Tag: Darnell Wright

Bears announce T.J. Edwards, Darnell Wright recipients of Brian Piccolo Award

Every year, the Bears select a veteran and rookie to honor with the Brian Piccolo Award. This year, it’s T.J. Edwards and Darnell Wright.

Courage. Loyalty. Teamwork. Dedication. A sense of humor. Those are just a few traits that described the late Brian Piccolo.

On Tuesday, the Bears announced linebacker T.J. Edwards and offensive tackle Darnell Wright as this year’s recipients of the Brian Piccolo Award. Each year, the Bears recognize a veteran and a rookie who best exemplify the traits Piccolo displayed during his time with the team.

Edwards finished up his first season in the navy and orange after he signed a three-year deal in free agency, coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles. He quickly became one of the team’s best defenders and formed a solid duo with Tremaine Edmunds, who also came over in free agency.

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In 2023, Edwards led the team with 155 tackles (eight for a loss), totaled 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and three interceptions. He was also one of the select players who joined presumptive No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams at dinner when he was in town for his top-30 visit.

Wright, meanwhile, was the top draft choice a year ago when he was selected No. 10 overall out of Tennessee. The hulking offensive lineman started as a rookie immediately at right tackle and started every single game. Though he allowed seven sacks on the season, Wright showed plenty of promise and is a building block for this offense going forward.

Piccolo is most known for his relationship with former Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, and their friendship was the spotlight of the film Brian’s Song, which has left a profound impact on many who have watched it.

Piccolo passed away after embryonal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of germ cell testicular cancer, had spread to his chest cavity. He was 26 years old. Still, Piccolo’s memory lives on through the stories told and an annual award that honors those traits that defined his character.

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Caleb Williams details his meeting with the Bears

Caleb Williams met with the Bears brass on Wednesday at the combine and he’s sharing what went down when he talked with them.

The Chicago Bears were only able to spend around 15-20 minutes with prospects at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, so there’s not much time to dive deep into what makes them tick, their characteristics, or how they will fit into a team’s offense or defense. But in Caleb Williams’ case, the Bears made sure to use their meeting time to work on recollection and see how he did memorizing NFL plays.

Williams spoke with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero about his experience at the combine and what it would mean to him to be picked first overall. The conversation then turned to his time with the Bears brass, who currently hold the No. 1 overall pick. Williams was pleased with their conversation and peeled back the curtain on what they did. “It was good, everybody was cool…it was really nice,” Williams said. “They were mainly testing me on my mentals and seeing how I would handle things and putting up a play on the board and 10 minutes later, 15 minutes later, asking me to recall it, things like that.”

Hearing Poles and the Bears front office quiz Williams during their brief time together isn’t surprising. The general manager did a similar test with last year’s first-round pick, Darnell Wright, and lauded the tackle’s mental recall ability. Quarterback is arguably the hardest position to play in sports. The ability to memorize and have quick mental recall is imperative when playing the position at the highest levels. Williams didn’t reveal how he did with the quiz, but the fact that he said things went well during the meeting should be viewed as a positive.

The former Heisman Trophy winner has been the talk of the combine and left a positive impression on Friday, even after he declined to partake in the medical exams. The Bears are doing their homework on him and could be closer to making a decision about whether to draft Williams, someone else, or stick with Justin Fields.

Bears RT Darnell Wright named to PFWA’s All-Rookie Team

Bears RT Darnell Wright is garnering recognition for his impressive rookie season.

The Chicago Bears appear to have found their franchise right tackle in Darnell Wright, who had an impressive rookie season where he proved to be one of the better offensive linemen on the team.

Wright, who was drafted 10th overall, started all 17 games for Chicago, where he earned a 62.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (second among rookie tackles). Wright’s run-blocking grade of 66.0 was the best among all rookies. He also earned a 61.3 pass blocking grade.

“He’s a really good football player right now,” Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said, via Audacy. “And I think he’s going to be a great football player.

“The sky’s the limit. If he stays hungry, which I think he will because I think he’s the ultimate competitor deep down, I think he’s got the chance to be special. And I’ve been around a lot of good ones. He’s got a chance to be that.”

Last year, left tackle Braxton Jones was also named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team. The fifth-round rookie started every snap at left tackle for Chicago, and he showed promise as a long-term starter.

One noticeable snub on the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team is cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who was one of the better rookie cornerbacks this season. He really came into his own during the latter half of the season, including tying for a team-best four interceptions.

Cornerback Jaylon Johnson was also named to PFWA’s All-NFC Team following a career year.

Two former Vols named to PFWA All-Rookie Team

Two former Vols named to PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Two former Vols were named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team Tuesday.

Darnell Wright and Byron Young were honored and Tennessee was one of seven schools to have multiple players named to the 2023 PFWA All-Rookie Team.

Wright, who plays for Chicago, was the SEC’s highest drafted offensive lineman in 2023 (No. 10 overall). He started 17 games for the Bears and played 99.6 percent of the team’s snaps, the most of any Chicago player.

Young, an edge rusher for the Los Angeles Rams, was drafted in the third round (No. 77 overall).

He helped Los Angeles reach the playoffs during his rookie campaign, totaling 61 total tackles, eight sacks, 19 quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Young was second among all NFL rookies in sacks.

A reminder of everything the Panthers stupidly traded to the Bears to draft Bryce Young

The Bryce Young No. 1 pick trade is already one of the worst in NFL history.

Monday saw the unceremonious firing of Frank Reich, who lasted just 11 games in the Carolina Panthers’ latest rebuild around Bryce Young. It’s apparent that Reich is probably just a scapegoat for owner David Tepper, who allegedly might have forced Young on a coaching staff that wanted no part of him.

And that’s what makes Reich’s firing so especially dangerous for Carolina.

Because Young is a No. 1 overall pick that doesn’t resemble anything close to a capable NFL starter. Now he’s going to be learning a second offense in two seasons after already drowning in Reich’s scheme. This is an unmitigated disaster for the Panthers, who traded a king’s ransom to the Chicago Bears just to select Young in last April’s NFL draft. So not only will Young be fighting an uphill battle, he’ll have fewer reinforcements coming than expected during this upcoming offseason.

Here’s an outline of everything the Panthers surrendered to the Bears in an awful trade for Young that might set the organization back for years:

To Bears:

To Panthers:

  • 2023 No. 1 overall pick (Bryce Young)

Would the Jaguars still pick Anton Harrison in 2023 NFL draft do-over?

In a re-draft at DraftWire, the Jaguars went a different direction with the No. 27 overall pick.

The Jacksonville Jaguars moved down twice in April and still landed their guy, Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison, with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. But would they do it again?

At DraftWire, they did a do-over of the first round after the first eight weeks of the 2023 season. With the Jaguars still picking 27th (they were originally set to pick 24th), they landed Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright instead in the re-draft. Harrison wasn’t selected at all in the first round.

In the real draft, Wright was selected 10th overall by the Chicago Bears. His 66.1 grade on Pro Football Focus is No. 1 among rookie linemen who have played at least half their team’s offensive snaps so far. Harrison has a 56.9 grade.

It’s not exactly a whiff for the Jaguars, though, as Wright was never on the board for them in the first place. However, Jacksonville passed on Ohio State’s Dawand Jones a few times before he was picked by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 111 selection in the fourth round.

In the DraftWire re-draft, Jones was taken sixth overall by the Arizona Cardinals. In his first seven career games, Jones has allowed two sacks and 12 pressures.

With the power of hindsight, the Jaguars probably could’ve waited a bit to get a quality right tackle a bit later. The quick improvements Harrison is making as a rookie should give them plenty of confidence they didn’t make a bad choice, though.

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6 things to know ahead of Bears vs. Raiders in Week 7

The Bears are looking to get back in the win column when they host the Raiders in Week 7. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the game.

Pessimism regarding the Chicago Bears is at a season-high following last week’s disappointing loss to the rival Minnesota Vikings.

Not only did the team fail to match their offensive splendor that they displayed in Week 5, but the Bears also lost quarterback Justin Fields to a thumb injury that may keep him out a few weeks. Any hopes of a miraculous playoff run are all but dead, and questions are once again being raised about the future prospects of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as well as Fields himself.

With so much ire polluting the air, it’ll be good to take a breath and look forward to next week’s matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The two teams have a surprising amount of connective tissue, from both starting signal-callers having various injury issues to a blockbuster trade that fundamentally changed the direction of their respective franchises.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of Bears vs. Raiders in Week 7.

5 biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Vikings in Week 6

The Bears are aiming to build a winning streak against the Vikings. Here’s a look at the biggest storylines for Week 6.

Week 6 is upon us, and it’s shaping up to be a good one. The Chicago Bears will host the Minnesotqa Vikings for Sunday afternoon action.

The two teams are surprisingly evenly matched, as Minnesota has fallen well short of the expectation they set following their 13-4 season that included a postseason berth. It’ll be a game of two explosive offenses, with two fittingly bad defenses that will allow the opposing offense to do their work.

Chicago has the chance to create a winning streak, and the Vikings have the opportunity to begin to right a disastrous start to the season. With so much at stake, there are bound to be interesting narratives to keep track of.

Let’s discuss the five biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Vikings in Week 6.

3 key matchups ahead of Bears vs. Vikings in Week 6

The Bears are looking to get a divisional win against the Vikings in Week 6. We breakdown some key matchups to watch.

The Chicago Bears square off in a divisional Week 6 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, and it’s shaping up to be one of the more exciting NFC North battles in a long while.

Justin Fields and the offense finally began to click, averaging 34 points in the past two games, and the defense took some big steps forward in getting sacks and turnovers. Conversely, the Vikings find themselves in an extremely winnable game, even without star receiver Justin Jefferson.

Whether the Bears win or lose, the game should be a fun one. Let’s go over every key matchup from the game and discuss what Chicago needs to do move up the ladder of the NFC North.

5 keys to a Bears victory over the Vikings in Week 6

The Bears take on the Vikings looking for their second straight win. Here are five keys to a Chicago victory.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up to host the rival Minnesota Vikings in Week 6, and it’s a tale of two 1-4 teams who have drastically different outlooks on their seasons.

Chicago is coming off a statement win against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football, which saw quarterback Justin Fields throw four touchdown passes, and the team is nearly at full strength as key players return from injury.

Minnesota, on the other hand, is falling well short of expectations following a 13-4 2022 campaign. And their most recent loss to the Chiefs was only made things worse when perennial All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson was placed on injured reserve this week. The Vikings are wounded, and they’re looking at the Bears as a real Viking would look at his prey after starving for days.

Despte the loss of Jefferson, the purple and gold will not give up the win easily. Chicago needs to succeed in five key categories in order to take down their divisional foe from the snow-capped north of Minnesota.

Let’s break down the five keys to a Bears victory against the Vikings in Week 6.