👋 Good morning!

Today marks one year for me at CHGO and in your inboxes.

My job is to write about sports. How did I win this lottery?

My first time meeting my coworkers was at our draft party last year. Now, I’m headed up to Lambeau on Thursday to cover this year’s event. What a wild ride it’s been.

I am so appreciative of each and every one of you who choose to begin your morning with me, and I look forward to celebrating two years together next April.

Thank you!

– Patrick Norton

Adam Schefter offered some interesting intel in his latest draft notebook for ESPN. The league insider reported that many around the league “believe the Bears are praying that [Ashton] Jeanty slips to them at No. 10.”

So, here’s the question: Should the Bears be willing to move up for somebody like Jeanty (or Campbell), or would you prefer Chicago lets the board play out?

I offered my two cents in last Friday’s Diehard mailbag, but I’ll reiterate that I think the Bears are in a really interesting spot at No. 10. The world is their oyster thanks to that draft slot.

They’re not too low in the round where the idea of trading up seems far-fetched, and they’re high enough where there should at least be one reasonable target on the board when it’s their turn to make a pick. And if all else fails, trading back to acquire more draft capital isn’t a bad idea, either.

I also think that in a draft with several talented running backs, we’ve lost sight of the fact that despite the wealth of strong options in the middle rounds, Jeanty might feel like the one that got away should he go ahead of the Bears’ pick.

And while the idea of trading up is more reminiscent of Ryan Pace’s tenure as Bears GM, there’s a first time for everything, and Jeanty and Campbell might be worth the price.

Remember, Ryan Poles nearly tried to trade up to draft Rome Odunze last year before asst. GM Ian Cunningham urged him to remain patient inside the Bears’ war room.

Only a couple more days until we can stop playing the hypotheticals game.

GO DEEPER: Take a look inside my pre-draft mailbag from last Friday.

Southpaw Safety Net: Whether the Cubs are looking for another lefty ‘pen arm or just anybody to get some outs in relief, Chicago acquired LHP Drew Pomeranz from the Seattle Mariners on Monday in return for cash considerations. Pomeranz, 36, will report to Iowa and join the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate. The 11-year veteran hasn’t seen the major leagues since 2021.

Excuse me, what? In what feels like a clerical error, Baseball Reference’s latest 2025 World Series odds have the Cubs as the likeliest team to win it all this October. Chicago’s 17.6% chance to win the World Series is 2.9% higher than any team and a whopping 14.5% higher than the Los Angeles Dodgers’ odds.

I'm not exactly sure how this is calculated, but Baseball Reference probably had a record number of clicks from the Chicagoland area yesterday.

Why, what happened? The Sports Business Journal reported on Monday that the Blackhawks’ television viewership this year, in their first season on CHSN, was down 78% from the previous season. Oops.

📺 CHGO Bears
1:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Blackhawks
2:00 on YouTube

📺 CHGO Bulls
4:00 on YouTube

⚾️ White Sox @ Twins
6:40 on CHSN

⚾️ Cubs vs. Dodgers
6:40 on Marquee

📺 CHGO Cubs
POSTGAME on CHGO Cubs YT