Watch Jaylon Johnson Work, Receiver Talk, 71 Days, and Other Bears Bullets

bears OL James Williams
bears OL James Williams

Day 1 of the weekend group chat trip was a great success. I’m looking forward to seeing what shenanigans today will bring us.

  • Sheesh! I thought Bears GM Ryan Poles had a heckuva draft day. In case you missed it, the Chicago Blackhawks made *THREE* first-round picks last night. GM Kyle Davidson was wheelin’ and dealin’ on riday night. You can read more about the picks at BN Blackhawks.
  • BN Blackhawks Coverage: Artyom Levshunov | Sacha Boisvert | Marek Vanacker

  • There are just 71 days until the Chicago Bears begin their quest to conquer the regular season. The No. 71 has been good to the Bears over the years. Do you remember when Jason Peters was a surprise pre-season signing in 2021? Or that time Josh Sitton made the Pro Bowl in his first year with the Bears back in 2016. What about that 2010 campaign in which Israel Idonije set career highs in starts (15), sacks (8), forced fumbles (4), tackles-for-loss (10), and quarterback hits (16)? But I don’t think anyone rocked No. 71 like James “Big Cat” Williams.
  • bears OL James Williams
    (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

  • “Big Cat” is one of my all-time favorite Bears. A converted defensive lineman who played 19 games on defense from 1991-92, Williams switched sides in 1993 and became a starting right tackle in 1994. From 1995-2002, Big Cat Williams played 144 consecutive games as the Bears’ starting tackle. He was a darn good one, too. In his second-to-last season with the team, he was elected to the Pro Bowl. It was quite the career for a lineman who played at 6-7 and 329 pounds.
  • Ryan Bates is currently wearing the number. If you’ll recall, the Bears traded for Bates back in March to kick-start an offseason of transactions that saw the team bring in seven new offensive linemen. You also might recall how Poles tried poaching Bates from the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 free agency period. If that sounds familiar, then you also know how the Bills matched the offer sheet and kept the Bears from snagging the offensive line help they were looking for at the time. But because of their salary cap crunch, Bates still ended up on the Bears. What a circuitous route to Chicago!
  • I love the Bears having a Pro Bowl cornerback:
  • The Bears’ secondary looks to be a strength going into the 2024 NFL season. Jaylon Johnson is a Pro Bowler who deserves All-Pro recognition after last year’s performance. Joining Johnson are fellow starting cornerbacks Kyler Gordon (Ryan Poles’ first draft pick) and Tyrique Stevenson (who looks primed for a breakout second season). Terell Smith played well enough in spots to make me think he can be a starter if necessary. There aren’t too many teams that have four starting-caliber corners. Considering the receiver talent in the NFC North, I’m glad this defense has so many able-bodied cornerbacks.
  • Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison make for a whale of a receiving tandem with the Minnesota Vikings. The same can be said about the Detroit Lions, who have Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. And while the Green Bay Packers don’t have a knock-out WR1, no team in the division has as much depth as that team — which will make it quite a challenge to hold them in check. Defensive play caller Matt Eberflus and Defensive Coordinator Eric Washington will have their hands full scheming against the division this year.
  • kyler gordon bears
    (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

  • Hey, the Chicago Bears have three awesome wide receivers of their own. AI predicts the Bears receiving trio of Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, and Rome Odunze will have a HUGE year.
  • July 31 is the next imnportant date in the NFL “Sunday Ticket” case. (Pro Football Talk)
  • BLEACHER NATION ON FACEBOOK: Bears | Blackhawks | Bulls | Cubs

  • This hurts. Our friends at the BN Cubs division are running low on hope.
  • Marcus Domask, who started for the Southern Illinois Salukis before a one-year cameo with the Illinois Fighting Illini, signs a deal with the Chicago Bulls ahead of Summer League. I’d totally buy a Domask Bulls jersey if he somehow makes an appearance in Chicago. (BN Bulls)
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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