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Being who you thought we were since 2005!Log In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBearsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsThe Bears DenNotesXs and OsSuperfansNFL DraftFrom The Desk Of...NFL Draft2019 NFL Combine: Breaking down Day 1 of running backs Mike Ditka Jerseys 2019 , offensive line, special teamsNew,27commentsThe Bears certainly paid attention to the running backs in the first day of drills in Indianapolis.CSTShareTweetShareShare2019 NFL Combine: Breaking down Day 1 of running backs, offensive line, special teamsDid Devin Singletary do enough to boost his draft stock on Friday?Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsThe 2019 NFL Scouting Combine is officially underway, with Friday’s action kicking off the four-day event. The running backs and offensive linemen were the focal point of today’s workouts, with a handful of special teams players partaking in drills, as well. Considering their uncertainty at the running back position, the Chicago Bears had a lot to pay attention to in Indianapolis.So few special teamers are invited to the combine, and the drills they partake in don’t apply to skills that are truly useful for their respective positions. However, the Bears met with all three kickers—Matt Gay, Austin Seibert and Cole Tracy—and Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky ran a 4.63 40-yard dash, even though the time doesn’t matter too much. With Cody Parkey set to be released and Pat O’Donnell on track to enter free agency, Chicago could end up adding one of those prospects, whether it be as a draft pick or an underaged free agent.I had the fortunate opportunity to drive down to Indianapolis and attend drills again this year, and I managed to catch a lot of Friday’s action. These are my takeaways from the workouts at running back and offensive line.Offensive lineI missed the first group of offensive linemen, as I was standing in line to enter Lucas Oil Stadium while the workouts were taking place. That said, I don’t have much commentary to add for that group, but two players in particular put together great athletic profiles: Washington State’s Andre Dillard and North Carolina State’s Garrett Bradbury. Both Day 2 prospects on my board heading into today, I expected them to have solid outings, but they surpassed my expectations.The six-foot-five White Tom Waddle Jerseys , 315-pound Dillard ran an impressive 4.96 40-yard dash with a 1.69 10-yard split and a 4.4 20-yard shuttle. He was an athletic pass protector on the blind side for quarterback Gardner Minshew this year, and his athleticism was apparent in drills. Some see him as a first-round pick, and though I don’t agree with that from what I’ve currently seen, I still have some more of his tape I’d like to dig into. As for Bradbury, he entered the weekend as one of my favorite offensive line prospects, and that certainly didn’t change today. He tested incredibly well, complementing 34 reps on the bench press with a 4.94 40-yard dash with a 1.7 10-yard split. He reminds me a bit of James Daniels coming out last year, in that he’s an athletic and intelligent interior lineman who’s a bit on the smaller side—Bradbury is just under six-foot-three and weighs 306 pounds. With some added anchor strength, he can be a top-tier offensive lineman for years to come.Chicago might target a lineman late in the draft, but few of the Day 3 prospects truly stood out. The only player who fits under that billing who consistently impressed me is Northern Illinois’ Max Scharping. He looked quick and nimble in drills, showcasing good lateral agility and the ability to pull with quick feet and tight angles. Trey Pipkins from Sioux Falls also looked quick to me, which was encouraging, considering his small-school status. I haven’t been able to find tape of his, but I’m looking forward to watching him when something becomes available. Either of them project as swing tackles whom the Bears would be wise to target late on Day 3.My two favorite linemen in the second group were Alabama’s Jonah Williams and Kansas State’s Dalton Risner. Risner’s technique was textbook all day, as he looked refined in his balance, frame and movement. His feet were quick, his movements weren’t too long, and he showed off a powerful punch upon contact. Much debate will be had about whether Williams can play tackle at the next level or not—I think he definitely can, for what it’s worth—but he still has the potential to be a Pro Bowl lineman. His game relies more on intelligence, technique and athleticism than it does on nastiness, so the combine benefits someone with his skill set. He took advantage of that Tom Waddle Jerseys 2019 , showing off solid lateral movement, sharp angles when turning the corner and good speed, running a 5.12 40-yard dash. Both of those players will more than likely end up drafted in the first round.Ole Miss’ Greg Little started the season as a legit first-round pick on my board, but his stock has dropped a little bit since then. His stock will continue to decline after his combine outing, as he performed poorly in positional drills and ran disappointing 40-yard dashes and 20-yard shuttle times. His movements in lateral agility drills looked unnatural and long, and his form and balance looked poor when engaging with defenders. In a class where players like Dillard, Jawaan Taylor and Cody Ford have seen their stock rise since the end of the season, Little’s poor outing at the combine surely won’t help his case as teams look for other tackles to draft.Running backsThis year’s draft class is stacked with mid-round running back talent, which bodes incredibly well for the Bears. While some potential targets had disappointing outings, othersdid a great job of boosting their stock.Florida Atlantic running back Devin Singletary entered the day as one of the best runners in the class, but he put together disappointing measurements and numbers in drills. He measured in at five-foot-seven, shorter than his presumed five-foot-nine. His height certainly wasn’t boosted by his times in drills, as he ran a 4.66 40-yard dash at 203 pounds and put together surprisingly disappointing times in agility drills. Considering his elusiveness on tape, the fact that he failed to even post average times in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drills is underwhelming. He did look sharp in positional drills, though, so he will have to hope that those prevent his draft stock from dropping too much.Though he couldn’t participate in positional drills due to injury, Oklahoma State’s Justice Hilltested very well in the drills he did. He ran the fastest 40-yard dash time of the running back class with a 4.40, complementing that with a speedy 1.52 10-yard split and a 2.55 20-yard split. He also had a 40-inch vertical and a 10’10” broad jump, both fantastic marks for their respective drills. It would have been interesting to see him partake in positional drills, but he could potentially be a target for the Bears in the third or fourth round.One of the best performances of the day came from Penn State’s Miles Sanders. Saquon Barkley’s former backup ran very well and put together great outings in positional drills. He ran a 4.49 at 211 pounds, ran a great 6.89 three-cone drill and tested above average in the 20-yard shuttle White William Perry Jerseys , vertical jump, broad jump and bench press. He showed the ability to sink his hips and make precise cuts in drills, and his hands and route running were both reliable. With his compact frame and his blend of athleticism and power, he could be in play as early as Round 3 for Chicago.Several late-round runners put together great performances, too. Temple’s Ryquell Armstead ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at 220 pounds, he moved well in positional drills, and his hands looked reliable when he ran routes. Kansas State’s Alex Barnes added onto his incredible 34 bench press reps from Thursday with a 6.95 three-cone drill and a 4.1 20-yard shuttle at 226 pounds, which will do nothing but help his stock. Mike Weber from Ohio State ran a 4.47 40-yard dash, and he looked explosive in positional drills and showed off great lateral agility and good hip-sinking ability. Washington State’s James Williams only ran a 4.58 40-yard dash at 197 pounds, but he looked great in receiving drills and showed off the natural hands that are apparent on tape.Regardless of what the Bears do at the running back position, they will have more than enough options to choose from who could step in and contribute to their offense. LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears head into their final regular-season game with a shot at an opening-round bye and some extra rest for their first playoff appearance in eight years.Consider those sweet incentives for the NFC North champions.A victory at Minnesota combined with a loss by the Los Angeles Rams to the San Francisco 49ers would give the Bears the second seed in the conference and a bye.“You have to be realistic in some of this,” Coach Matt Nagy said Monday.Chicago and Los Angeles kick off at the same time. And if it becomes clear the Bears have little shot at catching the Rams, Nagy figures to ease up and start pulling his best players.But for now, he’s all-in.“We’re doing everything we possibly can to win,” Nagy said. “And then I think it’s one of those deals where as you go, you gotta just kind of get a feel for your own game. And you gotta get a feel of what’s going on in that game because … that other game does matter with the Rams.”It’s been a long time since games this late in the season mattered for the Bears (11-4).They had a chance to make the playoffs in 2013 — their first year under Marc Trestman — only to miss out at 8-8 after faltering down the stretch. They got shredded at Philadelphia 54-11 in Week 16 and closed with a loss to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in a finale for the division championship at Soldier Field.The Bears fired Trestman after finishing last in the NFC North at 5-11 the following year. They went 14-34 the next three seasons under John Fox and never escaped the bottom of the division.But a major overhaul in the offseason that included the hiring of Nagy and trade for Khalil Mack spurred a worst-to-first leap. They’re headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 team won the division on the way to the NFC title game.“Even though we have the playoffs locked up already, we want to finish strong and that’s our mindset,” quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said. “Inside the locker room, just continue to take every game and every opportunity to go out there and play together and take care of business.”The Bears are the No. 3 seed in the NFC, a game behind the Rams. But they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker after shutting down Jared Goff and Los Angeles’ high-powered offense in a 15-6 victory at Soldier Field on Dec. 9.If they don’t get the second seed William Perry Jerseys 2019 , they could wind up playing Minnesota in back-to-back weeks. The Vikings are sixth in the NFC and fighting to hang onto a playoff spot. But Nagy insisted the possibility of facing them the following week won’t impact his approach.That’s because the Bears have something at stake.“It’d be different if you couldn’t move at all,” Nagy said. “But the fact that you’re going here to win this game and do everything you can based on where we’re at now as we stand in this situation, you have to go about it that way. There’ll be some things maybe here or there that we’ll take a look at. But we’re just trying to keep this as normal as we possibly can, knowing that we’re going to (try to) win.”The Bears are rolling with eight wins in nine games, surviving a fight and a late fumble to beat San Francisco 14-9 on Sunday.Danny Trevathan made a key interception. A dominant defense kept the 49ers out of the end zone, and Nagy became the Bears’ first rookie coach to win 11 games.“We’re growing, we’re still growing and we’re also peaking,” Trevathan said.Notes: Nagy said he talked on the flight home with receivers Anthony Miller and Josh Bellamy, who were ejected for fighting after a sliding Trubisky was hit late by San Francisco’s Marcell Harris. “I’m not condoning what they did,” he said. But he acknowledged the play bothered the Bears, particularly since Trubisky missed two games with a shoulder injury after Minnesota’s Harrison Smith hit him as the quarterback was sliding. “It’s a violent game,” Nagy said. “And when you see your boy, teammate, friend or family member getting hit like that, especially weeks ago when something similar happened like that (happened), it’s natural,” Nagy said. “I don’t care what anybody says, it’s natural to protect your guy, and that’s what they did.” … Nagy is “cautiously optimistic” G Kyle Long (right foot) returns this week. The three-time Pro Bowl lineman suffered a tendon injury in Chicago’s win over the New York Jets on Oct. 28. … Nagy said the Bears will monitor WR Allen Robinson, who hurt his ribs making a diving 43-yard catch in the first quarter Sunday but returned to the game.