All Access: Tre Roberson on his path to the Chicago Bears

good Thursday night, everybody. Jeff Johnny Acol on my broadcast Barner tom Fare from News Radio seven eighty one to five point ATFMWBBM, And this is Bears All Access here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score with our producers today, Mike Channing, Chris Dickens. How are you doing, Buddy Dickens, I'm doing good. Guys probably hate me. I always, I never I you know, I really am in here, so I don't recognize faces and it takes me a while to remember names. Well, it's nice to have you

back in our community. I know you spent a couple of weeks in Florida, basking in the sun, enjoying that climate, that weather. Why we sat here shovel and snow. Right. I did last week's show from a boat. Very nice on the phone, believe that or not. And that's hard to believe, but technology as great as it is. But yeah, it was nice to get away a little bit. But now we got to bundle up this weekend. You know, these are types of things you got your you got

your lid on right now. You know, listen to ball, Guys wear hats all winter long, whether it's indoors or outdoors. You got to keep the nogging warm. And that's just the way it goes. Looking forward to a little bit of the polar vortex tomorrow, I think it keeps but you won't be outside at all. You will be in your Doors'll still be there'll be times you got to take the dog out and stuff like that. He doesn't want to stay all very long. But I think you know,

you know, everybody, you know. I think this should this weekend in Chicago with the cold weather but also the All Star festivities, it's gonna be a big weekend, should be. I remember at thirty two years ago covering that All Star game. I was there back in nineteen eighty eight, So you were there, were you were how'd you get there? I was telling the story last week, and I just

to repeat myself. I went to the game with Jim McMahon and his back in the old stadium and when they used to have those four those kind of cubicles with four seats together, we sat with Tyson, Mike Tyson and Robin Givens. So, I mean, it's quite the story it was, you know, because I think at that time, you're so intimidated in awe of a guy like Mike Tyson. And it's not because of his size and his stature and his you know, his physique and everything. It's just

about his destructiveness in the boxing ring. And that's what was so amazing about it at that time. But the ALLA festivities back in eighty a kind of spoke for themselves. Well, it is NBA All Star weekend, and there's plenty of Bears players that love the NBA, so they're likely either be there somehow, some way or enjoying the whole. Well, each weekend, Spice Adams is in the celebrity game. I

looked up the roster and I saw that Spice. I believe it's happened before, but you know, man, Spices look so good. He's done such a great job of getting his weight down. And the Spice hitters are Kaream Biggins. I don't know. I think Kareem's playing that Spice are well, that's on the roster. He's it's unless they're Spice, unless they're both playing, because that's how you know. You go on YouTube and you see both of them. Yeah, you know,

it's crazy. He's absolutely crazy. But the ex Chicago Bear killing it in his second career, that's for sure. Hey, coming up here in moments, we're gonna be joined by Trey Robertson, the newest Chicago Bear by way of Illinois State and then the Canadian Football League signing a deal with the Bears and had many, many different options. We'll talk to him about that. Jim Miller will be joining us as well shortly as well, and we're gonna take

some phone calls tonight. It's like the calm before the pre combined storm, and that's coming up shortly in Indianapolis, and there's a lot of it's gonna be different this year, very different. What do you think about the prime time workouts? They're all gonna be televised at night. I like it you know, I you know what, For me, I love that the fact that they do covered the combine so closely because I think if you're a fan of the game of football, if you're trying to study the combine

as celts, it gives you great exposure to it. And then when you run replays and they have the superimposed this guy ran it last year at this speed. Now let's look what this player looks in the same position and stuff. They pull guards up and pull your tape back from the day and they you know, putt would I would love to know what in today's world, what you would have run that's in They are like hand

cranking the video. But you know, so much of this week has been captured about where certain quarterbacks are gonna be going in. Actually I know, I realize that, but I'm crazy. Yeah it is. It's a It's amazing because you look at just the amount of quarterbacks, the years of service where they have left in the tank. But I'm still more interested in the combine than I am where those guys are gonna go. Well, that'll be a big story though for free agency. Who are those dominoes

will fall? As we get you set for the twenty twenty Bears season. We'll dig into We'll talk quarterbacks tonight. We're gonna talk defensive backs. Tonight, We're gonna talk with Trey robertson the newest Chicago Barretts All coming up next here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Welcome Backs of Bears and all access brought to you by IGS Energy, a proud partner of the Chicago Bearts, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty products over a million customers

across the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igstuh dot com. Jeff Jonny Act top there, Big Jim Miller from Serious x MNFL radio, the former Bears quarterback here. I lost you in that first part. I didn't have my ear plug all the way in thirty three years in radio, you think i'd figure that out, Big Jim, Jeff, Sorry, I enjoyed the talk. I'm gonna be down there, maybe I'll see you guys. I'm going taking my son, Manny to the All Star Game. Oh nice. You know, as

a privileged few, we don't have tickets to that stuff. Big. Luckily there's an NBA channel on Serious x up. Just there you go, Jim Jim Man of the tickets, How old is Manny? Manny is just turned thirteen. Wow, it's amazing to see these guys that we either broadcasting about or played with and stuff, and you see the different ages of their kids coming up through their ranks. Good for you, Jim. I can't. I can't believe. Like Michael Pittman, I played with him in Tampa after I was released

by his son is coming out of usc All. These guys that we played with Tom now their sons are playing and it's hilarious watching these guys go to work and they're gonna be drafted as well, much like their fathers. We'll get your Scotting report on Manny's future quarterback or linebacker. We'll see hey joining us right now. The newest Chicago Bear coming aboard here by way of the Canadian Football League. Trey Robertson joined the program. Now he's joining us, the

cornerback and former Illinois State star quarterback Trey. Good evening. How you doing man? How you doing fantastic? You know I put I put on some of the tape of that FCS game against Carson Wentz and the Boys, and I literally could not stop I couldn't stop watching it. Yeah, that was a heartbreak. It's definitely harder, I mean better to the end. We even took the lead and they were there to come down on the last drive again put ahead and win the game. I mean, but that's

They're great. That was a great organization and that's still a great program. You know, they just won a national championship again this year. So yeah, that's a that's a tough team to beat, and you were a tough quarterback to beat that day. And I know these guys, including Jim, who played quarterback in the National Football League and for

the Bears. Um, you know, it's in your blood when you're a quarterback, and I'm sure it's still on your blood that even though you've made the transition to corner, there's still a part of you. I know you have big arm. I talked to Braxton back today. I've talked to you about that later. But you know you always have that in the back of your mind. I'm sure, Yeah, I do it, but I use it a lot on steps and when I'm playing defensive back. I mean, I take the same work ethic that I had as a quarterback,

watching film and break it down film that way. That's how I do it as a defensive back, and it makes the game a lot slower for me. So, uh, they that quarterback background definitely helped me. And uh they helped me open up, open up my eyes to the game. I'm able to see more, uh envision with his zone coverages and also a route recognition. Also, well, Trey, with your background at quarterback and now playing the defensive back, I don't think there's anybody that can answer this question

more honestly, what is the more physical of position? Is it quarterback when you don't see the hits coming, or is a defensive back when you predict when you're going to hit somebody? Definitely biggest quarterback because I mean you've got those big, angry guys coming come and rush and ask you those defensive alignment and you don't see him coming. So you're taking a lot of times, you're taking hits that you don't even know that you took. That game,

you know you're getting hit a lot. So definitely being being a quarterback was I mean, you're a standard target, so I mean that is, but as a dB, you're able to line up the hits and then sometimes I mean I would go games where I wouldn't even make a tackle, So I mean, this is a different game. Well, Tray Jim Miller here, believe it or not. I'll take

you back in time. I called a game. If you're back when you were in Indiana Hoosier and you were quite young, yeah, quite young back then and in your young quarterback career, and now have made that that that transition. What's been the toughest part for you? You know, it's a backpedaling, the angles that you got to learn and closing on to make tackles. What has been the most

difficult part to master about the cornerback position? The footwork you know, just like how you're doing a drop three steps drop, five step drop as a dB, you gotta master that. I gotta mass. I mastered the backpedal, UH breaking T step and stuff like that. You got to be able to master your craft or you're not thinking about it. You know, I didn't have to think about doing a five step drop and making a throw, So I don't want to have to think about backpedaling and

breaking on a route. I don't want to be able to to know what I've seen on film and break and break a based off of that, and I have to worry about technique. So I say, get your technique down is the most important thing. And uh, and that's the thing that that I've been working on. Hey, Trey, you know I played in the USFL and it really helped me. I watched the guys this weekend playing the XFL,

and I think the reps are valuable. Would you be here right now if it wasn't for the reps to refine your skill from the CFL, No, I definitely wouldn't be. The CFL gave me the opportunity to actually go out and play, because I mean I was playing quarterback in college. So when I went to the NFL, I didn't get the fair opportunity as I would if I went to the CFL and got the film and got the experience and actually got to play, not just playing on sitting

on the practice roster where I'm not playing games. You know, playing games. It is most important. You got to be able to play games, so you get the time and of the football and stay in rhythm. It's a different rhythm when you had practicing when you're in the game. So I say, definitely going to the CFL. Getting that opportunity to showcase my ability and also get reps. Reps

was the most important thing. New Chicago Bear and former Illinois state cornerback and quarterback rather and Indiana quarterback and now cornerback Trey robertson our guest here in Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. All right, so we've read the articles. You read the story. You were quite busy in the month of December. In January with all the workouts. After you are allowed to go out of your contract

with the Calgary St. Peters in the CFL. So if my math's right, a dozen teams tried you out, nine offered contracts. So why the Bears. Um, I just feel real comfortable there when I when I came to my visit to the Bears, my workout, I just feel like I was at home. They made it, they made sure I was real comfortable and in every aspect of the trip. Um, And I just feel like it's a it's a great place, great place to be. Is close to home. I'm from Indianapolis,

so it's not too far away. So I mean, we've been in Calgary, so we've been home home away from home a lot. So I just feel like it was the best place for me, and uh, I mean, I feel like I can really help the organization get to to get the next level, which is the Super Bowl. When you mentioned to the listeners that you had a crack in the NFL, and I know, I know Rick Spielman very well. Rick Spielman actually signed me with the Bears. He was under Mark Hatley as an assistant GM and

you were up there on their practice squad. How how was that Because I gotta believe so much was coming at you so quickly for that period a time, and as you mentioned, you get the opportunity to go to the CFL and it really do some things and really it speaks to how good of an athlete you are, Trey. At the end of the day. Yeah, being in Minnesota, I was able to learn the craft and I was able to learn from them Coach Gray, Terrence Newman, those guys that were there. I was able to learn every

single day. And at the same time, I'm guarding guys like Adam die was Defin Diggs on the practice squad and I'm guarding them every single day. So I'm getting like high quality reps early just at the beginning of learning the craft. I'm getting those high quality reps. So then going into the CFL, that just gave me confidence

that I can play in that league. That all I needed was the film and just the reps, the game reps, you know, and just show that on tape that I can do what I've been doing in practice, if that makes sense. So the CFL that's what That's what the CFL platform gave me, was that opportunity to showcase ed ability that I can do do it in games. Tray. It seems like in the NFL, cornerbacks get labeled whether they're a cover corner, press corner, a physical run corner,

a man corner. Is that the same in the CFL. And if so, did you ever get identified as as a type of corner? I don't know really if there's a if you're really identifying, I mean there's corners that that that just mainly press. Uh. With our defense, we played a lot of off because we wanted our past coverage to mask to match up with the rush. So we will and then we ran a lot of different coverages. We never just played man. You know, we disguised. I mean we do run zone, we will run man. Uh,

different type of trap zones. Like, we ran a lot of things and in our defense you had to be at a re route concepts. So that's where the quarterback comes in. And uh so we for instance, like we'll being covered two and we'll slice a dig which in the corner, Like you probably want to do that because you're thinking as a corner that's coming back for a number two. So like we had to be able to route read and also communicate with the guy next to us,

which was very important. So playing off, playing man, just based on what you've felt or the situation. Trey Roberts and our guest here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This is Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy. Your story is kind of amazing and again, so many ways to get to the NFL and what you have to do to sacrifice to get there. But after that, the Vikings decided not to keep you on

the practice squad after year two. There, tell me about Westmoreland transportation and why that's so important in your story. Tell everybody your story. Oh man, so um, when I got when I got released from the Vikings, I had a baby that was coming at the time, you know, I was on practice squad. I didn't really make a ton of money, so I mean I had to get a job. I didn't. I was a little banged up coming from Minnesota, so I mean I had to get

a job. I didn't get a I didn't get a job until to October and didn't I signed with Calgary, so like I knew that I had a job coming once the season one is over. So yeah, for for Instant and westmore Than Transportation, which is a trucking company,

I was. I was driving full time every times where I will wake up at seven thirty, we drive the morning shift and then get on my next shift, which was started at four pm, which I drive to Ohio, drive the four winn and then drive back home and then hopefully get home by three four o'clock and then I'll go to Lifetime to work out and h But the only time I was able to steal some sleep is when I was actually when I was got to Ohio, the stuff wouldn't be able to get picked up two

nine o'clock, so I'll get there around seven and that will be my two hours to sleep. So I mean I did that for a whole year, working out every single day. I mean, I barely got any sleep, but it all paid off well in terms of the work ethic and obviously, you know, because like you said, it's much like football. There are days you just don't feel like doing it. You know, Let's be honest, you're nicked up,

you're brought your bruised. But to be on the road to be working, but yet still have the discipline to curve out the time to get in your training that you need to train to keep it going. I mean, obviously that speaks to excuse me, it speaks to the love of the game that you have, Trey. Yeah, yeah, definitely. I mean I knew what I knew once I got to Calgary. They told me I had an opportunity to do that. I have an opportunity to start if the

best player I was going to play. So that was my motivation the whole entire year was to get better, to get as as good as I can at my craft, and uh and going there full to it, ready to go. And didn't I mean with the chips aware they may hey, Tray, how long were people always in your ear about playing corner even when you were playing quarterback? I know that's kind of confusing, but I think when they recognize talent,

they want the most out of the player. So was it a subject that didn't get approached until you were done playing quarterback? Oh? Yeah, I mean I played because I played quarterback all my life. Um yeah, I mean it was just like I kind of I didn't I didn't really want to play quarterbacks in professional on the professional level. You know. It's I wanted to be able to play a position where I'm out there playing, playing playing football of my athletic ability, not having to think

as much, just ragiastical out there and play football. I'm not the best passer, so I mean I'm not I'm not a natural passor that's just something that I'm not natural at. I'm naturally I playing corner, natural back backpedaling and stuff like that. So it was just something where I just found something that I was natural at, and I mean the game comes easy for me. So I mean that's really it. That's good to hear. All right, Well, Trey,

I do know this. And talking to Brack's back, the head coach at Illinois State who's turned up a lot of NFL players, including uh Davante Harris, who started six games for the Broncos at corner from Illinois State this year. Uh. He did say, though, because he was on the produce staff when Drew Brees was there, your strength coach is still who was who was the same guy that trained Drew Brees at Purdue is still at i s U. He said, you always asked him questions about Drew Brees. Yeah,

so yeah, in your blood. Yeah, he's I mean, he's one of the best. So I mean that's what I want to be. I want to be one of the best. So whatever it takes. I mean, that's why I talked to I talked to people that best, that are doing good, you know, and that, and I mean that's what I will like to model myself after all right, we'll be looking forward to meeting you when you when the offseason

program gets underway. And welcome to Chicago, Trey. Thank you so much, Thank you, thanks right, thank you, Thanks for having me. Trey robertson the Bears new cornerback here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score Back with Jim Miller will take some phone calls tonight as well. Three one, two h six, winning sixty seven, sixty seven on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy of the score back in a minute. This segment of Bears and All Access is brought to

you by Old Spice. Never let a friend lose his swagger, Jeff Joni Actim there, Jim Miller with us and your phone call is coming up three one, two, six, forty four, sixty seven, sixty seven with our producers Mike Chen and Chris Dickens. Uh Hey, big Jim, Trey Robertson. We could really talk to that guy for a whole hour. He's got a quite the background, quite the history, and you know, I don't know how how it's going to be perceived what his role is, but the Bears definitely, you know,

invested in him. When you talk about a guy from the Canadian Football League, and if I'm not mistaken, he got the biggest payout. Yeah, I'm a Canadian Football leaguey since Cameron Wake. Yeah, I got a seventy five thousand dollar bonus. I guess what he got to sign. Well,

he's a terrific athlete. I mean he really is. Well at that point, Kevin Wilson was the head coach of Indiana and I saw him when he was starting as as a true freshman he does have a terrific arm, but you know, it's just the consistency and things like that. Then transfers out because Nate Sudfeld was there as well. Nate ends up getting drafted, and he's bounced around the league a little bit, and then here Trake moves on,

plays quarterback, plays well as a terrific athlete. Rick Spielman and a lot of other teams ended up signing him. He bounces around the practice squad for a couple of years for Minnesota and then hones his skills enough to go up there to the CFL and play. And he's, like I said, a terrific athlete. And he'll even admitted he knew quarterback wasn't his possess. And we've seen a lot of guys make that transition to other positions and he's one of them. There's a lot of guys coming

out in this year's draft, believe or not. We discovered some linebackers today that they were dual threat quarterbacks all through high school and end up being linebackers in college and go on, and they're about to be you know, some of them are going to be pretty high draft picks coming up. So terrific athlete who he's going to get better and better. His best football is ahead of him. And you know, he's got his foot in the door

and that's all you can ask for. We'll see how he competes for the Chicago I just like his size, guys, and I like he's over six feet tall, he's one hundred and ninety pounds. He ran a four or five back when he was in his pro day time here he's twenty seven now. So but I think because of his transition two corner, like you said, this guy's kind

of a limit. He's still scratching the service. He was very successful up there playing in a wider field, so he covered a lot of ground and he's got long arms. He's got thirty three and a half inch arms, So that's good at the corner position as well. Well, you know, Jim, you know, give us an explanation if you turned yourself around. I know you know again, I'm not trying to make a joke, but you don't have the athleticism to play cornerback,

but you did quarterback. So now, if you're on the defensive side of the ball and you're looking at an offensive structure, would things come to you quicker, Would you start your thinking process as they're coming to the line of scrimmage and you're seeing the formation, How does playing

quarterback benefit a cornerback. Yeah, he's gonna know just by sets three by one, two by two's route combinations, things that can happen, just by wide receiver splits that he can all use from his knowledge of being a quarterback. You know, just the splits alone of a receiver. See, if the receiver's two yards outside the numbers, odds are

it's going to be an inbreaking route. I mean, whether it's a slant, whether it's an incut, whether it's a curl, something like that, something small that it's gonna is gonna benefit him. And so I think from that aspect. And as you said, yeah, he's a mature of twenty seven, all right, this guy, you know, has a young young child. He's been in the real world, he's been working, he knows what it takes, but yet still wants to keep

his dream alive. So he's focused. All right. This isn't a twenty seven year old who's now just out of college who doesn't have really a clue of what to expect. He is focused on what he needs to do to make a team, and he's motivated to play and fulfill out his dream. So again, I think character has a lot to do with it and why a lot of teams I think have been going in that direction, and he fits the bill. You're going to take a chance

on a corner that is over six foot. If you go look at the first round of the corners coming out, probably the first six guys, they're all over six one. Every one of them are the corners that are coming out in this year's draft, So not all of them will be first rounders. But if I were to just give you a couple of names, Jeff Okudon out of Ohio State, he's over six one. Christian Fulton at LSU,

he's six one. They're all over hundred pounds two. Trey Von Diggs Alabama, he's sick over six foot two o seven. Every one of them are over six foot. Well, his grandpa wasn't. He was five to nine and had sixty six interceptions in thirteen years. He's a Canadian Football League Hall of Famer by the name of Larry Highball. Hey, Jim, we're gonna take a phone call here, real quick start us off tonight. Phil from Saint Charles, been hanging on Phil.

Good evening. How you doing, Hey, good evening, How are you guys? Fantastic? Awesome. Yeah, I was calling because I was wondering, you know what draft picks the Bears have half this year and what players in the draft you think the Bears might try to target. Well, Jim, you've been working on it and you know it's gonna be

best player available, always in Ryan Pace's eyes. But no first round picks, so you gotta hit on your two second rounders, right, That's what I think was the first part of the question was that the amount of draft choices and the play and the positions they're picking. And I think for for the Bears, like you said, I'll have to look and I'm not even sure what their

picks are. Aren't they They owned like the forty third fifty at the start, And that's that's what the focus is gonna be on Willie package those Willie stay there. I mean, what types of positions were talking about here? But you know, you don't want to draft just based on need. You want to draft because you're drafting the best possible player at that spot. That's the way I would look at it. How are you guys looking at Yeah, I think like anything, they'll they'll target certain guys of

what they want to do. If they want to package those picks where they feel that, hey, this guy's too you know, we don't want to lose this player, and if they want to trade up and get them, I think they would do that. You know, As for needs, I don't think the Bears have a ton of needs. You know, if you look at their offense, pretty much all the starters will be returning there. From that standpoint,

you may want to target the offensive line. Um because of the guard spot and where that's at right now, they'll have to finish their evaluations on where they feel that the guard spot's gonna go um, I would say, from that standpoint, And then defensively obviously for Quikowski, are they going to resign one of these to return or is that an area of need that has to be drafted along with haha, Clinton Dicks being a free agent as well, So safety is an issue that probably needs

to be addressed. You know, to me, most articles that I read throughout the off season are always the topic of tight end. In more of a bigger catching blocking tight end, not the U tight end that we've been introduced to a couple of years ago, that's more of

a wide receiver type of a tight end. But if they can find that guy, if they can find that guy out there in college who can come in here and along with the personnel they do have on the team already, that can develop into that weapon at the tight end position to you know, take some catches away from the wide receiver but add a little bit of a relief to the quarterback position in terms of a receiver.

So just you know, kind of the articles that you read throughout the off season so far, for me, it's been the time because of the lack of production last year and the injuries and everything that went wrong at the tight end position last year, it certainly is going to be a major topic of discussion and you hear it all the time. So that leads this to just something that you should you brought up to me really

earlier today. So, Jim and Tom, out of all the guys that finished the year on ir or had injury issues last year, who do you think out of that group could have the biggest impact in twenty twenty. I'll start with Tom to me, it's to me, it's Trey Burton. I think a guy if he can get healthy and get back on the field, and you know, Matt has probably talked about that position is being beneficial to the offense more than any any any other position that can

add value. And I do think Trey Burton has receiver skill. Um. I think that he is a good weapon of choice. He has a good relationship with Trubisky. But if you can take a guy that was completely injured throughout most of the season last year, if he can come back throughout this offseason, get himself where his body inserts confidence in him, I think that Trey Burton can be, you know, have a huge production next year. Jim, Yeah, it's not a good draft at tight end. I will say that.

I'm not saying there aren't guys that are literally littered through there that you can potentially target, But I would think free agency is probably the better route if you want a tight end to produce right away, is what I'd say. It's probably not the deepest draft in terms of tight ends that will be available this year. Have you looked deeper into it at all at the college level, so well, you know, col comat's name comes up from Notre Dame obviously, and this guy from Dayton, Adam Troutman's

getting a lot of play. Yeah, Troutman's getting a lot of love. There's no doubt. I thought. Bryson Hopkins performed well out of Purdue down at the at the ESA's Senior Bowl. He actually won the Player of the Week award at the tight end spot. But just overall, it's it's just not a deep tight It's not a deep tight end draft. So Jared Pinkney was another one out of Vanderbilt that performed pretty well down there. But you know,

they're littered throughout. But to expect again a rookie to come in and produce that position and be dominant, it's is few and far between that have really done that. You know, you've got some free agents that are out there, like a Hunter Henry and guys like that that potentially could be available. And as Tom mentioned, Trey Burton, you need him healthy. I mean, he's more of the receiving tight end. You know, if you were bringing another guy as a compliment as a blocker, more in line those

type of things. But certainly a healthy Trey Burton would definitely help out with the other part of it too. He knows the offense, so he knew it coming in and he knows it now, so that would be a great place to start to help boost that position. Healthy Trey Burton, I'm gonna throw two guys on the pile. He came back, but a Keem Hicks and Roll Quant Smith finished the year on injury reserve. I'm still looking

for great things out of both of these guys. I think still we're still scratching the surface of Roll Quant Smith will ultimately become. I think he still has experience needed in order to configure and you know, and everything that's required of him. And yeah, and A Kim is the guy. You know, Kim he got he got injured by you know, sticking his arm and trying and trying to make a tackle. It wasn't something just bad. Yeah, it was just bad instance of timing that hurt a team.

Happens every day in the National Football League, sadly, but that's part of the game. Everybody knows. It weren't wrong place, wrong time. This is Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy score Back in a little bit. This segment is Bears. All Access is brought to you by CDW. People to get it, learn more at CDW dot com. Jeff Joni actomp there Jim Miller from Serious XM NFL Radio three one two six four four sixty seven sixty seven. They're going to hop on and ask a couple of

questions before we get out of here. We had Trey Rovers and the Bears new cornerback from Illinois States on the program. Just a bit of go and I won a Great Cup. He had seven interceptions and twelve pass breakups in twenty nineteen, won the Great Cup in eighteen up there in Calgary. So what's the impact Jim of a wider field for a guy in those terms playing a boundary corner then making that transition back to the National Football League in a smaller distance. Yeah, I think

it will be more compact form. And you do. You just have to cover a lot of ground and remember just how the motions and things happen. They can come on you. Those receivers can get on you pretty quick because they're running towards the line of scrimmage sometimes with their motions. Yeah, and I think it'll benefit them. And you know, he's he's got a past with American football, so although he had to adjust to the rules up there, it will be different down here getting back adjusted to

the American game. But I think they'll benefit of it, a benefit from it. If anything. It will be a smaller track that's more compact form, where it will be able to react a lot quicker, and again those motions and stuff, and the game, in my opinion, will slow down a little bit because that's just again the way they motion up there, how receivers can get on you

so quickly, even though say you're in off coverage. It just happens a lot quicker than what it does in American football, where it's more static in the least, emotions here are more lateral. Probably you're playing more elite talent, there's no doubt about that. But I think he will benefit being back on a normal sized track what he's

used to. You know, I think the NFL will give him a chance to be more physical too, because when you talk about the width of the field, you're going to change your angle of approach and sometimes that will put you in a less physical position. Then Jim talked about the motion of the receivers in the Canadian football league where they can be coming at you and get on you so quickly, then you're kind of in a

decisive position back paddle or coming forward. So, now if he can meet these wide receivers running back sweeps, wide receiver sweeps at the line of scrimmage towards the line of scrimmage where he's approaching, because I think that's one of the you know, when you look at his size and you know the value of his structure, I do think that he will benefit in the NFL and be

more physical because of the limited space. Hey, Jim Tom, I heard Brian Kelly in her name's head coach at the Senior Ball on the broadcast of that talking about he prefers and he's an offensive coach. He doesn't recruit, or at least he is. Do I have it right right? He doesn't recruit high school dbs to play dB. He recruits wide receivers to be dvs. And I think coaches all have varying opinions about that, but there are plenty

of examples. I don't know how you guys look at it, and is it, you know, translate for other positions as well as you project, you know, to me, I think it would probably be the most difficult transition there is almost in sports, just because you're doing everything going forward. Now you're doing everything kind of in reverse in a backpedal.

You know, when you change a defensive lineman to an offensive lineman, it's because they have the size, they have the template, and there's a lot of things that are transferable, as your stance and your balances and stuff. But when I heard Brian Kelly say that, and that that was a direct quote by him, he says that all the six one quarterback cornerbacks coming out of high school, Nick Saban has him already anyway, So you got to go

out there and you have to get creative. Is you know, Jim, is that information transferable again from a wide receiver to a dB when you're trying to, you know, increase the difficulty of the game and trying to change position at the same time. Yeah, I think so, because you got a lot of hip flexibility. You know, for bigger receivers, you got to get in and out of your breaks, right, I mean, so you got to be able to sink your hips, be fluid. From that standpoint, probably there's a

lot of guys that do make that transition. Probably the most recent that comes to mind was Tony Lippett. Tony Lippett was out of mission. He became a starter down there from Miami. But Mark D'Antonio, he started out at wide receiver. They moved him to defensive back, then they had injuries, they moved him back to wide receiver, and then finally got he got drafted as a corner and that's what he ended up playing for the Miami Dolphins. So he's bounced around the league and things like that.

But yeah, I do think there's there's carryover from that standpoint and just the hip flexibility. And a lot of times too is because these receivers are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. I mean, there's probably literally about forty receivers that potentially could be drafted this year. The

average for the draft is about thirty wide receivers. But because of the more multi sets that you're doing, you're seeing a lot of college coaches that are taking whatever receivers can't make it at receiver, they're switching them over to dB. Why because one they're over six foot and somebody's got to guard these monsters. Well, somebody has to guard these guys. I mean, you can't just have you know, the Tim Jennings of the world that are five to nine.

Remember when Tim Jennings played for the Bears. Receivers that are coming out this year. I just mentioned Michael Pittman. There's probably about twelve to fifteen guys that are six foot four at receiver coming out in this year's draft.

You need guys to guard them. And I think a lot of teams are starting to convert those receivers that maybe don't catch the best put them on the defensive side of the ball because somebody's got to guard these Even some of the corners that you mentioned a couple of segments ago, and I went to look it up. So Jeff Acuta of Ohio State maybe widely regarded as a top corner. He averaged over twenty four yards a catch in high school down in Grand Prairie, Texas. So

he played receiver and also played corner. C J. Henderson of Florida played running back in corner down in Miami at a high school down there. Damon Arnette from Ohio State played at that famous high school in Fort Lauderdale Saint Thomas aquinas linebacker and wide receiver, another corner, Treyvon Diggs, Stefan's brother, right wide receiver. What about Devin Hester remember that experience. I don't think they could ever figure out what position that he You know, I think there was

complications both at wide receiver. We'll pick it up, but I think it's hard to evaluate when they're coming into hard to evaluate defensive back. At high school, right, you know your best athletes are going to play the skill position, plays quarterback, runback, receiver. You play against a team like Jolie Catholic that doesn't throw the ball, and now you're a cornerback to standing out there? Still have schools like that? Yes, yes they did. We win down there. Jim Miller, Jeff

Jonny Act, this is Chicago Sports Radio six seventy. The score back in a few back on Chicago Schorts. I Tim just made me laugh because he goes, I'm not mister social, but you are. You are mister social, but you just choose to be social when necessary. Jim Jim Miller with us as well up in Michigan enjoying it. Are you supposed to get hit hard too? Yeah, we coast get hit hard with the cold here. But like I said, I'm heading down your way. I'm looking forward

to it. So, who's Manny's favorite player in the NBA? Oh? Everything, Zion? You know that? Well, I don't know that, but it's about Luca, Tom's favorite. If he talks one more time about Luca. I mean, he'sa mas love that guy. He is, he is, he is, He's creating, he's creating, so creative. Well, I just know that Manny was just so happy. He ended up going to the Pistons game. Uh, and it was a day. There was a day too early because Zion ended up playing the following game, and so many

was upset about that. I ended up getting Pistons tickets and unfortunately you couldn't see Zion. But the following day is when he made his debut, which my son was still extremely upset about. Set upset about. Oh, Zion's tearing it up right now. Yes, he is kind of unstoppable. You can help deserving families donating a gently used Winner coach to the Chicago Bears Jewel asco coach driver. The

participating Jewel asco locations now through February twenty eighth. Donations benefit the Salvation Army with Tom there Jeff Joni Eck and Jim Miller are show tonight three two forty four sixty seven sixty seven with a few minutes left in

tonight's program, about ten minutes before we turn it back over. Yeah, I want to finish our discussion about because you mentioned about, you know, receivers that are converting to cornerback, and I'm glad you brought up Treyvon Diggs and for the listeners out there, he's the younger brother of Stefan Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings, and that it was funny because we just had him on seriously the day and I said, well, what why the conversion? Because Alabama had him starting out

a receiver. He played receiver, he was a kick returner, pump returner, and all those things. But a lot of

times what happens is through happenstance. When you've got other receivers like Jerry Judy, I say, Jerry Judy's in the way, and Henry Ruggs, who's also pretty highly rated, and so Nick Saban said, well, you know, Anthony Everett and all these other corners started to get drafted out of Alabama and so there's an opportunity there and a lot of these players like they're just like, hey, I want to get on the field. I want to play. And so that's kind of what's what decided it for Digs down

there in Alabama. He wanted, he wanted to get on the field, not that he didn't love playing receiver, but he saw an opportunity to get on the field. And that's a tough lineup to crack a four receiver, And much like what happened with Tony Lippett Michigan State, you know, that opportunity rose for him. He said, yeah, I'll switch back over to the defensive side of the ball any

day of the week. And and luckily it's says a lot about Trey Von Dix because he is that talented and he's and he's good now it's a good corner and he understands how to run defend wide receiver routes. I asked him once the last time he covered his brother? He goes, I cover him every offseason. That's that's his workouts. He's covering a pro right wide receiver in his own family. Stephanon Diggs a tough out, yes for sure. All right back to the phones, Jim three two four sixty seven

sixty seven, let's bring in Wayne Wayne Good evening. Hey, guys, how's it going? Man? Fantastic? Hey, it's always always great talking to you guys. Some of my heroes that you guys, I hate, I hate, I hate one of the Super Bowl come along because there's a big black cloud over the earth for a while, because there's no more football for a while. But well now you got xfl out

of Dane. Well, hey how about that. But hey, guys, of all these free agent quarterbacks that are out there, um, who do you who would you like to see the Bears maybe try and pick up? And who do you think we really realistically have a chance to get and who who would be the best fit for us that of all these free agents that are out there, all great and complicated questions will start with the quarterback himself, Jim Miller. I personally, you look at Andy Dalton. He's

led a team to multiple postseasons. Supposedly he's available for a trade with Cincinnati. His contract comes at seventeen million. But I think he's a good point guard, you know, and he can run the style of offense. And ironically, the person who knows him more than me is Bill Laser, who coached him there and was their offensive coordinator there

for the Cincinnati Bengals. Andy Dalton has been extremely productive, has won a lot of big games, has led teams multiple times to the postseason, and I know his name may not sound sexy to everybody, but he can compete. But there is an influx of a lot of free agent quarterbacks out there that will need to find a home.

So if it's not Andy Dalton or the price isn't right, there are other guys that are going to be available, and it could be all the way up till training camp, quite frankly, because I don't see a lot of these guys finding a home right away, so it's going to have to find so because there's too many guys for the position, you know. I think ultimately for Tom Brady and guys like Drew Brees, they're gonna find out it's

better just to return home, you know. If they think there's a big payday out there, Drew Brees, it's it's not always going to go the way you want it. As an older player in the NFL, Tom will probably have the most interests, whether it's in Tampa, whether it's an indie, whether it's in Tennessee. But I still don't see those teams breaking the bank for him, nor do I see teams wanting to break the bank for Drew Brees.

So if Tom wants to end on a high note, and Drew Brees wants to end on a high note, why not just return home. Tom's best bet to win, to win a world championship is in New England, And I would say the same thing for Drew Brees. You know, it may sound nice to go to another place, but I think we know that the history of that happening is few and far between. Of the Peyton mannings in the world that it worked out with Denver, and a

lot of that was due to the defense. All right, Jim, let me ask Let me ask you this real quick. So if you were starting an expansion team and the same quarterbacks were out there right now, and you had your choice of any of them, which one would you pack? I'm going Tom Brady. I think Tom can still play. I still think he's got the arm strength. Yeah, like all of them, they've all lost their fastball. Philip Rivers has lost a little bit, Drew Brees has lost a

little bit, and so is Tom. But Tom's still playing at a high level. I think it's more about Tom's issues. I think with New England are more about what's around him right now. It's probably was one of the worst supporting calfs that he's had over the past year, and here they were still battling to the end. So, you know, I just think for him, he can still play. He's

still got a couple of good years left. But it's going to be interesting how it sorts out because I think Rivers, we know what's done for him for the Chargers, So I think for Rivers, his best spot is either Indianapolis with Frank Reich, who has been with him before, in Nick Siriani their new offensive coordinator, or potentially Tampa. It is out there, but again, it's got to be

the right situation for those guys. But you you almost you know, you kind of connect dots and you find it somewhat easy to put the puzzle together if the money's right in each situation. But as it relates to the Bears and what they want to do, yeah, you know what, I just want to see, well, eliminate all those guys because they're not coming into Chicago to compete.

The start because that's the situation it is. I mean, Nick or Mitch Robiski is the quarterback, but you're bringing in competition to compete with him, and if he were to falter, somebody that you can turn to, almost like the Ryan Tannehill. You want somebody that if yes, if things are not going right, that you can still win with yes. And because of well, I think that's the thing about it. You have to look at the situation you're in. So Jim, you know, he described what Andy Dalton.

You know, is he going to be the guy that's gonna be a you know, a good reserve at the you know, like Ryan Tannehill was until they came in and then made the change and he was able to capitalize what he does. I mean, you know, at ultimately at the end, I don't think Ryan Tannehill is the guy that they want to invest heavily in the Tennessee Titans. So you know, but if you were looking for a backup for a young, inexperienced guy, Andy Dalton would probably

be that guy. If I was starting an expansion team and I had a choice of any of these guys, me I would go with Drew Brees, you know, because I just you know, his commitment to the sport. You know, his commitment to making sure that he can help develop receivers in an offense, his commitment to all that. So you know, it's it's it's weird how you'd have to look at it because never in the history of you know, paying attention to the NFL, have I've ever seen guys

with these type of credentials. Well look, I mean even you know today, you know they say, okay, Ben roethlisbigger, He's going to be okay, the health will be fine. He's turn of thirty eight next month, Jamis Winston. You hear Bruce Arians today saying, you know, our priority is improving the defense, but we're going to see on the quarterback situation and m Matthew Stafford rumors of the Lions. You know, he's not a guy that can be traded in terms of salary cap implications. So these rumors that

we're hearing, but it's all these older veteran quarterbacks. It's it's rather interesting this year. I think it's going to be intriguing this entire free agent process. But you know what I think about us, Look look at the difference between all these quarterbacks we're talking about in Kyler Murray because there is such a difference in size and a structure.

I mean, didn't you have opinion too, Yeah, I mean, it's just it's just it's just crazy how the quarterback position has changed because you know, um, you know, when Cam Newton came out, man, this is the new quarterback. This is what it's going to be, the six six, two hundred and sixty pound quarterback. And then ten years later, here's Kyler Murray, you know, at the opposite end of

the spectrum in terms of size and structure. Yeah, and the two fifty pound quarterback has been often injured, you know, yeah, and he's still you know, there's a lot unknown there and people are speculating what's going to happen down there with the you know, he got a new head coach and Matt Rule and will ultimately Cam Newton won, will he be healthy enough, and will he even be a Carolina Panther. There's speculation that he could be traded as

well and could be available. But but again, all those points are moote is what it means to the Bears, because those quarterbacks want to start. Drew Brees not going anywhere else but to start. Same with Tom Brady, same with Philip Rivers. They're not signing somewhere to be the one to compete to start or to be the backup. So it kind of eliminates all those guys from the Bears.

Now you're looking at the guys like Andy Dalton. You're looking at guys like Marcus Mariota, guys that are willing to say, hey, yeah, I will sign with the Bears in order to compete to start, and if Mitch falters, maybe I'll get an opportunity to go in and show my wars again. That Tennessee situation. Ryan Tannehill signed. There a lot of speculation about him, would he be healthy and all that, and all he wanted to do was position himself to get an opportunity to play, and once

Mariota struggled, he was inserted in the lineup. And that's all you can ask for. That situation worked out for him and the way he wanted to work out, And that's how quarterbacks are going to look at the Chicago Bears. Can you bring me in to compete? And if I get my opportunity, if Mitch falters, I'll then I'll be able to step in and play and hopefully play well. Thank Jim. That's traveling music. Have fine on your All Star weekend. Tell Manny he said, Hello, alright, drafts good pictures.

Don't let him drive. That's Jim Miller for Tom There, I'm Jeff joni Ak. Thanks to Mike Chen, Chris Dickens, your phone calls, and for Trey Roberts in the New Bears Cornerback. You've been listening to Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Good 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 download the official Bears mobile app.

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