Camp!

First #Bears practice of the summer commences. pic.twitter.com/jCmZ51llm3

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) July 27, 2017

Pernell McPheeling The Pain

From Patrick Finley in the Sun-Times:

By 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the team had announced that linebacker Pernell McPhee would start the season on the physically unable to perform list. By noon Thursday, coach John Fox was back in familiar waters, trying to explain an injury — and its consequences — on the first day of training camp.

McPhee hadn’t made it through his physical on Wednesday, complaining of knee pain. Fox said team doctors “found a little irregularity” in his right knee, which is not the same knee that caused McPhee to start last year’s training camp on the PUP list.

A few thoughts:

• The link to the full Finley article is provided above but don’t click it. The Sun-Times Bears coverage is, in my estimation, superior to what’s being produced at the Trib. But their website, especially on mobile devices, is unusable.
• It’s starting to feel like whatever the Bears get out of the rest of this McPhee contract will be a bonus. It’s only a “little” irregularity when it’s not your knee. Do I think McPhee can still put together a productive 2017 campaign? Sure. But that productivity is more likely to come over an 8-10 game stretch than a full 16.

DBB On the Vikings

Answered a few questions re: the Vikings from Sam Neumann of VikingsTerritory.com. I don’t spend much time reading what the other bloggers are doing around the NFL, primarily because I just don’t have the time. These guys are doing good work.

My thoughts on Sam Bradford:

Honestly, I think of a team that will probably be around 8-8 again because I think Sam Bradford is an 8-8 quarterback. Bradford’s problem has always been the same thing: he prefers not taking chances. So you’re going to get a high completion percentage and high quarterback rating but you’re going to be limited when it comes to explosive plays in the passing attack and I’m just not sure how you win that way in the modern NFL.

My thoughts on Mike Zimmer:

Love everything about how Zimmer leads and conducts himself but he’s going to start falling out of favor if he doesn’t get the offensive side of the ball solved. When Norv left last year, that was a HUGE red flag for me. Going from Norv Turner to Pat Shurmur is like going from Walter Payton to Cedric Benson. The league has a long list of great coordinators who didn’t translate to the big seat – Wade Phillips, Dave Wannstedt, Bill Arnsparger – and my concern would be that Zim becomes one of them.

Fox’s Personality?

Maybe the biggest misstep Fox has made, IMO. Fans would otherwise love his sense of humor and energy. Instead, they don’t see it. https://t.co/irMoJpSIM6

— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) July 27, 2017

Does anyone actually give a shit how Fox acts when he speaks to the media? I think media members overrate this because they’re too close to it. Fans want wins. If the Bears win, fans won’t care if Fox does his press conferences with duct tape over his mouth.

Quick Hits

• Adam Hoge seems to expect the Bears and Akiem Hicks to work out a long-term deal as soon as the coming days. Wouldn’t be a surprise.
• Dan Wiederer on Mark Sanchez adjusting his perspective as he enters camp as an afterthought.
• Manhattan Murder Mystery took the biggest beating on my Woody Allen list. Don’t care. That movie is an underrated comic gem. I’ll defend it to the grave.