Welcome in Tumble Bears Weekly, a Chicago Bears Network production. Download the Chicago Bears official app, brought you by Verizon to follow the team on ago. Bears Weekly has brought you by Advocate Healthcare, Beth Rivers, CD, Twing, Connie's Pizza, and Miller Liked. Here are your hosts, Jeff Chili aka the Mayor of Bearsville and his Psydekick, Tom the Surfmaster, Theyer.
Gotta Love, Danny Zetterman and the crew with the nicknames love It, the Mayor of Bearsville and what we call you, Tom the surf.
Master, the Surfmaster I love.
You have to be over sixty years old to be qualified as a master in any sport, so I'll take it.
We need a nickname for Jim Metal. He'll be driving us shortly as well. But good evening, everybody. One more week to go before mandatory Minicapito. Off season program is winding down down fast, and this is Bears Weekly out of ESPN Chicago, the Bear's Radio Network. Joining me is always my broadcast partner, Tom Thayer, the super Bowl Bear.
We're here at seven o'clock tonight.
Our producers Dan Brilly Jordan drud up thanks to executive producer of the Bears Radio Network Kerra Ostrowski Charlie Bevens spending the dials back of the ESPN studios. And you know, I mentioned a Super Bowl Bear, Tom Theayer and a lot of your former teammates golfing this week with some old guys, not necessarily Super Bowl Bears a few. But did you get the invite to Jay Hilgenberg's course out there at Kenosha with Waddle and Jim Harbaugh and Neil Anderson and I forgot who else?
Caposo, Jim Morrissey. I did get, I did get an invite, But for the most part, I have retired from the game.
I poorly played it.
So but you know what, I enjoyed being out of practice with you yesterday. I did see Sylvie, I saw Danny's utter mean but you know, we have a chance to kind of get away from it all and have a little bit of football conversation. And it was kind of funny because I keep thinking about it, that that catch by DJ Moore in the end zone and you called but you called it a trust throw, yeah, And I like that because it was a tight window. It
was a great catch. It was great confidence by justin you know, inside the red zone like that, and you know that's the the standards of improvement that you have to see.
But I keep, I keep thinking about.
That word trust throw, trust throw, because the more trust he gains in this group of receivers that I think that he has to have confidence within himself that he can make those throws.
And he made a bunch of those with Dj Moore and has throughout this all offseason program. We bring in the quarterback himself, should we say because we got nicknames now apparently Jim about Miller Mania, we go with Miller Mania. So that's just a quick response. I don't even know if that works for you. If you've got a better one, bring it on.
Uh, I don't know, like Miller Mill the thrill. I don't know.
Mill the thrill.
Wait.
At some point in your football playing life grade school, did somebody coin that phrase for you?
No? Never, No, I'm not buying it. You've had a few nicknames, I'm sure. But anyway, Miller Lite.
I will say this though, when we talk about trust throws and just you can visualize what that looks like right without being at practice this week.
I mean what does that mean and how important is it?
Yeah?
I mean I just think you know, like I said, when you drop back and you're just you're confident, uh that the receivers doing their job. You know, say, you know basic just out routes, you know where you're just anticipating it and you're trusting that the receiver is going to cross the dB space and you know, you just you kind of just let it rip. You know, you're using you know that the receiver is going to do their end of the bargain and you're going to deliver
your end of the bargain. A lot of that does come through trust, through reps, talking things, through knowing the coverages, just confident in what your assignment is and that's when you distrust it to let that bowl rip and get it out of your hand.
The beauty of that particular throw we're talking about, and we had a bird's eye view of it, was in the red zone, so it was a thrower of the end zone in tight coverage. And I'll tell you DJ Moore, having seen him play with Carolina and now witnessing practice after practice, he has some magic hands.
Jim is very soft.
The ball is in his area, he just plucks that ball and gets upfield. I think he's going to be an and I said this one they traded for him, Tom and Jim, this is going to be a guy that's going to be a chain mover. He gets he accumulates first downs, which leads to touchdowns. And I know he hasn't had a ten touchdown year yet in his career, but he's had a whole lot of different quarterbacks. I
think these you are gonna connect. I think they're gonna they're gonna put some points on the board because this is a guy it appears again no pad, So you always got to qualify that this is the short season.
But you know he trusts him.
Jim, Yeah, you can say. I mean, if it wasn't for the quarterback situation, he would have been over five or over one thousand yards every year. You know, this past year they had what four different guys going at quarterball.
He's had three.
Yeah, he had three, so you know, PJ.
Walker and Baker and then obviously Sam Darnold was down there as well, and I think he only finished with whatever eight hundred and eighty eight yards, But realistically his five year career, he would add over one thousand every year. If he just said competent quarterback play down there, and we mentioned the explosive plays, So yeah, I think he's got the ability to even this year, to get to
double digit touchdowns. I mean, I've been saying it. If their run game is on par with what it was last year, their play action game alone, they won't be last in the NFL throwing the football. They just they will not with this group that that's not lining up this year in my opinion.
You know one thing when we talk about OTAs and yeah and I listen, man, I'm the biggest disliker of no pad football that there possibly is out there. But if we're gonna go sit out there and watch the OTAs, you know, it's not about contact.
It's more about hands and feet.
And when you look at DJ Moore and that catch that he was able to judge the velocity of that football when it came out of Justin's hands and then he put his hands in place, how is he going to be able to stop control and catch the football. It's just like the other positions that you like to see paying close attention to the offensive line. Okay, if you go to OTAs, try never to watch their upper body, watch their feet and how they're connected to their responsibility
and assignment. Because when you get do get on full paths and you have contact that's involved, you'll see a lot more of the little fundamentals of the game that you have to be good at in order to be an NFL player. But this is kind of judge day. Do they have the hands of a receiver? Do they have the feet as of an offensive defensive lineman or
any other position? And you brought up the way that Edmunds flows as a linebacker, and we were talking about like when we initially saw Erlacker and now we have a chance to have an eyes on approach to Edmunds and how his feet flow in the linebacker position. So that's you know, one thing I do like about OTAs Again not a not a big fan of no pad football, but we do get a chance to see a lot of really important values that go into these guys earning an opportunity.
No question, And Jim, you know you've been doing this a long time and you were part of that process as well, but you know it kills me sometimes when you read the national reports of OTA practices because again for those who don't realize it. The media's eyes on it only three times during the OTAs. It's once a week, but a lot of a lot of things are almost like put out there final analysis on somebody, or oh
my gosh, this this rookie quarterback has struggled in OTAs. No, it's it's one ota that you had your eyes on. Don't formulate a whole idea what a player is or isn't. That's like a coach saying, you know, I stood on the table for a guy I wanted him in the draft, and then you know, two weeks into offseason program, I can't coach that guy. No, that's not the case. I will tell you those guys are again. The pace and the intensity despite no pads and no contact is intense
over there. They are running all over the place, and I am with Tom, you know, watching the feet, watching the accuracy of a quarterback.
The balls shouldn't be on the ground much.
You know, it really shouldn't, especially in seven on seven, and that would be the case for a regular season also. But the ball's not on the ground that much. You're making chance he throws that maybe you would normally do you should you gotta experiment, let it let it rip, and Justin's letting it rip on the flip side defensively. Jim, there's something about this Tyreek Stevenson man, this Miami kid, second round pick. He's walking and talking, dare I say,
like a veteran corner out there, his communication skills. Just listening to him on the practice field and his persona and his swagger, it's he's really caught my attention.
Jim.
Well, he because he looks the part right, you know, he's that's a big, physical corner who they essentially selected out of Miami. And so I think that's encouraging because, like you said, you know, some players pick things up a lot quicker than other players. Like who was I reading about today? Will Levis was one of those players that supposedly struggled today the sky is falling. He's a rookie quarterback. Of course he's going to go through his struggles.
And some of these rookies will have good days and then of course they'll have bad days. But you're trying to start to stack them together as you install all these things that they need to be able to execute, and it'll go at a different pace for every single player. But as for Tyreek Stevenson that was a productive player in college. He's got all the measurables you're looking for. So I think it's encouraging that you're saying he looks
the part. But as Tom said, the big tests, when the Pats come out and things start coming a lot faster, you know, in terms of the speed and the pops and the hits and all those type of things, that he'll have to be a whole new ball game. That'll see if he looks the part then, and then it'll be the preseason games and we'll see if he looks the part then, you know, and he's got to keep on stacking him together and earning it when it's all said and done.
You know.
That kind of my third point about going throughout OTAs as I the defensive back group, I really enjoy the enthusiasts, the enthusiasm in which they practice with and that when they do make a big play, they you know, kind.
Of surround and support each other.
And I think that's why I message you today, Jap about how many guys in this defensive back group don't have any NFL starts, Because when we look back at the defensive backfield a year ago to where it's at now.
It's one of the most competitive, experienced positions that the Bears have, and it was super encouraging because when you go back and you look at the practice and you look at the way, you know, how fired up these guys are and how they're communicating and how they're, you know, really approaching their job to make it as difficult as possible for a guy like justin.
Yeah, we're gonna hear from John Holk on some of those guys, the young guys. The answer to Tom's question, how many guys did not yet have an NFL snap on the list of dbs, the answer is five, and they're all rookies, undrafted or drafted players. Everybody else on that defensive back list right has NFL snaps here or
somewhere else. Coming up next, we're gonna be joining an interview I did with a defensive end Dominique Robinson this week up at half I saw that's coming up next here on Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
Excuse Weekly with a Force of the Bears for twenty three years. Jeff on the Bears Radio Network.
Welcome back to everybody, the Bears Weekly here on ESPN one thousand here in Chicago, and the Bears Radio Network. Jeff Joniec alongside defensive end edge rusher, a guy who could kick inside as well. Second year and ready to have some fun. Domini Robinson our guest here today and now we'll talk to Jim Miller and Tom Payer in a moment.
Thanks for taking some time. How you feeling good?
Are you?
I'm doing great? Tell me how it's going.
It's going good. It's going good. I had a great offseason. I kind of took a little time off, but I was here working out a lot, you know, trying to improve.
When some areas get stronger.
So where did you want to get stronger or where did they want you to get stronger?
Well, I want I knew I needed to get stronger in my upper body. My legs are solid, but I needed to get stronger on my upperbody to be able to set the edge a little better. So think I've done that.
Is that something you felt over the course of your rookie season like these?
Yeah?
So, I mean, you know, the transition kind of caught me in a in a weird area where I was. I was strong, but I wasn't as strong, and then I come here and it's you know, you got to ramp it up just a little more. So, uh, it was. It was definitely a learning experience last year. But I think I can. I'm gonna be great this year.
You know, Honestly, I ask guys this all the time when they come in off you know, listen, Tremaine Edmonds was nineteen when he entered the league. He's only twenty five years old. Okay, but can you feel when you come in as a young player the strength of a guy on the opposite siety.
Can you feel their strength? It's man strength.
It's different. It's a little different. You can definitely feel it. It's a little different from college. You know, you can kind of muster your way around. But with poor technique in the league, you know, you can.
Get exposed technique at your beat.
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
So the toolbox I used to talk about the tool box.
Yeah, pass rushers, defensive linement, stopping the run too.
Have you developed a toolbox?
I have.
I took some time to work out with some guys this this off season. I got with BT Jordan before actually right before he accepted that job out and out of Seattle, and he's a pass US specialist, so I got with him. I was supposed to get with Rob Mathis. I think I'm gonna try to get with him after Ota is going into uh, you know camp and now in our off time, so I've been working with different guys, just trying to improve, watching tape and stuff like that.
So yeah, a lot of guys do hire you know, some professionals that focused in on that and that A lot of it is just marring footwork with hands, right, So unlocking your hands, we hear that all the time. And a guy who hasn't played the position very long, I'm sure there's still a lot of those hands.
To be unlocked.
You know what, what you what have you learned the subtleties of of that one instant of time where you can make a move that's gonna make you dangerous.
I learned a lot, especially with angles. Last year.
My angle, my pastor's angle just wasn't the greatest, and that's why I was getting caught in a lot of positions that I was getting caught in. So I fixed that and it's starting it's starting to it's starting.
To look good.
So watching myself on tape with the angle and the different moves and stuff like that that I've learned this offseason, I'm feeling good.
I'm feeling good.
Well, you folks can't see this, but he's smiling. So he's got that. He's got that look in his eyes. So you know, you're the first one. You got to look in the mirror and say, Okay, I'm better. I'm figuring this out a little bit. After instant success two week one, you're thinking, okay, had a second a half against the forty nine ers in that slop and then if you're not getting them, is a way on you?
Right? Is it?
Does it?
It did?
It did?
And you know, I think I was blessed to be able to get those sacks in week one to show that I can do this.
But I got lucky. I'm not gonna lie. Uh.
I think that was one of those beginner luck games. And as the season went on and I kept fighting and fighting trying to get some more, it just wasn't happening. So uh, that was a big learning experience and all that tape.
Last year I've watched, I've learned from it.
I sat down with my coaches and you know, worked on the things that they told me, and I'm improving from that, so I you know, it happens, it's not gonna happen again.
Though I like the I like the resolve. Why won't.
Oh, I just can't. I can't have another season like that. I mean, that was that was year one. You know, that's that's that's expected.
You know.
I I expected more from myself, But.
Now that I'm here, it's definitely I don't expect it to do that again.
Do you give yourself a little break about that, because, let's be honest, you don't have a ton of experience at right.
A tiny bit, but not much like when I so my my original before getting drafted, my original goals were to make the fifty three and to make plays on defense or SG whatever spot they put me in. When I got here and I knew, you know, the season came around and I knew that I was going to be in rotation, those goals started to change a little bit. You know, I started to put a number on the sacks and stuff like that, and when I didn't reach those goals, you know, kind of it kind of hurt
a little bit. But I'm still learning the game too, and I'm still learning that. You know, it's not just me out there of four guys rushing as one. So even though I'm not getting a sack, my efforts can help somebody else get a sack. Their efforts efforts can help me get a sack, and it just plays all in the one. So after I looked at that and I was like, all right, you know it is what
it is, you know. And throughout the season, even though you know it ended with one and a half, I had opportunities where I was in on things you know that I you know, didn't get the numbers for. But I was in on a couple of stuff throughout the season even though the sacks weren't there. I was productive as of you knows and crassures and stuff like that. So I know sax is the main goal and that's what I'm here for. Uh, there were there was other stuff that went on to.
How many miss secks did they tell you you had or did you think after watching back?
When I when I watched it back, I didn't have any open opportunities to where it was just like, man, you missed that one. Uh, there were more of you should have used this move, you know, or you should have did this or that. I was my alignment, assignment, key technique. I'm usually solid on doing the right things and being in the right places. So it wasn't no mental errors or anything like that. I think it was just, yeah, you know my luck.
Was it hard?
Was it hard hard on your mentally because you always were in a great mood? Yeah, great mood, always great moved.
But was that season hard for you?
Not much.
I mean there were times times where I got, you know, not in my head. I never get in my head, but there were times where I'm like, what is going on, you know, just trying to figure it out, you know, as as an athlete, you try to figure it out. And I was trying to figure it out on my own for a large amount of the season, thinking, you know, I got this, I'm gonna try to watch others and
figure it out. And then those last three games after the Eagles game, because I had a horrible game, I just I don't know, I was off my I didn't understand. I knew what I was doing, but the way a Lota was setting me, I literally couldn't understand what was going on. And it just looked bad on tape. I was second guessing a lot, so I want to talk to the coaches. In those last three games, I was I felt good, like I was getting off the ball,
I was setting edge, I was striking. So the Lions, Bills and the Vikings, those are my three games where I was like, I'm finished strong. I'm finished strong. And then it's carrying over now to where the angles of how to line up and stuff like that help with setting the edge, They help with getting to the quarterback and all that stuff.
So it's it's it's solid.
Hey, Drew mile, lot of no slouch there either six nine, big body. Yeah, it takes you a couple of zip codes to get around that guy.
Right.
Our guest is Dominique Robinson.
A few more minutes with the Bears defensive and second, you're player, and there's a.
Lot of second your player.
So I'm watching these guys out at OTAs in the past couple of weeks and watching some tape and just seeing that these young guys, your drafts class and the undrafted guys, they with their beak like they got reps. You guys got reps led the league by a long shot. They want playing time, like the competition. Do you suspect once training campits and the pads come on, it's gonna be pretty pretty special in my opinion?
Is you agree? I do? I do?
Yeah, my class, I noticed early on that a lot of us was playing, and you know, we had Ricky Academy with Erica and stuff, and I told them, like, yo, you've got to look at what's going on right now. We got the highest amount of rookies in the league, and for a lot of us, we were all playing or doing something either on sc offense or I'm like, you gotta like we got to pick it up, you know. So I think it's definitely gonna be a lot of competition.
And the rookies they brought in, they're they're ready to go too, so.
Yeah, and they're likely to bring in some more free agents, you know, before before it happens, So it'll it'll really stir the pot a little bit. Everybody's talking about Edge Rusher's past, Rush.
Not not not?
Is that is that insulting to hear you? You and Trevis for example, They don't talk about you guys yet.
Yeah, you know, not enough. Anyway, It's all good.
I haven't earned it yet, and it's gonna it's gonna come a time where you know, people people will be talking.
So that doesn't bother me at all.
You know, this is this league is you know, always moving, you know, trying to find the next best guy. So I understand what it is. And half the time some of the stuff that comes out it isn't true anyway, So I don't even I don't, I don't bother you know, we got d Walk, we got rashim Me GiB and a couple other guys, so a couple of rookiees. So I mean, I if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, doesn't, I'm still here.
I'm working about the about the new young guys inside the characters I've already interviewed. Zach Pickens great, always laughing, always sense of humor. Jervone Dexter, a tremendous linear athlete playing. Yeah, tell me what you think about those guys.
I was, I was, you know, I was glad to meet those guys. I love that there wasn't an ego, you know, there weren't. You know, they two three picks two and three, you know around two three. So when you get those kind of guys sometimes you think, you know, they might come in with an ego, thinking that they this and that, and you know they didn't do that. They came in respectful.
Huh. You know.
They they're doing what they gotta do to be the best for us and for themselves. So they're really good guys.
Well, you know, I think that's an important point to bring up because and Cody white Hair talks about it all the time. You know, when when they started looking at Free, you know, does he fit our culture? And it's been established, it's been worked hard to do. Some really great players from the past have moved on for the idea that now we're going to be building something and now getting ready to compete. Do you guys recognize that too as young players that that matters?
Yeah, it does. In here, it definitely does. And I know there was a guy in the in the draft where I was like, he doesn't fit. I knew, and I knew I was telling him a wif I talked to my life, I'm like, you know, he doesn't fit. You know, so these guys fit. They've picked guys that fit our culture. They work hard, they hear every day, they own time, all the things that coach flu preacies we're all trying to accomplish.
I see eighty five on your white T shirt. I don't know what it means, but eighty five is the last time the Bears want a Super Bowl?
Is there any connection there?
Connection? But for this pose it is.
I like that because it's it's been way too long obviously, But and this will wrap us up here with Dominie Robinson. Do you feel, like Cody mentioned today, there is a different feeling in the building. You know, last year everybody was not sure, especially veterans, who was going to be here, was not gonna be here, whether they just gonna you know, rip it down to the bare wire basically and start over.
And in some sense that did happen. But now what's been happening and you you being here a lot, There's been a lot of guys who have been here throughout, not just talking about OTAs, but from you know, the time that the weight room was opened up and you guys could start hitting it. Do you feel good about everybody's mindset about what we're trying to build here?
Yeah? I do. I do.
And last year, you know, being a rookie, I kind of I kept to myself. I call myself a people watcher. I just I watched and I gauge others on how they move and stuff like that. They're you know, personality, So the personalities are way different, for sure. It's a lot different. A lot of guys want to work, they want to be here, and you know, they want to grind. Even though you know, our prices are a little a little harder than other places, people are still here grinding,
putting in work. The guys who you know that probably couldn't shouldn't be here if they didn't want to, are here for the most part. So it's I think, I think it's great.
Yeah, it serves a bigger purpose, right correct, Well.
We appreciate it. We're going to look forward to seeing it. It's always big. Second year makes a big difference and then the next one becomes even bigger.
So keep grinding and good luck this season.
Dominie Grobinson our guest here on Bears Weekly Back with Tom Thayer and Jim Miller. Next Down Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
Is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Jonyak on the Bears Radio Network.
Hey want NPXSS to every Bears home game, exclusive scenings, sideline credentials and more now available. Get the Ultimate VIFP fan package this season. Visiting Chicago Bears VIP dot Com. Jeff Tom Jim Miller just heard Dominique Robinson. Want to touch on a couple of things before we listen into defensive coordinator Alan Williams about the state of affairs on defense. I'm gonna start with Tom and then go to Jim.
He talked a lot about angles and learning angles. We got to remember this was an offensive players, a quarterback tight end, played some defense in his final year at Miami Ohio. But you know what is he referring to the angles of approach to a quarterback that he has yet to master, that he's working out of the saw on tape that he didn't do a year ago. And you as an offensive lineman bracing for what a defensive lineman is coming at you.
They're trying to get on your edges right.
Well, you know, first of all, there's a lot of angles that you have to pay attention to. You have to pay attention to the initial setup. Whatever offensive lineman you're gonna pass rush against. Is he trying to overset you really wide to get you to commit to the inside. Is he trying to give you a soft outside shoulder that allows you to run upfield? Because then you have to understand what is the quarterback most likely to do.
What angle is he gonna take.
Is he gonna take a sharp outside angle and try to challenge your outside pass rush ability, or is he going to stay inside and try to force you to take an inside angle and try to go over the strongest part of your offensive lineman. There's so many subtleties to the details of being a great defensive end, especially in this modern day offense with three stop drops with shotguns,
with the RPOs. And then he talks about playing against an offensive line like that of the Philadelphia Eagles, and this is a super experienced group of guys.
They've been together for a long time.
And then, just like our offensive line in eighty five, we would never create vulnerabilities.
If Keith van.
Horn was gonna set far to the outside, I knew that I could help Jay to the inside and still protect Keith's inside. So it's all those angles of approach that you have to understand. But it's all about if he has a superior get off, then he's gonna be in control of the angle. So when he talks about his own development, he talks about the explosiveness, the burst off the line of scrimmage, understanding.
How to set the edge.
So you know, you could sit here and talk about twenty to thirty different angles per game that when.
He masters those, he'll be a better defensive lineman.
Jim what I love He was wraw about his analysis about what he was last year and watching the tape, and he sounds like a guy who cares. And that's the first step of being great, like acknowledging even to yourself and publicly go, hey, these are the things I did not do well.
This is my disappointment. This is what I gotta work on.
And then feed into this notion that you know, players make a big jump from your ononder year two.
Can we expect that from a guy like Dominic Graunt.
Are we sleeping on guys like Dominique Robinson and Trevis Gibson who's entering a very important year three for the Bears on the edge.
Yeah, I think he should expect to have a big jump. Like you said, he's new to the position. He's growing, he's learning, he's listening to his coaches. He went in there to Hey, what can I do to get better? And then you've got to start to apply him. He's got the rolodex. Now he'll be facing some of the same guys that he faced last year. So when he goes back and watches the tape, and I'm sure he's
got to be honest in that assessment. Hey, next time that happens, I'm going to do this where you now start to have answers, you know, to make sure that the negative things you did don't happen again. And you start to have answers where you can now you know, basically spin off of it, where you can come up with a better reaction or maybe a better situation. You play it a lot better the next time because you've
been through those. It's been a learning experience, and that's how you continue to grow and get better as a player. I mean, I don't know any player who didn't want to be great, who wasn't hard on themselves. You know, it used to bother me. I'm sure bother Tom if I you know, having a bad play in a game,
I like sometimes I wouldn't sleep at night. I just made that play, would just keep on going in my head over and over and over again, and I'd just be telling myself, all right, next time that happens, I'm gonna do this or that to make sure that that doesn't happen. And again, I don't think if you're not challenging yourself like that, then you're never gonna get better as a player. So I think it's a good thing
that he cares. I think it's an honest assessment and hopefully he's put the work in to where he can make that big jump in year two.
All Right, Alan Williams the best defensive coordinator at the podium This week at the media availability, we'll talk about the defensive ends improvement overall.
At this point, I.
Do, I do, and I'll say yes, and i'd say what makes me think that, Yeah, just being out there and seeing how they're working, how they're rushing the passer. We keep it shard ofduction, and their production is up different from last year. Specific guys, the understanding that they have of the defense, so all those things are better than they were last year. So that leads me to believe that will be better now. The caveat is that we don't have pads on right now, and so you'll
never know until you know. But the era was still from me. It's pointing up in sky high.
All right.
With that being said, it was a big topic. And I've done many events already this off season with fans season ticket holders, and he used to be, Hey, how's Justin Fiald is going to be? Now?
Is are we going to get another edge rusher?
Because they completely dismissed what's been added in free agency. DeMarcus Walker, Rashid Green, the two guys that are trying to elevate. We just touched on Tom and now it's about, Okay, who we bringing in? And I'm going to ask you, guys. I asked you the same question last week. I spent more time thinking about it. A lot of these guys are thirty, thirty three, thirty four years old out there. Maybe you could squeeze a year out of them and maybe they maybe they can be here for a couple
of years. I listened to an interview on Serious XM earlier today, Jim on the Gentleman from Indianapolis last year on yennikin Gockway. He's looking for a multi year deal. He's started of moving around. He's been at a lot of places, so maybe he's holding out for a long term deal, which for a veteran of his age, you get two years, you're lucky, three, you're really fortunate. How about a guy like Frank Clark, He's still only twenty nine years of age.
Would this player be of interest to either of you?
To Jim, you start, yeah, I don't think Frank Clark would be a bad guy. I think, what do you know, He's one of the top guys in postseason play, right and I think, you know, he still is at that age where he can be an impactful player, and you know, I just think for him that ultimately he's probably going to be ended up returning to Kansas City. I don't think the number that he's looking for is out there. And I would say the same thing about Yannick and Goakway.
Both those guys can still play. I think, you know, because the Bears do want to go young, I think probably the better avenue would be to go out and work a trade with a team. I don't know if anybody ever asked Ryan Poles as much as I think we all love DJ Moore. I mean, if you think about it, Brian Burns would have been a pretty good
get from Carolina right as an edge rusher. I mean, to me, he's been a good fit and I'm sure probably Ryan Poles asked about it, but as Polesley, Carolina said that Brnton, no way Brian Burns is off the table.
When other teams were making calls last year towards towards the end of the year, but new regime, all those type of things, maybe you thought that would have been a possibility there because guys like Brian Burns, I think around the league, in that age group, those are guys maybe you'd want to target via a trade.
But Tom, who's given those guys nobody? You know.
That's why Clark would be my only consideration of the guys that are out there and the guys that you mentioned, because he's still you know, in that you know, twenty something twenty nine you said, and he is a pass rusher. He understands what it takes to be successful in the style of defense. He's been around a successful locker room in the last few years, and he knows how to bring that message aboard. But I don't want to spend money on hope you still have something in the tank.
I want to spend it on a bona fide a guy that's going to come in here and be an asset to your football team in every way, shape or form, and then contribute.
Sacks and pass pressure.
So if you have to sit here and continuous develop the talent that you have here and get your interior of your defensive line to play a better brand of football so they can help your exterior edge rushers, then maybe that's the route you have to go. But you know, I'm I just don't want to throw money at the hopes that someone as the panic because in our in our background as broadcasters, Jeff, we have seen that happen to the Bears, and sometimes it didn't work out for the best.
Yeah, many different examples.
Yes, Certainly before we go to break one more with Alan Williams, because we've we've mentioned this, the secondary competition is going to be intense. Kyler Gordon right now a topic playing that inside nickel. He loves playing outside corner, but right now dedicating his eye on that inside position.
The analysis from Alan.
Williams, Yeah, I would say right now where he's in at the Nickel, and we're doing a lot of that, and but we've we've moved him all around still with the idea that he's gonna play Nickel. But you can never have enough corners in the NFL. So we're not
going to just limit him to that. We're gonna put him outside a little bit to keep his feet, keep his feet wet there and so that if he needs to go outside, it's not like gosh, I hadn't had any reps for an extended period time, so Nicol and then if need be, he'll he'll go outside and go outside and function and function well.
Nichols are hard to find.
We'll pick up that part of the conversation with Jim and Tom after this break.
This is Bears Weekly.
Thanks for joining us tonight here on Am one thousand ESPN Radios.
Is Bear's 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 C d W. Little get A, Jeff, Tom and Jim with you and Jalen Johnson appearing out ESPN National this morning with Ki Shan, Jaywill and Max. Says that his absence will end the OTA will be back next week, so he says he had a lot of things working off the field.
I do know this from doing stories with him. He's big on being a dad.
He's got a daughter that is young, and he spends a lot of time with her when he can in the off season in Fresno.
And business fundraisers.
A kid that died his best friend just in twenty one gun down. He honors him in a project called Kevy's Vision and he's working on that in the off season too, so he'll be back. He's been in contact with John holl quite a bit. Jim, so we often focus on guys that are not there as opposed to guys that are there. And the headline of the Bears this offseason is attendance has been outstanding.
I mean virtually everybody is there now.
Nate Davis hasn't to my knowledge, he hasn't been in the OTA sessions. Doesn't mean he hasn't been there in other regards, in the weight room or whatever. But those are the two that have drawn drawn most of the conversation. But every team has it right.
Yeah, I think well, for the most part, most teams really have a good level of you know of attendance in the in the ots. Granted it's voluntary. I think we all we all get that, I think if you stay in communication with the coach. But again I think every player knows that it's not where it needs to be right now. So again, nobody is solidified other than say maybe tremain Edmunds and the free agents who signed
for big money. They know they're going to be there, they know what the role is, they know they're they're going to be on the team. But it's still unsettled for a lot of guys that are out there. So the guys are hungry, they're in there working. It's good that Jalen, he'll be in there next week. I actually just talked to Jalen last week. He was doing the golf outing for the Kevies that you were just talking about. So he does have a lot of stuff going on offseason.
I think most coaches now understand it about the voluntary. Hey, we're going to coach the guys that are here. That's the coach speak that is out there. Of course, they want every player to be there. You want to build that continuity, you know, the you know, all the stuff you need as from a team level to build all that moving forward. And they've got a lot of guys that are doing it and next week Jalen will be
a part of it. So I think it's a good thing that the Bears are have all those guys working, you.
Know, for all these guys that can participate in the meetings.
The academic side.
Of football, I think that's the most important part to me because back in the day when we didn't have OTAs, you counted out everybody to have that work ethic that's that they display during the off season to be ready for the regular season.
So that's kind of.
A little bit more the program of Jalen Johnson this offseason, but with Nate Davis, him becoming familiar with the offense is going to allow him to hit the ground running. Now, if he was not participating in meetings and then you went right to the first day of full pad training camp or even mandatory mini camp and you're half a step behind, you can make the entire offense look dysfunctional. Defense,
it's a little bit different of a role. You're isolated, you're out there in a corner, and Jalen understands what his assignments are a new guy like Nate, he's got to become familiar with his assignments because he's gonna be asked to help Darnell write, move along as quickly as possible. And if they're questioning each other as they approach the line of scrimmage, right there, the offense is behind by a half account or three quarters of account, And I said, that can ruin the whole function.
Tom, what's that Hawaiian term you always say when things are tough? Coppoo?
Oh, coppo dangers danger.
John Holk back with the Bears secondary coach cornerbacks and the passing game coordinator. I brought up with him in an interview with the assistance this week. Just the development so far of a Tyreek Stevenson in other topics. He's out there talking as if you look at him for a second, A wait, that's a rookie out there kind of making sure things are getting done.
Is he had a little bit?
Yeah, he knows football. He's very instinctive, he gets he understands it. He's played a two really good programs. He had three really good defensive coordinators in college, so you know you can tell he has a very good uh grasp of defensive football and concepts.
So when you have three defensive coordinators in your time, you often think of that as a negative, but in this case for a corner, he's at a positive.
He took it as a positive and he talks it life as it's a positive, and he talks about how this is made. It's it's helped him with understanding this system and these concepts. So he's done that.
And in terms of Terrell, similar situation.
Yeah, he's doing good. He's smart and he's got size, you know, and he understands what you're trying to teach him, and once you teach it to him, he very rarely makes a mistake. He's just got They all have to do it, you know, with consistency and with detail.
All Right, we're gonna hear from Kyler soon.
Today.
Is he focusing on just one spot more so? And he's that a good thing for him right now.
That's a great thing because he's getting reps at one spot and he'll be a really really good He's he's got a really good skill set for that spot and that's really a great plus for us. He's physical, smart, has instincts, So it's exciting from that standpoint.
You know people well knowing John Halkey wants everybody to be physical on those edges on the inside of the corner.
So and you're seeing that at practice town.
But you know, Jeff, one thing about Kyler Gordon, if he masters that inside corner position, just think of the versatility it gives the entire defense and the defensive backfield, because here's a guy that can come up and support the run. Here's a guy that can blitz off the edge. Here's a guy that can take one of the most important coverage roles, and that requires him using a majority
of the field and lock it down. So I think the more Kyler Gordon can do, the more versatility it gives your defense overall and how you can attack and where you can blitz.
From and the other corner. He was referring to Turell Smith out of the University of Minnesota. Hey, hey, Jim, in terms of which is a defensive heavy show. Clearly we talked about justin all the time we touched it at the top of the show. Where do you see this defense in terms of the inside guys? And Tom can weigh into these young inside guys and just say, for example, they are not able to bring in a free agent defensive end for whatever reason, maybe it's too costly,
or it just it just doesn't work out. Can they Can they get that pass rush to a level of consistency in your opinion? Or will that require the coaches to be a little more well, you know, Allan Williams calling a few more blitzes here and there, or what's your thought on that?
Yeah, because I think if it's not to the level what it is, you have to do something, you know, so you've got to manufacture it. You know, it's last year, what do they do? They ran some safety blitzes with Jakwan Brisker. Now maybe this year it's more linebackers with the speed of Edmunds and obviously Edwards. Maybe maybe that factors in because at some point, if it's not getting done up front with the with the front four and what do you what do we know that you need
from from a dominant defense? You're probably your two edged guys or your end of the line guys got to be double digit sack guys. Right Philadelphia they led the league in sacks, all right, and you look at San Francisco, they've got double digit guys Okay, So if you can't get guys on the outside, whether it's Walker or whoever, the Robinson, they can't get to that level of maybe they're only getting five or four, then you got to generate it somewhere else, and it's got to be with
the other guys. And maybe Blitzey Moore would be a possibility. Maybe it's twist, maybe it stunts. I don't know. The coaches will have to figure that out, or you go out and you get a guy here. I should have brought up the name earlier. I mentioned Brian Burns. You know, I don't know. Is Chase Chase Young available over there Washington? They didn't give him the fifth year option. You know, he hasn't played well after his knee injury. He was hesitant to get back on the field. Where are they at?
They've got new ownership coming in there. That team hasn't arrived by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe they'd move on from Chase Young. Right, that's a former first round draft pick who everybody thought after his rookie year was going to be the man until he tore his acl Where's he? So guys like that that you got to be looking around for as well.
But you know, I don't think that you can approach the system and say this defensive success is relying is if we get a marquee pass rusher by the time the season starts, then I just think that you're gonna create a dysfunctional group that maybe doesn't believe in theirselves. So you do have to formulate a plan that you could apply pressure from different way, shapes or form and that a lot of times that can come from your inside pass rushers when they develop.
And they're counting on that for sure.
One more segment to go, well, quickly hit some topics league wide. This is Bears Weekly on AESBO one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Jony on the Bears Radio Network.
All right, less than a minute, Jim Miller topics. Who's winning the NBA Finals? The Denver Nuggets to Jimmy Butler in the Miami Heat.
Who you got? I'll go to the heat?
Tom Denver Nuggets? Okay, Tom Brady's certain he's not playing again? Jim true or false? True? Tom True?
Should Josh McDaniels have anxiety over the Raiders quarterbacks sition situation. Tom with Jimmy Garoppolo apparently coming off with surgery.
Jim.
Yes, Matthew Slater, I love what he has to say every day of his football Iby ripped the new kickoff rule as he right on the money. Yes, Tom, all right, that'll do it for us. Thank you for everything, guys for Tom Thayer, Jim Miller, Eric Ostrowski, our Bears Ready to Network executive producer, AM one thousand, Charlie Bevans, Dan Brilly and Jordan Treadip.
Thank you to Dominique Robinson.
Coming up next Game one of the NBA Finals Tonight It's the Heat and Denver.
Good night of