Darryl Drake: Best group of Bears pass catchers since 2004
Bears wide receivers coach Darryl Drake is adamant that this is the best group of pass catchers he's had since he joined the Bears in 2004.
2010 NFL training camps: Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris leaves practice
Safety Chris Harris leaves training camp practice.
Dismal '09 season might spur Jay Cutler's growth
Mike Mulligan: Given Jay Cutler's difficult 2009 season, you might think the Bears quarterback would be eager to switch designations from his current job title of franchise savior. Not a chance. Just as Cutler embraced the pressure last year, he welcomes heightened expectations for 2010....
Day 1 belongs to 'invisible' TEs
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- With threatening clouds above, the scene at the Bears' opening practice Friday at Olivet Nazarene University looked like a scene out of ...
BEARS IN BRIEF: Old slogan fits 'em to a T: Bring back the Monsters
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The T-shirt has two ferocious grizzly bears biting and clawing giant footballs above and below the words ''Monsters of the Midway.''
Proud, private, strictly1st class
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The first thing you should know about Rod Marinelli is he once wrestled a bear. True story. It was 1966, the summer before his senior year at Rosemead (Calif.) High School. The muzzled bear was mauling anybody who ponied up $10 during a parking-lot promotion.
Bears' Peppers: I'm ready for the pressure
You can't talk to any defensive players on the Bears for very long without hearing them mention end Julius Peppers, the biggest catch in this year's free-agent fishing derby.
Chicago has tired of Lovie Smith's happy talk
Bears coach Lovie Smith is unfailingly, unflappably, nice. Much like his mentor Tony Dungy, he rarely has a negative public word about his team.Bears scribes that have watched the team deteriorate into mediocrity the last few years have had about...
Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers takes on Brian Urlacher
Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers had a pointed rebuttal for linebacker Brian Urlacher.
Opening Lovie fest
Rick Morrissey: He's called Lovie for a reason: Pollyanna was already taken. But it's still a fine name for a man who lives only to spread positive vibes. So there Lovie Smith was Thursday, using the eve of training camp to set a tone of such unbridled enthusiasm that you wondered if there...
Hester's ready for takeoff
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Devin Hester has never lacked confidence.
Spotlight will stay on Smith
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- It's unavoidable, even if some players wish it wasn't. It's the biggest question looming over Olivet Nazarene University as the Bears begin training camp, even if the person it directly involves would rather talk about his optimism for the coming season instead of...
BEARS IN BRIEF: DT Harris talkin' 'bout practice
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- The best-case scenario for the Bears has defensive tackle Tommie Harris shedding his injury-prone label, which is exactly what the former Pro Bowler and coach Lovie Smith expect him to do this season.
AFTERNOON SPORTS CLUB Urlacher all-Pro? Plus other bold Bears predictions
Can aging Brian Urlacher return to all-Pro form? Will enigmatic Jay Cutler grasp the complexities of Mike Martz's offense? Will puzzling Tommie Harris make major contributions this season? Bears writer Neil Hayes makes 10 bold predictions about the upcoming season.
LeRoy Butler on Brett Favre: "I actually feel sorry for the guy"
Brett Favre's former teammate LeRoy Butler says he just assumes that Favre will play in 2010, because Favre can't do anything other than play football.And Butler told fellow former NFL player Tom Waddle in a radio interview in Chicago today...
Harris hopes to turn around Bears turnover trend
Last year Bears safeties had a total of 1 interception, a drought that Chris Harris hopes to do something about. "I hope I can help a lot," said Harris, who was acquired from the Panthers in a trade for linebacker Jamar Williams on April 27.
Lovie ever the optimist as Bears open camp in Bourbonnais
To no one's surprise, Bears coach Lovie Smith's glass was half full during his training-camp-opening address on Thursday.
Jay Cutler says Bears players know they're playing for Lovie Smith's job
Jay Cutler said Thursday that members of the Chicago Bears are cognizant that a poor performance this season could lead to the dismissal of head ...
Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris said Julius Peppers will make a big impact for his new team
Chicago Bears safety Chris Harris said Julius Peppers is a 'freak' who will infuse excitement into the Cover-2.
Which Bears are on the spot?
Most NFL teams have a lot to prove when they report to training camp, but that's especially true about a Bears team that likely will be dismantled if the playoffs remain out of reach for a fourth consecutive season.
Three Bears camp battles to keep an eye on
STARTING LEFT GUARD
AFTERNOON SPORTS CLUB Who will make the grade at Bears training camp?
Neil Hayes: As players file in to Bourbonnais for the start of training camp today, here's a position-by-position look at the Bears on paper before the pads start popping.
As Bears camp opens, playoffs clearly on the line
So, what happens if the Bears are better this year but still don't make the playoffs? That's a very real possibility considering the impressive upgrade and free-agent haul of defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor and tight end/blocker Brandon Manumaleuna.
Bears guard Asiata has been on amazing journey
Bears guard Johan Asiata's ascension defies convention, whether he does or doesn't start the season at left guard. He didn't start playing football until his freshman year at Yuba Community College in California, and he didn't start mastering the intricacies of the sport until he...
Peppers beefs up Bears' special teams defense
Dave Toub knows the Bears signed defensive end Julius Peppers primarily to sack quarterbacks. But the Bears' special-teams coach hoped Peppers could do something else: block some kicks, too. Since the NFL started tracking blocked kicks in 1978, Peppers is second only to Cleveland Browns...