All Access: Roquan Smith on rookie season

cell phone. I'm on an app from Cancun, Mexico, courtesy of Apple Vacations and the Riu Coasta Mujeri's Hotel and Resort, and it is a pleasure to bring Bears football to you from Mexico. Lout of Bears fans here about I'd say about ninety folks have joined us on the trip down here, and so it's been a fun couple of days. We're joined by for Chicago Bears. I'm Jeff Joniac Tom there in studio. Tom. Can you hear me all right? Buddy?

I got you loud and clear. Jeff, I'm envious about the temperature as you are sitting in while we sit inside the offices and the houses we have with coats and hoods on a right. It was Tom's first question to me today by text was how are the waves? They're they're not surfable, Tom, but there is a nasty wind of time, so they crop up a little bit. And Jim Miller, Jim, are you home yet from the combine? Are you still in Indie? Yes? The best thing Tom and I got gold for us is daylight savings time.

Next next week, spring forward, we'll get a little bit more sunlight. Jeff, much like yourself, I won't rub it in fellas, and I'll tell you what happened today a bit later on. But right off the top of the show, where pleased to be joined by the outstanding now second year linebacker the Chicago Bears, Roquan Smith, one of the four players here with us in Cancoon. Good to see it.

Thanks for taking a few minutes with us. Roquan, you're here with not only some of the defensive guys on the team, but big Bradley Soul kind of stole the show today at the beach drills with the fans. But you also have Prince of Mukamara here and Bala Nichols, one of your teammates on the defensive, said of the ball, good time, isn't it? Absolutely enjoying it, great weather, great team bun as well, and just enjoying time with those guys. Now you appreciate the fans even a little more when

you see them here. They are decked head to toe and bears gear. A lot of these folks have come to these thirteen years in a row. They can't get enough of it, and they were very vocal today. A good time And you did a nice job today, did everything. You know, you're the I think you were then again without your shirt off today, I mean, you know, like showing off a little bit, right, Hey, you know I've worked out a little bit, so I deserve to show it off in the sun somewhat. But it's definitely great

having a lot of those dedicated fans out. So it's great having fans like that behind you, you know, I mean, Jim, have at it, ro Quan. After the fun is over this week, you know, Ryan Pace said in this press conference this past week, instincts and speed are the two best traits of ro Kuan Smith. So this offseason, what is your focus to make Roquan a better player in year two. I would say, just improving on all aspects

of my game. Nothing in particularly that I'm doing. I want to pretty much be the same size, improve my speed if I can do that, get stronger obviously, and just do everything better, you know, just improve on the little things. And I feel like that, and I feel like that to take my game to the next level. But what about for you, ro Qua Jim Miller here, good to talk to you again, and just how quickly did it take you to settle in into the defense? Here you have the long hold out, but long behold

you arrived. For the Bears, you get an early sack. But how quickly told was when you felt comfortable and we're really just out there reacting and maybe not thinking as much. In terms of learning the defense, I would say weekend and week out. I felt like I constantly improved from like game one to game seven, and then I felt like around like game nine or ten, I felt like I was really comfortable doing whatever throughout the

defense as well as playing out a difference. So when you're doing that and not thinking at all, it definitely great and it makes you fly around and makes you make a lot more plays, for sure. We're with roe quand Smith here in Cancun, Mexico. I thought I'd never say that, right, Huh, how about it? I mean from below Nichols, who's my next door neighbor. This is the first time Fellas he's ever been out of the country, so he's digging it. And it is a great, great

beach resort. Obviously Rio here in Cancun and apple vacations. But a year ago, at this time, you're at the combine trying to impress folks, and you certainly did. You had a great combine. You were the eighth pick in the draft. Does it seem a long time ago? And when you were getting ready for that? How much of that translated into what you did here with the Chicago Bears in twenty eighteen. I'll feel like a little bit

of that did. But it was great, you know, experience in that, you know, not many can say the experience the NFL Combine, and so having an opportunity to perform, now that was great. And then doing what I did, and then in the interview process and met a lot of great players across the country, So it was definitely great.

I enjoyed it like I learned a lot through there, and I feel like I carried some of it over, some of the drills and different things like that and some of the other things in the interview process, learned from that and just carrying it on in my day to day life. So I feel like I learned in a lot of different aspects Roquan, after you became familiar with the defense and you had a better understanding when you look at the offensive side of the football from college,

do the blockers stay on you longer? Number one? And is it noticeably more difficult to tackle the talent in the NFL than it was in a major college that you played in. Well, there there is a difference, But planning in the SEC, I definitely think it prepared like help me actually got be ready for the NFL, because I felt like the talent level from the SEC to

the NFL is maybe just a tad big more. But it's definitely a little more challenging in the NFL because there's no like weekend and week out, you're playing the best of the best. It's not like you're gonna see a cupcake, so you're gonna get the best player you know around and it makes you brings out the best and they everyone. So that's what we love about the game. You know, well, from your standpoint, did did it live up to everything you thought it was gonna be? Them?

When you look at it, it's just a step above. It's the best of the best. But I guess in terms of just the workmanlike manner of it. You know, it is professional football, how your teammates prepare himself, how the professional locker up is held, maybe just touch on it. From that standpoint, is the live up to everything you thought it was gonna be in pro football? I came in didn't really have any expectations. I'm just going in like it's a dream to be here, so I'm just

gonna make the most of the dream. And I just felt I was gonna stick to what got me to that point. So whatever my goals were, whatever my work habits were in college, I felt like I would just continue that over into the NFL, and I felt like that would get me to where I want to go. And so far, so good, but there's still obviously room for improvement and gonna continue with that and just continue

to keep getting better. But I definitely didn't have any expectations I was just looking at it more of a dream come true and living out a dream. Georgia pro Roquan Smith here with us in can Kou, Mexico at Jim Miller, Tom there, Jeff Joniac. I was at the Combine until Saturday, and one of the last interviews that I was a part of there was a Devin White from LSU and your name was brought up, and he said, yeah,

that's my brother. And they said, hey, you're gonna following the footsteps of Roquan Smith and what he did in the Combine last year and what he did in the NFL in his rookie year. He says, I respect what he accomplished. He goes I'd like to be, you know, a top five pick. And he goes out and runs a four four forty and what was it, a four four two and he jumped over forty at the Combine. Now those are just numbers, obviously, but it does accentuate his explosion and his speed. And he had a great

personality too. What do you know about him? And how much did that impact you that he brought you up, because now you're in the game, now you're in the league. He had a great rookie years, led the team and tackles on a twelve win football team that went to the playoffs. Absolutely, I still have a lot a long way to go, but like getting back to the Devin White situation, Yeah, he's a great player. I know he's

a great player. I hear he's a guy of high character, you know from the conversations we've had the times we've hung out. I think I think a lot of him. I think he's a tremendous athlete as well, and I'm excited to see what he's gonna do. He's obviously put up some op popping numbers that to come by, so if he can go top five, that'll be great. I'm cheering for him inside linebacker, so I need to put a little more respect on the position, So if he

can do that, I'll be extremely happy for him. I can't I think what the last inside linebacker to go top five was a guy from Wake Forest, Aaron Curry, something like that, So it'll be it'll be great to see that and I'll be very excited for him, and I'm wishing him the best throughout the rest of the process. You know, Roquan second year in the league and you're already going through a major coaching change on your side of the ball. Did you ever experience a coaching change

that close to you in college? And have you had a chance you have to talk to coach Chuck Pogano and not necessarily to pick his brain, just to get a feeling of his personality. So the crazy thing about it is my first year at Georgia. At the end of that year, my head coach defensive cording to everyone left and then we got Dustin, we got coach Kirby Smart. So it's crazy how that all works out, and it's

pretty much the same thing and now. But yeah, I've definitely chopped it up with Chuck as well as Mark, my inside linebacker coach. So I'm very excited to be working with those guys. Guys got a lot of energy. I know they want to do some amazing things, and I know they have a good track record, So I'm very excited to get to work and see where we can take it. Well, since Jeff put out your scouting cap, I want to take you there too. I want to

talk about the linebacker DeAndre Walker out of Georgia. What can you tell me about him and where he's at what he brings to the table. I feel he's a little he's a little down down dealing with recent surgery he's had. But like I'm very excited to see where he's going. He has a high ceiling, can do a lot of different things, tremendous athlete from We've been together since like high school, working in camps and then the years at Georgia. So I'm very excited to see who

he can go. He goes, and he can get after the pastor, I know that for sure, and he can a lot of things happen. He can rig hav for sure. All right, Roquant, were gonna let you go. I know you got dinner plans tonight, but you know we'll be hanging out a little bit down here at the beach. Got any plans? I know? I know today you had a good good time, didn't you. I definitely did have a good time, even swim with the dolphins. Swim with the dolphins. That isn't that something this guy is gonna

jump in the water and do. But that's you know, these young guys, they can have that kind of fun. Hey, thanks so much for the hit. It absolutely broke Quant Smith. What a great rookie year. It was who could not forget the first snap sack against the Green Bay Packers and the season opener. And it looks like it'll be the Bears and Packers and the season opener again, if

all reports are true. As we continue on here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score and welcome back to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, a 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. Jeff Jone Yeah here in Canco, Mexico, Apple vacations and the Ryu Kasta Mujaris. Guys. It's unbelievable

weather here. But what I love today the guys I mentioned at top of the show, Roquan and Balon Nichols and Bradley Souls here the offensive lineman, Prince of Mukamara. This the interaction with the fans so today on the beach was the drills that you guys, you know, always make fun of me from last year about when I caught a football on the face from an unsuspecting kicker.

They really, they really were knocking down these drills, like Prince of Mukamara is teaching them true defensive bag drills, footwork and flipping your hips and all that, and they enjoyed it. Thangel, it was two hours of that and they did not want to leave. I thought that was pretty cool. You know, that's why those players are there. It's their personalities that I think they're in the position they're in. They're really gracious to the fans and the

people they get a chance to meet. I told you last week on the show, I thought Bradley Soul was going to be the guy that was going to stand out because he does have a dynamic personality and when you see him playing tight end, you see him playing running back, you see him playing offensive tackle. He's a really good long snapper that he net doesn't have to

do because other teams hire a guy just for that position. So, you know, I think the fans are really fortunate too, because when you get these instructions from guys like Prince and Blaw and all the whole crew, you're getting them from in a really fun atmosphere for from an NFL player, and you know, it's a great time for those players as well as it is the fans. Well, evidently the Chicago Bears didn't want to tweet out the techniques because all I saw was Prince of Mukamara doing the salsa

on the beach. But yeah, that's what I saw, So I just say, any techniques that you were talking, he's practice. He's practicing the post touchdown celebration. That's what it is. That's yeah. He definitely was doing the salsa. And it was Bradley Sewel who got the idea. So at halftime of the of the day, the halftime was Club Dub and it was Bradley Sewel who got him jumping. And let me tell you, it was very entertaining. And of course Anthony Adams otherwise known as Spice, otherwise known as

his alter ego here was coach dun Dunn. So coach Dundunn had the high tube socks, the ditka you know, Plattville ara pants, the shorts, and he had the visor and all that, and boy was that entertaining. So the offense and defensive lines seul against Anthony Adams. A couple of guys got after it pretty seriously, and I thought it was a little crazy what these fans were doing, but it was a lot of fun to see. Also learned that Bradley not only because he could have been

a very good pitcher. He was a very good pitcher in baseball. He had very good velocity as throws, and he's also a scratch golfer, so you'll talk about it all around athlete. My goodness, at sixty seven, he's the best. He is one of the best big men golfers I've ever seen to be so organized at that you know that hand eye coordination, to have you know the size he has, it's it's impressive anyway, So Jim, let's switch to the combine real quick. Early in the week, we

heard from Matt Naggie and also general manager Ryan Pace. Obviously, people want to know about a couple of key free agents and the developments of the week. And with the agents all around, you're gonna hear a lot of reports, a lot of guys in the field nationally and locally from Chicago trying to check and sniff out what's going

to happen with Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos. It seems like from everything that I've gathered and reading these reports and listening through the week that yes, they're gonna have a shot at keeping these guys if they want and if they need to, if they feel they need to, given what's available in free agency and what they're going to see And I didn't see anything today with the defensive backs drills, what's available when they are going to be coming around to their draft space in the third

round and beyond, what's the feedback you're hearing because Jim, you were there all week and you talk to every general manager, every head coach, and almost every big player in this draft as regards what the Bears might do at that position with those two free agents. Yeah, it sounds like they're going to make an honest effort to try to resign the players that we talk about. Adrian's

been very productive. We talk about surehanded tackler, Bryce Callahan very versatile in terms of what he brings as a nickel back in the NFL. But again, I think it always comes down it's got to be at the right price. You know. Fortunately for the Bears are not like other teams right now that you have to dedicate a lot of money in terms of the franchise tag. If any players they've done a good job about resigning their own

signing good young players. Went really aggressive last year in free agency, Maybe won't have to do that as much this year. Those two players are probably the key components they would like to have back. But again it's got to be at the right price. But in terms of the draft, we know it's going to be the market is going to be flooded with a lot of players that are out there. You know, here another safety released

by the Tennessee Titans today, Jonathan Sipprian. He's coming off of you know, an ACL and he certainly Tennis he's probably looking to resign him. But we've seen Tyrn Matthew. The safety population out there and free agency is pretty deep right now. There's going to be more corners that are going to be out there on the free agent market and you want on it. And then you tap into the combine in the draft, there's talented players coming out.

We know how players have become impact players. Adrian Amos was a fourth round pick who made an instant impact out of Penn State. You know, you look at other players Eddie Jackson, look at his impact and that he's had for the Chicago Bears, Kyle Fuller. Here's a high draft pick, has his ups and downs. He's resigned by the Bears, a drafted player that returned home to Chicago. So who are those players we know early in the draft, at least all the feedback coming out of what we

saw this past weekend. Defensive linemen are fantastic. It is stacked in terms of the edge rushers and the defensive linement that are out there. A lot of guys tested well. So it's going to push good players down the board. For the Chicago Bears, quarterbacks starting to move up again, that's going to push good players down the board. And you look at players today that went out there and performed. From the defensive back that LSU corner Greedy Williams. Some

people don't think he's aggressive enough in tackling. He could put on some weight, but he runs a terrific time six two, one hundred and eighty five. I thought he displayed himself very well. Byron Murphy Washington State, here's a guy could be a nickel corner. He I think balled out. He's projected to be a first round pit draft pick. So there are players out there. DeAndre Baker would be another one should have asked a Roqueline about him. There's

the Georgia product. He's a player that I think displayed very displayed himself very well. I think he's a guy who could be versatile in terms of the secondary, whether it's at a slot corner or ultimately lines up outside. You know, they're they're there, Jeff, They're definitely there. You know.

One thing about this draft and Ryan's initial press conference, he said that he's going to treat this combine as if they had a first in the second rounder, because he's said a lot of these guys come up as free agents throughout their career and they like to have these interviews on record to go back and look at information. I like that forward thinking Ryan. I think it's really smart when you don't have it. And then when you look at the combine seventeen wide receivers, six two are

better in that group of wide receivers. And then you start thinking about the Bears nowadays and what Matt Nagge offers, and you think about the tight ends. There's there's a solid online tight end group, and there's the U tight end, the Trey Burton style of tight ends. There's a lot

of them out there that makes it interesting. But the thing about it is, I think after having the experience of living through the Bears season this combine, I looked at the tight ends and the running backs completely different than I did a year ago and for the previous years in the history of the Bears. I think that's the two positions offensively that change the most for me when I was looking at the talent during the draft or during the combine that you need specifics in the

style depending upon what tight end you're gonna be. So it's not like one tight end lumped in is going to do a little bit of everything that I have this specific you tight end and these guys like Faint or Fant that can run out of Iowa or you have the other big guys that can play on the online tight end. And then when I think of the running back position, for years, you guys, we thought about the running back, the bigger style of running back, the

four yards, you know. Plus nowadays it's like I need to see an athlete at the running back position. I need to see a running back that can catch the ball as well as he can run the ball. And it maybe changes you're thinking process of a first and second down running back that you may be attracted to because of size and power, but now you gotta think, hey,

can this guy catch? Can he be the primary receiver coming out of the huddle in the past, in the passing game, And so that's changed for me and looking at those two positions. It'll be interesting because the Bears don't have them, you know, the high pick in the high picks, I should say, and are selecting later just you know how good and I do think and a lot of people think the draft is going to be deeper later. You know where good players are going to

be there in the second even the third round. I think one of those players who got hurt at the combine and I'm talking about that Kendall Sheffield, excuse me, the corner from Ohio State because he tore his pack, you know, something like that could push him down the board a little bit and then they won't behold a good corners waiting there for Chicago with where they're selecting in the third round. So I think it'll be interesting.

There's good players that I think Matt Nett or excuse me, Ride Pace and Matt Naggie are going to dive into and they'll be there, and I think we've seen them

uncover them before. What I like about it, what I like hearing about from Ryan Pace just a very stern confidence about what he wants to do and what he is going to be capable of accumulating despite not having a first or second round pick, and for now with a third to start the festivities in the twenty nineteen draft, but not discounting hey move up into the second round. If there's somebody that he absolutely wants, he usually goes

and gets what he wants. Will continue you on. We'll start taking your phone calls to three one, two, four, sixty seven, sixty seven, Jeff Joni Actom There Jim Miller on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Add from Camp Mexico. We are back on Bears All Access here with the Apple Vacations crew and some Bears players. We got real quant Smith, Prince and Mukamara, Bradley Sewell and Bilal Nichols all here enjoying the festivities and a great

start to the trip. Indeed, as we set for the twenty nineteen season, a lot of excited Bears fans and excited Bears that they are very ecited about what's ahead Blackcoles. I had a long conversation with today just super about what's to come to Chicago Bears here in twenty nineteen. They feel like a lot of unfinished business, and I think that's the theme we'll hear from these guys, Tom and Jim throughout the course of the off season programmers

they get ready for training camp. You know one thing about Bi Nichols, he's got to be excited because Jay Rogers's defensive line coach, got an award over the week to be in the defensive line coach position Coach of the Year, which is a you know, it's a high praise, a high compliment to the hiring of them. First of all, the development of his coaching style and as techniques and

then that's stop. Then the ability to develop young players and veteran players into playing quality football from a team Hicks down to blow Nichols, and he gives equal coaching to every one of them, and that's it gives these guys a great opportunity to succeed in their career. Yeah, I think they're you know, they've got to be motivated to take a step forward. One. They're coming off a great season. They got to keep that coat cohesiveness and continue.

It is a team and as Tom knows, just go out there compete, you know, push your push your team, he push one another to try and strive for better going into twenty nineteen. I think the team has the character they've displayed that that they want to strive and continue to push forward to to really take a step further than what they did a year ago. It's unfortunate and how they ended, because they were a good enough team to continue. But I think you've got to be hungry.

I think they know they're not going to settle for that, and they've got to push one another, all right. You know from the combine some of the drills and success of some of these guys. DK Metcalf, the receiver from Old miss How do you run a four three three forty and a half vertical eleven two broad at six three two twenty eight and then Montes Suite a Mississippi State at two sixty running a four four forty four four one forty at six six, two sixty. Can you

explain that to me? Fellas, these guys are training for Jeff and they're they're kind of fortunate that they only have to do it twice a year, and that's at the Combine and at the Pro Day, and you get the best of the best that's you. You specifically train for the tests that you're going to go through, and then you kind of change your training as soon as the combine's done. You're not getting ready to run any

more forties. You're trying to get stronger as a football player, not at as an endurance athlete to see how many times you can do two twenty five. So there's a lot more job structure that you have to start investing in yourself once the combines over. Yeah, you saw all those displays of talent and it's it's impressive. However, do all those numbers compute into anticipating a ball that's coming out of an NFL quarterback's hands at blazing speed with

the safety that's gonna light you up? You know, can all these guys fulfill the obligations of their jobs even though they tested so well, because um just you know, to give a quick story, when I was going through a combine, there was a guy, Dave Dreschler. He was an offensive guard out of North Carolina, and he wasn't strong in the bench, he wasn't overwhelming looking. He got drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers. So sometimes, you know, I don't. I think he injured

his back and never really had any time spent with them. However, you know, it's not always what you do. It's the evaluation of the personnel that's you know, has eye contact with you. And I think that you know, you look at the representation. As Tom mentioned, they've got it down

to a science. Remember when Mamoula, who everybody diagnoses as a draft bus by the Philadelphi Eagles, he was one of the first guys to tests for all those tests, you know, in terms of you know, the short shuttle and the techniques in the forty and here he you know, he has his breakout combine and everybody thinks he's going to be the greatest pass rusher ever. He just kind

of had a so so career. It's not you know, he didn't have a bad career, he just never got above dominating double digit sacks in his five year career for Philadelphi Eagles. So I think a lot of people put him in the bus category. But I'm with Tom. I think these guys train it to perfection. You know, even if it's what everybody expects a top pick. Now in Kyler Murray, the Oklahoma quarterback comes in wayne over

two hundred. That's no different than what Teddy Bridgewater did when ultimately he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings late in the first round, went in there, beefed up, you know, got to like two hundred and I think it was like seventeen pounds and then lo and behold a week later he's back down to two oh seven. You know, so you know they're prepared for what's being asked of him, and of course you got to do all the character

side of it. You know. For Montez who you mentioned, who blew it up at the Mississippi State defensive end, there's a reason why he wasn't asked to return to Michigan State, you know, That's why he ended up down there in Mississippi State to play football. I think he's a terrific athlete, but you got to uncover what were his issues and why it didn't work out at his first stop in college before he put up record setting numbers there as a pass rusher in defensive end at

Mississippi State. Jeff Jony Act, Tom There and Jim Miller with you on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score, Herb Lawrence and Mike chet our producers helping us out tonight as we bring the show to you from all over the country and internationally. You Cancou, Mexico in Michigan and Tom in freezing Chicago. Are you feeling a little left out? Big time? Not at all? Enjoy being here? And you know, I believe me, I have enough beach time in my life to know what you're enjoying. So

I'm envious. Only you know by association, chef, just your spirit and happiness. This warms this whole network. We feel good right now. Three sixty seven sixty seven. If you want to jump on, let's talk kickers, because there were three in Indianapolis. They're trying to get drafted. All three met with the Bears. You got LSU's col Tracy, Utah's

Matthew Gay, and Oklahoma's Astern Cybert. I interviewed Cybert, and I interviewed Gay, and much of the conversation was about mental toughness, because I was trying to find out where their heads are at when things don't go well and Obviously, the Cody Parking situation is really prevalent right now. It was brought up by other reporters and they had strong

feelings about how Cody is as a kicker. They happened to be aware of him in certain cases in Oklahoma and assistant coach work with Parkey, so Austin Cybert knows of him and they have a lot of respect for him. And then just how it all unfolded after missing the playoff kick and the criticism and so forth. So these guys are well aware of it. They are well aware of what they are walking into. And in the case of Cybert, he he missed sixteen kicks in college over

his four years. He made a lot of big kicks, but he missed kicks, and he said he took a ton of criticism and he had to just learn not to listen to it. Do you think that it's that easy to do when you get to the NFL, if you experience it even in college. No. I think that you need to surround kickers by pressure, and I think

you need to have bodies around him. You need to have confusion, you need to have hecklers, and you need to have noise because you know, whether you go look at the tryout of Robbie Gold when he initially signed with the Bears, and they had six or seven guys there and they're kicking, and whoever kicks the best is going to win the job. And there's six or seven of your peers that are looking at you, and that's an enormous amount of pressure. And so I think that's

what you need. So you talk about going and kicking in the perfect combine situation indoors and all that, no pressure at all. When I go back, and I know you don't want me to bring it off. It's Saturday night. I was watching an AAF game. They're playing out in Utah and it snows the whole game. So you got Steve Spurrier coaching against Eric's and and if you want to go back and you want to look at kickers with pressure on them, go back and you look at

the kickers and you laugh. I mean, you laugh, but it's fact, And I'm not no, I know, I'm just saying, you know, Jeff, you need to see examples of pressure, and you need to see examples of really crummy conditions that you're being really successful. And when I look at the kicks that those two guys hit the other night, and those conditions, I would be more more to go

investigate that talent that I'm seeing actually being used. Then to bring a guy in a perfect scenario where he's a kicking, he's got a holder and he's hitting him from fifty five I need to see pressure. I need to see what your plant fit foot is doing when it's on a three quarters of an inch of snow, it's still snowing, and you're still banging them from forty and fifty yards. Well, you bring up a good point, and that's why Matt Gay of Utah, you know, probably

is kicked in those kind of can get conditions. And also, you know, you think of the other two kickers that you mentioned in Cole Tracy and Austin Siebert out of Oklahoma. You know how many times were they behind? How many pressure kicks has they made? I think that's a good thing that Cybert, like you said, has missed a lot of kicks and he's had to overcome that. He probably had, you know, was getting heckled by the fans. He's coming out of the tunnel and I'm sure they were saying

certain things to him. You do. I have to have a certain mental toughness to overcome it. But game winning kicks when kicks are on the line. The last time I check, Oklahoma won a lot of games both with Baker Mayfield in Kyler Murray and sometimes buy a lot. So how many pressure situations what he is has he been in? And I think that's what really Ryan Pace is looking to uncover when you look at all the kickers coming out this year. Well, I did miss a

game winner against Army last season. That was the one I asked him what his worst moment was in terms of a kick he'd want back in the one he was most happy about. But there was an Ohio State game and the Army game. But then last year he made his final fourteen kicks, so he rebounded well. Different sized kickers too. I don't know what we're looking for, and I don't know if the Bears are going to

be interested in even considering drafting one. But a guy like Cybert is five nine gay a bigger guy at six one, two twenty and Tracy at five eleven one eighty eight. If you're keeping score on all that, we'll continue on three one, two, six, four, four sixty seven sixty seven. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. The score back with you on Bears All Access. Thanks for joining us tonight. I heard Lawrence, Mike Chen our producers three one, two, six, four four

sixty seven sixty seven. If you want to hop in and talk a little Bears football or little Combine review with Jim Miller, Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer in our Chicago studios. I'm in Kancou, Mexico. Thanks again to Apple Vacations and the Riu Coasta Mujeri's just a beautiful facility and a good week plan for all Bears fans on the journey. We'll continue on with Combine talk, but first a little look to free agency. Because fellas clearly, teams don't want to just let their pass rushers walk, and

you never do. You never can have enough of them. So a bunch of guys were franchised to Marcus Lawrence, Frank Clark, Jadavian Clowney. I'm here in though, Kansas City, open to even though they franchise d Ford opened a trading d Ford, and there are many more that also got tagged. It doesn't surprise me, doesn't surprise you guys. No, you know, no, it doesn't because you know, if there is such a high price tag on those types of players,

then why would you just let them walk? And if some of these teams have intentions of trying to franchise a guy and then sign them do a long term deal, if they believe that much in that player, because you know, that's really a a tricky situation. And the player that's getting franchise dag he's after he's got to be the right person, because you have these guys are still working

for a bigger contract, a bigger opportunity. But sometimes if you know you're only getting franchise for one year, sometimes you get into that protective mode and that's not a good way to play football, whether you're a college senior trying to protect yourself or a free agent, you know, a guy that's trying to gain his free agent opportunity

in the NFL. Well, DeMarcus Lawrence is interesting because this is a second year he's been tagged, and I think we know the reasons why Dallas did it a year ago. He's had the shoulder injury, he said, the off the field problems where he was dealing with suspension. They did offer him an early deal leading up to the combine, but let's face it, the guy's gonna want, you know, minimum his tag this year because it's the second time he's been tagged. He's gonna want twenty million a year

because that's what his tag comes in at. So you're basically looking at a five year, over one hundred million dollars deal for DeMarcus Lawrence. And let's be honest, Frank Clark is looking at that way too, because he finds he thinks he's probably every bit as good is DeMarcus Lawrence and probably why Seattle couldn't get a long term deal done with him. Now watch if DeMarcus does sign first.

That's what Frank Clark is gonna want. He's gonna want to be in the neighborhood of what DeMarcus Lawrence gets. The other two guys are interesting. Jadavian Clowney for me, that the injury history with him, and I think the motivation he doesn't practice a lot for the Houston text, so I think they're kind of like, hey, why not, we just will slap the tag on him. It'll be a wait and see look, And I think ultimately he

ends up walking. He'll play this year under the tag and then I'll move on and d Ford's kind of out of position. This one's kind of going to go to an arbiter. I gotta believe, because they're gonna tag him as a linebacker because that's what he's gonna be in Steve Spagnolo's defense down there, and ultimately why he eventually ultimately will probably be traded for that football team.

They're looking for more of defensive ends in the traditional mold, and d Ford's a little light from that standpoint and probably why they won't get a long term deal done with him either. Nick Foles looks like he's headed to the Jaguars thoughts this year's case Keenum? You know, any think a case Keenum and all the analytics they try to justify him going to sign in Denver, and now

Denver they go and trade for Joe Flacco. Then you bring in Nick falls who really hasn't had a lot of success outside his opportunities with Philly, and you look at the supporting cast he as there. Now you go and you look, okay, what type of system are you going down to Jacksonville to run? You're not going to run the Doug Peterson system. Are you going to run a system that is more of an Eli Manning Tom Coughlin type system, that's a straight dropback system and you

have an average offensive line. So I question that move. But you know that's one of the benefits for Nick Folds of playing so well in the same benefit that case Keenum was given in Denver. But listen, it's about production, and you know these seems like some of these veteran quarterbacks with question marks could be one year wonders in some cases. Yeah, it's interesting here Philadelphia lex not to tag Nick Foles. We know the reasons why they believe

in Carson Wentz. They drafted him to be the franchise of that football team, and ultimately, even though it's free agency, they let Nick Foles walk and they'll probably get third round compensation for what he's done over the past couple of years. How he's performed in the playoffs, he's one of Super Bowl, he's an MVP of a Super Bowl. Knows John d Filippo very well from his days in Philadelphia. But really, the market's not out there for Nick Foles.

There hasn't been any talk of him potentially maybe joining the Miami Dolphins. I mean, think about it. He's unrestricted right now, and you know Washington that they've got a huge injury at their quarterback spot. You don't see any interests from the Washington Redskins right now. We'll see if it picks up as it gets closer, but already linked

to Jacksonville. And I think for all the reasons what Time just said, it's kind of a pounded offense what they want to be with the running back Leonard Fournette. But I do think d Filippo he'll try to model it after the Philadelphi Eagles and what they did offensively. But man, I just don't know if they got the weapons outside. And I don't know if Nick Foles is

really going to cash in. I doubt that he'll get the money that he's looking for, which a lot of people think he's a franchise quarterback, no doubt, But I just don't think that number will be over, say thirty million, what some of the quarterbacks have gotten here, because there's really only one team interested from what we see. Okay, well, Jim, let me let me just ask you a question, Jeff. Also, so now you look at the situation, that's brewing in Arizona.

First of all, if the GM hired our drafted Josh Rosen last year and he's gonna draft Kyler Murray this year, I'd fire him because you're not going to have a franchise quarterback and you think his value is going to be maybe a third rounder on the open market. So, Jim Washington Redskins, you talk about a quarterback that maybe be able to get him through a couple of seasons that once was looked after the possible first pick in

the draft. What are your thoughts on the Josh Rosen scenario. Yeah, I mean it's interesting because I'm with you Tom here. You gotta believe that you know Bidwell and the ownership out there, and even Steve Kine, who's the general manager who committed, you know, a top pick to Josh Rosen during the interview process. You gotta believe it was brought up, Hey can you win with Josh Rosen as a quarterback, And in order to get offered the job for Arizona, you would say yes that, hey, I can win with

this quarterback. We're gonna have to build this around him. I've worked with pocket passers before, which Cliff Kingsbury has. But when you have the discussion, it's like, hey, we believe this is a more explosive player. I can structure a different style offense that maybe brings excitement for the ticket holders that are out there for the Arizona Cardinals. So I'm with you, Tom. I. You know here they

were backtracking from about the Kyler Murray pick as number one. Oh. I would get it out there knowing that, say, hey, we are interested in Kyler Murray, get the fan base excited about it, which is going to promote ticket sales, and then they if they elect to move on, which they don't have to. I mean, think about the rookie quarterback contracts. It's not like they're getting buried. It's not

like it used to be. They're not paying one guy twenty million and the other guys coming in that you know, basically lead minimum with where they're slotted and slated right now, so they could carry both quarterbacks, but you've got to secure if they do draft Kyler Murray and them potentially they could work maybe a third round pick ultimately for Josh Rosen and whether that's with you know, Miami, who could have an opening at quarterback or even the Washington Redskins.

I would think it's not going to be for a lot of compensation that they're already given up on a franchise quarterback. If that happens out there in the desert, Hey, Bill Belichick has three third round picks available. You never know, but you know, I'll just say this, if you feel you made a mistake, or even if you don't feel you made a mistake with Josh Rosen, and you know, because this coach evidently believes in Kyler Murray as much

as he does. And if this in fact is going to happen, if you feel it's gonna make you better, you gotta do. It makes you better, and whatever happened, you gotta live with and hopefully the results in his case as a general manager work out in the end will continue. On one more segment to go, It's Jeff, Joni, Ac, Jim Miller and Tom there with you on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Hey, The scug Network presents

Inside the Bears, brought to you by Verizon. Anthony Adams and Lauren Screeden cover the world of Bears football on and off the field. Every sun did I at ten thirty five pm on Fox thirty two Chicago, or watch anytime at Chicago Bears dot com or on the Bears official app and Inside the Bears otherwise known as ITB For those involved like Double A and Lauren, they will have a complete recap of the Bears tripped down here that the Bears take the beach here in Cancoon courtesy

of Apple Vacations. About one hundred folks or so the trip, and a lot of Bears fans from all over the country. And there's some folks from Calgary, Canada that listened to you Tom on the radio and they wanted to say a particular shout out to you. They appreciate your analysis. But we've got we've got a bunch of all over Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, some folks from Wisconsin, Utah, again

emphasizing that there's Bears fans all over the place. And I will say this about Anthony Adams today, after the Funding Games ended and all that, he was talking with Balal Nichols and then Roquine comes over and I never really talked in depth with Anthony about defensive line plays, technique and all that. And I gotta tell you he blew me away with what he understands and knows about the game of football. He comes off it's just, you know,

a funny man sometimes. But he was a really good nose tackle with quickness for the Bears in a four to three played at three to four in San Francisco. Was not an ideal fit and even had him as a defensive end dropping into coverage and it kind of wasted the first two years of his career. But he was talking about those days working with Lance Briggs and Brian Earlacker and those guys up front, Julius Peppers, and it was very interesting to hear the types of detail

of technique he understood at the defensive line position. Well, you know, it's amazing if you take any defensive lineman and I was privy to this with Richard Dent, which it kind of amazed me. So if you give a defensive lineman a scenario, you said, okay, double as it's third and it's second and seven midfield, right, hash, this

is the offensive formation. Now give me the roll of decks of thoughts going the three year head as the offense of line approaches the line of scrimmage and these defensive lineman will give you an in depth investigation of the offense, the stances, the formation, the positioning of the players, where their position against the offensive lineman or double team

offensive lineman they're gonna face. It's incredible that how much knowledge that they have to have before the ball has ever snapped to be prepared for what you're gonna do once the ball is snapped. And it is a continuous thinking process from learning the down a distance, breaking the huddle to the ball is snapped. Yeah, I thought it

was interesting because I remember talking to Mike McCarthy. I think it was a twenty ten season for Anthony, and you know, it was a big Bears week game, and I remember Mike McCarthy came out serious sex of NFL radio. I said, hey, who's the bears best defensive lineman? Right away, he didn't even blake, he said, Anthony Adams. By far. I thought he was the most disruptive, the most athletic. How we came off the ball, how we set up everything else, set up other players, I should say, in

terms of his technique. And again I think you know, players on the team know it. You know, just the respect when you look at Lance Briggs or Bran or Lacker, and just how his teammates respected him and how he played. And of course he likes to keep it lighthearted. I'm sure players love him from that too, But he was He was a pretty darn good football player and really put up had some great years there for the Chicago Barry.

You know, it's amazing to me. Well, when you talk about Anthony Adams and you talk about offensive lineman and you get this big article that I say you last week, Jeff about offensive line with shard arms, which is a bunch of boulonge. It's about your feet. Why don't think Joe Daley? All right? Do they measure the arm length of defensive lineman? And because Anthony Adams is not a tall guy, but his ferociousness, his anticipation into the snap,

count his ability to disengage from blockers. You know, I you know, I just think that's why when you talk to head coaches and there's impressed with Anthony, it's his desire to play the game, not what his arm length is. Well, you know, they measure everybody's arm length first of all. But yeah, it is a big topic when it comes to tackles and guards. And I know it irritates the heck out of you. His arm link, by the way, it was thirty one and a half at the combine

stop came out of Penn State. Yeare stumps, But the guy is. The guy is a dominating defensive lineman. And I'm sure every offensive lineman that he ever played against throughout the entirety of this career had longer arms than Double A. And on top of that, we you know, he loved when offensive lineman tried to cut block him. He thought that was a win because he was so low to the ground at six one, he was the

one firing out of stance getting leverage. I don't know how you'd feel about it as a guard trying to block down. You can't cut it. You can't cut a bowling ball. So to really to try to sit there and think that you're going to take the legs out from underneath Anthony, you know Double A or Jerry Ball, who is a similar style of defensive lineman that double the Double A was that played for the Detroit Lions

during my career. Is yeah, you're you're not going to take these guys off their feet because they are they're playing with their knees. Beat. They're playing load the ground and they just have great center of balance. And you know, if he keeps on tweeting out these basketball moves, I mean, just the I mean it's hilarious. I mean, he was, you know, he's he's on NBA two. K now he is on NBA two k as Kareem as a Kaream Biggins or Kaream something like that. Anyway, he is a celebrity.

He was. I saw a video of him playing with the Harlem Globetrotters. Well, I'll tell you what. Well, he was extremely athletic for like you said, a bowling ball type of player, extremely you know, athletic in order to get off the ball, the amount of moves and things like that. And that's why he's always dancing and showing off the moves. From from that standpoint of what he can do on the basketball court as well, eblieve he's

an entertainer. All right, before we wrap things up kind of quickly, go Tom watched the entire combine from the comfort of his own home. So give me three guys that intrigued you, Tom and putting you on the spot. But and three guys that you think you know forget about it. It's not happening. Well, you know, Jim, you do the same. You know, one guy really liked and Jim's gonna have to help me with his name. The defensive back from Michigan. Uh, he ran in the four fours.

Um he he can play inside and he can play outside. Um. Like I said, I wish I knew his name. I'm just watching these guys for for the first time. Um. You know I liked the quarterback from Missouri. Is his name Lock? Look? Yeah, yeah, Drew Lock. Yes, I liked him. Um, you know. And it's like I said, I liked the

selection of the running backs. Um. But again I, like I said, I look at it different league, trying to think the way that Matt Nagee wants his running back to be equally as talented as catching the ball and throwing the ball. Yeah. I think for me, from from my standpoint, a couple offensive lineman who who I liked

and I thought really helped themselves. I think the more and more you think about how he worked out, that Andre Dillard from Washington State, I think a lot of people thought he was going to be a second rounder one. That dude at three hundred and ten pounds ran a sub five forty, not that that matters, but just his feet for how Biggie is and how he moves. And I think the other guy that really impressed a lot of least from the offensive line coaches. There are three

centers that will probably be drafted pretty high. It's been a solid group in terms of you know, offensive lineman and centers that have gone in the first round. But that Garrett Bradbury from North Carolina State is no dro joke.

He was a tight end who moved to defensive line, then he switched over to the center position, and he was a catcher in baseball in high school and so here he just wanted to get on the field and start lifting weights and ends up being a really a terrific center, And I think is going to be a ten year plug and play player. And then you know you're you're gonna have dark horses across the board. I know everybody's piped for Danny or Andy Isabella. The kid

from UMass. He runs a blazing four three one at the forty, but he won't be a first round pick, but he's going to be a tremendous slot receiver in the national What's McSorley gonna because now they're talking about McSorley could be the next Edelman. Is he a quarterback and refuse to work out as a receiver. I think he'll give him an opportunity at quarterback first, but I think ultimately he'll switch position. It's almost like how Logan Thomas had to switch to a tight end his first

three years in the league he was a quarterback. Ultimately makes that change to the tight end position, and I think that'll happen for McSorley as well. All Right, well, fellas, good to talk to you. We'll see us soon next week when we head back home from Cancoon. But Jim, take a deep breath. Now, free agencies just around the corner. But now you can stay home for a little bit. You've been traveling down stop and Tom I'll be talking to you tomorrow, all right, Big Jeff, Thanks to her,

Lawrence Mike Chen, Thanks everybody for listening. This wraps up Bears All Access from Cancun, Mexico. In my part of this anyway on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Have a great night, everybody. 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

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