’s jump into this head first.

Current Cap Space: $18.146 million

This includes every currently announced cut and I also projected Cody Parkey’s cut in here as well, since there will be no additional cap penalties in 2019 because of the June 1st designation. This also includes the $2.5 million cap credit from Mike Glennon’s 2018 offset language.

Cap Savers: (+$12.751 million)

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Restructure Khalil Mack. (+$8.396 million)

By converting Mack’s $11.3 million base salary into a signing bonus, it would allow the Bears to save a maximum of $8.3 million. That would include a sixth year minimum salary and spreading the remaining dead cap over a five-year period, which would start this year.

Extend Chase Daniel (+$2.33 million)

By giving Daniel a two year extension (two years, $8 million), the team could also turn around and convert his $4 million base salary into a signing bonus. After a minimum salary benefit and the proration of the bonus, it would allow them to save around $2.33 million in 2019.

Trade Jordan Howard (+$1.535 million after rule of 51)

This is a move the Bears should only make after finding his replacement(s). I’m projecting that the Bears will trade Howard and a 2020 sixth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for their fourth round comp pick (#132). This saves money and makes the most sense for both sides if Pace feels comfortable with the return.

Notes: Converting Mack’s base salary into a bonus is somewhat of a risk, but even an extra $2 million in dead space over the next five years isn’t going to cripple them, especially when the cap has continued to rise by $10-$12 million each year.

Total Cap Space: $30.38 million

Internal Free Agents (8)

2019 MOCK FREE AGENCY

Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

CB Bryce Callahan (Four years, $26 million with $12 million guaranteed) $4.75 million hit (Comp: Bobby McCain)

WR Josh Bellamy (Two years, $3.5 million with $1.1M guaranteed) $1.5 million hit (Comp: Sherrick McManis)

G Bryan Witzmann (Two years, $3 million with $600,000 guaranteed) $1.25 million hit (Comp: Eric Kush)

LS Patrick Scales (Three years, $3.5 million with $1.25M guaranteed) $1 million hit (Comp: Mike Windt)

TE Ben Braunecker (One year, $900,00 with $150,000 guaranteed) $900,000 hit (Comp: Daniel Brown)

S DeAndre Houston-Carson (One year, $700,000) $700,000 hit

DL Roy Robertson-Harris (one year, $650,000 (ERFA) $650,000 hit

RT Rashaad Coward (one year, $650,000) (ERFA) $650,000 hit

Notes: This is going to be an interesting group to follow. It’s quite possible that the Bears could end up retaining both Adrian Amos and Callahan after hitting the market, especially with how packed both markets are at their respective positions. The Bears have been vocal about wanting to retain both, and judging by the lack of reported buzz from both players at the combine, this seems more and more realistic. Even so, I’m still going to make this a safer projection and assume that just one of the two comes back.

Total Spent (after the rule of 51): (-$6.87 million)

Current Cap Space: $23.567 million

Primary Outside Free Agents (6)

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

OLB Terrell Suggs (Two years, $12 million with $5.5 million guaranteed) $5.5 million hit (Comp: Cam Wake)

RB T.J. Yeldon (Three years, $12 million with $6 million guaranteed) $3 million hit (Comp: Isaiah Crowell)

DB Brian Poole (Three years, $10.5 million with $4 million guaranteed) $2.5 million hit (Comp: Terrance Mitchell)

CB P.J. Williams (One year, $1.5 million with $500,000 guaranteed) $1.5 million hit (Comp: Marcus Cooper)

K Kai Forbath (One year, $1 million with $200K guaranteed) $1 million hit

WR De’Anthony Thomas (One year, $900,000 $150,000 guaranteed) $900,000 million hit

Notes: This isn’t going to be some extravagant offseason for the team like in previous years. They don’t have the resources to go out and sign multiple contracts in the $8-$10 million range, but that’s alright. Their holes will be minimal and the focus should be more about finding missing pieces in the short-term that can help push them team closer to a Super Bowl. It’s possible the Bears could do better at safety than Poole, but I have a feeling Pagano will want versatility, which the former Falcon brings. There’s also “better” options than Yeldon at running back, but stylistically, he fits like a glove. Maybe they’ll shell out $7 million per year for someone like Tevin Coleman, but I’ll keep my projection more conservative for the time being.

Total Spent (After rule of 51): (-$10.98 million)

Current Cap Space: $12.587 million

Extensions: (-$3 million)

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Notes: At this point, a Whitehair extension has not only been widely speculation by names like Adam Jahns and Biggs, but it seems like a foregone conclusion this summer. It’s a no-brainer and speaks to Pace’s ability to land talent out of the first round.

Current Cap Space: $9.587 million

Draft Class (-$2.5 million)

2019 MOCK DRAFT

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

3rd (#87): RB Miles Sanders (Penn St)

This is a running back class that simply didn’t test very well as a whole, but even so, there’s not a lot of first round talent, if any in this class. This should be a good thing for the Bears. Sanders is someone who didn’t originally pop to me on film, but the more and more I watched him, the more attractive he was. He’s a one-year starter with minimal miles. He doesn’t have a ton of long speed and may dance too much behind the line, but he has all the physical makings of a primary back in Nagy’s offense.

4th (#126): DB Amani Hooker (Iowa)

Much like the Poole signing, I expect the Bears to look for versatile options in the defensive backfield. Hooker can play in the nickel, either boundary spot or at strong safety. He’s someone that was used in multiple ways at Iowa and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to trust a good friend of mine who covers that team. He raves about Hooker and it’s easy to see why. Could be a plug and play starter from day one, but the Bears won’t need him to be.

4th (#132): TE Foster Moreau (LSU) Projected Trade with Buffalo

I’ve kicked a few different tight ends around at this pick. My other choice would have been Texas A&M product Jace Sternberger, but I find it hard to believe he’ll be sitting there in the late fourth, so enter Moreau. He’s not a crazy athletic kid, but he’s big, has steady hands and is an outstanding blocker. The Bears have invested heavy at the position, but this may be a needed addition.

5th (#162): WR Penny Hart (Georgia St)

Depending on who you talk to, receiver is either a bigger need than meets the eye or receiver is not a worry at all. I’m more in the middle. I don’t think they need to go out and spent big money or use a high pick, but finding Taylor Gabriel’s eventual replacement in the fifth-round wouldn’t be bad. Hart is smaller, but he’s very quick and could be used perfectly in Nagy’s offense.

7th (#222): K Matt Gay (Utah)

The Bears are likely to draft a kicker, seeing as how they have a pair of seventh round picks. Right now, the two kickers on the roster are Redford Jones and Chris Blewitt. Neither have NFL experience. Enter Gay, who has one hell of a leg.

7th (#238): OG Alex Bars (Notre Dame)

This pick is all about value and development. Kyle Long restructured his deal to help the team for a year, but has over a $9 million cap hit in 2020. Bars has experience with Harry Hiestand and could be a nice developmental pick or depth at worst.

Total Remaining Cap Space: $7.087 million

Offensive Depth Chart

QB Trubisky/Daniel

RB Yeldon/Sanders/Cohen/Mizzell

WR1 Robinson/Bellamy

WR2 Gabriel/Wims

WR3 Miller/Thomas/Hart

TE Burton/Shaheen/Moreau/Braunecker

RT Massie/Coward

RG Long/Witzmann

C Whitehair

LG Daniels/Bars

LT Leno/Sowell

Defensive Depth Chart

DE Hicks/Bullard

NT Goldman

DE Nichols/Robertson-Harris

OLB Mack/Suggs/Fitts

ILB Smith/Kwiatkoski

ILB Trevathan/Iggy

OLB Floyd/Irving

CB1 Fuller/Hooker/Williams

CB2 Amukamara/Toliver

SS Poole/Bush/Hooker

FS Jackson/Houston-Carson

NCB Callahan/McManis

Special Teams Depth Chart

K Gay/Jones/Forbath

P UDFA/UDFA

KR Thomas/Cohen

PR Cohen/Thomas

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/3/7/18252545/projecting-chicago-bears-mock-draft-free-agency-callahan-amos-suggs-mack-yeldon-bellamy-whitehair

[bacondriver55-blog]

2019 Bears offseason outlook: Ranking each position based off of need before free agency

The 2019 NFL offseason is officially underway, and for the first time in what seems like ages, the Chicago Bears don’t enter it with a ton of needs.

After a 12-4 season which saw them make the playoffs for the first time since 2010, the Bears’ roster is in much better shape than it has been in recent years. That doesn’t mean that there can’t be work done to improve the roster, however.

Despite a lack of cap space and early-round draft capital, Chicago still has a few weak spots on their roster that they would be wise to upgrade this offseason. Though one shouldn’t expect a frivolous shopping spree like that of the Los Angeles Rams last year, Ryan Pace will look to be as aggressive as he can be this year to put the Bears over the hump.

To take a deep look at where they stand at every position, I decided to bring back my offseason outlook that I did twice last year. For those unfamiliar with the concept, I will rank every position of the Bears’ roster by how big of a need they are, as well as provide free agent and draft prospects for every position—except for long snapper, since I’ve yet to familiarize myself with draft prospects there, and center, as I haven’t seen many late-round true centers yet.

Unlike last year, this year’s list was very hard for me to compile. The Bears have very few outstanding needs, and even those needs pale in comparison to positions like wide receiver and edge rusher heading into last year’s offseason. That said, these rankings are not definitive by any means. Rather, see them as a general idea as to which positions should be focused on more than others.

So, without further ado, let’s get started.

15. Defensive line

Current players:

Hicks and Goldman are one of the best interior defensive line duos in the league, but 2018 saw Nichols join them as the reliable third starter the Bears have long lacked on the defensive line. Expect the Delaware alumnus to see a significant rise in playing time next year after an impressive rookie season. Robertson-Harris is an exclusive rights free agent—meaning he can’t negotiate with other teams if the Bears tender a qualifying offer—so he will surely be back next season. He and Bullard serve as talented depth pieces.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

14. Quarterback

Current players:

Trubisky didn’t light the league on fire in the 14 games he played this year, but he showed significant improvement and did well enough to lead the Bears to a playoff berth. Daniel was serviceable when filling in for Trubisky, so his roster spot is safe this year. Chicago could look to bring back Tyler Bray—who is currently a free agent since he is ineligible for a futures contract—or sign an undrafted free agent to potentially develop into Daniel’s heir apparent, but that’s far from a priority right now.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

13. Center

Current players:

The Bears only have one true center on their roster, but that one center put together a very good season this year. Whitehair cut down on his snapping mistakes from the year prior en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance. Don’t expect the team to add a true center as anything more than a camp body.

Best free agents:

12. Long snapper

Current players:

Is Scales good? I have no idea. Either way, a restricted free agent long snapper isn’t a hot commodity for NFL teams, so he’ll likely return to Chicago.

Best free agents:

11. Wide receiver

Current players:

The Bears have a dangerous three-headed monster at wide receiver in Robinson, Gabriel and Miller. With Robinson’s physicality and size, Gabriel’s speed and Miller’s precise route running, the trio puts the team in a good position heading into the offseason. Expect Bellamy to be brought back mostly for special teams and locker room purposes, but also expect the Bears to let White, their 2015 first-round pick, leave in favor of Wims. Anything more than a late-round draft pick or a minuscule free agent signing at wide receiver is unlikely.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

10. Tight end

Current players:

Dion Sims hasn’t officially been released yet, but the news has broken that the team is expected to let him go to save money. Burton put together a solid first season with the Bears, solidifying himself as one of the better starting tight ends in the league. Shaheen has been disappointing so far, but he will likely receive another year to prove himself. Given the convenience of his contract, Braunecker is more likely to return to Chicago than Brown. The Bears could look into adding another tight end next offseason if Shaheen has a bad year in 2019, but they probably won’t do so this year.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

9. Inside linebacker

Current players:

Smith and Trevathan are essentially locked in as the Bears’ starting inside linebackers next year. The rookie put together an impressive first season in the league, while the veteran had arguably his best season since joining the team. Little is known about Iyiegbuniwe’s abilities on defense in the NFL, but he was a very good special teams player in his rookie year and could be in more for playing time next year. If Chicago is confident enough in him, they could release Kwiatkoski, a move that would save just under $2 million. In that case, a depth signing or a late-round draft pick could be an option for them.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

8. Punter

Current players:

O’Donnell is a decent punter. He’s far from elite, and he makes a few mistakes here and there, but he’s a serviceable player who can pin opponents inside of their own 20-yard line pretty well. Time will tell if the Bears choose to move on from him, but my guess is they bring him back on a cheap deal.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

7. Offensive tackle

Current players:

Many mock drafts between now and the draft will say that offensive tackle is a premier need for the Bears, but they simply don’t need to draft one highly this year. Leno is coming off of a great Pro Bowl season, while Massie recently got his contract extended and will be around for at least another two years—they woul’dnt actually save money by cutting him until after the 2020 season. Sowell isn’t a stellar swing tackle option, but he’s passable. Keep an eye on Coward in training camp and the preseason, as he showed promise during that time this past year in his first year as an offensive lineman.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

6. Edge rusher

Current players:

Mack is one of the best players in the NFL, and he proved that with a dominant first season in the navy and orange. Floyd started heating up in the second half of the year and showed some of the promise that got him drafted ninth overall in 2016. The problem with this group stems from the depth, or lack there of. Lynch overachieved this year and could end up being too expensive for the Bears to keep. Irving and Fitts are still unproven, while Acho could be released—or at least have his contract restructured—due to his recent season-ending pectoral injury, as well as the fact that Chicago could save nearly $2 million by letting him go. The Bears would be wise to invest in a rotational pass rusher at some point in the draft this year.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

Christian Miller, Alabama (Round 4)

Jalen Jelks, Oregon (Round 5)

Ben Banogu, TCU (Round 5)

Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois (Round 5)

Jamal Davis, Akron (Round 7)

5. Offensive guard

Current players:

Daniels looked like a future stud in the latter half of his rookie season, and he could develop into a long-term cornerstone for the Bears’ offense. Long’s contract is too big to be given to someone who has missed 26 games in the past three seasons, so though outright releasing him is unlikely due to the difficulty of finding a replacement, they could try to restructure his contract to save money. Witzmann filled in well for Long at right guard, and Kush is a versatile backup, but both will be hitting free agency. Some additional depth could be helpful if one of them leaves, but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to find a replacement for Long this year without using their third-round pick on a guard.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

Connor McGovern, Penn State (Round 3)

Dru Samia, Oklahoma (Round 3)

Terronne Prescod, North Carolina State (Round 5)

Hjalte Froholdt, Arkansas (Round 7)

Garrett Brumfield, LSU (Round 7)

4. Cornerback

Current players:

All things considered, the Bears have a great starting trio of cornerbacks. However, the talent at the position could become thinner if Callahan leaves. One of the best nickel corners in the NFL, he will likely bring in a sizable contract this offseason. Whether or not that contract comes from the Bears remains to be seen. Fuller is a star and Amukamara is a good complement, but the latter will likely be gone after next season, as Chicago can save $8 million by releasing him next offseason. As of now, they have no replacement for him on the roster. Cornerback will almost surely be invested in at some point in the draft and/or free agency, but keeping Callahan could soften that need a bit.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

3. Safety

Current players:

The safety tandem of Jackson and Amos is one of the best in the league, but the latter is a free agent and could prove to be too expensive for the Bears to keep. If he leaves, then they will more than likely have to add a new strong safety to compete for the starting job with Bush, whether it be a veteran free agent or a mid-round rookie. Regardless of who starts, they will be aided greatly by the presence of Jackson, who played at an elite level in 2018. Houston-Carson serves as a valuable special teamer who can take some defensive snaps in dire situations. If Amos is brought back, then don’t expect the Bears to target a safety in the draft. If he leaves, then they could look for a replacement as early as Round 3.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

Amani Hooker, Iowa (Round 3)

Jaquan Johnson, Miami (FL) (Round 3)

JoJo McIntosh, Washington (Round 5)

Saquan Hampton, Rutgers (Round 7)

Evan Worthington, Colorado (Round 7)

2. Running back

Current players:

For my pre-free agency outlook article last year, running back was the position with the smallest need. Now, it’s their second biggest need. Not only does that show how great of an offseason the Bears had, but it also shows how much of a question mark Howard’s fit in the offense has become. His spot on the 2019 roster is far from of a lock, and it has become more likely that he will start the season on another team. Whoever the Bears add—as a free agent or as a third- or fourth-round pick—will team up with Cohen, who is a valuable piece of their offense. Chicago would also be smart to consider adding some depth to the running back position, as Cunningham is a free agent, and Mizzell is coming off of a rough year.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

1. Kicker

Current players:

Kicker might not be the most important position on the football field, but it’s the only position the Bears don’t have any promise at right now. Cody Parkey will be gone when the new league year begins on March 13, and Jones is likely just a camp body. Whether it be in the form of a veteran free agent or a rookie, Chicago needs to add talent at the kicker position this offseason, and they shouldn’t be conservative in doing so.

Best free agents:

Draft targets:

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/2/23/18223382/chicago-bears-2019-offseason-outlook-ranking-each-position-before-free-agency-nfl-draft

[prophecyread]

            @asteroidborn gets a pre plotted starter from // amos.

           It had taken him longer than he liked to track her down -- she wasn’t answering her comms; she wasn’t on the Roci, the bar they’d frequented on their previous visits to Tycho (that had been the first place he’d checked, due to simple proximity of his starting point) and she wasn’t on the engineering deck of the station either.  He’d finally managed to pin down Drummer, who had seemed ... a little too happy to point him in the direction of the station’s machine shop.  It was less busy than he’d expected - station life allowed for a 24/7 work rotation, but he passed only a couple of coverall clad workers in his search.   “Hey --”  He called out, as he neared the work station where Naomi was working, his hand reaching out to snag her elbow lightly -- well, for him, anyways.   “You didn’t answer your comm, I tried to call you back.  Did you need something?” 

[tuppencetrinkets-a]

    @notthescarsyoucansee liked for a one liner from amos burton.

  “ You can tell a lot about a place by how they treat their people. “

[healthpeak02-blog]

The Bear’s Den, February 8, 2019

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

Ellis: 6 Bears defensive starters have made Pro Football Focus’ Top 101 so far - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears defense is well represented on the site’s list of the NFL’s top 101 players.

Cox: Former Bears tight end Evan Rodriguez refuses to give up on football - Bears Wire - Once compared to Aaron Hernandez, former Chicago Bears TE Evan Rodriguez is still fighting to get back into the NFL, now playing in the AAF.

Perez: Packers add “a” Butkus to coaching staff - Bears Wire - The Green Bay Packers added one of Dick Butkus’ family members to their offensive coaching staff.

Bears 2018 position review: Tight end - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears targeted tight end Trey Burton in free agency last year and he did not disappoint in his first season with the team, setting career highs in all receiving categories.

Medina: Mitch Trubisky Has Three Top-100 Fantasy Players Alongside Him on Offense - Bleacher Nation - The Bears were fantasy relevant for the first time in a long time in 2018 and will be again next year.

2019 Chicago Bears Off-Season Agenda: Part Two, Complementary Pieces - Da Bears Blog - The Bears are in the position most NFL franchises want to be in February. They don’t need to spend the next three months searching for starters. They’re looking for complementary pieces to fortify a championship run. And there are several places they should look.

Emma’s Bears Offseason Outlook: Outside Linebacker - 670 The Score - Khalil Mack’s presence fortified the Bears’ edge rush.

Thompson: Tarik Cohen plans to ride into camp on his own Slingshot - Chicago Tribune - Bears running back Tarik Cohen showed off his new three-wheel motorcycle at the Chicago Auto Show, but he has other plans for it.

NFL Events: Combine Participants - NFL.com - The official source for NFL news, schedules, stats, scores and more.

QB stock watch: Patrick Mahomes up, Aaron Rodgers down - NFL.com - Gil Brandt checks in on three QBs whose stock is up after strong showings in the 2018 season -- and three whose stock is down. Is Andrew Luck all the way back? How can Aaron Rodgers right the ship in Green Bay?

Stankevitz: The five most irreplaceable Bears in 2019 - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears struggled to overcome the loss of Trey Burton in the playoffs. But is he among the players the Bears can least afford to lose again in 2019?

Medina: Can the Bears Find a Kicker at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine? - Bleacher Nation - Three kickers and three punters will get a chance to boost their stock in Indianapolis at the NFL Scouting Combine.

POLISH SAUSAGE

The Alliance of American Football starts Saturday, and it has some interesting rule changes - Daily Norseman - The new professional football league is doing things a bit differently, and I like some of their changes.

Packers 2019 Free Agents: No urgency to keep any safeties - Acme Packing Company - We might see one or two return but none will be guaranteed a roster spot.

Chiefs G.M.: No more basketball for Patrick Mahomes – ProFootballTalk - The Chiefs are a year away from even being able to break the bank for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. But they're getting a head start on protecting their investment.

Can an NFL team tell a player not to play basketball? – ProFootballTalk - The Chiefs have lowered the boom on Patrick Mahomes' basketball jones. Do they, or any team, have the right to do it? "Haha yeah that’s gonna work," 49ers cornerback and NFLPA executive committee member Richard Sherman said on Twitter.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Packers hire Illinois offensive line coach Luke Butkus, nephew of Bears Hall of Famer - Chicago Tribune - The Packers have hired former Illinois offensive line coach Luke Butkus as their assistant offensive line coach, ESPN reported.

Detroit Lions 2018 roster review: Matt Cassel proved team needs to upgrade backup QB position - Pride Of Detroit - Matt Cassel served as the Lions’ backup quarterback in 2018, and fortunately didn’t see much action. If Cassel is back in 2018, it doesn’t bode well for the Lions.

Todd McShay’s 2019 NFL mock draft: Detroit Lions go cornerback early - Pride Of Detroit - We’re already running out of "Greedy" puns.

Poll: We’re adopting an AAF team for the inaugural season, but which one? - Daily Norseman - Well, how about you tell us?

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Wiltfong: Two more Bears make the PFF Top 101 Players; Jackson at 14 and Hicks at 11 - Windy City Gridiron - After years of not getting many players on these "end of season best of lists," the Chicago Bears are all over this one from PFF.

Wiltfong's Chicago Bears 2019 Roster Turnover: Don’t expect safety Adrian Amos to return - Windy City Gridiron - In this 13 part series we’ll take an in depth look at each position group for the Chicago Bears with an eye towards the 2019 season. We’ll speculate on who stays, who goes, and some potential additions we’d like to see general manager Ryan Pace make.

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Schmitz; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2019/2/8/18216443/chicago-bears-den-offseason-links-news-information-free-agency-draft-salary-cap-nagy-trubisky-mack

[tuppencetrinkets-a]

 @magicandsciencemuses - amos liked [x] for a one-liner lyric starter from reese.

            paint it black - ciara.

            “I see people turn their heads and quickly look away.”

[prophecyread]

    @levclnine gets a starter from amos // expanse au.

           He hadn’t exactly been shocked when one shot of tequila had turned to three, or five, or -- he’d stopped counting after that -- and he’d been even less surprised when the drinking had moved from the galley to his bunk.   Tensions were running more than high; Holden’s face sour and bitter, Chrissy’s taut and haunted, Naomi’s shattered -- and Alex, as always, hadn’t stopped talking since the news of the missile strike against Earth had hit the screens.   Hill had been quiet.  Business as usual.   Play at war and people die.  Little things, though.  The edge of her jaw, tenser than usual, the line of her lips, thinner, her gaze.  A little harder.   Her touch, against his shoulder, and the nape of his neck, tighter, the press of her mouth to his rough, and claiming.  

     He wasn’t feeling the need to complain.   His own touch gravitated along her spine, catching at her hip and pulling her closer, his other hand curving against neck and shoulder, tangling into the wayward strands of dark brown hair, a faint smirk teasing along his lips as they broke for breath, gaze settling on hers as he exhaled, a slow and steady breath, controlled even in the ache of heat thudding in his chest, twisting down his spine.   “Careful darlin’,” he spoke, his thumb tracing the edge of her throat, wandering, scraping lightly across the thrum of her pulse.   “Kiss me like that again, you might give me ideas.”