All Access: Jackson's Contract Extension

Bears All Access. I'm Jeff Jonny Acola. I'm a broadcast partner from news Radio seven eighty and one or five point nine FWBBM. Mister Tom Fair, got your appetite. A little wedding right there with the boys before you start this part of the show. And good conversation. I'm sure I heard a little bit on the way in as I was parking the car. And then of course we got the renewal of our relationship with Big Jim Miller Mills. How you doing, my friends, I'm doing great, Happy to

do your guys. Looking forward to it soft season, I'm going to be exciting. Obviously, a disappointing finish for the year for the Barrison. Hey, now it comes the off season. Every bit as important is in season and how you play on the field, making the right decisions the acquisitions to get this team built to press forward in twenty twenty. So good to be with you guy. Yeah, we passed you in the hallway a little bit on the TV shows in Fox, so we got to see a little bit.

But I was listening to you on the way in I who was hearing the tale in some conversations about All Pro talk on your serious XM channel wise parking in the garage, and I hear conversation here with Tom Thare, with Dan McNeil and Danny Parkins. So you got a question, Well, no, there's a bunch of He'll call me today and say, hey, I know you're gonna get a chance to talk to Jim Miller tonight. Can you ask him why he didn't vote Lamar Jackson on the All Pro Team. No, I did.

I've voted him MVP overall better quarterback. I think Russell Wilson is the overall better quarterback up right now as they sit today and how they perform. I think Lamar is awesome, but I think he's got a lot of things that that he can get better at. But he is off to a fantastic start. And you know, it's funny because a lot of people want to take their shots and do all these things. You know. They made it sound like we had a weekly with Russell Wilson

and that's why I voted for Russell. That is just simply not true. I interviewed Lamar Jackson wants during training camp, much like I interviewed Lamar Jackson once during training camp. So there, you know, there's no sinister plot here. But I think Russell Wilson is the overall better quarterback. I thought Lamar had a great year obviously, you know, and I think Pat voted him Offensive Player of the Year and MVP. So it's not a shot at Lamar Jackson. He got his share of votes for for what we

selected and why we selected him. Where we did well though, So how long you been doing the AP thing? I'd say it's about six seven years. See, it's not the first time I've been criticized. Remember when Peyton Manning got I was the one voter that descended against Peyton Manning being the MVP. Remember that one. Remember I correct, I correctly voted him offensive Player of the Year because that's what he was. Tom Brady should have been the MVP.

And if you remember Bowl forty eight and how Peyton Manning performed a kind of solidified wife old to Tom Brady MVP and not Peyton man does sample size of the quarterbacks considering Russell Wilson's been doing it at this level for quite a while, and Lamar Jackson is more burst down to the scenes guy with the help of well look what happened with RG three. Yeah, that's what That's what I was going to make that reference point. Also. Yeah, so you know, I feel very comfortable with my vote.

So I think people out there that don't get the vote, obviously they're a little bit jealous knowing where the source. Hey, I tell you, I'd tell you we're a little jealous. Eddie Jackson today hit the lottery and boy, you know, as a fourth round pick, and you know, according to his agency, he gets a big money deal that makes him the highest paid safety in the National Football League. And I had you know, you knew Landon Collins had

that honor. I think Kevin Byard was close to that, but he just got over the fourteen and a half million dollars in annual salary, and that was the key to put it over the top. But how about that for a fourth round pick that suffered a serious injury and his college career the end of his career, that probably shoved him down the draft board a little bit, and the Bears picked one of their best picks in years right there injection as a former fourth round pick.

I'm happy for him because it is when you are one of those middle round picks at all, it is about your production and how your future is going to be judged going forward. They pick you in the fourth or fifth round because they believe you have ability to cultivate your talent and make it in the NFL. Rarely are we pegged as future starter, future pro bowler. It's about serviceable starter, and I think Eddie is achieved beyond

where he was drafted, So I'm happy for him. I don't even consider the finances anymore in football, because if you do, as an ex player, you're just gonna make yourself crazy with envy. So I admire him for his commitment. All as I want to see him do now is stay healthy throughout the length of this contract and be productive. Yeah, and I think it just reflects the safety market. Probably no position has been hotter than the safety market. Look at how many got scooped up in PREHC last year.

You know, even guys like Adrian Amos how he moved on to the Green Bay Packers. But landing Collins, he lands in Washington, gets a big deal. And you're right, Jeff. Think about Eddie Jackson at Alabama. I think it was the broken lake right, he had the broken Laga that kind of pushed him down. He probably would have gotten drafted higher because he had, you know, put returnability and

all those things. But definitely as ball skills, knows where the football is in his turnovers his few years in the league already and already a couple of Pro Bowls under his belt, I mean, very properly compensated when you look at that safety market. As I point I'm looking at, Jeff, do you know what haha Clinton Dick's other options were before he came to the Bears. Because here's a guy his contract is also up and last year, did he have multiple choices out there? I think, I mean there

was definitely interest in him. Obviously I can't recall which teams it was, but He did say there were other options out there, but the pool of Eddie Jackson was significant for him as Alabama games. But he as he's the first safety to sign in this offseason, he's going to increase everybody else's number across the board. So the

starter grades, it will affect. But even even these guys that are starters, and there are there's a little uncertainly about how like haha, just because he's on a one year deal, I think it still increases what he's going to be able to ask for because of Yah. Edie just already had a three million dollars one year deal with the Bears this year, and Jim, I know he'd like to come back. He's he's said it more than once, he'd liked to play the rest of his career on

the Bears back end. With Eddie Jackson and the whole safety position in general, and now with dime defenses. The Bears saw plenty of those this year, as many defensive backs at starter grade that you could possibly afford. I say, get on your on your defense right now, because you

can be versatile with him. They they are great weapons in terms of matchup type defenses and these zone defenses that you know, some quarterbacks do struggle with at times, and the safety position in particular, and I've said it a hundred times, I'll say it one hundred more. You got to have a bad and back there a baller. And if Eddie fits that category, he's a different type of player. Obviously, he's not the guy that's going to come in and knock your head off every time, that

type of safety. But his range, his instincts, his ability to get off the hash, his ability to line up the defense on the back end. He's willingness this year to play closer to the line of scrimmage and that was how he was deployed with Chuck Pagano and his ability to make plays of the line of scrimmage and tackling and so forth. I still think everybody can improve tackling. You can't have You got to have one of those guys. If you want to be a contender gym, you have to.

I mean, well, I think it goes back I'd say probably the Tyrone Matthew draft. Every year it's gotten more and more for that versatility that you're mentioning, Jeff. You know, even look at you know, from Jamal Adams to Derwin James. Just look at the safeties and the impact that they've had. And that's why I bring up Tyron Matthew because he's played slot, nickel horner. He's you know, as a safety is what you've been. He's been a safety at both spots, as a free as a strong at times has to

come in to the box Yep Blitzer. I mean, they're just asked to do more. And so again I think for Haha, Clinton Dix, who's a great player. I thought he played very well for the Chicago Bears. Seventy eight tackles. He has been a ballhawk. He got two interceptions. Again, I think when the Bears signed him, since he's been drafted, he has had the most takeaways. I think up until you know, this year when he joined the Bears, from when he's been in the NFL, whether in Green Bay

or in Washington. But I think again, it's got to be at the right price because just talking to Jim Nagee Downe at the Executive who's the executive director of the Senior Bowl, he says, we got another good pool of safeties that are coming out this year. So I think again, as you know, will it be at the right price to return to Chicago, and the price is

the key because of the salary cap. Now, the move that was reported in the papers this week, Kyle Fuller, uh, you know, agreeing to restructure and that cleared up six million dollars in cap space. So the entering today anyway, they had sixteen million dollars of cap space reportedly, So that was something that was important to continue that theme in the secondary of keeping that group together as best

as possible. You know, what I think is going to complicate the Clinton Dick situation is that Ryan has been able to draft first year starting safeties in the last couple of drafts and bringing in a guy like Eddie Jackson, and everybody know that m Adrian Amos played immediately here, So I think you got a little bit of confidence that maybe you can go out and pluck one of these safety heavy drafts with a rookie in there to

complement a guy like Anck. Some gms they'll tell you right to your face you can get safeties in any round and they don't worry about drafting him high. But I just think they tell you that about guards too. It's very unfair. It is unfair, right, big Jim, good to hear you. Good to hear you. These guards are in high esteem. That's right, Tom, So get him in there. They need to be. But thought, hey, look at Lyndstrom.

I think he was the highest rated guard. He went pretty quick last year out of Boston College to the Atlanta Focus. And look at the Hall of Fame finalists. A couple of guards in there. Steve Hutchinson is one of them. Three safeties too for safety, believe or not. We'll talk more about that as we break it down. Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy Here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Hey, everybody,

welcome back to the show. This is Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, your 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. Here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to the Score. Jeff and Tom and Jim Miller from Serious XM moving the change with our good guy Pat Kurwin. You guys breaking everything

down to the playoffs this weekend. Later on the show, we'll take your opinions on that one. I about it, Jim yea and what's going to be going on. But you know, one of the best blessed signings. And I'm not a big free agent guy, so I'm okay if you know you're not investing a ton of money in free agency, that's just my opinion. I know you need to get some to fill some some roles and so forth,

and maybe bridge the gap into another draft. But signing a Cordell Patterson I was geeked about to begin with because of his return ability and clearly one of the best of the decade on the All Decade team. But the benefits of what he brings in terms of being a gunner. I think he's now one of the premier

gunners in the league. He's a field flipper and if you keep and I don't know what you're gonna do with Sheriff McManus, but you get two guys like that on the edges making plays first, fighting each other to get there first, and then the ability to play offensive football as well. And today he was named to the All Pro Team as a return guy for the fifth time in his career out of seven years. That's awesome.

You know, it's weird is how we are all introduced to Cordial Patterson through the Minnesota Vikings and you only got a snippet of exposure to him because they didn't use him very much, but you kind of saw what type of athlete he could be. And then his career kind of expanded with his opportunities more with the Patriots than the Vikings or the Raiders, and so then you get a chance to meet the guy and how gracious he is and how much football means to him when

he's willing to do anything that's asked of him. He's a great He is a really good guy in the locker room to show young guys the work ethic of older experienced guys that are still making the Pro ball and being challenged as their job changes. And the special teams. Yeah, I thought it was kind of cool, Jeff, because as you mentioned, he gets he gets recognized as a returner on the first team, and he was recognized that just for special teams overall, you know, like Matt Slater on

the second team. So voters were paying attention. What was it the Green Bay game where he got screwed, right, they guy for the illegal touching quickly and that was illegal play. He was right there. I most got myself in big trouble on that one. Jim. I'm not gonna say what I said, but I said something I shouldn't. Well, I mean it was it was a legit play. I mean, you know, again, just because it looks bad with the hit, you don't flag the result. You gotta know what's going on.

And certainly, uh, Cordarrell knew exactly that he timed it perfect and you know that was that was a big momentum changing play. But his gunner work has been outstanding, and I was glad to see he got recognized today on the second team from that stay point. And you know, we've had him on the show as well, and he talked about, you know, what his position is and he'd

like to think he's a running back. And he's always been used in that fashion throughout all the way to Tennessee, but just not often enough, certainly not like he did with the Patriots. But I know Matt Naggie wants to come up with a better plan for Cordall Patterson offensively

well to me, then let's interchange two bodies. Put put treikon on the line of scrimmage exclusively and then put Cordairyl Patterson in the backfield more because you see what type of effort he gets when he gets to the line of scrimmage and how difficult he is the tackle. He's a big body, but so is Derrick Henry. And you think about Derrick Henry for the Tennessee Titans going into New England this year leading the league and rushing those big body types can still be as effective as

any running back that's out there. Yeah, you got to front him up. I mean it's hard to tackle him from the side. He runs extremely hard, and I'm not arguing that maybe maybe running back is the spot where he meetings to be featured even more. And I'm sure, like you said, Matt Naggie, go through all that and they'll sort that out and maybe that's in the mix

for twenty twenty. Jim Miller, Jeff Jonnyak, and Tom There here on Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy with Mike are excuse me, Adams Zinsky and Mike Chen our engineers here today, our producers helping us out at the facility. First time I've been in here since the season ended. So it's a little different studio set up and down the hall WBBM, so getting acclimated here.

But it feels weird. It feels like the season ended for the Bears a month ago and it was just a weekend ago that they were playing the Minnesota Vikings guys, and it just feels so much has changed already, and the instant flip to twenty twenty, which is necessary, and the changes in the coaching staff and the signings already getting set to set up the salary cap for the free agency period coming up in March, and then certainly the NFL Draft. But doesn't feel a little weird. Oh yeah,

it's been It feels like a month. You know. It feels weird because you know, the Minnesota Vikings, even though the Bears beat him, it didn't need to leave you. It didn't leave you with any great feelings because you really knew it was eight and eight and there was

no player. And then you think going forward, there's a really negative opinion out there of some of the elements of the Bears as an organization team players, But you know, that's an obstacle that they're challenged with every single year. If you don't go to the playoffs and you don't move on to the super Bowl. So it's going to be interesting to see how they correct some of the

issues that they faced. When you think about, you know, going to the drawing board at the start of the off season last year, Matt's designing these plays according to the abilities of some players in how they were going to be able to contribute on different areas in the field.

And then when you pull those guys off the board and they don't give you any meaningful staff, any meaningful snaps, you lose such a high percentage of what you're trying to accomplish on the field that it's difficult to be successful. So I think this year it's going to be interesting because just for the tight end position, along with JP Holt and Jasper Horsted, I think you have a receiver and a blocker in that position. So maybe that element

of the tight end position will be reintroduced to this office. Yeah, I think they're going to exhaustively go through everything on offense, certainly have already made changes with Juan Castillo, who coach Naggie knows well from their times in Philly together, I would assume is going to be a part of it. To get the run game up and going a little bit better. And you know, I just think coach Naggie was right about a lot. I do think the team

played hard at the end. You know, I think they always give great effort, and I think that's a good sign about the coach. For example, look at another team like Carolina. To me, Ron Rivera was the glue holding that team together, and as soon as they let him go, that team just went by the wayside. And good to see Ron joining the Washington Redskins. But I think the Bears played hard all year long. But you know, I don't think they're going to ignore areas that they failed.

I think Tom just pointed out a couple of them. The tight end position has to be corrected, the offensive line to run the ball more has to be corrected. Mitch Turbisky understanding how to read defenses has to be corrected, and he's got to work harder. From that standpoint, you don't question the effort, but the preparation and things that they can do to make themselves better everything, I think we'll be gone through with a five tooth cold. Yeah. Yeah.

A lot of discussion obviously about the coaches and you know, I think the thing that might be lost in this is that where first year head coach, for a first time head coach like Matt Naggie was collecting his staff isn't simple. You know, you got some guys, but in his position, he was not going to be pulling guys from Kansas City. That was that's that's the agreement that you make with a guy like Andy Reid or a team you're coming from to get the permission to talk

and so forth. So he was introduced to some new guys, obviously whether he heard them from other guys got the blessing, and so he brings in Harry, he brings in Harry he Standard the offensive line coach, and Mark Helfrich, and you know, he had to teach them his offense. That's the one thing about this that I've I've dwelled on the past few days is that the coaching staff had

to learn the offense. And while that's simpler for a coach, I would assume than a player right away, you know, there's there's elements of it that they probably were still learning as as the season went into year two and through year two. So that's something that has to be talked about. When you're talking about change making changes on

a coaching staff. That's a good point because you just think a scheme, right When you think a scheme, whether it's run scheme and what he's bringing from Kansas, cy Wan Castill knows that he knows that scheme, you know, and Harry. You know, Harry's standing nothing against Harry, and he's a fine coach, and wish him well. I mean,

he'll have an opportunity somewhere else. But I think one is probably more familiar with the scheme than say guys that he just met for the first time and what you were explaining, because Harry from all I understand, I know Owen Cruz, former guys that have been with them, they love his drill work and all that stuff. But you know, typically I would think the offensive line coach is installing your run game pretty much every single week.

At least a lot of the old line coaches I've been around, like Bob Wiley, we Weird Chicottle, he instituted all of our run game. Our calls are runs inside outside zone, run, our power plays. He designed the scheme of it. Yes, and Harry is an outstanding offensive coaches. To slice it he's doing. The head coach teaches the position coaches the system, and then the position coaches go and teach the exact of their positions, specific whether it's

Gilbright to tight End Harry or Mark Halfridge. They're teaching Matt Maggie's system, and then you have to break down

how they're being taught. Dinver a break here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score back in a few Hey Bears fans, get out of the cold and hit the beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with your favorite Bears players, Law Nichols, Roy Robertson, Harris Inside the Bears host Loren Screeden and Spice Adams and Apple Vacations this March visit Apple Vacations dot com slash Bears from more info. Always a great trip. Do not put your name in there yet, No, because I

will not be attending this year. Really yes, got a little bit of a complication and will not be able to join the droopet. But I can speak glowingly about the journey and the great people from Apple Vacations and the fans are outstanding. It's a really good time. So if you haven't signed up, you ever never have gone on that journey. When is it going to do it?

It's coming up here in March, Big Tom. So it's a good time for sure here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score, Jeff and Tom and Jim Miller, David Montgomery fellas and when it all winds up, he finished fourth among the backs and rookies period in yards from scrimmage. Miles Sanders was number one, then Jess Jacobs, AJ Brown at receivers budding star, and then David Montgomery.

And I really feel strongly about it, and I've been on record as saying it, and I thought he was going to be a ten touchdown guys first year, and if things would have developed offensively like we envisioned, that very much could have happened, whether that's a combo of catches and runs. But I always felt he was a good, good goal line back, good inside the ten back at Iowa State. But I just think the sky's the limit still.

There was nothing he did that disappointed me. Well, you know what, the single biggest area of improvement for the Bears offense is going to be the red zone. So I think David Montgomery can be relied upon for a lot more to be put on his plate both as a receiver and a rusher next year. But I think his asset is the full length of the field. So you know, how do you intertwine what you've learned about David Montgomery His dedication to the sport, his willingness to

play week in and week out. That's just it, Jim, And you've met with him, right, attitude, His desire is willingness, and I don't think he's just it's not just lip smacking. It's it's serious to him. And you know how they always say scouts want to know if the game means something to him, and it definitely means something to Yeah, he impressed me. I mean, we know about his ability to make guys miss, but sometimes his balance is a lot better than what I thought because he got hit

with him awkward position. Yeah, but yet it's still strong enough to move forward. So really, his strength and balance impressed me more than it went far beyond what I thought. He was capable of a couple of fumbles, and I think he can develop more in the past game too. I just think one of the things going forward for David Montgomery. He's has to have more conscious effort to follow the point of attack. You know, you don't have to freelance so quickly as a running back in the NFL.

If you can understand where the strength of the design of a run play is going to happen, I think that's the thing that will help to benefit him the most. They become that heavy four plus per carry guy, not what do you feel and jim way into the philosophy of slow two and through the hole versus just slamming it in there and you know, and hitting the guess you know, I mean from I came from an area that when you had the point of attack that was called that was a point of emphasis every one of

those running plays. So the offensive line created the impact. The running back got the extra yards out of the impact we created. So again, I would when an offensive line is choreographed to put their head in an exact position, their hands in an exact position, try to gain leverage against a defensive line where they're going to gain control

up to the second level. That's where the offensive running back has to follow because that's where the players, the offensive lineman, the blockers in front of him, including JP Holt. That's where they're going to be put in a position of strength where it's going to benefit these guys. Yeah, and I think for him to get a feel and oddly enough, because he didn't do a lot of a lot of it when he was you know, at Iowa State, is following a lead fullback, I kind of liked him

in those sets. And I do think that is another area that maybe the coaching staff will dive into because even in Philadelphia and even in Kansas City they have Sherman there as their fullback. Jim, I'd be off for it. Put him in there. To me, it cleans things up with why you ask the question, Jeff, you know of getting to the whole quick. Normally that fullback is dictating.

You know, you're you're going opposite his shoulders, stay on a lead play and how the fullback attacks the middle linebacker that's going to set up the block and clear the path. And it just really opens things up where you're just reading the fullback and his shoulder and how he blocks the linebacker and that's going to decide it for you. I mean, it cleans it up for you.

You know, Jim, he is such a receiver too, that if you did have the awareness of the defense, having the fear of the running game first, that could open up so many pass reception opportunities for David Montgomery. Take away a little of the abuse of the carries and add it to the element of the quality of receiver he is. Yeah, the no questions here, He's got great hands, in great ability to do that. He's He's going to

do nothing but get better, is my opinion. So, you know, as a veteran of this sport, Tom and Jim yourself, so do you prefer running schemes that are like that, like you guys just describe or you know, the one step and the one that cut back to to daylight type of running games? Well, I like to be multiple, you know. I think you can still be an inside zone team, an outside zone team, m still be a power team. I mean that that's really all that Baltimore

is doing right now. They just window dress a lot of things. Well, I mean they may be in pistol, but that is a power they're running. All they running is twenty six duo where the garden the center. Twenty six duo. For those folks out there that don't know what twenty six duo is Please tell us, well, it's where the center and guard they're doubling up to the backer. It's double duo, double okay. And they just run it over and over again from different formations. And they'll run

the power play too. Greg Roman his notorious for the power play. Even out when he was in San Francisco, they literally ran every personnel grouping and ran thirty six power. It's where the left guard pulls and goes up. He'd decides whether he's going to kick out the kick out the end man out a line of scrimmage, or if the tight end takes the end man now the guard will turn up field and get the first backer inside. Is all that play is. But they he window dresses

it with shifts, formations, motions. But he can run it out of you know, two tight ends. He can run it out of three wides. He can run it out of four wides. There's nothing that precludes you from doing it. And there is running a lot of duo. And I think the bears, you know, I just I'm always a believer in why would you limit yourself? You know, why do you want to go golfing without every club in the back. I want to be multiple on offense and be able to do everything. But it can be simple

concepts that you do over and over again. But yet you're you're multiple in terms of what you present. Well, you know, so zone and power running game. You know the word power is power, it's so listen. So outside running plays outside the shoulder of offensive tackle, outside the shoulder of a tight end. You can use a zone element because you're trying to reach to an area and

create a hold of the outside. But when you're talking about running the ball in between the inside shoulder the right tackle and inside shoulder the left tackle, you're not creating. You don't create a guessing game for the running back. It better be a point of impact and no matter where the defenders are in front of you, it's specific to the design that the offensive linemen don't have eyes in the back of their head. They can't guess where

the running back is going to go. Again, they're going to create that impact in the defense and then the running back we're talking about four yards of carry. We're not talking about David Montgomery. Every time he carries the ballist through the line of scrimmage and it ends up in a touchdown. You're talking about time consuming, power running game, and when you're talking about running the ball to the interior the offensive line, you better come off the ball. Yeah.

For example, for the listeners out there, strictly like an outside zone team, that's the Rams. The Rams are an outside zone team. That's what they historically run. Believe it or not, even with Gurley. I mean they'll run some duo two and things like that, but they typically are an outside zone running team. Um and sealant like who is a former NFL offensive line coach, Paul Alexander was breaking it down us, say, Gary Kuback, they are an

outside zone team. For the Minnesota Vikings yep, yep, yep, Bears average just three point seven yards and kerry in twenty nineteen, twenty ninth in the league. It'll have to improve as they get ready for their next phase of reloading. As the offseason commences, Eddie Jackson reportedly, according to his agency, agreeing to a big contract. We talked about it at the top of the show. We'll resume that conversation when we come back here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy

to score. Welcome back to Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. The segment of Bears All Access is brought to you by CDW. People will get it learn more at CW dot com. Jeff, Joni Actim, They're good to be with you again. As we began the twenty twenty version of Bears All Access with Jim Miller joining us, now all the way through training camp, started training camp, and honestly, it's not that far away and we haven't

even started the playoffs. Honestly, when so last year when we started Bears All ask Access at the conclusion of the season, it was after the Double Dark and just the horrificness of the Bears and the playoffs and what they thought the future was gonna hold. And then you think of the start of Bears All Access, this passed off season with us, and now you think of where

we're at a year. It's just like George mccasky was saying, Jim the other day, you had the momentum was just arrow up, and it just after that opener, you're kind of like, oh, and it got a little slippery there, and then they had to fight their way back repeatedly and you know, only managed to get to five hundred.

But all that stuff, you know, you wonder you put it all together, the twelve wins, the way they lost, the energy, that the resolve that they felt they had when they went to training camp that they were gonna make good and turn things around from that kid right spot right there. Though, I feel pretty good about Eddie pennerol Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. But what I'm saying, though, what I'm saying was was it too much for this team? What was was all of this too much for this

still pretty young football team to take on? All that success and the bounce of the one hundred did they were on stage? Man, it was it was a big spotlight. Yeah, well, expectations from the fans and certainly, you know, and rightfully so they what everybody's mouth to how well and the level that they were playing. But I think you know, we all know you gotta earn it. You know, you definitely got to earn it every single year, every season.

It's its own entity. You know. Let when you say, you know it sounds cliche, but one game at a time, and last year is last year. It truly is last year. And last year already is over for the Bears. Twenty nineteen is over. It's all about twenty twenty and these guys got to earn it, from coaches to players, to everybody in the organization that to put your best food forward,

to be committed to what you need to do. Because I think we can we can all say it wasn't just one person, whether it's the quarterback or receivers not running the right route or dropping footballs or not making the right block or missing a tackle. I mean, I think everybody collectively knows they need to play better individually, and I would think expect to, but you got to earn it in order to be able to do that.

Who's the biggest underachiever Cleveland or the Bears, Because when you think of going into the season, there is no more two teams more profile than the Bears in Cleveland, and they had unrealistic expectations for Cleveland and they had because of the results of last year. But that that goes to a larger issue is that you know, just like the old you know Washington, Dan Snyder, Washington Redskins. Every year, you know you're you're your Lions in in

the spring and Lambs in autumn. You know, you collect all this talent, but the best talent is not necessarily the best team, and that's been proven over and over and over again. Well, which team had more unfair expectations thrust upon them? Cleveland? I don't think it was unfair for the Bears, but because of the types of players they brought in, the personalities in Cleveland, they are automatically assumed the stew was going to be, you know, five star.

I mean, that was trouble and we knew it. I think it was definitely Cleveland. The expectations were throughout the roof and for first time head coach, that's a lot to a manage. I mean, I think of it all and pet says, it's on the air of the time, you're being vilified for all the ills of the past. I mean, think about how bad they've been through what now, ten coaches and what is it thirteen years? Oh? No, here, here,

this is, this is I saw this today. So that the Dallas Cowboys what it appears to be that we makeing a coaching change which is seemingly not official but yet official. I don't I don't know. You know more about it than I do, Jim, but they've had eight head coaches in sixty years. Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns have had eleven in twenty you're not, I mean on the Steelers, common sense everybody. It's just there's no way you can keep taking two steps back to go a step.

You're never going to climb the mountain where the Steelers have three. Yeah, three, I mean it's absurd. I mean, that's bad for the game. It forget about the team we're talking about. It's bad for the game when you have that, But it fuel fuels the Beasts a little bit because everybody is wanting it now and there's no time to waste, seemingly, but the development of teams, it is a game. It's a week to week league, let alone a year to year league, and all the different

maschinations going on. Heck, we could talk about the Bears roster from here to Kingdom come about. I mean, there's a group of guys, and I've talked about the guys that needed to take the step, and the first half of the season was a half a dozen guys or so that they didn't, and then the amount of guys that you really got nothing out of offensively in twenty nineteen. Dad all contributes to it, and you just never know how that's going to work. This is Bears All Access

in Chicago sports Radio, six seventy score. It's a stunning number. Oh I love playing twenty Yeah, but you know it's it's just weird because of you know, you think of that. There's the NFL still is a big topic of conversation throughout the offseason, and so the way teams finish or what they're expected to do in the future, it's almost like a guarantee. And then you see Cleveland come out and they beat Baltimore as badly as they did to start the season, then all of a sudden, I mean,

they went right to the top. Well, Jim, it's like you look at this, okay, the Bear schedule when you lay it all out and everybody analyzes the schedule right away if it's easy er or easy or difficult. We could say that we knew the Bear schedule because of the types of teams and the quarterbacks that you're going to be facing. When they were UFE was going to be a challenging schedule, certainly the home schedule. And now next year you're assuming it's easier. It's not necessarily the case.

I mean, you have five new playoff teams again this year. You don't know which quarterbacks you're staying healthy when you face those quarterbacks, and who you're beating and who you're not. So it's it's kind of an exercising futility, don't you look at it that way? Yeah, No, you're right, because they're you know, most likely there's going to be four

to five new playoff teams. You know, and look at Green Bay and we knew the quarterback was good, but how they their roster was built because you know, I personally I think Green Bay is you know, they they just played more efficient. They're really not ranked high offensively or defensively for a first year head coach. I think they're opportunistic and they get turnovers, but I mean just in sheer talent. I like their pass rushers, but I don't think that roster is typically you know, star studded.

You know, they're bringing along young players that they're developing. So I think the Bears canna have a quick turnaround here, I really do. You know, it's about the quarterback taking the next jump. But I think you're right, certain positions and have to have an impact next year, and that's what it's about. It's about growing, you know, like you said, how can Cleveland ever grow if they're constantly changing coaches? How can you even instill a culture every two years? Yeah,

you can't. Well this is this is gonna be a great example this year. And you think of Detroit because they have the same head coach, but they got coaches jumping ship there. Plus they fired a bunch of coaches. So you keep the head coach in place, but you're going to bring in a bunch of coaches that are going to coach these players differently. So you know, you talk about the dysfunction of Cleveland, you talk, you know, I talk to a good point two times because it's

gonna have It's not gonna be with free agents. What free agent is going to sign with Detroit when they know it's one and done for Matt Patricia right and Bob Quinn. Now that's where teams find themselves in real jams from time to time. You mentioned Eddie Pineto before I cut you off about five minutes ago. And so the final story is twenty three to twenty eighty, ranks sixteenth in the league in field goal accuracy. But he

did rebound after that midseason slob. I think he missed four of eight kicks or whatever, finished eleven of eleven in his final six games and a game winner against Danvern back in week two. And I feel it was a success. But you're right, but nobody wants to hear that. Why, you know, when Tabor comes out and says Adam Vinattery and even Robbie gold they rated out less than eighty percent the rookie years as kickers, probably both go to the Hall of Fame. So Eddie Panero is right where

he needs to be. I mean, but when he's having his struggles, oh your ego again, and that nobody wants to let the guy fight through it and grow. They're ready to make a change, get a new kicker in here. Sometimes it takes time. You gotta let it grow. You gotta let it, you know, mature a little bit and grow, and maybe it'll be pretty good when it's all said and done, because I think everybody'd say Robbie Golden and Adam vine Terry unfortunately had the year with the knee,

but pretty good over his inn a few. Sometimes the attitude about the kick is a reflection because the red zone offensive the Bears was so poor that now you're walking out any Panero to kick a short field goal instead of what you really want. You want the Bears celebrating in the end zone and Matt even said it coming out at second half the start the Minnesota game to Mark Grody's field goals don't win games. So a

note about that injury superiod with the knee. He only missed one of his ten field goals with battling through that. So for a young kicker who's never been hurt before, you know, and we know how kickers can be, that was a big mental hurdle to climb. We'll pick it up on the other side of this break. This is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score and welcome back

to the program. You can help deserving families by donating a gently used win a coach to the Chicago Bears juelasco coach Driver the participating juelasco locations right now through February twenty eighth. Donations benefiting the Salvation Army, always a

big cause for the Chicago Bears and the crew. Yeah, when they first started the coach drive, when I was a player for the Bears, and do you think of seeing how long it's been going and how many coachs they've been able to distribute to the people here in the Chicagoland area. It is an awesome event. It should be it should be NFL wide. Every NFL team should

have a coach driver. Yeah, extends other way through the bottom of February, right up to the Combine as Jim and I will get ready for that here in a short period of time. You're already doing your homework, my friend, getting ready. Senior Bowl comes first. Yeah, when is that? That'll be the games January twenty fifth, But we'll get down there the nineteenth. Yeah, leading up there, So obviously Cincinnati and the Lions will be coaching in that tonight

supposedly hate the How could the Lions do? And no coaches, Well, better get on the move pretty quick, you know, that would be that would really be unfair to some of the seniors that need to be coached by you know, quality NFL personnel in order to get the best out of themselves, because that is a big judgment day for a lot of those guys, no doubt. And I'm sure they'll probably have guys in place by by then. And you know, here the Chicago and there's a couple of

good ones out there. Bill Callahan, him getting release by Washington. I don't know your thoughts on him, Tom. I think he's a hell of the offensive line coach. I agree with you, Jim. I'm surprised Ron. I'm sure he's got a handful of ex staff members he'll probably bring along with them just because they're comfortable with each other. But you know, you know, if you're a new head coach coming into a team where you're gonna get rid of, you know that he was the interim and head interim

head coach after they got rid of Jay Gruden. I don't know if the dynamics are there, but I think Bill Callahan is a is a heck of an offensive line coach. I heard he's interview in Scott Turner, his offensive coordinator. Huh out of the Turner family. Familiarity obviously, and that's in large parts sometimes that's how you build your coaching staff, familiarity as they get ridy to reload

there in Washington. All right. News of the day, Eddie Jackson getting a contract extension, his agency putting it all over Twitter today. It's the highest paid safety in the NFL now, and we talked about it at the top of the program. Well, we'll wind it home here and talk about it again and just how it sets up the Bears in their free agent search as well as they work with the limitations of the salary cap because

of the types of salaries they have. They already restructured Kyle Fuller and made that deal more friendly for them in terms of the camp. Maybe there's more and then, you know, I would guess that, you know, Alan Robinson might be one of these guys. Those are the first two guys you thought of it in free agency for the Bears, and that's maybe where the bulk of the

money will go with their own free agents. Well, you know, Alan Robinson is probably the MVP of the team this year when you look at what he was able to accomplish, and you know, there are some hiccups in the offense throughout the year, whether it's you know, Chase Daniel starting at quarterback, the injury to Mitchell Trubisky, the overall development of the offense. So I think Allen Robinson is another guy that he shows his leadership value by the way

he conducts himself. He's not a guy that's asking for all the cameras to be pointing at him to look at me when I come out to warm up for pregame. It's more he leads by example rather than just trying to be attracted to the cameras. Yeah, I think it always starts first resigning your own um. Certainly. You know, again it's got the dollars and cents have to work out and sometimes you know, it's the business side of it.

You know, remember when Kyle Fuller, they the Bears let him go shop as wears and ultimately he returned to Chicago. That could happen to a couple of the Bears, you know, whether it's Quakowski or Trevathan or the linebackers that potentially could be moving on, but may be may be able to return here. Because I do think Quikowski and a couple of those key players, and I like what Pierre Lewis did towards the end of the year. So those guys are a couple free agent. Yeah, they really did

a great job. And that it leads us into Roe Kwan Smith, who's doing pectoral muscle. It should be available for a return obviously the training camp and you look at a couple of guys time that you brought up in the break that are coming back hopefully this weekend. J J. Watt, expected to come back from his pectoral terror, still leads the team and quarterback pressures despite missing eight games. Well ro Quan Smith, No, yeah, Kwan Alexander also come

back from a peck injury. But you look at the end of the year, Roquan Smith had one hundred and one tackle, still leading the team in tackles, no matter how many games he's missed. But I think you have to really, um, you gotta put Rokuan Smith is taking a leadership role in this team. He's he's not an introverted guy on the football field. He gets along with his teammates well, he plays his you know, solid interior

defensive football. So you know, Roquan Smith, if they do not sign Danny Trevathan, even though he's a young guy, he's going to have to be in that leadership role along with whomever whatever other linebackers they do sign. Yeah, you know, he had that hiccup earlier in the year. You know, I think he came back, got refocused and got his mind right to play football, and you know, I just think that's going to be a blip on

the radar screen. I think he is going to show the growth and development to be one of the leaders. And that may be the case because maybe Rokuan would shift over to Trevathan spot and if they're able to resign Quakowski or Pierre Lewis and one of those guys emerged to keep that depth at the at the linebacker spot, because again, I don't think he can afford all of them. I really don't, So Roquan is gonna have to take a much bigger role of say, a key leader like

Danny Trevathan. We're to be moving on in free agent, and I think they're fortunate that Rokuan is considered the three down linebacker just like Kevin, Pierre Lewis and Nick Watkowski at this point. And I think nick Watkowski his study habits are you know, it benefits him so much that he's a pre snap thinker. He can get himself in motion to the right position before the ball has

ever snapped. You see evidence of it. But you know, even if they didn't sign Danny Trevethan, there would be a lot more pressure on Nick Watkowski because you really didn't know to consider him a starter until he got the trevithan injury opportunity, and then he probably performed at a higher level. Considering the blitz against Dalvin Cook, a blitz against an offensive guard and the Packers and the interception and safety and play, yeah, the safety, the anticipation

on the screen against Minnesota. He's done a lot of big players. He had dinged on his PA coverage over the years. You know that that was some area. But you know he did a great job of that too. I think he can study himself into being a faster, more competitive pass coverage linebacker. I got a couple of minutes left, Jim, Let's go through some league white stuff.

So first of all, the Hall of Fame final, let's a shout out to Chicago's very own Bryant Young tremendous was honored to be at the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame and he was one of the inductees. In his story and the death of his son was extremely moving, one of the best speeches I've ever heard. And what a great player for the forty nine ers. But a guy you always bring up to tom is Sam Mills. Sam Mills I played against him in the USFL. I had some unbelievable experiences just because there was a few

teams in there you played against them multiple times. Here was one of the hardest, hitting, most physical small linebackers I've ever played against. And then to see him go to three years in the USFL in twelve years in the NFL. He deserves to be a Hall of Famer. And you look at the you know, Vaughan Johnson, he passed away a couple of weeks ago. The interior linebacker that he played along with the New Orland Saints. Vaughan Johnson was a sixty three, two hundred and forty five

pound inside linebacker. Sam Mills was probably five to six and a half. Oh yeah, probably five six and a half two hundred and fifteen pounds or something. Um. But he was as explosive and as courageous as a linebacker as you've you've had a chance to face the field bells, that's what he's called as right up my alley. Wow, that's I gotta look that up. That's craziness. Yeah, I didn't think he was that short. Yes, And then as an as an ode to Eddie Jackson getting his big deal,

John Lynch, Troy Polamalo, Steve Attwater, Leroy Butler. Some of the several of those guys just downhill with reckless, abandoned type safeties that blew you up, played some great football, and those are the kind of safeties that you need to win in the National Football League. Agreed. Jim agreed. I wish they all could get in because we could go through all those names and all very worthy, no doubt about that. Well, I'm we're often running in twenty twenty.

Appreciate your buddy five knew five six size. Well, I mean if they're calling six, if they're calling five seven and a half, they're calling five nine, then that means he's five five eight and a half. All right. We didn't get into the playoff games, but in ten seconds thought, Tom, what do you like tomorrow? I'm going Bill's Titans, Saints, Seahawks. That's the final word for Tom There, For Adams Zinsky, Mike Chen, Jim Miller, and Tom There. I'm Jeff Joniac.

This has been Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. 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 Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by Miller Lite