All Access: Bill Lazor on offensive staff

Bears All Access, presented by IGS Energy. I'm Jeff Joning Alcoholom, a broadcast partner from News Radio seven eighty and one oh five point NFM WBBM. Mister Tom safely tough away in Chicago. Tom, I'm still in South Florida, so I decided to take a little time after the super Bowl coverage. You okay with that? Well, Jeff, your life is one big long vacation. I understand that you feel that you

work harder than anybody else. I'm sure that the three hours of watching your really well played super Bowl held your interest. And then you know from then on it's speedos and suntan right exactly. You call it a big time one thing, and I know I talked to you about this. There is no way you could be in my position and covering an entire Super Bowl week, eight days in South Florida, traffic parts unknown, going from one place to the next, a lot of ubers, a lot

of driving, and a lot of traffic jams. You might pull out every last stitch of hair you have on your head. Well, you know, the travel to get back and forth to any Super Bowl area, from Atlanta to New Orleans and Miami, it's always going to be congested. I think that, you know, in the stuff that you listen to during the week, your reports and everything, you know, you get a chance to run into a lot of people. You know a lot of people that are super Bowl specific.

And I think in the time since we are presented our Super Bowl rings, I think the only time I ever wore my Super Bowl ring is when we went to Miami for the Bears Indianapolis Super Bowl. So I think there's a spout, you know, when I even when I looked at pictures of Belichick, you know, as you know,

as you know Cantakers, as he can be. He's the guy that wore a couple of Super Bowl rings at the hundred introduction before the game, So, you know, believe it or not, for those of us who've had an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl during the Super Bowl ring, it's really special to wear your ring and to represent Yeah, that was to me was one of the most impressive things, the one hundred introductions and the way they did it by position group and coaching and

impact players and of course Devin Esther among them. He was down in the stadium. I know, our good friend from Fox, Luke Canalis, ran into him. He was down down in the lower part of the Stadimore. He was not supposed to be, but he somehow got video of Brady and Montana and all the great quarterbacks far talking and then he Devin came up game ma hug and said, Hey, where's Joniac? And uh, you know the thing is, you know, he and I it's just a weird connection because of

how we called his big plays. And it was very cool. I cannot lie. It was very cool to get a big kick out of hearing Devin Hester you are ridiculous. I mean it was pretty pretty impressive. Well, you know what the thing about it, you and Devin are always going to be intertwined, because I don't think anybody that meets Devin Hester for the very first time says, Devin you are ridiculous, and so it is a phrase that

will stick with him for life. But I think when you I believe that was an ad lib when you pull that out the first time you said it about him. His accomplishments for those types of lengths of plays, they were ridiculous, they were so impressive. And you know, Doug Colletti, our statistician, tells us all the time how the punt and the you know, the punt and the kickoff can be two of the biggest plays in the game. And each time that he did touch the football there, you know,

there was high alert and concern by the opponent. All Right, we're gonna have Jim Miller on board as well. Let me know when he's there, fellas, and then we will be joined by Bill Laser, the Bears new offensive coordinator coming back into the fold in the National Football League. Has been at many stops. We'll have a nice conversation with him. I'll come it up next here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six. Semity who score, Hey,

welcome back, to Bears. All access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas at home warranty products to over one million customers across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff Joni Act, Tom Fair, Jim Miller now joining us as well, and the new offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. Here in twenty twenty. Let's welcome to the city and to the program, Bill Laser. Bill,

good evening. How you doing, buddy, I'm doing great. Thanks for having me. Good to have you. And a long, decorated career with a lot of different franchises, and you know, just going back through the coaches that you worked for over the certainly the beginning part of your career, you know, dary names like Dan Reeves and Joe Gibbs and Mike Holmgren and Marvin Lewis for a long time, Jim Moore, Junior Chip, all kinds of names, all different kinds of backgrounds.

Do you feel you got a little bit of everybody in there as you bring that to the Chicago Bears? Now? Oh, I think so, I think I think as you go through it's like with anyone as you go through your career. You know, I was very fortunate in the guys I've I've had a chance to work for. But I think you go through and you try to do a great

job of learning from everyone. And I think even with the great ones, you probably learned some things that you say, you know what, that's him, but that wouldn't be me. So there's some things that maybe they would do that you wouldn't do, you know, But but hopefully you pick up a whole lot more that you'd like to have

as part of you. And then over time when you get to the point where you get to apply it, right, because at some point you're a young assistant and you're you're helping guys, you're drawn pictures and doing making copies and all that stuff, and then you get to point where you're coaching the quarterback, and then you get to point where you're calling the plays, and that's when I think you really start to formulate what you believe in.

And I think I could probably go through the list and pick things from each one of the guys that I worked for that that I'd say, yeah, that's not that's not part of me. Bill and one of your interviews I was watching, you talked about how every season is different, and Matt's even said that before in the past. Since you're playing days, it's there is the quarterback position. Is there a beginning to your teaching process every year because each season is a new year? I think so.

And obviously you adjusted a little bit based on the guy you're coaching because you know what his history is. So for example, if you're new with someone or you have a younger player, then instead of breezing through the terminology and the defense, well, we really have to make sure that we have this part down. So there's an adjustment, But that doesn't mean you don't touch on defense when

you're dealing with the older quarterback. You still start at a and you work your way through and then you look at your team and how much time do we need to spend on each of these things? I think. I think right now for us at the Bears, it's it's kind of a neat situation because there is so much that's new. I mean, we're just talking about right now. When we go in the staff room and close the door and put the video on or get on the board and start talking. You know, it's still coach Naggie,

and it's still still Matt's offense. But there's so many of us in the room who are new veteran coaches that he's brought in and some of the younger coaches who've kind of moved around in different roles, that it is kind of a new exciting feel in our room. I think, Bill, Jim Miller here, welcome to Chicago. Good

to have you. And I remember I talked to you a couple of years ago when you were taking over Cincinnati as EOC and just Andy Dalton how you're gonna bring him along and introduce the things, and just how you were gonna structure the offense. And gotta believe, you know, even for a young quarterback like Mitchell Trubisky had a grade, you had a perception to him when he came out

of out of North Carolina. And you know, I'm sure Bears fans and I'm curious as well, would like to hear your take because he's got a ton of ability, but he's just a young player and learning the ropes of playing quarterback in the NFL. Well, first of all, Jimmy, are you really making me nervous? I don't know. I mean, I'd like to behalf of the yes that Paul Alexander is for you on your others job. He's tremendous. I love having Paul. He is first of all, he is unbelievable.

I have obviously I worked with Paul and Cincinnati and when you have him on. I told Paul this after I had listened one time when I was driving in the car and I said, gosh, when are you on again? He told me, and so I was able to listen on the app. But he does such a great job of making it like digestible for the fans and for people who aren't maybe into the details of the business, but he's still true to what it is for people anyway.

I just think Paul does a great job. You guys always do, but he does a great job when he's on with you. So now, I mean, that's hard for me to live up to that talking to you. Well, I'll tell you real quick, Jim, Jim, real quick. Just so everybody knows Paul Alexander from the offensive line coach of the Bengals, and you know what, Bill, he's really good on Twitter two breaking down plays just you know, oh my gosh, I learned a lot. He does a

good job. But don't tell him. Don't tell him. I'll tell you what coaches head's exploding now he's growing on social well, I know, I know, I'm just I will answer. I will answer your question. I'll get back your questions. First of all, I first met Mitch Trubisky. I had coached nine years in college, and I coached seven years in the NFL. That was for Dan Reeves at the Atlanta Falcons, for Joe Gibbs at the Washington Redskins, for Mike Homegren at the Seahawks, and then Jimore at the Seahawks.

And then after those seven years, I went back to college. I coached at the University of Virginia for three years, which was a whole lot of fun. And while I was at University of Virginia, I visited one particular little high school up there east to Cleveland to see some young sophomore or junior quarterback named mister Trubisky. So I actually went to his high school when he was in

high school. He might I can't remember if he was a sophomore or junior at the time, so he might have been one of those guys that then later years later when he came out in the draft and I called him just to kind of get to know him a little bit as a quarterback coach or a coordinator getting ready to scout him. That when I called him on the phone, my name popped up on his phone, you know, the Laser University of Virginia, so he remembered me. You know, It's just kind of funny, how you know,

it can become a small world. Obviously, at this time of year, will only allowed a little bit of contact, you know, just general. Obviously I've I've called them and talk to him and have seen him around the building a little bit. We can't talk football or anything right now,

but I'm excited. I think the immediate feeling you get for him is how enthusiastic he is and how important it is for him to be great, you know, And that's that's let's face it with any learner, right if if you consider yourself a teacher, as a coach, that's one of the most critical things you look for as

a guy who really is motivated to be great. So if we can if if if that's true, which I think it is, and we can start there, then then I feel like, you know, it's going to be a great future and we're just going to keep keep going. Bill Laser, our guest here on in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. This is Bears All Access, Jeff Tom and Jim Miller with the coach, the offensive coordinator of the Bears. A year off so to speak, spent as a as a consultant or some sort of role

with Penn State last year. What did that do for you in terms of a reset or just how you looked at the game from a different lens. Maybe, Well, I would say when you when you're in coaching and you know the carousel turns and then and then it stops you, you always nervous when it's time to move and can I get one? And I always would have dreaded a year where I did. I wasn't on a team so to speak, you know, working and in a

lot of ways, it was a great year. I think my family would tell you it was a great year. I got a lot of fishing done, but football wise, it was a great year. I got to visit more places, both NFL and college. I started in the spring and went to a bunch of college spring practices um and then I got into some NFL ots. I mean, I had some NFL one coach who really didn't know me. I had a mutual friend call a guy I respect if I didn't know the guy, and he's gasped, I

don't know. You know, you might be coaching against us next year, you know, somewhere, but okay, I'll let you in. He let me in and let me sit in. Some of the staff mean's of course, now I feel bad because they are on our schedule this year. So he was right, But you know, I didn't. I don't think I learned any secrets. Anyway. I've known James Franklin a

long time. I did visit them in the spring. James asked me to have a role with them, and we kind of went around and around on what the best role would be, and so I guess we would just say volunteer consultant. I spent a good amount of time at various times there. The offensive coordinator from Penn State last year, Ricky Ronnie, played quarterback for me in college. So obviously this is a guy I'm very familiar with. So it was a really easy relationship for me to

be able to help them. It gave me. One of the things that I thought it would help with is just to see a lot of college football. So all of the advanced work and the studies that I did for them, I just got to see a lot of football on tape. Study people, how are people attacking? You know, there's some things in the URPO world and such that colleges can do that the NFL can't. But I thought it was a fun way to kind of get rebooted a little bit and what are the trends that are

happening in the college football world. And the role that I was able to take with him didn't have me there every day, and so that allowed me then to have other parts of my time to study what was happening in the NFL this season, which was, you know, again something you don't normally have the time to do that when you're when you're when you're stuck in it,

you know, with your head buried in your office. So I think I'm you know, I'm not telling people that, hey, yeah, you want to be out for a year, but if you are, I can tell you what to do and you'll feel pretty good about it. Hey, Bill, you just used the word attack and I was watching a piece when you were miked up and you're standing behind your offense and you were saying attack, attack, attack. What do you mean by that? Is there a definition to it

or is it just more aggressive tempo and practice. Yeah, I don't think. I mean maybe maybe at the time it was a theme that we were talking about. So I wouldn't say today there's a theme or a definition that is overarching for the offense. I think sometimes sometimes you have to encourage them to maintain an aggressive offensive mentality. Right. We all see so many times across the NFL ' let's talk about the NFL. We see these pictures where people want to stand up at the line of scrimmage

or fake audible enhancing and do all this stuff. And some guys have been very successful at it. Not everyone is built for that number one. Number two. You have to be careful. If you start doing that every play and letting the defense dictate to you what the best plays run, then you never feel like, hey, let's dictate to them sometimes, you know. So, I think there's a balance between that, right, and so I think you have to keep that mentality for your players. Sometimes it may

have to do with the tempo that you playing. When I say tempo, I mean how fast are we get in the next play? Run? You know, I worked when I worked for Coach Homegren. Matt Hasselback was our quarterback, and I came in Matt had worked played for him for years. You know, in Green Bay is a backup and then in Seattle. So one of those situations where you come in as a quarterback coach with Matt knew a whole lot more about what Coach Homegren wanted than I did. You know that when you just start working

for him. But Matt explained, he said, well, when coach says he wants tempo, what he means is I'm first down in second down. These are plays we can pretty much kind of go and run for the most part, unless there's something crazy has happened. So he wants me to get out of the huddle, get up to the line, start my cadence and go and put pressure on the defense to get lined up and go. He said. Then all of a sudden, third down comes up, I'm going

to break the huddle. I'm gonna get up and now all of the defense is scrambling to get lined up, and now I can see what they're doing. So then if I have to check the play, I can check the play. You know, Matt was just a master, you know, of how to play the game with the defense. And but but if you don't have those first plays where the defense is kind of feeling you come at them, then you never forced them to show their hand anyway. That's that's one example of it. But I think it's

a mentality. It's a mentality. Well, it's a symbiotic relationship, coach, And you know, I'm glad you brought up Paul Alexander because and how it goes hand in hand with one I'm castile who we talk to a couple of weeks ago, And you know, it kind of is for a quarterback. The offensive line is the symbol of, you know, the circle of life. You know, almost like the movie can Value, That's how you're going to survive. And you know, to

work hand in hand with one another. So really just that relationship with the run game call and go plays like you said, maybe first and second down where you can get after it and come downhill and get some positive yards for a good third down result or a third medium what we call stayed on schedule or hopefully never get to third down. Let's have a couple of those days, right. Actually, I just I just had to kick I just had to Yeah, I just had to

kick one out of my office. He was trying to explain to me how he was going to present the run game to me, but I said, I got hey, I gotta call the guys here one just give me a minute. But uh no, we're looking forward to it. I mean, you're talking about a veteran line coach, you know, who understands and all of us I think who've been added to the staff here are guys. We've been in a bunch of different systems, done at some places where

you've thrown up more, Somewhere you've run up more. You know, we've all had some stops at some places where you've been really really good statistically, you know, with some numbers, and you know, you just try to draw in and as we sit in the staff room and I just see what coaching Aggie's doing. You know, Matt's just bringing this in and drawing in all those experiences. But then

you have to make it work. You know, you have to have guys right now, you talk about building a team, That's what we're doing in our staff room, you know, really and getting to know each other and watching the film and you know, debating through plays, and that's how we become a team first. And then when the players come in, you know how it is. I mean, they can feel when you're together. And so we're to me, you know when again, coaching Aggie runs the offense, right,

Coaching Aggie calls a place. So what's what's the role of the offensive coordinator. Well, one of the roles is when we go in that room and shut the door, help create that that atmosphere in that room for the staff first. You know, that's to me, that's a fun part of building the team is let's start with the staff. Let's bang out all the issues, let's talk through it, let's see what and then it's gonna it's gonna grow and moreph a little bit, and we're going to start

turning into what we're going to be. And then if we do a great job now, then when the players walk in the door again, for them, there's gonna be a lot of new voices in the room. There's gonna be a lot of new voices out on the practice field. So I think they'll feel something different. Wow, we could talk to you for the full hour, Big Bill, no question about it. Very interesting, very very diverse background. Indeed, Scranton, Pennsylvania born and raised, played, so it's that Northeast Ohio

Western PA corridor connection with you Di Filippo. We're going from the Cleveland area, and of course Mattneggie. So it's an interesting group of guys that are the offensive minds with the twenty twenty Bears. We'll be looking to pick your pick your brain further as we move on. Thanks for so much for joining us. Bill, Guys, it was my pleasure anytime, and Jim hopefully again, if I was just half the guest that Paul is for you, then I'm at least I'm on track. Oh you got a coach,

We'll say anytime. Guys, All right, Bill Laser, Bears offensive coordinare Thanks again for joining us, and good luck with everything coming up next Tom there, Jim Miller from Serious XM's NFL Radio and yours truly Jeff Joniac breaking down the Bears and this conversation with Bill Laser coming up next down Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score this segment up Bears All Access is brought to you by

Old Spice. Never let a friend lose his slagger, Jeff Joni, Aac, Tom there and Jim Miller as we are bringing you our post Super Bowl fifty four show just down the phone with Bill Laser, the Bears offensive coordinator, and a fellas you know when you you we've talked in the last four weeks to Wankstio, Clancy Barrone, John d Philippo and now Bill Laser, all new coaches. Some of these guys, at least three of them, were not employed by an NFL team last year, so they got a fresh reset,

maybe reinvigorated. And then Jen d Philippo, you know, leaving as an offensive coordinator in Jacksonville. There's a lot here with these guys. When you hear them talk, what is your reaction to their philosophies, how they look at the game, and just their communication skills, which I think is an underrated quality for these coaches. They are teachers, but they got to be able to talk not only to us, but to their players in a way that that resonates

with the players. They can't be guys that are I mean, I don't know, you guys had to be in rooms where those types of coaches existed, where they weren't great

communicators at times. But you know, you know, Jeff, I think one of the most exciting things that Bill said was towards the end of the segment with him when he talked about how excited he is to sit in the room with the rest of the coaches and just throw around ideas because if the chances that we've had to talk to these four their years of service in the NFL, the different coaching trees that they've come up through, because you know, you talk about Bill, you know, from

Joe Gibbs to Chip Calle, you couldn't find any more two different coaches in the history of coaching in the league and stuff. However, the experiences that he took from every one of these guys, including the Dan Reeves and all of them, in all the experiences these guys have, it's going to be interesting conversation because I think it's going to be intelligent football conversation that comes with experience

filled minds and experiences. So I think it's really encouraging from what the Bears fans have been able to hear the last four weeks and going forward, well, I just think for me, it's it's imperative. I mean, like you said, they're getting to know each other, you know, whether it's Clancy Juan Castile, certainly Bill Laser as the OC, and

they're going to communicate with it. But they've got to come to a consensus in an agreement of what are we meaning they're each going to do with the evaluation of the offensive lineman, you know, and maybe wand Castile or say even David going, hey, so and so felt that this player is best at doing this, you know, and this is what we felt the positions we tried to get him in. Whand Castillo may come in and say, you know, I don't see Bobby Massey that way. This

is what I see Bobby Massey doing. This is what I see Cody whitehair ass who's obviously a versatile player. And it goes on and on and on from tight end position all the way down to the running backs. What style of runner are they and what can we do to best implement a system a scheme that you know accentuates all their strengths. So is it a gap scheme,

is it an outside zone scheme? Is it, uh, you know, counter scheme or power scheme, you know, all these schemes and say hey, this is what we can do, this is what we can't do, and then once they come to an agreement, that's what they're gonna emphasize. But I do believe they have to see it the same as a coaching staff before they move forward and say, hey, this is now. Now, it's time that we've agreed on all this, let's make it work. Let's put it in

play and make it work. Is there a chance, big Jim and Tom that the off offensive style and yes, man Naggie comes from Kansas seating super Bowl champions with a wonderful man and a Super Bowl winner out Andy Reid and his system, and you often think, out you just bring it in the same system, but Matt's tweaked at Matt's looked at things differently. Could we see a drastically different type of offense in twenty twenty because of

these infusions? What do you think about that? Go ahead? Jim, Well, I think bringing in Clancy as the tight ends coach. That guy comes with a lot of experience, but I expect a much different play from the tight end position just with his resume. I really do in terms of blocking assignments, what the tight ends are asked to do. Tight ends are still it's the tight end centric offense. We've said that from the get go. I don't think coach Naggi is going to change from that standpoint. You know,

that's just my opinion. He's got his core beliefs and what he believes, and I think we just saw their team, a team that he was just on, win a Super Bowl. I think he envisions his offense look like Kansas Cities, which it can be fast break which we saw can be physical at times. Look at Sherman the fullback. He they close out the game with a power run. I mean that was an outside bob play essentially back meaning the fullback on the backer and just hammering it home

for a thirty eight yarder. That's how they finished the game out. So I do think that's what coach Naggie envisions. I do think Bill Laser comes from that style of places that he's been in the past, and obviously Juan Castile who's married up with Andy Reid. So I do think that's what they want it to be. Now, can these players do what we're asking them to do? Is this out of the stretch to do those type of things that the Kansas City Chiefs do, or what can we do to maybe push it back or put an

emphasis in a different area of focus. How we get it to produce like what Kansas Cities does. Yeah, I think the system is going to stay the same. Matt Nagee is going to be the play caller. He's going to teach this system to these assistant coaches. I think one of the obligations of these assistant coaches is getting the players to play fundamentally better. And you have to be more productive because you're doing things correctly, repeatedly, and so I do I think that's the key ingredient here.

If I don't think, I don't care how old you are in the NFL, from one year to ten years, you can always be taught something. And Juan Castile is going to teach something different that's been taught here in the past and every one of these coaches because when we listen to the conversations that we've had to them, you can hear the experience and every answer they give.

So I think as much as Matt's going to teach the system to these new quarter these new offensive coaches, I think the new offensive coach has got to bring that to the field and fundamentally make this team better at what they're expected to do. Jeff Joey Acton Fair and Jim Miller here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. This is Bears All Access. Chris Dickens and Julio Raso are users today. Good to have you alongside.

We had Bill Laser on just a while ago, if you just joining the program, and was very intrigued by everything he had to say. We haven't had a chance the three of us to talk about the Super Bowl and the you know, the way it all ended, way of how it all happened a week in general. And Jim, I saw you down there a couple of times. I didn't get a chance to talk to you after the game. But pardon me, what can in your opinions, the Bears derive from how they got there, how the forty nine

ers got there, and how they want to get there. Well, I think, yeah, I think in any time when you make it to the Super Bowl, I think certain things got to go your way. Obviously, injuries and all those things, and sometimes the ball bounces your way as well. But clearly Both these teams are talented and they do things extremely well. For the forty nine ers, it's running the football to set up their play affs and pass games. So just look at that run scheme of the forty

nine ers. It was absolutely incredible all year and they had fruits in this Super Bowl as well. And I think for eighty Reid and obviously when you look at the Kansas City Chiefs, they're explosive. Man. They did that in every single game in the postseason. They're down twenty four nothing their first playoff game, they were leading by halftime twenty eight twenty four. I think coach Nagy wants

to be an explosive offense. That was impressive. Come back the second week against Tennessee they're down by what ten and that they were down seventeen to seven. I believe in that one they come back or seventeen to seven they were down and they come back and win that one,

and then even in the Super Bowl. So I think one, you've got to have a belief that the system can be explosive, come from behind your net, never out of it, and a lot of it is geared towards a quarterback, and certainly Patrick Mahomes was explosive in every game, and I think Mitchell's going to see that that, hey, why can't I be like this in this offense certainly needs pieces around him, but it's shown over time with how well Andy Reid's offenses have been over the course of

his history. That's why it's top ten in the NFL all time winning winning this coach. When you look at it, I would think that, you know, there's a lot of positives there that they can draw from saying, Hey, this is what we're going to emulate, and why can't we do that personally as a football team. Offensively, well, I think the keyword here is through the whole conversation is explosiveness,

because that's what the Bears need to do. A couple of years ago, we saw some offensive formations that put themselves in an explosive position and they were able to capitalize on it. When I did go batch and walked watch that piece with Bill Lazar and he was repeating attack, Attack, Attack, I kind of like that, because if you're going to attack,

you better be explosive. And I think you can have explosives from David Montgomery as much as you can from Alan Robinson and whomever else is on the field at that time. So I think it's multidimensional explosiveness. And even when Andy Reid had to have invoke a little bit of a running game throughout the playoffs, he was able to do that. He didn't lose the train, He didn't lose the thought process of what Patrick Mahomes is capable

of doing. But he understood when you're facing in an opponent that has a vicious running game, you better be able to go out there and have a time consumptive running game that also, you know, results in points. You also need speed, and I think that's an area of the Bears are going to look to improve. You gotta add some element to that that really threatens coverage and threatens the seam with speed, functional speed for this kind of explosive player, you want to have second other break here.

This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to Score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought to you by CDW. People to get it learn more at CDW dot com. Jeff Jony Act, Tom there, Jim Miller with you on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to Score. As we take a look at some topics of interest. This one was great. You know when Nick Bosa and I don't know, jim you feel he would have been MVP of the game if the forty Niners had I think it could have

gone either way. I thought Jimmy Garoppolo was actually playing pretty well through three quarters, but he did uh Bosa, I thought owned fisher of the Kansas City Chiefs. I mean, if you look at Mahomes, a lot of his scrambles were always out to the right side because Bosa was just barely missing him. I mean he was tracking him down and just barely getting getting away from from a sack. But yeah, I thought it could have gone either way.

But I thought Jimmy up until the fourth quarter, he and Bosa were probably my two guys that I was thinking could get it for Sam Frand. And then the reason I bring it up because Tom, you know, you and I discussed last year before the draft, your concerns about this man just staying healthy given his brother's history and his own history at Ohio State. And if you had a pick again, you your rookies that we're gonna make an impact, you know, would you have changed your

opinion about Nick Bosa. I don't know, because last year I wasn't really high on him, and you go back and you put yourself, Oh, if I was a GM, this is what I would do. I would have probably not chosen Nick Bosa. I would have went with someone with more of a durable history and a guy that didn't skip a season just to get ready for the draft. And then he did his spraining his ankle or no, he pulled his hamstring or sprained his ankle the first OTA practice and I said, all this, you know, put

me you know, some worry in my mind. But you know, Nick Bosa surpassed everything that I thought he was going to be able to do this year. It'll be interesting to see the conversation we have in three to four years if they figured out a way to attack him, to limit his speed, take advantage of his get off with some plays that are specifically designed to attack him. But you know, we kind of all have these conversations.

If I was GM, Hey, if I was GM, I would have missed on Nick Bosa because, like Jim said, he had the opportunity to be the MVP of the Super Bowl, and you know, before the game was being played, I was kind of thinking of Richard Den on that defense and being the Super Bowl MVP with you know, I think two and a half sacks and a cause fumble and everything in Bosa. You know, he was a he was a damaging defensive end throughout this rookie season. It's gonna be fun to watch him, you know, go

on season two, three, and four. And it helps playing with four of the first rounders. Correct, correct between Buckner, Eric Garmstead, who's going to be a free agent. He's gonna get paid a good amount of money. And then they traded for a first rounder in d Ford and people forget Solomon Thomas how high he was drafted. He's more of a rotational guy. But that's a pretty damn

good you know, Jim. Right before the commercial, Jeff brought up the words speed, and I think when you look at the Bears and you talk about the word speed and you look at botha, I guess speed is not only on the offensive side of the ball. When you get that destructive speed playing so well if you do have limited offensive tackle play within your division or throughout your schedule, man, he's a guy that they're gonna have to dedicate multiple blockers too. And that's going to open

up an opportunity for somebody else. I'm just surprised for how because I do. I'm with Tom. I think he's undersize. I underestimated how powerful he was gonna because, like I said, at times, he was walking Eric Fisher into the backfield. You know, it's almost like that short stature. It gives him the leverage Tom where he gets under the old iman's pads and he's just starts driving. And when you see him physically up close on the field, he does

have powerful legs and he has the leg drive. But I never thought he was as powerful as what he is, you know. And I'm bringing all this up, and Tom brought it up as well to me earlier in the day. You know, it's it's now time to dig in. It's time to dig into the scouting combine coming up here in a few weeks, and you're gonna start seeing the endless amount of draft fantasy draft, not fantasy draft, but

mock drafts. And you know, you look at how now it's popular or to re rank the draft from last year, and Jim, do you have a player that you would have reranked higher. I'll let you think about that. I mean, mine would have been a j Brown Tennessee because he turned into a number one type receiver for the Titans and had had the four digits eaving yards with the strength of Ryan Tanneville. And he was a fifty first pick last year. Yeah, how about the guys on display

in the Super Bowl. Look at all the receivers, the impact they made last year. Here Mikole Hardman, he had six touchdowns during the regular year for Kansas City and he was a really good return man. Kind of broke him in like they did Tyreek Hill. You know, I don't know who should have been drafted high. Deebo Samuel. Yeah, for San France. That guy was tremendous as a rookie. Very same thing physical. I mean that guy will run

over people. So there's even later round draft picks that you'd say, wow now that you saw them play in the impact that they had as a rookie. Yeah, there's there's two right there that probably should have went higher than what they did. You know, you look at our David Montgomery. He's got he's got a really high upside. You know, when you think about the changes that I've been made in the staff and David Montgomery's going to go through his second year of learning process, not necessarily

of all the information because Maddisdale here. However, the coaches, I'm sure they will have input up their own. But when you take a look at Montgomery was able to accomplish from the get go, even though they did bring in a free agent running back who you kind of thought brought in a little bit of veteran experience. But when we were introduced to David Montgomery at training camp,

there was nothing that he was incapable of doing. So if he gets a better understanding of the offense, I think David Montgomery will be one of those guys that maybe considered underdrafted a little. All right. With that being said, we will now discuss in our next segment, our final segment of the night. You've heard all the coaches here over the last month. If you've been listening to the program the Bears new coaches, what do you want next year?

Fellows run game more better? What aspect of it is intriguing to you is they put together this new look Bears offense for twenty twenty. We'll pick up the conversation next time Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The score you can help deserving families by donating a gently used winner coach to the Chicago Bears Jeweled Osco Coach drive that all the participating Jeweled Osco locations now a few February twenty eighth donations benefit the Salvation Army. Jeff Jonny Act,

Tom Thare, Jim Mellar with you on Bears. I'll access a few minutes left in our program tonight, real quick, Jim, I didn't know where your post Super Bowl post game duties were. What did you cover the winning locker room? What did you do? Yeah, yeah, we covered the winning locker room, went down, talk to Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and just all the players talked to Kelsey and you know, they were a static, you know, just like you you would feel after you accomplish, you know, something like that,

winning the Super Bowl. You dream about it as a kid. And plus all the hype, you know, fifty years of the Lombardi Trophy since it last happened for Kansas City, and Andy Reid has such high there's such high admiration for him around not only the league, but how those players feel about them and again how those players respond to his style of coaching. So yeah, it was absolutely,

you fork, it was. It was tremendous. So when you look at the forty nine ers and and I was in both side, not in the locker room, but the podiums and so forth. The forty nine ers, defensive players in particular, and Deebo Samuel, they were stunned. They had one word answers. Bosa was extremely angry about the situation. He has ninety second interview with the media consisted of a couple of one word answers and that was it.

He was totally poled. And then you look at Deebo Samuel, another another young guy, rookie obviously from a national championship team at Clemson, you know, feeling the pain of this dude not interested in really sharing their feelings about how it all unfolded, what went south. It was really Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle that really, you know, did speak deeper into it about how it all happened. How bad can the hangover be for a team like that, and

it's even instant other other teams over the years. Well, you know, we saw the reaction of Cam Newton after they're losing Super Bowl. But Jeff, you've also been a part of a team that you know, experienced a losing Super Bowl and you understand that just that feeling of just such disappointment. Um, you know, but now I think it's almost what do you what does this do to

San Francisco going forward? Because for both teams, it's gonna be really challenging how things are gonna happen going forward with the enormous contract that Mahomes is gonna get, but the repeat in the attitude you have to have in San Francisco and um, you know, I mean, you know it's into Garoppolo has got it. He know, he's he has to improve along the way. Garoppolo cannot be a finished product right now. He has to go out there and he's got to be able to be you know,

put their offense in a more threatening position more often. Yeah, he's got less than thirty starts. You know, this is really his first year starting in the NFL for San Francisco, so he's got a lot of room to improve. Mahomes is certainly, if you know, phenomenal just in terms of the explosive plays and just that guy just plays at a higher level. I talked to Andy Reid about that

and even Patrick Mahomes will admit it. He said, I benefited by having Alex Smith in front of me, because Andy Reid said they had never been further in their offense, is deep in their offense than they were with Alex Smith. And Alex Smith would you know, put all the tools of the trade. And he passed him along to Patrick Mahomes. And Patrick Mahomes will be the first one to tell you he goes. I benefited greatly from that. He's a phenomenal talent, but he learned a lot from a veteran

quarterback that prior to him Mahomes even arriving there. Think about that, Alex knew this guy's gonna take his place. Led the team to four out of five playoffs, and still was an unselfish player, knowing he was going to be shipped out of town, and Patrick soaked everything up. You know, Jim, Alex Smith does not see the game like Patrick Mahomes. He's got you know, his visual you know, he's got a fifty three yard you know, perfial vision there.

Because it's amazing the plays and you know we've seen it through gray passers, whether it be our era of Magic Johnson watching him through Michigan State onto the Lakers and stuff, and you just see the creativeness that some of these guys innately have in them. And I think that's what we see out of Mahomes more more than

any quarterback that we've seen in quite a while. Yeah, I also feel, yeah, I also feel the Bears themselves in twenty eighteen, the disappointment of losing that game, somehow, some way, there was a hangover, and I think if they set back and think about it, I think they felt that there was a bit of a hangover in that too, all right before before we get off and running here for another show, run game next year, more or better runs. If you're not going to run more,

what do you want? What kind of offense you want to see? I think you know they ran the ball thirty four percent of the time, So if you run it better, I think that will increase your desire to run the ball. It'll put you in more favorable second and third down situations if you're successful on first down running the ball. So I do think if you want to take what is the one thing that's going to

help Mitchell Trubisky be a more threatening cornerback? And that's the ability for the Bears to run the ball better by a running back. It's gonna give Mitchell Moore opportunities to run the ball himself, but you just got to get some efficiency out of it. Seven of the top twelve playoff teams, they were top ten in the NFL running the football for making the playoffs. Kansas City people don't think they can run it because they were in the twenty three. When they do run it, they run

it well. They average four point five per Carrie all season. All All right, fellas, wrapping it up for this week. We'll talk to you next week. Thanks Jim, Thanks Tom, Thank you for listening. Thanks to Offensive courtne Or Bill Laser and our producers Chris Dickens and Lilio Rasiah. I'm Jeff Jonik on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Have a great night, everybody, thanks for listening. This Chicago

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