Brandon Hardin

PHOENIX — Perhaps they should rename them the Chicago Vultures. Somewhere along the way, the Bears have become scavengers, sustaining themselves on what other teams have left behind. If you had to project the Bears' 2013 starting lineup in...

Jerry Angelo used to be a centerpiece this time of year, but now he's living in exile and self-imposed silence. Bill Polian, like Angelo a guy who lost his job after the season, gets to broadcast his thoughts on ESPN. People want to hear from Polian....

My issue isn’t that Bears General Manager Phil Emery has fewer draft picks than he has positional needs. Every GM has fewer picks than he has needs. Just ask them. But for those of you keeping score at home, Tribune football guru Dan Pompei did...

There's a ton of optimism attached to the NFL Draft, regardless of the situation your favorite team is in. Whether that translates into success on the field is another story. For example, the Bears—under both Mark Hatley and Jerry Angelo at...

If Shea McClellin was a conservative pick in the NFL draft, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was a slightly risky one and safety Brandon Hardin was a daring one. It makes sense to go further out on the ledge in the second round than the first, and further...

Jay Cutler sat out the Bears' first exhibition game but did not look the least bit rusty in his debut Saturday night at Soldier Field. The quarterback was comfortable and in command of the new offense against the Redskins, setting the tone early in a 33-...

This is an unusually deep group of safeties. As many as a dozen could be taken in the top three rounds, with the large majority of those being claimed in the second and third rounds. A safety probably will not be chosen in the top half of the first round,...

Don't let an NFL rookie tell you he isn't nervous about reporting to his first pro training camp. Don't even entertain the idea. In fact, laugh it off. He's lying to you. This stuff is no joke. Make it through minicamp and OTAs? Big deal. That's a walk-...

I have seen the Bears' safety problem hang around for most of the post-Mike Brown era and now with the injuries to Brandon Hardin and Chris Conte. Could we see Peanut Tillman make the move to safety and have Kelvin Hayden slide into a starting...

Phil Emery has spent so much of his NFL career in the shadows you can't help but wonder just what to expect from him now that his time in the spotlight draws near. The Bears general manager, sold as a relentless man, finally will begin to unveil his...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — With depth needed at safety, the Bears might look to a veteran who used to play for their biggest rival. A league source told the Tribune the team is exploring the possibility of adding former Packer Charlie Peprah, who...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It was an uncharacteristically bad night for Charles Tillman. The 31-year-old, Pro Bowl cornerback made some rookie mistakes in the third and most meaningful exhibition, but at least it was the preseason. Tillman was...