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P.J. Walker had never been to Chicago before last Friday, but as soon as he walked through the doors of Halas Hall, he was met with familiarity.

Signing a two-year contract with the Bears last week after spending three years with the Panthers generated enough excitement by itself for the backup quarterback. But, the best part of Walker's whirlwind week was being greeted with a big hug from coach Matt Eberflus – who Walker spent a season with in Indianapolis when Eberflus served as Colts defensive coordinator.

"I'm super excited just because I think he's a great person," Walker said. "It's not even about the coach. When you get a great person, that also just factors into the coaching and guys want to play for the guy that's always going to be there for his players. And I think he's one of those guys that is there for his players and always there to support his players as well."

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In 2018 – Walker's second year in the NFL – he was the Colts' third-string quarterback while Eberflus had just started his tenure as defensive coordinator.

While the pair were on opposite sides of the ball, Walker spent most of his time on the practice squad, serving as the scout team quarterback. Through competing against and learning the defense, Walker grew an appreciation for Eberflus' scheme and coaching style.

"It was pretty good," Walker said on his relationship with Eberflus, "because me being a scout team guy going up against his defense, just giving him my opinion and also asking the guys around him, 'what is this defense?' and trying to figure things out like that. So the conversation and the communication has always been there.

"I admired what he's done with the group since I'd been in Indy and I saw the defense grow. I saw it grow over the years and I knew what he was capable of as a coach."

Walker will also have two familiar faces in the Bears locker room in receiver DJ Moore and running back D'Onta Foreman, both of whom also joined the team last week. Walker and Moore played in Carolina together for three years, while Foreman spent last season with Walker on the Panthers.

Moore and Walker formed a close relationship at their last stop, as the pair lived close to one another in Charlotte. Walker said the transition to Chicago will be easier because he and Moore can "support each other and get things rolling."

"I'm super excited to be reunited with him because I know what he's capable of," Walker said about Moore. "Just him, his ability, he's smart, knows the game in and out, and I think he's one of the top receivers in this league that doesn't get a lot of respect they deserve, you know, So you're going to get somebody that's going to give you what you want on the football field.

"He's tough. He got a dog mentality when he's out there and it ain't no one person that's gonna sit there and stop him."

While reuniting with people like Eberflus, Moore and Foreman gives Walker an extra boost of confidence heading into Chicago, he's excited to form similar relationships with his new Bears teammates.

Building connections with the entire 53-man roster is a priority of Walker's as a backup quarterback, a habit he picked up in Indianapolis from now-Commanders QB Jacoby Brissett, who was behind Andrew Luck.

As an undrafted free agent out of Temple in 2017, Walker signed with the Colts and was constantly released and re-signed to the team's practice squad. While the time period was difficult for Walker as a competitor, it's when he learned what it takes to be an efficient backup QB in the NFL.

"I was the third guy there, but it was just the opportunity to see [Brissett], the way he presented himself towards the team, the way he presented himself towards the players," Walker said. "I was like, 'OK, if that's the role I will have to have, I know what I have to do.' So for me it was just paying attention and seeing what's around me. I always trusted the way he moved and the way he did things. So for me it was just acknowledge it and accept it and be like, 'that's the way you do it.'"

Get an exclusive look inside the Bears' practice facility as new Bears DJ Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, DeMarcus Walker, Nate Davis, Travis Homer and P.J. Walker tour the building, meet their new teammates and more during their first days in Chicago.

Walker learned the importance of having constant communication with the receivers and stepping in as a leader at times the starting quarterback was preoccupied. He appreciated how Brissett brought the energy to practice every day and gave teammates the opportunity to have fun.

After heading to the XFL in the spring of 2020 – when he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns – Walker rejoined the NFL after the XFL folded due to COVID-19, signing with the Panthers.

Walker served as the backup to Teddy Bridgewater in 2020 then played behind Sam Darnold and Cam Newton in 2021, appearing in a combined nine games with two starts. Last season, Walker started five games for Carolina, throwing for 731 yards on 63 attempts with three touchdowns.

Being a constant presence in the Panthers organization for three years caused Walker to evolve as a leader and utilize the skills he learned from Brissett.

"Once I got to Carolina, I got the opportunity to be the backup full time," Walker said. "It was just the guys around me; they felt my presence. They felt my energy. They saw what I could bring to the table and also just being a leader to them, towards them, just talking to them because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing. We all want to win. We all want to be successful."

Now in Chicago, Walker wants to bring that same leadership to the quarterback room and be a constant support system for Justin Fields as he enters his third NFL season. Walker said he's been a fan of Fields since his college career with the Ohio State and was "highly impressed" with the his play in 2022, calling him "one of the best runners in this league."

Along with the necessary NFL quarterback experience Walker gives the Bears, his veteran presence in the entire locker room will be a key addition to a young and developing team.

"I'm just trying to be a leader to not just the quarterback room, but just a whole group of guys," Walker said. "Just always try to ride with the guys when Justin can't talk to the receivers and things like that. I'll always be there to try to communicate for him and just have that leadership role and have guys hear me out and hear what I have to say as well. For us, that's the way you can succeed on a football field is by communication. And if we're all locked in as one, we'll have a good chance of winning."

Starting a distillery isn't easy, and staying on top of the game, takes work.

Drew Fox knows that all too well. He started the 18th Street Brewery in 2010, expanding to a distillery a few years ago.

"We distill all of our spirits on site using a Copper Pot Still," said Fox, who is originally from Chicago. His brewery and distillery are in Hammond, Indiana, but his goal has always been to showcase his spirits in the Windy City. Specifically, in Pilsen, a place he once called home.

"Chicago has a lot of eclectic neighborhoods but there’s nothing like Pilsen," said Fox. "When I started thinking about the name, I thought why not why not pay homage to a place that I'm really passionate about?"

This past year, the number of craft spirit makers in the United States grew by 17 percent, according to the American Crafts Spirit Association. Fox believes the key to success is self distribution, which 18th Street Distillery is able to do now, opening their doors to new opportunities.

"There’s still a small portion of distillery owners in the Chicagoland area that are Latino, that are African American, so we want to showcase and let people know that if you put your mind to it, you can showcase your talent at anything you do. The sky is the limit," said Fox.

18th Street Distillery mostly specializes in whiskey. They make a Bourbon, Cinnamon and Smoked White Whiskey that resembles a Mezcal.

"It’s made with love, it’s made with passion," said Michael Ramirez, head distiller for 18th Street Distillery.

This month, 18th Street Distillery had an event that marked their entry to the Chicago market. They introduced their artisanal spirits made in Indiana at the Green Room Tap in Pilsen. The location felt special for Fox's team, as the pub is steps away from 18th Street.

"Being able to showcase our art … it’s not on a building, but it’s in a bottle, I think that’s very special," said Ramirez.

Mathew Wesolik, general manager of the Green Room Tap, also understands what the event meant to the team at 18th Street Distillery.

"Drew being from this area really hits home," said Wesolik. "It takes a lot to get a company going. … What matters in this industry is taking care of each other, and that's what we're doing here."

"South Side is still one of the most underserved areas when it comes to craft alcohol, especially when it’s by minority owners, so we fight harder to get our foot through the doors," said Fox.

Fox says his goal is to one day open a distillery or bar in Chicago.

he Bears have a long road ahead in the current offseason. T

They've done some damage so far. The Bears signed Tremaine Edmunds to a four-year $72 million deal. They brought on T.J. Edwards to a three-year $19.5 million contract. And, they acquired DJ Moore, who will make around $20 million per year over the next three seasons.

However, their spending is far from over. They still have 2023 cash to spend to make ends meet with the NFL cap floor, according to PFF's Brad Spielberger.

Believe the Bears need to spend another ~$45M or so in 2023 cash even after paying the current draft picksI expect them to be active in the cap casualty market, and with veterans that wait later in the offseason to sign closer to Week 1 https://t.co/qrWZTN4bju

— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@PFF_Brad) March 23, 2023

Spielberger does an excellent job of explaining the Bears' financial situation in the Twitter thread.

Remember, cash is different from cap. If you research the Bears' cap space as it stands, you would see they have $38 million in cap space left. Obviously, that wouldn't make sense as to how they would need to spend $45 million while only having $38 million left in cap space.

As Spielberger mentions in the Twitter thread, extensions and in-season spending count toward hitting this figure. Plus, the Bears don't need to meet that number before the season. They have until the end of the 2023 league year to reach the floor.

Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson are all extension eligible this offseason. That can add to the spending floor.

This all goes to prove the Bears will inevitably make it. They still have the 2023 NFL draft class and the free agent market to sift through. Once players are cut closer to training camp, the Bears will likely be involved.

Last offseason, they claimed the most waiver wire pickups of any team, signing seven guys who were cut from their respective teams.

Don't fret. The Bears still have plenty of cap space to expend should they decide to make other moves in free agency this offseason. Their spending figures are mainly technicalities under NFL cap rules.

Seth Lugo eager to stick in the Padres’ rotation, Jay Groome wild in likely his last start this spring and updates on Austin Nola and Juan Soto

PHOENIX —

Seth Lugo turned 33 years old in November. He’d signed for $20,000 as the Mets’ 34th-round pick all the way back in 2011, so he’d certainly had to work an odd job or two before he was sure baseball was a career.

No doubt, the application processes didn’t come close to comparing to dialing in for a two-hour Zoom with the Padres over the offseason.

A.J. Preller, naturally, was on the call. So was Padres manager Bob Melvin, pitching coach Ruben Niebla, bullpen coach Ben Fritz and Ben Fraser from the training staff. Those are the names that Lugo can remember from a call that was seven to eight faces deep, including his agent at Lugo’s request.

“That was like my first real job interview,” Lugo recalled with a laugh. “ … When I was selling Christmas trees, there’s no interviews. ‘Can you lift this?’ ‘Sure.’ When I was washing balls at a driving range, ‘Do you understand how to work this machine?’ ‘Yeah sure.’”

The list of questions is certainly long as he settles into the back of the Padres rotation.

He hasn’t started a game since, hasn’t thrown more than 136 innings in a professional season and hasn’t topped 102 in the majors. He’s got a top-tier-spinning curve but certainly needs to hone his other secondaries if he’s going to have success the second and hopefully third time through the order.

The Padres weren’t the only team courting Lugo as a starting pitcher this winter, but the plan they discussed was as intriguing as the fallback option laid out two-year, $15 million deal that included incentives as to both start and relieve games, as the uber-valuable/versatile Nick Martinez received before the start of 2022 and this year.

“A lot of questions,” Lugo said. “I was happy with how it went and they explained they were interest in me starting with the potential to move into the bullpen. I was like that’s fine, that’s fair, that’s understandable.”

Indeed, the mild-mannered Lugo is up for anything as he’s said throughout camp.

A spot in the rotation, of course, is the great, white whale of his career.

He thought he had it in hand in the spring of 2017 after a breakout in the World Baseball Classic — he beat Venezuela and the U.S before starting Puerto Rico’s loss in the championship — but Lugo was stunned to learn he was still competing for a job when he rejoined Mets camp.

So he pushed even more. Then his elbow gave out. It was the last time he’d had a chance to ramp up for a rotation spot from the beginning to the end of spring training.

So yes, it’s a turning point in his career, one that certainly played into Lugo’s decision to back out of an early commitment to Team Puerto Rico after learning he’d again have a chance to stick in a rotation.

He hopes his stay in San Diego is his next turning point.

“I’ve always wanted to start,” Lugo said. “I feel like the last few years and in the offseason, having the chance to start and then right before spring training or during spring training there’s a change of plans. It was pretty frustrating. So coming in camp as a starter and all the way through camp as a starter, it’s been nice.”

Groome’s last pitch

Jay Groome‘s last audition for a spot on the Padres’ opening day roster, in some capacity, wasn’t his best.

It wasn’t all bad, either, and his spring as a whole — he hadn’t allowed a run until Thursday — left him encouraged as he walked off the American Family Fields of Phoenix mound.

The Padres, after all, have been intent on testing Groome in big-league camp in ways the Red Sox never did, and he’ll leave Arizona with a 1.29 ERA over 14 innings even after allowing four runs — two earned — on five hits, three walks and a hit batter in 3 1/3 innings against what could be the Brewers’ opening day lineup.

“I would have liked to get out there for the five innings that I was slated for but unfortunately my pitch count kind of (got away),” Groome said after his 82-pitch start. “Had a couple of long innings, a quick fourth inning right there, but I feel like I just didn’t have too good of command today. Think I was trying to be a little bit too perfect and my misses were getting bigger.”

The longest inning was the second in which he was pulled with one out after shortstop Tim Lopes muffed what might have been a long-shot, inning-ending double play. Two runs scored on the error and another crossed the plate before right-hander Lake Bachar could get the final two outs.

Victor Caratini added a first-pitch homer when Groome climbed the mound again for the third, but he got out of that inning without any more damage and erased a one-out walk to Luis Urias in the fourth via an inning-ending double play from Rowdy Tellez.

“It’s always in the back of your mind, the ERA and everything,” Groome said. “But I think I like where I’m at. It’s just a matter of getting ready for wherever they need me. I’ve done a good job of keeping myself healthy. I’ve proved I can get some big leaguers out. Just ready to roll with whatever they got for me.”

What the Padres have remains in flux as they get a handle on where Yu Darvish is in his progression following the World Baseball Classic, but there appears to be two spots open on the pitching staff: Either two long relievers or a long reliever and a pitcher who would make a start at the beginning of the season should they hold Darvish back for the sixth game.

“There’s a bunch of different scenarios involved,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “You know with the starting pitching right now, depending on where Darvish pitches, are we going six or are we going five? And the bullpen complement will be based around that.”

Another candidate for one of those spots started the other split-squad game in Peoria, as left-hander Ryan Weathers allowed three runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Royals as his Cactus League ERA swelled to 4.91.

Notable

One of England's most popular restaurants, rated No. 1 on a world's best steakhouse list, is coming to Chicago.

Hawksmoor, which opened its first U.S. location in New York in 2021, has targeted Chicago for its next U.S. opening in early 2024. Co-founders Will Beckett and Huw Gott debuted Hawksmoor in 2006 in London and now have eight other restaurants in that city. Hawksmoor is ranked on top of the "World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants" list, published by Upper Cut Media House based in the U.K.

After its U.S. debut, New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells asked, "Does New York need a British steakhouse? Yes, if it's Hawksmoor."

Beckett and Gott have leased the LaSalle Street Cable Car Powerhouse, a 16,500-square-foot, three-floor building at 500 N. LaSalle St. that formerly housed Gino’s East and Michael Jordan’s Restaurant. The pair plans to restore the designated landmark that dates back to 1887.

There will be a big focus on the bar, as Hawksmoor has twice been awarded “best international restaurant bar” at the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation’s Spirited Awards. The restaurant will have 220 seats across the three floors and a 150-bottle wine list; the bar will have a separate menu.

“Chicago is one of the great cities of America,” Beckett said. “We love the restaurant scene here, and we feel inspired by the beef history. We love the building. We love bringing beautiful old buildings back to life, and this old cable car powerhouse is one such building.”

"The steaks Hawksmoor serves are not, in fact, all that readily available at steakhouses in the United States," Wells wrote. "First, the restaurant grills over charcoal." For the New York location, Hawksmoor sources all-natural beef from family farms in the Northeast and Midwest and plans to work with many of the same farms for the Chicago location.

They have not yet hired a head chef but hope to find someone locally who will work with group executive chef Matt Brown.

“The intention would certainly be to find a local executive chef who feels as passionately as we do about sourcing brilliant American produce and cooking it simply,” Beckett said.

Hawksmoor is a carbon-neutral, Certified B Corporation — "leaders in the global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy" — that holds a three-star rating from the Green Restaurant Association. Hawksmoor aims to have about 150 staff upon opening and will continue the progressive staffing practices that have landed it on the U.K.’s list of 100 best employers for more than a decade.

The restaurant will face stiff competition in Chicago, which boasts several highly regarded steakhouses, such as Chicago Cut, GT Prime, Gibsons, Swift & Sons, Prime & Provisions and Bavette's Bar & Boeuf, to name a few.

“Great hospitality cities are driven by passion and a desire to look after people,” Beckett said. “Those two things exist in spades in Chicago, a city we associate with artisanship and hospitality. We’re trying to build a world-class restaurant, and to make it a place where people can come enjoy what we do and feel comfortable and happy when they dine with us.”