Pat McAfee Jersey from hongwei28's blog

The three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman is healthy after two injury-riddled seasons and has his sights set on helping lift a struggling franchise. But while he is ”feeling great Tim Schaller Jersey ,” Long also sounded more like a grizzled veteran than a wide-eyed rookie.

Pin that on some of his teammates.

”I don’t know half of the references they make to pop culture,” Long said. ”I used to understand all the rap songs, and I don’t understand half of them now, unless I listen to Future. They’re just young guys, just young dudes. I used to know guys from watching college football, and now there’s guys I didn’t even know that came through. You watch them play and you’re like, `Wow.’ We’re really lucky to have these young players. (General manager Ryan Pace) has done a great job bringing in a lot of talent.”

The moves Pace made in the offseason have the Bears thinking bigger things are in store after four straight last-place finishes in the NFC North and five consecutive seasons without a winning record.

They’re banking on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky after trading up a spot to draft him with the No. 2 overall pick last year. Pace set out to surround him with the pieces he needs to develop this offseason, hiring coach Matt Nagy to replace the fired John Fox and giving him an overhauled set of targets.

The most notable addition was former Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowl receiver Allen Robinson. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last year’s opener and missed the remainder of the season.

Chicago also brought in former Philadelphia tight end Trey Burton, who threw a memorable touchdown pass to quarterback Nick Foles in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory over New England, and Atlanta receiver Taylor Gabriel.

With Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen at running back, the Bears believe they have a deep and potentially explosive offense. And a healthy Long at right guard sure would help open holes for them, not to mention protect Trubisky.

”That means a lot because when he’s out there he can just throw people around Authentic Alexander Radulov Jersey ,” said Howard, who has run for more than 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons. ”Just having him out there feels great.”

At 29, he has been limited to 18 games over the past two seasons after appearing in 47 of a possible 48 while making the Pro Bowl his first three years. The 6-foot-6, 316-pound Long has undergone shoulder, elbow and neck surgeries since he last played on Dec. 3. A major ankle injury added to the misery in recent years.

Long’s painful run actually started with a torn labrum during the 2016 preseason. He was planning to repair it after that year. But the ankle injury he suffered late in that season required surgery and forced him to put off tending to the shoulder.

Long went into last season far from 100 percent, and the shoulder injury led to the neck problem. After being held back during offseason workouts, he cleared a hurdle when he participated without restrictions in the first training camp practice on Friday. He had a scheduled day off Saturday, with Nagy saying it’s ”just part of the process” and that it won’t be his last one.

Nagy said he wasn’t sure exactly how many off days Long will get. But he said the Bears plan to space them out ”based off his body and where he’s at.”

A healthy Long gives them strength and quickness and brings leadership to an offense with young players in key spots. Trubisky (23), Robinson (24), Howard (23) and Cohen (22) are all under 25. Rookie James Daniels could play an important role at left guard or center, and center Cody Whitehair is only entering his third year.

”(Long is) an imposing figure Youth Jordan Weal Jersey , a big guy who can move,” Nagy said. ”He’s athletic. The other thing I like about Kyle is that he’s a leader. He takes control of that offensive line. So he’s just going to continue to keep doing that and when we get out here with the pads, you’ll be able to see some of that strength.”

Notes: The impasse with rookie LB Roquan Smith continued. Chicago’s first-round draft pick at No. 8 overall, he remained unsigned and missed his second practice. … LB Aaron Lynch sat out after suffering a hamstring injury in Friday’s practice.

—

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby can admit it now: The Pittsburgh Penguins were tired last season, a natural byproduct of becoming the first franchise in two decades to win consecutive Stanley Cups.

And though the Penguins came as close as any team in the last 35 years to capture three straight titles — they recovered from a blah start to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals before falling to Washington — that special gear they relied on so heavily during their run of dominance never materialized.

“Just for whatever reason, shorter summer, mentally not having that desperation level, as a group we were lacking that,” Crosby said.

Crosby isn’t making excuses so much as stating a simple fact. The Penguins played 213 regular season and playoff games from October 2015 to June 2017. A heavy workload to be sure but also a small price to pay to have your name written on hockey’s most prized possession.

While Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and company spent most of last fall downplaying the idea they might be emotionally and physically drained, at times they certainly played like it. The proof came on the defensive end, where they gave up the most goals (250) of any playoff team.

Though they eventually got it going behind Malkin — who finished fourth in the league with 98 points — they also understand sleepwalking for three months cost them a legit shot at home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs and forced them to expend more energy than they anticipated just keep pace in the hyper-competitive Metropolitan Division.

That can’t happen this time around if they want to throw another downtown parade in June.

“The start is important Dustin Brown Jersey ,” Crosby said. “You want to start out the right way, especially with how tight teams are. You can’t be playing catch-up.”

A less taxing schedule should help. The Penguins played a league-high 19 sets of back-to-back games in 2017-18. That number drops to 11 this season. For a group whose core of Malkin, Crosby, Phil Kessel and Kris Letang are all in their 30s, that’s no small comfort.

Oh, and there’s the lingering taste of watching the Capitals celebrate a rare playoff triumph in Pittsburgh.

“Of course I’m upset,” Malkin said. “I feel we beat Washington, we have chance to win. … I never watch (after we lose). I like go to Miami, spend time with my family, my kids. It doesn’t matter, last year or five years ago. I never watch (after we lose). It’s not fun to watch.”

JACK’S BACK

Pittsburgh made just one splashy move in free agency when it lavished a five-year, $16.25 million contract on defenseman Jack Johnson. He called the move a “perfect fit Youth Mikko Koivu Jersey ,” one that unites him with longtime friend Crosby. Still, the length of the deal and Johnson’s forgettable finish in Columbus — he requested a trade in the middle of last season and was a healthy scratch during the playoffs — raised eyebrows. The Penguins consider Johnson a versatile puck mover who could thrive in a system where he won’t be required to do much more than play responsibly and get out of the way.

“It’s always great to come into a team that has high expectations,” Johnson said. “That’s what you want. That’s what any athlete wants coming into a team. There’s a lot of established guys that have been leaders on this team for a long time. I just wanted to come in and be myself and be part of the group and fit in with the guys and help the team win.”

‘DAD’ IS HOME

Matt Cullen is still going. The veteran center — who turns 42 in November — returns to Pittsburgh after one season in his native Minnesota. Cullen played a vital role both on the ice as a penalty killer and off the ice as a “glue” guy as the Penguins won back-to-back Cups. Cullen still looked plenty spry during his 21st NHL training camp, and he will give the fourth line a boost.

MATT’S METTLE

Matt Murray’s first full season as Pittsburgh’s firmly entrenched No. 1 goalie did not go to plan. After twice backstopping the team to the Cup before his 24th birthday, Murray struggled to stay healthy and play with consistency. He’s hoping an extra month to prepare for his third NHL season will help and coach Mike Sullivan is quick to point out Murray didn’t exactly receive a serious boost from the play in front of him.

GOING DEEP

As long as the Penguins have Crosby, Malkin and Kessel in the fold, they’ll be among the most talented offensive teams in the league. The goal this season is to spread the wealth a little bit more. Pittsburgh relied almost exclusively on its top power play and the combination of Crosby and Jake Guentzel late in the season and into the playoffs. A full training camp to integrate Derrick Brassard — who played with an injury most of last spring after being acquired at the trade deadline — should help. If Brassard and Patric Hornqvist can develop some chemistry, the third line could take some of the pressure off the star-laden top two groups.