June 6, 2008

In his 2007 post-mortem to the local media, Bears GM Jerry Angelo couldn’t be blamed for wondering aloud about the future of FS Mike Brown following the nine-year veteran’s fourth straight campaign cut short by a season-ending injury. But based on the Bears’ early-June minicamp and subsequent OTAs, team insiders tell us Brown’s future looks very promising. By all accounts, the team’s all-time franchise leader with seven defensive TDs (four interception returns, three fumble returns) has never looked better. Brown had interceptions on each of the final two days of the minicamp and provided a constant playmaking presence, always working his way into the middle of the action. “He has looked exceptionally good,” one longtime team insider told PFW. “And the overall defense just looks so much better with him out there. More than a few players have been talking about the big difference they think he will make if he can stay healthy.” Meanwhile, change is in the air at strong safety, where Brandon McGowan appears to have taken the starting job away from Danieal Manning — for the time being, anyway. “They don’t seem sure of what to do about Manning,” the insider said. “Is he the nickel cornerback? Is he a safety? Mostly, he’s been on the field so far when the defense has gone with three safeties.”