Bears

NFL Free Agency Tracker: Bears making 'big push' to sign Stephon Gilmore

NFL Free Agency Tracker: Bears making 'big push' to sign Stephon Gilmore

By NBCSportsChicago.com Staff March 07, 2017 2:30 PM

Let the tampering begin.

Tuesday marks the first day that NFL teams can officially start talking contract details and reach verbal agreements with free agents.

Equipped with just under $52 million — a number that is expected to rise after cuts and once the Jay Cutler situation comes to a resolution — the Bears will be extremely active in this year's free agency market.

Bears GM Ryan Pace can officially put the pen to paper with free agents when the new league year begins on Thursday. Until then, CSN is tracking all the Bears' offseason rumors.

Check out the latest free agency news below:

4:59 p.m.: Bears making "big push" to sign top free agent corner Stephon Gilmore, according to SiriusXM NFL Radio's Alex Marvez.

1:09 p.m.: The New England Patriots' asking price for rumored Bears trade target Jimmy Garoppolo has been revealed.

12:47 p.m.: According to Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times, the Bears are interested in free agent wide receiver Andre Holmes.

12:38 p.m.: The Bears may not have any competition for free agent quarterback Mike Glennon, according to CSNChicago.com's John "Moon" Mullin.

11:47 a.m.: SiriusXM's Alex Marvez reports the Bears are showing interest in offensive tackle Ricky Wagner.

11:18 a.m.: D.J. Swearinger could be a free agent target of the Bears, reports the Chicago Tribune.

11:17 a.m.: The Bears will make a run at top free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore, according to Bleacher Report.

9:36 a.m.: Sources tell Alex Marvez the Bears are expected to pursue wide receiver/returner Cordarrelle Patterson.

6:44 a.m.: The Bears will make a strong push to sign free agent quarterback Mike Glennon, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Check out Wednesday's free agency tracker here.

Roquan Smith helps shear a sheep at Bears community event

Roquan Smith helps shear a sheep at Bears community event

By Bryan Perez May 21, 2018 2:53 PM

Roquan Smith has more sheared sheep than tackles on his stat sheet as a pro football player.

Smith and several other Bears rookies participated in a hands-on community event at Lambs Farm in Libertyville, Illinois on Monday where he assisted farm staff with the sheep's grooming. Smith said it was a first for him despite growing up around animals. 

"It's like on the norm for me though, playing linebacker you're in the trenches," Smith said of the experience.

"Shaving a sheep, I never really envisioned myself doing something like that," Smith said via ChicagoBears.com. "I was around animals [growing up], but it was more so cows and goats here and there and dogs and cats. I've petted a sheep before, but never actually flipped one and shaved one."

Bears rookies got up close and personal with more than just sheep.

Smith was selected with the eighth overall pick in April's draft and will assume a starting role opposite Danny Trevathan at inside linebacker this season. Here's to hoping he can wrangle opposing ball-carriers like a sheep waiting to be sheared.

The Bears' defense is ahead of its offense, but Matt Nagy doesn't see that as a problem

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USA Today Sports Images

The Bears' defense is ahead of its offense, but Matt Nagy doesn't see that as a problem

By JJ STANKEVITZ May 21, 2018 2:46 PM

Asking players about how the defense is “ahead” of the offense is a yearly right of passage during OTAs, sort of like how every baseball team has about half its players saying they’re in the best shape of their life during spring training. So that Vic Fangio’s defense is ahead of Matt Nagy’s offense right now isn’t surprising, and it's certainly not concerning. 

But Nagy is also working to install his offense right now during OTAs to build a foundation for training camp. So does the defense — the core of which is returning with plenty of experience in Fangio’s system — being ahead of the offense hurt those efforts?

“It’s actually good for us because we’re getting an experienced defense,” Nagy said. “My message to the team on the offensive side is just be patient and don’t get frustrated. They understand that they’re going to play a little bit faster than us right now. We’ll have some growing pains, but we’ll get back to square one in training camp.”

We’ll have a chance to hear from the Bears’ offensive players following Wednesday’s practice, but for now, the guys on Fangio’s defense have come away impressed with that Nagy’s offense can be. 

“The offense is a lot … just very tough,” cornerback Prince Amukamara said. “They’re moving well. They’re faster. They’re throwing a lot of different looks at us and that’s just Nagy’s offense. If I was a receiver I would love to play in this offense, just because you get to do so many different things and you get so many different plays. It just looks fun over there.”

“They’re moving together, and I like to see that,” linebacker Danny Trevathan said. “We’re not a bad defense. They’re practicing against us, so they’re getting better every day, and vice versa. It’s a daily grind. It’s going to be tough, but those guys, they got the right pieces. I like what I see out there. When somebody makes a play, they’re gone. Everybody can run over there. It’s the right fit for Mitch, it’s the right fit for the receivers, the running backs.”

Still, for all the praise above, the defense is “winning” more, at least as much as it can without the pads on. But the offense is still having some flashes, even as it collectively learns the terminology, concepts and formations used by Nagy. 

And that leads to a competitive atmosphere at Halas Hall, led by the Bears’ new head coach. 

“He’s an offensive coach and last year coach (John) Fox, I couldn’t really talk stuff to (him) because he’s a defensive coach and it’s like Nagy’s offense so if I get a pick or something, I mean, I like to talk stuff to him,” Amukamara said. “He’ll say something like ‘we’re coming at you 2-0.’ Stuff like that. That just brings out the competition and you always want that in your head coach.”

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