Welcome in Tumble Bears Weekly, Chicago Bears Network production Tellmoved the Chicago Bears Official brought to you by Verizon to follow the team on ago. Fears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Beth Rivers, CD Colling, Connie's Pizza and Miller Life. Now it's time for Bears Weekly with the Voice of the Bears Jeff Showy on the New Bears waiting on network.
So much to discuss, so much to digest as well your Bears for the time being, I keep saying that two weeks a row with the number nine picking round one and options glory to ponder.
Welcome in, everybody.
I'm Jeff Joniak, along with my broadcast partner Tom Fair, Jim Miller from Sirius ex M NFL Radio, Moving the Chains, Tuck Dawayne his hotel room in Kansas City. What's going on in that place right now?
Hey, there's a buzz here in the city. There's no doubt about that. They got the hang it up and so everybody's fired up. They saved over three hundred thousand people are going to be here, and already it's starting to really load up.
I don't know I'm a traditionalist, right, I got used to New York every year. But I tell you it was the best thing the NFL did, Tommy to send it up. Remember Chicago did it. I think that was what twenty fourteen ish. That was amazing. The turnout was great, Tommy. I know how you feel about keeping things in the States and everything that this has been a great thing to have the draft move around a little bit.
Yeah, it has, But I think Chicago set the standard of what's expected of them if they are going to move the draft around to different cities, they kind of set a standard of the unknown after all those years in New York. So Chicago did a great job of representing themselves. Had the perfect location, and so everybody has live up to the standard of Chicago more than New York.
I rolled out the red carver for Jim Miller out there. You do this every single year. You probably talk to a bunch of guys already today as they were warming up by the guys invited to the draft. What did you learn today, Jim from these guys and what rumors are you hearing?
Well?
I do think you know it's always going to be active, because when you look at the at least the gms. You know, here Ryan Poles is a first year at GM, but he's already made moves. You know, these guys, these young general managers, they're not afraid to move up and down and get the guys they want. So here at three, you've got Monte Austin for it, right, He's a young GM that'll be selecting. And of course you got other guys like Dave Ziegler there for the Raiders where they're
picking at seven. So you just I think there's going to be movement. We've seen records setting, record setting trades over the past couple of years now that the compensatory picks are tradable, so I think you're going to see a lot of movement. I really do. They've been really aggressive the last few years.
Tom, Do you want of the Bears to stay at nine or you do you care if they move down a little bit? Do you care if they're in a range if they're going to get an extra maybe higher second round pick or even the later pick in the middle rounds.
You know, I'm looking for a great player, not necessarily more picks. So if they're going to go down and if they have a chance to get a five star draft choice, but they're going you know, you know this guy, you know, he's a three star draft choice, but he's coachable. No, I want to go for the guy that is dependable. He's got a reputation that he has high expectations for
himself and the team has equally high expectations. He's a guy that can come in here and kind of be that plug and play player that you can have be a contributor immediately at some of the weakest spots you have. But my, you know, with this draft, the more I read about the players, you.
Know, you think of cornerbacks.
There's a lot of cornerbacks in this draft that sometimes you don't see that position come up as much with you know, these types of guys with size and speed, coverage ability and stuff, and I know it kind of gets off, you know, the path a little bit. But if the Bears have a guy there that can come in here and you know, be a starter, if they feel that he can be a starter immediately, obviously he
still has to prove himself. But you know, and then if the guy's out there that you want and you have to make that trade.
Go ahead. But if there's a five star guy there, go and get them.
Jim, how many five star guys in your opinion are there? And Tom use that as a guide. But in terms of great players, guys that you can close your eyes and think, hey, this guy is a Hall of Fame potential or at a minimum, he's going to be a perennial pro bowler in the top ten, what are we talking about on this draft?
Because I'm hearing different vibes.
I hear from some scouts say, you know what, this is not a great star draft. There's players in every draft, no question about it, and whatever the fit is for a player is most important anyway.
And then secondarily you hear from a lot of these gems saying, yeah, it's a great draft.
We got there's you.
Know, it's based maybe on the that they have where they see a particular what's your opinion after being a veteran of watching all of these over the years.
I mean, even Gil Brandt will will tell you the great Gil Brandt just going and you know you're normally only going to have like eighteen to twenty maybe twenty five blue chip players. You know, blue chip players are the guys that you think have the ability to go to the Hall of Fame and wear a gold jacket. In this draft, they say there is only about fifteen, you know, like the of the say the b Jon Robinson's or the Paris Johnson Juniors, or say like a
Will Landerson. So really in this draft is probably the top fifteen. And then the meat of the draft is going to be really the second and third round guys that start to get pushed down and you know, are going to be counted on to be but they wouldn't project as first round picks. I think gonna be able to tell. I mean, even look at the Ohio state wide receiver Jackson Smith and Jigbe. I mean that guy didn't even play last He didn't play, he had a hamstring,
and everybody's just in love with this guy. And that's why I think guys like Zay Flowers are gaining a lot of steam from Boston College. You know, there's to me a couple of receivers that you know, I personally like more than Jackson Smith and Jigbo, who was his great year, was really with the two other receivers that
were around him, one of Harrison Junior this year. And then of course you know when he got Garrett Wilson last year, he got a lot of looks and a lot lot of receptions just because of who he was surrounded by.
All right, we've got help of course on this show as always a lot of help and matter of fact, with producer Charlie Bevins, Nick Maczala, as well as our Bears Radio Network producer Eric Ostrowski, Dan Brilly Jordan Treadup helping us out as well.
We appreciate you listening.
Coming up in our next segment, we'll be joined by Assistant general manager Ian Cunningham of the Bears. Had a conversation with him yesterday. You'll hear that it was a taped interview earlier this week. As we look at the Bears, the number nine pick and then not until round two, number fifty three for the time being, so forty three players will be selected in between. Aaron Rodgers rolled out today, fellas clean shaven in the whole bit now and he's
out of our hair. Tom, in fact, you have none left and you got a nice look to you right now. You looked did you just get a clean shave up on the noggin?
I do all hair care myself.
That thing.
I have zero hair budget.
In my life, and I did, and Aaron Rodgers made you pull the rest of it out on his own in the twenty nine games against the Bears.
You know, I don't know what to think about that whole deal, because, you know, you go to really a nice NBA or an NFL city in Green Bay, you have all the conveniencies handed to you, you know, and everything in terms of traffic, location, stadium support, money that you're being handed, the time that you spend in that organization, and then you wish yourself out of there, and now you go to a really complicated scenario in terms of where their practice facility is, where their games are, the
whole unknown of you know, going in and seeing this.
Locker room, you know.
And then the reason they go and sign that ex Green Bay quarterback is because they don't need Aaron Rodgers to do anything in the offseason. They can have this quarterback there who's been with Hackett in Green Bay and teach the rest of the players this system.
So you know, I'll wait and see what happens.
You can hear the you can hear the anger bubbling up in the former Chicago Bear. Too many, too many confrontations with the Green and Yellow up there.
Hey, he already mentioned, you know, I don't know if you saw the press conference time. He's going to be at work tomorrow. He's going to work for the New York Jets. So I thought he handled it as about
as perfect as you could handle it. And even when he was asked the question about Zach Wilson, who said he was going to give a veteran quarterback hill coming in there and said, Aaron said, well, I'll make his life heaven off the field and maybe I can build his confidence back up, because you know, just I thought Aaron was on point, did exactly what he needed to do as a veteran quarterback, what Jets fans can expect, and you know, obviously giving kudos to Joe Namath in
the jersey, he wasn't going to go down that path. He had a nice touch, and I thought, you know, he's going to be reinvigorated. I think Aaron Rodgers is going to go on a revenge tour, quite frankly, and he's going to play his best foot.
They better get a couple offensive tackles, because as much as he can help the offensive line, they still need some guys to stand in front of them, and you.
Know, see what happens.
Now, you know we're looking. We're looking at what the Packers have, and now they got our attention again. They got up to the thirteenth pick. They're going to have three picks before we the Bears make their next second round pick. If they stay first second round pick, if they stay in at number nine and don't move down at all. So it'll be interesting what they're going to do, what their plan is.
We'll talk about that. The division will look at the pack we'll look at the Vikings, we'll look at the Lions as well.
First we're going to take a break. Coming up, Ian Cunning you got a thought I.
Have a question for I'll have it later in the show because I have a question for Jim that has really been bugging me. I need I need to get to the bottom of it. Ask him right now. A Hi, Jim, the stetson the quarterback from Georgia. So I'm reading all these unfavorable opinions of him and his high opinion of himself in the fact that if you do go and draft him in day two or day three, he could be a distraction good team he's been the ultimate of success.
He's been to the top. Is he a guy that could.
Come to the Bears and fit in that this type of program and be that backup to Justin because he is creative, he is clever, he's he's accomplished on his feet, and he's played in a big program. Yeah.
I think he's a good quarterback.
I know the incident off the field is probably more embarrassing form than anything. You know what happened after their their bowl game and he got arrested for the public drunkenness, and so he's got a answer to that. But you know, the only difference between him and Bryce Young everybody's talking about the size of quarterbacks, Go look at his credentials. I mean, this guy is a two time national champ. He's been MVP of both of those games. He's got
all kinds of production. He's the son of a coach. A lot of guys that I talk to think he's like a Drew Brees type of player, And go look at the tape because it backs it up with how he's played and he's had to work hard to earn everything he's got. So I think he's going to be a solid pick. It's just how well he's handed himself and you know, answered those off the field questions. But he will get drafted by somebody because his production is
hard to deny. God, if you have an opportunity down the line to bring him into your team, Yeah, I just really I like what he can.
Offer in a backup role. Initially, I agree with you.
I think he's going to be a solid guy. I really do.
Under Tod Monkin's play action offense. Maybe he lands in Baltimore with a new offensive coordinator of the from and fields ahead of him when he came to Georgia. But that red flag there for reasons other maybe than just that one episode off the field as well from different reports. All Right, we're gonna get to Ian Cunningham coming up out of the break. This is Bears Weekly with.
My guys Tom there and Jim Miller here on Chicago's ESPN one thousand.
You were listening This is Bears Weekly with a force of the Bears for twenty three years Jeff j on the Bears Radio Network.
Entering his sixteenth NFL season and second overall with the Chicago Bears, Assistant general manager Ian Cunningham back with US here on Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand and the Chicago Bears Radio Network, getting ready for an important.
Draft with a staff that has been grinding for months.
Thank you so much for taking the time, because every second is valuable. See, we have this image that you guys are living in that draft room with that living breathing board that you just analyze and analyze and analyze and trying to figure out what's going to happen, and there's no spare moment to even take a breath. I know I'm way off on that, but probably not that far off.
I really, I just want to say thank you for getting this out of the draft. We're able to do this, so thank you. Yeah, you mentioned sixteen years.
That's crazy, right, Hey, if it's more than a decade, it's a career, buddy. So but you've had some great experiences though. Look at where you've been, I mean, my goodness, learning from the very best. Always impressed what Baltimore did with Asie Knewsom, Eric DeCosta and how that draft for how they let the draft just come to them and
be aggressive but be smart. And then Philadelphia with Howie Ali Roseman the general manager there and that staff I mean, what what have you learned and taken into this now in your second draft here with the Bears.
Well, I guess what I've learned from at least coming from Baltimore really is just evaluation and the consistency in terms of you know, what Ozzie showed. And you know, the cool thing about being in Baltimore is you had I was young, and I was like a lot of these personal assistants upstairs in terms of just doing a
lot of the grunt work and running around. But I got a chance to see Hall of famers every single day, you know, And I got to see ed Reed, ray Lewis, trell Suggs, Marshall, Yonda and learn what a pro looks like, and what a Hall of Famer looks like, and how they carry themselves and what kind of teammate they are.
So really that was just an invaluable experience for me learning from them, and then being able to go to Philly and learn from Howie and his ability to you know, think outside the box and be innovative with player development and analytics and and salary cap He has this unique way in this feel of knowing how to euro step when when the rest of the league is kind of grasping at trends, you know, and he's just he's really good at that. So couldn't be more appreciative of both
of those experiences. That's what really got me here and just trying to, you know, make this place better than where I found it.
You know, I've had these conversations with Ryan Poles, the Bears general manager, and you're a good friend and you guys working side by side here, but you know, you mentioned all that, and I can close my eyes and we probably have talked about this, so you can close your eyes and see what the Baltimore Raven looks like. You can see what the Philadelphia Eagle looks like. Are
we gonna get close here soon? Just closing your eyes and seeing what a Chicago Bear looks like, not just for the immediate future, but for the long term.
That's the plan. Yeah. And the cool thing is when you have Ryan and Flews, two guys with you know, similar visions and what they want in terms of a football team and football player, and it just trickles down to us and the coaching staff.
Right.
So, I think one of the biggest things in this sport, and I may have said this before, But is when you can go out on the road as a scout and your fellow scouts tell you, hey, I know what it looks like. That's what you want, right and that means that you're building something the right way. That means there's a consistency. That means you have a type and you have a vision.
So have you already heard this back from some of those scouts.
I need to get back on the road. Yeah, that's the thing.
Yeah, Yeah, to.
Get back on the road. One trip this year, hopefully next year I'll take a couple more trips. So that's what I look forward to it.
So what does Bear a twenty twenty three version look like in your mind's eye?
Yeah, a guy that fits the Hits principles. What talks about all the time, all of our coaches talk about all the time, to somebody that's passionate, who loves the game, who plays the game hard, who's a really good teammate, selfless teammate. Yeah, we just need as many good impactful players on this roster res we can get.
Given more time with the coaches and what Flus wants as well overall, the overriding thought process of what they want to what they want to put on the field. Can you guys get a better feel position group by position group, body type, skills, set traits that it's kind of squeezing the grapes a little bit more and refining.
It to get that juice, no doubt, no doubt, And I think, you know, Flus and Ryan had a really good idea when we first got here. We made sure to have our coaches and coordinators present to our scouts in terms of what they were looking for for each
position group. You know, they put up measurables, they put up players that they like that fit certain roles and certain positions, and we had, you know, it felt like a couple hour conversation with some of our coaches, and then our scouts were able to get a feel for what the vision was for our team and our organization, what we wanted to look like. And then now having a year with those coaches, now you know how they coach and their style and what they like and what
they don't like. And really, you know, our position on personnel is really a servant position, So we're trying to give these guys the players in which they like and fit their scheme. So when you have conversations with the coaches, you feel better and better about all right, I know what this coach likes, or I know what this coach likes, and really it's just going out there and getting those players that can help, you know, fit our scheme and help be a bear.
Is there a number of mine about how many bears are on that board? Actually, you're not getting them all. You're gonna get a ton of them barring any trades, but undrafted free agents included down the road.
But how many?
Yeah, I would say, you know, right now, we try to keep it around one fifty, but that's just you also have to take into account there's guys that we still have Draftball grades on that don't match that one fifty either. So there's several players there that we kind of have to wait till day three. I think we have six picks on day three and see how that shapes out. But yeah, there's quite a few players on the board right now.
This is a big draft. We all know there was going to be a big draft.
After you've had time now to digest it and see how this board could work.
Are you hoping to get more than what you have?
Will you be?
Because Ryan was and you guys were very mobile last year. You made three draft trades I think the third day, and there's a lot of young gms now in the league that you don't really know exactly how they're going to operate.
Could that could that number go up?
It could, Ye, there's a possibility. I think that's what you got to remain flexible. You know, us being college guys at heart, you always want more picks, more picks. And also what we learned last year is it seems like you touched on it in Day three in terms of the trades in which we made and the picks in which we were able to get. But it felt like, you know, that didn't really open up until we made that first trade. Then it's like team's ear marking and say, oh,
they're willing to do a deal. So we'll see what happens this draft. We're excited for it, and we'll see what happens.
Ryan hasn't been shy about you know, line of scrimmage is something that's clearly in everybody's mind's eye. Hear about this draft moving forward? Do you feel good about what's out there?
We do. We feel good about the offense and defensive line, respectfully. But you know, I'll say this, Jef, like, we feel good about the other positions too. We're just trying to get as any impactful players, regardless of positions to come in here to help us win now and then into the future.
Night.
So that's music to my ears because I think a lot of fans think, oh, they're only going one way, right, But man, you can never have enough rejectable great players regardless of positions. So I know a lot of people have become desensitized to that. Say they're just drafting. Everybody's drafting for need. But if you look around the league over time, the best organizations in general manage they don't pass on a great player. Did do you subscribe to that same thing?
Definitely, definitely subscribe to that. And you know we said we talked about this earlier too. I think the need piece kind of gets ironed out throughout the process, but ultimately you try to stack the board. You look at the board horizontally with offense and defense, but then there's a piece where you try to stack it vertically as well, and you never want to pass on a great player.
Like you said, I.
Thought it was interesting your news conference, uh pre draft here with the media. Somebody mentioned you know how many first round ray Gion got, But you don't grade by round, you grade by value by value, and can you go a little deeper into that, because Ryan, that's how you guys approach free agency, and thank goodness, because you could really blow out the budget if you didn't do it that way.
No question. I think when you look at it, it's really what the role, the fit and the vision is for the player in which we have here, and then you kind of put them in to certain buckets at certain grade levels, right, But that role fision VT, it's still you had still had that role fission fit at lower grade levels as well. You're just trying to grade for the talent level and then oftentimes it matches the round.
But in terms of we're just trying to get as many good players at good, you know, grade levels as we can.
What is this group you have?
And you have an unbelievable staff and we got to give some shout outs to some of these guys, certainly Trey Cozio and Jeff King, your COPE player personnel guys.
Breck Ackley love them.
Assistant Director of College Scouting, you got the area of Scouts, the Senior National Scouts, Francis Saint Paul, Sam Summerville, you got Jeff Shiver, the Old Vett, the executive of Scout, Tom Bradway in the Northeast, Ryan Kavanaugh Midwest, Reseix West Coast, Brandon rehor in the southeast, and Drew rossenaz and how you say his name combine, and then the scouting assistants Keith Earl Junior, Jake Panavar, and Ryan Weis Ashton Washington, who is amazing. So there's a lot here and a
lot more. Is this group a group that passionately stands on table for their guy?
How does it work here?
You know, there's I feel like these guys there's different styles to that I feel like coming in. You know, you just touched on it. Being in the league sixteen years. When I first got in the league, I felt there was a lot more of standing on the table and pounding the table for certain players. I think, you know, at least with our staff, there's a little bit more finessa a little bit more of a respectful way of
showing it. But you get that sense of conviction and you hear that, you know, we asked those guys to be convicted in the draft room. And our guys do that. I think they're they're great. You touched on on Trey and Breck. I feel like, you know, this is their first year and their roles, and I thought they you know, knocked out of the park just in terms of their work with one another and how they flow together and our scouts. We asked a lot of them. We changed
our grading scale that here. You know, we kind of used the grading scale last year, but Ryan and I tweaked it a little bit during the process, but we changed the grading scale this year. We asked them to kind of stretch. We asked them to be a little bit uncomfortable, find that comfort and being uncomfortable. And I thought they did a really good job this year and ask you know, answering some of the questions in which we had and doing the certain things in which we
asked them to do. But you know, those guys are kind of think those guys enough. There's a lot of conviction, just done in a little bit different ways, a little bit new age and their approach.
Is there a sweet spot on this draft board?
I think so. I think you know, the value I'd say value is going to be really cool to see day two what that looks like. Personally, I think there's you know, really good value on day two, and then I'm anxious to see what it looks like on day three. I think that's going to be really fun. Ryan and I've already talked about, uh, you know, potentially sleeping over that night and just like looking at the looking at the draft board and kind of coming up with some ideas.
See, now that's the true scouting you because see, folks, you're sitting across me right now with a ear to ear grin because that's where the scout really lives.
There's no doubt about it. Our scouts do a great job with that. And we'll have you know, those guys are going to have their chance to be convicted about those players that once we see where the chips fall, you know, day three, come in here and we'll talk to our scouts and see who's convicted about the players
that are left on the board. Ryan and I will you know, listen and earmark some of those guys and just like what we did last year, and that's how we got some of the guys that you know, Braxton and Dom. You know, there's guys that stood on the table per se for those guys last year.
All right, so everybody looks at now the numbers combine, right, workouts pro days, and they're really driven by that. Fans are fans get you know. But in the end, you got to trust your eyes and will your eyes tell you what the tape tells you?
What you see firsthand? Does that rule the day for this organization or.
Are there parameters for those measurables that have to be met for you guys to draft a player with help from now analytics also proving over time with the database of information that you know that player X may not have all these but he can still work here or he can't.
Yeah, this is a really good question. I think we do a really good job of marrying the two. Ultimately, it starts with the evaluation and then you blend in analytics. Really, lytics for us helps us confirm with our i s or helps us ask maybe the questions that we didn't see, you know, the height, weight speed from the combine. I feel like some of it's good just to have that number,
But nowadays we get information in real time. We get GPS data, so we can actually see how fast a player is in the game with pads on that you know, personally, I think is a little bit more valuable then you know how fast he runs with shorts and shirts, you know. And Christy does a really good job of, you know, setting the table for us and providing context for us in certain areas to help us make some informed decisions with analytics and with scout.
How many times you've fallen in love during this draft process and you still fall in love even this late in the week.
I love the process. I try not to fall in love with players because it's impossible though exactly you really like players, But at the same time you've got to that's the tough hard about this. Like, there's players that you really really like. There's players that you know. We have this thing called a gut box that Ryan and I will put a guy on. I guess that's what
you would call love. But those are the guys that you just have a feeling on, Like, all right, I've got a really good feeling based off of everything that I know about this player, I'm going to put a gut box.
All right. So we got a pretty full gut box.
I feel like we do. And it's spread out throughout the draft.
All right, your time is valuable. We appreciate it very much. Thank you so much, Jeff, Thank you. Man Ian Cunningham part of the Bears brass getting ready for the all important twenty twenty three draft starting on Thursday night.
We'll take a break.
We'll be rejoining Top there and Jim Midler here on Bears Weekly on ESPN Chicago and the Chicago Bears Radio Network.
This is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff Jonyak on the Bears Radio Network.
Fulling back everybody, Jeff Joni Ack down there, Jim Miller as we break down of upcoming draft tomorrow night one. Just heard from me and Cunningham along and every kind enough to spend that kind of time with us. Take away spell as to start with you, Timmy A head over to Jimmy, what'd you take away?
You know?
I like when he said I don't fall in love with a player, I'm into the process. And I think that says a lot about making sure that you have
perfeal vision when you're looking at all these guys. You can't become so enamored with a highlight tape that you imagine this guy being a pancake blocker every single play or making one handed catches every opportunity that you have to follow the n easier team and the process of the types of players that are being offered to you and then try to come up with the best grading system there.
So I like a lot of.
What he was able to let the fans know about their evaluation process when you are putting your war room together.
I like Kellie talked about the players that they've identified, right, sixty eight players. So now that he is moving up up and down in each round with where you have the players valued, you know, to order to get your quote unquote guys. So they you know, sixty eight players as what seven rounds essentially? Right?
No, no, no, He said he had one hundred and fifty players six the day before the news conference, six to eight guys that they could take with that that first round pick.
Yeah, and typically, so let's say, cause I've heard teams set do it that way too if they've got one hundred and fifty players. But now he said about fitting the team and fit the scheme. So imagine a team like the Colts where Matt everflush just came from they run the same style of defense, they're going to target those same type of guys. So now it's about moving up ahead that you know, to position yourself to take the player that you know you want to say, beat
the Colts to the punch. And so I think that's the key, and that's the beauty of the draft, And of course you want it to fall to you, but you got to be really selective about where you need to position yourself and your values to get the guy he wanted. I'd say it's ten guys per round that you're identifying where you're moving up or down to get really one of those ten guys that you think are really going to be crucial players in your team.
We're certainly fixated on round one, but draft wide, I'm very encouraged by what they're going They proved that already yet last year when they just had to hit the ground running install a tweaked draft system that they carried over with the same scouts and everything now added different personnel,
and so I'm excited what they're going to see. But most of the conversation with Ian at the podium on Wednesday or Tuesday, I guess it was Tuesday up at haddlesall was the talk about Jalen Carter, and he moved definitely around that topic, gave his opinions. But to me, it's unfair to ask direct questions about players with these guys during this process. It's a challenging These are challenging questions.
So as you look at this gym and what you've heard, and do you know at all in your gut and your heart of heart if teams have completely taken him out of the mix in the top ten, or is this guy gonna be a top five pick and it's out of the conversation.
Yeah, I think teams, if you looked over the past week, Jalen Carter was probably the most visited player, and the Bears were one of them. Right because they're going back, everybody's circling back and saying, all right, let's get the answers that we need from this young man that maybe we haven't gotten the answers previously. And I do know, like Brad Holmes, they've the Lions visited Jalen Carter, and I think, genuinely, I think they feel a lot better.
They've soften their stance on a great player. Let's face it, he's a blue chip player, you know, and you know, so they're coming back around again now with Drew Rosenhaus stepping in there. Drew has guarantees that he's not fallen out of the top ten. Obviously, that says Philadelphia has insured it. If he falls to us, we're taking them. And so I think when he said that, everybody then
did their due diligence circled back. I mentioned last week about I know top ten team that after that Pro day they didn't want to see his face again, But even that team went back and revisited with Jalen Carter to get the answers that they want. So, yeah, I think he's I think we can all guarantee he's going in the top ten, but he's probably going in the top.
Five tom outside of O line or D line, which we know the Bears do want to look at. They've not been shy about that. Obviously. It's a neat area as well. Outside of those positions. What else intrigues you in the top ten if they stay at nine at a position or a player that you really say, okay, hey, if they go this route, I'm okay with it. I'm not gonna let's go, let's go with him.
You know, I'm interested in the cornerback position. I think there's a couple players that can come into the Bears system in upgrade that position significantly. And then it kind of, you know, it puts you in a different position with Jalen Johnson because there's a lot to talk with Jalen Johnson that comes out of his mouth talking about the negotiating and.
His next contract and all that.
I think if you could, you know, have the kid from Illinois, Witherspoon is at his name, and then you got Gonzalez who's got size uh in terms of what he can offer a team. Cornerback to me is probably one of the more difficult positions to go out there and find that whatever grading system, I'm just using five star athletes more of a college reference than I am
a pro reference. But if you can get that cornerback to come in and be an immediate contributor on this team, and that difficult position within this division with the you know, the transition of quarterback up in Green Bay and the different receivers that you know, justin Jefferson and stuff with they just picked up their fifth year option, and the young kid that just got suspended in Detroit.
I just think cornerback.
Cornerback is a really position and I always have a lot of interest in Jimmy.
He talked about it. Ian did the Bears look at it? Hey, great players are great players, and you don't want to pass great players. So again the conversation about potential of a guy like Jean Robinson falling down, and yeah, I think arm Or would you take him?
Yeah, I think he's a tough player to pass up on. You know, here's another guy, I mean, he's he is, He's a lot like Saquon Barkley Ben. He think he's the best running back in this draft. He's got all kind of you know, he's going to play all three downs. He does not have to come off the field. And again, if you're a team that now you look at the Bears, they've got a young quarterback still in justin fields who's learning his way. You're going to have a good support
system with the running game. That's what the Bears they're playing was last year. So I definitely think he's a consideration at nine. We look at Bijon, he's too good of a player. He's a blue chipper.
Yeah, be sure, is difference maker. We're going to take another break here on Bears Weekly with Jim Miller, Tom Thayer, Jeff Joni Yack here on ESPN want that, Hey, I'm the Chicago Bears Radio Network.
You were too? Is Bear's weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years, Jeff ju on the Bears Radio Network.
You're at a couple of former NFL draft picks, Tom Bear and Jim Meta with a knight before the NFL Draft and what emotions must be like.
Welcome back to Bears Weekly.
You're out of ESPN Radio Chicago and the Bears Radio Network.
Jim, do you remember about the night before year draft?
I knew I wasn't going to be picked the first day, Jeff, So I did. I got a good night's sleep. I knew I was going to be more of a you know, a second day, and I did get some calls, you know, starting in the in the third and fourth round. And you know, even that's interesting in how teams do their war rooms because I remember we talked to Jed Fish today.
Jedfish obviously it's a University of Arizona's head coach, and he spent time with Baltimore and Johns up there from the Seattle, so he's been in and out of those rooms. And it's funny because when teams called me, they always had another player that they were choosing from, so they had two players on the line. Unfortunately for me, the team always took the other player. And normally that comes down to your position coaches, because Jed Fish said, Jim,
that's exactly how it worked. I'd get called in and they'd said, hey, you know, we want to hear what you have to say about this player. And for me, like Atlanta called me in the fourth round, they ended up taking quarterback Perry Klein from CW Post who played two years in the league. You know, I thought, and I had a great workout with June Jones. I was like, oh man, I'm gonna be a Falcon. And sure enough
they call me and then they take Perry Klein. And then the Steelers called me the next round and it was between me in a safety Myron Bell. Myron Bell was a teammate of mine with the Steelers, and so they called the coaches in and hey, you know what's gonna be and they said, Jim, unfortunately, we're gonna go with you. Your teammate Myron Bell, and I was like, cartbroke, and he's like, but if you're there next und, we'll pick you next round. I'm like, jeez, I can't win
for losing here. But it's something is that that those conversations are going on with the GM, with the coach, what are our needs? They had two players on the line, and it's just, you know, it's just those type of split decisions where they get the last bits of information where they ultimately make their decision, and that really can
change fortunes for a lot of players. Luckily, around later I ended up with the Steelers and they didn't have another player on the line then, so I knew I was going to get picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Doom night before the draft. What do you recall, Jeff.
I remember flying back from Washington, DC, where I signed a contract in the USFL, went to South Bend, Indiana, cleaned out my dorm room, drove all my stuff to Joliet so I can make it to practice. Our draft was on a Tuesday, and once the draft started, they drafted until the end of the draft. There was no TV coverage and so George Allen and said, do me a favor. Don't say anything about signing the USFL. We would like to make a little bit of uproar in
the NFL draft. And so as I was signing with the Chicago Blitz on my way to practice, they were I was got drafted in the fourth.
Round by the Bears.
That uh, just you know, created just a bunch of you know, it actually worked out perfectly for me, but you know, I was kind of young and naive, and I was being influenced by George Allen and Bruce Allen because they were running the Chicago Blitz and uh, you know, I was cleaning out my dorm room when I should have been getting ready.
For the draft.
You're a rule breaker, opportunity taker. Yeah, I like that. Opportunity knocks tomorrow for thirty one NFL players with the first round. Let's look at the division here quickly, fellas Jim Packers, Now, what do you how do you what do you?
What do you call this? Because they do have a lot.
Of talent left behind, They're going to try their hand at Jordan Love. We're not going to assume that Jordan Love can't play. He's been there for three years. We'll find out a lot about Matt Lafleur and that coaching staff and what they've done behind the scenes with him.
But they have the thirteenth pick.
They're going to draft three times before the Bears even picked again in the second round. As it stands right now where it is, they'd like to trade down and do what the Bears are trying to do and accumulate draft assets now and in the future. How do you describe right now if you had one word to describe where the Packers are right now, what would it be?
Yeah, I think that you know, let's be honest. They're not going to say it's a rebuild, but it's a rebuild. Let's be honest. So I personally, you know, they can say that they're going to trade down. They just picked up a whole bunch of stuff to trade up. Okay, So let's say if the if the run on tackles everybody you know now Paris Johnson who was out there today, that he could be taking as high as three to the Arizona Cardinals. Let's say he does. And I don't
see the Cardinals doing that. Their rosters worse than Green Bays. Arizona should actually want to trade. But if the run on tackle starts at nine, what's to say that the Packers may want to trade ahead of the Chicago Bears and get an opportunity there to maybe get their best tackle because they need they have offensive line issues and they have certainly they need a tight end as well.
That's too high to take a tight end. So personally, I think they're going to be in the tackle business and no line business as well.
Early for Green.
Bay, tom as you look at Detroit dangerous team at the moment they're building, they got momentum, and they got two prime picks. They could wind up with two very very good players right out of the gate. I would
imagine they're looking to continue the theme. You can make fun of the bite their kneecaps thing, but there's there's players in there, including Jalen Carter and even Witherspoon, who's a tone setting corner with an angry attitude and a great feistiness to them that could easily be Detroit Lions.
Yeah, you know, I mean, they do have multiple picks, they got assets coming. Do they have any concern for their quarterback position of the future, That's what I you know, kind of think, what are they what are they doing? Are they are they? Do they feel with Jared Goff that they're set for the future. I don't think they are. He's the type of guy that you know, is kind of at the fragile state of his career. However, Uh yeah, defense is probably the side of the ball that they
want to focus on. Their offensive line seems pretty solid.
Uh you know, they have you know.
I don't know if this interruption with the guys that are lost to the gambling deal, if that changes the position they need to look at.
Do they need receiver help immediately? So?
You know, I just think Detroit, if they get Jalen Carter, I think that's where they would want to go.
Crowd noise at home yucks.
Mm with already some really good players from a year ago. All Right, we've got to take another break here on Bears Weekly.
Coming on back. I'm gonna put these guys on the spot. What do you want?
What do you need?
What'd you'd like to have? Okay, fellas, when we back there we go.
This is Bears Weekly at ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network.
You were listening to Bears. This is Bears Weekly with a voice of the Bears for twenty three years. Jeff Jonyak on the Bears Radio Network.
Let's just make it a holiday, how about it. It's the NFL Draft Round one.
We will be at Soldier Field on the Wattle and Sylvie Show, and that'll be from two to six, myself and Tom Tayor joining the two legends, and we will we'll get our first true experience of a four hour talk show with these guys.
Tommy, are you ready for that?
Oh?
I can't wait. Wait, it'll be fighting, it'll be fun.
And then Tom will host and I will host the Bears Draft party from six to ten.
It's sold out at Soldier Field.
I believe it's the first time ever, so fans are genuinely jacked up. A lot of activities at Soldier Field tomorrow and then the rest of the weekend.
You know, we'll filling in the blanks as well.
Will be on Fox on Sunday night time at ten o'clock with Luke and Ellis on the.
Post Draft Show.
And then, Jim, you are situated in Kansas City where you are right now, and you'll be talking with all of these guys.
You're going to learn more about everybody than we will.
Yeah, it really is a fun time and just to see the excitement. You know, Let's been a goal, a dream for a lot of these players, much like it was for Time and myself to achieve that goal to play in the NFL. And it's the best of the best, and so it's an accomplishment. But it's just the start, you know. It starts all over, much like how you had to, you know, work your way through through college.
It starts all over again. There's nothing given to you, and these players are going to go to work and hopefully they'll be able to achieve all the goals that they want to achieve in the NFL.
All right, we touched ont of the division with the Packers and the Lions. I did not have time to talk about the Vikings. I don't know what to think of the Vikings. They played so many close games last year, A winning team go to the playoffs. Kirk Cousins never gets the love your former Michigan State are there, Jimmy Uh. They have rumors of possibility of trading Dalvin Cook.
Uh.
I'm not quite sure what to think of the Vikings right now in a wide open division. Where do you think they're going in this draft, they're yeah, a little bit in round one.
Yeah, well certainly, you know they they're gonna need a receiver. They lost thelan I gotta believe their defense was terrible last year, so they're going into a different direction there with Brian Flores and what they're gonna do, uh defensively, you know, and they got to find a quarterback, you know. Mensa, their their general manager, really made no bones about it. I mean, Kirk Cousins went to them to restructures deal to get another year, and they're like, no.
We're good, We're good.
So they're getting the They're getting the quarterback at some point, whether it's Hendon Hooker or whether they make the trade with the forty nine ers to get Trey Lance, or even if it's a later quarterback in the draft, say Clayton Tune. I like Clayton Tune. I think he's he's got really good numbers, and boy, I didn't like him in Mobile, But boy, when I turned on the tape, that quarterback can play.
All right, tom, here we go. We got three minutes, two minutes in the show. So, uh, what you need, what you want, what you gotta have. It doesn't have to be a specific player, but whatever you want to throw on the table for my need.
I want a writer left tackle, but I want a dominator. I want a day one starter. What do I want Jalen Carter to the defensive lineman and what would I need? I would not need a safety like Antonio Johnson out of Texas A and M six hundred pounds that can maybe you know, catch fire with ya Kwan Brisker Jim.
I agree with Tom. I want to tackle who's a Day one starter in plays for a long time. I want a penetrator defensive tackle, whether that's Jalen Carter Carter, whether that's Elijah Cansei, whether that's Double A at the Timmy Wow out of Northwestern. I want a penetrator there. And I want an edge rusher, an edge rusher, and then later in the draft, I think you can get a quality corner.
I'm with Tom.
They need a corner. They can kick Kyler Gordon then into full back and have a two you know, pillars on the outside of what they need. I think if they come out with those things, they'll be they'll be sitting pretty at the end of the day, and then they're all gonna play and they're all gonna develop and they're gonna get better, just like last year.
All Right, I need that.
I need speed.
I need speed. I need need need.
Functional speed, not just track speed, threatening speed that makes teams get on their heels a little bit. I want attitude and tone setters. Whether that term alpha wants to sneak into the conversation, I don't know. I want guys that are gonna shoulder the load, set the tone with the mix they added last year, and move forward to the future.
And I gotta have a pocket wrecker and a tackle. So those are the two.
Things, hyperble.
I gotta have a pocket rerecord.
Facts and figure. We're at a time.
We'll talk about it tomorrow. And Wato and Sylvia Soldier Field. Thank you as always to everybody for listening tonight. Jim have fun and Casey Buddy.
All right, sounds good for Tom Fair, Jim.
Miller, I'm Jeff Jonieck.
Thanks to Charlie Bevans, Nick Maczaba, we got Jordan Tredup and Dan Burrillian. Of course Bears Radio Network producer Eric Ostrotski, Tyler Acky coming up next. This has been Bears Weekly on esp in Chicago and one thousand and and the Chicago Bears Radio Network.
Good night, everybody you were tuned into Lee with Me,