All Access: Barone talks joining Nagy's staff

this week here brought to you by IGS Energy. Jeff Jonny at my broadcast partner from news Radio seven eighty one oh five point ATFMWBBM. Tom Fair Bears analyst No Jim Miller tonight tending to a personal matter as he gets ready for, you know, the important part of the season here the super Bowl and then the scouting combine, so he'll be down there as well. Mobi A BEMA, good to have you. Well, I gotta tell you, I

think what Jeff Jim is getting ready for. I think the Senior Ball is more port and then the super Bowl because you know, I yeah, it's it's gonna be great watching. I think it's gonna be a great game. I still live an envy of the guys, the players that are having this experience either for more than the first time in their life or the first time in

their life. It's such a special time in the in their lives, for their families, lives, for all their surrounding support systems that they've grown up with or you know, struggle through to get to this point. You're talking about Senior Bowl or those who many I've talked about the super Bowl guys. See I'm talking about this super Bowl guys, because you know the Senior Bowl, you still have so much ahead of you. You have the Senior Bowl, you have the Combine, you have all the individual visits that

you're gonna make to the teams. You kind of jockey for that position where you're kind of eye and everybody else when you see him at the Senior Bowl or the Combines and seeing how you fit in, and you know that's that's a big time in their lives. But there's so much uncertainty. Man. The super Bowl. It's it, man, it is It's it's the big Well you lived it, yeah, you know about anybody you lived it, and you have

the great appreciation for living it. But you also, again I talk about the envy you have ever everybody of what they're doing. What if you had never experienced it and you played it as long as you did, how do you think how would it have changed you mentally about your career, about the game, anything like that about the game of football. Well, you know, I have a friend, Jeff Van Note, who played center for the Atlanta Falcons only for eighteen years and I think only made it

to the playoffs one time in his career. And then when we are going through this success we are having, he came to Chicago for the playoffs game and he was around the Super Bowl, and then you kind of got a reflection of seeing an elder statesman in the league that's committed his life to play in the NFL football that's never been able to achieve the success ultimately what every guy plays for. And there I was in my first year in the NFL and we're at the

Super Bowl. So you kind of you gained the appreciation for the experience you're going through because of some of the guys that have never had the opportunity. Mike Kennon was another guy, and Evanston guy from Michigan. Played seventeen years left tackle for the Atlanta Falcons. Never made it to this. I remember, I remember a pregame show down there in Atlanta. We had you, we had Mike Ken, we had Bill Freylick, we had some other guys offensive lineman.

In one interview at one time in a pregame show, and I think this topic came up. I mean it's you know, look at Dan Marino. Yeah, this is a great comparison for Patrick Mahomes right now in Kansas City. He gets in there at such a tender age. Second year, never went back. You know, It's the same thing with me. I mean, I was twenty three or twenty four. We had the youngest team in the NFL. So he kind of walked out there as a four gone conclusion. Oh,

we'll see you next year. All we'll see in two years. And we are luckily, luckily enough, we did get to the NFC Championship Game. He got beat by San Francisco forty nine ers at home, probably the worst and the hardest loss to take of any loss ever in the history of my career, and the worst losses of getting beat by USC four times in my college career, that's the worst. But losing the NFC Championship game is why why?

Why that one stings more? The NFC Championship game, Oh man, because we are ripe, We're ready, We're gonna We're gonna go and beat the Cincinnati Bengals. We you know, we had a good football team. Um, you know we had we had a good performance after coming off a bad year the year before. And you know, there you are, You're one win away at home in the worst weather you could possibly have and it's all this bear weather thing that's being and then San Francisco comes in and

they beat you at home. It's it's the most devastating loss. And you know, you can see how it still sits with all cover that game on never forgetting myself. Hey, coming up next on Bears All Access, we'll be joined by brand new tight Ends coach Clancy Barroni from the Bears coaching staff that Manhangy has put together for twenty twenty. It's on just a hit here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Hey, welcome

back everybody to Bears All Access. Brought you buy Igs Energy, proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Broadcast crew here from the Bears on WBBM. Jeff Joni back in time. There No Jim Miller tonights. We'll get back to him next weeking very pleased to be welcome now by the new tight Ends coach of the Chicago Bears,

Clancy Baruni. Clancy, thanks for taking some time out. How are you doing tonight? I'm doing great, guys. Things out there? Oh pretty cold? Pretty cold? Well? You are you in Nevada? I am, yeah, I'm right outside of Vegas. This is where my home is year round. So okay, well you got a little warmer there. You'll get you'll you'll get back here and get you You'll know what it's all like.

You've been, You've been around the Midwest. Um, you know, going through you know, your your career is really another indication of what assistant coaches, over the course of their or their life in football have to endure in many cases and thrive in as well. Seventh, this is your seventeenth job with your thirteenth different team, going back to college, not just NFL, but going back to college. I heck you do that? How do you do it? What's kind

of why I have a permanent home? You know, my my wife and I have purchase and sold homes I want to say, like eleven different states something like that, and so after a while, it just makes tess to have home base. And that's why we chose our little place out here by by Vegas. It's the great weather and so forth. But you know, I guess to your point, uh, it is that is kind of the gig that you're that you're signing up for and and hopefully you can get someplace and stick for a while. You know, my

my longest stand was in Denver. I was there for eight years, which is that's like that's like two lifetimes as a football coach. Hey, classy, this top there, former offensive lineman and going. So I was involved in Super Bowl twenty. You were involved in So you've been involved in two super Bowl Super Bowl fifty to win? Do you so? During this time are you a football fan

of the Super Bowl? Because I like the game, but the aftermath I'm so envious of because I know the commitment and the fun they're having because of their commitment. How do you feel about this time of year in football? You know, Tom, probably probably the same as you. You know,

and I get it. I I you know, the grind that that you go through and that you're that your families go through, and the players and the coaches, and I know, how about about this time you kind of get that second or by now that that third win because of what's at stake. Um, you know, unlike yourself,

I've also lost a Super Bowl. And so when you would think about all the all the stuff that you put into it, and then you get there and things don't go your way, that's that that might be one of the worst feelings I've ever I've ever had as a professional. But obviously, uh, you know, you're right that that when you do win that and all all the stuff's coming down, all the confetti and here comes a trophy and things like that, there's really nothing else quite

quite like that. It's a great conversation about this over the years with people in my business. I'm i sad offense and just fans in general. You know, the whole idea of losing a Super Bowl hurts so badly that some have told me many times they'd rather not go, you know they're going to lose, or if they go, because it's the pain is just too great to overcome.

And you know, as a team that overcomes that obstacle, it is very difficult then to follow that up with a really good season in many, many cases, certainly in recent vintage. So that the mental and the spiritual impact on a team, a person, a quarterback, or a unit or whatever how it all unfolds is really something that doesn't get enough attention. I think. I think there's more to it than that clancy. No, you're right, and the thing that really no one talks about is you really

have no off season. I mean, you're you're playing up until February and then all of a sudden, everything kind of hits you right in the face. As a coaching staff, whether you win or lose, you're right back in there the next weekend. You have to look at pre agents and so forth. You have to try to get caught up on the draft and that type of thing. As a player, you know, if there is any where if you have to go in and get get something kind of tuned up during the off season, get a scope

here there or whatever else. Now your time has just gotten shorter to get that you know, fully healed and so forth. So you know, I'm just amazed at people like the Patriots who seem to do it year in and year out where they have a very short offseason, but it does seem to work for them. I think there's a certain mindset you have to have going into it.

I think we've all witnessed the teams who've had that that hangover, so to speak, when they get there, whether they lose or not, they get there and they're not really sure how to handle that to shortened offseason, either as a player or as a coach. You know you're going to have a short offseason because you got so much on your plate in terms of learning the terminology in the offense. But you know, I was watching a micd Up segment with you during an OTAs of one

of your last stops. You bring a lot of energy to OTAs. So when you get, you know, in front of the players the first time in OTAs, what do you like to accomplish Because you're not going to be in pads, you're not going to be able to do a lot of the drills that you're going to have access to in training camp, So what will be your approach in OTAs well. The thing is is that I've always kind of prided myself and being a teacher first, and so part of it is you have to have

to learn it first. I can teach it. And right now I'm trying to learn a foreign language. As anyone who's ever switched teams, either as a player or as a coach, they be able to get that. So once I get that foreign language down and I can, I

can teach it. That's always the part of the job that I really loved the most is when you when you get the guys in there and you can you can teach them maybe new ways to look at at certain techniques or at certain schemes jone and this occase you no coach in the tight ends, ways to run certain routes versus certain coverages, ways to block certain plays versus certain fronts, and so on, and too me, I

think I think that's that's that's always fun. Now it isn't like back in the day, you know, back when, back when Tom was playing, and obviously spring time was a little bit more involved and so forth. Now it's it's a little bit different, so there is more time on task trying to teach and not have the players go through the whole physical part of it, you know, classy.

The tight end position itself is pretty amazing because throughout your time in the NFL there's probably been more change of the tight end position because of the U tight end, the the on the line of scrimmage tight end, the h back tight end, the full back tight end. So when you're talking about learning an offense, you're taught you got to learn every single aspect of all the moving parts of the offense because the tight end is so

versatile these days. You know, you're right, And I think with my background, you know, and you touched on earlier about you know, going back into college ball where I was a coordinator where you have to kind of understand everything obviously, but also in the National Football League, haven't spent time as a as a line coach as well, where you're you're totally engrossing everything from what the your running back does and what the quarterback looks at and

so forth. That has really helped me as a a tight ends coach. But I think that we have seen it and going back to when I was with the Falcons, you know, seventeen see whatever is years ago, and I had a guy named Algie Crumpler who has maybe one of the best point point of attack tight ends as far as blocking, but who's also a great third down tight end, a great red zone tight end, led our team in receptions and touchdowns two years in a row.

But that position has evolved so much since then. Now you're getting a lot of guys who are who are former basketball players, who are former quarterbacks, who couldn't quite make the grade in college playing quarterback, so they so they became tight ends and so forth. So part of it is also trying to restructure how they see the game and how they view their role. Clancy brouni Our guest here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This is Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy,

the new tight ends coach of the Bears. You mentioned, oh, there's two points I want to wake one. Clancy, did you get a good chuckle out of top there and used some cell former offensive lineman. Don't you love that? That is typical offensive lineman. Yeah, there's something about, you know, the whole moxy of that of that position. He's part of the eighty five Bears. He's got a ramming Mike Gosh.

I mean, you know, right off to him. Yeah, he's got billboard, he's got photos, he's got posters, and he's got a red clancy. If you can see him right now. He is beat red right now because he hates that attention, like all good offensive lineman. But I want to mention I think I think I was in eighth grade when when I was watching him place, I was a huge fan.

There you go, and to that end, you know, uh, you mentioned the tight end position in Atlanta, and if I'm not mistaken, that is the first legitimate time or at least by by name and title, that you were a tight ends coach. And that was under Jim Morrige. Yes, exactly right, Yes, yes, So what we're talking all about these different positions, we're talking about, you know, pass catching tight positions. In most cases Tom mentioned h back, you the tight end that likes to put his hand in

the ground and drive somebody off the ball. I I forgot to write the kid's name down today from the senior ball. He's doing interviews and he says, my biggest thrill is not catching the pass. It's putting another guy on his back. And don't you love that mindset too from a tight end? Yeah, that's that is that is very new. I mean, it's it's it's kind of strange these days. And usually those guys come from Iowa, you know. And I think coach Parence is a great job down

there with those guys, you know. But yeah, and they have a guy who doesn't care who gets the credit as long as as as as removing the chains and scoring points. That's that is that is kind of cool. You know, when you think about algae down in Atlanta. Initially, is the eye test for the tight ends still the same because you think of what his size and his stature was, But then when you got to move them to a full back or h back or move them

a little bit. Has has the the eye test changed a little bit over the years or is it still consistent? You're looking for the biggest and best athlete you can find, you know, I guess, uh, man, I guess you have to try to answer your question that being to two wishywashy. You know, I think a lot of it depends on your own offensive scheme and if you're going to have a guy who's going to be a guy that that

there runs the seam. You got this, you know, six foot six, two hundred forty five two hundred fifty on tight end who's just athletic and a former basketball player and just like a real freak athlete. You're probably not going to ask that guy to get back in behind the quarterback in a three point stance and try to go isoblock a six two linebacker. You know he'll he'll lose that the leverage battle almost every time. So I think you have to look at, you know, what does

your offense want from that position. And that's also why you would tend to have about three tight ends up on the game day and one guy can kind of answers this, one guy answers that you and kind of scritch war scratch where it is just so to speak with all with all three different guys. Clancy Broni, our guest here on Bears All Access. Uh, You, like a player,

you have to deal with what's coming at you. And in your last stop of the Minnesota Vikings, Uh, you endured what had to be an unthinkable scenario with the death of Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sperrano and then that moved you into that role on offensive line. What was that like in retrospect now that you've had time to deal with that, think about that and what that did for that team. Well, you know, I guess to be fair, when I came in and Pat Shermer was

was the coordinator when I come in. You know, Tony it had some episodes with his health. After in the A twenty sixteen season, I was still back in Denver, and so uh, part of what of what brought me here was Pat said, you know, I'd like to have a guy that has some some old line background to come coach to tight ends because if Tony has to has to take a knee for a week or two, then you can slide over and take that that job

over until he's well and can come back. Obviously, it was it ended up way way worse than that when when Tony passed in the summer of twenty eighteen, UM, and so yeah, I was. I was thrilled to get back with the offensive line, but obviously under you know what that type of thing happened, and that was that was horrible for Tony first, you know, for his family and for all of us who worked with Tony and

loved him so much. A lot of coaches out there do get some breaks at times, and how did you deal with yours in twenty nineteen to get yourself mentally ready for the next challenge. I'll tell you what, and it's a blessing. And probably very few people know the story.

My mom is eighty three, she's eighty four now, and she'd had some some very serious medical conditions and it was it was the night before we played the Bears in week seventeen of twenty eighteen, and my mom had a six hour brain surgery and thinking about that at that age and to be under for six hours and to have, you know, pretty involved brain surgery, and so at the time, you know, we're kind of rebanned from the staff and there there's a lot of changes and

so forth. So I had had an opportunity to kind of step away from football for a while, go back out to California and really be there with mom and help her have the best, you know, the best fourth quarter of her life, so to speak. And I was there with her when when she was going through speech therapy and physical therapy and she's up and walking and talking again. And uh, and I was just talking to her today. She is living the best life she's had

in many, many years. She's back living on her own in the old in the old homestead and everything and just doing great. So I feel very blessed I had a chance to actually go home and do that. I know that. Um, when when my dad got sick, you know, twenty seven years ago, I saw dad, I want to say, two days out of the last six months of his life, and that was that was hard to handle. That was

that was really tough. And so I when I had this chance to go back in and be with mom, and you know, God willing things turned out the way they did. You know, I just felt very fortunate. And they're very blessed to have that chance to do that. Oh, it's an unbelievable story. Well got well, and she's gonna watch him become a Bears fan. Make sure you get her at jar. Absolutely yes, yes, absolutely, well Clancy, will let you go. Thanks so much for taking some time

to look forward to meeting you. Thank you, Clancy. All right, guys, Clancy Brown, Bears new tight ends coach. We'll take a break. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought to you by Old Spice. Never let a Friend Lose his swagger. Jeff Jony Act Tom there with you here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Just got off the phone with Clancy Barroni, the Bears tight

end coach, impressively. Yeah, you know, I think in the last two weeks of talking the new offensive line coach, Juan Castillo and now Clancy Baroni, the tight ends coach, there's a lot of experience in between those two guys, and so I think when you see the morph and the changes of offensive systems and schemes throughout the NFL, and you've been around the NFL, you know, for fifteen, seventeen, eighteen years, like the two of them have been, you know,

twenty four for Juan Castile, you know, there's gonna be a lot of experience that hopefully he's going to cultivate some young talent up there, because you know, they're gonna have to make position adjustments, they're gonna have to find the right people for the job, and then they're gonna have to get it ready for some hard work. And you know, it's interesting. We can't get into you know, the dudes and the wise and the winds and the house yet because these guys are, like he said, he's

still learning it. Yeah, it is. It's like learning, you know. And I try to say that the people. It's like, you know, Okay, you're gonna move to France in two and a half months and you've got to speak French fluently by the time you get there. You have to understand what you're saying and understand what's being you know, you know, you know that that's true from a player.

I mean, one of the first players to ever explained that to me in the more modern change of football is Ricky Prole all the time, you say, you know, you're learning Chinese, right. And for coaches, since they've been exposed to so many systems, and he's worked with Jim Morri Junior, he's got all those college coaches, he's worked with North Turner, worked with Josh McDaniels on his staff,

John Fox, Mike Zimmer. I mean, as a whole lot of different types of personality, schemes and so forth, right, and you know, and as much as they don't they you know, I remember when Adam Gase was here, and you're looking at the terminology that Adam Gaze had for this offense. And then Adam Gaze leaves, they bring in doll loggins, and so I asked him, I said, are you going to change the terminology outside of what was being taught by Adam Gay so things can so the

learning curve can be expedited. And he said, oh no, I'm not going to change him. Then I went in next the next year reading the terminology that he's using. It's different than Adam Gaze's. So I think every time someone gets hired into a position of offensive authority, they want to bring along their own language to help out, to help out their plan and kind of you know, I you know, put themselves in their in their own kaku.

Did you have to learn much, you know, I know, aside from going down in Miami for that one year. Oh yeah, you mean you always you know, kind of Luckily in the Chicago we are in the same system, so we got it became so repetitive. You never you didn't have to sit and even though we did sit meetings for three hours every night, it was just repeated information. But it was more for the new guys to learn and then when you go down and you change teams.

In the middle of the year, Steve de Burgh and I came to came to the Miami Dolphins the same day. He was the quarterback. Guy was an offensive lineman. And all you do is you investigate every single waking second outside of practice, learning the information so when you are

in uniform you can be called upon. And so I remember remember Steve de Berg sitting there all night just learning the terminology, learning the plays, learning the routes, and absorb so much information that he was able to play within a week's time. It was the most amazing thing to watch a quarterback. But now an offensive line play, you're dealing with adjustments on the defense, but you're also dealing with four other offensive lineman, the tight end and

the fullback, along with all your blocking schemes. So you're learning it differently. But you have you know, obviously you don't have as much materially to learn as a quarterback, but you still have to learn everything perfectly. System scheme yes, fundamentals then that's that's just a learned behavior from repetition. The scheme, yes, but the fundamentals that are taught within the scheme. Any position coach can teach those Any position

coach can teach any funding the fundamentals of their position. Yes, yeah, so that's the stuff that you know is the most important. With Clancy Browne. I went back and I was watching this micd ups. I was the Denver Broncos with the Denver Broncos, and you heard the coaching points that they

just they constantly come out. You know, once a coach gets on the field, whether it's Dick Stanfeld bringing our offensive line out about twenty minutes before practice to go through some little individual things, or in the midst of practice or OTAs, the coaching never stops. There is something

that's being told to you. And you better be patient as a player to be able to accept every coaching point that they're telling you against any circumstances that you're going to face, because alls they're trying to do is help you become a smarter, better player. All right. News of the day, Clail Mac has somewhat of an injured situation, so undisclosed injuries, so not going to be in the Pro Bowl. I'm sure it's not a big deal. DC. I don't care. I just you know, the Pro Bowl

is what it is. I'm glad for the guys that do get the thrill of experiencing it, but it certainly is different. Eddie Jackson and Cordello patterns would be in some skills competition as part of those festivities. In Kyle Full they're aboard as well, and some rule changes getting attention.

These are things that their tryouts basically to see how the competition committee and the rules committee might discuss it at the owners meetings, you know, after the after the season, right, I was reading some of them, think, I don't know, you know, it's just hard to you know, again we're purist.

It's hard to see rule changes, whether it's you know, trying to think of a different way to keep the onsite kick out of the game, which to me, it's still one of the most anticipated exciting plays in football, and I don't think that changing it to fourth and fifteen. You know, So what are you gonna do. Put a wide receiver that's guaranteed one on one coverage, throw them

the ball and hope for an interference call. So you have a better chance of trying to get an interference call than you do of trying to win the battle for an outside kick, and I think it's silliness myself. I don't I don't like messing around of the game.

But you know, with the debut of the XFL or the redbut of the XFL, you wonder if things that become popular to the fan and maybe to a certain selection of players when they go crazy again social media watching it, that these are things that will get discussed along the way. Else, if you have trial and error, if you have examples of it, if you have a season long you know, um, you know, kind of rule change option experiment, maybe it gives you a little bit

better understanding of it. Just to do things right in mid stride where guys have never been a part of it before. I think it's kind of silly. So like last year that you guys made fun of me of wanting to watch the AAF, I'm excited to watch it. I didn't make fun of you. I was just intrigued by how much conversation you brought from it. You were you were You were looking for kickers, is what you were doing. I was looking for kickers and the one I picked did come to the Bears, but he didn't

make the team. Okay, so what are you gonna be looking for from the XFL you'll be watching. I'm just looking for desirable competition. Because I was talking to a guy that played in my high school, Tie Isaac, super successful high school running back, went on to play at USC in Michigan. And here's a kid that I see him working out at the gym down and Joliet, and he's physically gifted kid, and he's got more desire to play football than a lot of people that I would

that I was playing with when I was playing. I see guys out there that they want their opportunity, they want a chance, they want a chance to be able to be able to succeed. It's like all the conversation with the kid, and saff is just going to say every kid that wants it is now A huge fan

of Raheem Moster. And you know what too is he was with the Bears in twenty sixteen, right, he was, and he had a reputation of not being not securing the football, had some kind of fundamental He's a good special teams player though, yes, but they brought him in here to be a running back. And so I think I don't think it's all the other five teams that passed on him there at fault. It's just that if there's talent out there, you're going to investigate it to

see if it fits into your plan. And unfortunately at that point he did it. But look how long it took him to succeed. The right opportunity, right system, right coach, right whatever, right right in there in front of you. Yeah, what was going through your mind when he put up to twenty and four touchdowns? You know, I remember Tim Smith, they're running back for the Washington Redskins and the Super

Bowl he had over two hundred yards rushing him. Then he was never heard from again, and it's kind of amazing. It's not what you did? What are you going to do with it? And so I still I hope for the best for this young guy. But again, his determination must be unlike a lot of others that didn't get discouraged to start thinking, hey man, I should not be involved in this anymore. What am I gonna do next? Man? It's like, once you're a football player, you can't have

a second option. It's got to be your one option, and you've got to do it till your successful outstanding gunner as well or He mostered the talk of the San Francisco forty nine ers and their win as they set up Super Bowl fifty four. We'll talk about that a little bit, get into more unto the Bears here with Tom There. I'm Jeff Joniac on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Jeff Joniac, Tom there with you

with Mike Chen and Chris Dickens are producers. Welcome into Bears All Access here in Chicago Sports Radio seventy the Score. I think everybody calls him charl Dickens. Probably, I don't know he got a nickname, Mike. No, not that he's aware of. Okay, good to have you alongside a little more than twenty some minutes to go here before the top of the hour, brought to you by IGS Energy.

Tom throwing my way some questions in the break, he's watching Patrick Mahomes and his lightning touchdown of note that's getting everyone's attention, but the tackling was pretty poor on that one. It's just I'm sorry you're not giving him credit for making the run or just no, I am I Hey, he did the results speak for themselves. However, if this was a regular season game and I was watching the approach of the tacklers that we're getting able to. You know, how often do you get a chance to

jack up a quarterback? I mean, once he turns into a runner, it should be your total emphasis to leave. And I mean this innocently. I don't mean it mean, but leave scars. You gotta jack him up. You gotta take all of your momentum, and you gotta get low, and you gotta light that guy up. And you just don't have the luxury anymore. It used to bother me when Brett Farve would scramble against the Bears and or else go and try to block on a reverse or something.

As soon as he became a blocker, it would be forearmed to chim, hey, we'll take some phone calls in these final twenty minutes or so, if you so desire. Three one two sixty four, sixty seven, sixty seven, sixty four four sixty seven, sixty seven. Here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score, Jeff, Joniak and Tom there. Before we get into more on the Super Bowl. I

saw this was a quote from Kyle Shanahan. It's a long quote, but it involves the center position and the quote basically says to get into certain personnel groupings to help someone have an angle, say on a mic linebacker, middle linebacker, so you can help your center out with the guard. Sometimes they go into a one back. Now the weak side linebacker asked to walk outside the box, and the angles to the mic aren't as good. But you got a center can get there on his own,

doesn't need to help. It allows you to do a bunch of different stuff to paraphrase and go on. He says, there are a lot of good players that position, but when you have a difference maker at that position, he's found in his career that it's been a lot easier to run an offense. Do you see the truth in what Kyle Shannan's talking about. I think great is great. I think if you're a great center, then we've had the luxury or here of watching decades of centers between

Hilgi and Olan Cruz. You think of Kelsey and Philadelphia, you think of the great centers along the way. They can do things individually that maybe getting to the second level. They don't need the guard to help them. But I don't think there's anything more beneficial than making sure that you're getting movement on the line of scrimmage to get up to that second level. And if it takes a center and guard to do that better, then you know that's that's the way you get the job done in

you know what. You know the bodies aren't always getting bigger on the defensive line. Sometimes you know, you got guys like Aaron Donald that they have such superior quickness, you better limit the space that they can be superior and have two bodies work and shoulder the shoulder. When offensive lineman double team, they should never touch each other. They should both be making contact with the defensive lineman first. So I just think it's it's how talented of a

player do you have. Do you anticipate the offensive line in terms outside of new personnel coming in, The current players where they're at as the season ended, might stay in those positions or not. You know, I think it's gonna be interesting for Wanca Stello and Clarence Baroni to look at tape of how the offensive line work together, because I still think Rashad Coward is probably playing out a position at offensive guard. He could go and probably

be a solid offensive tackle. I think the Alex bars from Notre Dame. I think he's unique and he's got to experience had multiple positions, So I think during training camp, yeah, you're gonna have the starting five offensive lineman going out there, but you do want to have, you know, great competition behind these guys to make sure that no one has you know, has a job already that it's going to be competed for. And I think if you have an

Alex Bars, you mean you have a Rashad Coward. I can play at the positions they're most comfortable, and I think you provide competition. But I do think when they line up the first days at OTAs, they will be in the same place as that they concluded the season end. Tom there, Jeff Joni aac here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score, Let's go to the phones, three

four sixty seven, sixty seven. Mike's on the line from Byron, Mike go ahead, Hey, yeah, it's thanks for taking my tall love his show, and I just wanted to ask you, Tom Faire, as an offensive lineman, how much does a tight end like a George Kittle play into the part of but testing the quarterback, giving them time to throw something over the middle and you know, just make the offense that much easier on the guy like much of Christy.

You know, it's it is a great question because I think the tight end can be incorporated in the past protection responsibilities and if they are a good pass protector, you're giving more um, You're giving more help to the offensive line, you give him more protection for the quarterback. I don't know, you know, George Kittle is unique man this His dad was a football player, played at Iowa. You know, George Kittle was coached by his dad grown

up and you can see the experience within him. But if you can have a tight end at that position, who can be equally as good as a blocker as he is a dangerous target, and I think that's you know, kind of hard to find. Maybe Gronk in those later years when he was you know, he couldn't run as well as he could early in his career, he probably became a better blocker because that's where he was he

was more useful. But yeah, those blocking tad ends that it can also make sure you have some diversity when you line them up. That's a little bit in disguise for what the defense is expecting. Those guys aren't rolling into the league, right. But you know you just talked about Shanahan's quote about having a center who can get

to the second level. I was watching some blocks by Kittle this past weekend where he was getting to the second level, and the reason the running back wasn't be in touch of the third level is because of that second level blocked by a Kittle. So I think a tight end they got to be able to do everything. They got to be able to line up as an H back, line up on the line of scrimmage, be able to block a defensive end. And you're not asking this tight end to block a defensive end solely for

five or six seconds. You're asking them to get their hands on, make him run a wider path to the quarterback, and try to keep in some kind of after this weekend. What you're also stuck with, who you know, is making sure you get guys or making sure your receivers are willing to block, because those short little runs of three, four or five six yards become double digit runs did from most start over the weekend most and with a tight end and wide receivers having that willingness to block,

it just opens things up. Well. I think that's one of the most impressive impressive qualities of Alan Robinson, as he is willing to block, whether he's going to block on a jet sweep or a screen that immediately comes to the outside. Cordella Patterson is a good blocker, and I think Riley Ridley and these guys that's what they're

gonna have to be willing to do. We know Ridley is a super capable receiver, but if he's gonna expand his time on the field in packages where they don't know exactly what's going to happen every time he's on the field, he's got to become that blocker. All right, let's take another phone call. We'll go to Nick in Gray's Lake. You're on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score with Jeff Intown. Hey, fellas, I hope you're having

a good night. I was listening to the I was listening to you guys talk about great center play, and it just reminded me of I was watching the clip of the third down touchdown that Mozart scored two nights ago, and if you watch the center, I think he down blocks or backblocks a four ye or a five tech, which is I might be exaggerating a little bit, but he got there faster than the snap got the Jimmy garoppolo,

which is unbelievable. You know that you have that go ahead, nick I saying that's one of the keys for the offensive line using the snap count as a weapon, because even if he is in the outside shade of the offensive guard, he's lined up to his outside shoulder. It is one of the more difficult blocks for centers to make, especially if there's any influence that they've seen from watching

tape before. But man, playing at home, hearing that snap count, understanding that you're going to have that instant of burst before the defensive line recognizes it. Sometimes being the master of the snap count really helps you the most. You know, we're talking very specific play right now. This is going to be making you happy right now. You you Jay Higan, brig Olden Creutz and the fellas talking about center play. We love it. You know, it's you know, it's different.

So we had that block when we are playing for the Bears, and so we're playing against the team that I knew the defensive line coach really well, and he told us he goes, you know, every time you guys are in split backs, the center blocks won away, and so now that block became so difficult for the center to make because every time we were in this one backfield formation, the center was blocking one away and it became predictable and more difficult for him to make another

segment to go here on Bears All Access with Tom there, Jeff Joniac and your phone calls coming up. Three one two sixty four sixty seven, sixty seven on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. Hey, you can help deserving families by donating a gently used winner coach to the Chicago Bears Jewel Lasco coach drive at the participating Jewel Lasco locations now through February twenty eight. Donations benefiting the Salvation Army. Jeff Joniac, time there with you. Three one

two sixty four four sixty seven, sixty seven. If you want to jump out to the final ten minutes or at the top of the hour, and we get out of here with the NFC North time. Everybody's finished up now, obviously with the Packers getting knocked out, how these teams now will be looking at the tweak their teams moving forward. Certainly a ton of conversation about Aaron Rodgers and what he might eat around him. He still feels he's got a window to win a Super Bowl, you know, always

believe that given his own excellence. But we'll go through the division a little bit. What are you looking at? You know, I think the defense did a nice job

against Green Bay this year. To me, it's I need a scheme to block the talent up front and the Packers defense because when you look at the first game of the year ten to three, and then you look at the fifteenth game of the year or whatever it was, the second to last game of the year when they play Green Bay, I think Zadarius Smith, Preston Smith, they created such a problem for the Bears from the first game all the way to that sixteenth game that they

have to figure out a scheme of how you're going to block that front because if Zadarius Smith number fifty five is he's gonna move all over the place. You have to have the capabilities of switching your protection mid stride. And we talk about the value of the tight end being a blocker there. He's got to be incorporated in the mix. He's got to be a part of it. So does your running backs. But to me, if you're looking at Green Bay specifically, you got to figure out

a way to block that pass attack. You shouldn't. They have a difficult time stopping the run this pass game, so that that will mute it right there and there. Oh yeah, but you know you think about just all right now, you know, and then you bring up David Montgomery, you know, because I still have super high expectations for David Montgomery within the division. But to me, if if you got to think at the start of the season, how you're gonna finish, how you're gonna win the division.

So last year, all the coordinators figure out how are they going to take Khalil mac out of the mix, and so they all attacked him repeatedly throughout this season. And it's the same thing when the Bears are trying

to figure out a plan to beat the Packers. You know, they beat the Minnesota Vikings, they beat the Detroit Lions, and although they have assets on those teams, I think you have to start at the top figure out how to formulate a good plan of attack against the Green Bay Packers the next time you play them, along with the Vikings, with Detroit of the big passing game. Yeah, you know that's always the case. What did we see it on the second play of the offense game with

a backup quarterback this year? I think when you look at what the the uh, the cornerbacks, what the defense has to be capable of doing, they have to get pressure on if Matthew Stafford comes back. They have to put significant amount of pressure on Matthew Stafford because if you look at the big play, the big threat speed that Detroit has, that's something that you're gonna have to compete with because I don't think Matt Patricia is going to take the ball out of Stafford's hands once he

comes back. You know, he's he's willing to throw it as much as any head coach in the National Football League. And Daryl Bevil, the offensive coordinator, I think they saw positive things from Stafford before he was hurt. There's have a handle on Minnesota, but it's it's always going to be about staff in their running game. Now. Yeah, you know you think about you know, you know, well, what are the is Kurt Cousins. He's not under contract anymore.

I think he's I think he's still off. I think he's I don't know if he's still has a contract or what they're gonna doing with Kirk Cousins. But when he's there, when you look at the running back position there, that's the ingredient to their football team because if you if you can have a solid running game with the type of defense that they can put on the field, boy, that I mean, that is a recipe for success. I know that didn't work for the Tennessee Titans because you

have to have the ability to throw the ball. But Minnesota they do have the ability to throw the ball with their receivers and their tight ends are as good as there are in the division. But Dalvin Cook, he is, you know, he's as good as running back as there is in the division. All Right, let's take it on the phone call here before we get out of here. Three two sty four sixty seven sixty seven to the lines we go, and we got with Lawanda. Welcome to

the program. Actually is under my wife's name, but okay, hey, she's in charge, you know it. Ye yeah, you're all the time kind of question for you guys, Okay, thing the job era basically, he always he always ran the ball because that's just he was an old school coach. I understand that, well, we got basically the same altics of line and for the most part there and we was able to run the ball. So I'm just trying

to figure out what happened once the coaching change. And I know you can answer this because you're an offensive guy offered the linement. So I'm just wondering, why is it that now when the coaching change, we just can't see the run the ball like we used I was wondering.

You can elaborate on that, you know. I think Jordan Howard was one of the assets the Bears did have, and when he was in the same system for a number of years, he had the innate ability to kind of predict and how and where the holes would open up according to a blocking scheme that he's seen over

the years. I think David Montgomery, when you're coming as a rookie, you're trying to learn the meaning of the terminology and then you're trying to understand the speed of the defenses and how that interacts with your offensive line. I think it's a process of development. So and that's one of the things that we're talking about is I have higher expectations for David Montgomery as his career goes on, and I think that he can be the running asset that Jordan Howard was. But I was a fan of

Jordan Howard. He was an experienced guy. They probably lost, I think they made it. Might have lost a little deception when he's on the field because they didn't throw to him very much, and that is kind of a setback, and they wouldn't got Montgomery, who catches the ball is equally as well as any running back out there. So it's just gonna be experienced with Montgomery and understanding the

offense faster. Just like when you hear about a quarterback and things slowing down, it's the same thing for a running back. Why did you ask me today about Montgomery? Earlier today off the air, we were talking about maybe some topics for tonight, and you want to know how often he was on the field? Right, I went down because there was time it was churchdown was the most, Yes,

but there's times on third down. I was frustrated that he wasn't in the game, and with all due respect to Tarik Cohen, and he had probably had more reps as the third down. I think David Montgomery is a really good blocker. He can pick up blitzes and he can catch balls at a moment's notice. If you think of a running back, they has to sit behind the line of scrimmage and help the offensive line provide the protection for the quarterback, and then he sneaks beyond the

line of scrimmage. We started seeing some of those dumps beyond the line of scrimmage to David Montgomery a little bit later in the year. But how many times throughout the course of our lives watching Aaron Rodgers have we been haunted by him getting pressure on him, finding the running back given it to him at the last second. Then a running back makes ten or twelve out of it.

So to me, David Montgomery is a three down back, but I would like to see him used more in those third down instances where he can really become a matchup threat. And he's twenty two touches on third down. That's not in twenty nineteen. But again you get trere Cohen.

I understand that. To me, Terricohen is more of an immediate weapon, an immediate threat when he lines up at the line of scrimmag I think that's when you put paranoia into his coverage because it starts immediately when you think of coverage responsibility from tree call, and when he's four or five yards deep in the backfield, the coverage doesn't start for eight or nine yards. So to me, you know, Montgomery can be more helpful to the blocking and he can be just as much of an asset

and catching the ball. All right, this one, I'm sure elicits some passionate conversation from me before we get out of here. Tonight here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score, I read that there's a feeling out there that you can't beat a prolific passing attack. I'm already laughing because I know with a prolific running attack. That's the biggest foss in the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl, you can't beat a prolific passing attack with a prolific

running attack. What's your thought? What's your thought? Well, you know, I think we probably had an example of that this weekend with Tennessee versus Kansas City. In Tennessee did get the upper hand, but with Kansas City was never out of it. You know, when we are in the Super Bowl, they were so determined to take Walter Payton out of the game in which they were able to accomplish, but it did open up opportunities for your passing game. So

it's about the quarterback. Can the quarterback become a passing quarterback if he's relying on the run. Ryan Tannehill couldn't do it, and so when they took the runaway, you saw at the inefficient quarterback the results of it. Next week I'll be on the show from Miami Super Bowl breaking down Jimmy Garoppolo's forty nine ers and Patrick Mahomes is Kansas City Chiefs, so I'll coming up. Thanks everybody for listening tonight. From Mike Channt, Chris Dickens, our producers,

I'm Jeff Joniac. That's Tom Thare and this is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Have a great night of everybody, Thanks for listening, Good night, Thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears All Access Podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot Com and on iTunes or download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Excess has been brought to you by I G S Energy and sponsored by Miller Lite