Pro Football Weekly's Eric Edholm brings you hot news and the inside scoop about the NFL.
About the Author
Recent posts by Eric Edholm
Related Stories
I am not driving (or being driven) in a cool mega-bus with stickers on it. Nor will I be inviting players and coaches into the cab of my vehicle or asking them to sign the outside of it.
But that won’t stop me — and my trusty ’99 Nissan Maxima — from hitting up another few camps: Rams on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, and Bears on Wednesday afternoon. Honk if you see a Lakeshore Blue (that’s what Nissan calls it, anyway) car with tinted windows and Illinois plates out on the road. Maybe I will let you autograph my ride.
Anyway, I’ll be curious to see a few things with each of the teams.
With the Rams:
- The Sam Bradford Show. Am I a little late on this tour? It seems like every national writer already has been through Earth City to report on the Bradford Experience, which is quickly sweeping the Midwest. But I want to see with my own eyes. Rookie QB successes are rare, and this was a bad, bad football team last season he now is taking over. And yes, I believe he’ll be the opening week starter.
- The targets. Other than Steven Jackson, there isn’t an established pass catcher on the roster. The wide receivers are young. The tight ends are mostly unknowns. Bradford might be great, but he needs some weapons to step up. I’ll be curious to see who stands out tomorrow and Wednesday.
- The defense. There are a few players of note — MLB James Laurinaitis and CB Ronald Bartell are standouts, and there are a few decent defensive linemen — but this unit still needs a lot of help. And how good is O.J. Atogwe still after being left out in the cold in free agency? Lots to report here, I am sure.
And with the Bears:
- The hot stories have been (in some order): Lovie, Mike Martz-Jay Cutler relationship, the offensive line, Julius Peppers, the safety situation, the receivers and Tommie Harris. People might be sick of some of these stories, to varying degrees, but they’re big for a reason. I’ll try to give a broad scope in the one two-hour practice I plan to take in before heading home.
If there’s anything else you guys want me to check on, just leave a comment below. I’ll do my best to cater to your needs.