From the final whistle of the last preseason game to kickoff of the opener is a weirdly dead time in the NFL. Teams are full week one install and shrouded in secrecy. Nothing gets out of any building. DBB season previews, predictions, etc. will all be posted next week. This week, we slowly waltz into Labor Day weekend and the de facto end of the summer. Today, some links.

• Rosters will be cut down to 53 players by this afternoon and Courtney Cronin has her predictions here. There is very little drama at Halas Hall, as any young player with potential is going to be kept around, i.e., Jack Sanborn. The cut who felt like the “bubble boy” was Dazz Newsome and the Bears made that decision a week ago.
• If you’re not finished digesting the final preseason game, Kevin Fishbain’s game story for The Athletic was the best out there. (Outside of my own, of course.)
• I pride myself on knowing the names of local newspapers for every market in the country. But I had no idea there was such a thing as The Canton Repository. Here is a nice story from that publication on their hometown boy, Dominique Robinson, a player that has had a terrific summer for the Bears and will be part of their future plans. (His injury suffered Saturday could have an impact on the structure of that future.)
• If the Jets were trying to trade Denzel Mims, showcasing him Sunday against the Giants was a smart move. His 7-102-1 performance captured some attention and Mims is saying all the right things about his future. This is a player the Chicago Bears should certainly be considering, but only at an extremely low cost.
• ACTUAL BEAR NEWS: Sometimes clickbait demands to be clicked. “Vermont Woman Has Dog’s ‘Ninja Moves’ to Thank for Helping Save Her from Bear Attack” is one of those stories.
• Josh Schrock of NBC Sports discusses the emergence of Elijah Hicks this summer. From the piece: “I really like his movement skills,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “Elijah’s really doing a good job. You’re focused on that in the open field and also in man-to-man coverage. Can he mirror and stay with guys and then also be stout? Because it’s a physical game when you’re playing man-to-man, and he can do that. Can he anchor and stay attached to the tight ends or backs or whoever he’s covering? But yeah, I’ve been impressed.”

And a special shoutout to Brandon Thorn for isolating some of Teven Jenkins’ work on Saturday night.

A couple really nice reps from Jenkins
– Stab, climb & cut-off of JOK at the 2nd level
– Snatch & finish pic.twitter.com/BBD2k6jCeL

— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) August 28, 2022

‘Tis the quietest part of the NFL calendar. But we’re a month away from having actual things to write about. Here are some links for your enjoyment.

•  From state media: “His leadership has taken a step,” said veteran guard Cody Whitehair. “And that just comes with him being more comfortable from Year 1 to Year 2, [having] a little bit more experience, seeing things a second time or third time or fourth time, and he’s only going to continue to grow.” Amazing how natural leaders can ascend to the role when they’re not forced to watch Andy Dalton take first-team reps.
• From Courtney Cronin: “At the end of the day, whether I’m going into my second year or my first year, I’ve still got to play football, and I still gotta perform,” Montgomery said in April. “I could really care less about contracts, the contract terms and things, but I’m excited to be here for another year and play with my guys too.” How the Bears handle the Montgomery contract will tell us a lot about how Ryan Poles intends to build this roster moving forward.
• One thing I’ve heard out of OTAs – and was shared in this piece by Adam Jahns – is the staff isn’t quite sure what do with Teven Jenkins. Has he been demoted? It is a hard to make that argument, being that I’m not sure this current regime viewed him as a starter at any point. Until they make their determinations on Jenkins, it is difficult to evaluate with this OL will actually look like.
• If you haven’t seen video of several Bears hitting home runs, follow this link and take a look. I think sometimes we take for granted how otherworldly these athletes are.
• ACTUAL BEAR NEWS: What a headline in the NY Post! “Sloth bear mauls couple to death, spends hours feasting on their flesh.” Bears, man. Don’t fuck with em.