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Here are your hosts, Jeff Chili Act aka the Mayor of Bearsville and his sidekick Tom the Surfmaster Thayer.
Oh my gosh, we.
Made it for a week out the long NFL Draft season.
I mean we're almost there.
Everybody Bears picking tenth a week from tonight NFL Draft and here we go.
Names are flying, but who's.
The realistic choices for the Bears to help get them back to the Super Bowl. We tackle all of it tonight on Bears Weekly here on ESPN one thousand in the Chicago Bears Radio Network with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Fair. I'm Jeff Joniak alongside Jim Miller from sirius x M NFL Radio.
The Formber Bears Quarterback.
Coming up of the program, we visit with the assistant head coach and receivers coach and Twin Ell, and we thank our producers, Dan Berrilli, Jordan treadupen in the ESPN studio Kendra Smith, our executive producer of the Bears Radio Network, Eric Ostrowski, we saw Tom Jim up here at Hallis Hall today, a sighting that was a site for sore eyes, red carpet treatment for Tom there. Tom, did you enjoy all the assistant coaches and coordinators spoke to the media today, Jim.
It felt like a Super Bowl and during the week they put all the assistant coaches in the round tables with the media to talk to you, and Tommy was there. I loved every second of it, and good evening to you guys.
Tommy. What'd you get out of it today?
First of all, I want to say hi to John Tarpy, director of security for the Chicago Bears. And then we went in the weight room and paid homage to the great Great Clyde Emrick because now they have a wall of honor for Clyde Emrick inside that weight room. And I heard a lot of heavyweights bouncing around and it was super a pleasant sound for those of us that
have weight lifting in our past. But you know, going up to Hallas Hall at this time of year, there's angst that's building because of the draft, but there's also a certain sense of, you know, just the off season rituals that you go through. Said hi to Jonah Jackson, and I met the new offensive line coach and a bunch of the other personnel up there. But listen, man, I love being up at Hallis Hall because it reminds me of when it was younger days.
In my life.
But I also like to see the momentum in that building.
Man.
There's a lot of positive vibe up there. It's got a good feeling, and so I'm excited to have been a part of today and all the you know, the the assistant coaches being there and having a chance to talk to them. It was a pretty cool day.
And Jim, let me just step in here because I don't want people to think that we're just sitting here manufacturing Hope. Tom's exactly right now. It's happened before in all of our time. There's an electricity here and it is so palpable. And I am so impressed, Jim with
this coaching staff. And again they haven't coached a single game yet, but what they're saying about Ben Johnson, all these assistants and coordinators and what they're learning because a lot of these guys have not coached together, and how they present their information to the media, how direct they are and speaking they're all speaking in the same language already. Jim, It's it's a great start, That's what I got to say.
Well, hey, there's a lot of energy there should be. I think, you know, from the same standpoint as a player's side, they know they've got a lot to prove. They've got to win these coaches over with how they perform, how they practice, how they work. The coaches then have to trust them, and there's still a lot of work to do. You know, they have yet to Like you said, they have their first practice as a football team, and how they're going to perform as a unit together in
all three phases. But they're, you know, saying all the right things. I think the players are excited. But I think the players know that they're on notice too. That's why you make a coaching change, and so there should be a lot of energy in that building, a lot of positive energy in the building, and that everybody's putting their best foot forward to make the best impression possible. I think it's more on the players side, and yes, those coaches have to impress the players as well. You know,
I think that goes both ways. I think Tom knows if maybe a head coach lets some things slide, players are going to be aware of that that's not an area of importance, you know. So I do think that goes both ways. But I think again, a coaching change signifies a lot of things. There needs to be a new era of football of Chicago Bears. They have to
find a way to win the division. They've seen teams in the division like the Detroit Lions turn it around pretty quickly under new leadership, and they're basically the targeted team right now. I don't think anybody would say anything else that the Detroit Lines aren't the targeted team.
They are.
They've won the division and so, you know, I do think there should be a lot of positive energy and it needs to be rightfully directed in all the how should I say the areas of where it needs to be directed, and that's towards winning everything towards winning.
Man.
They know.
Listen, there's something I'm gonna bring up later about Antoine Randall l and what he said about winning. But the thing I'm gonna bring up first of all is Declan Doyle when he was up at the podium, they asked them about the offense and he goes, look, there's no secret, sauce. This is about teaching fundamentals and techniques and mentally getting this offense down with the complete understanding. So you go
out there and do things intelligently. And that's what I'd like to hear, because it's not about, you know, some device scheme that NFL players and coaches haven't seen before, because everybody's seen it all. But if you don't start with the basic fundamentals and techniques, you're not going to be able to install anything successfully.
And they make a big emphasis that, yes, mistakes, they're not just looking past him. If you're not doing what you're supposed to do, it's going to be called out immediately. And I think that's from the top down. Ben Johnson has empowered his staff to execute that to a t. JIM and I think that's important to know from a player standpoint, so there will be none of that.
The basics have to be in place, you know, it's always first things first.
You know when you.
Break down to tackle and how you tackle and how you block on a certain play, and it always has to be first things first. You know, at quarterback center exchange seems the most basic thing in football. You have to be able to do all those things in order to move on to the more difficult things. And then once you get the base down and then you start
to build around it. But it's first things first, and it's got to start somewhere, and it has to start with the basics of what's expected on every single play, in very detailed manner of what's expected. And then once that expectation is laid down there, it's expected to be reached every single time. You know, it's you know, when
you go to school, you're expected to do well. You're expected to advance to from first grade to second grade to third grade, and you've got to put in the work and there are certain things that you have to do in order to what advance advance, and then you have to advance as a football team.
All right, we come back. We're gonna hear from Dennis Allen from his podium appearance today. Up they here at Adasa, the Bears defensive coordinator with top there and Jim Thatta.
I'm Jeff Joniak.
This is Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio network is Bears.
Weekly with the voice of the Bears for twenty four years, Cheff Chef on the Bear's Radio.
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Gobert's Draft Party is back at Soldier Field April twenty fourth, a week from todight. Celebrate our number ten pick and enjoy live draft coverage, hand analysis, on field activity. He's a locker room tour, a closeout sale, and more. Buy tickets now at Chicago Bears dot Com. Slash Draft with Tom Thayer, Jeff Joniak, and Jim Miller, the former Bears
quarterback from Sirius x MNFL Radio. Earlier today at Hallis Hall as we get ready for this draft, a chance for the coaching staff that've been working behind closed doors getting a plan together not only for the draft, but for the actual season and the playbook.
Met all the media.
In town, and I was virtually every assistant coach, but including the coordinators at the podium today, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen celebrating the signing the extension of Kyler Gordon and the next step for him.
It's good for us, it's good for our program. You know, he was the guy that you know when we first got in here and we watched the tape, guy that we clearly identified as a guy that fit our scheme the things that we want to be able to do.
Uh.
And so yeah, we're excited about about having him and and uh and looking forward to getting started. And that's what specifically does Kyler do that that intrigues.
You with with the way you played it.
Yeah, look, I think you know, he's got he's got covered skills. Uh, he's highly intelligent. I think one of the things that that impressed me the most was, you know, how they played him last year. They were kind of a field defense. He lined up to the field, but you know, he got into he got into the box a lot, you know, and fit in the run game. And so I think he's got a really good understanding of how to fit there. And you know, our nickels
are gonna have to fit in the run game. And so, you know, I think I think that was that was kind of one of the things that that we thought was you know, pretty good fit for us.
Their player coached that has a similar similar skill set.
You know.
Look, really, I mean, honestly, I don't really like to get into like all the comparisons and stuff like that. I would say that, you know a lot of things that we look for in the nickel position. Uh, you know, he he has that skills that I think. The other thing that and and I've talked to him about this is, you know, where do we find that second position for him? You know, where it's not just he's a nickel only you know, does he go outside and compete at outside corner?
Uh?
Does he compete some at safety? I've told him to Ah, you know that he needs to be learning both of those spots. And and we'll figure out where that second position, you know that that where he can go in and compete and you know, hopefully we can find some more playing time for him.
Do you have a sense of whether he'd be a better outside corner or a safety.
Yeah, Well he's played he's played more outside corner, you know, so obviously that would be uh the comfort level. But some of the things that I see him do and the way that he fits in the run game tells me that he could be a fit you know at safety also. So and and look, we've we've had guys that have had the flexibility to play a lot of
different positions. I think that's important in today's football, where you're not just locked into one thing, being able to be multiple and and do a lot of different things. And so, uh, that's something that I think he can do. And as we get to know him better, spend more time with him, start to get out on the field with him a little bit more, we'll have a better feel for, you know, where that second position might be and and where we want to try to work pressure.
And then it was a big problem for the Bears last season.
Do you feel like with the additions that you've made in the off season that that's going to.
Be straight for this team?
Well, I think it's a start. I think it's a step in the right direction, you know. I think, look, we're never we're never in the in the position that we're just satisfied with where we're at. We're going to continue to look for areas that we think we can improve this defense and so but but I do think we we made some improvement in that area, obviously with the addition of Grady, you know, as an interior defensive
tackle dio. I think one of the things that he does exceptionally well is I think he moves inside and passing downs and rushes really well from the from the interior. So I do think we have some options in there, and certainly that's that to me, that's like one of
the main points of pass rush. You know, he talks about these speed rushers off the edge, but really it's about the interior pocket pressure that you have to have and that allows guys like montes Wet to be able to have some success coming off the edge.
When you're installing your scheme and when you're getting in all these guys and matching the personnel.
When it comes to personality or stylistically, how do you want these players to play within your defense?
Tough, nasty, hyper competitive, play with a swagger, play with a chip on their shoulder. You know, I think that's that's kind of been, you know, the hallmark of the best defenses that I've been around. I think that's been a hallmark of a lot of great defenses that have been here in Chicago, and so I think that's what we're.
Looking for, all right.
That is Dennis Allen partially of his news conference today. Love what he had to say. Reaction from you, Tom and Jim on Kyler Gordon wanting last year he played on average about forty eight defensive snaps a game. The leader for the team, Kevin Byer to really got off the field was at sixty two, so wants to see him get more reps out there.
Well. I like the fact that he immediately talks about exploring his versatility. Where else can you put Kyler Gordon in this offense to keep him on the field. And we've all seen what Kyler Gordon is capable of and his willingness to tackle, but we've also seen how creative he is when he lines up at all three levels.
So I like that.
Dennis is already thinking ahead about what players can do for this team, and so I like to see what he thinks about Kyler Gordon. But the same thing about a guy like Javon Dexter. Where does he think that his expandability is on the defensive line and can he move maybe to another position?
Yeah?
I think you know, with the recent extensions, whether it's Gordon what TJ. Edwards today, he's identified, Hey, these are players that I can work with that can make plays. And I do agree with Tom. I think, you know, Kyler is a guy who I thought Matt e Reflus went outside his comfort zone. You know, he proved how good of a blitzer he was when the Bears were struggling with edge rushers, and then they make the trade
for Montes Sweat. They started to do more with Kyler Gordon, and when he succeeded and they kept on feeding them, he got better and better and was making more plays. Think he takes good angles towards the quarterback when he does blitz. I think he's got great football intelligence, has obviously, you know, an eye for the football and his sticky hands. Why he gets the nickname spider Man. And I'd save that for Edwards too. That guy makes a ton of
plays as a week side backer. What he's done not only for Philadelphia, but I think he's done but impress me as a Chicago Bear. Has a nose for the football flies around and those are pieces to the puzzle that I think really Dennis Allen, when he arrived there, said, oh, yeah, I feel very comfortable if you were to resign those guys. I plan on using them this way. I think I
can use them in other ways. And I think that really solidified that the Bears were like, Hey, these are two players that we need to lock up and they already knew after talking to Dennis Allen that they were going to be Key Coggs in his offense or in his defense.
Edwards nearly three hundred tackles in two years, six and a half sacks, fourteen quarterback hits with the Bears in an outstanding just an overall great guy in that locker room for the Chicago Bears. Also, we're gonna hear later in the show from Richard Smith, the sixty nine year old assistant head coach excuse me, a defensive assistant head
coach on the linebacker level as well. We'll hear from him coming up later in the show, just about the overall impact of the linebacker position and the speed, and that is a big thing for Dennis AmAm. He likes speed, but there's all kinds of speed. There is straight line speed, there is linear speed in that regard, but there is mental speed, and there is lateral speed. There is many different ways to get to the football. Tommy and I think that's certainly the case with TJ.
Edwards.
Listen, Dennis Allen, since he's been a defensive coordinator and a head coach in the NFL, that's one of the displays that his teams have always put on is the fact that you have to bring intelligence that's match with speed, athleticism and then being able to get your jobs done.
And when he talks about what his goal is for the defensive line and how it fits into assisting the linebackers and then how it filters to the defensive backfield, we all want to see a defense that plays fast, that starts up front.
And we know that TJ.
Edwards, Tremaine edminds that these guys can compliment the defensive line up front. And we all know what we've thought about the defensive backfield the last couple of years, and we think it's progression and growth because we know what Jalen is. I think we're kind of going to scratch the surface and we can see ultimately see what a Tyreek Stevenson can be. And I think Terrell Smith is a good guy to have in there to increase the
competitiveness of the speed of the defense. So I'm really encouraged by what I hear, but now I'm excited to see it.
Also today just listening and none of these guys like they've they've not gone over the top about any particular player they've been steady eddy on. You know, they haven't got these guys on the grass yet. They they're just now learning. Okay, they went back watch out their tape. They're focused on the draft. But a couple of coaches that there's no depth chart. Like what they're saying is, hey, we're putting everybody out there.
May the best man win. I do like that thinking.
Dennis Allen said. Dennis Allen said that to me today when I was talking to him. He goes, we have no starting lineup. Is we're going to put a team out there, then the competition begins. So I think that's the same thing that Jim and I have been through throughout our whole career. Is day one, nobody's a starter. You only happen to be penciled in on that day one where that's where you're going to line up, and that pencil has an eraser on it.
Yeah, those guys got to earn it. You know, these guys are evaluating these players, like you said, they've evaluated all the tape. They haven't put any pads on yet, So yeah, there's going to be an evaluation through OTAs
of what they do without pads on. Then when the pads are on, there's kind of a new evaluation because things change once the pads come on, and players are going to have to earn it, and you need to create a highly competitive atmosphere every single day, and it's got to be structured and focused on winning to be a better team. And that's what the foundation that they're laying. Those players got to compete. Nothing is going to be a given to them. They shouldn't think that anything's given
to them. I think contractually we know some guys are are going to be there, but I think you have to make it as highly competitive as you can. They have not won anything. They haven't won anything for quite some time, and that need those players need to be reminded of that. They need to be reminded of that big time, that this is what's at stake here. We have to go win this division. Detroit has kind of dominated it, Minnesota's trying to make a move. Well, when
you're gonna put yourself into the picture. The Lions were able to do it and turn around their culture, and we'll see if the Bears are able to do it. But I do think that they are off to the good start sending the right message and I think Ben Johnson has really been firm with what's beine, what is expected now moving forward.
It's a great word for it. Firm, no question. That's Tom Fair, Jim Miller. I'm Jeff Joniyak. When we come back, I one on one conversation with Bears receiver coach and assistant head coach and Twine Randall Al. It's all coming up next here on Bears Weekly on a ESPN one thousand and the Bears a Radio Network.
Welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Ingio Network. Here's your host, the Voice of the Bears, Jeff Joey.
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by CDW people who get it. Welcome back to Bears Weekly here at ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network with Tom Payer.
I'm Jeff Jioniac.
As we continue our introductions of the coaching staff for twenty twenty five and beyond, we are thrilled to be joined by Antoine Randall l the local product from Riverdale, Illinois, Thornton Township High School, all Big ten quarterback at Indiana, nine year NFL career at wide receiver and at times a quarterback throwing touchdowns in Super Bowls. I mean, there's so much to get to, but good to see you. I've seen you up at Hattles Off a few times.
The face is beaming, you're smiling. You must be thrilled to be here.
I am. Man, I'm thrilled to be here.
Excited to keep going now in terms of what we're building, changing the culture, and getting to what we got to get to, getting the.
Right players in here.
We've got a lot of the players we have now and then obviously want to add to it with this draft coming up. But man, I'm I'm excited, really excited. I go see my parents twice a week, which is which is great, and they love it, so it's it's awesome. And this is the time to do it because my wife not here, and when they come up, they got
my kids got all kinds of games and stuff. So, uh, something that will be limited, but man, I'm enjoying it right now, especially haven't been able to spend this time with mom and pop as well.
Well, you know, and as a Chicago kid, real quick, Tommy, because you know it's oh, you were six one, Tommy won a Super Bowl?
Is that correct? The eighty five Bears. Are you about six?
That's right?
Yeah, So I mean do you have any any recollection of all that?
Yes, indeed, the bowl shuffling and everything like Fridge and him getting a handout like you you name it. I enjoyed watching it and and really being a part of it. To be honest with you, that's to me, like that was a that's that's our highlight growing up. Man, To be honest with you. Uh So it's like for me, like growing up and seeing McMahon and gentry Willie Gault like all and we and then we're playing Techmo Bowl with those guys.
How about some offensive linemen? How about that great offensive line?
Yeah?
You know, you know it happens when they just you don't really mention them guys. You mentioned the skill guys, and sometimes you mentioned Steve McMichael and them guys before you mentioned and Mike Secretary and all those other guys before you mentioned office a lineman. Man, To be honest with you, but loved that team and just love the Chicago Bears. I'm glad to be here coaching it like this is this is big time, you.
Know, Antoine, We could probably sit here and have a conversation with you for a half hour and never talk about football because when you talk about baseball and you talk.
About basketball and stuff.
But when you look at the state of football today and you look at guys like Kyler Murray, if you were coming out of football today and you're playing quarterback in the Big Ten, would you pursue quarterback or are you still okay with the transition of everything you've done in the sport of football.
I was okay. I'm okay with everything I did. I did in the sport of football at the time. And when I say at the time, I was pursued as
more of a wide receiver and not a quarterback. And for me, the only reason why I really stayed on that track and not you know, fault let me I want to play quarterback, keep me a quarterback, was because my idea of playing pro sports was different than most, meaning like I wanted to play pro ball in whichever one came first, like for me, whether it was basketball, whether it was baseball or football, whichever one of those
came first. And I thought for sure it would be Major League baseball when I got drafted and my parents said, no, you're going to school, You're going to Indiana, get your degree.
You're gonna play ball there.
You can do, you can play whatever you want to play there, but you are going going to school. So for me, when the opportunity came to play in the National Football League, I didn't want anything to stop me hold me back from doing that. So I made the decision very early on to start training, learning and understanding the wide receiver position.
And at the same time, I still train as a quarterback.
And sure enough, when I went to the different workouts, they worked me out as a wide receiver and sure enough, Hey, we want to get twenty five to thirty throws out of you to see me as a quarterback. So no regrets at all. Fast forward to where we are now because of what it's transpired and the pursuit of.
That position and.
The guys who are coming out of playing that position, like you said, Kyler Murray and those different guys, that would kind of change it because I feel like I would match up with those guys pretty well in terms of being able.
To lead, not just complete and throw the ball, but man lead.
I like leading, leading the office and putting people where they got to be and being successful on that end.
So when you're watching football, now, do you watch it through the eyes of a quarterback or do you watch it through the eyes of a wide receiver, because I he can order the coach wide receivers. You have to have the eyes of a quarterback. But so, how are you I'm gonna I'm anax offensive lineman, so usually my eyes gravitate towards the offensive line and I work out from there.
What about you, Well, for me, I do do it through the eyes of the quarterback, meaning I want to make sure my guys are where they're supposed to be. For the quarterback, like that's the deal, because I know planing position, you drive back and that guy's not where you expected him to be like that, that's an issue.
Like for a quarterback, it's like, wait.
A minute, You're supposed to be ten yards of depth right outside the hash and you fifteen yards and now the timing is thrown off or whatever it is.
So for me, I do see it through the eyes to the quarterback.
Hey, for us, we got to be be what we're supposed to be when we're supposed to be there, And that experience at quarterback helps me to be.
To teach the guys.
For sure, as it relates to them being the spots they need to be so the the time when the quarterback works out.
Antoine Randell lel Our guest here on ESPN one thousand Bears Weekly with Tim Thare Joniyak. Give us the insight. What has it been like there with Ben Johnson? Obviously you worked with them in Detroit, so you can give us more insight than most. But the collaboration of all these coaches, all these different insights, minds, experience levels and experience.
Fill us in what's it been like?
Well, it's been great, And I tell you it's it's it's kinda it's a different feel. And when I say a different feel, like we're not coming here and saying.
The way we ran it in Detroit the way we're gonna run it here.
Like, man, we have some offensive minds that understand football as well, and then we talk about our defense, like with Da coming in and what he's done over the years defensively, and the different people we've brought in like with Al and obviously Bill and Richard, like those are like cornerstones of football and they know the game from that standpoint in terms of making sure we have what we need the personnel, but then making sure the scheme is right and making sure like like we we know
how to coach ball, but how do we continue.
To lead ball?
And and and for us, it's about leading this group, you know, not just in practice, not just you know we're there way down in the weight room and that type deal. But man, when we're in game, how do we lead them and give them the best opportunity to
be a to win? And we feel like we're gonna do that and we're and we're starting this off season bit by bit implement offense bit by bid, implementing on the defense, and the same thing with a high tier on our special team's department in terms of making sure we're implementing these things bit by bit because we got a lot of knowledge, but we have to be careful not to just bly throw it all on the players.
We can't give it to them all at once.
We want to, hey, give them what they what they what they need right now and continue to grow from there.
And that's what we're doing, and it's gonna be good. It's just amount of.
Time what's getting going and getting going uh in a way that they understand it, uh and that it's clear, it's detailed. It's not you know, if or maybe this is where you're supposed to be, this is how you need to get there. And then you know, we let the guys be athletes. We don't want to be robots, but we do want to start from a standpoint of detail and what that detail looks like.
Antoine, there's the words since the end of last season and even leading up to this season has been accountability and culture. You have an you have a playing background. You know what those two things are in the.
Reasoning for success on a team.
How can you stress accountability and culture as a coach?
Well, I think you stress it one.
You say guidelines and what you expect, all right, and an expectation in to our receiver room, the tight end room, the defensive backs room, the line.
But like the.
Expectation is going to be high, all right. And with that being said, like you you make sure when you talk to your guys about these expectations you want them to take ownership of it. Like it's only so much for us as coaches that we can do, like we can Rah Rah encourage you all day long, but at some point, these expectations and what we're giving you like they need to take and grab the bull by the horns and let's roll in terms of the accountability. Uh.
And that's the ownership part. When that starts taking place, and it'll start taking place even more with the veterans and the veterans in.
The locker room like you.
It's got to be like when you understand like you as a coach man, you got to get those veterans in the locker room to believe in what you're doing and they'll just continue to continue to grow and grow and watch all the other guys follow from that standpoint. So once you get them believing and understanding that expectation, the veterans are the ones who are gonna kind of take and lead the group. Because you can only do so much so much as a coach, but you gotta
start with the expectations. You got to start with the guidelines. Here, this is what it is, and this is what it's about. And here we go.
The terminology that you're teaching all these guys for the first time. Is this M terminology you're familiar with from being with ban or is this new terminology to you yourself?
Well, some of us new because we obviously the way we've operated, we've operated sometimes on the ball and all the different calls that we make, we can't have the same calls, especially being in the same division. So we just got to make those adjustments. But as it relates to the way we teach it, how we teach it, it won't be a whole lot of change as it relates to the teaching part of it, but as relates to the on the ball stuff like that'll be different.
So it's it's it's a little bit of a new learning curve for me, but it won't be something that's out of the bluted. We can't teach and we can't get them to understand it's gonna be great. And the way we have it package packaged so they understand it, they get it and at the same time, it paints a picture for them to understand, Okay, this is what this route means, this is what this this run play means.
Whether it's inside zone, I shouldn't say inside zone, it's tight zone and wide zone from that standpoint, and it helps us move forward.
All right, final question for assistant head coach, which is a nice title to have, My man and wide Yes, ange climbing that ladder all right, I like it right here in Chicago. Have you gotten a taste from the players in this short couple of weeks so far or just your conversations about guys desire to win? This team has really had a hard time finding that magic potion of learning how to do it. You got DJ Moore who's been around a while but hasn't had a lot of experience winning.
But can you feel that from them? And what can you tell them?
No question?
And it uh and being kind of set he set the stage. He set the stage in our team meeting, our first team meeting, to the point where the players are walking out like okay, all right.
This is the real deal.
Here we go and then we as assistant coaches, we follow it up so they understand like this is this is the road we're going, and this is how we're gonna get there.
Uh.
So it starts there.
So yes, we do feel that, uh, and we see it just in terms of the participation with players who are here voluntarily getting the work done in the strength and conditioning area right now.
And then obviously we hit the field with them.
You know, here a week or so as it relates to us, uh moving to the field, but they we we feel it, we see it, and it's just amount of time of man just watching it continue to grow and grow and grow. And that's what we're excited about it. As coaches like you, you're in office all the time. You you you spend seventy percent of your time in the office, and now you're gonna have opportunity to go to the field and get with the guys for the first time, which will be here in the next couple
of weeks. And that's gonna that's that's gonna feel real good. And I'm excited about it for sure.
Yeah, we all are. We all are.
Man, appreciate your time. Thank you so much. Welcome back home and enjoy every bit of it.
Sounds good. Appreciate you guys and.
Twine Randall l here on Bear's Week.
We'll continue with Jim Miller time out there in my show after this break on he it's been one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the Voice of the Bears, Jeff Joi.
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by Athletical Physical Therapy VISITT Athletico dot com to request an in clinic or virtual appointment and start feeling better. Tomorrow, Jeff, Tom and Jim as we get you sent for the draft. It's coming up a week from tonight. Jim will be in Green Bay doing his thing. We'll be at Soldier Field doing our thing with Wato and Sylvie here on ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network and entertaining
the fans that come out. Certainly the excitement is building. Jim, what are you hearing around the league, all the conversations you're having on sirius XM, all your connections about what might be happening at ten and frankly for the first few picks for the Bears.
Well, yeah, I think you know, quarterbacks typically have always driven drafts. We've talked about that, and this year it really is not the case. You know, We're gonna have to see where Shador Sanders actually falls to. I do think cam Ward is probably gonna be a lot to go number one. You know, what does Cleveland do at
number two? The Giants there are picking high, you know, skill position players could start to go there, and I think everybody expect those to be defensive players, you know, so it's gonna leave good offensive players are out there. Edge rushers, I think they're gonna dominate the first round. There are a lot of guys that have been gaining a lot of steam, like hopefully I can pronounce his name right, Donovan az a Uku, the edge rusher out of Boston College that seems to be a guy that's
garnering a lot of attention. I know Mike Green from Marshall expect him to probably go in the first round. But I do think those edge rushers if teams that are looking for edge guys, and it's gonna leave a lot of good offensive players there. And I do expect the run on offensive lineman. If say, well Campbell falls past New England at three, I would think the Bears a great shot to get themselves a left tackle. And I know he's been mocked to the Bears quite a bit.
I know gent has as well. But because those quarterbacks are lacked, thereof that will be taken early. There's gonna be a lot of good positional players that are there.
Yeah.
Well, last week we talked about seven different writers from NFL dot Com, six different Bears picks, and that keeps changing.
I think you and your partner there.
Pat Kerwin said that they were upwards of fifty one different first round picks from all the mock drafts that you guys happen to look at, and I think Tom feels the same way. It's just been changing on the daily, Tommy, Are you narrow focused on what you want right now?
Yeah? I'm a narrow focus on what I want.
But I still think it's the most common, complicated, predictable draft that there's been in maybe the last thirty years, just because you know how many bona fide John Elway Dan Marinos are there in this draft, not only quarter I mean, I'm talking Jim Bow's and the other guys. Yeah,
bona fide, you know, you know Ashton Genty. I don't even think cam Ward has reached that type of astronomical opinion of everybody because they don't know even though if he's gonna be the first pick, is he really gonna turn out to be the draft choice that that first
pick is supposed to be. So I can't wait for the draft because you know, I don't want to disrespect Laramie Tunsul and I don't want to disrespect Michael Pennix because nobody knew what was gonna happen the night before the draft or how the draft was gonna turn out for Atlanta last year when they just signed a quarterback to one hundred million dollar deal and then they went and drafted a quarterback in the first round. So I tell you, I I just think this is a roll of the Dice Draft.
Yeah, every team's board is stack differently for those reasons. You know, it's interesting in Tom Bray and I think we've said it on the show. Think about Cam Word. This guy did not even get an offer to a Power five conference. I mean he went to Incarnate Word, then went to Washington State and then was gonna go pro and then was you know, basically Nio money took him to Miami. He wasn't even offered scholarship out of high school, and he could be the number one overall selection.
So I just think that says it all. Every year we look at the first round, and I know that's what a lot of media and fans focus on, is that first round. But in all reality, look at this past year's draft or four years ago. I should say, when teams have to decide on the fifth year option, over half of them do not even get the fifth year option. Okay, so they have fallen out of favor of their team. So half of the first round is
going to be wrong. And going into this year's draft, Gil Brandt used to say, probably about fourteen to seventeen guys are legit first round picks, and that number where you get fifty one, Jeff, which is basically two rounds. Essentially, that means there are a lot of guys that are going to be there. That is really the meat and potato. Your draft is going to be the second, third, and
fourth round. They're good football players. They're not gold jacket guys, but they're going to be huge contributors to your team. And you know, every year that happens. And it was funny because we had a conversation. You know, I look at Dave Gettlman, Dave Getelman for the listeners out there, he's the former GM of obviously the New York Giants,
and running backs have taken a lot of beating. This guy drafted Christian McCaffrey when he was general manager of the Carolina Panthers, and he drafted Saquon Barkley when he was the general manager of the Giants.
And I don't think.
Anybody could say both those guys could be gold jacket guys. But yet he got killed for his drafts. You know, Oh, he doesn't know a lot of draft He's drafted a running back in the first round. Those are the two best running backs in the National Football League. Saquon Barkley is like a unicorn. He is one of nine guys now that has rushed for two thousand yards in a season. And people were killing Dave Gettleman. So Dave Gettleman knew who bluechip draft picks were. And those two guys are
blue tip draft picks. And Alway's no longer in the NFL. But man, what great selections at a position that seems.
To be devalued.
But yet we're huge contributors for their teams in the run to Super.
There's a lot of them. I just did like thirty of them. So they're all interesting, every one of them. So we got to take a break one more segment ago. We'll wrap things up here on Bears Weekly with Tom and Jim. I'm Jeff Joniyak. This is Bears Weekly ANDYESPN one thousand of the Bears ready a.
Networks Bears Weekly with the voice of the Bears for twenty four years, Chef Chef on the US Radio Network.
Final moments here on the show again.
All the assistant coaches meeting with the media today had a chance to sit down with the defensive assistant.
A senior defensive assistant.
In helping out with the linebackers running that group is Richard Smith, nearly forty years in the NFL.
This is what he feels about him.
Man.
He never worked with before head coach Ben Johnson.
Ben Ben's the real deal. Now he's young, he's sharp. He interacts with all of his coaches, which when you're an offensive coach and you're a head coach, you mainly feel more comfortable around the offensive guys. He'll make it an opportunity to come in every day and talk to you, and that's very very unusual, highly intelligent. I respect the heck Adam and we played against his them at Detroit and they were extremely well coached in a really good
football team. You know, if they didn't have the injuries, I think they would have won the whole thing. And you met him, I think he's unbelievable people's skills. You know, he's a good family man. I think from an organization standpoint, you couldn't be any prouder. He's going to make the organization and the city proud, you know. And now what we got to do. We came here, We're paid to win,
and that's what we came here to do. We got to try to change it a little bit here and see who can handle it and keep the thumb on everybody and see if we can get these players better.
Yeah, that's the key that's about coaching Tom.
He's also very high, of course on Dennis Allen, whom he's worked with in the past, but those pretty interesting comments about the head coach.
He's mentioned the high quality of the character of Ben Johnson, and I'm excited to see that be put in motion by being the head coach and how his character affects the players.
Jim, Yeah, well, I think, you know, for you know, saying a lot when coaches haven't crossed paths like that and they speak that highly of, you know, a coach that they've coached against, you know, I think he's a real deal. I think, you know, obviously all the accolades and platitudes, but but again now that that they're they're there, they're in the building. They're going to work with all
these players, and I don't think it'll it'll change. I like how firm they've been this offseason because a lot of it is on the players. And I think randall El said it earlier about how they're gonna, you know, disseminate the information. There's two ways to do it. You can give all of it or you can piece meal it. And it sounds like they're gonna piece meal it so that, hey, there are no mistakes when it comes to what is going to be expected of how we teach you, how
you need to go out and execute it. They're gonna cover it piece by piece so that every player is detailed in order to get done what they want to accomplish.
Jim, we need you on Monday night for another version of Bears Weekly.
You in, I'm in, all right, you kidding?
That's gonna do it for tonight's show. We'll get deeper out of the draft on Monday. Thanks to our producers, thanks to our guests, Antoine Randa El for Jim Miller.
Intent there, I'm Jeff Jihoniak.
This has been Bears Weekly on the new radio Home of the Bears ESPN Chicago.
Jack McGrath is coming up next. Good Night, everybody,