Welcome in Tom Bears Weekly, a Chicago Bears Network production download the Chicago Bears official app, brought to you by Verizon to follow the team on ago. Bears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Beth Rivers, Cdwing, Connie's Pizza.
And Miller Liked.
Here are your hosts, Jeff chi aka the Merrow, Bearsville is sidekick Tom the Surfmaster.
There, good to be back.
Rookies reporting this week Friday, Veterans next Tuesday.
It's time we are ready to go.
Training Camp twenty twenty three upon us and we welcome in to Bears Weekly. I am Jeff Choniyak with the Super Bowl Star Guard, Tom There and Jim Miller from Serious X NFL Radios moving the chains. Good evening, everybody. Did you miss me last week? Tom Well?
I noticed that you started by saying it's good to be back, and I met thought, did you mean that selfishly that you're happy to be back from your extravagant world win, multi multiple country vacation or are you talking about the start of the NFL season.
Jim Miller, I was talking about the start of the training camp, but I am also glad to be back with my boys here, So I hope you guys are happy to have me back.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. But you know, Tom and I are much like Bill Belichick. No days off, no days off.
We just play out through.
That's what we do here.
Jeff. You know, yeah, I don't know.
I don't know that you ever have taken a vacation, Jim, And if I ever ever ever even insinuate the Tom when he goes to Maui for three weeks, are you ready for your vacation? He turns beat red, angry and says, dude, I don't go on. I go to surf man.
That's not a vacation.
The beauty of Maui and the beaches and whatever else comes along. But anyway, we'll wrap on all that another time. We got NFL football. We're gonna be breaking down the NFC North today, the old NFC Central, the Black and Blue Division. We've got a couple of great guests. Are good pal Pete Bercich from the Bankings Radio Network to join us here coming up in moments. And then at the bottom of the hour, our old pal Wayne Leravy, the voice of the Green Bay Packers, so an NFC
North preview tonight. We'll try to do Detroit on Monday of next week. That's another show here on Bears Weekly. Glad to have you alongside with Jordan truad Up and Dan Brilly are producers. Thank you as well to Charlie Bevins and Tyler Rocky as well. While we're talking about the division, I got asked on a couple of radio shows on our radio network, Jim here, just in the last couple of days, and everybody's wanting to know what
you know. Everybody's just going to sleepy by the Green Bay Packers and thinking that the Detroit Lions are the next best thing, but acknowledging at the same time that the division is wide open.
Are they off base?
No?
I don't think they're off base. I think when you look at Aaron you know, think of Aaron Rodgers when he got his first year as a starter. They were a six and ten football team, you know, and people forget about that. And there is a lot of young players that are surrounding Jordan Love. We know that the receivers like Dobbs and Watson, they're only going on their
second year. They draft obviously a tight end, they're young there. Defensively, they weren't as they haven't been as good as what everybody has suggested that where they were like twenty six in the league get stop on the run. So they have to play much better defensively in my opinion, because for me, it's gonna take a little while for that
offense to catch up. And plus I think it's going to put more pressure on the play caller, you know when you look at coach Lafleur, because they won't have the flexibility at the line of scrimmage like they had with Aaron Rodgers. Right, remember when coach Lafleur got the job and he was like, Wow, I don't know if I'm gonna let Aaron Rodgers check at the line of scrimmage, Like what what are you talking about?
You know?
So you know there's a lot of things that he's gonna have to be really that he's putting on himself pressure wise, to be a good play caller, because I don't think Jordan Love will be going in and out of plays like what Aaron Rodgers was.
Doing with ease.
So I do see that team, you know, taking a step back. They're kind of going younger right now. I think everybody knows that, not that that's not an exciting thing for green Bay Packer fans. There are a lot of people that even called into moving the chains, that are excited about it. They're ready to move on from Aaron Rodgers, and some are still disgruntled about it. So I do think, you know, they need to grow as a team. And I think really the best guy who
said it was David Baktieri. He said, we just need to admit what we're doing here, and they're rebuilding. That's what Green Bay's doing.
You know, one thing about Aaron Rodgers in this division, I think for the last ten years, whenever they called to play into his headset, it was merely a suggestion and if he liked it well enough and they ran, and if he didn't, then he made a change either in the huddle or at the line of scrimmage, and he could deal with the vulnerabilities that he saw against the defense he was going to face when he broke
the huddle. But I think when you look at the overall division this year, I do think it's a wide open division. However, I think Detroit has finally been able to take it into our stadium and turn it in to the loudest weapon.
In our division.
And I know that they have.
A good outdoor crowd in Green.
Bay and Minnesota. You know, does a nice job inside. But you know, having the you know, the opportunity to go to Detroit and play there.
Late in the year when they were on a little bit of a run.
It was an atmosphere that you better take control of quickly in the game or else it's just gonna I think it'll impact your offensive communication ability.
All right.
I want to touch on something. Justin Fields has been out and about. He's had a camp with young kids and invited all those folks and he had a good time doing that. Those youngsters all showed up and enjoyed
it as well. He's been on a couple podcasts, I believe, and one of them he was asked about his play and you know, basically says, right now, his knowledge of the offense, Tom is such that he feels he can do anything he wants on the field right now, and that is a great sign for when we actually start going here because that kind of confidence coming from Justin is significant.
Well, you know, the thing.
That Lukeketzi said at the podium when he was leaving the OTAs and mandatory mini camp. They want to be able to hit the ground running when training camp begins. They don't want to have to go over and rehash what they've already installed inside this offense over the next two weeks. They need to hit the ground running where they pick up where they left off, and they just
continue to refine everything. And as they refine everything and becomes more familiar in terms of terminology to Justin, I think he can play more freely in more to these to his athleticism ability he has.
Jim.
He also has asked on a show here for CBS Sports I believe to name the five top running quarterbacks in NFL history, and he said he could include himself if he's so desired, and he did, along with Steve Young, Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick, and Cam Newton. It's got a lot of attention, but last year was dynamic, no question.
Yeah, well he is. He's a tremendous athlete. You know, sometimes I wish, you know, there's kind of no upside to respond to questions like that, you know, because you're kind of putting him in a pickle. Because for me, personally, I do not want him to be a top five running back, right because out of all those quarterbacks you just mentioned, there's not a lot of Super Bowl wins. Cam Newton, Yeah, he was a great running quarterback, but he got beat up and he's out of the league
right now. I think it's how you run and how smart you are as a runner where you can really preserve your body. And if he comes along as the passer that we think he can be, this team's going to be much more balanced and they'll have a better ability to go further in the pro season, is my take on it. But again, it's just it's a lot of talk, you know, and excitement before training camp and things like that, and you know, if that's a goal of his, I wish him good luck on his journey
to get that. But you know, I think we want to see this team a more balanced team and throwing the football. I want him to be a top five passer because guys like you know, Jim Mahomes and those guys, that's how they're winning Super Bowls.
I'm sorry, Jim. You know, part of running is what are you doing?
Are you running beyond the line of scrimmage or you're running to stay open, because when you look at guys like John Elway, even Doug Fluti or fran Tarkington, they stayed behind the line of scrimmage to get the ball out of their hands and create some big plays.
And that's what those guys were able to do.
If we're talking about quarterbacks that have to break the line of scrimmage and run down field, then you know that's when the fear of injury comes in. Where I'd rather see a quarterback extend the pocket, fatigue the defense, and get a completion downfield.
He also says he's gonna be the first Bears quarterback in history to throw for more than four thousand yards, something that has not happened in Bear's history. We'll talk all about that and more on the Bear's confidence from the quarterback sounds good on the basically, the eve of training camp is the Bears get ready for the twenty twenty three season.
When we come back.
We'll be joined by Pete Bersich, the radio analyst Chicago Rodic, Notre damer football player and coach with the Vikings.
He's next year on he ESP in Chicago with the Bears Radio.
NETWORKSCUS Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Juniat on the Bears Radio Network.
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by Athletic Go Physical thereaphe visit that you got to go dot com to request an in clinic Gore virtual the appointment to start feeling better tomorrow. Always feeling great when we get to talk to that. Yes tonight, Pete Bursich born and bred. You know, I didn't know he was born in Joliet. I know he went to Providence Catholic, but he was born in Joliet. Tom Thayer, the color
analysts of the Vikings Radio Network. Pete, how are you feeling tonight, buddy?
Thanks for taking that good.
Yeah. I mean I have to declare I grew up in New Lenox Township, so I didn't. I didn't grow up in Jaytown like Fate.
You were born in Joliet.
I was born there. Yes, I was born there, so I you know, it's the main thing. I've been in Minnesota for thirty year. If no one knows where the help we want, so I just say Joliet and maybe sometimes they know. It's just you know, makes it easier, makes it.
Well, I appreciate it.
With camp coming up here next week, I know you're getting ready. But the number one question I have for you, just right out of the gate, because we're going to talk about this later Jim Miller and Tommy and I about the whole running back situation. I know it's about cap I know it's about money, But why did the Vikings move on from Dalvin Cook?
Yeah, that's that's a That's a good question, I think, is it? You know, obviously, is there is there more to it than that? I think, yes, Dalvin did eat up a lot of cap space, but there's no question he was a he was a pretty big shot in here at the offense. You know, does our offense about you know, the scheme value that position as much as it did before. I mean, you looked at when when Zimmer was there. You know, Cook was around forty percent
of the offense. I think forty percent of the yards went through him, and you know, so he was a huge, huge part of the offense. And uh, you know those numbers are coming down. But we needed him in the Buffalo game, we needed them in a couple other situations. He's a very good blocking running back now as a route runner. I mean's he made a couple of really nice catches in the end zone this year. So my I just can't see a way in which management coaches
didn't want him back. I think it was just a matter of it really was just a matter of money. He's a great leader, and he's kind of the heart and soul of the offense, kind of like Zadarius Smith I think was for the defense. He was a guy that the one guy we had to had a lot to, had some attitude, stayed out there even when he was injured, kept playing. And so we've lost that guy on both the offensive side and defensive side.
Of the of the field.
So there's a we got a lot of question marks coming into this year. So it's gonna be interesting to see how camp plays out.
Well. Pete.
Before the start of the season, when you look at the Bears and you think of Tremade Edmonds and TJ. Edwards and you look at DJ Moore, you think of immediately the linebacker position for the Bears got better. Include Jack Sanborn and that and the rest of the fellas. But now they have a little, you know, veteran leadership and they got some young guys coming up right now sense of conclusion of the season to today, where are the Minnesota Vikings a better football team?
Well, you would assume the offensive line is going to be better because they're spending two years in a row, same group. You hope at Ingram continues to improve. I mean, you know, he was eighteen years old and started I believe, eleven games for LSU as an eighteen year old in the SEC. He started every game last year for the Vikings. He had some ups and he had some downs. He's the guy that I think really really needs to improve.
Interesting with Bradberry since the Vikings didn't pick up their fifty year option, his fifth year option, but yet they decided to re sign him anyway, So you know, that offensive line group is really the one group that's sticking together. I think wide receiver wise, you know, I think Justin Jefferson has every chance to get into two thousand if they can protect Cousins for a fraction of a second longer.
I went watched all the passing plays from last year, and I mean JJ should have he really should have hit two thousand last year, but he was, you know, just short. So I think offensively, you know, the line in the receiving corps. Tight end group should be good too, Hockinson. I mean, you should always have a good group there. Outside of that, it's gonna be tough. The safety group has the same guys coming back. Lewis seen our first round draft picks from last year. Broke his leg. He
should be back. You know. Byron Murphy at corner was a good sign. He's a very very very good man to man guy. I think that's what you're gonna see a little bit more out of this floor as defense is some challenging on the outside, a little more mando man h and he's the guy to do it. But you know, the rest of them, the rest of the groups, we've we've got some big question marks, Tom, and that's
you know, that's the thing. We go into this, We go into the season with with a lot of personnel question marks, and we're gonna need a lot of young players to finally step up and and you know, rookies and young guys to play. We know, we know about Alexander Madison, but can he replicate what Cook did? He had a really good game against Arizona last year, but can we get that out of him for fifteen sixteen weeks. You know, it's it's just there's a ton of question marks,
and that's that's what concerns me the most. I don't think this is going to be a losing season by any means, but I think with the success they had last year, now you're playing all the you know, the teams that won the division. You know, we we we need a lot of guys to really pay him out for this team to try to replicate that thirteen and four record.
Yeah, Pete for me, Jim Miller, good to talk to you. As an outsider, I'm trying to see what the plan is here, because you know, they could have extended Kirk Cousins. Maybe they could have cleared up cap space because you got Hendricks who left. He was the leading tackler. You just mentioned Sadarius Smith and Cook and we could go on. There's other players that have gone here, and the windows
kind of right now. You know when you look at the exodus of Aaron Rodgers and I'm saying, am I, so, why is in Minnesota doubling down because they won the division last year?
You know that's that's a that's a very good point, and my condolences for having to deal with those other two most of the time. You know, it's it's a you know, Fayer and Joni act having to sit in between those two. And I don't know, I don't know how you do it. Whatever the pain, they should double it.
Very very good point, you know. I think the focus is really to keep Justin Jefferson around and what you can't do is pay a receiver, you know, maybe a record breaking salary or somewhere up there, and then not have a quarterback to throw the ball to him. So I think, you know, for Kirk Cousins, you know, he's getting older, and we got to keep an arm of eye in his arm strength big time, because he doesn't he doesn't scramble, he doesn't move around, and he has
that accuracy in arm strength. And if that starts the wayne his I think his productivity and his game will fall up pretty quickly. Now whether or not that'll be the case, I don't know, But I don't know if the Vikings are concerned about him, you know, let's say next season testing the free agent market, I think what they may have had to do to extend him would be more than what they wanted or what they wanted to pay him, and they're not afraid of, you know,
of just letting him go ahead and do that. Now, well you ever get there, I don't know, but they have those.
You know.
It's a big combination there that they have to reshginn and figure out, which is one of the reasons why he saw the departure of a gal like Eric Hendricks. And you know, I think I don't think Eric was a fit for the scheme that we were trying to run, and really don't. Dallas ran the ball forty times against us, and he came away with a game with three combined tackles. Now, I don't know any linebacker when he faced forty runs and come up with three tackles, there's something going on there.
I think he was nicked up. But if it's about the year, so you know, losing Dalvin Tomlinson was a big loss too. I think losing Zadarius Smith and Dalvin Thomlinson with big losses the line, you know, and we didn't really draft or sign anyone to fill that other spot. So maybe if Brian Ausamol will step up. You know, we got this this undrafted free agent kid from Cincinnati's name is Ivan Pace. Now, I just hope the kid makes the team. But he'll knock your eyeballs cross he's
about five 't ten, about two forty. He's like London Fletcher all over again. You know, I'm hope I'm just got my fingers crossed this kid finally it makes this team because I think he gets the potential of being you know, I know, like I said, an old school type of linebacker. And so but again, those these are the question marks I'm talking about, right, We're these are the guys that we need to step up and figure it out and not just be starters, but be productive starters.
So it's uh, you know, I'm I'm I'm. I'm the closer we get the camp, the more of a kind of wait and see attitude, I'm I'm getting. I do think again, the Vikings will be successful. But you're right without Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay Detroit, I mean, the only the way they finished last year, and I don't care what they did in the draft and all if people don't like what they did in the draft, they're still gonna be a damn with football team coming in
this fall. You guys are vastly improved, no question, about it. And so you know, hopefully all three of us can beat up on Green Bay twice and you know that'll be my that'll be the end, and that's the that's that'd be the best NFC North season I could think of.
Yeah, that sounds good. Pit six losses on him right out of the gate. One last question, we'll let you go. Yeah, you know you told me you're going to football practice today, right, what are you doing now?
Well, I'm helping out. I'm helping out with my steps son. He's an eleven U at the Hinsdale Falcons. You know, I'm helping him out. You know, I've been trying to get you know, some people out to eat dinner, but they just don't you know, they never returned phone calls and stuff. So yeah, that's been.
Our name on it. We're going Tom would love to Colm, Jim will.
Fly him in eight were eight. I'm I'm like two blocks away right well right now I'm about eight blocks away. But yeah, just it's just, you know, it's this time of year. I'm helping out with the Hinsdale Central team, you know, the high school team. We got a big scrimmage tomorrow night. Uh, you know, it's I love this time of year. Kids need football now more than ever,
and the game's changed. Yeah, but you know, I still love passing it on and getting these guys excited to go out there and run around.
I think all four of us would certainly agree with that. That is so important. Pete, I would love talking to I.
Just want to see theayer out there with the tight polyester shorts with sock pulled up and the whistle around the second, you know what I mean, Just the old school.
Old Yeah, maybe wearing flip flops with that look too though, on.
The back of his shorts, the whole thing. I'd pay money to see that.
A ball guy with advisor on there's.
I love the look. It's the best ever.
Oh anyways, all right, Pete and Joy, we'll talk to you down the road. Here we'll see my persage outstanding. Love talking to Pete.
He still lives in the Chicago area and commutes to Minnesota for the season and.
Doing a great job there. When we come back, we're gonna.
Talk more about the running back position from a league wide perspective. It's gaining a lot of attraction obviously, the discussion and the franchise tag players who are not signed to long term deals at this point. We'll get in all that with Jim Miller and Tom There. I'm Jeff Joningact. This is Bears Weekly on ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a Voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Jonyak on the Bears Radio Network.
So you got vi idys to every Bears.
Home game, exclusive Seaton Sideline credentials and more now available. So we'll get the ultimate VIP fan package this season by visiting Chicago Bears vip dot Com. Jim Miller, Tom There, Jeff Joniac with you. In a short while, Wayne Larviy, the Voice of the Packers, will join us. Take a look at the Green Bay Packers of twenty twenty three. All right, I touched on this. I want to talk about it at the running back position. I know Tommy and I are big running back guys, Jim Miller.
We are we always will be. Love the running game.
But the discussion and the outrage right now at that position among the backs themselves, from Saquon Barkley to Josh Jacobs and Tony Potterard and anyone else who's chying in on it.
What is your take on it?
Because the teams still like running the football and there's value in addition, when you think of Boston Eckler as a pass receiver and the pass protection. You know, what's your take on what's happening here and how do you feel about it as a veteran quarterback.
Well, one, I think guys miscalculated the market, clearly. Saquon Barkley miscalculated it. He's not the first one to do it. Le'Veon Bell did it and paid dearly, and he recently came out and apologized for that. But you know, he basically cost himself Saquon Barkley probably about four million dollars, you know, because the Giants had offered him a two year, thirteen million dollar deal, so he would have got twenty
six million dollars guaranteed over the next two years. And now if he plays this year out with the tag, we know he's going to hold out, but he'll come in and play and it's ten million dollars. But the issue is that market is going to go down because that tag next year may go down. I mean, look at the guys who have taken paycuts, right Delvin Cook. They asked him to take a paycut. Aaron Jones, he
took a nine million dollar pay cut. And they're not the only one, you know, so I think they miscalculated the market. The position is different nowadays, I think, and teams want to do this back by committee, and very few teams, unlike the Giants and unlike the Raiders, a lot of teams do running back by committee. We know Jacobs is a bellcout, Sakuon Barkley is a bellcow Derreck Henry is a bellcou and Nick Chubbs a bellcout. But those teams that those are few and far between right now.
Everybody wants to go by committee, I think.
And why that.
Position has changed right now? Rather plus quarterbacks are taking away carries two from the running back cuts.
Sorry, help me to cut you off.
Yeah no, that's that's a great point.
But you know, when you stack up the cash, would you rather pay a wide receiver? There are wide receivers that are the twos or threes on their teams that are making a significant amount more money and projected to than your number one running back to me?
You know, but you know analytics analytically, what is their contribution, because if you're a running back and you're a first down running back, then if you get into a second, long, or third down, they got to take you out because you can't block. You know, that's just part of the that's part of the running back why you're not being
paid as a first, second, third down back. And Jim mentioned the guys that in this league that are considered for, you know, three down backs, and there's not very many of them. So when you're talking about how many reps are you going to contribute a game, how many control how many reps are you going to contribute against the team that is more likely to get the ball thrown
against them more then you're gonna run the ball. So there's a lot of different that you have to take into account when you're talking about the running back position, and when you're talking about the receiver position, a special receiver, a special special guy at Chase and Jefferson from Minnesota, they're gonna get paid a.
Lot of money.
That's just the way they advance the football and that's the big plays they make. But if you're talking about a running game that is averaging four yards of carry and you don't have an offensive coordinator that wants to run the ball with that much. Then analytically they're you know, they're gonna determine that you shouldn't make as much as some of the other big play players are making.
And you've blocked for the greatest, Well, you just blocked for the greatest Walter Payton. Okay, I mean would you be paying him?
Yeah, because you don't have to take him out of the game. He doesn't miss games. He's there for seventeen sixteen games a year. There's not a play that you you need to take out of the playbook against any opponent.
Do you want?
You have the opponents and they get prepared for Walter Payton.
There's guys that are nervous to tackle them.
So when you take you take into account with Walter contributes, Yes, I would.
Jim, will this cycle back at any point my backs will feel.
A little love. Yeah.
I think it's just a market correction right now. I mean, realistically, would Christian McCaffrey have got his deal now in today's current market? I would say no. I don't think the forty nine ers and he's he's a very special player, don't get me wrong. I just think it's a market correction. You know, you look at the backs, say good luck to David Montgomery. He gets basically seven million bucks a year. You look at Miles Sanders, his deals for twenty four million,
so he's grayed around seven million dollars a year. So ten to fifteen million dollar backs is just taking a step back. It'll cycle back, in my opinion, and it'll it'll happen, but it just you know, that's just where it's at right now. And look at all these backs coming out. I mean, look what Bryce Hall was doing last year for the Jets. Look what Damian Pierce did last year for Houston. You know, you got this inventory of backs.
Or Isaiah Bchecko, you know in the Super Bowl. And I think that's part of this discussion.
Hey, we're gonna cycle through here now and bring in Wayne Levy, our good friend, the voice of the Green Bay Packers. Welcome into ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network. Hey, we can hand you the baton and talk about backs because yours, Aaron Jones, took a mighty big pay cut to stay there. And that's that's a big point of my discussion about the division.
Wayne, And it is.
Good to talk to you again that the Green Bay Packers, despite the change of quarterbacks to us two good, very good running backs that can carry the baton and help things out there, along with a bunch of really good defensive players. What is your take on this whole running back conversation throughout the league right now?
Yeah, it's very interesting, Jeff. And you know, some of these guys are like twenty seven, twenty eight, you know, I think Dalvin Cook is around twenty eight years old, and the Vikings don't want them, and you know, it's very interesting to see how that all plays out. Yes, it's the wear and tear the running back position. It's the fact that if you rep that running game, if you invest in it, and you're going to get positive
yardage anyway, there's that factor to it. Maybe it has something to do with remember the old zone blocking scheme they ran under Shanahan in Denver and how any they pick up a guy off the street and he'd rush for a thousand yards. So I don't know if that's what it's all about, but I do know this. There is value to the running game, There's no question about that. But it does seem to me like it's really hard
for running back to get a second contract. Darn near impossible in this league for a running back to get a third contract.
Hey, Wayne, I kind of wanted to ask you a question staying with the Green Bay Packers because I'm really interested in them, because there's lots that's been said about them throughout all last.
Season and even this season.
And it's the same question I just asked Pete Persus, because when you look at the Bears and you look at a couple positions that they've improved on paper during the offseason, where are the Green Bay Packers better right now than they concluded the season last year?
Oh?
Boy, good question, Tom. They're better because they're healthier on the offensive line. I think they started to figure it out on defense in terms of not only how they played the defense, but you know what they would do in terms of pressure in terms of coverage especially. They feel like they made some strides there down the stretch defensively last year, and certainly the numbers would say that. But you know, are they better at quarterback?
No?
Are they better at wide receiver. They're a little bit more experienced at wide receiver. I think they have potential to be better at wide receiver. But it's really hard for me to sit here and tell you that, Okay, this team is better in this area, this area, this area, even without Aaron Rodgers, because as you know, a quarterback like that, he's an a racer. He gets you out of a band play into a good play. He can
make a bust to play into a big play. So those are the things that we're hopefully going to see from Ordan Love, but probably not right away in all honesty, because young quarterbacks take time.
Wayne Good to talk to you. Jim Miller here, and that's where I'm going. The skill position players around him are very young. You draft Luke Musgrave, Tucker Craft's another tight end they drafted. You mentioned Watson and Dobbs are going in on their second year, but those other guys are just kids and where.
Yeah, you know, Jim, you're so right. I mean, their most experienced receivers are in their second year, right, I mean Christian Watson, Romeo Dobbs, Samari two Ray. Now they've got a couple of experienced tight ends Josiety Goora, but he's more of an h BAC type. Tyler Davis had an opportunity last year caught four balls. You know, that's
not the kind of production they were looking for. You know, when I look at some of these guys, the thing about the skill position is this, You're exactly right, inexperience. Jordan loves throwing eighty three passes in NFL games as a quarterback. Okay, that's the most important position. You're right about wide receivers little experience. There even less experience a tight end. When you figure that, Musgrave and Craft are probably going to be one and two at tight end
for the Packers. However, the one thing I would caution you on we're saying inexperience. We're not saying talent. They have talent. These guys are talented. They can be really good players. They really like Jayden Reed think he can make a big difference in the slot. There's a lot going for these young guys, but they are young and inexperienced. And in Jim and Tom and Jeff, you guys know, youth doesn't win in the NFL anymore. It's a man's game,
which means it's an experienced kind of game. So that's what the Packers are up against with this team. Here.
Let me follow up with this, Wayne, what have you seen from the maturity factor of Jordan Love to bring those guys along, because there's going to be moments where he's got to tell these guys what to do. Let's be honest, and he's got to be able to step in there and say, hey, we need this done this
way and get these young players. Because I remember even when Anthony Thomas was our running was our running back, he was rookie of the Year, I had to tell him sometimes, hey, man, if the will Becker comes block him, if he doesn't get out, you know what I mean. Where That's why I want to know about the maturity level of Jordan Love to really make that happen if that needs to happen in games.
Well, Jim, you know the thing about Jordan Love. We've seen all we need to see of Jordan Love. Okay, it would do us no good to see him spend another year behind Aaron Rodgers, another year where he plays the majority of the preseason, another year where he runs the first team offense for the majority of the offseason. Program. That's he's done all of that, and he's improved each year. From a maturity standpoint, He's probably a little bit different
leader than Aaron Rodgers. Maybe not quite as Demonstraus. He seems to me to be. His body language is a little more toned down than that of an Aaron Rodgers or even a Brett Fire. But I do think he has he has the support of that locker room and the people around him. And you're exactly right. He's leading very young guys. I mean he's going into his fourth year, guys like Christian Watson is number one receiver going to his secutary or same thing with Dobbs musgraven Craft or rookies.
Now you've got some experience in Aaron Jones and aj Dillon. The offensive line is solid and very experienced. But no, I think Jordan loves to me from what we've seen in practice, from what we've seen briefly in his appearances and games. And I go back to not last year of Philadelphia, but the year before Kansas City, where he had a terrible situation that he stepped into. Jordan had to play because Aaron had COVID that week in Kansas City against the Chiefs, they brought the house against them
all all game, and he hung in there. Well, he really did. Didn't win the game, but had the Packers in the game and threw a touchdown pass late that made it a closer game. But I think the guy has those leadership in tangibles. Now, the thing we're waiting to see is what is he going to do with the snap of the football, reading the defense, understanding what the defense is trying to do, and where he has
to go with the ball. And that's something Jim that only to do it at the level of Aaron Rodgers or some of these other guys, Mahomes, you know those guys. That's a God given gift, and we don't know if Jordan Love has that because we haven't seen him over the course of a season.
Waen Larvy our guest here on Bears Weekly with Tom Bayer, Jimiler, Jeff Joniak. Final question before we let you go. We appreciate taking the time. I keep talking about the defense too, obviously it's all been well written and well documented. How many first round picks since twenty twelve have been dedicated
to defense and that is eleven eleven players. So you got a bunch of first round pedigree guys on there, and a new one in Lucas van Ness in that rotation with Rashaun Gary and Prestott Smith, can that defense and your running game kind of spread, spread things out and kind of carry the day for a while until we find out what your new.
Quarter is all about.
Well, Jeff, as you guys know, they have invested heavily in this defense. They really have with free agent dollars over the years. With first round raft choices. They have eight of them on this defense that'll be playing this year. They've done all they could to try to build this defense. It now has to happen. I mentioned earlier that I thought they started to find their stride down the stretch
last year. You know, they were gave up twenty points or fewer in each of the final five games of the season, you know, and that's a big factor for the Packers. Now the rush defense has to be better, and the key there is going to be TJ. Slayton, going into his third year out of Florida. This is a big kid who's got all the talent in the world. But like a lot of these big interior linemen, they turn it on and turn it off. They need TJ. Slayton to turn it on and leave it on, you
know what I mean that kind of thing. This defense is going to be counted on. There's no question, so is the running game. But here's something about the defense that was interesting to me, and it gets back to the consistency that Joe Berry, the defensive coordinators talked about. This defense gave up an average of six yards per play on first down plays by their opponents. How and
that was twenty that was thirtieth in the league. However, on third down conversions thirty seven point six percent, eighth in the league on third down conversion. So it shows you that number one, they're inconsistent, but number two they have the ability to stop people.
Well, it won't be long now to the opening kickoff Week one Bears Packers. You can't you can't get better than that to start a season. Weno, how about it.
Should be Oh no, looking forward to seeing you guys as always, Jeff and all the best. Jim Miller, good to talk to you. Enjoy your work on sirious and Tom Thayer always the best.
Thanks you all right, Thanks appreciated. Wayne. We will talk to you down the road.
We'll take a break, we'll return and pick up more conversation about what's the head for the Bears. A training camp with Jim and Tom I'm Jeff Joniyak here on ESPN and the Bears Radio Network.
Excuse Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years Jeff on the Bears Radio Network.
The second of Bears Weekly is brought to you by CDW. If you got to get it, Jeff, Tom and Jim Miller with you.
Jim from Serious x MNFL Radio is moving chain. So my takeaway on the interviews.
Of Peat, Burstitch and Wayne there Ivy fell as his and there's a lot of great players on both teams still, but there's still a lot of uncertainty Jim and Tom. And that's going to be true for the whole division and in large part the whole NFL, with the exception of a few teams that are built to try to win the bundle right away.
But I guess that's how we start every season Jimbo.
Yeah, I mean yeah, because you're always bringing along young players and you want them to take big jumps. The Bears did that last year. I do think the Bears have a shot in this division. I do think they need to add a little bit more pass rush. They'll see where it is at the valuation at the beginning of camp. But all those young players that played those rookie season, that's money in the b and there's more young players that are gonna play for the Chicago Beers.
There should be much more offensive accountability by this group. Do think the defense can take a jump with the players that they played, that they signed here in free agency, and we'll see where it goes. But they've got a good shot as any.
In my opinion.
You know, Jim and Jeff one, you look at this division and we talk about all the marquee players within this division. I think the coaches have as much pressure
on themselves as the players do. Because when you talk about the transition of quarterback in Green Bay, you talk about what's expected out of the quarterback position here in Chicago, the uncertainty of the future of the quarterback position in Minnesota, and the uncertainty of the quarterback position in Detroit in terms of health and the ability to make it through
seventeen games. All that, I think the coaches on both teams, no matter what position they're coaching, they have pressure on them too to make sure that they allow their team, their position to grow. The Bears linebacker position is you know, you have two experienced veterans that come from two different
football teams. Now they come into and they play a similar style defense here at Chicago, but they got to get acclimated to everything the defensive backs behind them in the safety position and how they move around, plus on how active the defensive line in front of him.
So I think this is.
Gonna be as an interesting coaching year as it is some of the marquee players that we've been talking about.
Yeah, we're gonna learn a few things, that's for sure. I you know, am i Off the best player in the division regardless of position?
Justin Jefferson Jim.
Uh Yeah, I'd say that definitely. I definitely say that he is. He is extremely talented. I mean, I mean, if he keeps on going on the pace that he's going, I mean he's getting in you know, he'll go into Randy Moss stratosphere. I mean, let's be honest. He will be the highest paid receiver when it's all said and done, when.
They do his cont track.
So you have a receiver who can touch it so many times a game. To me, I think the most explosive player in the division is Justin because he gets the ball handed to him. Every game. Now, the decision process he goes through after he calls a play in the huddle and if he's not confident with the pass or an open receiver, and then he turns into a running back. He's the best running back in the league,
in the division. And so if he does become more comfortable in the passing in the NFL and with his teammates and the development of DJ Moore, Cole and Tunyan at the court at the tight end position, I think as much as Justin can have a two thousand yard season, Justin Jefferson, I think Justin Fields is talking about a four thousand yard passing season when he could still rush for a thousand yards.
Yeah. Yeah, that's a heck of a point.
Interesting how Wayne who was the voice of the Bears during the eighty five championship team that was the youngest in the NFL that he said, this is a big man's game and an experienced man's game.
And to Jim's point, this is a young Bears team.
That could get younger depending on who makes the final fifty three. But just quick, Matt, there are sixteen making eighteen guys that are twenty six or younger on this team right now that are key players if you put them on the depth chart and say who's starting, who's going to make impact? And then Walker the new addition on the defensive line in Eddie Jackson at twenty nine. So it's a big number of players under thirty years of age. And I love it. I personally love it.
You know, I see I kind of disagree with Wayne a little bit because I think it's a young man's game.
You know, it's the young.
Guys that you got to get these guys playing within their first contract. So you when you were at the crossroads of that financial decision, you know exactly what you're going to invest in or you're not going to invest in. And Matt Eberflu said it last year that he's not opposed to playing young men. And when you look at the Jalen Carters or the Darnell Rights or the other young men that have come into the league this year, uh,
you know, quarterbacks at the top of the draft. You know, it's it's gonna be interesting to see, you know, what what the young guys do in the in the NFL.
Jim where you stand on that topic, because you you you've eloquently pointed out some of the things you dealt with in one with that team with a rookie running back and Anthony Thomas and a rookie receiver David Terrell.
Yeah, and that's where I think it. You know, just talking to Wayne, that's gonna be the challenge for Jordan Love, you know, ken he guide those guys and can he bring them along? You know, how much knowledge base does he have? And are we already mentioned And even Wayne kind of you know, doubled down on what I said that it's gonna put a lot more pressure on the head coach because typically when you have young skill position players,
you want a veteran quarterback. And if you've got a young quarterback, you want skilled players that have experience.
That's that's how.
It's always kind of in the NFL to what bring the young quarterback along? So so that'll be an interesting experience. I mean, look at Patrick Mahomes now they move on from Tyreek Hill. He's bringing all those guys along. He's a veteran now, you know, and he's a leader with all this experience. And Andy Reid knows, hey, man, my quarterbacks got this. You know, look at the Aaron Rodgers,
he probably went through three sets of receivers there. Tom Brady, he went through three sets of receivers in New England, and so you count on your veteran to bring them along. So I think that's an interesting experiment of how they're doing it there in Green Bay.
All right, we're gonna take our last break and have one more whip around the league. The latest news of the day as we checked down towards training camp in twenty twenty three. This is Bears Weekly on ESPN and the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff jon on the Bears Radio Network.
This segment of Bears Weekly and brought to you by I've got to go physical therapy because of that letic for dot com or a quest and in clinic or a virtual appointment and start feeling better. Tomorrow Jeff and Tom Jim Miller wrapping things up on tonight show. Will be back with you next Monday, the night before training camp opens, We'll hear from all the important players on this team heading into the twenty twenty three season training camp to get started.
We'll hear from the.
Top of the organization of Ryan Poles and head coach Matty Reflues, as well.
A couple things fellas. Let's start with Jim.
So there are now twenty seven teams scheduling joint practices with other teams.
This camp bears included.
They'll be going in week two to Indianapolis before they play the Colts. I always think this is a tremendous, tremendous bonus for a team that does this, and I'm certain you agree with me and tell us why.
Well, it's because you sometimes can't script. You know, certain things don't unfold in the preseason game, say your goal line offense or short yardage maybe that doesn't or maybe even a two minute drill depending on how the spring
or how the preseason games unfold. But in a controlled scrimmage, you can script all those things where you script the goal line period, you script a short yardage period, and you work on the things against a different opponent that you may necessarily not necessarily get an opportunity to do
in a preseason game. It's controlled. They will have some live periods, there's no doubt about that, in terms of the blitz periods and things like that, and it's just better work because it scripts situations that may not unfold in preseason games.
For me, you know, I just like the players.
They get to see other players, but you better get the two coaches in agreement upon what the tempo of the practice is because I've been a part of too many joint practices that our tempo is a little bit more aggressive than our opponents, and alls it did is end up being fights. I know they don't have that anymore in the NFL, but you have to understand tempo if you're going to get something out of it.
All right, we got about two minutes here jim DeAndre Hopkins to Tennessee with offensive coordinator Tim Kelly with him in Houston, he had a humongo year one hundred and fifteen fifteen to twenty seven and eleven touchdowns.
That good signing for him.
Yeah, I think so that's a big boost for They needed somebody to go opposite and take some pressure off a Trey Lion Burks there. That they did offer the most money. You know, it's basically a two year, twenty six million dollar deal, but they'll have the out after this year, I would think, and for Tennessee, it really for them, it's a sign that they're not giving up on that division. You know a lot of people just
think Jacksonville's is going to walk away with it. Indianapolis are coming along and we'll see what happens down in Houston. But it tells you Tennessee they're all in. They feel they can win that division. I think with that signing.
Tom Cole comet you're not on Twitter, but he was trending a little bit this weekend today because Jacksonville signed Evan Ingram to a three year, forty one million dollar contract and he got a pretty good Madden rating apparently. So getting ready for the year, are you hoping for some long term extensions not only with Cole here before the season gets going, Maybe you.
Know, play put up the numbers and you're gonna get re ward. This is not something that you're gonna get a big cash heyday if you don't improve and get more value out of your ability in the red zone.
And final minute, Jim, the sale is complete of the Washington Commanders, that Josh Harris's group that also includes Magic Johnson.
This is a breath of fresh air for the NFL.
I would assume, yeah, you just see, you know, you hope that Josh Harris, doesn't go in there and just try to shake up everything right away. Just take your time, learn how to own. I know he owns other sports franchises, so I'm sure he's got a good idea, but just to evaluate and make the changes that are necessary. I mean, this could be a total brand change when it's all said and done, and so.
I think it's a breath of fresh air.
And I think if he reaches out to the fans, he'll provide hope and hopefully a fan base that'll come back to the Commanders.
That's gonna do it for us.
We'll talk to you Monday, Jim, Thank you so much, Tom Thare, Jim Miller, Jeff Joniac. Thanks to Wayne Larvy and Pete Bursis from the Packers and Vikings Radio Networks. Our executive producer the Bears Radio Network is Eric Ostrowski. Thank you to Charlie Bevins. Coming up next, Tyler Aki. Enjoy his show. We'll talk to you Monday as we tick towards training camp here on ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.
Thank you for listening to the Chicago Bears Network presentation. The Bears Weekly, hosted by the Mara, Bearsville, Jeff Junia, and Surfmaster Tom Thayer. Podcasts are available on the Chicago Bears Official land, brought to you by Verizon and Apple Podcasts. Bears Weekly has been brought to you by Ben Rivers and Miller Likes