Welcome in to Bears Weekly, a Chicago Bears Network production. Download the Chicago Bears official app brought to you by Verizon to follow the team on the go. Bears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Beth Rivers, Cdwing, Connie's.
Pizza, and Miller Liked. Here are your hosts.
Jeff Chiliac aka the Merrow Bearsville and his psidekick Tom the Surfmaster.
Theyer NFL facilities have cleared out for a month or so, including HALLI saw the calm before the storm, so to speak, and we can't wait for the storm. Welcome into another edition Bears Weekly here on ESPN Chicago and the Chicago
Bears Radio Network. I'm Jeff Jonnyak with Super Bowl Bear Tom Thayer and former Bears quarterback Jim Miller from Serious XM NFL Radio, moving the chains a full hour of conversation thanks to our producers Jordan tread Up and Dan Burrilly from the Bears and the folks here at the ESPN one thousand studios. The executive producer of the Bears Radio Network is Eric Ostrowski, and coming up in our next segment tonight, we sit down with new starting rank
guard Nate Davis fellas, how we feeling, Jim, what's going on? Man?
Doing well?
This last couple of days, I was up at Michigan State baseball camp with the boys. So baseball season for the summer and we get right into football. So hard to believe, you know, here we're a little over a month away and everything's going to get rolling again.
Tom, he's on a summer break like the rest of the league. I know you love here with that. I know you got to watch up when.
You talk about the or the facilities being closed and stuff.
I am for that.
In terms of the coaches and the training staffs and the equipment guys, because once they start training camp, that's seven days a week, twenty four hours a day. So somebody does need a little bit of a rest time because we have a chance to talk to some coaches and stuff. When what are you going to do during this period of time? And is there only vacation of the year again, like my rat last week, and I
heard a lot about it. I hope that the players don't believe that they deserve a vacation because it's really not vacation time.
It's continuing to prep time.
So yeah, if the coaches get to clear their mind a little bit, so being enjoy some time with your families, because the families are the ones that suffer the most to head coaches, assistant coaches, the staffs of each organization.
So I am for the break for those guys.
Reporting day is Tuesday, July twenty fifth. Course rookies and quarterbacks start a little earlier than that training camp schedule now in place July twenty sixth through August fourteenth, tom only nine public practices this year. Of course, a week in Indianapolis to get ready for the colts and that co practice scheduled there will take some of that away. But if you want to go, you gotta get a tick and get over there. There's only nine of them, you know.
What, Jeff, I'm almost thinking as the audience that training camp practice is a thing of the past unless you're invited. Because a lot of these teams staying at their own facilities, they really don't have what is needed to provide for huge crowds that we used to be a part of, either in Platteville or down in Bourboneta and stuff. So you know, nine practices opportunity for them to come and see the Bears in a preseason work atmosphere, but not so sure how long that will even last.
And Jim, only a few of those will be in pads, frankly, and this is not to say the Bears will be practicing longer than that. Obviously, training camp does have a finite number on it, but they continue to work. You think about it, The camp ends August fourteenth, but the season doesn't open until the second week of September.
Yeah, you guys know how I feel about it, and I don't want to go on a rant like Tom just said, but you know, it's a shame because to me, training camp that was the only major supporting event that was open to the public, you know where you know, you'd be down in Bourbone and you get twenty eight thousand fans that would show up to watch the Bears and they could get it's a very intimate atmosphere where you can get up close and personal and witness, you know,
for professional football. No other sport offered that. And it's a shame that it's kind of going away, as Tom suggested, because there's only a finite amount of days you mentioned nine days that that fans maybe it just doesn't work out for them. You know, how many people can get in there at Hallis Hall to begin with? Can they Can they really service twenty eight thousand fans that showed up in Bourboney I would say no, and that's unfortunate.
And there's a lot of kids that will be missing out on that that maybe you know, it's for them to want to play football. You know, some little boy who's nine years old and goes to watch a training camp practice, because I know that's what inspired me as a kid to want to play football. And to me, it's it's a shame because it's a it was a very to me, crucial and pivotal area where a team can connect with its fans.
Well, you get your free ticket at Chicago Bears dot com slash camp starting July sixth at ten am. You can select the four tickets per date, subject availability and like Jim said, there is limited attendance overall. There is the Meyer Bears Family Fest at Soldier Field that'll be on Sunday, August sixth at ten thirty five am. That'll be a big crowd opportunity there at Soldier Field.
All right, So.
All the OTA's mini camps, VET camps, all the signings for right now anyway in place, Jim, take stock of the team. Where are they at right now?
I think they're in a good place, you know. I think coach Everflus and the staff they've been working hard. Sounds like players now, second year players there. You know, things just happen a lot quicker for them. You know, the install goes a lot easier.
The new young.
Draft picks picks. They're going through their indoctrination, so to speak. And I think they're going to get a lot of playing time as well. I think we know Darnell right most likely will be starting at the right tackle spot, so he's got to be prepared for that. He'll make you share mistakes, no doubt, but it'll be a growth spurt, much like the players last year. As for the veterans,
they should be feeling pretty good. You know, they should be feeling very good of what's expected of them and what they need to do to execute and lo to win games right, and so they need to be the crucial motivators of the continued growth for those young players. I still think and we know that they're missing some areas. I do believe they do need to add another pass rusher, and even Koach ever plus has talked about that, so maybe a late addition or two is still going to happen.
Come training camp, Tom, where do you see it?
Ken?
I just hope that they give some of the like when you talk about a guy like Darnell Wright, or the running back position or the defensive line where some of these young guys are going to be expected to contribute. They have to understand the reality of full speed football, and I don't know if they can show that in practice or do they need to have more playing time
in the preseason games. So the worst thing I want to happen to the Bears is they have a bunch of young guys, first and second year players starting in that Green Bay game and being caught off guard because there is a difference between the speed of the regular season in what you see throughout training camp in preseason when you have a quick whistle at camp and then you have, you know, a limited amount of playing time
and exposure to real football and training camp. So and you know, as Matt Abrafleu said last year, he's not afraid of playing young guys, but the young guys need to come in with some experience so they're not caught off guard by the speed, the physicality and their job requirements.
When you talk about playing four quarters.
All right, first game of the year, Packers, we've already talked about it behind the scenes, Tom and I, Jim, you know, it's it's the great unknown Week one. But I got annoyed. I saw a Twitter clip on NFL Network. Preston Smith, the outside linebacker the Packers, is on there and they had predicted their first eight games, and they said, hey, how'd you feel about going six and two to start the season, but they had opening loss to the Bears in Atlanta the next week. He goes, hold on, I've
never lost to the Bears. I didn't. I've never lost to the Bears. As a Washington commander, I've never lost to the Bears. So you know that idea that he's never they've never lost to the Bears at a certain point, many of those guys haven't. It just gets your blood up, doesn't it.
Yeah?
Well, yeah, and it should.
And for the Bears, it's time to change the tenor you know, it's trying to time to change the tone of this matchup. Green Bay has dominated it for over the last decade. I would say, you know, Aaron Rodgers is gone, it's time to change history here. You know, there's an opportunity with the young Jordan Love. And then quite frankly, they were a very good football team last year.
Green Bay knows that they were good. They couldn't stop the run, and I don't think they'll be able to stop the Bears run game week one, and the Bears need to give him a reality to those of things they are about to change.
Oh, I agree one hundred percent.
I mean, the Bears got to change the tone and the tempo and the outcome and the way that people are thinking down the road.
Because you know, Jim, when you think about.
This first game of the year, in the last game of the year, they're going to play the Green Bay Packers, that's two completely different teams by that much time in between Game one and Game seventeen.
Jim, we got to take our first break when we come back. We'll be joined by Nate Davis, the offensive Guard, the newest Bear here on Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand and the Chicago Bears Radio Network. This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by CDW people to get it. Jeff Joniyak along with Tom Thayer and Jim Miller to help me along, and just a moment first our visit with news starting guard the free agent acquisition from the Tennessee Titans. Big Nate Davis joining us.
Good to talk to you, Good to see how.
You doing, fling good. Thanks for having me too.
Yeah, good to have you. The big news is that everybody's here. The attendance has been unbelievable this team, and we were talking about how much guys love them playing with each other, and as you get to know your team even a little bit better, maybe already know that they really do love getting out there together.
Yeah, one hundred percent. Just being to be a part of the energy that's out there every single day is definitely a blessing. It definitely keeps you going every single day too, even in the hard days. But now it's a good group, a young group. Everyone was excited to see, you know, what we can really put together and see what we can.
Do for the season.
That's the end the underline, right, A young group and you're one of the vets on this team. Man, it's there's not many guys in that five to ten range of experience, and this is your fifth year in the league, so you're one of the leaders here. Do you do you sense that difference of a young team that really had to cut their teeth last year and learned some other hard bumps along the way.
Yeah, no, I definitely feel it.
You know, come from an old line who you know, I was a young guy playing with the guys who were thirties and stuff like that, and then you know, switching over to the other side.
I definitely feel it.
But it's also cool experience too at the same time, just seeing the group, the growth that people, the growth that the players have already had, seeing what they can accomplish to in this league, is definitely excited to be part of.
Jim Miller, who also works at Serious XM NFL Radio, it was a quarterback here in two thousand and one, and he always would tell me, hey, you know, we knew we were gonna be a good team, just in the weightlifting portion. And things were different back then, of course, in terms of the schedule, but these guys lobbed the weight room and they were competing in the weight room, and so he wrote down on a piece of paper what he thought the record would be for the season.
They shoved it in a drawer in the video director's office and he wrote thirteen and three Garnet. The Bears went thirteen and three in two thousand and one, went to the playoffs, and then the six team was coming off an O five season. They went to the playoffs, got beat by Carolina in the first round of the playoffs, but they came back a different bunch. No one really believed they were gonna go to the They went to the Super Bowl. I mean, I'm not saying all that
could happen. I mean it could, but do you get the sense from your experience from the time you got in the league coming out of the University of Charlotte to where you are today that a lot of that bonding that happens throughout the course of the offseason pays off later.
Yeah.
Just the things we do off the field too, not just on the field, just feeling, like I said, back to the energy thing, we're all just you know, pointing the right direction. Wanted to get better and want to compete with each other and push each other to be the best player we possibly could be. We are definitely in the right direction. We are definitely working towards the goals that we have.
And you know, when everybody's not pulling on the same rope, right right, I mean it's pretty palpable.
You feel it.
As a player, what do you think you can bring? Forget about your on field talent, let's talk about Nate Davis the man. What do you bring to that locker room that will help the Bears get to that next level?
Yeah, I would say, you know, not just off the field things with you know, how I treat my body to you know, male prep and stuff like that, the little things, but just my mentality, the way I show up the work every single day, the way I do every single drill, the way just my mentality of trying to get better every single day. Hopefully I'm not I'm not a huge loud guy, but I try to lead by example and that's something that definitely take pride in.
Hey, thet little thing is no longer nutrition, it's a big thing, right, So if you're eating right, you're putting in your body, maybe guys will ask you, hey, what are you doing, Nate? I mean, does that happen in the locker?
Yeah, it's already happened a couple of guys have already asked, you know, why why do you do this to that or why that? And then you know, explain those things. Like me, I have joined that too, So being able to pass that knowledge down to them and then see them actually take part in that too.
Is that's a good feeling.
Sore you a big I mean clearly you're you're muscled up. The viiceps are popping right now at me. Right now, I feel like I need to go do some pushups. Do you fuel your body in a very particular way or do you take advice from the nutrition staff here, or what's what give me a typical meal day?
For Nate Davis, it was it was a culination of many years of talent error of feeling, you know what's right for my body, but just you know, listening from you know, nutrition staff here, to just the people in my path to this point. Now, you know, just waking up in the morning and everything's particularly from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You know, it's hard to get a lot of protein. Yeah, it's hard to give you exact Yeah, sure you know what I do, but I just know that's very particular.
Well, think about this Lake Forest College is not far down the road from here, and that's where the Bears used to train. There was no cafeteria. So Otis Wilson, a star linebacker on the eighty five Bears, was here. I was talking to him on the sidelines and he's just shaking his head. He goes, Man, this place is immaculate. This is like beautiful. He goes, if if we had something like this then now granted exaggeration, kicks and he felt he could play for twenty years because they had
to go out and get fast food. That's what they ate. They had. Nobody's packing a brown bag lunch and there was no no services like that back in the day. Do you feel that's well you you entered into the league during that era, you know, it hasn't been that way for very long. How much of a benefit is that though, for you that you don't have to leave the facility or worry about why you're gonna plan your meals when you you don't have it here.
Yeah, even with the train stuff, you know, everyone is in the right direction together whatever they have to do to help you get to the best, you know player you could possibly be. I think it's huge everywhere you go if you just walk around the bill and you just see different types of you know, recovery tools or like you said, mill plans or mill prep for players like you know, it's it's it's emmaculately. It's definitely a blessing.
All right, Let's talk about Nate Davis, the player, great career there in Tennessee, got in on the rookie I think you started in week five your rookie year, and that's the year one of the years Derek Henry led the NFL in a rushing So that's something you're never gonna forget. And you have a new address now. But boy, what a memory to play with a Hall of Fame
player your rookie season. Take me through that process of coming in week five, starting and then never giving it back up, you know, and just blocking for a player like that on a team like that.
Yeah, No, it was definitely something I'll not forget. Something special.
Definitely a lot of ups and downs, but everything that has put me in a direction or the path them in now is because of those moments right there. So extremely grateful to be with those guys, to be you know, drafted by that organization from giving the tools to carry that now and you know, help out the team.
He was, without question the lead back here. It's going to be back by a committee. It appears any difference for an offensive lineman when that happens, when you know, you get to know one guy, it's going to get the bulk of the carries versus an array of backs.
I mean not to not too much of a difference. The mentality is still the same. You know, do your job. Blockley got behind you, and whoever's back that we want to see him succeed. We want to help him out the best way possible.
What have you learned about Chris Morgan the offensive line coach? Everybody who they call him seem all of course, But what have you learned about his coaching style?
Very personal, which I love. He gets to know the player first before or he gets to know the man first before the player, and just the way he's able to speak to individuals knowing how okay he needs to be coach this way, this guy needs to coach that way. He has a lot of He's been in lead for a while too, so he's seen a lot of things. So his perspective is very key for anything we do. Said I said a little bit earlier, but it's definitely the right thing for me to be with this coach.
He is, he's awesome, he presses the right buttons for me. I love to get to know the man first, and I believe the whole coaching staff that's kind of their thing. I've heard this from multiple position groups. Know the man first, because you do have to know what you're dealing with. I know, maybe in the old days everybody got yelled at the same way, but there are different ways to
do it with that aspect of it. What what what is that connection like for you for somebody to take the time to get to know the man, because hey, listen, you're you're a veteran man. It's not like a guy is coming into the league raw. You know what you're doing, but they got to get to know you a.
Little bit here, right. It makes you take a step back a little bit. You know, well, they actually, you know, care about it. Yeah, he cares.
About me more than just the guy in the field with number sixty four. It makes you just want to do better. It makes you want to do more. It makes you want to, you know, the be the best person you possibly be for the team. Knowing that they care about you, not only as the player, but just off the field too.
We get obsessed with Okay, a guy gets drafted and you were a third round pick. You're one, get your feet wet, Hey, you get in there. You started the bulky year, then year two, you know, you make that big and then year three is your take off. Here, now you're five, You're an established veteran. What do you see for yourself here in the next party. This is
truly like the next phase of your career. If you're a really good offensive lineman, which you are, you're going to play in league ten to twelve years.
Yeah.
You know, I have my own goals and every single year I create new ones, and I know I have a lot of work to do still, and I'm excited for that process. I have to right people around me. Like I said, this coach stops amazing too to continue to push me. But yeah, I'm expected for myself to be even better, to make another step or jump as you will.
So yeah, I'm excited.
Are you a guy that writes down your goals? Keep some private or how do you attack that? And are you willing to share?
So I write them down at Q private I'm just one of those guys who I'm not a huge I guess I'm not a loud guy. Yeah, so I know what I need to do and I'm gonna continue to work for that every single day.
So when you say you're a loud guy, but you know you're a very personable guy. But our situations, like like we're having a conversation right now talking about offensive lineman don't like talking about themselves often. Are you you seem comfortable? Are you or is it not your thing?
Uh?
Uncomfortable?
Yeah, it's just I'm a guy who just leads by example. I'm not a guy who's just gonna start yelling and stuff like that. It's just it's just me at the end of the day.
So take me through what looks to be right now, a young offensive line with some key veterans in it. Uh, take me across the board what you've already learned. Let's start with the with the left tackle, Braxton Jones and Devin Jenkins on the left guard.
First thing, because is hard workers their mentality. Like just I was talking to my friends back at home. I was like, man, this guy is like he could be special, especially like the left side in general, they could be special. They're young, they're hungry, they're asking all the right questions.
Yeah, just they could be great. Simple Is that simple as that?
Braxton. I talked about this last week with with coach Moe and some mother fault. He is so open about what he needs to work on, you know, and you could see it in his face. He's a genuine article. Yeah, gush center code white here. Yeah, whatever you ask him to do, he'll do it. I'll do it right.
Yeah, yeah, no complaints or now I almost want to call him the workhorse. He just every single day is the same guy. He's gonna work hard, do the right things, communicate when he needs to communicate. Someone you can definitely lean on. Definitely decided that, you know, he's my center.
Yep.
And good to have you know, two vets sitting right there next to and then you get the rookie darn all right. First thing, I see, Wow, got some long but to do you see people forget you have thirty three and a half for thirty three and a quarter inch arms as well, big long arms. But he's a big guy.
Yeah yeah that's first seas Yeah, big guy, smart, He has all everything you needed to be a great right tackle on this league for a very long time. I'm excited to grow with him. I'm excited to see the progrescy Maanson's league.
And we don't have time to get through the entire group, but it'll be some good competition come training camp, don't you. There's competition going obviously for the swing positions and the backup into your jobs, and it's going to be a competitive camp. I have a really strong feeling about that. Those young guys have got to play last year. Now, you know, get they wet their beak a little bit right.
They want they don't want anybody taking their snaps. Do you get that feeling as we wrap up our interview.
Here, Yeah, competition is the biggest thing. We continue to push each other, we're all you know. It's not like a bad type of competition. It's a okay, let's let's see what you do to continue to push each other to see how great we could. You could truly be at a position, and that's what you need in this game. And it's such a the NFL, at the highest level of football, it's that competition.
Well, I appreciate you being here. Hope you'll join us again. Sometime during the season and great to have you being a Chicago Bear. Gonna have a great time here.
Yeah, I appreciate you, thanks for having me.
Thank you, Nate Davis our guest. We'll continue on Bears Weekly here on ESPN one thousand Chicago and the Bears Radio Network after this timeout. Welcome back to Bears Weekly. Jeff Joniac, Tom Thayer, and former Bears quarterback Jim Miller from Serious xm NFL Radios. Moving the chains. Hey, you want VIP access to every Bears home game, exclusive seating, sideline credentials, and more now available. Get the ultimate VIP fan package this season by visiting Chicago Bears vip dot com. Jim,
we heard Nate Davis. That was my one on one with him after the end of a veteran miniicamp. Bright guy, excited, guy, really I love I broke down the offensive line and the idea that he believes Braxton Jones and Tevin Jenkins have special and then he's seen that already in the limited time working with him.
Yeah.
I think you know, Tevin really showed a lot last year when he was plugged in at right guard. Now he's making that move over to the left guard and Braxton Jones. We've said it, he grated out higher than any tackle who was drafted last year. And I know Olin Kreutz has been working with him. He's a young right, smart young man who's talented, so it's really up to him to take another big jump here in his second year. And I like Nate Davis plugging in at right guard.
Why because that's a nice veteran to really help out a young right tackle in Darnell right, you know, so to have that experience there to work with a young player. And Cody White here, we know he's just been stellar since he's been a Chicago Bear. He's been versatile, he's a good lead, played all the positions, and now with a young quarterback looking to grow again here in Justin Fields, I think it's nice to have Cody White here in his experience at the center spot.
Tom, you're a right guard, You're a right guard. Nate Davis is a right guard. A lot of similarities here as he moves in. You had a little experience under your belt when you arrived at the Bears in eighty five and helped out that drive to the Super Bowl championship. What do you see from Nate and what do you suspect he'll bring to the table here as a veteran coming in in free agency.
You know, I got to say I was really impressed the first time I got to see Nate Davis because this guy, he looks the part.
He looks like you.
Want an offensive lineman to look thick, big and strong in the lower body, in a big, strong upper body.
This is what I want out of Nate Davis.
Jeff and you and I have talked about it a little bit over the last couple of weeks.
Who's the alpha male in this locker room.
I need Nate Davis from the day he puts on his full pads in helmets in the beginning of a can He's got to be an alpha male. He's got to change the whole mentality of that offensive line. Tavin is still growing into that Braxton Jones everything we heard out of them in the podium throughout the early portions of his career.
He's got that type of intelligence.
Jimbo Kovert walked in day one as an alpha male on this football team, and I think Darnell Wright can do the same thing.
However, they need.
To have an example and when Jim brought up ooland Krutz in the past. He was as alpha male as you could possibly get. But that's what Nate has to be day one, not month one.
He's not a big talker though he's not a vocal guy. Is that okay?
You don't have to be a talker to be an alpha male. You just have to lead by example. You have to show these guys the work ethod that's expected of them even though they're a younger guy, because it's on display from a veteran. So look, if you want to have a long, successful career in the NFL, we need an alpha.
And we it now.
All right, I got questions for you then, Jim, did you who is the alpha that you were in a locker room with that Tom just described that doesn't need to be the big voice or the guy who's you know, holding guys accountable verbally. They just go out there and play ball and they have that professionalism that is attached to their athleticism.
Who comes to mind, Yeah, well I played it with a ton of guys. GERMONDI Dawson was that way. He wasn't a big talker. He just went out and played and he was the most athletic guy, and he dominated. He showed how dominant he was, and people knew not to mess with him. You know, olen was obviously that way. And you know, again, you can go out and show it, and players see it on the tape. They know who's dominating and they know who's the badass out there in
the alpha male that Tom's talking about. And I do like that thought that Nate Davis needs to do that. I think Darnell Wright definitely has that ability because, like we talked about, physically, he's so gifted. He can push people around just because he's bigger than stronger than most. So I think he can be that guy as well,
just because he's that physically dominant. Now, just go out and do it, and trust me, players, what games players respect more than anything in the locker room is your toughness, because you need to be tough to play football. It's a tough man sport and it's not for everybody. But if you show that toughness, trust me, everybody knows who they can count on and who's going to be there when things get tough.
You know, you know, r Locker wasn't alpha male, as alpha as you can get it.
He was not a big talker. Mike Singletary.
He was a top of the top of the heap alpha male, and he wasn't one of these guys looking at me type of conversationalist.
So you know, there's a lot.
Of guys that we've all had examples to be around. Jeff, you as many as Jim and I. However, you get to probably know the alpha side of some of these guys more than the.
Rest of us.
All right, would you have considered both of you guys alphas?
Will I consider myself in alpha?
I had to talk a lot, certainly being a quarterback, but I think players knew I was going to be there.
You know what, times got tough.
Listen, man, We had a great example of an alpha male from Dick Stanfeld, our offensive line coach, and I think he inserted himself and every one of the guys that he ever coached, and I think that you know, we all fell on the line according to plan, and we are proud to be considered an alpha male.
All right. Another another thing about this offensive line. I love love that the five guys lined up and basically that's your offensive line until further notice. And this time of year ago, we had no idea how it was going to play out. Is this a positive heading into training camp? Tom and Jim?
I think it, of course it is because the more time that you can have names on the board that are going to line up first, that's when the competition starts. Jeff, because I was that type of guy that came in and my name wasn't in that first unit. So everything inside of me was designed was you know, effect in the way you practice and everything to try to climb that ladder. So I look at the frontier guys, Yes, it's nice to have their name.
On the list. However, there's about fifteen guys that are behind them, jeft, that are chopping on the bit, chopping at the bit to increase their opportunities.
Yeah. I mean, think of Alex Leatherwood, that's a former first round pick. Whether he's a right tackle or whether he plays a right guard, he should be hungry.
You know, a.
Rookie who is drafted is ahead of him right now, and Alex that should be burning in his gun that you know, this kid's just been plugged in there and the expectation is that he's going to be.
The right tackle. If I'm Alex at Leatherwood.
I'd be pissed, quite frankly, because I haven't lived up to my billing as a draft pick nor what I should be able to play at the level I should be able to play at as a pro. I do think having the name slated in is good for continuity. That's the direction the Bears coaches wanted to go in. But like I said, then Tom said, other players better be hungry to try and remove those names because that's where they.
Want to be.
Yeah. Talk the same way about Larry borm who is not a first round pick but had shown great potential right out of the gate as a middle round pick. Talking about Jitari Carter, a guy Tom was on last year, he got a lot of snaps in this offseason. All right,
let's switch gears to the quarterback position. Because the incessant and relenting, unrelenting comparisons of Justin Fields in year two and Jalen Hurts in year two the numbers were very similar, almost right to the number, and then the takeoff year in year three. Is too much being made to this because while they are similar quarterbacks, they're not the same guy that there's different aspects of their games. Jim must start with you, because you're the quarterback in town can follow suit.
Yeah, I mean he should feel comfortable right now. It's his second year in this Loup Getzi offense, and you're right, year three to year four, this is where your career has got to be on the ascent, all right. This is where things should be coming together, and he should just explode onto the scene in every aspect of his game, whether it's running the ball, whether it's passing. Check with me, he's at the lion of scribbage defenses that he now
understands and knows how to attack. And so, like I said, I threw out pretty modest goals for him last week. Throw for over three thousand yards. Cut the turnovers in half, cut the sacks in half. All those things should happen because it's coming together mentally for Justin Fields. He's got all the talent in the world. Now it's time to do.
It, you know.
To me, Justin just has to play better as a quarterback. He has to do the thing that Jim just said. You got a decrease you're running yards. You have to increase your passing yards, decrease the amount of.
Sacks you take.
But this is not a one man job. This is a supporting cast job. You look at what Philadelphia offered Jalen Hurts when he went there to be that.
Quarterback that's getting better. Your whole team was getting better.
Well, they certainly did get better with Jalen. We expect the same with another break ahead. This is Bears Weekly on ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network. This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by CDW. People to get it Jeff Joniak along with former Bears Tom Thayer and Jim and are good to have you alongside as we begin the quiet part of the NFL season. It's probably the only month of the year. But wait, the league will come up with something. I mean, there's
so much out there, so much conversation, it's endless. I want to talk about Darnell Mooney, Tom and Jim. Darnell Mooney working himself back. I saw him last week. We had a nice conversation. He felt that this journey that he has undergone, being injured for the first time in his life, he learned a lot. He learned a lot about himself. He's glad he went through the process. We'll dig in why later when we talked to him in depth,
but he feels good, he feels ready to contribute. He had that ankle injury Week twelve, so cut his season short a year after being a thousand yard receiver, Tom, what are your expectations Forarnell Mooney post injury?
You know, the most important thing about Darnell Mooney is he's got such a determined work ethic that he's going to be able to overcome injuries and become a better wide receiver within developing the relationship that Justin feels.
That they already have in place.
I don't know what type of conversation we'd be having about Darnell Mooney if case Claypool was coming off of one of the best.
Off seasons in the history of his young career.
I know there are probably not two of the same guys at the same position. However, there is a need for Darnell Mooney, there is a need for him to continue to improve, and there's a need for him to have that continuous relationship with Justin that puts both of these guys arrows pointed up.
Yeah, I do.
I think he's got the speed, He's a two way go player. I still think he's got to get physically stronger to fight off coverage. But his speed is his second to none. He's a two way go player. Then he put DJ Moore at the X, so that should open up some things in the middle of the field because he'll garner at least DJ Morewell's safety coverage, and that should give opportunities to Mooney. You know, it's to be injured and come off injury. He should be a
very hungry player. He knows what he wants to accomplish in the National Football League, and I'll think he'll be a complimentary piece to be able to do that. I always used to poke my head into the door of the receiver's room, whether it's Bobby Ingram or Robinson or Marty Booker, you know, you name it, whoever was in that room. I said, whoever gets open gets the rock. So get open, and you should get the ball because that's what justin fields. That's his job to do that.
So just get open, man, That's all Mooney's got to do.
Tom's laughing because I could just picture right now because I don't know that I've seen Jim this fired up in mid June, mid to late June. Here he has brought his a game today and you could see it on his face.
If you get open, you're going to get the ball, period the end. So do your job. I'll do my job. Let's get it done here.
You know one one thing real quick, as last week you said, hey, go back and look at that speech by Mike Tomlin that he was giving the Pittsburgh Steelers. But this is what I want to make a point of Dick Stanfeld, our offensive line coach. She always used to say, as long as your arrow is pointed up, you're going to get all the coaching you can possibly want and need and to make you a better football player. As soon as your arrow starts pointing down, we got
to look to replace you. And it's the same type of Spece and Mike Tomlin gave to this generation of players that Dick Stanfeld gave to our generation of players. So no matter what name you bring up from injured to healthy, if their arrow is pointed up, they're going to increase their opportunity for success of the.
Bears and their own personal success. So whether it's.
Darnell recovering from an injury or another guy that's still trying to learn.
What his job is about and a guys looking for, you know, a contract extension. He'd like to stay here, Darnell Mooney, and I just think this situation he's in, with the added weapons and a third year for Justin in the same offense for the first time, this is going to benefit Darnell Mooney along with many other Bears. All Right, couple of other topics here. I just saw
this earlier today. I didn't realize this, but according to Pro Football Focus, cole Comet had the most run blocking snaps of any tight end in twenty twenty two, and he had a good run block grade according to PFF, top seven in the league. That number shocky time.
No, I think it's the biggest compliment you can play to a tight end or any exterior blocking personnel that you can put out there, but the tight end and their role, and the importance of the running game, the movement of the tight end position, the variety of positions front side, backside, HVAC, fullback. I think cole Comett has
done a great job of all of those. But I don't think any of us would sit here and deny the fact that inside the red zone, that's when we have to be talking about cole Comet the most this season.
Yeah, I think.
You know, if he's top seven, as you mentioned, his goal should be the top five. You know, they're going to run the ball just like they did last year, so get more of the same, and he needs to continue to do that. But like the area that Tom's talk about, he needs to explode more in the passing game. He is a true all around tight end. He's not just an inline guy. You can move him around and do some things with him, and he showed his athleticism.
You know, how about that one handed seamrout catch that he made last year. It's within him to do it. And now with Justin in this passing offense growing, he's going to be even more incorporated into the passing offense and the red zone for more potential touchdown receptions. So maybe he Cole Comet his name can be considered in some of the top tight ends that we always bring up, whether it's a George Kittle or all the other names
that are out there at Travis Kelsey. He has that within him and so more is expected.
All right.
This is interesting to me. This is where expectations that the definition of expectations from the fan base and those who write and speak about NFL football. So again, Pro Football Focus ranked all the linebacker units, and I know, Jim, you guys rank units on your show as well on Sirius XM, second best in the entire NFL, behind only the forty nine ers, the Chicago Bears, Tremaine Edmonds a lot of attention. TJ. Edwards on a Super Bowl team a year ago, put up some good numbers. How do you see it?
Well, that's a good ranking, and I do think they have the athleticism there. There's some still pretty good course out there.
You know.
I don't think you know Roquan the former Bear. You know, he just got one hundred million dollars for a reason. They got a pretty good group over there with Patrick Queen, or how about the guys down in Tampa with Devin White and Lavonte David. So I want to see it to believe it. I think the Bears have the type of talent that they need at linebacker, but I want to see it to believe it in order to have that high of a ranking. So these guys haven't together yet.
Those other groups that I just mentioned have and they played really well.
Tommy, you know, as all to me.
I don't think you can rank a linebacker crew linebackers unless you rank the defensive line in front of them, Because when you look at the defensive lineman again that Edmunds and TJ. Edwards are played with the last couple of years, that's top notch. You look at the defensive line in Baltimore, you look at the defensive line in Dallas, you look at the.
Defensive line in San Francisco.
You want to rate these linebacker positions and tell me how productive their defensive line is. That's what's going to tell you about how good the linebacker position can be.
Edwards seventh in the league in tackles last year, Edmonds the best coverage grade and that size and length will certainly help the Bears defense out significantly. One more segment to go. This is Bears Weekly. You're on ESPN Chicago and the Bears Radio Network. Want VIP access to every Bears home game, exclusive seating, sideline credentials and more now available. Get the ultimate VIP fan package this season by visiting Chicago Bears vip dot Com. Jeff Joniak, Tom Fhayir, Jim
Miller from Serious XMNFL Radios Moving the Chains. We wrap up tonight's show. This is the whip around a lot of different topics. I'm gonna start with one that's kind of strange. When did what moment in your careers did you know it was time to retire?
Well, for me, it was kind of you know a lot.
I think all players would like to go out on their own terms, but for me, that wasn't the case. Once I blew out my hip for the Giants that the doctor basically told me, hey man, that's its finality for you. So it was decided for me, and then you have to come to grips with it. And once it was decided for me, you know, I've got to live with it and and be able to move on. So that's how it happened for me, and uh, you know, I've been able to do that and move on from it.
Didn't wasn't able to come to an end on my own terms, which is unfortunate, but you know, that's the way life is.
You know, at the end of my career, I had two year career, a two year contract with the Miami Dolphins. So at the end of my first year with the Miami Dolphins, I was sitting on kickoff return and overtime against the New England Patriots.
And I, as I was sitting there.
With the hands on my hands on my knees, watching the ball fly over my head, I said to myself, I don't want to be here anymore. I turned, they went, I went and made my block, walked out of the bus after the game, and I was sitting with coach Shula and he says, hey, I would like you to come in and compete next year for the starting right guard spot. And I said, Coach, I think I'm going to retire, so you know, you better be prepared for that. He goes, I never listened to a veteran the first
week after the season's over. Take your time, figure it out. Come to Mini caamp and I knew, I knew I was done, but you know, and that's the way it was. I mean, I was on the field and I convinced myself.
Why you opened the door because you said, coach, I think, which means you're beat and you're done right right, that's it. But you know the not so comical part of it. And you know, you guys obviously have had long careers now in broadcasting. You found a niche to still stay in the sport. Jim working at Michigan State as a color analyst for years and then having such a great career at serious XMNFL radio. Were you scared to retire
to determine what was next? Tom? Jim? Because you know, I had a conversation with Jason McKee the other day about that topic, Because you know, you think, okay, but now what Like you're home and you're waking up it later in the day and you're like, Okay, what am I going to do with the rest of my life? You guys are retiring in your thirties. Did you ever feel scared, Tom about what was next? What were you going to do with your time in Jim followsuit.
Yeah, I mean I live a life scared. I never know what's coming around the corner.
And then when you I retired when I was thirty three years old, And when you go out and you fill out a job application, they said, well, what have you been doing for the last thirty years playing football? You know, there's not a lot of people out there looking for ex players. But I think if you get your sell mentally physically, you stay physically prepared, the opportunities are going to present themselves, and I was super fortunate
of that. And I loved football when I played it, and I loved it after the I got done playing it.
So that's that really benefited me a lot.
Yeah, for me, I knew I was still always going to be involved in football. To me, it's the It's the greatest sport on the planet. I wanted to be connected with it, whether it's coaching or through the NFL at the league offices or doing what I'm doing right now. And I really got intrigued with the media side of it because you can break down football, uh to listeners out there, to really inform them and just make them more informed football fans.
So I'm a lifer.
Hopefully I can can do this for many more years because I enjoyed it so much. But I'll always be involved in some capacity.
I love football more than anything. I swear. I am addicted to it. And so I was coming home from Des Moines, Iowa, where my mom celebrated her eighty fifth birthday over the weekend, and I was coming home and I had Super Bowl one of the Super Bowls on the early one, Super Bowl three, I think it was just on through my YouTube through my car. I wasn't watching the game, Tom, don't worry. I was keeping my eyes on the road. But you know, you forget about some things because and a lot of fans may not
remember some of these things. But back in the day before the headsets and before coaches had a certain amount of time to give the play call to the quarterback in his headset, or the defensive calls were coming in for the d you had messengers. And it just it struck me because it was Dallas. It was Mike Ditka for Tom Orlandry running the plays in the tight ends were the messengers? Who were your messengers, Jim and Tom and a guy coming off the sideline coming into the
huddle and giving you the play. Did that not happen in your NFL career? That never happened? Okay.
Also, we would either signal and then of course they came up with the.
Headsets, But that would really that would take you back to for me high school where they have a messenger, which is typically for us. It was the running back position because we alternated running backs, where they'd come in, they'd tell me the play, and I'd call the play. We'd go up there and run the place. So for me that goes back to high school and then in
college it was always signaled. So we had a messenger that way until they came up with the headsets, which really was probably my second year in the NFL.
Is when they came up with the headsets.
Tom I neat stories here.
I mean on every one of our you know, every interchangeable guy, whether it b Emery Moore had Tim Wrightman at tight end, Dennis Gentry, Dennis McKennon, and Kenny marjoram Willie Galt in the wide receiver position. Every once in a while you get Calvin Thomas coming in from Matt Suey and vice versa. You know, So any interchangeable body outside of offensive lineman with the Bears, they were eligible
to be a messenger. And so according to the down and distance, according to the formation we were going to use, or the personnel grouping. That's how really they got hand picked from the sideline. That's why if you ever see an offensive coordinator from our era, Ed Hughes or Greg Landry, you see about five or six guys that are walking everywhere with him with him and staying in just within a you know, a quieted tempo of how he wanted to call the play.
Did the plays sometimes get a little screwed up when they got to did they forget it?
In our era? They did?
You know.
That's why I think that the quarterbacks had to know the information so well that if a player came in and gave them the formation and the strength, then they could figure they could probably say the play to themselves after they started it. So, you know, in my era, I remember when Jim Harball went from the messenger to the headset, and I think the headset and the helmet probably helped them help them the most.
All right, two minute times, So we got to do a whip around here. Ready, here we go. Sports Illustrated writer Gil buttertel Manzano did a first round redraft of twenty twenty two Braxton Jones, we go number nineteen, Jakwan Brisker, twenty five.
Hey, those are good grades and those players have played well, so again we'll see how they grow. I like what Brisker can do physically, and I like Braxton Jones. I think he's physically more talented to what people know, and he's a smart player. What you need to have success in the NFL.
Tom I think brisker may be the way he walked around the practice field during this offseason. He's ready to go. He's died. I think he's going to have a huge year.
Yeah, you know, those redrafts are a bunch of baloni. Anyways, I just think that you see great football players, whether you're drafted in the fifth round or the second round, or you're free agent like some of the guys that we've come across in our career.
All right, Tom, there's a football player, four star quarterback Austin Simmons. He's skipping his final two years of high school major, great GPA, he was homeschooled. He's joining Ole missus F football program this summer at seventeen. That's according to Barstool Sports. Do you agree with this idea?
I do not.
You know, you look at guys like Marinovich that were raised, you know, by their father to be a football player. It guarantees you nothing. So I would rather see him grow up and mature a little bit more.
Jim, where will Daniel Hunter wind up? And Delvin Cook?
I think Delvin's gonna end up with the Miami Dolphins is where I think he wants to be and where he'll strike a deal. Daniel Hunter, who knows he could even be a bear?
Oh boy.
We end the show on x acclamation point right there. That's gonna do it for us, for Jim Miller and Tom Thayer, Thanks Nate Davis and our producers. That's all the time we have. This is Bears Weekly on the new radio home of the Bears, AM one thousand ESPN Chicago. We'll talk to you next week.
Thank you for listening to the Chicago Bears Network presentation of Bears Weekly, hosted by the Mayra Bears, Bill, Jeff Joni at Pan, Surfmaster, Tom Thayer. Podcasts are available on the Chicago Bears Slab brought to you by Verizon and Apple Podcasts. Bears Weekly has been brought to you by Ben Rivers and Miller Likes