ostrogoth

Lou Malnati's is also regarded as the best Deep Dish. Can't go wrong with Gino's East though. Giordano's is also a stuffed pizza. Many good places to get an authentic Chicago Italian Beef or hot dog. Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry are next to the Stadium off of Lake Shore Drive.

Martellus Bennett before Gates? Looks like you should have waited on that pick.

Bears signed QB Jordan Palmer, formerly of the Jaguars. 29-year-old Jordan is the younger brother of Carson Palmer. A 2007 sixth-round pick out of UTEP, Palmer has plenty of arm strength but has always thrown with extremely erratic accuracy. He'll be a camp arm until September cuts.

Bears third-string QB Matt Blanchard has been diagnosed with a fractured knuckle. Although the injury is to Blanchard's left (non-throwing) hand, it severely dents his roster chances. Coach Marc Trestman hinted the team will sign another quarterback. The Bears worked out JaMarcus Russell, Trent Edwards and Jordan Palmer earlier this summer. Considering Jay Cutler's recent fragility, we'd guess the Bears would like to carry three quarterbacks.

Live in the Green Bay area and fondly remember Greg Jennings‘ seven seasons with the Packers? It may well be your lucky day. Per Fox 11 in Green Bay, and via Paul Imig of FoxSportsWisconsin.com, The Jersey Store in Ashwaubenon — about a half-mile away from Lambeau Field — is giving away its Jennings-related merchandise, including jerseys. The store’s manager, Mike Walters, told Fox 11 that the store’s owner was unhappy with Jennings’ most recent round of remarks about his old club. “The owner is definitely very concerned,” Walters said, per Fox 11. “She feels like he really stepped over the line with the brainwashing comment.” We’ve all been to sports stores with racks of discounted jerseys of players who have moved on to other clubs, and it’s a sad sight. If the Jennings jerseys are a sunk cost, it’s not an unreasonable idea to clear them out while getting some more customers in the door — especially if 1) there’s no confidence the old Jennings jerseys would sell at any price and 2) the customers buy some full-priced items, too.

The Bears were in the middle of a transition at middle linebacker anyway, and now they’re going to be without the guy they were transitioning to. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, linebacker D.J. Williams was not at practice today, and has a calf injury that was described as “week to week.” Usually, if a team goes beyond the old reliable “day-to-day” designation, it’s a reasonably serious injury. The Bears signed Williams this offseason to help replace retired legend Brian Urlacher, but his deal contains no guaranteed money. That puts Williams in a precarious spot, as second-rounder Jon Bostic will now get a shot at that job.

CBS Sportsline has Bears ranked 11th. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/22938859/power-rankings

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/categ...eatures/page/2/ They even have the Vikings ranked higher. They had a panel of 6 voting on the rankings, I would have thought the Bears should be around 10th.

The Bears lost one former first-round pick on Thursday when defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis told the team that he’s retiring and they replaced him on the roster with another first-round selection later in the day. The team announced that they have signed defensive end Jamaal Anderson, who the Falcons made the eighth overall pick of the 2007 draft, to a one-year deal. Anderson spent the 2012 season with the Bengals, playing just two games before tearing his quadriceps, and was released earlier this month. Bears General Manager Phil Emery was Atlanta’s director of college scouting when Anderson was drafted, so he reached out to a familiar face to help shore up the depth after Ellis’ departure. Anderson has been a better run defender than pass rusher over his career, which also featured a one-year stop in Indianapolis for the 2011 season. That wasn’t what the Falcons expected when they spent such a high pick on Anderson way back when, but it’s a skill that could earn him a spot in the Bears’ defensive line rotation for the upcoming season.

The Browns' contract offer to free agent OL John St. Clair is reportedly for three years. The Chicago Tribune doesn't have financial terms, but we can probably assume that it's worth more than the $4.5 million Chicago has on the table. St. Clair is tentatively expected to choose a team by the end of the week.

Torry Holt is reportedly out of the country on vacation and won't be visiting any teams soon. Holt is expected to wait "at least a few days" before making the rounds. The Titans, having already attempted to trade for him, remain the most likely landing spot.

Patriots appear primed to make a deal with Panthers for Peppers By Vic Carucci | NFL.com The trade that sent Matt Cassel and Mike Vrabel to the Kansas City Chiefs appears to be only the first phase of some major wheeling and dealing by the New England Patriots this offseason. The second phase, NFL sources say, is likely to involve a trade that would send Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers to the Patriots in exchange for the second-round pick (34th overall) they received from the Chiefs on Feb. 28. Patriots' offseason moves Acquired: TE Chris Baker LB Tully Banta-Cain CB Leigh Bodden WR Joey Galloway LS Nathan Hodel WR Greg Lewis CB Shawn Springs RB Fred Taylor Retained: LB Eric Alexander P Chris Hanson G Russ Hochstein S James Sanders Departed: QB Matt Cassel FB Heath Evans WR Jabar Gaffney LB Larry Izzo WR C.J. Jones RB LaMont Jordan LS Lonie Paxton LB Darrell Robertson LB Mike Vrabel » Free-agency tracker According to league sources, the Patriots and Panthers are hoping to complete the deal at some point between the March 22-25 NFL owners meetings and the start of the draft on April 25. Peppers, on whom the Panthers have placed a franchise tag that assures him of a one-year contract worth $16.68 million, would be converted to outside linebacker in New England's 3-4 defense.

The Bengals are "actively" working to trade LT Levi Jones, according to the Chicago Sun Times. Jones has knee and back problems, a pricey contract, and turns 30 in 2009.

Despite his disappointing 2008, the 10-year veteran is expected to draw interest as a possible No. 1 receiver from the Titans, Giants, and 49ers among others. Holt's home-state Panthers could also be an option.

The Bills’ opening offer to Peters is believed to be well below the Gross contract. Peters no doubt views himself as better than Gross, who played four of his years on the right side but switched to the left in 2008. On the surface, Peters does not have as much leverage in negotiation as Gross, who was about to hit free agency. Peters still has two years left on his contract, which pays him an average of $4 million a year. That’s below the $5 million-a-year average the team pays right tackle Langston Walker. However, the fact Peters held out all last summer suggests he probably would be willing to do it again this summer, and that would be an unhappy situation for the Bills. It’s rare for an elite left tackle to hit the trade market or the free-agent market, and it’s likely the Bills would be able to find some suitors for Peters willing to deal. There already has been speculation that Philadelphia would be interested. The Eagles have a gaping hole at left tackle after losing veteran Tra Thomas to Jacksonville in free agency. Philadelphia also is flush with trade ammunition. The Eagles have two No. 1 picks (Nos. 21 and 28), four fifth-rounders and a league-high 11 picks overall. There are numerous other teams with a need at tackle, including Arizona, Seattle, St. Louis, Green Bay and Detroit. He wasn't as good last year as the year before.

Eagles agreed to terms with S Sean Jones on a one-year undisclosed contract. Great undervalued signing, as Jones as Pro Bowl-quality talent if he can stay healthy. Jones played strong safety in Cleveland, but it looks like he'll be filling the free safety void left by Brian Dawkins' departure. It's also possible that he'll have to fight off Quintin Demps for the starting job. Expect a rebound season.

Two sources tell FOXSports' Alex Marvez that T.J. Houshmandzadeh is making a free agent visit to Seattle on Friday

Buccaneers acquired TE Kellen Winslow from the Browns in exchange for undisclosed draft picks. We'll guess it's a second-round pick and a late-rounder. The Bucs will likely give Winslow a new contract too, so it's a costly move. They needed the pass-catching help badly, though, and Winslow is still only 25 even if he's had knee problems in the past. He's not a great bet to play deep into his 30s, and he's going from one QB controversy to another shaky situation. We don't see it particularly helping his fantasy outlook. Winslow has averaged over five catches a game the last three seasons and is one of the league's top five receiving tight ends. Feb. 27 - 12:23 pm et Per Rotoworld

Free agent Rex Grossman is interested in being Tony Romo's backup with the Cowboys. Say what you want about Rexy, but he'd at least be an upgrade on Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger. As long as the Cowboys are picking their poison at the position, they may be more interested in Kyle Boller.

Buccaneers released RB Warrick Dunn, LB Derrick Brooks, WR Joey Galloway, WR Ike Hilliard, and LB Cato June.

The Chicago Tribune believes GM Jerry Angelo is setting Lovie Smith up to take the blame should the Bears disappoint again this season. Angelo pointed to coaching and attitude as reasons for optimism heading into 2009, but he also wouldn't promise any quick fixes on the player acquisition front. With a question mark at quarterback and gaping holes at wide receiver, offensive line, safety, and pass rusher, the pressure is on Angelo just as much as Smith. See todays article.

The Bears have formally submitted a contract offer to free agent OT John St. Clair. The proposal is for three years and probably about $5-6 million annually. Vernon Carey's six-year, $42M deal reset the tackle market, however, and St. Clair may wait for free agency to compare the Bears' offer against others. Source: Chicago Tribune

The Houston Chronicle reports that the Vikings are on the verge of acquiring Sage Rosenfels from the Texans in exchange for a fourth-round pick. This trade was nearly made last year, but Houston balked when the Vikes offered only a third-round choice. The Texans wanted a second-rounder. Rosenfels, 31 in March, would immediately become the favorite to start in Minnesota if the deal is completed. The aggressive passer is considered a strong fit for the West Coast offense coach Brad Childress runs.

The Bears have sent contract tenders to exclusive rights free agents Nick Roach (above) and Marcus Hamilton, NFL sources confirmed. Roach started nine games at strong-side linebacker and finished with 40 tackles including a season-high eight in the final game at Houston. Roach is expected to enter minicamp atop the depth chart at the position although he will be pushed by seven-year veteran Hunter Hillenmeyer, 28. Hillenmeyer has made 56 career starts but fell out of favor. Hamilton appeared in eight games last season, primarily on special teams, after the cornerback was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's how the Bears acquired Roach, the former Northwestern standout, by snatching him off waivers from the San Diego Chargers in 2007. Entering his third year, Roach will earn the minimum, $460,000. The Bears' moves are ahead of Thursday's deadline to tender exclusive rights free agents.