Author: staff
The NFL draft has come and gone, and judging by the questions in Brad Biggs’ weekly Chicago Bears mailbag, readers aren’t impressed with the depth chart at wide receiver. Biggs answers those and other questions about the post-draft state of the Bears roster.Some rumors out there the Bears aren’t sold on Justin Fields. How do you explain the lack of investment in O-line and receivers? Is it fair to expect that scheme and experience will help him make the jump they want to see from him? — @tn5280AdvertisementI’m not sure you can change the minds of the people fueling this conspiracy theory after first-year general manager Ryan Poles used his first two draft picks on defensive backs. Poles chose not to overpay in free agency for what was largely middle-of-the-road wide receiver talent. He didn’t have the draft capital to swing a trade for one of the high-profile receivers who changed teams, and more importantly, the Bears aren’t at the stage where a big, bold move is the final item on their checklist. In terms of offensive linemen, the high-caliber ones are very expensive in free agency and most of the “name” players still out there are unsigned for a reason — their play has declined and they’re beat up a bit physically.The hope at Halas Hall is a change in coaching staff, a new playbook and a year of experience will help Fields and the players around him improve. I don’t think a playbook change will do all of that because people placed way too much blame on former coach Matt Nagy and his staff for what happened offensively last year. I’m not going to defend them, but the NFL is more about Jimmys and Joes than X’s and O’s.AdvertisementPoles said he would be careful in free agency and he was true to his word. The Bears believe Byron Pringle, signed to a one-year contract in free agency, can be a serviceable No. 2 wide receiver this season. As long as he’s healthy, he will surpass Allen Robinson’s numbers last season when he was slowed by injuries: 38 receptions, 410 yards and one touchdown. Perhaps Pringle can excel now that he’s not down the depth chart like he was with the Kansas City Chiefs.As far as the offensive line goes, the Bears are probably not done yet. To get elite offensive tackles, you have to either pay a boatload in free agency or invest a very high draft pick. The Bears will see if last year’s rookies, Larry Borom and Teven Jenkins, pan out. They added center Lucas Patrick, who knows the playbook, and tried to pick up Ryan Bates at right guard. There’s a good chance they are on the lookout for a veteran to slot in at right guard.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 119Bears quarterback Justin Fields scores in the fourth quarter against the 49ers at Soldier Field on Oct. 31, 2021. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)The roster Poles inherited had needs across the board, and he wasn’t going to be able to fill them all in one offseason. Depending on how this season goes, it could be a challenge to get everything in place before the 2023 season.The crowd that believes Poles and the new regime are not sold on Fields will have a tough time answering how it would benefit the Bears to set up the quarterback to fail. Poles will get only so many shots at solving the ongoing QB riddle at Halas Hall. His job will be infinitely easier if Fields looks substantially better this year. The roster is constantly evolving and the Bears are placing a good deal of faith in their new staff. [ [Don’t miss] Ryan Poles’ remodeling project is about to take a big step forward. Here’s how he prepared for his 1st draft as Chicago Bears GM. ]You make excellent points about the secondary needing to be fixed, and after the last couple of regimes drafted for need all too often, I’m going to give Ryan Poles the benefit of the doubt and say that his second-round picks were the right call. But only selecting one receiver with all of the remaining picks he accumulated? And Velus Jones Jr. looks to primarily be a special teams player? It’s pretty hard to believe there were no other receivers worth taking a shot at in a draft that was supposed to run deep for receivers. What are your thoughts? — David S., Los AngelesThat’s a fair question. If you would have told me before the draft that Poles would wind up with 11 picks, I would have guessed he would come away with more than one receiver. You do realize that if he had loaded up on wide receivers in the late rounds (the Bears wound up with eight of the final 94 picks), I would be getting a similar question from those fuming that Poles did not draft more offensive linemen.Jones is really interesting to me because of his physical traits and his production at Tennessee last year: 62 receptions for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s far from polished, but if offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is as excited about this selection as has been described, it will be fascinating to watch how Getsy uses Jones.[ [Don’t miss] Meet the Chicago Bears’ 11 picks from the 2022 NFL draft, from cornerback Kyler Gordon to punter Trenton Gill ]Another thing I have said in previous mailbags is that Equanimeous St. Brown is an interesting signing for the Bears. He’ll have a head start with Getsy’s playbook and he’s a big target with top speed on the outside. St. Brown needs to prove he can be durable and dependable, but don’t dismiss the possibility he emerges this season.AdvertisementYes, the draft ran deep at receiver, but by the time the Bears had plenty of picks — late in Round 5 and on — you’re talking about guys with traits. Poles opted to go with linemen. We’ll see how they pan out.Is the lack of early offensive picks on Day 2 a sign that Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus believe that most of the current offensive pieces are exactly what are needed? — @petermartuneacI would not take that leap of faith. The Bears had significant needs in the secondary. They had one clear starter at cornerback in Jaylon Johnson and one clear starter at safety in Eddie Jackson. So you’re talking about major needs at key positions on both sides of the ball. The way the draft fell, specifically the first round and start of the second, some high-caliber defensive backs were available. Had wide receivers or offensive linemen fallen, I’m sure we might have seen Poles go the other direction and take two offensive players with his first three picks. As it was, they went the other way. You can argue the Bears didn’t get the offensive help they needed out of the high picks. You cannot dispute they had pressing needs in a secondary that performed poorly last season.[ [Don’t miss] How a flurry of trades by new GM Ryan Poles gave the Chicago Bears more swings in the NFL draft ]What about another defensive lineman? Matt Eberflus said he wants to play in waves but they simply don’t have the depth to do that right now. Maybe Larry Ogunjobi will still come on board? Thoughts? — @billhol54685080The Bears no doubt will be active monitoring the market for available veterans and players cast off by other teams. I would earmark the defensive and offensive lines as positions to watch closely. I agree they need more additions on the defensive line, but it’s also a situation for some younger players to step forward. As for Ogunjobi, I’ve answered this multiple times and more people have inquired: I highly doubt he would have interest in joining the Bears after they nixed the original agreement because of a failed physical. Never say never in the NFL, but I’d be surprised if those sides came together again.Do you see the Bears adding a WR like Jarvis Landry or even taking a cheap flier on Will Fuller to the WR room? Or is Landry’s asking price and being strictly a slot WR a deterrent? And Fuller’s injury history? If not them, who then? — @jtbarczakAdvertisementLandry is seeking a major payday, and that doesn’t seem like the kind of move the Bears are willing to make. Fuller is a vertical stretch guy, and the Bears have a couple of players on the roster who can do that. Adding Landry would not be the difference between success and failure for the Bears offense this season. As I said above, the Bears are confident Byron Pringle can be an adequate No. 2 receiver. Maybe they will stay in the hunt for a wide receiver, but I’d remain focused on the lines right now.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 46Head coach Matt Eberflus walks the field, April 19, 2022, during Chicago Bears minicamp at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)In your view, how does the Bears WR corps look after the draft? Outside of Darnell Mooney, it looks pretty dreadful to me. — @danielkirshbaumIt’s not great, but a longer view of the roster is required. There was no way Poles and Eberflus would have their depth chart looking like they want it before this season begins. I believe the Bears will look significantly different at the start of the 2023 season. There’s still time for changes and there could be some good surprises in the season ahead. I think it’s a positive to give third-round pick Velus Jones an opportunity to learn on the job. Why sign a veteran who is more ready and limit Jones’ playing time? Throw him in and see what he can do. Will wide receiver be a high priority entering next offseason? That’s very possible. But there was no way to fix everything in one offseason.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears draft class is older with more college experience — a byproduct of COVID-19. Could it be deeper too? ]How many of this year’s draftees do you believe will significantly contribute in three years? — @rvwr1That’s difficult to say as eight of the Bears’ 11 selections came in the final 94 picks. They were going for traits and upside with those selections. Obviously they hope cornerback Kyler Gordon, strong safety Jaquan Brisker and wide receiver Velus Jones develop as core players. After that, defensive end Dominique Robinson and running back Trestan Ebner are interesting selections. Robinson is super raw, but the Bears believe they can develop his pass-rushing skills. Ebner should slot in immediately on special teams and might get some time in the backfield. Of the four offensive linemen the Bears drafted, they will be lucky if one pans out. What will the starting LB group be at the start and end of training camp? — @bigiant9AdvertisementRoquan Smith and Nicholas Morrow are almost certain to be the starters in the middle and on the weak side. What we don’t know is who will be in each slot. The coaching staff hasn’t offered a hint in that regard. It’s a little bit of a mystery who will be on the strong side, but remember Eberflus said the Bears could be in their nickel defense up to 80% of the time, so don’t expect the Sam linebacker to get a ton of playing time. Jeremiah Attaochu is a candidate to play that role. It’s also possible the team will add a veteran before the end of camp.A better secondary could help Justin Fields because the Bears would not be playing from behind so often and subject to constant blitzes. Your thoughts? — @chriscremer9Poles made that very point when he talked about the big picture and how helping the team improve will help every area. I don’t know if a better secondary would mean Fields will face fewer blitzes. If the Bears are struggling to protect Fields, the opponent will be dialing up pressure. If the Bears can play better defense, play with a lead more often and run the ball more consistently, they certainly will face fewer pressures.How many potential starters are we thinking from the draft? I’m hoping three. — @jasonloetterieLooks to me like the Bears have two Day 1 starters in cornerback Kyler Gordon and strong safety Jaquan Brisker. In the long run, the best-case scenario might be getting four starters from the draft. Three would be OK, though, if you’re talking about a solid starter and not a stopgap option.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears release QB Nick Foles after being unable to find a taker for the former Super Bowl MVP ]Do you think the Bears will receive compensatory draft picks in 2023? I know the formula isn’t exact, but given the Allen Robinson signing with the Los Angeles Rams, is there a chance Bears get a free pick or picks? — @themaxconnor1AdvertisementThe formula for compensatory picks is exact — it’s just not known. Right now, it does not look like the Bears will get a compensatory pick in 2023, according to overthecap.com. It’s possible that could shift and they get awarded a late pick. The Bears over the last decade-plus have been one of the worst teams in terms of benefiting from comp picks.How poorly did the Bears draft? Why not take an OL and DL and a polished WR with the first three picks? — @adam_ragelWe haven’t even seen these players on the field yet for rookie minicamp, which will happen this weekend. Who did you have in mind to start opposite Jaylon Johnson at cornerback and next to Eddie Jackson at safety? As I said above, you can make a valid case the Bears didn’t get enough help on the lines or at receiver in the draft. You can’t say they didn’t need help in the secondary.Here’s one thing a GM told me a couple of years ago. Let’s say defensive line is a major need and the team selects a tight end in the second round. In two years, the only thing that will matter about the pick is if the tight end is a bona fide player. If he is, it’s a good pick. If he’s not, it’s a bad pick. If the Bears had proper value when setting their board and then following it, they should be OK. [ [Don’t miss] Mark Sadowski is out as Chicago Bears college scouting director, sources say, as GM Ryan Poles reshapes the front office ]Ryan Poles probably didn’t go into the draft thinking he’d draft a punter, but since he did, why not use one of the earlier “I hope this lottery ticket pans out” picks on the Punt God instead? — @hickeymjThe Buffalo Bills drafted San Diego State punter Matt Araiza in the sixth round, and he was the third punter chosen. So despite his nickname, he wasn’t exactly a “Punt God” for NFL personnel who evaluate punters. One thing I was told is that while Araiza has a booming leg, he too often kicks line-drive punts that lack adequate hang time. AdvertisementScouting is critical to a team’s success. What is the average number of scouts per NFL team? How many do the Bears employ? — @fjhscrantonIncluding pro scouts, the Bears had 19 last season, which sits right about at the league average after I chatted with a few scouts from different teams. Poles is in the process of tweaking his staff. Pro scouting director Jeff King was promoted Tuesday to co-director of player personnel. The Bears are not bringing back college scouting director Mark Sadowski, and a few area scouts could be shuffled around.The quality of the scouts a team employs is more significant than the quantity. The Bears surely will feel good about their group when Poles has finalized it. Keep in mind, the Cincinnati Bengals are notorious for having far and away the smallest scouting staff in the NFL. They are the defending AFC champions.
With the state expected to unveil a new standardized testing program in the coming months, educators, union leaders and parents have joined forces to oppose more…
After pandemic delays, an expansive food hall will open on the ground floor of the Old Post Office building in the South Loop this June, and…
After pandemic delays, an expansive food hall will open on the ground floor of the Old Post Office building in the South Loop this June, and…
Dear Amy: “Allie” and I became friends when our children were young. We celebrated holidays, vacationed together, and shared in our joys and troubles.Allie is ambitious, friendly, and very extroverted, while I am quiet and introverted. It’s natural that she has a larger circle of friends, most of whom I have also known for years. She’s likeable and good at her work, but very status conscious.AdvertisementI have been a supportive, discreet friend. When she went through some painful years of family estrangement, mine was her surrogate family for holidays. When she needed babysitting help, I kept her kids.For several years, we invited (and paid for) her family to join us on vacation. She was happy to join, but played on her phone and constantly texted friends at home, making plans for when she returned.AdvertisementLast year, she asked my husband and son to mow her lawn when she was ill, which they were happy to do.Amy, I have been left out of friend trips, parties, and other events (where I knew everyone attending); I listened later while she related how much fun they’d had.I felt hurt and upset plenty of times, but I never realized how one-sided this friendship seemed until recently.I am not a perfect friend, but I have other meaningful friendships, and I don’t think this one is worth more of my time, yet I am still wondering about it.I think I’m ready to move on, but why am I harboring such animosity?– A FriendDear Friend: As I write this, I just came inside from picking some daffodils during a late-season snow storm.It occurs to me that there are some things – and some people – worth freezing for. And friendships have their reasons and their seasons.AdvertisementChildhood friends fade from view. College besties scatter. Professional buddies vow to stay in touch after a job change, but don’t.Friendships formed between parents when their kids are young are especially intense, but vulnerable, because these relationships are forged during the crazy days of playdates and sleepovers and emergency babysitting needs.But after the kids grow up and out, you recognize that your parenting brought you together, but your kids were the glue.You feel animosity toward “Allie” because in retrospect you realize that she has not been a good friend to you.You fulfilled some of her social and physical needs; she occasionally reciprocated. That’s what friends do, but that’s not what friends are.True friends are daffodils in the snow, and they are well worth freezing for.AdvertisementNow that the season for this friendship has passed, you should move on.Dear Amy: I have a good relationship with extended family and don’t want to jeopardize it. “Brian” is 15 years old. He is smart, good-looking, and very athletic.The problem is that he picks his nose and chews with his mouth open, and his parents don’t seem to care.I would like to take him aside and say something, but I’m hesitant. I could mention this to his mother, but surely she has noticed.Saying something to his older sister might be best, even though she’s at college.When we meet on Zoom, it’s hard to watch Brian’s gross habits. I am worried that it affects how his peers and others feel about him.AdvertisementYour advice?– Up the NoseDear Up the Nose: If you see “Brian” picking his nose, you can wordlessly hand him a napkin or tissue. Just reach over and hand it to him, saying, “Here you go.”You can even do this via Zoom. On camera, you can say, “Hey, somebody hand this to Brian.” And you hoist a tissue toward the camera, hoping that someone will take the cue and hand him a tissue on the other end. (I’ve offered tissues to people on Zoom when they sneeze, and it can be a fun visual gag.)I would not take these issues to others. He’s 15. If you can’t deal with him lightheartedly and directly, then you should let it go for now.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.Dear Amy: “Torn,” who is expecting her first child, says she is estranged from her mentally and physically abusive mother, but then asks you what she “owes” her mother.AdvertisementWhy do people who were abused and neglected growing up feel they owe their parents anything?– Don’t UnderstandDear Don’t: Adult survivors feel this way because they are confused and sometimes wracked with guilt over their parents’ behavior. They don’t know what “script” to follow, because they’ve been denied emotional and physical nurturing.Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.
Few things came easy Tuesday night at Wrigley Field for the crosstown foes.Bone-chilling conditions — a wind chill in the 30s with a constant light rain and a 23 mph wind whipping from left to right field — created a brutal environment that Chicago Cubs and White Sox players and an announced 34,206 fans endured during a 3-1 Sox win.AdvertisementRarely was the play entertaining in a grind-it-out game that pitted Sox starter Michael Kopech against a struggling Cubs offense. The Cubs countered with a bullpen game started by reliever Scott Effross after scheduled starter Drew Smyly went on the bereavement list before the game.The Sox used a soft tapper down the third-base line from Jake Burger against Effross and a sacrifice bunt by catcher Reese McGuire to plate two runs off right-hander Keegan Thompson in the second inning. They tacked on a run in the third when Tim Anderson took Thompson deep for his fourth home run.AdvertisementThe Sox wouldn’t need any more offensive help. Liam Hendriks needed only 10 pitches in a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth save.Six Sox pitchers combined to strike out 12 Cubs, led by Kopech’s five in four shutout innings. Kopech lowered his ERA to 1.17 through five starts.As has occurred too frequently lately, the Cubs had opportunities, but two double plays hurt offensive momentum. They finished 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base.The Cubs bullpen came in leading the majors with 115 strikeouts and 11.33 strikeouts per nine innings. However, the five Cubs relievers — including Effross — combined for only three strikeouts.An athletic play by shortstop Nico Hoerner helped put away the Sox’s bases-loaded threat in the fifth. Hoerner, ranging in the hole, fielded a grounder off José Abreu’s bat and threw across his body to second base to start an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. The Sox wasted a chance to build on their three-run lead after Thompson hit Josh Harrison and Anderson to start the inning.Hoerner was also responsible for the Cubs’ lone run, doubling home Ian Happ with two outs in the sixth.
There’s something about a City Series game that brings out the best in everyone.A good-natured rivalry, the availability of $14 beers and Chicagoans’ love of a spirited argument always seem to put fans in the right mood.Advertisement“You’ll see maybe one fight in the outfield and the bleachers once in a while,” White Sox starter Lucas Giolito said before Tuesday’s series opener at Wrigley Field. “But this series over the past few years, like the second inning — ‘Oh, we got one already.’”The Cubs marketing department missed out on an opportunity to have former Bears center Olin Kreutz throw out the ceremonial first punch, but otherwise it pulled out all the stops.AdvertisementThe trophy that goes to the winner of the annual crosstown series was on display on a table in the rain next to the Cubs dugout for one and all to see. It was part of the pageantry that comes with the Cubs-Sox series, though no one was in the stands and the only one paying any attention to it was the Cubs mascot.It was too cold to care, though not quite bad enough to cancel the game.[ [Don’t miss] Column: It’s hard to get too excited for the return of the City Series during a gloomy Chicago spring ]Neither rain nor wind nor gloom of spring could keep these teams from their appointed ballgame, even if anyone with common sense would’ve postponed it and played a doubleheader Wednesday, a rare Chicago day with no precipitation in the forecast.The game-time temperature was 45 degrees with a north wind of 23 mph and a slight mist, conditions better suited for duck hunting than the City Series. While Wrigley Field usually is packed for the start of the crosstown games, less than half of the seats were filled when starter Scott Effross took the mound, the first of several Cubs pitchers on what turned into a bullpen day.At least the Cubs and Sox players are used to this by now, and no one was complaining, at least out loud.“Just remind them they’re playing in the big leagues,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “Arizona is waiting for them if they don’t like it. Being a little sarcastic, but the fact is they appreciate you go through this in April, now May. And later on, they’ll be looking for cooler weather. As long as both sides have to deal with it, you go at it.”That doesn’t make it right to force fans to either sit through nights like this or eat their pricey tickets. But buying a ticket to a game in a ballpark near the lakefront before Memorial Day is always a risk, so caveat emptor.Wrigley is a beautiful place in the summer, but nothing’s drearier than Wrigley in the spring before the ivy blooms.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Luis Robert gets a rest in the City Series opener, but the White Sox CF is responding well after returning from a groin strain ]Back in 2007 I asked Cubs players if they thought Wrigley would last another 50 years without major changes. Catcher Michael Barrett — best remembered for punching Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski and igniting a brawl in a 2006 City Series game on the South Side — had a unique idea on how to preserve Wrigley into the 2050s.“Ideally, especially for this time of year, you’d like to see a dome put on the outside of it,” Barrett said. “Don’t change anything about Wrigley Field. Just reinforce it and have a dome covering it.”The Ricketts Dome?Well, it would make going to a Cubs game in April and early May relatively tolerable, but now that the Ricketts family owns most of the rooftop clubs, that probably would be a non-starter even if it got through the city council.Everyone in the Cubs and Sox clubhouses appeared ready to deal with the raw conditions, even if some of the fans opted to stay at home or in the Wrigleyville bars. Cubs second baseman Nick Madrigal and his former Sox teammate Gavin Sheets spoke beforehand about mutual trash-talking, and Madrigal said Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal texted him Tuesday morning about something that wasn’t revealed.“It’s all fun and games,” Madrigal said. “I have built a lot of friendships over there. I don’t think this game means more than any other game. I’m sure I’ll be joking around with some of the guys on the bases … but we’re just focused on trying to win games at the end of the day.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] A banged-up Willson Contreras is day to day for the Cubs, while shoulder inflammation sidelines reliever Ethan Roberts ]Wins have been hard to come by for both teams this season, which was expected for the rebuilding Cubs. The Sox are another story, one that needs a rewrite at this point.But misery loves company, so both teams’ fans can take solace in the misery of their rivals. Still, Giolito wasn’t sure why fans in Chicago can’t root for the other side if their team isn’t doing well.“It seems like people want to be happy, right?” he said. “One team is playing well and the other team is not playing well, (so) try and stay positive and root for this team, I guess. I didn’t grow up here. I grew up in California, and I didn’t even really grow up a fan of a team. So that kind of mindset … that’s kind of foreign to me.”It’s a mindset most Cubs and Sox fans were born with, and it’s too late to change now. Being happy means the other guys are unhappy.So they sat together at Wrigley on Tuesday like human popsicles, watching a game while trying to feel their toes, because that’s just how we roll.
Chicago Abortion Fund Executive Director Megan Jeyifo was at a comedy show when a rapid-fire series of news alerts and text messages lit up her phone:…
Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson has a lot of work ahead of him between the NHL draft, free agency and finalizing his front office — and he has to balance those priorities with the search for a permanent head coach.Davidson told reporters Tuesday he has been working for a while on a profile of his next coach but hasn’t set a target date for a hire.Advertisement“When we feel comfortable using that list of criteria to create a candidate list, we’ll do that,” he said. “But we don’t have a firm, firm timeline.”He added later, “Middle of July is a good time frame.”AdvertisementDavidson addressed other issues he’s tackling, including his choice to hire a former Cubs executive, his vision for the rebuild and the elephant in the room — what to do about Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews.Here are three things we learned from his sit-down with reporters.When Davidson took over the permanent GM role in March, he and CEO Danny Wirtz said the roster needed a complete reset to craft a perpetual contender — and they wouldn’t put a timeline on how long that process might take.However, they did throw out the possibility it could take at least three to five years.In recent weeks, players such as Toews and Kane — both entering the last year of their contracts — said they see no reason the team can’t right the ship in a season or two.“Like we’ve seen with other teams, things can turn around pretty quickly,” Toews said.Said Kane: “You can win and still be in a rebuild. I think there are teams that have accelerated that, too, right?”Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, left, and center Jonathan Toews argue with the referees on Feb. 5, 2020, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Davidson said he read those comments and “that’s definitely a perspective of the player that I don’t think anyone should be surprised about. They’re in it to win that night and the next night and as soon as possible.”AdvertisementBut Davidson held fast Tuesday to the long-term goal.“We’re looking at it organizationally and building sustained success rather than getting somewhere as quickly as possible and then topping out before we really reach that level we want to get to,” he said. “If it takes a bit longer than the players wish, not everything can align perfectly with their perspectives and ours. “But we’re going to do this right, we’re going to build it the right way … and not rush anything for a quick run. We want to do this right and stay at a top level.”“If it takes a bit longer than the players wish — not everything can align perfectly with their perspectives and ours, but we’re going to do this right, we’re going to build it the right way.”—Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson on players’ beliefs about a quick rebuild pic.twitter.com/sqRpqW5eWX— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) May 3, 2022
Not surprisingly, that was the topic of the first couple of questions. Why hire former Cubs assistant GM Jeff Greenberg, who has no professional experience in hockey, as one of your top two lieutenants? Davidson named Greenberg an associate GM, the same title as Norm Maciver.Such a move would invite skepticism for even a seasoned NHL personnel chief, but it’s bonkers for a first-time GM to do it, right?AdvertisementNot the way Davidson sees it.[ [Don’t miss] Blackhawks continue sweeping changes by firing assistant coaches Marc Crawford and Rob Cookson ]“The systems and processes (baseball teams) have set up — specifically the Cubs in Jeff’s case — were things that really appealed to me and I saw great value in,” he said.Davidson wants Greenberg to break down the Hawks’ analytics — how they’re collected and disseminated — and revolutionize that process using the Cubs’ proprietary system as a template. That system played a role in the Cubs winning the 2016 World Series.“And it’s not necessarily about baseball versus hockey or what he’s going see on the ice versus anyone else in hockey,” Davidson said. “It’s more so how do they make decisions in baseball. … They’re just much more efficient in gathering information in how to synthesize and use that information based on player evaluation, on how to enhance player development.“So those are the types of things we want to bring into hockey that we don’t have right now.”“What he brings is a improvement to our decision-making process and a sophistication to our information gathering that we just don’t have right now.”—Kyle Davidson to @johndietzdh’s question about skeptics who wonder how “baseball guy” Jeff Greenberg can help the Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/lKUPk3VxbE— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) May 3, 2022
Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.The two franchise leaders have no choice but to go along with the rebuild — unless they want to waive their no-movement clauses and seek greener pastures.AdvertisementBut that would mean leaving the only NHL team they’ve played for. The question for Davidson is does he want to risk having a couple of Stanley Cup veterans around possibly grousing about not making the playoffs if the rebuild starts wearing on them.[ [Don’t miss] Alex DeBrincat ponders his future with the Blackhawks — as well as life without Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews ]On the other hand, Davidson said, they bring a significant “amount of experience, the understanding of what it takes to be a good professional.”“There’s definitely a place for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane moving forward,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any question about that.”How they’ll fit into the master plan is “part of the dialogue that we’re having and being very honest with how we see their role,” he continued, but “it’s not solved with one conversation.”Davidson made clear during those talks what to expect. He said each player’s exit interview “was the first time we talked more at length. But the message isn’t new, so it wasn’t a tough conversation. It was healthy, it was open.”
The Chicago Cubs are being cautious with catcher Willson Contreras.After a day off Monday, Contreras was not in Tuesday’s lineup against the White Sox at Wrigley Field. He is banged up but it’s “nothing serious,” according to manager David Ross. Contreras is considered day to day and was available to hit off the bench.AdvertisementRoss declined to provide specifics on what is ailing Contreras. Asked whether it’s a lower- or upper-body injury, Ross replied, “Mid.” Contreras started at designated hitter Saturday in Milwaukee and did not play Sunday.[ [Don’t miss] David Robertson has been lights out for the Cubs after coming back from a potentially career-ending injury ]“He’s got a little something going on and trying to just keep it under wraps for competitive advantage stuff,” Ross said Tuesday.AdvertisementLeft-hander Drew Smyly was scratched from Tuesday’s start and placed on the bereavement list. Players must spend at least three days and up to seven on the list.The Cubs opted for a bullpen game to begin the City Series with reliever Scott Effross getting the start. The bullpen entered Tuesday leading the majors with 115 strikeouts and 11.33 strikeouts per nine innings.Rookie reliever Ethan Roberts knew Friday that trying to pitch through shoulder inflammation no longer would work.Roberts realized when he couldn’t execute his fastball glove side to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich — and when the pitch’s velocity was below average — that fighting through the issue every pitch wasn’t a viable approach. He had to tell the Cubs what he had been dealing with for two weeks.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Roberts didn’t bounce back well in his first back-to-back outings Thursday in Atlanta and Friday in Milwaukee.“You want to be out there all the time, you want to try and help your team,” Roberts told the Tribune. “I‘ve got to do something about it. As much as I didn’t want to, I kind of had to.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: It’s hard to get too excited for the return of the City Series during a gloomy Chicago spring ]Roberts won’t blame his inconsistency in his last few appearances on the shoulder issue. While it may have affected his ability to finish a pitch where he needed it, he also believes he could have made a lot better pitches regardless.“I could definitely tell that in my last one I was backing up sliders bad, I was pulling sliders bad,” Roberts said. “I couldn’t throw a fastball — trying to go glove side inside on Yelich and they were two feet outside, so that was the stinker for me. But everything leading up to that, like, I chose to do that and I take the results for it.”AdvertisementThis is the first time in his professional career that Roberts, 24, is on the injured list. He officially was put on the 10-day IL on Sunday.Roberts described the problem as a mix of tightness and shoulder fatigue. The treatment plan involves no throwing and receiving daily soft-tissue treatment to loosen the area until the inflammation calms down.“That last game (Friday), I came in and I usually just kind of grab my jersey and pull it off over my head, and I can’t do that with my right arm,” Roberts said. “So after that, I knew I had to go (tell them).”