chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Bears acquire Nick Foles from the Jaguars — giving Mitch Trubisky competition at quarterback

ESPN reported the Bears were able to rework Foles ’ contract shortly after finalizing the trade .
What doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ has $ 20.125 million remaining in guaranteed money .
What ’ s likely is the @ @ @ @ @ his salary cap number , which was to be $ 15.5 million for 2020 , @ @ @ @ @ 2021 .
The bottom line is the Bears have Foles for this season at $ @ @ @ @ @ little more than what they paid Mike Glennon in 2017 — and they can decide @ @ @ @ @ with him for 2021 and beyond .
The Jaguars , meanwhile , wound up paying @ @ @ @ @ all of four starts , making it one of the worst free-agent contracts in recent @ @

The Bears didn’t get the first pick of quarterbacks this offseason, but in trading for Nick Foles, they did get the player their coaches have the most experience with. And with uncertainty about offseason programs and when — or if — training camps will open, that’s a plus.
That Foles is a proven postseason performer, helping guide the Eagles to the Super Bowl LII championship after the 2017 season, is another bonus for Bears general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy, who were seeking — at the minimum — competition for starter Mitch Trubisky.
Advertisement
The Bears acquired Foles, 31, from the Jaguars on Wednesday in exchange for their fourth-round compensatory draft pick, No. 140 overall. The Jaguars gave up on Foles a year after signing him to a four-year, $88 million contract, the league’s largest free-agent deal in 2019. He pocketed $30 million from the Jaguars and made only four starts, all losses, making it one of the worst contracts in recent years. The Bears assume only $20.125 million in guarantees, so the Jaguars’ major mistake becomes Pace’s high-priced one-year trial.
No matter how Nagy winds up structuring things when teams can return to work, the addition of Foles is an admission the Bears missed in drafting Trubisky with the No. 2 pick three years ago. They’ve been building around him ever since, and now it looks like the construction of what the Bears believe is a win-now roster may continue around a different quarterback. It’s hard to imagine they gave up a mid-round pick and threw more money at the position thinking of Foles as only a life raft if things don’t turn around for Trubisky.
Advertisement
Because NFL rules during the coronavirus pandemic prohibit players from entering team facilities until at least March 31, team doctors cannot perform physicals, so the Bears can’t officially announce the trade. Foles played for Nagy in Philadelphia and Kansas City and also has experience with Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, all of which should help in the event the NFL schedule is significantly altered by the world health emergency.
Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Swapping Foles for the compensatory pick means the Bears spent a total of five draft picks — a first-rounder, two thirds and two fourths — to acquire Trubisky and Foles, including the 2017 draft-day deal with the 49ers.
Regardless of how you feel about Foles, failing to take action this offseason would have been a greater mistake. The Bears never will solve their quarterback problem unless they keep swinging at it, and the delay in swinging has troubled the organization in the last decade. They hung on to Jay Cutler too long. They’ve failed to take enough shots on quarterbacks in the draft.
The Bears likely could have pulled Andy Dalton out of Cincinnati for the same draft pick, maybe less compensation. He had success with Lazor before. The Panthers made Cam Newton available, but his right shoulder has to be as much of a question as the foot injury that knocked him out last season.
A lot of quarterbacks were available entering this week, but none appeared to be the perfect fit for the Bears. That’s what happens when you’re fresh off missing on one with the second pick. In that case, why not pick the one you are most familiar with?
It’s at least worth wondering, though, why Pace had to pay a fourth-round pick. Were the Jaguars going to keep Foles if the offer was lower? It’s difficult to imagine the Bears were bidding against anyone else by midday, when the Patriots were the only team without a clear plan for a 2020 starting quarterback. The Colts might have had Foles as a backup plan, but that was before reaching an agreement with Philip Rivers on Tuesday.
In other words, were the Bears bidding against themselves? It would be one thing to give up the fourth-rounder if the Jaguars took on part of the money owed to Foles this season, but they didn’t. ESPN reported the Bears were able to rework Foles’ contract shortly after finalizing the trade. That’s helpful for salary-cap purposes, but it doesn’t change the $20.125 million in guaranteed money.
Things unraveled quickly for Foles in Jacksonville last season. He broke his left collarbone in the opener, and when he returned to the lineup in Week 10, he lasted only 2½ games before he was benched in favor of rookie Gardner Minshew, a sixth-round pick from Washington State. The Bears will be Foles’ fifth team.
Advertisement
Foles worked with Nagy in Philadelphia as a rookie in 2012 and again in Kansas City in 2016. DeFilippo was the Jaguars offensive coordinator last season and the Eagles quarterbacks coach when Foles had his magical 2017 postseason run. Lazor was the Eagles quarterbacks coach in 2013, when Foles was named to the Pro Bowl after throwing 27 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in Chip Kelly’s offense. So the Bears coaches are very well-versed in what he does well.
Whether Foles can emerge as a long-term solution or proves to be a bridge to the Bears’ next effort to draft a quarterback remains to be seen. He has only 13 starts over the last four regular seasons and was viewed primarily as a top-tier No. 2 around the league until experiencing enough postseason success to prompt the Jaguars to tab him as the replacement for Blake Bortles last March.
Foles’ postseason success wasn’t limited to replacing Carson Wentz late in the 2017 season and helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl, in which he earned MVP honors after completing 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns in an upset of the Patriots.
He was starting in place of Wentz again when the Eagles came to Soldier Field for a wild-card-round game against the Bears after the 2018 season. Foles’ 2-yard pass to Golden Tate on fourth-and-goal proved to be the difference in the Eagles’ 16-15 victory after Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal with 5 seconds left. That’s the last start Foles won.
Foles is 4-2 in the postseason in his career, so maybe the Bears just have to get there for him to show the way. They’re hoping a retooled front seven with the addition of outside linebacker Robert Quinn will amp up the defense. The Bears couldn’t run the ball with any consistency last season and lacked explosive plays. A new offensive staff and new quarterback could combine to provide hope for Pace, who has gone the veteran route with free-agent contracts with Quinn, tight end Jimmy Graham and linebacker Danny Trevathan.
Eventually, the Bears will get around to making Foles’ arrival official, and then we’ll hear what they have to say about their plan. It ought to be to replace Trubisky.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Watch live: Gov. J.B. Pritzker and health officials discuss Illinois coronavirus cases

Gov .
J.B. Pritzker and health officials are scheduled to provide an update on the coronavirus in Illinois at 2:30 @ @ @ @ @ here .

This website stores data such as cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalization, and analytics. By remaining on this website, you indicate your consent.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--First Oak Park coronavirus case: man in his 30s tested positive, officials say

On March 16 , the department said results showed four of those tests came back negative for COVID-19 , while @ @ @ @ @ The following day , village officials said the Illinois Department of Public Health would begin @ @ @ @ @ , but not the negative tests .

Oak Park officials say a man in his 30s has tested positive for COVID-19, the village's first confirmed case of the virus. The man was screened and tested at Rush Oak Park Hospital on March 16, and is at home recovering in isolation. (Steve Schering / Pioneer Press)
A man in his 30s is the first Oak Park resident confirmed to have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, officials announced Wednesday afternoon.
According to a village release, the man was screened and tested for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, on Monday at Rush Oak Park Hospital. The positive test was confirmed two days later, officials said.
Advertisement
A message left with a Rush Oak Park spokesman was not immediately returned.
Due to privacy laws, village officials have not released any additional information about the man, only saying he is not affiliated with the local school system. The man is at home recovering and is in isolation, officials said.
Advertisement
Village public health director Mike Charley said the Oak Park health department was notified of the positive test, as established by state and local public health protocol.
Earlier this week, the village health department said it had authorized six COVID-19 tests for Oak Park residents.
On March 16, the department said results showed four of those tests came back negative for COVID-19, while two were still pending. The following day, village officials said the Illinois Department of Public Health would begin to only report positive cases, but not the negative tests.
The village health department is working closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health, and is working to notify anyone who may have had exposure to the man who tested positive.
Local public health officials, hospitals and first responders are following protocols consistent with the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials are encouraging residents to protect themselves from the virus by practicing a variety of guidelines, including:
Staying home if you are sick
Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
Practicing social distancing – stay away from gatherings of more than 10 people
Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol
Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe
Anyone with questions or concerns about COVID-19 can contact the Illinois Department of Public Health hotline at 1-800-889-3931.
The village of Oak Park will be posting updates on the COVID-19 situation online at www.oak-park.us/covid19.
Advertisement
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Libertyville High School employee tests positive for coronavirus, officials say

She said the department would no longer be releasing any demographic details about patients like age or gender as the @ @ @ @ @ new phase ” where the number of cases pick up rapidly across the state and @ @ @ @ @ been on simplifying the information provided .

A staff member at Libertyville High School has tested positive for the new coronavirus, according to district officials.
District 128 Superintendent Prentiss Lea announced the case Tuesday night, the first instance an employee of a Lake County K-12 school publicly was confirmed to have the novel disease.
Advertisement
“District 128 continues to take the COVID-19 situation very seriously,” Lea said in a statement. “We are fortunate to partner with the experts at the Lake County Health Department during this uncertain time, and out of an abundance of caution will continue to follow their lead and directives.”
Mary Todoric, spokeswoman for District 128, declined additional comment on the case Wednesday morning, citing privacy laws.
Advertisement
Libertyville High School, along with other Lake County schools, closed Monday as part of a concerted effort to contain the spread of coronavirus. At District 128, school buildings will be closed this week and also the week after the district’s spring break, which lasts from March 23 through March 27.
As of Wednesday morning, the number of novel coronavirus cases in Lake County jumped to 14, according to the county health department. It was not immediately clear whether the Libertyville High School employee was among the reported number.
The county health department also reported that it appears some of those who have been infected contracted the virus from others in the community, not because of travel or contact with another confirmed case.
Lake County confirmed its first case on March 11, a man in his 50s who was hospitalized at the time in stable condition. A local hospital had also been reported as treating someone who was not a Lake County resident.
The number of cases has slowly climbed since then, hitting six cases by the end of the day Monday and jumping to 14 by Wednesday morning.
The sudden increase is in cases is not because of any cluster like Willowbrook is seeing at one of its nursing homes, said Hannah Goering, the department’s spokeswoman.
She said the department would no longer be releasing any demographic details about patients like age or gender as the outbreak moves into “a new phase” where the number of cases pick up rapidly across the state and so, the focus has been on simplifying the information provided.
The Lake County Health Department also is not following the treatment statuses of cases and cannot provide any information about how many of the patients have since recovered, she said. Any deaths will be reported if they do happen.
Advertisement
The department is urging residents to take precautions to stay healthy and stop the spread of the virus by staying home, especially if sick, as it intensifies its recommended restrictions.
News-Sun reporter Emily K. Coleman and Pioneer Press reporter James T. Norman contributed.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Denyse Wang Stoneback declares victory in 16th state House Democratic primary race

Lang withdrew his support of Kalish and sought a new candidate for the Niles Township Democrats to support because of @ @ @ @ @ pro-choice measure .
Stoneback got the nod and entered the race Aug. 12 .
Olickal @ @ @ @ @ just before the primary filing deadline .

Running in the 16th District primary are, from, left, Yehiel Kalish, Kevin Olickal and Denyse Wang Stoneback. (Campaign photos)
Challenger Denyse Wang Stoneback of Skokie claimed victory in the three-way contest for the Democratic nomination in the 16th District state House race.
With all 76 precincts reporting, Stoneback came out ahead of incumbent state Rep. Yehiel “Mark” Kalish of Chicago and Kevin Olickal of Skokie on March 17.
Advertisement
Stoneback lead with 42.9% of the vote, followed by Kalish with 31.9% and Olickal with 25.3%, according to unofficial vote totals.
“I feel really honored and humbled by each person who voted for me and placed their trust in me. I know we are going to meet these challenges together,” Stoneback said.
Advertisement
Voting and the final days of the campaign were marked by statewide closures and social distancing in response to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
“It’s been a real challenge the final days of this campaign," Stoneback said. "It shows the need for universal health care and paid sick leave for all of us.”
Kalish and Olickal both called Stoneback to concede the race, according to their campaigns.
Results did not start coming in until after 8 p.m. because 40 Cook County polling places remained open due to delays opening the polls, according to James Scalzitti, communications director for the Cook County Clerk.
The campaign had its genesis last May when Kalish voted present on the Women’s Reproductive Rights Act and former state Rep. Lou Lang’s (D-Skokie) phone started ringing about his appointed successor’s vote.
Lang, still the Niles Township Democratic chair, resigned his seat in January 2019 to become a lobbyist.
Lang, former state Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) and Chicago Ald. Patrick O’Connor, who are the committeemen for the 50th and 49th wards respectively, formed the triumvirate that appointed Kalish. Lang’s vote was weighted at 52%.
Lang withdrew his support of Kalish and sought a new candidate for the Niles Township Democrats to support because of the present vote on the pro-choice measure. Stoneback got the nod and entered the race Aug. 12. Olickal joined the campaign in December just before the primary filing deadline.
Advertisement
While the three candidates expressed little difference on the issues like gun violence, education, state finance and health care, the subject of a women’s right to choose was always an undercurrent in the race.
No questions were asked about the issue when Stoneback, Olickal and Kalish debated in February.
In a post to his campaign Facebook page, Kalish expressed his support for Stoneback moving toward the general election.
“I say to Ms. Stoneback the Democratic Candidate for office this November—that I am with you Ms. Stoneback, your success is our success and may God bless you, your family, this district, and our State,” he wrote.
The district includes portions of Skokie, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove and Chicago’s North Side.
Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Widowed dad of triplets finds love with woman with similar past. ‘The love trumps everything.’

But Charlie ’ s feelings were growing .
He said that before they met in person , he had dreamed @ @ @ @ @ barely knew her .
After that first meeting when they learned more about each other @ @ @ @ @ those feelings , but wasn ’ t sure he should share them .
Charlie said @ @ @ @ @ of the fact that Brynn had lost Scott so recently and was adjusting to life @ @ @ @ @ .

Brynn Randall and her fiance, Charlie Whitmer, play with bubbles along with their children at their home in Chicago. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Brynn Randall breaks down, recalling the final days of her late husband Scott’s life. She describes him as a selfless man who loved golf and the Kansas City Chiefs, and as a fighter, vowing to beat cancer right up to his December 2018 death at age 33 — weeks before the birth of the couple’s first and only child, son Oliver.
As she wipes the tears that mourn her late husband, she’s lovingly comforted by her new one.
Advertisement
And Charlie Whitmer has a special understanding of the Randalls’ story. It’s strikingly similar to his own.
Charlie’s wife, Kathryn, died in June 2018, four days after the birth of the couple’s triplets following a stroke the week before. The Tribune reported on the Whitmers’ story last year, around the triplets’ first birthday and the first anniversary of Kathryn’s death.
Advertisement
Charlie Whitmer and Brynn Randall share a moment at their family home on March 12, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Charlie and Brynn, both 33, met through a mutual friend just over a year ago, bonded over their losses and fell in love. They married Saturday in a more intimate wedding ceremony than expected, given the increased spread of the coronavirus.
Both said it was a day of love that they didn’t want to put off, and were eager to make their union official. They say they understand each other in ways few others can.
Now they’re raising their four 1-year-olds together in a house full of love, but also grief. They say there’s room for both.
“You still feel those emotions. It still hurts,” Charlie said of missing Kathryn. “But at the same time … I can feel multiple emotions at the same time.”
“Love is the most powerful emotion,” he added. “The love trumps everything.”
Similar stories
In the months after Kathryn died, Charlie would think to himself that he wasn’t going to date for a while but hoped he would eventually find a new partner.
“I had hoped someone would just drop into my life,” he said. “I never intended, never wanted to be alone for the rest of my life.”
In February 2019, a mutual friend contacted Charlie, telling him the story of a woman whose husband had died just weeks before their son was born. The friend, knowing how similar their tragic and rare stories were, sent Charlie a link to Brynn’s Instagram page.
Advertisement
Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 20 Charlie Whitmer sits with his triplet children, Bobby, from left, Arden and James Paul, on May 23, 2019, at their home in Chicago. Whitmer's wife, Kathryn, died June 8, 2018, at age 31 from complications of a hemorrhagic stroke that she suffered a week before the triplets’ birth. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)
Charlie, touched by the kindness of others who had helped him after Kathryn’s death, decided to reach out to Brynn, just to see if he could help as a way to pay it forward.
The two began sending each other messages. Brynn said she was desperate to find someone who could relate to losing a spouse so young and raising a baby on her own. “I wanted someone ... I could confide in.”
After learning more about each other, they were shocked by the similarities. Not only were they widowed in their early 30s with young children, but both also had dealt with lengthy neonatal intensive care unit stays for their kids. Oliver, now 14 months old, spent five weeks in the hospital before he came home. The now 20-month-old Whitmer triplets — daughter Arden and sons Bobby and J.P. (who are also identical twins) — were in the NICU for more than two months.
Another commonality? Brynn is also an identical twin. And both she and Charlie have overcome health obstacles of their own.
The newly married Charlie Whitmer and Brynn Randall stand with their children on their wedding day, March 14, 2020. Charlie is holding Oliver Randall and Brynn is holding Arden Whitmer. Standing next to them are J.P. Whitmer, left, and Bobby Whitmer. (Tiffaney Childs Photography)
Charlie was diagnosed in high school with aplastic anemia, a condition that develops when the body stops producing enough new blood cells. It reemerged just before he married Kathryn in 2016. He was able to control it with medication, but that required the Whitmers to use fertility treatments to start their family.
And at age 27, Brynn was diagnosed with breast cancer, but only after deciding to have a proactive, double mastectomy. Her mother had survived breast cancer at a young age, and because of that, Brynn was tested for and learned she had a BRCA gene mutation, making it more likely she would develop breast cancer.
Advertisement
During the operation, doctors located a small tumor — early stage breast cancer. After chemotherapy, Brynn recovered.
A year later, she met Scott Randall, a banker at Northern Trust who also was a cancer survivor. Before they met, he had been diagnosed with and thought he had beaten anaplastic astrocytoma, a form of brain tumor. But just before they married in summer 2017, symptoms returned. Scott’s cancer was back.
Oliver Randall, from left, J.P. Whitmer, Bobby Whitmer, and Arden Whitmer check out bubbles being made by their au pair at the Whitmer and Randall family home on March 12, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
Brynn said their entire marriage was spent fighting cancer, but they were optimistic because Scott had spent years in remission before. She eventually left her job as a nurse in a hospital to work at a start-up that does genetic sequencing, which allowed her to help Scott more. Because of chemotherapy drugs, the Randalls also had to rely on fertility treatments, and Brynn became pregnant, originally due in March 2019.
Despite their positive outlook, Brynn said Scott’s condition worsened, and his tumor spread and grew into glioblastoma, a deadlier form of a brain tumor. The prognosis from doctors was grim.
Scott died surrounded by Brynn and their families, who then held hands, told stories of Scott and sang “Oh Holy Night.” It was four days before Christmas.
“It’ll never be OK,” she said. “It’s so messed up. Someone so young and full of life.”
Advertisement
Brynn said she recalls thinking, “I’m never going to find someone who is near as good of a person, or someone who loves me enough.”
The family decided to hold a memorial service after the holidays. But soon after Scott died, Brynn started showing signs of preeclampsia, a high blood pressure condition that’s dangerous for pregnant women. She was hospitalized and could not attend Scott’s funeral. Instead she watched a livestreamed version from her hospital bed with her mother and aunt by her side. Her twin sister, Stephanie, delivered a eulogy on her behalf. Oliver was born five days later.
‘Someone who gets it’
In the early days of having Oliver home from the NICU, Brynn and Charlie began messaging on Instagram and eventually met for coffee. Brynn said she wasn’t viewing her new friend as a relationship that could turn romantic. Instead, she saw it as talking with someone who was already on a journey she had just begun. Besides their shared challenges, they had other things in common, like being Christians and their love of golf.
“It was almost like a weight lifted off my shoulders that I can talk to someone who gets it,” she said.
But Charlie’s feelings were growing. He said that before they met in person, he had dreamed about Brynn even though he barely knew her. After that first meeting when they learned more about each other, Charlie said he realized those feelings, but wasn’t sure he should share them. Charlie said he wanted to be respectful of the fact that Brynn had lost Scott so recently and was adjusting to life at home with a newborn.
Charlie Whitmer walks up the stairs with his daughter, Arden Whitmer, as Bobby Whitmer, from left, Oliver Randall and J.P. Whitmer climb to the top of the stairs on March 12, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The two continued to text, call and spend time together over the next few weeks, often talking for hours at a time. During one of these talks, Brynn realized she had seen Charlie outside the church on the day of Kathryn’s funeral — another eerie coincidence for the spiritual couple.
Advertisement
Brynn was having brunch with Scott and his family in the same neighborhood as Kathryn’s funeral. She says she remembers seeing a funeral procession outside the church, and recalled remarking on how there were a lot of attendees, assuming the person who died was young.
After learning the date of Kathryn’s funeral from Charlie, Brynn pulled up a photo she took that day at the brunch and it matched.
She texted Charlie to tell him. He had just prayed to God, asking for a sign that he should tell Brynn about his feelings.
“My heart was pounding out of my chest,” Charlie said. He had gotten his sign.
The two arranged to talk. During the call, Charlie told Brynn, “I think literally and figuratively that you’re the woman of my dreams.”
“I was shocked he was that forward,” Brynn said, but she continued to talk with Charlie for an hour.
Advertisement
When they eventually saw each other again, both acknowledged their connection, and the relationship progressed quickly after that. Charlie proposed last August.
Honoring the past
Brynn and Charlie said it’s hard for some people, even those close to them, to understand how they could fall in love so soon after their losses. They say their relationship is separate from missing their late spouses, whom they continue to honor.
“We miss them because we still care about them,” Charlie said. “We’ll always look back on the time we’ve had with them so fondly. But we also feel so lucky and so grateful to have found each other.”
“As weird as it is, it is possible,” Brynn added. “Yeah I grieve sometimes, and yet I can be so in love.” She recalls sobbing with Charlie at her side when the Chiefs won the Super Bowl, thinking about how much Scott would’ve celebrated.
In many ways, they say they are the best comfort to each other because few others understand.
They honor Kathryn and Scott with photos around the home, and point them out to the children. While the kids call Brynn and Charlie “Mama and Dada,” the couple said they refer to Kathryn and Scott as “Angel Mommy and Angel Daddy.”
Advertisement
Charlie Whitmer and Brynn Randall relax as the children play at the Whitmer and Randall family home on March 12, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
The blended family of six lives together in Charlie’s West Town home. The triplets and Oliver all interact as if they’ve been siblings since birth — toddling around together, pawing at each other and giggling. Despite the busy home, the couple said they’d love to add to it with more children in the future.
As the children grow older, Charlie and Brynn say they’ll explain what happened to their other parents, and will continue to keep Scott and Kathryn’s families in their lives.
They said it’s been challenging blending all the extended families — especially as they grieve — but the couple also consider it a “blessing” to have so many people in their kids’ lives who love them.
Charlie said another way they honor their late spouses is in the time they spend with each other’s children — time Scott and Kathryn never got.
Brynn said she thinks of Kathryn when celebrating the triplets’ milestones. “She never got to experience that.”
“I feel so badly for Scott that he doesn’t get to experience Oliver,” Charlie added. “So when I have time with Oliver, I can channel that, and I can think about that. How can I make sure I’m the best version of a dad to Oliver that I can be?”
Advertisement
While life hasn’t turned out how they thought, Charlie and Brynn said they feel lucky to have found each other, are happy and moving forward.
“We can connect on so many levels,” Brynn said. “In that sense, I know we’re supposed to be together.”
kthayer@chicagotribune.com


chicagotribune--2020-03-18--Column: Releasing Leonard Floyd was the logical move for Ryan Pace and the Bears. But their latest h

Column: Releasing Leonard Floyd was the logical move for Ryan Pace and the Bears. But their latest high-profile failure helps explain why they’re stuck in mediocrity.

Quinn has recorded at least 10 sacks in four of his nine seasons , including 11½ for the Cowboys last @ @ @ @ @ a proven track record for a soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran with quickness off the ball and @ @ @ @ @ to rush the quarterback .
Now he will get an enticing opportunity to operate opposite @ @ @ @ @ Quinn can take full advantage — no guarantee as he joins his fourth team in @ @ @ @ @ pass rush will be much more menacing than it was last season .

Tuesday afternoon’s press release from Halas Hall was short and to the point.
The Chicago Bears release the following player: LB, Leonard Floyd.
Advertisement
Over and done with. As blunt as it was unsurprising.
The four-season attempt to turn Floyd into a consistent game-changer had failed. The Bears had chosen to steer in a different direction. So out goes Floyd and in comes Robert Quinn, a nine-year veteran who reportedly will cash at least $30 million of Bears checks in the five-year deal he agreed to Tuesday that could be worth up to $70 million.
Advertisement
The decision to move on from Floyd was a prudent one, made with clear-eyed sensibility. This is what many Bears fans wondered heading into this offseason, whether general manager Ryan Pace would be able to evaluate his roster free of attachment and perform an honest and critical assessment. Especially with players he brought in, believed in and grew attached to.
Tuesday provided proof of that flexibility. This is exactly what the Bears need in their current pickle: an ability to admit mistakes and move forward with purpose and without a second thought. And no matter how much breath Pace used in late December and again in February praising Floyd’s versatility and ability to drop into pass coverage, he understood that the Bears couldn’t justify a $13.2 million expenditure in 2020 for a player who had only one sack in the final 15 games last season.
So, yes. The Bears made an upgrade Tuesday. Without question.
Quinn has recorded at least 10 sacks in four of his nine seasons, including 11½ for the Cowboys last year. That’s a proven track record for a soon-to-be 30-year-old veteran with quickness off the ball and a top-tier feel for how to rush the quarterback. Now he will get an enticing opportunity to operate opposite Khalil Mack. And if Quinn can take full advantage — no guarantee as he joins his fourth team in as many years — the pass rush will be much more menacing than it was last season.
Floyd will become a distant memory.
[ Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency ]
But that’s also part of the Bears’ recurring problem. First-round picks are not supposed to become distant memories or memorable disappointments, especially top-10 selections. In the best-case scenario, they become stars. They go to Pro Bowls. They lift their teams to championships. They earn second contracts with the teams that drafted them and let their success multiply.
Here in Chicago, think Brian Urlacher or Jimbo Covert or Dan Hampton.
Unfortunately, the top-10 file drawer at Halas Hall also includes tabs for Curtis Enis and David Terrell and Kevin White. And now Floyd. And potentially Mitch Trubisky if last year’s slide doesn’t reverse course dramatically.
Advertisement
Go one drawer lower into “Failed first-round picks,” and the names of Stan Thomas, John Thierry, Cade McNown, Michael Haynes, Chris Williams, Gabe Carimi and Shea McClellin produce immediate tremors.
That’s why the Bears’ early dabbles in free agency this week have seemingly generated twice as much skepticism as excitement amid a scarred fan base. Who’s to say this isn’t just the latest wave of desperation for an organization that has one playoff victory over the last 13 seasons.
Tight end Jimmy Graham trying to squeeze a few last drops out of his career? For $9 million guaranteed? With his production declining steadily over the last five years?
And then a swing at Quinn too? Adding a Bears emblem to an NFL passport that already includes stamps from the Rams, Dolphins and Cowboys?
The bright-eyed optimist can argue that the Bears have undoubtedly improved this week, that Graham — even after two pedestrian seasons with the Packers — is far more talented than any of the tight ends the Bears put on the field last season. Take away the price-tag debate, and the Bears have gotten better at tight end.
Likewise, it’s much easier to forecast winning production in 2020 from Quinn than it would have been from Floyd, whose four-season sack total in Chicago never made it to 20. (Think about that for another few seconds.)
Advertisement
So Pace — with coach Matt Nagy riding shotgun and likely making sure to be heard — has at least shown a willingness to detach from his belief in potential and acknowledge reality.
Still, it’s also fair to wonder whether this week’s moves indicate a front office that feels like its time is running out if better results aren’t achieved right away. In a critical year, better to ride with established veterans than to take more chances hoping young, unproven players hit their long-awaited breakthrough.
[ Tracking QBs in NFL free agency ]
And it’s somewhat troubling that the Bears had to venture into free agency to take a shot on Graham when they should have shored up the tight end stability with previous big investments in Adam Shaheen (Round 2 of the 2017 draft) and Trey Burton ($22 million guaranteed in free agency two years ago). And Dion Sims before that.
In a similar vein, Floyd’s inability to become the player Pace thought he would be is unsettling. If the rangy, athletic edge rusher had shown himself capable of consistently getting to the quarterback, the Bears might not have had to make the bold trade for and historic investment in Mack two years ago. Those draft picks and the mountains of money could have been directed to other needs.
And if Floyd had at least proved himself enough to earn the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, the Bears wouldn’t have had to make a run at Quinn.
Pace was so confident about Floyd for so long. On draft night in 2016, he advertised Floyd “as a major pass-rush threat for our defense,” lauding the outside linebacker’s length, athleticism and desire. “He’s hungry. He’s high-energy. He plays with a lot of enthusiasm and passion.”
Advertisement
The potential seemed so promising in 2016. And 2017. And 2018. Potential. Potential. Potential.
Before last season, Pace was convinced Floyd’s breakthrough was imminent, thrilled at all he had seen throughout organized team activities and minicamp.
“I just feel like he’s getting better and better,” Pace said. “So that’s going to be exciting to see, specifically with his pass rush. I just feel like his repertoire and his toolbox has grown.”
Even as 2019 ended, such praise was still flowing.
“We’re happy with Leonard,” Pace said. “I know the stats don’t always say that, but Leonard does a lot of things that may be a little bit undervalued.”
Yet Tuesday, there was that brief, to-the-point announcement.
Advertisement
The Chicago Bears release the following player: LB, Leonard Floyd.
It was a practical move the Bears had to make. But it also signified another high-profile failure, the kind that have become far too prevalent at Halas Hall and have mired the franchise in a state of perpetual mediocrity for so long.


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--NBC Sports Chicago is rerunning the 1996 Bulls and 2010 Blackhawks title runs and marking the 25th a

NBC Sports Chicago is rerunning the 1996 Bulls and 2010 Blackhawks title runs and marking the 25th anniversary of Michael Jordan’s ‘I’m Back’ fax with a special

You may not be able to see ESPN ’ s documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls yet , but @ @ @ @ @ to run every one of their postseason victories en route to the 1996 NBA title @

You may not be able to see ESPN’s documentary on Michael Jordan and the Bulls yet, but NBC Sports Chicago is going to run every one of their postseason victories en route to the 1996 NBA title.
That was the fourth Bulls championship of the ‘90s and the beginning of the second three-peat, a showcase for Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Luc Longley, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr and others.
Advertisement
As a prelude to its first Bulls replay Wednesday, NBCSCH will run “I’m Back” at 6:30 p.m. The documentary recalls Jordan’s March 18, 1995, fax alerting the team he planned to return from his minor-league baseball sabbatical.
Among those interviewed are former Jordan agent David Falk; basketball players LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dominique Wilkins and Chris Mullin; former NBA executive Brian McIntyre; Bulls photographer Bill Smith; Jordan trainer Tim Grover; and broadcasters Mark Giangreco and Marc Silverman.
Advertisement
The vintage reruns are part of the regional sports network’s stopgap effort to fill its prime-time schedule over the next month in lieu of live games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The channel and digital platforms also are rerunning the Blackhawks’ postseason victories from their 2010 Stanley Cup championship run, their first since 1961. The first ran Tuesday night.
We know you all need sports back in your life. That's why we'll be airing some classic Blackhawks and Bulls games starting tonight! #HawksRewind #BullsRewind https://t.co/MH8hpwQO2k — NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) March 17, 2020
These replays, nightly at 7 through April 16, will be available only to viewers within NBC Sports Chicago’s designated viewing territory.
Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs’ new channel in partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group, earlier announced it would run 14 Cubs games from the 2016 postseason that netted the franchise’s first World Series championship since 1908. That begins Wednesday.
Marquee Sports Network will air the 14 best games from the epic fall of 2016 with 'Run for the Ring', beginning March 18 at 7 p.m.
More: https://t.co/1YJDELB2Ev pic.twitter.com/1MtK2iQ8OD — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) March 14, 2020
NBC Sports Chicago’s rerun schedule will be as follows:
Tuesday: Predators at Blackhawks (Round 1, Game 2) from April 8, 2010.
Wednesday: Heat at Bulls (Round 1, Game 1) from April 26, 1996.
Thursday: Blackhawks at Predators (Round 1, Game 4) from April 22, 2010.
Advertisement
Friday: Heat at Bulls (Round 1, Game 2) from April 28, 1996.
Saturday: Predators at Blackhawks (Round 1, Game 5) from April 24, 2010.
Sunday: Bulls at Heat (Round 1, Game 3) from May 1, 1996.
Monday: Knicks at Bulls (Round 2, Game 1) from May 5, 1996.
March 24: Blackhawks at Predators (Round 1, Game 6) from April 26, 2010.
March 25: Knicks at Bulls (Round 2, Game 2) from May 7, 1996.
Advertisement
March 26: Canucks at Blackhawks (Round 2, Game 2) from May 3, 2010.
March 27: Bulls at Knicks (Round 2, Game 4) from May 12, 1996.
March 28: Blackhawks at Canucks (Round 2, Game 3) from May 5, 2010.
March 29: Blackhawks at Canucks (Round 2, Game 4) from May 7, 2010.
March 30: Knicks at Bulls (Round 2, Game 5) from May 14, 1996.
March 31: Blackhawks at Canucks (Round 2, Game 6) from May 11, 2010.
Advertisement
April 1: Magic at Bulls (conference finals, Game 1) from May 19, 1996.
April 2: Blackhawks at Sharks (conference finals, Game 1) from May 16, 2010.
April 3: Magic at Bulls (conference finals, Game 2) from May 21, 1996.
April 4: Blackhawks at Sharks (conference finals, Game 2) from May 18, 2010.
April 5: Bulls at Magic (conference finals, Game 3) from May 25, 1996.
April 6: Bulls at Magic (conference finals, Game 4) from May 27, 1996.
Advertisement
April 7: Sharks at Blackhawks (conference finals, Game 3) from May 21, 2010.
April 8: SuperSonics at Bulls (NBA Finals, Game 1) from June 5, 1996.
April 9: Sharks at Blackhawks (conference finals, Game 4) from May 23, 2010.
April 10: SuperSonics at Bulls (NBA Finals, Game 2) from June 7, 1996.
April 11: Flyers at Blackhawks (Stanley Cup Final, Game 1) from May 29, 2010.
April 12: Flyers at Blackhawks (Stanley Cup Final, Game 2) from May 31, 2010.
Advertisement
April 13: Bulls at SuperSonics (NBA Finals, Game 3) from June 9, 1996.
April 14: Flyers at Blackhawks (Stanley Cup Final, Game 5) from June 6, 2010.
April 15: SuperSonics at Bulls (NBA Finals, Game 6) from June 16, 1996.
April 16: Blackhawks at Flyers (Stanley Cup Final, Game 6) from June 9, 2010.


chicagotribune--2020-03-17--Michael Wolfe, DuPage County prosecutor who handled a string of high-profile cases, dies at 60

“ Mike was enormously empathetic to the families of crimes , and I know that personally because of how gracious @ @ @ @ @ and my sister-in-law as they went through what was clearly the worst experience of their @ @ @ @ @ , ” Anderson said .
“ Mike really was kind to them and considerate of @ @ @ @ @ .
”

Michael Wolfe was a longtime DuPage County prosecutor who worked a number of high-profile homicide cases including the one that ultimately resolved the 1983 slaying of 10-year-old Jeanine Nicarico of Naperville.
Michael Wolfe, chief criminal prosecutor with the DuPage County state's attorney's office at the time, appears at a news conference in 2003 in Wheaton. (John Kringas/Chicago Tribune)
“He was a compassionate and very talented trial lawyer and a strong advocate for victims but also somebody who was exponentially fair,” said former DuPage County State’s Attorney and current Illinois Appellate Judge Joe Birkett.
Advertisement
Wolfe, 60, who later became a DuPage County judge, died of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease on Feb. 18 at his Warrenville home, said his brother David.
Born in Bellwood, Wolfe grew up in Oak Park and graduated from Fenwick High School. He received a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University, where he played rugby, and then obtained his law degree from John Marshall Law School.
Advertisement
In Oak Park, Wolfe’s family lived six houses away from the home of attorney William J. Martin, who prosecuted Richard Speck for the rape and murder of eight student nurses in Chicago in 1966. As a law student, Wolfe had worked for Martin and in 1996 Wolfe told the Tribune he considered Martin to be a mentor.
Out of law school, Wolfe was hired by the DuPage County’s state’s attorney’s office as a prosecutor. He rose within the criminal division and became the deputy chief before Birkett appointed him in 1996 to be chief of the criminal division, overseeing more than 70 attorneys in the county’s felony, misdemeanor, juvenile and field traffic courts.
Wolfe helped prosecute Randy Visor, who was convicted in 1998 of reckless homicide and sentenced to 13 years in prison for driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that killed four people, including three Waubonsie Valley High School students.
One of the students killed in that crash, Jenni Anderson, was the niece of DuPage Circuit Judge Robert Anderson, who retired last year.
“Mike was enormously empathetic to the families of crimes, and I know that personally because of how gracious he was to my brother and my sister-in-law as they went through what was clearly the worst experience of their life in losing a child,” Anderson said. “Mike really was kind to them and considerate of them throughout the whole process.”
Wolfe’s prosecution of Visor sparked a change in the law that increased the maximum penalty for a driver convicted of reckless homicide of more than one person while under the influence of drugs or alcohol from 14 years in prison to 28 years behind bars.
Wolfe also prosecuted the 1995 slayings of Debra Evans and her two children. DuPage juries convicted the defendants of the murders and of cutting the Addison woman’s full-term baby from her womb.
“We’re glad this chapter is now closed,” Wolfe told the Tribune in 1999, referring to the Addison slayings. “It’s been a long road.”
Advertisement
Wolfe prosecuted serial killer Paul Runge, whose victims included two Bosnian sisters living in Hanover Park who had come to America to escape ethnic cleansing in Sarajevo.
And, Wolfe prosecuted Eric Hanson of Naperville, who in 2005 bludgeoned to death his sister and brother-in-law and shot his parents as they slept. Hanson ultimately received the death penalty for the murders, although as in Runge’s case, that punishment was commuted to life in prison when Illinois abolished the death penalty.
Wolfe’s final prosecution was the one that resolved the murder of Jeanine Nicarico, who was abducted from her Naperville home and raped and murdered in 1983. After the convictions of two men who spent years on death row were overturned, Wolfe and Birkett prosecuted serial killer Brian Dugan, who pleaded guilty to the slaying in 2009. Dugan’s death sentence also was commuted to life in prison.
“Through the years, Mike was always very sensitive to our family’s current situation while also devoting himself to his professional obligations,” said Jeanine Nicarico’s father, Tom. “He worked very diligently to see justice done and was personally hurt when the system seemed to fall short. He tried to keep us informed without interfering with the process. We know he was similarly present to innumerable others suffering from crimes.”
In 2008, the Chicago Crime Commission honored Wolfe with its inaugural Mitchell Mars Prosecutor Excellence Award.
In March 2010, Wolfe was appointed to be an associate judge in DuPage County. He served first in the traffic division, then in one of the misdemeanor courts and finally in juvenile court.
Advertisement
Terry Ekl, a longtime DuPage lawyer and close friend, called Wolfe “a fantastic prosecutor (who) brought common sense and a caring personality to the bench.”
“The criminal justice system and society in general need more people like Mike Wolfe,” Ekl said.
Colleagues remembered Wolfe — or “Wolfie,” as friends called him — as a dependable co-worker who would play on office softball and basketball teams and bring his dog, Eva, with him to social functions.
“Wolfie had a great sense of humor,” Birkett said. “And he was generous to a fault. He contributed to a lot of causes.” Wolfe volunteered for the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America and also frequently ran in an annual 5K run that raised money for literacy, in Jeanine Nicarico’s honor. Wolfe also enjoyed working out and riding his motorcycle.
Wolfe retired as a judge in 2018.
A brief marriage ended in divorce. He is survived by his mother, Mary; five other brothers, Gregory, Stephen, Mark, Christopher and Matthew; and two sisters, Ellen Von Schrott and Anne Kish..
Advertisement
Services were held.
Chicago Tribune’s Christy Gutowski contributed.
Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Watch live: Mayor Lori Lightfoot discusses Chicago’s coronavirus response

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is expected to provide an update on the city ’ s response to the coronavirus outbreak @ @ @ @ @ 5 p.m. CDT .
Get the latest updates here .


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Grocery stores see surge in shoppers as Oak Park prepares to shelter in place against COVID-19

“ This is not to penalize people , ” Abu-Taleb said .
“ We are not going to be heavy-handed @ @ @ @ @ to help people protect themselves and protect others .
We are not interested in making @ @ @ @ @ [ to live their lives ] , but we do have staff that will communicate @ @ @ @ @ not be taking this as seriously as they should .
This is a way to @ @ @ @ @ may not know how serious this is and how this virus uses us against one @ @ @ @ @ ”

Cynthia Reeves pays for her groceries at Pete's Fresh Market in Oak Park March 19, one day before the village is set to 'shelter-in-place' for two weeks. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
With the village of Oak Park preparing to begin a two-week shelter-in-place order Friday March 20, local grocery stores were experiencing an uptick in shoppers hours before the order was to take effect.
On Wednesday March 18, Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb announced the village had issued a shelter-in-place order for its residents, which will last from March 20 through at least April 3.
Advertisement
The move came after one of its residents, a man in his 30s, tested positive for the coronavirus, or COVID-19. The man was screened and tested at Rush Oak Park Hospital, but is at home recovering in isolation. Rush Oak Park later announced two of its emergency room doctors have also tested positive for COVID-19. A second Oak Park resident, a woman in her 40s, tested positive March 20.
[ Oak Park’s shelter-in-place order takes effect tonight. San Francisco shows what life is like under those rules. ]
Groceries busy but orderly
At Carnival Grocery, 824 S. Oak Park Ave., owner Arthur Paris said his store was doing three to four times its normal volume of sales on March 20. Paris also owns Carnival Foods in Lincoln Park.
Advertisement
“Yesterday and today, we’ve been extremely busy,” Paris said. “We’ve seen a lot of new faces in the store today. Everybody’s in an upbeat mood though, and it’s a community atmosphere.”
Paris said the store was receiving a lot of orders for deliveries, particularly from elderly and disabled people and those who want to stay out of the public.
Asia Brown shops at Pete's Fresh Market in Oak Park on March 19, one day before the village is set to 'shelter-in-place' for two weeks. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
As the village of Oak Park prepares for a shelter-in-place ordinance due to take effect from March 20 through April 3, the shelves at Carnival Grocery, 824 S. Oak Park Ave., remained largely stocked Thursday. (Arthur Paris)
“We’re taking care of the ones we can,” Paris said. “The people who do the phone orders with older customers are some very kind human beings. It’s been a lot of work and time consuming.”
Store hours at Carnival remain unchanged, Paris said, and he has yet to place limits on certain grocery items.
While hand sanitizer, bleach and paper products are sold out, Paris said there are plenty of groceries still on the shelves.
“People are very worried about getting their stores restocked,” Paris said. “People didn’t know this was coming so there was no time to increase inventory sizes. Suppliers of perishable goods have been making regular deliveries and getting us a regular amount of goods. It’s non-perishable goods that we had a hard time getting replaced. The store is open for business and we have lots of groceries and fresh produce to sell.”
Chamika Moore shops at Pete's Fresh Market in Oak Park March 19, one day before the village is set to 'shelter-in-place' for two weeks. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
.
‘Elder hour’ at 7 a.m.
At Pete’s Fresh Market, 259 Lake St., executive officer Vanessa Dremonas said volume has noticeably increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but says things have been orderly.
Advertisement
“Our store has been busier than usual this past week,” Dremonas said. “We have every register open, but we have the crowds under control and are moving people through the store as quickly as possible.”
Dremonas said Pete’s is introducing an “elder hour” from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday for senior citizens to shop, and regular store hours will run from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the general public.
At Sugar Beet, a community-owned grocery cooperative at 812 Madison St., business has seen a steady increase, according to interim manager Jen Wenschhof-Gallogly.
In response, Sugar Beet has also altered its hours of operation. Between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., the store is open for a “senior and elevated risk” shopping hour, while regular shopping takes place between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Tatiana Lane (left) and Shantara Barber shop for seniors and people who are under quarantine through Instacart at Pete's Fresh Market in Oak Park March 19. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
“We’ve had more customers than normal since March 12,” Wenschhof-Gallogly said. “[We] are concentrating on maintaining the health and safety of our community and their access to food.”
Jewel-Osco, which has Oak Park locations at 7036 Roosevelt Road and 438 W. Madison St., had adjusted its daily hours in order to restock and deep clean its stores. Hours of operation are now 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Advertisement
“We are asking customers to respect quantity limits of select, high-demand items like hand sanitizers and household cleaners to help ensure more of our neighbors can find the products they need,” spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco said. “We’re refilling high-demand products as quickly as we can.”
Shelter order stresses ‘gravity’ of situation, not meant to penalize
While the shelter-in-place order is in effect, residents will still be able to leave their homes to visit “essential” services, such as grocery stores, doctor’s offices, food banks, convenience stores, gas stations, etc.
“What we are trying to do here is to make people understand the gravity of the situation," Abu-Taleb said. "In the meantime, we don’t want people to panic.”
Customers shop at Pete's Fresh Market in Oak Park March 19, one day before the village is set to 'shelter-in-place' for two weeks. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)
While the language in the order states violations can result in a Class A misdemeanor, Abu-Taleb said the goal is not to arrest people and place them in jail, but rather use the ordinance to explain the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is not to penalize people,” Abu-Taleb said. “We are not going to be heavy-handed with enforcement. This is to help people protect themselves and protect others. We are not interested in making it more difficult for people [to live their lives], but we do have staff that will communicate with those folks who may not be taking this as seriously as they should. This is a way to reach out to people who may not know how serious this is and how this virus uses us against one another to harm us.”
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Advertisement
Twitter: @steveschering


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Long snapper Patrick Scales returns on a 1-year deal, but

Tracking the Bears’ moves in free agency: Long snapper Patrick Scales returns on a 1-year deal, but offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas leaves for the Redskins

What it means : No one is more invested in learning what this move means than Mitch Trubisky , the incumbent starting quarterback who has received multiple votes of public confidence from general manager Ryan Pace since last season ended .
Trubisky ’ s inconsistency and the unraveling of the Bears offense in 2019 was well-documented and created a new sense of urgency behind closed doors at Halas Hall .
So while Pace has publicly said he expects Trubisky to be the starter when next season begins , the Bears ’ desire to create real competition opens the door for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fairly easily and soon .
Foles ’ chemistry with the offensive coaching staff — he spent time in previous stops with coach Matt Nagy , offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is a major plus .
And his understanding of Nagy ’ s offensive system gives him a chance to hit the ground running when the the Bears get the all-clear to begin practicing this spring or summer .
In giving up a fourth-round pick for Foles , the Bears have only two selections in the top 150 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which the Bears will inherit , runs through 2022 and has a base salary of more than $ 15 million for this season .
Before long , Pace and Nagy will have to communicate their vision for their quarterback situation .
It will be interesting to see when the team schedules those first public comments .

The Chicago Bears have been quite active as they build their 2020 roster.
On March 18, general manager Ryan Pace made his biggest move of the offseason, trading a fourth-round pick to the Jaguars to acquire veteran quarterback and former Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles.
Advertisement
The Tribune’s team is tracking all of the Bears’ moves — with players arriving and exiting — and providing insight into what each move means.
[ Bears draft tracker: 7-player class is complete, from a local tight end to a pair of cornerbacks and a speedy receiver ]
May 13
Former Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara is signing with the Raiders, according to NFL Network .
Advertisement
What it means: Amukamara will begin his 10th NFL season in Las Vegas after the Bears released him earlier this offseason. The deal reportedly is for one year. Amukamara was a Giants first-round pick in 2011 and played five seasons with the Giants, one with the Jaguars and three with the Bears. He had three interceptions, including a pick-six, and 29 passes defended in his Bears career. The Bears cut Amukamara to clear $9 million in salary-cap space and drafted his expected replacement last month when they took Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson with the 50th pick.
May 5
Edge rusher Aaron Lynch signed a one-year deal with the Jaguars, the team announced .
What it means: Lynch played two seasons in a reserve role for the Bears, totaling five sacks, 22 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 17 quarterback hits. A 49ers fifth-round pick in 2014, Lynch will join the Jaguars for his seventh NFL season. He has 20 career sacks. The Bears already had secured reserve outside linebackers to play behind starters Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. They signed former Browns first-round pick Barkevious Mingo to a one-year deal and traded a future draft pick to grab Tulsa’s Trevis Gipson in the fifth round of the draft last month.
April 30
The Bears are adding veteran safety Tashaun Gipson on a one-year deal, according to Pro Football Talk.
What it means: The Bears appear to have a starting safety to play alongside Eddie Jackson. Gipson has started 104 games over eight NFL seasons, including 62 over the last four years with the Jaguars and Texans. He has 23 career interceptions, three of which came in 2019 in his lone season in Houston, and 47 career passes defended, including eight last year. He also had a pick-six in 2019.
Gipson, who will be 30 in August, signed with the Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2012. He made the Pro Bowl in 2014, when he returned six interceptions for 158 yards and one touchdown.
The Texans signed Gipson to a three-year, $22.5 million contract last year, but he finished the season on injured reserve with a back injury. They cut him this week.
The Bears are signing veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. to a one-year deal, an NFL source confirmed.
Advertisement
What it means: Ginn, who turned 35 this month, will join the Bears for his 14th NFL season after three with the Saints. He had 30 catches for 421 yards and two touchdowns in 16 games last season. The 2007 Dolphins first-round pick also spent time with the 49ers, Cardinals and Panthers.
Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara knocks a ball down in the end zone as Saints wide receiver Ted Ginn is unable to make a catch in the second quarter at Soldier Field on Oct. 20, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
He had three straight seasons of at least 700 receiving yards from 2015-2017, including a career-high 10 touchdown catches in 2015 with the Panthers. He has played in 15 playoff games in his career. And he also was a punt and kick returner earlier in his career, with seven career return touchdowns.
Ginn provides the Bears with a speedy, experienced competitor to join a fairly young receivers room beyond veteran Allen Robinson.
April 29
The Bears signed wide receiver and returner Trevor Davis to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: A fifth-round draft pick by the Packers in 2016, Davis joins the Bears for his fifth NFL season. Davis, 26, played in 31 games with the Packers, totaling nine catches for 122 yards. He bounced between the Packers, Dolphins and Raiders in 2019 and had seven catches for 83 yards in nine games (four starts) with the Raiders.
He also is an experienced return man. He had a career-high 24 punt returns for 289 yards (12.0 average) and 31 kickoff returns for 707 yards (22.8) in 2017. And among his three teams in 2019, he had 22 punt returns for 145 yards (6.6) and 23 kickoff returns for 506 yards (22.0).
Advertisement
April 28
The Bears signed defensive tackle John Jenkins to a one-year deal, the team announced .
What it means: The Bears are bringing back the seven-year NFL veteran to serve as depth on the defensive line after Nick Williams left for a two-year contract with the Lions. Jenkins has played for five teams since he was drafted in the third round in 2013, including eight games for the Bears in 2017. He played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last year, making five starts, with 34 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack.
April 22
Tight end Trey Burton signed a one-year contract with the Colts, the team announced .
What it means: It took Burton five days after the Bears cut him to latch on with a new team. He reunites with coach Frank Reich, who was the offensive coordinator with the Eagles for two seasons when Burton was there. Burton’s contract is for the veteran minimum, NFL Network reported, which will deduct from the $4 million the Bears owe him for this season.
The Bears cut Burton after an injury-plagued 2019 season in which he caught just 14 passes for 84 yards over eight games.
We have signed TE Trey Burton. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) April 23, 2020
April 17
The Bears are releasing tight end Trey Burton, the team announced.
Advertisement
What it means: Burton’s tenure in Chicago comes to an end two years before his four-year, $32 million contract is up.
The Bears are cutting him after he totaled 14 catches for 84 yards and no touchdowns during an injury-plagued 2019 season. It’s the latest development for Burton in a dramatic 16-month span that started when he was a late scratch for the 2018 playoff loss to the Eagles because of a groin injury. He had sports hernia surgery last offseason, battled a groin injury over eight games in 2019 and then had hip surgery in December.
The Bears signed veteran tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, and Burton’s departure could mean they’re eyeing another in next week’s draft.
The Bears are signing former Packers offensive lineman Jason Spriggs to a one-year deal, ESPN reported.
Packers' Jason Spriggs runs a drill at training camp on July 25, 2019. (Morry Gash/AP)
What it means: The 6-foot-6, 301-pound Spriggs adds depth to the Bears at tackle after free agent tackle Cornelius Lucas left for the Redskins. Spriggs, a 2016 second-round pick, has started just nine games for the Packers in his career. He’s dealt with back and elbow injuries leading up to the 2019 season and spent the year on injured reserve. An Elkhart, Ind., native, Spriggs, who will turn 26 next month, was an All-American at Indiana in his senior season in 2015.
The Bears signed free-agent kicker Ramiz Ahmed and exclusive-rights free agents J.P. Holtz and Rashaad Coward, the team announced.
Advertisement
What it means: Ahmed joins the Bears on a one-year deal as apparent competition for kicker Eddy Pineiro. He last kicked in 2018 at Nevada, where he made 15 of 20 field-goal attempts and 40 of 44 extra-point attempts. He made Nevada’s team in 2017 in a walk-on tryout and did kickoffs that season. The Bears settled on Pineiro after a wild kicking competition last year, and he was 23-for-28 on field goals and 27-for-29 on extra points in his rookie year.
Holtz and Coward return as expected. Coward is expected to compete for the starting spot at right guard with newcomer Germain Ifedi after Coward started 10 games in 2019. Holtz, one of nine tight ends on the roster, played in 14 games for the Bears in 2019 and had seven catches for 91 yards.
April 16
Defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with a one-year contract.
What it means: Veteran defensive back Sherrick McManis is expected to re-sign with the Bears on a one-year contract. The longtime special teams standout will be entering his ninth season with the organization after arriving via a trade during the 2012 preseason. McManis missed the final four games last season with a groin injury that didn’t require surgery. He had 11 tackles in defense last season and a forced fumble in the Week 5 loss to the Raiders in London.
McManis, a Peoria native and Northwestern product, had eight stops on special teams last season. The 32-year-old has 88 special teams tackles in the last eight seasons. He’s the third free agent in the secondary to re-sign with the Bears following safeties Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson. All three are on one-year contracts.
April 15
Defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris signed his restricted free-agent tender.
Advertisement
What it means: The move ensures Robertson-Harris will be back in the fold in 2020. The Bears tendered the former undrafted free agent at the second-round level, meaning he will earn $3.259 million this season. That higher tender ensured no other teams would attempt to lure him away with an offer sheet.
Had the Bears tendered Robertson-Harris at the original-round level, they would have had only right of first refusal on an offer sheet because he was undrafted coming out of UTEP. The 26-year-old had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2½ sacks in 15 games last season. Provided he remains healthy, he figures to do well for himself in free agency next March.
By signing the tender, Robertson-Harris will be eligible to participate in the team’s virtual voluntary offseason workout program.
March 25
The Bears are bringing back third-string quarterback Tyler Bray, ESPN reported.
What it means: Bray returns for a third season as the Bears’ third-string quarterback. He spent the last two years on the practice squad behind Mitch Trubisky and Chase Daniel. Bray, 28, has a long history with coach Matt Nagy, dating back to their mutual arrival in Kansas City in 2013. Bray also spent the 2016 Chiefs season with new Bears quarterback Nick Foles.
He has one career pass attempt in one career regular-season appearance, in 2017 with the Chiefs. Even with the signing, the Bears could still draft a quarterback to add to their mix.
Advertisement
The Bears agreed to a one-year deal with former Seahawks offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, NFL Network reported.
What it means: The Bears are in need of competition at right guard with Rashaad Coward and depth at tackle behind Charles Leno and Bobbie Massie. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Ifedi played both guard and tackle during his four seasons with the Seahawks.
Seahawks offensive guard Germain Ifedi tries to stop Bears linebacker Khalil Mack during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 17, 2018. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Ifedi, who will turn 26 in June, was a 2016 first-round draft pick and started 60 games in Seattle, including 100% of their offensive snaps in 2019. He has been called for 12 holding and 29 false start penalties in his career, according to Pro Football Reference.
March 23
The Bears are re-signing safety DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract, a source told the Tribune.
What it means: Houston-Carson, a sixth-round pick in 2016, is back in the mix as a core special teams player. Houston-Carson has been one of the team’s most dependable players in that area for the last two seasons. With the addition of fellow safety Jordan Lucas, the Bears have been making sure they add depth for special teams coordinator Chris Tabor.
The Bears are bringing back veteran defensive lineman Brent Urban, news that his wife, Kate, announced on Twitter.
Advertisement
What it means: Urban, 28, appeared in nine games in a reserve role last season after injuries forced some depth moves on the line beginning in October. Urban made 16 tackles and added two pass breakups. A one-year deal for Urban isn’t surprising as the Bears are going to need to add depth to the line, especially after Nick Williams departed for the NFC North rival Lions on a two-year contract. Urban will be in position to compete for a roster spot.
@AdamSchefter DE Brent Urban is re-signing with the Chicago Bears on one year deal. Per source. I’m the source. — Kate Salerno Urban (@Kate_KanSkate) March 23, 2020
The Bears agreed to terms on a one-year deal with outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Mingo, 29, looks like a replacement for Aaron Lynch. He’s a veteran that can play a backup role on defense and a core special teams player.
Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano had Mingo in Indianapolis and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was in Cleveland when the Browns used the No. 6 pick in 2013 on him. While he has never panned out as a pass rusher — five of his 10 career sacks came during his rookie season — he’s a reliable player that has missed only two games and he has developed as a versatile guy on special teams. The contract is worth $1.187 million. The Bears become Mingo’s sixth team in the last six years.
March 22
The Bears signed safety Jordan Lucas to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported .
What it means: Lucas, 26, joins the Bears after playing two seasons each with the Dolphins and Chiefs. He has played in 49 career games but started just four, in 2018 in Kansas City, when he totaled 32 tackles, a sack, his lone career interception and two passes defended.
Advertisement
Chiefs safety Jordan Lucas gestures during the first half of a game against the Chargers on Dec. 29, 2019. (Ed Zurga/AP)
Lucas, a former Dolphins sixth-round pick, was a key special teams player for the Chiefs last season, playing 63% of those plays. He provides more depth for a group of safeties that includes Deon Bush, who re-signed with the Bears on Friday and might compete for the starting spot alongside Eddie Jackson. Lucas’ contract is for $1 million.
March 21
Cornerback Artie Burns is joining the Bears on a one-year contract.
What it means: Agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed Saturday’s move, a one-year “prove it” deal that puts Burns in position to compete for a starting cornerback job opposite Kyle Fuller.
Steelers cornerback Artie Burns tackles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams during a game on Oct. 13, 2019. (Kyusung Gong/AP)
Burns was a first-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2016, selected No. 25 overall by the Steelers. But he never became the impact playmaker the Steelers hoped. The organization did not pick up his fifth-year option last year and Burns fell deeper into a reserve role. Over four seasons in Pittsburgh, Burns started 32 of the 58 games he played in. He recorded three interceptions as a rookie but only one more over the following three seasons.
Burns has intriguing length and speed and offers a skillset that could allow him to replace Prince Amukamara as a reliable man-to-man cover corner. But he will certainly have to earn that role whenever the Bears are cleared to get back on the practice field. Kevin Tolliver is also in the mix for that job. And the Bears signed CFL star Tre Roberson earlier this winter to compete as well.
March 20
The Bears are signing safety Deon Bush to a one-year contract, ESPN reported.
Advertisement
What it means: The $1.4 million deal means Bush will return for a fifth season in Chicago. The Bears are in need of a new starter at safety alongside Eddie Jackson after Ha Ha Clinton-Dix signed with the Cowboys. It remains to be seen whether Bush will get a chance to compete for the starting spot or if the Bears have someone else in mind to fill that role, either through free agency or the draft. Bush, a 2016 fourth-round pick, has started eight games over four seasons. He played in 15 games in 2019, playing 5% of the Bears’ snaps on defense and 63% on special teams. He had eight tackles and two passes defended.
Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is headed to Dallas to play for Cowboys.
What it means: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting that Clinton-Dix’s one-year deal in Dallas is worth $4 million with $2.5 million guaranteed, a similar “prove it” deal to what he signed with the Bears last March. It’s no surprise the Bears allowed Clinton-Dix’s contract to expire or that the 27-year-old safety is moving on, now joining his fourth team since 2018.
Dix was signed to play free safety, per source. That would mean that Xavier Woods would move to strong safety https://t.co/2zyAabm4Oh — Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) March 20, 2020
He will reunite in Dallas with his former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. Clinton-Dix had two interceptions last season for the Bears, including a 59-yard touchdown return against the Redskins in Week 3. He was solid on the back end of the defense. But the Bears also awarded Eddie Jackson a record-setting extension in January, dishing out $33 million guaranteed and keeping Jackson under contract through the end of the 2024 season. There was little chance the Bears were going to spend big to fill that second safety spot.
While the Bears were happy with Clinton-Dix’s play last season, they would ideally like to find a second starting safety who has a more complementary skill set to Jackson, a defensive back who will allow the Bears to use Jackson’s biggest strengths as a free-ranging ball-hawk more easily. General manager Ryan Pace has had success identifying safeties in the draft. He chose Jackson with a fourth-round pick in 2017 and scooped up Adrian Amos in Round 5 two years earlier. The Bears may still browse the bargain bins of free agency for help and depth at the position. But keep a close eye on next month’s draft as well.
March 19
The Bears are bringing back long snapper Patrick Scales on a one-year deal.
Advertisement
What it means: Scales, 32, will return for his sixth year in Chicago. One of those years, 2017, was spent on injured reserve, but he played in all 16 games each of the last two seasons. He’ll be back with a special teams unit that also includes returning punter Pat O’Donnell and kicker Eddy Pineiro.
The Redskins are signing former Bears offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas to a two-year deal .
What it means: The Bears will be in search of a new swing tackle after Lucas leaves for the $5.3 million deal. Lucas started a game in September and then the final five of the year filling in for injured Bobby Massie. The Redskins will be his fifth team in seven NFL seasons.
March 18
The Bears have acquired Nick Foles from the Jaguars in exchange for a fourth-round pick in next month’s draft.
What it means: No one is more invested in learning what this move means than Mitch Trubisky, the incumbent starting quarterback who has received multiple votes of public confidence from general manager Ryan Pace since last season ended.
Trubisky’s inconsistency and the unraveling of the Bears offense in 2019 was well-documented and created a new sense of urgency behind closed doors at Halas Hall. So while Pace has publicly said he expects Trubisky to be the starter when next season begins, the Bears’ desire to create real competition opens the door for Foles to slide into the starting role fairly easily and soon.
Advertisement
Per @NFLNetwork reports, we have traded for QB @NickFoles.
(NFL policy currently prohibits teams from making any official announcements.)@SNICKERS | #DaBears — Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) March 18, 2020
Foles’ chemistry with the offensive coaching staff — he spent time in previous stops with coach Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo — is a major plus. And his understanding of Nagy’s offensive system gives him a chance to hit the ground running when the the Bears get the all-clear to begin practicing this spring or summer. In giving up a fourth-round pick for Foles, the Bears have only two selections in the top 150. Foles’ contract with the Jaguars, which the Bears will inherit, runs through 2022 and has a base salary of more than $15 million for this season. Before long, Pace and Nagy will have to communicate their vision for their quarterback situation. It will be interesting to see when the team schedules those first public comments.
Leonard Floyd has agreed to a one-year deal with the Rams worth $10 million.
What it means: A day after the Bears released him, Floyd found a new home in Los Angeles, reuniting with first-year Rams defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, who was Floyd’s position coach with the Bears in 2017 and 2018. The Bears exercised the fifth-year option on Floyd’s rookie deal last year but wiggled out of it Tuesday, freeing themselves from a $13.2 million commitment. Now Floyd gets a one-season “prove-it deal” in Hollywood. The Bears, for what it’s worth, are scheduled to play the Rams in Los Angeles next season.
March 17
The Redskins are signing inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis to a one-year deal, NFL Network reported.
What it means: Pierre-Louis leaves the Bears after one season. He did a nice job filling in for most of four games after Roquan Smith was injured. He had 37 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, three passes defended and an interception and also played on special teams. His play earned him a deal worth up to $3.45 million as he joins his fifth team for his seventh year in the league.
The Bears are signing edge rusher Robert Quinn to a five-year deal and releasing Leonard Floyd, NFL Network reported .
Advertisement
What it means: The Bears get an upgrade at edge rusher with the swap. Quinn, who will turn 30 in May, joins the Bears and All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack for his 10th NFL season. He had 11 ½ sacks with the Cowboys in 2019, the second-most in his career behind the 19 he had in 2013 as an All-Pro. He also had 22 quarterback hits and 13 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and three passes defended. Quinn was a Rams first-round pick in 2011, and he spent his first seven seasons with the team before spending a year each with the Dolphins and Cowboys. He has 80 ½ sacks in his career. The deal, for $70 million with $30 million guaranteed, makes the Bears defensive front, with Mack and Akiem Hicks, even more formidable.
Floyd’s departure isn’t entirely surprising given he was owed $13.2 million in 2020. Floyd had a career-low three sacks in 2019. The Bears’ No. 9 overall draft pick in 2016 never quite lived up to the expectations for him. Bears general manager Ryan Pace has said multiple times he likes what Floyd provided in coverage and on run defense, but the Bears also noted his pass rushing production was not where they would like it to be. Floyd becomes Pace’s second first-round pick to leave, behind Kevin White.
Chase Daniel is headed to the Lions on a three-year deal, ESPN reported .
What it means: It was known the Bears likely weren’t going to bring Chase Daniel back for a third season as Mitch Trubisky’s backup, so he moves on to be the backup to Matthew Stafford.
Bears quarterback Chase Daniel sits on the bench before the first half against the Lions at Soldier Field on Nov. 10, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
The Lions will be his fifth team in 11 seasons, a remarkable career for someone who has made only five starts. For the Bears, Daniel was a veteran presence to help guide Trubisky through coach Matt Nagy’s offense, and he also served as a team leader and the Bears’ representative to the NFLPA. He also started three games, throwing six touchdown passes and four interceptions. His presence is valued enough that the Lions gave him a $13.05 million deal, which contains a voidable clause.
The Lions agreed to terms with defensive lineman Nick Williams on a two-year deal.
Advertisement
Bears defensive tackle Nick Williams celebrates after sacking Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins at Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: Nick Williams, 30, received his first significant pay day in the NFL after totaling six sacks last season when his playing time expanded because of injuries on the defensive line. Williams appeared in all 16 games with five starts and totaled 42 tackles. He’d made just 19 tackles with no sacks in 28 previous career games.
The Bears will hope to replace a chunk of Williams’ playing time (he was on the field for 49 percent of the snaps) with greater health. Akiem Hicks’ injury led to a lot of his playing time.
Can say thank you enough to the McCaskey family and the @ChicagoBears organization for giving me the opportunity. Thanks to my teammates and to the fans! Big Bear 97 Out ✌🏾 #OnePride 🦁 What’s good 😤 pic.twitter.com/9kVcmREelU — Nicholas Williams (@NickWilliams_98) March 17, 2020
The Lions are re-tooling their defensive front with coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn under pressure to break out of losing ways in Detroit and Williams is expected to be just one new piece along the defensive line, a familiar face the Bears will see twice a year. He reportedly will earn $10 million over the next two seasons. That’s not a bad deal for a guy that was on a minimum-salary benefit contract last year.
March 16
The Bears agreed to terms with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham on a two-year deal.
What it means: ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Bears will guarantee Jimmy Graham $9 million on a two-year deal that could be worth up to $16 million.
It’s a hefty price to pay for a 33-year-old veteran in the twilight of his career. But it also speaks to the Bears’ desperate need for production at tight end. Last season, six Bears tight ends combined for 46 catches, 416 yards and two touchdowns, woeful production for an offense that relies heavily on the tight end. Graham, in a 2019 season that could be characterized as ordinary at best, provided the Packers with 38 catches, 447 yards and three touchdowns.
Advertisement
Bears GM Ryan Pace, of course, has familiarity with Graham from their days together with the Saints. From 2010 to 2014, Graham averaged 77 catches, 950 yards and 10 touchdowns and was selected to three Pro Bowls. That was a long time ago. And while it’s difficult to forecast how much Graham has left in his tank, he will be given every opportunity to be a major difference-maker in the Bears offense. His arrival also raises legitimate questions as to whether the Bears are ready to pull the plug on Trey Burton for 2020, even with $4 million of guaranteed money still owed.
The Raiders agreed to terms with former Bears linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski on a three-year deal.
What it means: The Bears say goodbye to their 2016 fourth-round pick, a player who served them well when they needed him during the 2019 season.
Kwiatkoski earned himself a solid new deal when he filled in for eight starts last year while veteran Danny Trevathan was injured, totaling 76 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, three sacks, four passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. The Bears had to decide between trying to keep Kwiatkoski or Trevathan, and they went with the latter. Kwiatkoski’s deal is for $21 million with $13.5 million in guarantees, NFL Network reported.
March 13
The Bears tendered restricted free agent defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris .
Roy Robertson-Harris (95) goes after Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins for a sack in the second quarter t Soldier Field on Sept. 29, 2019. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The tender is believed to be at the second-round level, making it unlikely another team will try to sign him. The Bears have the right of first refusal and would receive a second-round draft pick if they didn’t match another team’s contract offer. Robertson-Harris, who joined the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2016, had 30 tackles, 10 quarterback hits and 2 ½ sacks in his third season on the field.
Advertisement
March 12
The Bears signed inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year contract extension, NFL Network reported.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fumbles the ball as Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan flips over in the third quarter at Soldier Field on Sept. 5, 2019. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears bring back a key piece of their defense on and off the field. The eight-year NFL veteran, who turns 30 later this month, had 70 tackles, two for a loss, four quarterback hits, a sack and a forced fumble over nine games in his fourth season with the Bears. He sat out the remainder of the year with an elbow injury. He will team up with Roquan Smith for a third season. His return, on a deal that could be worth $24 million, could signal the departure of inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski to another team in free agency.
Feb. 21
The Bears released cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel.
Bears wide receiver Taylor Gabriel signs autographs on Nov. 24, 2019 at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
What it means: The Bears cleared $13.5 million in salary cap space when they cut the veterans. But they now must find a starting cornerback to pair with Kyle Fuller and a speedy, deep-threat wide receiver to replace Taylor Gabriel.
Prince Amukamara, 30, started 44 games over three seasons with the Bears. He had three interceptions and a touchdown, all in 2018, along with 29 passes defended over three years. Gabriel, 29, had 96 catches for 1,041 yards over two seasons with the Bears. He was limited to nine games in 2019 as he dealt with two concussions. The Bears very likely will add to both rooms in the offseason. But cornerbacks Kevin Toliver and Tre Roberson and wide receivers Javon Wims and Riley Ridley are among the current players who could compete for playing time after the roster moves.
Feb. 20
The Bears signed veteran tight end Demetrius Harris to a one-year contract.
Advertisement
Browns tight end Demetrius Harris tries for a catch in front of Steelers strong safety Terrell Edmunds (34) during the second half on Dec. 1, 2019. (Don Wright/AP)
What it means: Demetrius Harris, 28, joins the Bears to potentially fill a role as their “Y” blocking tight end. He spent his first five NFL seasons with the Chiefs in Kansas City when Bears coach Matt Nagy was a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator there. He had 57 catches for 605 yards and six touchdowns with the Chiefs. The Browns released him in February after one season in which he had 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. The addition of Harris is likely the first of several moves to rebuild the Bears tight ends room this offseason.
Jan. 29
The Bears signed CFL cornerback Tre Roberson to a two-year contract.
Calgary's Tre Roberson celebrates an interception against Ottawa during the second half of the Grey Cup at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 25, 2018. (Codie McLachlan / Getty Images)
What it means: Tre Roberson, 27, picked the Bears from nine NFL contract offers after he had an All-Star season with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2019. The former Indiana and Illinois State quarterback, who spent time with the Vikings on their practice squad in 2016 and in training camp in 2017, had seven interceptions and two touchdowns in his second season in the CFL. The 6-foot, 190-pound Roberson provides needed depth at cornerback in a room that includes Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine and Kevin Toliver.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--Elk Grove Village reportedly ends $300,000 sponsorship of the Bahamas Bowl after 2 season

“ Elk Grove Village/Makers Wanted will not be returning as the title sponsor of the Bahamas Bowl , ” an @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We thank them for their support of our game and community over the @ @ @ @ @

We’ll always have Nassau?
Elk Grove Village reportedly is ending its sponsorship of the Bahamas Bowl after a two-year run, according to the Bahamas Tribune.
Advertisement
“Elk Grove Village/Makers Wanted will not be returning as the title sponsor of the Bahamas Bowl,” an ESPN spokesperson told the outlet. “We thank them for their support of our game and community over the last two years.”
The northwest suburb made headlines in 2018 when it took over from Popeye’s as the sponsor for the annual college football game held at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau.
Advertisement
Elk Grove Village officials voted to pay $300,000 each year to sponsor the game, which the village used as a platform to market its large industrial park. The village’s business slogan — “Makers Wanted” — was attached to the game.
The 2018 edition of the game saw Florida International beat Toledo 35-32, while Buffalo beat Charlotte 31-9 last season.
According to the Bahamas Tribune, Elk Grove Village had a March 1 deadline from ESPN, which airs the game.


chicagotribune--2020-03-19--What does Ryan Pace’s updated offseason to-do list look like 24 hours into free agency? Here are 7 a

What does Ryan Pace’s updated offseason to-do list look like 24 hours into free agency? Here are 7 areas the Bears still need to address.

The Bears can wait for the market to slow to see about adding an experienced player at a low price @ @ @ @ @ draft and as I have written the last few weeks , it ’ s time @ @ @ @ @ in the position with youth .
The last time the Bears prioritized cornerback in the @ @ @ @ @ Fuller was selected in the first round .
The draft should offer some solid options @ @ @ @ @ the team has two picks .
Auburn ’ s Noah Igbinoghene and Mississippi State ’ @ @ @ @ @ good size and played at a high level in the SEC .
They could be @ @ @

A day after the Bears took care of their most pressing offseason need — finding a quarterback — the marketplace is beginning to slow down.
Some top-tier players remain unsigned, but things are settling, allowing teams and agents to reset. It’s in the second wave of free agency that Bears general manager Ryan Pace will be able to assess options with some items still remaining on the team’s offseason shopping list.
Advertisement
The biggest signing since the end of last season was free safety Eddie Jackson’s contract extension. The Bears tied up more guaranatees in him than they did outside linebacker Robert Quinn or quarterback Nick Foles. The only thing that should top Jackson’s guarantee is a new contract for wide receiver Allen Robinson.
What’s the timeline for Robinson’s extension? The Bears potentially can lower his $15 million cap hit for this season with a new contract, so the sooner, the better. There’s no timeline for Robinson, however, to find the terms right for him. The salary cap of $198.2 million in 2020 is expected to rise in 2021. Accordingly, Robinson will want to negotiate with the future in mind.
Advertisement
He’s entering the final season of a three-year, $42 million contract and likely will seek to move his annual average from $14 million closer to $20 million. The Bears, of course, hold the franchise tag as leverage after this season in case a deal hasn’t been completed. But they should be motivated to keep Robinson happy as he has been a team-first performer without complaining, publicly or privately, about other elements of the offense that have underperformed.
In the last week, Pace has added Foles, Quinn and tight end Jimmy Graham and extended inside linebacker Danny Trevathan. Here’s a list of remaining shopping items:
1. Cornerback.
That the Bears chose not to pay Prince Amukamara this season because he has slowed down wasn’t a surprise. That they’ve paid Jimmy Graham and Danny Trevathan similarly is somewhat surprising given that Graham doesn’t move like he used to and Trevathan has a history of injuries.
Bears cornerback Prince Amukamara celebrates after blocking a pass intended for Lions receiver Kenny Golladay during the second half at Soldier Field on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)
Perhaps Pace and the coaches feel good about Kevin Toliver despite a small body of work. Toliver could certainly compete for a starting role opposite Kyle Fuller. Tre Roberson also is in the mix, but expectations for the former CFL All-Star should be shaped by the guaranteed money in his contract — $215,000. That’s the investment typically made in a depth addition.
The Bears can wait for the market to slow to see about adding an experienced player at a low price. There is also the draft and as I have written the last few weeks, it’s time for the team to invest in the position with youth. The last time the Bears prioritized cornerback in the draft was 2014 when Kyle Fuller was selected in the first round. The draft should offer some solid options in Round 2, where the team has two picks. Auburn’s Noah Igbinoghene and Mississippi State’s Cameron Dantzler both have good size and played at a high level in the SEC. They could be attractive targets.
2. Offensive line.
Contracts for tackles Charles Leno and Bobby Massie and center Cody Whitehair are going to keep them in place. The Bears are in need of a right guard, and while they have a couple in-house guys that could potentially compete, including Rashaad Coward and Alex Bars, I think they find a veteran with some experience to add to the mix.
New O-line coach Juan Castillo likes athletic big men, so think someone that maybe isn’t a mauler but can get to the second level. A swing tackle remains a need and I am interested to see if Cornelius Lucas returns or if he gets a decent contract elsewhere.
Updated: Lucas is headed to the Redskins on a two-year contract worth $5.3 million. He turned his opportunities for playing time when Massie was injured into good film and got paid.
Advertisement
3. Strong safety.
This is a prime spot to fill via the draft, where Pace has had tremendous success with Jackson and Adrian Amos. This is a need the team can fill on Day 3.
A couple of targets that come to mind, when thinking about a box safety, are Cal’s Jaylinn Hawkins and Mississippi State’s Brian Cole.
The Bears could consider re-signing Deon Bush as depth, and having a guy familiar with the scheme is a good idea. Bush likely is a minimum-salary guy.
4. Wide receiver.
Don’t minimize the need for upgrades here, especially following the departure of Taylor Gabriel. A speedy complement to add to the mix would really help. It’s such a good draft that the Bears should be able to find help, but they’re short on picks before the late rounds.
Bears receiver Taylor Gabriel celebrates his second touchdown in the second quarter against the Redskins on Monday, Sept. 23, 2019 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)
But don’t forget about free agents. Yes, some are talking about this draft as a potentially historic one for wide receivers — but what that has done is suppress the market for veterans. A decent player can come on a bargain because the demand isn’t there as teams wait for the draft.
5. Tight end.
At best, Jimmy Graham is maybe a one-year option at tight end. The Bears have enough of them with Graham being the ninth on the roster.
Advertisement
It’s a weak draft class for tight ends, but if the Bears really like Cole Kmet and believe the Notre Dame product can help stabilize the position for four or five years, he could be a Round 2 target.
6. Veteran depth.
One thing Pace and the coaches have done a nice job of in recent years is finding rank-and-file players who can fill in and play well when called upon.
Defensive lineman Nick Williams, linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis and swing tackle Cornelius Lucas are recent examples — guys who were on minimum deals and played solid when injuries created needs.
Williams and Pierre-Louis departed via free agency. How can Pace and his staff identity a new wave of veterans who can provide quality depth, the kind of thing winning teams need in November and December when there has been attrition?
7. Special teams.
Special teams cannot be overlooked. Figure the Bears probably will re-sign long snapper Patrick Scales. What will they do when it comes to guys such as defensive backs Sherrick McManis and DeAndre Houston-Carson? Do they fit in the 2020 plans?
Updated: Scales is expected to re-sign with the Bears and receive a one-year contract, which is standard for the majority of long snappers.