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NFL Combine: What positions the Chicago Bears could be watching in Indianapolis

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NFL Combine: What positions the Chicago Bears could be watching in Indianapolis


The NFL Combine is just days away. The Chicago Bears are prepped for a week-long stay in Indianapolis. 

While there, the Bears, led by general manager Ryan Poles, have plenty of roster holes to fill with eight draft picks to do so. Three of those eight picks come in the first 42 selections.

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Here are the positions the Bears could be watching the closest at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Offensive linemen

The Bears gave up 67 sacks last year. It basically goes without saying they’re going to scout offensive linemen at the NFL Combine. 

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Since the combine happens well before free agency, it’ll be hard to discern which positions the Bears could fill with their draft picks. But, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them meet with every lineman that has a top grade.

Much like the Bears at quarterback last year, they’ll leave no prospect un-scouted as they try and piece together the future of their offensive line. Will Campbell is by far the best prospect, but Kelvin Banks, Armand Membou and Tyler Booker figure to be the top prospects.

But, it’s important to note other prospects like North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel, Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson, Texas’ Cameron Williams and LSU’s Emery Jones, who could all be selected on Day 2. With four picks in the top three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, it

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Defensive linemen

ESPN’s Matt Miller told FOX 32 this draft is extremely talented in the trenches. There’s talent galore, and the Bears would do well to capitalize on that amount of talent.

Abdul Carter and Mason Graham lead the list, but in the second round the Bears will be in a position to land the likes of Princely Umanmielen, JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer with one of their two picks in the second round. Tuimoloau might not be there because of how well he played in the College Football Playoff, but the Bears have never been shy about trading up to get their guy.

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Nic Scourton is a name to watch, though. At first, he was assumed to be a first-round pick, but he’s recently fallen into the second round in a few draft projections because this position is so loaded.

Wide Receivers

The make-up of this position will be decided in free agency. The Bears have to decide what they’re going to do with Keenan Allen. If they re-sign him, whatever scouting they do at the combine could be put on the back burner.

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But, if Allen heads back to Los Angeles, the Bears might be in the market for a receiver to step in next to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. 

There’s a good chance Emeka Egbuka, Luther Burden III and Tetarioa McMillian will be gone by the time the Bears pick in Round 2, but other names like Ja’Corey Brooks, Isaiah Bond, Tre Harris and Pat Bryant, who all had production in college, might impress the Bears enough to fit alongside Odunze and Moore.

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Running backs

First-year head coach Ben Johnson had it good in Detroit. The one-two punch of Jamyhr Gibbs and David Montgomery paced the Lions’ offense. With D’Andre Swift in hand, the Bears might try and land their own one-two punch at running back. 

The likes of Kaleb Johnson and TreVeyon Henderson could be the skill players Johnson could turn to in order to fill the same type of role Gibbs had in Detroit.

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It’s worth thinking about when skill players are interviewing.

Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams isn’t going anywhere.

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The Bears’ No. 1 overall pick at quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft will be the starter for a long time in Chicago. But, what about his backup?

Quarterback Tyson Bagent is under contract through the 2025 season and is a free agent after that. He might head somewhere that could put him in a position that leads to more playing time. If that’s the case, then the Bears will need another back-up quarterback. Drafting a quarterback on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft and developing them to be Williams’ backup wouldn’t be bad idea. 

In fact, investing in the most important position in sports is never a bad idea.

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Indianapolis, IN

NFL power rankings after Week 10: Indianapolis Colts have NFL’s best record, but are they the best team?

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NFL power rankings after Week 10: Indianapolis Colts have NFL’s best record, but are they the best team?


The Indianapolis Colts (8-2) head into their bye week tied with five teams with the fewest losses in the NFL: the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots (both 8-2) in the AFC, and Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams (all 7-2) in the NFC.

The Colts hold the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture, but that doesn’t translate to No. 1 in the NFL power rankings. The Eagles, Rams, Seahawks and Broncos are getting those votes. Among this group, the Colts have an average ranking of about 4.6.

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NFL power rankings Week 11: Indianapolis Colts rise after overtime win

“Give the ball to Jonathan Taylor. They got back to what they should always be doing, and it paid off big against the Falcons.”

“Jonathan Taylor is this year’s Saquon Barkley — and he didn’t even have to change teams.”

“Only eight running backs last season had more than 1,139 yards. Only six had 15 or more rushing touchdowns last season. That’s Jonathan Taylor’s stat line after just 10 games. He’s the favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, but Taylor should be considered for a higher award than that.”

“While teams are getting at Daniel Jones and certainly flustering him more frequently, it won’t be until an opponent matches the Colts’ offensive efficiency and forces Jonathan Taylor into a full-time pass protecting role that this train will start to leave the tracks. Jones — aided by a beautiful fourth-down catch from Tyler Warren — showed that the team has guts to back up special personnel and elite playcalling.”

“Indianapolis has been having a party over the first few months of the season, speeding past inferior opponents and playing up to (and exceeding) the contenders it has faced so far.

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“Teams seem to be adjusting to this offense, though, and quarterback Daniel Jones’s bad habits are creeping up as a result. With Kansas City, Houston, and Seattle making up three of Indy’s next four games, we’ll see whether the Colts can be taken seriously — or whether they’re just a fun story for the regular season.”

“Sunday’s win should give the Colts confidence for a couple of reasons. They head into their bye week knowing they can win when not everything is perfect. They also know last week’s trade for Sauce Gardner is going to have a substantial and early impact.”

“If it seems like it’s been forever since a team rode a sensational running back and a strong defense to a Super Bowl − taking whatever a sometimes inconsistent quarterback provided − well, it’s actually only been nine months.”

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“It wasn’t easy, and they needed overtime, but they did put up an amazing 519 yards on the Falcons. And Indiana Jones is back on track.”

“(Daniel Jones) was supposed to be riding out the end of a disappointing career in Indianapolis. Instead, he has the best passer rating of his career and is ninth in the league in EPA per dropback (0.18). Jones’ 265.9 passing yards per game and 8.3 passing yards per attempt are both career highs, and his 15 touchdowns tie for his second-best season. He’s the league’s best bargain, on a one-year, $14 million deal.”

NFL playoff picture

AFC through Week 10

Seed Team Record
1. Colts 8-2
2. Broncos 8-2
3. Patriots 8-2
4. Steelers 5-4
5. Chargers 7-3
6. Bills 6-3
7. Jaguars 5-4

NFC through Week 10

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Seed Team Record
1. Eagles 7-2
2. Seahawks 7-2
3. Lions 6-3
4. Buccaneers 6-3
5. Rams 7-2
6. Bears 6-3
7. Packers 5-3-1

Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.



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Indianapolis, IN

Here’s how much snow fell on central Indiana in the season’s first winter storm

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Here’s how much snow fell on central Indiana in the season’s first winter storm


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It’s not winter yet, but Indianapolis has already seen nearly 2 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow blew in late on the afternoon of Nov. 9, bringing with it a winter weather advisory, and stopped falling midday on Nov. 10, dropping 1.8 inches on the capital city. Areas north of Indianapolis saw slightly more precipitation, with Frankfort topping out at 3.4 inches.

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The cold front isn’t over quite yet. Scattered flurries are possible before 4 p.m. Nov. 11.

But temperatures will warm back up to a sunny 55 degrees by Nov. 12, the National Weather Service predicts.

When does winter actually begin? According to meteorologists, Dec. 1 starts the season, though most people push that back to Dec. 21 and the winter solstice.

Here’s how much snow was reported to the NWS on the morning of Nov. 10. Snow continued to fall in some parts of Indiana into the early afternoon, so a finalized report expected tomorrow will likely show slightly higher totals, an agency spokesperson explained.

Indianapolis area snow totals

  • Brownsburg: 1.2 inches
  • Carmel: 2.3 inches
  • Eagle Creek Reservoir, west: 2.3 inches
  • Greenfield: 1.2 inches
  • Greenwood: 1 inch
  • Indianapolis International Airport: 1.8 inches
  • Westfield: 2.8 inches
  • Zionsville: 1.7 inches

Northern and Central Indiana snow totals

  • Anderson: 2.5 inches
  • Ball State University: 3 inches
  • Frankfort: 3.4 inches
  • Kokomo: 3 inches

Southern Indiana snow totals

  • Bloomington: 0.8 inches
  • Columbus: 0.2 inches
  • Elnora: 0.4 inches
  • Nashville: 0.5 inches

Ryan Murphy is the communities reporter for IndyStar. She can be reached at rhmurphy@indystar.com.



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Winter weather advisory issued for Indianapolis, parts of central Indiana because of snow, ice

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Winter weather advisory issued for Indianapolis, parts of central Indiana because of snow, ice


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A winter weather advisory is in effect across parts of central Indiana until 10 a.m. Nov. 10 as bands of snow move across the state.

Snow accumulations could reach 2 inches in some areas, the National Weather Service in Indianapolis predicts.

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Drivers should expect slippery roads and lower visibility — especially between 3 a.m. and 10 a.m. — making morning commutes potentially hazardous. Be sure to plan extra travel time and drive cautiously.

Be mindful of stairs, sidewalks and driveways as the surfaces could be icy, causing falls, NWS cautions.

Counties included in the advisory are: Boone, Carroll, Clay, Clinton, Fountain, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Howard, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo and Warren.

This includes the cities of Anderson, Attica, Brazil, Brownsburg, Carmel, Clinton, Covington, Crawfordsville, Danville, Delphi, Fairview Park, Fishers, Flora, Franklin, Frankfort, Gosport, Greenfield, Greencastle, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Lafayette, Lebanon, Martinsville, Mooresville, Montezuma, Noblesville, Plainfield, Rockville, Rosedale, Shelbyville, Spencer, Terre Haute, Tipton, Veedersburg, West Lafayette, West Lebanon, Williamsport and Zionsville

Indianapolis and Indiana road conditions

Check road conditions, including road closures, crashes and live webcams using Indiana’s online Trafficwise map at 511in.org, or visit our gridlock guide page for live traffic cams and more.

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INDOT’s CARS Program provides information about road conditions, closures and width and weight restrictions. The website has a color-coded map of Indiana’s highways and highlights hazardous road conditions and travel delays.

The interactive map also shows road work warnings, closures, roadway restrictions and other information helpful to drivers.

Weather travel advisories

Indianapolis weather radar

Weather info you need

🚨 Indiana Weather Alerts: Warnings, Watches and Advisories.

⚡ Indiana power outage map: How to check your status.

🐶 Your neighbor left their pet outside. Who you should call.

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How to report downed traffic signals or tree limbs blocking a road

If you encounter a downed traffic signal or a limb blocking a roadway, contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or online at RequestIndy.gov. When calling after hours, press “2” to be connected. 



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