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Off season training activities underway around the National Football League twenty nine of the thirty two teams, including the Bears, as they kick off a three week period at hallisa on the mix of veterans and rookies and some new faces blend in What's going to go to training camp here in mid July. So it's a get acquainted session for everyone. Good to be back with you. A short turnaround from last Thursday night with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Fayre. Jim Middle will be along in just
a moment. I'm Jeff Joniac coming up shortly. Our teammate and former Bears fullback Jason McKee. Our sideline report around the radio broadcast here on ESPN chicagohen the Bear's Radio Network will join us as well, thanks to our producers Dan Barrelli, Jordan Treadup, and in studio today Sean Graeney. The executive pretty Sure to the Bear's Radio Network is Eric Ostrotski. So we went over the schedule released last week Big Time and University loved and how it lays out.
Now it's time to roll up the sleeves, get down to business. And this period really, I would I would imagine for everybody involved is sharpen your skills and develop.
Get ready.
It is sharpen your skills and develop. But the Bears have a lot more on their plate during this off season because of the amount of new bodies there in place, a new system in place, a new defensive coordinator in place.
There.
You have to become familiar with everybody's coaching style, you have to become familiar with responsibilities. You have to have continuous conversation amongst your positions to try to become familiar about with all the infra that you have to be able to digest during this ota period because really, when you come to training camp, the addition of football pads really increases just the importance of a daily practice.
And Tommy, from what I've heard, attendance throughout this offseason has been outstanding. It's exactly what we want to hear. I'm sure not everyone makes it for whatever reasons throughout all the OTAs. It is voluntary, but given where this team is at, the excitement in the building, I would imagine almost everybody's going to be on hand.
Well, if you're not on hand, then what's your excuse? And I know there's veterans that are secure in what they've been able to earn over the course of over the course of a career. But you know this there, you know nobody has that opportunity this year.
This is about all for one and one for all, and.
So if there is someone that's missing with regularity, I would as a position coach, as a coordinator, as a head coach, as a general manager, I would like to know the reasons behind it, because every single facet of this football team it needs continuity and development to ultimately get where you want to get, and that's winning your division to earn a spot into the playoffs.
All right, And so we got a rookie quarterback here and I thought something in SI dot Com Albert Breer wrote over the past sixteen draft cycles, starting with two thousand, well through the twenty three class, forty eight quarterbacks drafted in the first round, and only two Jake Locker in twenty eleven and Jordan eleven twenty, failed to start a game as a rookie. Pat Mahomes started one in his rookie year. But the days of having a guy sit
long gone. All these guys are gonna find time and they're gonna start.
Well.
You know, I think Peyton Manning has really led the way that argument. He says you're not gonna develop by sitting on the bench, And when you look at the performance that he had his rookie year and how many interceptions he threw, maybe there is value to getting on the field as soon as possible. But you know, you don't have unrealistic expectations because of Peyton Manning. But then you have unrealistic expectations because of CJ.
Stroud and somewhere in between.
There is the performance of the rookie quarterback and that's what you want to get. But that's the indicators that you're gonna get throughout OTA OTA meetings and an on the training camp, all.
Right to tell you.
Well, we're gonna take our first break early because when we come back, we'll be joined by Jason McKee, our sideline reporter and former Chicago Bear and the head coach at Armel High School on Mondoline. Jim Miller will join us as well with tant there. I'm Jeff Joniak and this is Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years Jeff on the Bears Radio Network.
Ye brought you by IPS uttered you Jeff and Tom and Jim Millar to join us. Suns from Serious x VNFL Radio and our partner in crime, Jason McKee. I've been ringing this guy, Tom and Jim for a couple of weeks now. He's he's been away, he's been busy, he's got other things going on. But Jay Mack, how you feeling, man, what's going on?
Feeling good? Glad to join the show. Talks and Bears Football. As you know, you guys always do a great job. And excited to be back and excited about the season. You know, here again with you guys, you know, covering the Bears.
Well, what makes you most excited about twenty four out of the gate here?
Yeah, just you know, as it has been the past few years, the offseason has been you know, exciting, you know, just because of the moves that that Ryan Poles has made and the positions he's put this team in terms of competing and be able to be able to make moves in the off season. And we see that with the draft. I mean obviously Kayla Williams bringing Romo Doonze and you know, Keenan Allens and there's a lot of promise on the team that really you know, showed some
upside to end the season last year. So I'm just excited to see what these new pieces, how they can put together, new coordinators, new stuff, and I'm excited to see, you know, what this offense is going to look like under the tute religious Shane Waldron. You know, you've got a lot of weapons, but you know, you can have all the ingredients in the world, but you still got
to cook it and it has to taste good. So if you're not putting things together the right way, it's not going to be you know, the presentation is going to be what it needs to be So I'm excited to see how, you know, they go about developing you know, Caleb Williams, how this offense is going to be rand you know who who's going to be featured in what ways, and you know how he's going to attack defenses and
stuff like that. And then on the defense side of the ball, I'm looking forward to seeing, you know, Kender's defense continue to pick up, to pick up where they left off. You know, we're missed some pieces still, but I think we've got a lot of young talent and we added some talent last year. So there's definitely an exciting time to be a Airs fan, but it's also exciting time to cover them as well.
Hey, Jason, let me ask you something personally. So the schedule comes out last week and you have a chance to take a look at it, But you're also a head coach that is getting a team prepared into the ind of your training camp and then into the regular season. When you see a trip in there, like the London trip or the other games, does that affect how you have to put your work, high school itinerary together.
According to the release of the NFL schedule.
Yeah, one hundred percent. You know, everybody's looking at the schedule in terms of Bear stands and trying to book tickets, and you know, I know we're looking at it and trying to see where we're going to be at and get ready to cover the game. But you know, I've got my high school itinerary and I've got the Bears itinerary, you know, brought up side by side to figure out, Okay,
how am I going to make this work? How am I going to make sure my coaching staff is ready to be prepared, you know, if I'm absent a few practices and it happened like that last year. But you know, having a great coaching staff and you know, having a great system and a good level of expectation and our kids understand, you know, what's required of them, and then able tous have a good seating. So it's a challenge
in that regard. But at the same time, you have good people around you, and you have a good system to place, and you understand what it takes to win, and you can manage two things at one time, and there's less to be in a situation I'm in right now.
You know, Jay, you talk about having a system in place and the Bears really don't have a system in place. Plus they have a new quarterback and they have a lot of you know, new guys on the team. So when you think about the classroom sessions of OTA and the on the field sessions of an Ota, do you think that you put more emphasis in the classroom sessions or do you want to get them up on their feet and moving as a team as much as classroom sessions.
Well, I think you got to have some balance there because it's one thing to go on the grease board and to diagnose plays and route concept is based against you know, based upon what coverages you're seeing, but it's another thing to go out there and actually to go through that the quarterback to go through that progression, you know, against different coverages in terms of the rock concerts they're running.
So I think you gotta have balance there because some guys, as we know tom Are, they're good in the classroom, but then they get out there on the field and they can't they can't process or they can't run full speed what they've digested in the classroom. So I think you gotta have balance. And I think when you have a new offense, and especially when you have a new quarterback at rookie quarterback, I think as an offensive coordinator,
you may have all these ideas. You may be excited because you've added so many weapons and there's so much promise, but at the same time, you do have to remain humble enough to only go as far as the quarterback can go. So as he grows within the offense, he has an understanding of what you're putting in and he's able to go out there and execute it a practice. Well,
then you grow as he grows. You can't go out there and just give him the whole playbook and expect him to go out there and light the world on fire. You have to be pacer with him because you have the rookie and it is a different.
Jason McKee our guest here on ESPN one thousand or the Bad Radio Network, Jeff and Tom Jim Miller would join us here in just a minute, and we've got Jason McKee talking Bears football. Jmac, is there a big, big training camp practice scenario brewing here because of the talent on offense, the weaponry that we're all thinking, Okay, how are you gonna stop this bunch?
No matter who's quarterback?
And you got so much talent there for a defense that fell in its oats there the last half of the season, put up some unbelievable numbers and really for that secondary to really it's like, it's gonna really challenge each other here, right, don't you think so? Young guys like Tyreiek, Stevenson, Kyder, Gordon, Jakwan Brisker, they're gonna get tested there, and just like they're gonna test the other guys on the other side of the wall.
Yeah, definitely, they're gonna get tested. But at the same time, I think, you know, there's gonna be growth with those guys as well. You know, they had opportunity as rookies to see a lot of things. They were tested as rookies as well, and I think, you know, second year in the league, I think the game is gonna really slow down for them. You saw it started to slow down towards the end of the season for those guys, and they were able to make a lot of plays
the timely moments for this Bears defense. So I think they're going to be more confident. You know, obviously they're working hard to on their fundamentals to make sure that they're ready to take another step. But you know, I'm excited to see, you know, how they've grown in their second season within this defense. And I'm also curious to see if coach Matta elus are going to give these guys, you know, more of an expanded role.
Jim Miller and now ready to join us from serious section m NFL Radio's moving to change big Jim. You know, you and Jmack were two ships passing in the night. Unfortunately you were not teammates, because I think you guys would have hit it off very well what you were in Dallas when Jim was with the Bears, and then you arrived after Jim left. But so, Jim, you would have loved the tank back there at fullback in the form of Jamack, don't you think.
Yeah, well, I'm well aware of Jason McKee's work and how well he was as a player, and Jason obviously how the Bears ran the ball last year, and from my perspective, they've done a nice job what I call insulating a young Caleb Williams, you know, with these blue chip players, Roma Doonzay, you know, Keenan Allen. DJ Moore thinks Swift will be great in the backfield, and I
think the old Lion's better than what people think. But at the end of the day, Caleb Williams has to be able to do a coming out period, has to be able to execute a two minute drives, third down conversions. You know, there are certain situational things that maybe they can take the load off of him, but he still has to be able to execute those key moments in terms of situational play.
Yeah, Jim, you hit it on the head. I mean, it's football is about situations. There's gonna be a lot of situations that, yes, Caleb Williams have been has been any situations in college, but you know, the stakes are higher. This is the NFL. NFL defense is going to be faster and more sound than the defenses he's he's played against. And yes, he has a skill set that everybody's been salivating over. That's why he's the number one pick in
the draft. But at the same time, you know, we're talking about Shane Waldron, Like I think they have to do a really good job of really practicing situations. The only way you're going to get better at executing in timely moments is you practice those situations over and over again. Like you said, coming out two minute even for minute offense, you know, shorty ard theer's all of those things that going that you're going to encounter into a game. And if you want to be good in those situations, you
have to practice them. And Tom talked about being in the classroom. Yes, you're gonna go over you know, keep things in terms of situations on the grease for two minute jow Hey, receivers, make sure you're handing the ball to the rep. Don't throw it to the rest. We know the rest can't catch that clock's running. You know, little nuances like that, it's going to help you excel in those situations. And then you have to be to be able to go out there and practice in full speed.
You know, I got a question for both you guys, Jim and Jason, because I think you need to take this in consideration like we all do, because it's you know, it's a really important part of quarterback development. Jim as a quarterback, Jason as a coach. We don't know who the center is gonna be. We don't have a center that has an extensive amount of experience that's been through
every scenario that they can face on a field. So how many snaps before the start of the regular season do you want to get with whomever they choose to be center. When you talk about the role, the importance the velocity of a shotgun snap, the quickness of a directly under center snap, and every team that goes in because we talk a lot about the seven on seven game, but I think the role of the center can play
an equally important role. Jason, and as a coach, how many snaps would you like to see those two get before the regular season?
Yeah, I mean in terms of preseason, you know, I think you got to be smart. But at the same time, you know, you have a new quarterback, you have a new center. They got to get a feel free to other and you know, as many as many snaps as you can with them with being smart to make sure that they're available for the regular season. But you know, the snap is like in terms of you know, them getting comfortable within the offense. Like you said, they've got to be able to be on the same page because
communications are going to be different. You know, I don't know if they're going to enable the center to make all the calls, especially when you have a rookie quarterback, So that chemistry is huge. You know, I've got the quarterback haves to know what the offensive line is doing. In the center is the quarterback of the offensive line, so they've got to be on one accord. You know, we saw protection breakdowns last year with justin fields and the offensive line in it, and that led to disaster.
But the more that you can get on the same page with the guy that you're going to be you know, taking snaps from and that offensive line that you're going to be playing with, the better this offense will be. And the accelerated growth that you could see in this offense.
Yeah, well to me, they're both again, those guys are both veterans. Ryan Bates, who was with the Bears now went up there with the Bills, and you know, obviously the Bears liked his play and wanted him back, and I think Coleman Shelton I would say the same thing about. You know, last year. Obviously Brian Allen gets hurt, he fills in at center nicely and really look at the Rams, they wanted to sign him back. So he did a really nice job. And their north and south running scheme,
what they have with kyn Williams. So I think that'll be sorted out pretty quickly, quite frankly. But to me, they're both veterans, they both have played. Bates has been more guard center, you know, in terms of his combinations, and Coleman has been pretty much a center. So I think it'll sort itself out pretty quickly. But again, they're both veterans, and once those pads come on, they'll know quickly, and I think it'll sort itself out with a cremo rise to the top.
Jason McKee our guest here on Bears Weekly on FDN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network. So you spent a lot of time with Devin Hester, both in your career and his friends recently on the golf course with him. Where is his head that as he approaches August, first the Bears get there with the preseason game and then a couple of days later induction into the Pro Football.
Hall of Fame.
Yeah.
I actually spend time with him this weekend. He was up in Chicago for an appearance as well. But he's he's excited. But it's funny because you know, being around him, you see how much work is going into this behind the scenes. He's he's been back and forth forth to Canton. You know, they've been designing his his bus for the Hall of Fame. He's also putting together his his Hall of Fame party, and they're working out the details in terms of his itinerary for the time he's going to
be up there. So I think he's just excited. He's taking it all in. But you know, he's traveling back and forth from South Florida to Canton quite often, and he's been on the golf course as much as he as he can be. So it's it's pretty neat to see that, you know, you have another teammate getting this opportunity. Obviously, you know, I had this opportunity to see another teammate
going like Brian Urlacker. But it's pretty cool to see a guy who, you know, who came here as a rookie, uh, you know, a young rookie, and then to see the career that he put together and then him actually just receiving the accolades you know that he's receiving from his stellar career. So it's definitely exciting, you know, the teammates standpoint, but it's even more exciting as it being one of your closest friends.
You gotta make sure Thayre's on that guest list for that party. Now, Hey, yeah, Tom, you know he'll be at Themichael party for sure, but you got to get him on the Hester party. I think you have some pull, don't you.
Definitely gonna We're gonna just get fair to Mike at the party and let him just tell his stories, right, John.
Jay Mac, I want to hear a story from you because your instrumental on the sideline reporting of the game.
And now they brought back the kickoff return and.
Before you could almost say, okay, they're going to kick it out of the end zone, let me get myself set up at the whatever yard line they're going to start. You have any thought process of how you're going to position yourself to, you know, get a good line of sight on the return game, the blocking game, the development of the type of blocking strategies and the kicking strategies that are going to develop.
Yeah, the funny thing is, I haven't thought about where I would position myself. Normally, I'd be in the back of the end zone. Don I mean, you know, like we you know, during the game, we don't even pay attention to it. You know, I'm so used to Joni Ackke saying, oh another one through the end zone. But now we're going to have the excitement. But I'm really excited to see how these Special Teams coordinators and how this, you know, how they're going to put packages and schemes
together with the new rules. And I'm also excited to see who's going to take that that return the kickoff return position, because I mean, it's it's going to create an opportunity. It's going to bring, you know, the excitement back of the kickoff return to open the game.
So I'm just.
Excited that the NFL found a way to bring this play back into the game. And I've got to find my spot to figure out how I'm gonna break it down, and I know Johnny ack will be on the call, but it's going to be exciting time so we can find a return of that can take advantage of this new rule of the new kickoff return format.
Yeah, it's going to be interesting because I've been talking to a lot of Special Teams coaches and they think it's going to be more of a hand to hand combat play and it'll be interesting to see who they slough off you know, is it L one? Is it R one? Because you know, if you start, you know, you start running twists and stuff up front. I mean that thing could go to the house in a hurry, is my take on it. So really gonna be interesting
how it plays out. Not to mention Jason, all the trick plays you can run if you've got a guy back there to run a reverse or a throwback pass. I think special teams coaches are going to get very aggressive and plus during preseason, I guarantee it. Nobody is going to show anything. I mean that they may do a couple of kicks just to the goal line to see if their coverage is sound, but you know they're not going to give anything away of what they're gonna do.
Well, would you guys? Yeah, everyone assumes you're just gonna have the big guys on the line of scrimmage. But I think it's going to be a whole collection of talent. I mean, speed's got to be a factor in this.
Right j Mack and Jim Yeah, absolutely absolutely it is. And how a team covers it, Yeah, how a team covers it. If a team is bad, say the first month of the season, in their coverage units, trust me, they'll be kicking the ball through the end zone again because they've got more work to do. Because I just talked to Mike Westoff, obviously a long time special teams coaching is the assistant head coach of the Broncos, and
he says he's not even sleeping that night. He said, there's so many things that they're going to be able to do that you better be ready for. He called it a dirty ball. Here's what he thinks a lot of teams are going to do. Where the kicker drives it, where it bounces right into the landing zone and it will be a tough return ball for either returner that's back there. And that's how he called it a dirty ball.
He goes, I want to see how these returners handle these dirty balls that we're going to be kicking left and right.
Fashionating stuff, fellas fassionating stuff. We're going to enjoy it. That's for Jay Mack will let you go appreciate it.
And I know this.
It's another trip around the sun this week for Jason McKee. Happy birthday buddy. In a couple of days.
What do you love?
Twenty three? Twenty four?
Now, yeah, twenty four? Man trying to stay young.
Happy birthday, Jack, will see you soon. Back with more Here on Bears Weekly with Jim Miller Enton There, I'm Jeff Joniak and this is the ESPN one thousand of the Bears Ready a network.
Excus Bears Weekly with a Force of the Bears for twenty three years. Jeff Jonat on the Bears Radio Network.
Calling all Bears fans one unforgettable access to see the Chicago Bears play at Soldier Field this season with viv official ticket package is now available for every home game. Unlocked access to exclusive ticket packages that may include entry to in stadium hospitality lounges, pregame, sideline credentials, and the Chicago City Pass. Visit Chicago Bears VIP dot com. Are called eight six six two oh two fifty seven to
fifty five for more info. Again, that's Chicago Bears VIP dot com or call eight sixty six two two fifty seven fifty five. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity with Chicago Bears VIP. Jeff Joniac Top Bear, Jim Miller Here on Bears Weekly. A quick turnaround from last week. Jim, you know Tom brought this up to me earlier today and you guys can just chop it up between the two of you here, what do you feel the time frame for a learning curve is with offensive coordinator Shane Waldron
because everyone's really starting fresh. But at the same time, this is a carryover from the scheme really constructed by the Shanahan get a tree with the guy in La y Am. I going blank on Sean McVay. But that's the family of offenses, right, the family of offenses. Yeah, we don't know what the language differences are. The play calls are obviously going to be constructed differently. That's a field thing. But you guys have at it there on what this might be.
For this team.
Yeah.
I think for the veterans, a lot of these guys are they know this offense all right?
D J.
Moore is familiar with it to all the offensive linemen to me, should be pretty much familiar with it. Keenan Allen, I would probably say, is the one exception, but he's a true vet, He's a double digit guy. He'll pick it up early. DeAndre Sweat's been in it, so I don't have any problems the two guys that's going to be roam with. Dudes, a and it's going to be Caleb Williams. You know, these are the guys that are
gonna have to pick it up. And again those guys that are there, those veterans to help bring them along, bring him along in them along, you know, to learn this system. But a lot of it, to me, should be a lot of carryover from Comet to you name it. A lot of these guys have been exposed to this system, is my opinion. Time, I'd like to hear your thoughts.
You know, Jim, I don't have a concern because I know eventually they're all going to learn it.
If you don't learn it, then you don't play.
But the thing, you know, when Jim, you come into a system and two of the quarterbacks have already been the quarterback room, or the running backs, or the receivers
or whatever position. I come into a team like the eighty five Bears and all the offensive linemen have been around there before, then I can ask questions, and I can have conversation, and I can get a better understanding of the terminology more quickly because every single guy I'm talking to has plenty of experience in the meeting rooms of this system. And the only thing I was thinking, Okay, Shane Waldron comes in and he starts introducing his language
to everybody at the same time. And it's not like these guys can have, you know, conversations about the reputational use of the terminology because they're all starting from scratch basically. And so I do think that it is about trying to spend more free time on your tablet and in your tablet, because when you look at the plays from practices, they have the terminology written in a the play that they're running. So it's not only something that Okay, I
know what this place is by sight. It's almost like you have to look at the terminology. You have to look at the formation, then you recognize the play. So, you know, Jim, it's just kind of and I was thinking kind of primarily the quarterback position because all these guys, all these quarterbacks, they're starting from ground zero and there is no conversation of experience.
No, I agree with that. To me, it's all about the quarterback because you know, when you look at Luke Getzy and Matt Lafleur, who up there in Green Bay where Luke Getzy came from. They come from the same place it's Sean mcvay's system, okay, and that's where that's the world of Shane Waldron. So really, as a play caller, you can only call what your quarterback can handle, all right,
And I think we learned that last year. You know, when you look at some things in the in the offense, say whether it's Bryce Young down there, or you look at the excess of c J. Stroud, they could open it up because he could handle a lot more. And again, every guy is different. Every guy is different in what
they can handle, and even justin fields. When he arrived with the Bears, I remember that third preseason game when he got rocked by the Buffalo Bills and he wasn't aware of a Sam Mike blitz and he got his helmet basically just shelled in the last preseason game, and I said, he's not ready. He didn't know, he didn't recognize the Sam Mike blitz. So you can only call plays of what your quarterback can handle. And so you know,
you can only do so much to protect him. So really, Caleb Williams is going to dictate a lot of that, or say Tyson Bige and if he were out there, I mean there's only so much he can do. If a quarterback's going to get himself killed because he doesn't know what blitzers are coming or how to protect himself, and you're always calling max protections to help him out, there are ways to go about it, but a lot of it will be on Caleb Williams and what he's
able to do. I think the rest of the guys will be fine other than a doonsday and Williams, who will be obviously huge contributors and going to play right away.
You know one thing about the group of the offensive lineman.
With the five guys that are up there playing at any one time, you want to minimalize the amount of conversation at the line of scrimmage because that's exactly what linebackers and defensive linemen are listening for. So when I continuously harp about the valuability of the offensive line in practice, that's where they develop that. No need verbalization at the line of scrimmage to make sure that everybody's on the
same page. And then if you have a defensive adjustment during the cadence, you have to make sure that everybody is still on the same page because you're not looking at anybody talking to anybody, and you.
Don't have that time.
So that's it's you know, one of the points of interest that I'm gonna have during training camp is watching the development of position segments, but you know, guys up front and making sure that all five guys, I guess you have to include the tight ends for that matter, that they're all on the same page without needing to communicate once they break the huddle.
You know, one of the fascinating things I'm going to refer back to Albert Breer today. He had a conversation with some of the people involved with the drafting of the of the top three quarterbacks. But once the Bears decided, okay, moving on from Justin and they're gonna go and draft Caleb Williams, they used their time that each team could
have three one hour zooms with the quarterback before the draft. Okay, this typically be a get to know you well, since he was number one and they had already determined that
was the route they were taking. One was, according to Albert Breer, the terminology that they went right into the terminology what to call formations, motions and all that with Shane Waldron, the second one they installed their base the normal first and second down plays, third down during the third one they put in red zone and third down place.
What a fantastic advantage to get even those just those three hours that he could then go back Jim and memorize, think about it, put it into action, and when he gets to Ricky Minnicamp of the OTAs, he's ahead of the game a little bit here, would you.
Agree, well, he should be. He met with only one team. He didn't have to do that for eight other teams, right, Think of those other quarterbacks. They did that for say any team after number one. So if anything, it was simplified for Caleb Williams because he only basically reduced it to one team. It's much easier to learn a system of one rather than say the top ten teams who potentially could take you, and they're all being exposed to that.
He was exposed to basically one. So we should have passed that with flying colors.
You know one thing that would I would have interested in. I think Jim kind of brought it up before, is when you go through the installation period of putting in your playbook, how much can the quarterback handle because you don't want to put too much on his plate where he goes out there, then he has a confused three hour practice. You want to make sure that you give him enough information so he can go out there and
know exactly what he's saying in the huddle. And I would believe in that type of meeting that you have with these young quarterbacks nowadays, you can get an indicator of how much they can absorb and still have an efficient practice, because the worst thing you do is give him too much and go out there and then it affects the entirety of everybody on the practice field.
So I think that's a good indicator.
Opportunity ahead, Coach Maddy this article saying that the guy's a worker, he wants to learn, he asks great questions, and he's a really good learner. So that's important at the quarterback position, without question. All Right, we're going to take a break. When we come back, a portion of our interview for our Beers Etc. Podcast last week with cornerback Tyreek Stevenson with Jim Miller and tomp There. I'm Jeff Jonihak, and this is Bears Weekly on ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with the voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Joniyak on the Bears Radio Network.
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by Athletical Physical Therapy because at athletically dot Com to request it in clinic or virtual appointment.
It started feeling better.
Tomorrow our Bears et cetera podcast, catch it on YouTube and all the all the ways to find a podcast. Tom and I've been doing it here for the last year plus. Sat down last week with Tyreek Stevenson, who echoes what everyone feels in the building and outside of the building right now about the Bears and that it is flat out excitement about the future.
I feel it. I feel like everybody else feel it.
You know, last year it was talk of it because of the mindset that we pushed to everybody.
But I feel like everybody can feel it.
Everybody can feel the desire, everybody can feel the envy to win, like the agreed to go get it. I feel like everybody feels that. I feel like the guys on the team won't it. I know the offense wants to prove theirself and the offense want to go out
here and be like we put all this together. We're not no bus and I know this and I know this defense want to stand on top of what we already said, like we felt like we are the best defense in the league, and we got to come out this year and step on stunt on that same stepping stone.
Tyrek Stevenson's coming in hot. It's coming in hot because he finished the year really strong. You look at the numbers and the sixteen pass break number one among rookie I mean, just a lot of great stuff.
The interceptions.
I'm still trying to think of how you made that play on David and Jokuh. I mean that was stellar instincts, length and awareness. Reminding people with that play was he was open? Yeah, until he wasn't because you got in the mill.
I'm being honest. I told my mom this and she's looked at me so scary. I was like, I don't remember that play. I don't remember. The only thing I remember is like realizing where no joke who was, realizing that the ball was in the air. And then the only thing I remember is like and tackle like because Boja was like get off of them, and I like, get off who?
Like get off who?
And I got up and I had the ball and got the video. I go to the end zone and I don't know how to celebrate because I don't. I still watch it to this day because I seriously remember what happened like it was a simple blur, but its.
Reaction it felt it felt good. Though.
That's when you know you're playing at a high level.
That's when it just yeah, I feel like that's when your instinct kicking, like your football instinct. And that's exactly what happened. I don't remember the running, I remember the cutting, the spin. The only thing I remember is like breaking towards the ball and on the ground when they getting a pole off me. And the rest is history. Like even when I got to the sideline, everybody was like, oh my god, oh shit, I'm like, what happened? Like what,
I'm like, what happen? Like they're like, you know, you don't know, you don't know, And I didn't realize. I got on the bus and like people just and I'm like, oh, I just want to remember, man. Yeah, I'm like, oh my god, Like I got I got that. I got that picture on my phone just so I can I can trotter. I don't remember it well.
Now you set yourself a new new floor right in performance, so as you took stock of what you did. And I don't know what you have been doing this offseason in terms of getting ready and so forth, and if you've dug into your tape anymore, but you faced a lot. I mean, he had one hundred and ten targets and he had one of the best in the NFL on the other side, Jalen Johnson, and congrats on his pay day.
Do you feel like you're more than just a second your player because you almost had a couple of years in one last year because you played like a veteran.
I felt like I've been here for I feel like it, and I feel like the guys feel it too. But like you said, I evaluated my game a lot. I feel like during the season I took like year one year, two year, three steps just because of having one of the best corners in the nation on the other side. So it gave me that room to operate and you know, take all the time. I was the second most targeted corner, I was the second I think I was the first or second like corner that gave what the most receptions.
I was right guards top five for testdowns allowed like yards, I was the top five yards, so it's just and still end up coming out for interception sixteen pvus eighty some tackle. So it just like I feel like I'm more than a second year player coming in. I feel like I'm on your four or five and this and this year I got to prove myself, you know, all pro six interceptions. No, I'm I'm putting that out into the world because that's what I'm aiming for.
Nice love to hear that. Kevin Byern back in the back end, a veteran, tremendous ballhawk in his career, very business like approach, hard hitter. You know you got Kyler in his third year, jaquant, I.
Mean this is really guy hives.
I meant, dudes back there in that secondary so behind you know, two of the best inside linebackers in this league right now. And Tremaine Edmunds and t J.
Edwards. Let's talk about you.
The big thing that we just learned is you graduated. You got your degree from Miamia, Florida. And I know parents always want their athletes to go back and get their make promises. Tell me how this is all unfolded and what it means.
So career started off at Georgia, spent two years there, and what people what most people don't know is I was supposed to graduate a year early. I was on a three year program once I got to Georgia, but once I decided to transfer and go back home to Miami, I lost seventeen credits.
So yeah, so it was yeah, so it was.
Like so it was like I got every I got all my classes took away from me. So it was like a restepping stone. I didn't want to do it, but I promised my mom that, you know, I graduated, and that was the end goal. You know, she only things she really asked me to do is graduate high school. You know, everything right now is just estra and she's just so happy and I'm so blessed, you know, to be in this position. But you know, once I graduated high school, I had an opportunity. I told her, I said,
I'm gona make a promise you. I'm gonna graduate college. You know, you asked me to graduate high school. I'm gonna make you a promise to graduate college. So anything. Even last year when I got here, I left early. I couldn't do spring because I was training, and you know, I spoke to the people at school and let them know that this is something I want to do. You know, at the end of the day, I'm a football player, but I want to be a alumni of one of
the most prestigious universities. And I also have my mom proud of that, you know.
And if I'm not mistaken, first in your family, yeah, first myself. So how does that get you as a young man?
Oh, I don't know, to be honest, I try to look at just the positive of it, you know, like being the first to graduate high school in my family, being the first first.
To graduate high school. Also you're kidding me, Yeah, wow, the first to NFL, the first to you know, make some money. It's just the first everything.
So I always try to take that as a positive thing and always wear on my shoulder, you know, not like a chip, but more like a more like a badge.
Yeah, well you're gonna pay. You're paving the way for others in your family to come and and and you know from your community.
Yeah.
I just told my cousin.
I had to talk with them when I went down, and I was like, you know, we we we're not fortunate enough to have some male role models.
So you know, I took that upon myself to be the male role model for y'all.
You know, it was heart going out with out of that growing out without God and is growing up without knowing this and that is not right. So I want to take that upon myself to be that dude to pave the waight, no matter how, no matter if it's rain, sleep, you know, whatever it is, I'm out there, you know, paving the way so we all can walk together.
A great stuff from Tyreek Stevens and Tom and Jim. I know Tom really appreciates that that angle to the the end of that conversation, but I just love the guy's enthusiasm, confidence, commitment, and we appreciate him being a Bear.
Yeah. You know, I gotta tell you, Jeff, it's one of the best interviews I've ever heard from a Chicago Bear because everything he said was hugely important to him, to his teammates, to his family, and to his future. But you know, everybody assumes that the toughest guy on the football team is the guy that stands six eight and three hundred and fifty pounds, and it's got that look on his face like you know can make people scared. He's one of the toughest guys on the Bears football team.
He's a hard hitting football player. He got dinged up a couple times in games last year and was able to come back. And now to hear that interview, my impression of him has changed totally and I'm glad that Bears fans have had a chance to hear it.
It's a tall, lean corner who's big and physical. Like Tom said, he is not afraid to strike, and like you mentioned, Jeff, for him to finish in the top ten for cornerbacks, I think says it all. Bears identified it early, That's why they selected him when they did, and I think he proved exactly who he is and he's only going to get better and better and better.
In my opinion.
Yeah, a lot of publications and people who scot these things and right about these things have him as one of the breakout players for twenty twenty four, potentially in the NFL. So Tyreek Stevenson love the way he plays the game, always bringing something to the table, and he's not afraid to say what went wrong last year and also embraces what went right when we come back our final thoughts, some thoughts on Tom's most important backups per position.
Maybe Jim's got the thoughts as well. Our remaining momentaried Bears Weekly at ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a Push of the Bears for twenty three years. Jeff jon on the Bears Radio Network.
Be the Bears Weekly has brought to you by cdw'd be able to get an in by igs energy remaining two minutes or so most important backups, Tom, Let's start on defense. You've nailed corner Terrell Smith, linebacker Jack Sanborn, and defensive end Austin Booker.
Why because I think they're role on this football team something of the most important position, defensive backs. I think Terrell Smith gives those guys a good cornerback that can fill in, good size, a good cover guy. Everybody knows what Jack Sanborn has been about in special team. To a backup linebacker on this football team, I think he really gives the defense a lot of versatility when they
want to go to three linebacker set. And to me, I think everybody's still searching for that compliment in the pass rushing in Austin Booker.
I hope can be included in that role. Jim, I don't.
I don't find fault with those at all unless you got somebody else to throw on there. Otherwise I can move on to offense with Tom thinking because injuries do happen.
Yeah, I would think, yeah, I'm good with those. And I think you would think the backup nickel to Spider Man Kyler Gordon, right, Josh Blackwell is a Greg Stroman. There'll be a nice competition there, So I'd add that one into the mix.
Tyson bag In at QB Batas Jones junior wide receiver, kick returner, tight end Tommy Sweeney just signed last weekend and Karna, I'm a Guyji Tommy.
You know, I just think there's an experience in that third tight end role Vayalas Jones that he can be on that. If he is dynamic and kickoff returns, maybe that will give him some self confidence in the receiver role.
We saw what he could do out of the backfield as a running back.
In some sweeps, and everybody knows Tyson Bagent Roshan Johnson. They have to get into the second year of this program and really be an important part because especially guy like Rochean could get some snaps.
Yeah, I'm a gaji Tommy Jim In their final thirty seconds, I'd say anybody available on the offensive line because that group has to be ready to jump in at any moment. They got a lot of veteran depth.
Yeah, I am concerned about receiver if say the DJ Moore and Keenan Allen were to be out Tyler Scott, Dante Petis, Velis Jones Junior. You know those guys have not done enough yet, so they need to work hard here this offseason.
Jimmy, thank you so much. Talk to you next week. That's gonna do it for us. For Tom and Jim, I'm Jeff JONNIEK. Thank you for listening. Thanks to j Mack and Sean Granny are producer. This has been Bears Weekly on the new radio Home of the Bears ESPN Chicago. Good night, everybody bucking them dolla next.
Thank you for.
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