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A pair of dismal defeats at home showed the Chicago Bulls the limits of their star duo: DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine can do a lot, but they can’t do it all.The Milwaukee Bucks defense clamped down on DeRozan and LaVine in Games 3 and 4 of the first-round playoff series, holding them to 26 and 47 combined points. That’s a steep drop from their combined average of 52.3 points during the regular season.AdvertisementThe Bulls can’t beat the Bucks without their stars performing at their best. But DeRozan and LaVine are being held back even further by a lack of shooting from the Bulls supporting cast.“One guy isn’t going to beat them,” LaVine said. “They were crowding the paint, and once I break that first line of defense, they were sending guys into the lane and not letting me and DeMar try to beat them.”AdvertisementDeRozan set a personal postseason record in Game 2 with 41 points in the Bulls’ only win of the series. After making his final basket with 18.2 seconds left, DeRozan collapsed onto the court, visibly spent by the effort of producing 36% of the team’s offense.Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) is surrounded by teammates after hitting a shot over Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo late in the second half of Game 2 on April 20, 2022, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)But the Bucks didn’t give DeRozan a chance to repeat that feat in two games at the United Center. He scored only 11 points in Game 3 as the Bucks pushed him away from his spots. The Bucks rarely utilize a trap on either DeRozan or LaVine, but the swiftness of their help defense allowed them to keep DeRozan out of sync throughout both games.DeRozan said he wasn’t angry about his lack of adjustment, but the Bucks pressure clearly flummoxed him and the rest of the Bulls.[ [Don’t miss] Bulls on the brink of elimination after losing again to the Bucks: ‘I’m not particularly ready to go home’ ]“I wasn’t frustrated at all,” DeRozan said after the Game 3 loss. “I knew they were going to make adjustments. What adjustments that was going to be, I didn’t know beforehand. By the time I kind of got a feel for it, they had it rolling.”Bench and supporting players are crucial to maintaining offensive production when defenses key on a star like DeRozan. But that secondary production has been relatively nonexistent for the Bulls in this series — and for much of the regular season.The Bulls bench ranked last in the league in nearly every meaningful offensive category, including points per game, field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage. The unit is averaging 14.3 points in this series despite significant garbage time in Game 3 and Alex Caruso’s injury absence for the second half of Game 4.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Grayson Allen feeds off boos from Bulls fans — and Bucks teammates — in a sizzling Game 4 performance ]Meanwhile, reserve guard Grayson Allen was the star for the Bucks in Games 3 and 4, popping off the bench to score 49 points with 11-for-14 shooting behind the arc.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.These shortfalls are exacerbated by the fact the entire Bulls roster — starters included — isn’t shooting well.AdvertisementDonovan noted that the Bulls created 19 chances in Game 4 for corner 3-pointers — one of the highest-percentage shots — but made only five of them. The Bucks, in comparison, made four of their five corner 3s.Bucks guard Grayson Allen (7) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) slap hands in the second half of Game 4 on April 24, 2022, at the United Center. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)“You have to make some shots,” Donovan said. “I think that our inability to make some jump shots deflated us. When they’re kind of packing the paint, we’ve got to forget it. We’re going to have to take some of those shots.”Bench depth never was a strong suit for this Bulls roster, and Lonzo Ball’s injury deepened the disparity. Caruso’s potential absence in Game 5 only would worsen the problem.This might not be an issue the Bulls can fix without making roster changes, but the difference in bench units will decide this series. Whether it’s Coby White heating up from 3-point range or Ayo Dosunmu coming alive, the Bulls need a secondary spark. Without it, the Bucks will be free to hang all over DeRozan and LaVine.DeRozan knows his role is to lead off the court as well as on it. Even on the heels of two blowouts, he said he’s emphasizing belief in his teammates as the Bulls head back to Milwaukee for Game 5 on Wednesday.“You can’t show panic,” DeRozan said.

As franchise cornerstones, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews — and their final seasons under contract — suck up so much oxygen in the Chicago Blackhawks’ atmosphere that it’s easy to overlook that, come next season, Alex DeBrincat will play out the end of his deal too.DeBrincat has one last season at $6.4 million before he becomes a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.AdvertisementThe 40-goal scorer, who doesn’t turn 25 until December, would seem like a no-brainer to negotiate an extension with before he breaks the bank. But a three- to five-year rebuild means nothing is guaranteed about the Hawks’ new formula for constructing a winner.And much depends on DeBrincat’s appetite for continuing his relationship here.Advertisement“I’m open to anything,” said DeBrincat when asked whether he’d be receptive to an extension. “We’ll see what they’re thinking. I think they have a lot of things to do probably before me. But I’m open to talking whenever they are, so we’ll see where it goes.”“That’s their decision, that doesn’t really affect me. I’m still young, I want to help bring this team to the playoffs and win.”—Alex DeBrincat on whether he’s talked to Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews about next season pic.twitter.com/DcpDNphcSc— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 25, 2022

For now, he’s focused on finishing the final three games of the season on a high note, then huddling with general manager Kyle Davidson and the Hawks brass about expectations for next season.“This offseason, I just want to work on everything,” DeBrincat said. “Keep getting a better shot, get footwork up and stuff like that. I think I’ll take a couple days after the season to reflect and see what I need to work on.”DeBrincat has ruled out playing for the U.S. national team at the IIHF Men’s World Championship in Finland.“No, not this year,” he said. “I have a kid coming soon so probably not in my cards. Maybe another year.”The Hawks are coming to a crossroads with team leaders Kane and Toews, who are signed through the end of next season, but have yet to elaborate on their plans or wishes beyond then — provided they don’t want to be traded even sooner.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.DeBrincat said he hasn’t had those discussions with them.Advertisement“We’ll talk maybe a little in the future, but that’s kind of their decision. It doesn’t really affect me,” he said. “I’m still young. I want to help bring this team to the playoffs and win. I’m here to do whatever I can and obviously try to help win games.“If that’s the rebuild next year, hopefully help some of the young guys come in and feel comfortable and (accelerate) that rebuild.”Since DeBrincat’s rookie season in 2017-18, the Hawks have finished last or second to last in the Central Division every season except last season’s sixth-place finish (of eight), when the NHL modified the divisions and played a 56-game schedule because of COVID-19.He has played in the postseason in 2019-20 — and that’s because the league expanded the playoff format after the pandemic pause.The losing gets frustrating, DeBrincat said, “but you’ve got to work for what you get. So hopefully we can work these next couple years, get a good roster and win some games. Anytime you can win games, you have more fun in the locker room, more fun in the year.“These next couple years, we can build that identity to get back to where we want to be and hopefully it’s sooner than later,” he said.

Alex Caruso could miss Game 5 of the Chicago Bulls’ first-round playoff series after being placed in concussion protocol.Caruso took an inadvertent blow to the face from Milwaukee Bucks guard Jevon Carter in the second quarter of Sunday’s Game 4 loss. Carter’s arm swiped across Caruso’s face as he drove by the defender and appeared to make contact twice. The contact caused Caruso’s nose to bleed, which required several minutes of clean up before he could return to the game.AdvertisementAlthough Caruso insisted on playing through the quarter, coach Billy Donovan said the guard was visibly in pain and exhibited concussion symptoms in the locker room, which resulted in his removal from the game.Following further tests, Caruso was placed in concussion protocol Monday. Donovan said Caruso will be “day-to-day” as he continues to test, and the Bulls medical staff is unsure when he will be approved for contact again.Advertisement“Now it’s about how soon does he start to not have symptoms anymore before he can get back in play,” Donovan said. “His availability in Game 5 right now is up in the air.”[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bulls playoff schedule — with times and TV — for 1st-round series vs. Milwaukee Bucks ]Losing Caruso would be a blow to the Bulls as they face elimination against the Bucks on Wednesday, who currently hold a 3-1 lead with home court advantage. Caruso started as the Bulls point guard throughout the series and in the final stretch of the regular season. He has been sidelined for long swathes of this season due to injuries, including a broken wrist and back spasms. Rookie Ayo Dosunmu typically has filled in in Caruso’s absence.Besides missing a starting guard, the Bulls also lose their sharpest defensive edge without Caruso on the perimeter. Defense is a necessity for the Bulls, as they’ve averaged only 94 points per game in the series.Donovan said the Bulls expect to reassess Caruso Tuesday before the team heads up to Milwaukee to prepare for Game 5.

The NFL draft begins Thursday night and, boy, do the Chicago Bears have a rebuilding job ahead of them. But without any first-round picks and only six selections to work with, new general manager Ryan Poles will have his work cut out for him.As the draft draws near, our team of Bears writers weighs in on four timely topics.AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 30Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of George Halas, took over as majority owner of the Chicago Bears in 1983. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Brad Biggs: A non-starter.The Bears need volume. They’ve got needs across the board on both sides of the ball, so bundling multiple picks to move into the first round worth much of a discussion. They’re much better off using both of their second-round picks or even sliding down a little and adding more selections. Of course, that would require finding the right trade partner.AdvertisementColleen Kane: Probably not the best option.We don’t know Poles’ draft tendencies yet, so a trade up is certainly possible. But listening to some of his comments over the last couple of months, it would seem a trade back down could be more likely. Poles only has six picks to work with this year, one of which he acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers in the Khalil Mack trade.When asked how his assessment of what he could get on Day 2 of the draft played into the Mack trade, Poles said, “It puts us in range of really good players. And at the same time, that also allows us to maneuver a little bit. Because we don’t have a ton of picks, so if there is a way to create more, we’ll be open to that.”Poles’ cautious approach in free agency has left him with many holes to fill. It also indicated he has a meter for when and when not to be aggressive, and perhaps that will extend to the draft.[ [Don’t miss] Will the Bears try to move into the 1st round? Brad Biggs’ NFL mock draft 2.0. ]Dan Wiederer: Improbable. As it stands, the Bears have only 63 players presently under contract and are working to build their roster up to 90 in the coming weeks. They have needs across all three phases and at just about every position, and enter draft week with only six picks — two second-rounders, a third, a fourth and two in the fifth. It’s far more likely Poles will trade down in either Round 2 or Round 3, adding picks to his collection, than it is that he would make an aggressive move up.Draft weekend is always unpredictable and full of hope. That’s the charm of the whole extravaganza. So for a few more days it’s fine to dream of the Bears vaulting upward with Poles making sure his first draft pick as a GM comes in the first round. But prepare for Thursday night to be uneventful at Halas Hall, a tracking experience in the team’s draft room as Poles and his staff ready themselves for a momentous Night 2.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 120Injured Bears quarterback Justin Fields walks the field on Jan. 2, 2022, before the home finale against the Giants at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Biggs: George Pickens.AdvertisementHe had some injuries at Georgia, but when he was on the field, he was a big-play machine. He’s got a chance of going in the back end of the first round, so in terms of really intriguing targets, how about North Dakota State’s Christian Watson? He’s 6-foot-4, 208 pounds and was timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.36 seconds. Add in a 38 ½-inch vertical jump and Watson is a dynamic athlete who could emerge as a top playmaker.The Bears will not find a polished future No. 1 wide receiver in the second round. But they could find a player with the skills to develop into that type of producer down the road.Kane: John Metchie III.Metchie, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound receiver from Alabama, is coming off a torn ACL in December and also played through injuries in 2020. Some draft analysts think those injuries and durability concerns could mean he’s available to the Bears at their second or third picks at Nos. 48 and 71. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes Metchie could be a “great value pick” if he drops after he totaled 96 catches for 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games before his knee injury.Bears coach Matt Eberflus played for Alabama coach Nick Saban for a season in college at Toledo, so I wonder if he puts extra stock in an evaluation like this from Saban: “This guy is the epitome of what you look for in a wide receiver. He is tough. He plays hurt. He plays physical. He gets open. He makes catches. He makes plays. He never complains.”Georgia wide receiver George Pickens is another intriguing receiver who might come at a value after he missed most of last season with a torn ACL. I’m interested to see if the Bears think either is worth the risk.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: David Montgomery is embracing change at Halas Hall. How will the Chicago Bears running back fit the new scheme? ]Wiederer: John Metchie III.Metchie is likely to be available for the Bears with either of their two second-round picks and could even slip into Round 3 in a receiver class loaded with talent and depth. Coming off a December ACL tear, Metchie’s medical chart will be incredibly important for the Bears to scrutinize. (He also had ankle surgery after his sophomore season in 2020.) And he may need to ease back into practice later this summer at a rate that contending teams in need of receiver help might not have the patience for. But the Bears are in patient mode right now, building for the future more than they are pushing to win right away. So they’d have a luxury in blending Metchie into their offense at whatever rate makes most sense.Metchie is only 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds. And his speed and athleticism isn’t extraordinary. But as Ryan Poles looks for players with proven playmaking ability, Metchie checks those boxes with a Sharpie. He has shown an advanced understanding of how to feel out defenses. His route running is crisp. And last season he had 96 catches, 1,142 yards and eight touchdowns before missing almost three quarters of the SEC Championship Game plus Alabama’s two games in the College Football Playoff.ESPN senior draft analyst Todd McShay appreciates Metchie’s grit.“Metchie does all the dirty work,” McShay said. “Over the middle. On third downs, when you have to rely on a receiver, he finds a way to separate and get open. He made a lot of tough catches and I think he’s a lot better after the catch than people give him credit for.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 46Players stretch during warmups at Bears minicamp at Halas Hall on April 20, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Biggs: Offensive and defensive lines.AdvertisementThat’s especially true if you are putting stock in what GM Ryan Poles has said — and what he’s tried to accomplish so far. Maybe there is a receiver in the second round the Bears feel like they have to grab, but Poles has spoken on the record about upgrading the offensive line and thus far the only move (beyond depth signings) has been signing center Lucas Patrick. The biggest move Poles attempted to make was signing defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi before that deal was nixed. That’s enough to lead me toward the trenches when looking at what Poles could do. From there, I think the Bears look at their draft board and determine what stands out most — a wide receiver or a cornerback. Both are real needs. There’s likely going to be a greater supply of available receivers at that point.Kane: Wide receiver and cornerback.However, there is a possibility Poles, a former Boston College offensive lineman, might disagree with me. Shortly after the Bears introduced Poles this winter, he spoke of his priorities for building around quarterback Justin Fields, indicating that starts with the offensive line.Speaking of the Cincinnati Bengals’ offseason plan last year, Poles said he might have gone with offensive tackle Penei Sewell rather than wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase at pick No. 5, even though the Bengals’ choice also worked out. So we could see Poles target an offensive lineman on Day 2, given they still have a need for a starting guard to replace James Daniels, who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and could have questions at either tackle spot.[ [Don’t miss] As Roquan Smith gets acquainted with a new regime, he ‘absolutely’ wants to stay with the Chicago Bears long term ]But the Bears also have big needs at wide receiver and cornerback. The good news is the Bears have two second-round picks and a third-rounder to address those needs.AdvertisementWiederer: Sing it with us now. Get. Justin. Help.The mission to catalyze Justin Fields’ development is ongoing. And this week that means a first-time general manager must work to plug holes in his offense, both up front on the offensive line and at receiver. After all seven rounds of the draft are complete and Poles and his staff have combed through the flea market of undrafted free agency, the Bears should be hoping that they have united with a handful of potential starters on offense. They need to be aggressive in landing a playmaking receiver or two for Fields to throw to. Increased offensive line stability is never a bad thing either, with Poles certain to consider possible upgrades at tackle or on the interior of the line.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 24New Bears coach Matt Eberflus and new general manager Ryan Poles pose with a helmet after being introduced on Jan. 31, 2022, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Biggs: Focused on clearing out cap space and roster spots for the future.The Bears were bargain shoppers in free agency and that did not come as a surprise. They’re hopeful a handful of players signed to short-term contracts will emerge as good fits moving forward and earn second contracts.The Bears will have some big contracts coming off the books by 2023 — and they’ll also be whole with draft capital. Poles didn’t inherit a rehab project for a weekend warrior. It’s going to require time, some shrewd moves and then development by the coaching staff. The Bears will certainly be able to attract free agents after the draft with the pitch that they will be able to compete for playing time. There’s still a lot of work to do and judging the roster work to this point is a little premature.Kane: Just the beginning.AdvertisementPoles’ biggest offseason moves so far were trading Khalil Mack to the Chargers and opting not to sign defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to a $40.5 million deal because of a failed physical. Poles has made some interesting short-term signings of players with something to prove, including linebacker Nicholas Morrow, wide receiver Byron Pringle and slot cornerback Tavon Young. And he will make some key additions in the draft and likely sign more free agents in the months to come.But for a Bears team in need of talent, there is a long way to go. Poles has been clear that getting the roster the way he wants it — given salary-cap restrictions and limited draft capital this year — is going to take time. And while patience may not come easily for Bears fans looking for big changes from the Ryan Pace era, Poles’ work will be better judged in about 13 months when he has been through two free agencies and drafts.Wiederer: Nondescript. But necessarily so. Poles inherited a roster that had aged and declined and was lacking top-tier talent in too many areas. His stated goal from the outset was to rebuild through the draft as much as possible while avoiding the temptation to seek out high-priced free agents or other convenient quick fixes. That’s why this becomes such a critical week.Since taking over at Halas Hall in January, Poles’ biggest transactions have been the players he has gotten rid of (Khalil Mack, Eddie Goldman, Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) or opted not to re-sign (Allen Robinson, James Daniels and Akiem Hicks). A big swing at defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi wound up being a foul tip after the Bears backed out of a three-year, $40.5 million deal because of unexpected results from Ogunjobi’s team physical. The Bears’ biggest roster addition to this point this offseason? Receiver Byron Pringle, who signed a one-year, $6 million deal. Ho-hum, right?

General manager Ryan Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and their staffs could spend their first draft night with the Chicago Bears on the sideline.The Bears don’t have a first-round draft pick Thursday after former general manager Ryan Pace traded it last year to move up for quarterback Justin Fields. So unless Poles engineers another trade, the Bears will spend the night watching the board unfold and plotting their Day 2 moves, which include two second-round picks and a third-rounder.AdvertisementHere’s what you need to know about this year’s draft.Round 1 will kick off at 7 p.m. CT Thursday, followed by Rounds 2-3 at 6 p.m. Friday and Rounds 4-7 at 11 a.m. Saturday.AdvertisementLas Vegas — originally scheduled to host in 2020 before COVID-19 made the draft a virtual experience — gets the stage this year. And what a visual show it will be, with the Strip anchoring the events and a red-carpet stage at the Fountains of Bellagio.The main stage for the draft is next to Caesars Forum and behind the High Roller observation wheel.Portions of the Strip will be closed to vehicular traffic, which is a big deal in Vegas — usually reserved for New Year’s Eve and for the city’s marathon.As it stands, the Bears have the following selections:2nd round: No. 392nd round: No. 483rd round: No. 715th round: No. 1485th round: No. 1506th round: No. 186The draft will be on NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes from Thursday-Saturday.Rich Eisen leads the NFL Network team, which also includes Daniel Jeremiah, Charles Davis, Ian Rapoport, Melissa Stark and more.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] The Chicago Bears promised to get help for Justin Fields. So what are the odds of a reunion with WR Chris Olave? ]For the first two nights on ABC, Rece Davis, Todd McShay, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Sam Ponder, Jesse Palmer, Suzy Kolber, Laura Rutledge and Robert Griffin III will be among the analysts and reporters covering the event. Mike Greenberg, Mel Kiper Jr., Louis Riddick, Booger McFarland and Chris Mortensen will lead the ESPN coverage. The ESPN broadcast will be simulcast on ABC on Saturday.Kiper, the 61-year-old analyst who has appeared on ESPN’s draft coverage every year since 1984, will be working from his Maryland home because he’s not vaccinated. NFL reporter Adam Schefter will not cover the draft because he will be attending his son’s college graduation.Most analysts agree the Bears are most in need of offensive linemen, wide receivers and cornerbacks as they enter Poles’ first draft.AdvertisementIn Brad Biggs’ first Tribune mock draft, he suggested the Bears could pick Alabama cornerback Josh Jobe and wide receiver John Metchie III with their second-round selections. Biggs’ second mock draft sent Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith and Florida cornerback Kaiir Elam to the Bears in the second round. Check back for Biggs’ third mock draft this week.In ESPN’s three-round mock draft, Kiper and McShay had the Bears take Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green, Elam and Kentucky defensive end Josh Paschal.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 30Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of George Halas, took over as majority owner of the Chicago Bears in 1983. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Some of the most notable moves Poles made in his low-key first few months were letting go of former Bears players. He traded Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers, let Allen Robinson, Akiem Hicks, James Daniels and Bilal Nichols go into free agency, and released Eddie Goldman, Danny Trevathan and Tarik Cohen.After nixing the Larry Ogunjobi deal because of a failed physical, Poles’ biggest additions have been center Lucas Patrick, defensive tackle Justin Jones, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, wide receiver Byron Pringle, linebacker Nicholas Morrow and backup quarterback Trevor Siemian. But the GM still has a lot of roster spots to fill.Read about all the Bears moves so far here.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 120Injured Bears quarterback Justin Fields walks the field on Jan. 2, 2022, before the home finale against the Giants at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)This will be the third time in four years the Bears haven’t had a first-round pick.AdvertisementPace sacrificed the pick last year to get Fields at No. 11 and also traded up to pick offensive tackle Teven Jenkins at No. 39. Pace also traded the Bears’ first-round picks in 2019 and 2020 to acquire Mack.The Bears’ top picks in 2020 were second-rounders Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson, as well as fifth-rounders Darnell Mooney, Trevis Gipson and Kindle Vildor. In 2019, the Bears’ first pick was third-rounder David Montgomery, and the only other player from that five-person class still with the Bears is cornerback Duke Shelley.[ [Don’t miss] Chicago Bears Q&A: Is there a position no one is talking about to target in Round 2? Who is playing left tackle to start minicamp? ]Before that, inside linebacker Roquan Smith, quarterback Mitch Trubisky, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and wide receiver Kevin White were Pace’s first four first-round picks. Smith, the No. 8 pick in 2018, is the only one of those four still with the team.[ [Don’t miss] As Roquan Smith gets acquainted with a new regime, he ‘absolutely’ wants to stay with the Chicago Bears long term ]There are a few — but mostly in later rounds. Here are some key names to watch for. (Projections based on a consensus of seven-round mock drafts by The Athletic, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com and Sporting News)S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame, 1st roundDT Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma (Lake Park), 1st-3rdWR Alec Pierce, Cincinnati (Glenbard West), 2nd-4thS Kerby Joseph, Illinois, 3rd-5thDT John Ridgeway, Arkansas (Bloomington), 3rd-6thRB Kyren Williams, Notre Dame, 4th-5thWR Kevin Austin, Notre Dame, 4th-7thQB Jack Coan, Notre Dame, 4th-7thLB Jack Sanborn, Wisconsin (Lake Zurich), 4th-7thOT Vederian Lowe, Illinois (Rockford Auburn), 5th-7thC Doug Kramer, Illinois (Hinsdale Central), 7th-FALB Jake Hansen, Illinois, 7th-FAP Blake Hayes, Illinois, 7th-FADE Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, Notre Dame, 7th-FAOT Andrew Rupcich, Culver-Stockton (McHenry), 7th-FACOVID-19 disrupted the draft process the last two years.AdvertisementIn 2020, the NFL and its teams conducted the draft virtually, with general managers and coaches working from home to make picks. Last year in the pre-draft process, the NFL canceled the scouting combine and didn’t allow in-person prospect visits. Teams were allowed back in their facilities to draft, but there were some restrictions for teams that didn’t have fully vaccinated personnel.This year, the process mostly has been back to normal. The combine and in-person prospect visits returned, and the NFL dropped its COVID-19 restrictions in March. Barring an outbreak, the Bears should be able to operate as usual from their draft room at Halas Hall.Here are some fun NFL draft facts with a Chicago angle:Chicago hosted the festivities in 1938, 1942-43, 1951, 1962-64 and 2015-16. Before 2015, the draft had been held in New York. But after Chicago, the draft has traveled to Philadelphia, Dallas, Nashville, Tenn., and Cleveland.A University of Chicago halfback was the first player chosen in an NFL draft. The Eagles made Jay Berwanger the No. 1 pick on Feb. 8, 1936, during the nine-round event at Philadelphia’s Ritz-Carlton. Berwanger had won the inaugural Heisman Trophy and the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the best player in the Big Ten when the Maroons were members of the conference. But he never played a down in the NFL.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 15George Halas Jr., from left, Abe Gibron, former Chicago Bears player, and Phil Handler, line coach for the Bears, sit at the Bears table during the NFL draft Dec. 2, 1963, at the Sheraton Hotel in Chicago. (Eddie Wagner, Sr., Chicago Tribune)

MINNEAPOLIS — It’s tough to win when you don’t score many runs.That has been the case for the Chicago White Sox, who recently had a stretch of nine straight games in which they scored three runs or less.AdvertisementThat streak came to an end Sunday, but the Sox still dropped their seventh straight game with a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings at Target Field.Manager Tony La Russa sees a group that is pressing at the plate. Hitting coach Frank Menechino agrees.Advertisement“Right now the mental game is beating us, the mental part of the game is beating us down,” Menechino said before Sunday’s game. “And that can’t happen because when you’re not getting hits and not scoring runs and you start taking your at-bats to the field, that’s not good.“All of a sudden, runners are in scoring position, you hit the ball hard and you don’t get a hit and now the snowball effect starts happening. You’ve got to pull yourself together mentally first before you get out of this. You’ve got to take one at-bat at a time, you’ve got to be able to separate yourself from the results. Quality at-bats. Get back into it. But mentally, you’ve got to get back into the grind. You’ve got to be able to work, you’ve got to start making adjustments and that takes the mental part of the game.”The Sox entered Sunday slashing .189/.245/.302 in their last 11 games.Menechino said Sox hitters have been altering their swings during that stretch.Said Menechino: “A lot of guys, when it’s cold out, they don’t want to get jammed, they don’t want to hit it off the end of the bat. So now they’re altering their swings. You can’t do that.”Menechino said the Sox are seeing a lot sliders and off-speed pitches and have to do a better job hitting the ball the other ways.“You’re getting slider guys, you try to pull them, you’ve got no chance,” he said. “But when you’re not feeling good and you’re trying to do too much, the normal thing for hitters to do is ‘I want to get the head out, I want to feel hard contact. I want to barrel the ball.’ And the natural evolution to that is to think-pull, when it’s the opposite.“We’ve got to stay up the middle the other way. And that’s what has to happen or it’s going to stay like this.”AdvertisementMenechino pointed to the approach the team took April 13 against the Seattle Mariners as one to try to duplicate. The Sox hit three solo home runs against 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray in a 6-4 victory.The Sox had 10 hits in the win. That was the last time they had scored at least four runs in a game until Sunday.“That was a great job that night,” Menechino said. “You had such a good night against such a good pitcher who did really good against us (in the past) and you’re like, ‘OK, we accomplished that.’ I don’t know, you have to talk to the players, but sometimes after that high, is it cocky, is it ‘Oh, we got this?’ I don’t know. But the thing is, that approach works against everybody. Especially the way they want to pitch us. They know we can hit fastballs, so you know what, it’s time to make an adjustment.”Menechino thinks the hitters have been more aggressive this season, especially on fastballs.“Teams have recognized that and now they’re going to try to make us have patience, they’re going to tease us in and out of the zone, especially with off-speed,” Menechino said. “If you’re not taking your walks, you’re falling into their plan.”The Sox rank 29th in the majors with 33 walks.Advertisement“You have to be more selective and have a plan for what they’re doing to you,” Menechino said. “You’ve got to make adjustments. We have to make the adjustment now of what the other teams are doing to us and that starts where?” Menechino pointed to his head.“Mentally,” he said. “Take your base hits. Base hit them to death. The Cubs scored 21 runs (Saturday), one homer.“We have the ability to do that. We did it last year. I have some stuff I’m going to start focusing on with these guys. But we have to come mentally prepared.”

The Chicago Cubs dropped the series finale to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field, a 4-3 loss Sunday after breaking out the bats for a 21-0 win the day before. Here are three takeaways from the four-game series in which the Cubs went 1-3. Chicago Cubs pitcher Justin Steele (35) throws during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, April 24, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)The 25-year-old went just 5⅔ innings in two starts — both losses — against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday and the Pirates on Sunday, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and seven walks with only three strikeouts.AdvertisementSteele (1-2) struggled to control his four-seam fastball and slider early Sunday.“As the game went on, kind of lost command of my four-seam and started losing my breaking ball arm side,” Steele said. “I felt like it was a bunch of deep counts.”AdvertisementThe Cubs pulled him after three innings after he gave up three runs on four hits with four walks and two strikeouts.“I think I was kind of getting tired,” Steele said. “My front side was leaking a little bit instead of staying back on my back leg and keeping my ear over the rubber. That’s something that really helps. When I’m doing those two things, I feel like I command the ball a lot better.”Steele started the season looking fairly strong, keeping the Milwaukee Brewers scoreless while fanning five batters April 9. He turned in a solid, 4⅓-inning performance at Colorado on April 14.“When he does find those moments of (being) not synced up, it’s finding a rhythm to get back to that,” Cubs manager David Ross said before the game. “Just continue to grow, be himself, I think is going to be key throughout the season. Making sure we’re there to support him through the ups and downs of being a major-league starter.”Fans cheer after Chicago Cubs outfielder Ian Happ (8) hit a home run during the eighth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates, April 24, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)Ross doesn’t mind that the Cubs rank toward the middle of the majors with 13 home runs.The Cubs have poured on the runs as steadily as April rain showers, tallying a league-leading 81 runs entering Sunday. Granted, roughly a quarter of that came in Saturday’s 21-0 beatdown of Pittsburgh.“No complaints,” Ross said. “Twenty-one and airtight defense.”That’ll do. But what the Cubs skipper really loved was the how.AdvertisementIn addition to being the largest shutout win since at least 1901, Saturday was the first time the Cubs piled on at least 21 runs with one or fewer home runs since a 24-2 win over the Boston Braves in 1945.“I like home runs,” Ross said. “Everyone likes home runs. But I think we’re built to be contact-based.“What I liked was it was (to) all fields. It was down the lines, beat some shifts there, finding holes. They made a couple mistakes. I feel like the barrel on the baseball puts a lot of pressure on the defense. A lot more things can go your way.”All nine starters recorded hits, starting on a single from outfielder Seiya Suzuki in the Cubs’ second at-bat of the game.The Pirates also provided a bit of help in the field with five errors over the weekend. The Cubs opened the scoring Sunday when Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes couldn’t get his glove on a bouncing grounder from Willson Contreras.There still is room for improvement, Ross said, even though the Cubs started Sunday with more hits (135) than any other team.Advertisement“We’re just going to have to continue to grind the at-bats, continue to grow and get better, get the ball in the air a little bit more at times,” Ross said.Ian Happ — who earlier in the week wore a shirt that said “Launch angle is overrated” — obliged Ross on Sunday with a home run to left-center that had a 23-degree launch angle.Chicago Cubs’ Michael Hermosillo watches his two-run double off Pittsburgh Pirates starter José Quintana in the second inning, April 22, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)The Cubs outfielder admitted he was relieved to notch his first hit of the season Friday night — a two-run double in a 4-2 defeat.The Ottawa, Ill., native snapped an 0-for-12 start at the plate with the double. He followed it up Saturday with a pinch-hit single.“It’s something hard to ignore,” Hermosillo told the Tribune on Saturday. “But I feel like my results, maybe not having the results of the play, but I’d had good at-bats. I wasn’t too concerned, it was more about continuing to get the opportunity and take advantage of it.“Definitely a little weight off the shoulders, but I definitely feel like there’s some other hits that could’ve (fallen) that just didn’t. Kind of just tried to stay with the process.”AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Hermosillo joked with teammates that he needed to keep the ball from Friday’s breakthrough as a souvenir.“You could tell he was relieved,” first baseman Frank Schwindel said Saturday. “He’s an awesome teammate and a great guy to have around.”The Cubs re-signed Hermosillo to a one-year, $600,000 deal after he made 16 appearances last season before a forearm strain cut his season short in September.Schwindel said Hermosillo had been putting in plenty of work behind the scenes during the slump.“The hardest thing to do is hit in the big leagues,” Schwindel said. “It’s even harder when you’ve got to come off the bench and do it or aren’t getting those starts every day. It’s great to see because his preparation is just as good as anybody. He’s in the (batting) cage, he’s watching video, he’s staying ready and doing everything he can to be ready for those moments.”AdvertisementGavin Good is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

MINNEAPOLIS — Lucas Giolito returned to the mound but the Chicago White Sox couldn’t return to the win column.The Sox let two late leads slip away and completed a dismal trip with a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings Sunday in front of 16,197 at Target Field.AdvertisementByron Buxton hit a game-ending three-run homer off closer Liam Hendriks, handing the Sox their seventh consecutive loss. It’s the team’s first seven-game losing streak since Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 2019.“We did some things but not enough of them and we got beat,” manager Tony La Russa said Sunday. “It’s a tough loss. We all shared in it. Final score with the whole road trip, we’re all part of it and we’ll all wear it.”AdvertisementThe skid started April 17 at home when the Sox dropped the series finale to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox then lost three in Cleveland and three more in Minnesota. According to the postgame notes, it’s the fist time the Sox have gone at least 0-6 on a single trip since April 29-May 5, 2008.“Just got to keep grinding it out,” said shortstop Tim Anderson, who went 2-for-5 with a home run. “Nobody is going to really give us anything. We’ve just got to keep competing.“It’s still early. We’ve got a whole season. We’ll take our punches now. Just keep chipping away. That’s all we can do, honestly.”Danny Mendick’s leadoff home run in the seventh gave the Sox a 3-1 lead. But reliever Aaron Bummer walked José Godoy to begin the bottom of the inning and Buxton followed with a two-run homer to tie the game.Mendick scored in the 10th on a two-out single by Yasmani Grandal to put the Sox back ahead.Hendriks, who La Russa said was dealing with some back stiffness, walked Godoy in the bottom of the 10th, giving the Twins runners on first and second with one out. With Buxton at the plate again, the runners advanced on a wild pitch.“There’s an option (with first base open),” La Russa said. “Pitch him tough. But the guy on deck (Luis Arraez) is hitting (.354) and he feasts on fastballs. You give a pitcher a chance to make a pitch. He tried to bounce a curveball, created second and third.Advertisement“Any time you load the bases you better have a significant advantage with the guy on deck. Because you’re playing right into his hands and the guy on deck is a tough out. We had a better chance to do what (Giolito) did to him the first couple times up (striking him out three times).”Buxton hit a 3-1 fastball 469 feet for the game-winning home run, continuing the Sox’s free fall.“The losses are significant and they’re tough to take,” La Russa said. “But this is the first month of a season so it’s important to figure out what they did, what we didn’t do and next time we face them make an adjustment, but get ready for Kansas City (on Tuesday).”There were not many positives for the Sox on a trip that saw struggles offensively and defensively, and an injury to left fielder Eloy Jiménez (right hamstring strain). But they did get Giolito back.The right-hander made his first start since opening day at Detroit, when he exited after four innings with an abdominal strain.He allowed one run on four hits with nine strikeouts and three walks in four innings Sunday.Advertisement“It took me a little bit to get going,” Giolito said. “It was kind of like a ramp up as the game went on, the fourth inning was the best I’ve felt this year.“I wanted to go out for the fifth, but I had a pretty strict pitch limit on me and I wasn’t efficient enough, unfortunately. I thought I threw the ball well.”Giolito struck out four of the final five batters he faced. He exited after 76 pitches and with the Sox ahead 2-1.But Buxton and the Twins found a way to spoil the return. The Sox look to regroup Tuesday against the Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field.“Use the off day (Monday) to our advantage and kind of hit the reset button,” Giolito said. “It’s very early in the season. At the end of the season, we’re going to have more than nine losses.“It’s unfortunate to take some in a stretch like this, but I just think with the group we have, we just come together and go play good baseball next week and set the tone there and keep building.”

Chicago Bears wide receiver Byron Pringle was arrested Saturday in Florida and charged with reckless driving and driving while his license was suspended, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report.Pringle was stopped in Wesley Chapel, Fla., north of Tampa, after an officer observed a cloud of smoke, the smell of burnt rubber and tire marks on the roadway “consistent with a vehicle performing ‘a donut,’” according to the arrest report.AdvertisementThe officer pulled over Pringle, who was driving an orange 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with an adult passenger in the front seat and a juvenile in the back. A check on Pringle’s license revealed it was suspended in February for “financial responsibility,” the report said.According to the report, Pringle ignored verbal commands to exit the vehicle and “then became verbally confrontational” before he was arrested at approximately 6:15 p.m. He was transported to the Pasco County Jail “without further incident.” Both charges are misdemeanors.AdvertisementTMZ first reported the news of Pringle’s arrest.The Bears in March signed Pringle to a one-year, $6 million contract with $4 million guaranteed. He was at Halas Hall last week for voluntary minicamp with new coach Matt Eberflus.He spent his first four years with the Kansas City Chiefs when new Bears general manager Ryan Poles was there. Pringle played in 46 games over three seasons, with 67 catches for 898 yards and seven touchdowns.A Bears spokesman said the team was aware of the arrest but didn’t have further comment.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers famously declared “I still own you” last October after beating the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.But now it appears Rodgers may have to work out a timeshare agreement of Chicago teams with Grayson Allen.AdvertisementThe Milwaukee Bucks reserve guard came to the United Center on Friday with a target on his back and dominated the Bulls in back-to-back games, putting them on the brink of elimination in their first-round series.Allen scored 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting, including 6-of-7 3-point attempts, in the Bucks’ 119-95 blowout victory in Game 4 Sunday, continuing his hot shooting from Friday when he scored 22 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo added 32 points and 17 rebounds in Game 4 as the Bucks showed their superiority over the Bulls.AdvertisementAnd Bulls fans can partially blame themselves for Allen’s sizzling shooting. After they loudly booed him March 4 at the United Center in response to Allen’s flagrant foul on Alex Caruso in a Jan. 21 game that sidelined the Bulls guard with a fractured wrist, Bucks players began booing Allen in practice as an inside joke.Suddenly a tradition was born.Jrue Holiday said Sunday it was “more fun booing Grayson” on the bench than watching him hit 3-pointers all afternoon.“It started off the fans booing him, but he be hooping when we boo him,” Holiday said. “So maybe it means something to him, some form of support. I’m still going to be booing the hell out of him.”Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen (7) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) slap hands in the second half against the Bulls at the United Center on April 24, 2022. The Bucks won 119-95 to take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)Whatever works.Before Friday Allen had a combined 44 points in nine career playoff games with the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Bucks, who acquired him last summer. But in his last two games in Chicago, Allen had a combined 49 points while shooting 75% (18-for-24) from the field and 79% (11-for-14) from behind the arc.“He wants the ball, he wants to be the guy that’s going to make shots, make plays,” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s not scared to make plays. He fits in really well with us.”Allen told the Tribune that the booing by Bulls fans doesn’t motivate him.Advertisement“I don’t know if I’m immune, but definitely used to it,” he said Friday with a grin.The former Duke star was even more lethal Sunday, and Bulls fans just shook their heads at the shooting display and his three steals. The Bucks joined in with the Bulls fans by booing him all afternoon.“They have so much fun doing it,” Allen said. “I think it’s funny. I think it’s honestly hilarious. They’ve kind of turned it into a fun thing, and it makes hearing it out there during the game a lot easier too.”Being at Duke provided the guard with an education in being verbally harassed by opposing fans. But thanks to the Caruso incident, booing Allen apparently has become a nonstop diversion for the Bucks.“Walk on the bus, ‘Boo,’” Allen said. “At the hotel, ‘Boo.’ About to watch film, ‘Boo.’ All the time. Wes (Matthews) probably does it the most. He thinks it’s the funniest.”Antetokounmpo said the bench’s booing during a 3-point play in Game 3 was iconic.Advertisement“Someone showed me a picture… and the whole bench was booing him,” he said. “I thought it was really funny. I thought, ‘He’s got to take that picture and frame it. That’s the definition of his career.’“But, hey, they (Bulls fans) did this. He’s played amazing. Maybe we’ve got to boo him even more. Maybe Milwaukee fans have got to boo him.”Antetokounmpo laughed and changed his mind.“No, we’re not going to do that,” he said. “But (we’re) being in the moment, enjoying the moment. And it’s fun.”Allen was talented but dogged by notoriety at Duke. The Caruso incident brought that reputation back to the forefront. Bulls coach Billy Donovan was livid, saying Allen’s flagrant foul could’ve ended Caruso’s career.Allen was widely criticized for not apologizing to Caruso afterward. The Bucks guard said Sunday he left phone messages and that ESPN’s J.J. Reddick falsely claimed Allen didn’t try to contact Caruso.Advertisement“I saw on J.J.’s podcast, he said I didn’t reach out, which I did try,” he said. “I tried two different ways and then when I saw (Reddick’s remarks) I got another number from somebody and tried to reach out again.“At that point, it’s not about me expecting a reply. It’s about me wanting to let him know. It’s something between me and him. I don’t expect a reply. I don’t think he would even want to (reply).”MIlwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen (7) brings the ball up as Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) pursues in the first half at the United Center on April 24, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)Allen seems polite and genial in person, the polar opposite of the player many Bulls fans love to hate.“I’d still say it’s not naturally comfortable for me,” he said of the attention. “But I am to the point now where anytime I’m out playing basketball I just remind myself to go out and have fun with it… It’s what I love to do.“The ultimate joy for me is just out there playing, play free. Still though, my personality is naturally uncomfortable with the attention — the booing, the heckling. It’s not something like I feed off of. I’m not going out searching for it like, ‘Oh, I love this.’ I just go out and have fun.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Game 4 started out like a bad case of déjà vu for the Bulls. They missed 10 of their first 15 shots and fell behind by nine points late in the first quarter. AdvertisementBut they trailed by only one early in the second quarter when Allen hit his second 3. He then made his third steal on the next Bulls possession, leading to another 3 by Pat Connaughton. The Bucks were off and running again, outscoring the Bulls 31-19 in the quarter. The Bulls had only one offensive rebound and no free-throw attempts in the first half.A finger roll by Antetokounmpo 2½ minutes into the third quarter gave the Bucks a commanding 22-point lead, but after Caruso was ruled out for the second half, the Bulls whittled the deficit down to eight with 61½ minutes remaining in the third. But the Bucks quickly regrouped, and when Allen sank his fifth 3 a little over a minute later, the lead was back up to 15, and never in doubt again.The Bulls shot 38.9% from the field (35-for-90) and 25% (9-for-36) from on 3-pointers. The only fight they showed came with 2:16 remaining when guard Zach LaVine had words with former Bulls forward Bobby Portis after Portis put LaVine in a one-armed headlock after a foul.But it was too late to get the crowd into it. Many had already headed for the exits.If the Bulls don’t win Game 5 Wednesday at Fiserv Forum, Bulls fans will have to wait until next season to boo Allen again.Or maybe they’ve finally learned their lesson.