Schedule Release, Kramer on being drafted by Bears | All Access

for you everybody. I know it's red hot in Chicago and boy, unseasonably warm right now, so a nice heat wave. This will be a pre training camp preview of what it's to come here for the Bears and the rest of the national football This is Bears All Access. Whether you on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score, I'm Jeff Johnny Ac. We're brought to you by IGS Energy, my broadcast partner Tom Thayer tucked away and Maw, I bet you didn't think it'd be in the nineties here

in Chicago. What do you got over there? Is it seventy five and in the light breeze? Yeah, seventy eight with a light breeze. If you that's the type of weather you life, but like, but I know in the Chicago land area, the heat wave has begun. Yes, it has. Our producer to Adam Dazinski. He's in our Score Studios. Our producers as well Jordan Trutup and Dan Barelli. And coming up in our next segment Jim Miller from Sirius x MNFL Radios moving the chains and he is a

former Chicago Bears quarterback. And then at the bottom of the hour time we'll visit with Duck Kramer, the Hinsdale Central Products. Just like you grew up a big bed huge Bears fan and then was able to play his entire high school in a collegiate career here in the state of Illinois and then drafted by the Bears. You guys have a lot in common, even more so than

Cole Commet because this is a fellow offensive lineman. Yeah, you know, it's gonna be interesting to talk to Doug because you know, when I grew up in the sixties, the only thing offered you in the NFL was the Chicago Bears. So in good times and in bad times, you always had to stick with your home hometown team, and you wanted to when you go to that next

generation or a couple of generations after me. You have the exposure of the entirety of the NFL, and it's kind of interesting where your path is going to take you. And I'd like to hear that Doug Kramer has been a barrass fan his whole life and his whole career. He's a locally born guy, and I just think about my family and how excited we were as a whole, and I got to imagine it's the same for him

and his family. Just the opportunity to go out there and compete for your hometown team after playing at the University of Illinois. What a what a fun career it would have, Like the Dick Fucuses and guys like that. Well, earlier this week, Luke Keetzie and how competitive this offensive line is going to be. As they wrapped up rookie minicamp over the weekend at have Us holl I mean it should be extremely competitive. I mean that's at every position.

I mean, that's what we're we're in here doing every single day is giving guys an opportunity to compete. There's no jobs that are locked up right now, and so when you get the pads on, that's when rule ball starts. So everything will be evaluated an he says, it will be a process. Like everything. I mean, the way that they get off the football, the way they execute their mentality they're finish. All that stuff's gonna get evaluated. So I'm excited to see that we still got a ways

to go. We've got another phase that we have to take in order to be able to be prepared for that opportunity. So another month or so to give these guests some more working, some more information. Now, so you had a bunch of guys are competing at those spots, It's gonna be fun to watch. The competitiveness is going

to be at an all time high. When you bring in a new coaching staff and new position coaches everywhere, you bring in a lot of young talent, a lot of free agents with some opportunities to have some success in the NFL. When you kind of think now that we've had a chance to talk to Ian Cunningham and hopefully eventually get a chance to talk to Ryan Poles,

and we talked to Matti Eberflus. Every time you get to listen to a coach behind the podium or a microphone, you kind of get a better understanding of what they're looking for. And then you have a little of football exposure and you see what the expectations of effort on the field is. And I think that is really gonna be a telltaling sign of the competitiveness of every single position throughout OTAs and training camp and the schedule release

coming up there at seven o'clock. Officially, I know here on the score Danny Parkins seemingly has the entire roster of games, but can't confirm or didn't hike as its NFL rules, So here we go. We do know. The home opener with a visit from the San Francisco forty nine Ers at noon on September eleventh, tom So that'll be the kickoff visit from a team that came into

Soldier Field last October May have. So I've seen the best play with his feet in the Justin Fields era in that game, that wonderful play that he made something out of nothing, and that was a hint of what he can bring to the table. But the forty nine ers in town for the opener, Yeah, well, you know, when you look at the teams that they're gonna face this year, and you look at the San Francis forty

nine ers their sidebar stories to every team. You look at the Bears going through the coaching transition, and then you look at San Francisco where there's uncertainty at the quarterback position. Then there's been you know, talk about Deebo Samuel and where he wants to play and does he want to be traded, would he be willing to hold out? Does he want to make his mark out there as

a wide receiver as opposed to a running back. So you know, it's just no A against b in this you know, early schedule, there's a lot of things that are gonna cause a lot you know, I don't know if it's going to cause controversy or it's gonna create some new connections. Now, the Bears have lost seven of the last eight season openers, so it'd be nice to get off on the right foot when we come back. We'll be joined by Jim Miller, Bears quarterback and member

of the team on Sirius XM NFL Radio. He is our weekly guest, and also Doug Kramer, the University Illinois product. Join against at the bottom of the hour, sit back and enjoy on this steamy, steamy Thursday in Chicago in May on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Squad. Welcome back everybody to Bears All Access. It's brought to you by IGS Energy. Choose clean energy for your home at igs dot com because every good choice adds up to

a better world. With Tom there, Jeff, Jonny Act, please be joined by Jim Miller, our weekly guests from Serious XM, NFL Radio's Move with the Chains. I sometimes just limit your broad resume, big Jim, because I say Bears quarterback, But heck, you didn't just quarterback to Chicago Bears. You got a league wide view of things as a former Pittsburgh Steeler, a former New England Patriot, Jacksonville Jaguar. Who else am I missing? NFL Europe, Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay, Frankfurt, Galaxion,

So you know you might have a welcoming party. I'm sure they're gonna send you to the first regular season game in Germany this year. I'd like to go to that. I'll be an envoy. Yeah, that'd be cool, and they will. I think next year they are playing in Frankfort, so they're gonna go be back and forth between Munich and Frankfort. So yeah, looking forward to that. I mean, it'll be pretty cool. Schedule release tonight, Yeah, schedule release seven o'clock.

We know the Bear's gonna open against the forty nine ers. Green Bay announced their home opener is week two again Jim, another primetime game against the Packers. And this every every year since so five, and that's deserving. You know, it's the oldest rivalry in football. But I think now fourteen of them have come Jim in Green Bay. So they always love to warm up the welcome head for the

Bears at Lambeau in primetime. Yeah, and you know, it'll be interesting to see how many primetime games the Bears do land for Matt Eberflus and you know players, I mean, the bottom line is when you get the schedule release one, you're looking at your Week one opponent. That's what you're thinking about. You're thinking, are their consecutive say you got three weeks in a role of away games. Certainly the players factor in the bye weekend, but they're all tough.

I mean, they're all tough. But for me, I always focused on Week one, the awaye schedule. How many you know Miles will be traveling? Then of course where the bye week is, but you know, we got to play him one at a time. It is what it is. They're not changing it, you know, So once that schedule was released, it'd staying the same. So get your mind right, get it locked and loaded with as a player of Tim. Obviously they didn't, they didn't do all this. They didn't

make a big deal out of it back then. It just was released. You know, you know where you go, this is what it is, and you go do it. But did you other than looking with the hot weather games at heart because you're a sweater and you're worried about it. You don't love playing in the heat. Uh?

You know, I heard a story about you last night, as a matter of fact, it was from Brian McCaskey who said that you demanded in the huddle to get the water first when he was an athletic trainer and he was a little nervous to give it to Jay Hilgenberg.

Is this a true story? Unfortunately? Yes, I was. I you know, some of the miseries that made you kind of that, you know, and that those circumstances that I would always almost demand a towel in the water bottle first so I could cool myself down and then you know, uh, then give it to everybody else but Brian. He was a great trainer for the Bears throughout my whole time there. But you know, when you're looking back on the schedule, when I when I became a part of the Bears again,

I was talking last week. I came apart of the NFC championship and then the Super Bowl success after that, and we had the best record the NFL for three or four years after that. So it wasn't always worried about who our opponents were. When the schedule release came out, I did talk always think about what hot weather games we were going to play. Cold weather didn't bother me, but it kind of seved up some of the loud stadiums that are are you going into the Kingdom in Seattle?

When do you play the Minnesota Vikings. When we used to play Tapa twice year and we'd played at Troy, we would have a bigger Bears fan crowd there than they would the actual opponent. So with everything that we faced in the schedule release, you know, Jim, it was that you know, we kind of looked at it and what games are good for you and what games are

going to be the biggest challenge. Yeah. Absolutely. Also the Jim the thing I care about most when I look at the schedule is what quarterbacks you're facing, yep, and what pass rushers you have to stop to avoid having them wreck your game plan. Yeah. So you know, when I look at this schedule this year, however, it's gonna ultimately land. You know, you're looking at Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott as the big the big ones, and then you know Josh Allen from Buffalo. The rest have some you know,

some growing to do yet or some developing. What the team they've moved to on this schedule, well, yeah, Washington with Carson Wentz. You know, how is he going to perform? You know he's already been this is his third team, Let's be honest. Bears have Miami Dolphins this year. Don't know the what week it'll be or the time, but to a tongue of viola, there's a lot on the

line there. You know it'll be interesting Week one. Do the Bears face Jimmy Garoppolo or is Trey Lance the guaranteed starter there for San Francisco, Because that's that's a big discremacy. You know Trey Lance only got in two games last year, essentially he got hurt, and think about it, they elected to roll with a banged up Jimmy Garoppolo who's dealing with the shoulder and he had the hand issue late in the year and they still felt Jimmy

gave him a better chance to win. So I think it'll be interesting who's lining up under center week one. Daniel Jones under the gun for the Giants. They'll face a young Zach Wilson Atlanta. How will they be performing under Marcus Mariota. I think we know what New England's going to be under under mac Jones. I think they gave us a good indicare last year. But yeah, the quarterbacks you're facing are going to be a big part

of it and how they can manage the game. That's a lot of experience when you're facing somebody like Aaron Rodgers. Fellas we alluded to it last week time that the roster is going to be a continuing piece that is constantly changing with this new administration to see where the best pieces are and how they all fit together. So again today, a couple of veterans added in the receivers. Taj sharp former Atlanta Falcon had a really terrific rookie

year in his time with the Falcons. And Dante Pettis, who came in the league with a lot of great credentials because of that speed four three two speed that hasn't quite translated into a lot of production just yet, but maybe here with the Bears that changes. A couple of undrafted rookie free agents the Bears had signed were let go, and then yesterday the waving of tight end

yes Chesper Horstead due to a failed physical. They've added Rice and Johnny six foot seven, two hundred sixty pound tight end from the Giants who runs well off waivers. You know what I like about every single one of these guys on this football team, offense and defenses that are all starting even because there's nobody with a year a couple of seasons of advantage within the system, so they know how to get in the right place a

little bit quicker. And when you talk about all the free agent wide receivers, how much change over there is at the tight end position, all the offensive lineman they brought in, both free agents and draft choices. It's gonna be interesting because you know, some guys, um, they're able to accomplish more mentally quicker, and so you know you

can't have any you know, mental aires. That's that's gonna be a decision, a decision making factor in what you know, what has assumed that how you can help the team. So yeah, I'm I'm gonna well, it's gonna be fun to watch the competitiveness. And I think it's gonna be as competitive in otash, not as it will be in training camp because it's gonna be in full pads. But some of these guys are gonna rise above the rest.

That's top there. Jim Miller from Serious sex m NFL Radios moving the chains, I'm Jeff, Joni K. We're gonna step away for a break. This is Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy and Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. This segment of Bears All Access has brought to you by Athletico Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to a question, appointment and clinic or virtually and start feeling better tomorrow with Tom Baer and Jim

Beller from Serious XM NFL Radios. Moving to James, I'm Jeff, Joniac Jim our weekly guest, Jim Bears, also added a quarterback this week, Nathan Peterman. He's been with the Buffalo Bills, that's where he broke into the league, and with the Raiders last couple of years Ryan Willis released. What you thought, Yeah, I think he provides more experience, And again, I think you're trying to surround a young quarterback in justin fields with some veteran guys who have played a little bit.

You know, Trevor Simmons has been around. I think when you look at Nate Peterman, he's been around two. And Nate Peterman was well coached under John Gruden out there. He played well in the preseason games. Everybody goes back to the Buffalo Bills. Remember he got this first start against the Chargers and through like five picks, and that's how people remember Peterman. But that's not the case four

years later. This guy has been well coached. He's been in and out of game plans and preparing week in week out. As I mentioned out there for the Vegas Raiders. At one point he had he had to get an elbow surgery, got his arm corrected so he can play, and he's got some experience to him that can probably be beneficial to the young Justin Fields tom Ay thoughts, Yeah,

I mean, I just think about the quarterbacks. When you're trying to teach a system to a quarterback these quarterbacks, are their traits significantly different from each other or do

they have similar traits to each other? Because if you're teaching a moving pocket type pass to Justin Fields, does Trevor Simeon and Nathan Peterman do they have the same athleticism to be able to carry it out and possibly turn it into the run or to throw on the move or do you focus a little bit of different portion of the offense that suits the traits of Trevor Simeon and Nathan Peterman That may be a little different

than Justin Fields. You know, when you're teaching an entire offensive line, they kind of all fit into each other like pieces do a puzzle. But it seems like when you have quarterbacks that have different trade values, do you have to teach differently and doesn't put more pressure on the position coach to get those points across or develop the offense between the three of them. Well, if you listen to Luke gets you this week, the running game

is going to be significant, that's for sure. He keeps emphasizing that, and that's the best way to help out your quarterback and get him ease into the system and open up the deep ball. But more of what he's looking for for the key principles for this offense to develop hopefully. You know, when you watch us, it's eleven is one and it's we're firing off the football better than anybody else in this league, and we're finishing better than anybody else in this league. Those are the things

that we're talking about every single day. We're taking care of the football, getting off the rock, and we're finishing better than anybody else in this league. And so that's our mentality, that's our purpose. We can do that. We got a chance. Jim, how do you feel about that statement? Yeah, I think he You know, if you can always protect the football, you got a chance in a game. I'd say that all the time. It's easier to lose games

and it is to win it. And if you start to turn over the football, you don't have a chance. So you have to protect the football. It's going to be paramount. Justin cannot carry the team right now. It's it's you know, he's in an early stage of his career. He's got all kinds of talents, but to expect him to carry the team, that's just not where he is at this stage of his career. So the running game is going to be the best avenue for him. I

know everybody's been screaming for it. They made that transition last year, and it sounds like they're going to start with that mentality this year, so it'll be excited. A lot of things need to come into focus, from the offensive line, how did they come together, the running back situation, like the situation there with David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert. I think Khalil really showed some things when he got

the opportunity last year. So they have to have the mentality that it's going to be early and often for them to help out their young quarterback. And I think the play action will really suit justin Field beautifully if they're able to do those things. But when we are talking about the quarterback pack, I like to hear Luke Asky talk about every time they're going to fire off the ball and how aggressive they're going to be at the line of scrimmage at the running game is going

to be an emphasis and it's eleven as one. I agree with all that, But my concern when we're just backtracking about the quarterback position, when you put the script together for the first twenty five plays of a game or however many day script, does it suit all quarterbacks or is it the same threat if you had the number two or number three quarterback in there as if you put the system together for justin That was my

only thinking process. The preach points that the coaches have brought up about how aggressive they're going to be, how the emphasis on the running game, and how quick and off the ball they want the offensive line to be. Look, man, I'm one hundred percent on board with all that, and we are just I just speaking a little bit about the quarterbacks. Coming up here in moments. We'll be joined by Doug Kramer, the Bear's new offensive lineman from the

University of Illinois and Hinsdale Central. Defensively, last week, Jim listening to Alan Williams, a new defensive coordinator. He was very good talking about the defense, and boy, that defense was flying around playing at at you know, obviously no pads, but everybody running around like the athletes they are. And there was a lot of energy and juice to that practice. Over the three day minicamp, Dominique Robbinson name come up because boy, he looks the part of a pass rusher.

He really does. He's got the frame, he just doesn't have the experience. Yeah, we gotta see. We hadn't put pads on yet right now where it's football and pajamas, where you know, might as well be playing basketball, So

we have to see what. You know, We're not going to give him a whole bunch and really we're saying him, but all our guys, we're gonna say, hey, line up here, if you get this stimulus, this is the response that you're going to give us and so, and we're gonna teach it over and over and over again and then see kind of what he does. You know, it sounds

like Rod Marinelli very much. I could hear echoing. You know, you strip him down to bear wire and you teach them the fundementals all over again, and every couple of weeks or even I mean I think Rod told me every forty eight hours, muscle memory loses a little bit, so he goes right back to the basics. And that's true. friendI player Jim, Yeah, yeah, yeah, you do want to beyond you know, beyond rope memory is what we call it.

You know, if I had to line up and really count out all my steps on say a seven step drop, it'd be robotic, you know, just needs to be rope memory where it just that you've do it. You've done it so many times you don't even need to think about it. And you know, in Dominique Robinson, who you mentioned, he's an interesting guy. Ian Cunningham the Bears assistant GM. They've been pretty steadfast about it. They believe he has

a high ceiling. This guy is an early you know early and young at his position, as you had mentioned, Jeff, and last week's show goes from quarterback in high school really signs as a wide receiver and now finds himself on the defensive side of the ball. So this is all new for him. He's still honing his skills. Can he be a guy that can set the edge. He

certainly has the frame to get bigger and stronger. Most rookies do, and he'll be asked to do that because he's gonna have to be stronger at stopping the run. But he's new to the position. But has a high ceiling and an enjoyable conversation with him last week up at hallis Hall coming up next joined by Duck Kramer, the Hinsdale product, and you have I star at center. He's now a Bear. We'll talk to him next down.

Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Chicago Bears single game tickets go on sale tonight at eight thirty pm. Get your tickets at Chicago Bears dot com slash tickets. The schedule release officially coming out at seven o'clock. Bears will open the year at home against the San Francisco forty nine ers and then go up to lambeau Field and take on the Packers in Green Bay. And the guy will be on that roster, helping things in the right direction as the Bears look to build a new chapter.

We welcome in Doug Kramer, the Hinsdale Central High School product and at University of Illinois, five year starter, a lot of games played there. He's on the program. Thanks for hanging on, Doug, and we appreciate it. You're with Tom there, Jim Muller, I'm Jeff Joniak and this is

Chicago Sports Radio six seventy To Score. So I know rookie minicamp afterwards, you had a chance to visit with the media and you were talking about dreams coming true, and you know, going back to even when you were figuring out where you're gonna play college football, it was a dream then to play for Illinois. You know, you and Tom have so much in common because your homegrown offensive linemen that played it. I'm assuming your whole life and went to high school, college and now our beginning

your NFL careers in the same spot. How cool is that from your perspective, and certain Lando you foilowed Tom's career as well. Yeah, first of all, just how's it going, guys. It's awesome to be on the show. But yeah, obviously, you know, growing up in Illinois fan being able to play there, and then you know, growing up a huge Bears fan and getting this opportunity is is awesome. And honestly, if I would have told myself that, you know, growing up,

I probably wouldn't have believed it. But you know, it's come true and now you know, we just got to make the most out of the opportunity. But I'm super fired up to be a Chicago Bear. Hey, big Doug Congratulations, this is Tom Fair. Welcome to Chicago and hope you're here for decades to come. So Jeff mentioned that you played five years in college, and I think there's a lot of the conversation of the speed of the game is lost on quarterbacks. I think it goes for everybody

that comes from college to the NFL. When you see the speed of what you guys were practicing a rookie minicamp, did it seem a step faster to you than what you experience at University of Illinois? Um, yeah, I think you know, the speed of the game definitely, it definitely increases as keep going up in the levels, and it's it's no different it's going from high school to college. There's definitely, you know, a little bit of speed difference.

But I think really the most important things are, you know, you got to focus on every single detail you know once you get to this level, and also just have the urgency and getting your footwork, getting your landmarks and all of those sort of things. So obviously you know the speed is going to increase, but you know you just got to match it, and obviously you know you'll get used to it. Um, you just gotta keep going

against it. So a little bit of a learning curve, but you know it'll be it'll be fine at the end of the day. You're playing football. Yeah, but you know you're in the unique position where you're playing center. Do you ever to have any sidebar conversations with all the quarterbacks that you're working with, just to see, okay, do I need to adjust the snap? Does it need to be delivered here? And any of those conversations take place or is it just go about your business and

you guys will adjust with reps. No, I think I think you have to focus on all the little details and and one of those details is having those conversations with the quarterbacks. Um. You know, my job is to get them the football first and foremost. So um, if I can do it better, I want to know, you know, if I can do it better. Um. And those are conversations that you know, me and me and Ryan Willis had during a rookie mini camp. So um, yeah, those

are those are certainly things we talk about. Doug Jim Miller here, congratulations, I'm playing for the home team, Chicago Bears. That it is quite a you know, quite an accomplishment for you to be able to play for the home team in Chicago. One. I just want to know through the first OTAs you know, the introduction of the playbook,

you know, how did that go for you? Um? You know, it's always new when you learn a new system and maybe new techniques that are involved, and you know, just how was it and is it that much more expansive than what you've gone through at say Illinois? Um, yeah,

I mean it's it's a little bit more expansive. Um. You know I had I had three different offensive coordinators at Illinois and um, you know, three different O line coaches with that, so I you know, had its taste of what it was like, you know, relearning playbooks and and you know, taking what you've known before then and

carrying it over. Um. But yeah, I mean it's it's expansive, it's detailed, and you know you really just got to dive into it every day and continue to study it and um, you know, then when you go out on the field, you know what you're doing and you're ready to roll. Um. But really at the end of the day, you just got to dive into it and study. You know a lot of people to say, you know, everybody calls it the Underworld Olympics because you're not in pads

right now. But you know, you can do things in terms of techniques, whether it's hand placement, getting the positioning of the block or the angle that you're taking it. And certainly it's not to the level of training camp but what it is in full pads. But trying to practice to be perfect in those type of situations even though you don't have your pa adds on. I mean, how disciplined can you get to do all that? Yeah? I think, Um, you know, without that contact, you have

to think about everything everything else. Um, you know, in certain blocks, I'm thinking about my footwork, I'm thinking about where my hat goes, where my eyes are, where my hands are, everything, um, and just you know, trying to have that perfect draft. And at the end of the day with offensive line, you know, chances are everything's not going to be perfect on every single play, but you know that continued pursuit to try to, you know, reach

that perfection. It's huge offensive line Bears draft pick a Duck Kramer our guest here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score brought to you by IGS Energy with Tom Fair. I'm Jeff Joniak and Jim Miller from Serious x M NFL radios moving the chains, you know, offensive linement.

Typically they don't they don't love talking about themselves. And here you're put in position as a as a kid coming out of college and going to be drafted, to talk about yourself a lot, whether it be to the media and the build up to it afterwards after rookie minicamp? Are you comfortable with that in in this position? Uh? And I what is your what is your take on that aspect of things? Um? Yeah, I definitely I would

much rather talk about the team. I'd much rather, you know, talk about those goals and how we're growing together rather than just about myself. Um. But you know, it's part of it. So obviously I'm in this opportunity and I'm I'm super happy and and proud of the work that I put in to get here. Um, So you know, I can, I can do a little bit of both. So I'd definitely rather rather talk about you know, the group,

the team and where where that's going. All right, now, you've indicated significantly that you are a Monster Bears fan, from the jerseys you wore, to the attention you paid to it. Um, give me some stories first, I mean first game at Soldier Field, Uh, first memory of what it was that that really got your attention about the Bears. You became so fanatical about it because I love those stories about the kids that grew up in the team.

The teams are gonna play for give me something good, yeah, um yeah, I think one of the one of the biggest memories I had for sure, you know growing up watching the Bears was you know, when we made the playoff run and in the Super Bowl and Devin has to return the kick. I remember, you know, just being in my living room with all my best friends, you know, some family watching the game, just absolutely losing my mind. Um. But you know, those little moments like that are really why,

you know, I grew to love the game. And um, you know, growing up I loved Brian or Lackers. So just watching him, you know, every single player rang, you know, his range on the field, going sideline to sideline. Um, you know, all those little moments just watching it made me made me, you know, really fall in love with the game. Hey, don can you take us through the

your draft week and experienced were you guys? Were you watching the draft from the very first pick until when you get picked, were you have certain family members with you and when that and that call finally came and it came from the bears. How was that whole experience that you lived through? Yeah, yeah, so I actually I would watched the first two days of the draft alone, um, just because I think my parents wanted to leave me alone for that one. And that was really just knee tracking,

you know, different offensive line than that we're getting picked. Um. And then the third day we knew there was you know, a chance that I would I would get picked that day, so I ended up just watching him with you know, my mom, dad, brother and sister. And yeah, I mean it was it was a really long day. And uh that call obviously made you know, the wait worth it, um. And you know, I'm sure everyone you know, you guys have all seen the video of the call, um. You know,

definitely best phone call of my life. And uh, you know, my parents and brother and sister were losing their minds in the background as well. Well. Now that you've transitioned to the pros, you know, and you know you have those I don't want to say other things in college that employee. You know, you've got class, you've got other responsibilities. You've got to take care of it. Now, it's all football.

You know, it's a job. You're going to work. You know, it's time to go to work every every single day and have you already adjusted to the itinerary, in the tempo and all the things that are involved about being a true pro is you're just you know, you're another working stuff just like us, Doug. That's what it is. That's my point. You're going to work every day, right, You got to approach it as such. Yeah, absolutely, you

have to. Um, you know it. There's you have to take everything you're doing seriously because you know, at the end of the day, it is a job. But you know, it makes a little bit more fun when you know you love what you're what you're doing. Um. So you know, I love the game of football. I love watching it,

I love talking about it, and I love learning about it. So, um, it may it may be a job, but I definitely love going in there every single day, um, getting better, you know, learning things about the playbook and just you know, getting out on the field. My teammates, Doug, last question and we'll let you go. We really appreciate you taking the time to join us and hope to have you on again. Were you anything other than a offensive lineman throughout your football playing days all the way back to

youth football, Yeah, I was. I've been an old lineman for the majority, I would say, you know, at the beginning, there were a couple couple you know, games or stints where I played a little bit of quarterback or running back, lineback or in those sort of things. But um, other than that, I've been, you know, an old lineman my entire life, through and through. Awesome. That's the way to do it. To get to the end on the field.

Best athletes on the field there you got. You know, we're surrounded by him in the in the booth with Jay Hillingenberg and him and uh, you know, the offensive linemen after their playing careers are the best guys to learn the game from if you ask me. So, I know you know the game and that's one of the strengths of your game. So we look forward to seeing you and good luck with everything throughout this offseason and leading up the training camp. Appreciate it. Appreciate you guys,

and bear down. Bear down. That's Kramer. You have by product Hinsdale Product and now a Chicago Bear will continue on with Jim Miller and Tom Thayer and breakdown what exactly did happen at Rookie Minicamp that will pave the way for the conversion into the veteran mix with these guys as they go into OTAs. It's all ahead here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought

to you by CDW people who get it. With Tom Fayer, I'm Jeff jony Aclong with Jim Miller from Serious XM NFL Radios, Moving the Chains. I enjoyed our conversation with Doug Kramer. Now let's talk about Rookie Minicamp. I felt being up there that the and this is what they want, this is what Maddie Buflus is hoping for. Just the speed by which they were moving, the athleticism of the talent.

And they were like thirty five tryout guys, six of them signed to the roster, really athletic mix, guys from small schools, big schools, played a lot, didn't play a lot, it didn't matter. They were there to try to get on this roster and get on this ninety man roster that's gonna be constantly changing. But that that was my first and foremost thought about it. I hadn't seen that kind of tempo, and maybe I just don't remember, but I did not remember seeing that kind of tempo. Fellas

that I did see in those three days. Well, you're remembering correctly because one of you look at it and you see the tempo in which these guys were practicing with. It changes just the mentality of what you have to do, what your job is, what position you're playing, how quickly you need to be there. Are you thinking of what you just heard in the huddle as the ball is being snapped? And now if you're half a foot too slow off the ball, you're left behind in that type

of tempo. And it never slowed down throughout the weekend. I love the fact that this point of emphasis that they made since the day mattiebro Fust was hired, that it's carried on to the field, and I really believe there's no slowing down. And you know, like when Doug Kramer, you get a chance to go through rookie camp and everybody's kind of on the same pace because they're just beginning to learn the system. I remember my freshman year

at Notre Dame. You go for a week of practice with only the new signed scholarship players, and then a couple days later they bring in all the veterans and it's like someone turned the gay John and also went to a speed like you've never experienced before. So I am super encouraged by the effort that was demanded out of these guys. And Jim with veterans, you know they've been they've been working at it here now in the offseason program, the voluntary part of it. OTAs will now

mix that with the with the rookies. But even for them, do you think training camp will be a little bit of shock to the system for what they've been used to. It amazed me I still to this day. Like when we go out and we watch the Seattle Seahawks practice, their temple is like none other than I've ever seen

in the NFL. And the reason why they do it and I can see it it's catching on or around the league, is you're only out there for a lot of time, right hour and a half, and you're trying to maximize the reps that you're getting because you don't have the quote unquote to day, so you've got to be productive and efficient when you're out there and try

to maximize and get as many reps in as you can. Certainly, it is important to practice with whether it's going drill to drill, to have the temple, the pace you catch players, the tension level. There is no nodding off, so to speak, or daydreaming or anything like that. So you got to be in tune because there's so much energy and tempo

that is going on out there. But I do think you know, the coaches said that they were going to set the standard, and after a while, it just becomes normalcy for the players where you know, I don't want to say you can turn it on and turn it off, but you literally know when you step on those white lines what is expected, and so it'll it'll start to mimic each other and it just and it becomes that way every single time you come out the field again

wrote memory, right, you're doing it over and over and over again and what's expected. And that's the same thing about practicing as well and practice as perfect as you can. Absolutely, and when you got when I got a coach who's chicked off about the way the practice is going, and they're not. It's not going well. Efforts not there. Maybe don days of camp. Do you remember fellas the longest practice of your life? I remember, give me, give me

something both, I'll touch in. We were going into our first week IF against Jacksonville in Pittsburgh, and it was kind of you know, we just got out of training camp, right, you get that, you know, that little time off, and then you come back and everybody's just kind of blonde. You're getting back into the practice schedule, and I remember

Bill Kauer made a start over from stretch. It was we got all the way to blitz period, which is for the listeners out there, it's like halfway through practice when we were due blitz period, and it was such a I can't say the word, but it was such a bad practice. He's like you, He called everybody up

and said he wanted to know what. Everybody, go down to that tunnel and you're running out to this field again, and we're gonna start from stretch because that is just not good enough for us to win in the National Football League. And we did, man, And I'll tell you what. The practice picked up from a stretch on. Nobody allowed to do that over again. I mean, but yeah, everybody was in tune after that. He got your everybody's mind right.

So we were in Berlin, Germany, getting ready to play a preseason game against the San Francisco forty nine ers and Joe Montana or their offense, they were throwing the

ball all over the field. But the thing that Dicker recognized that in between periods when the horn blew, where we would kind of methodically make our way to the next drill, the forty nine ers they would like sprint pace to their where they had to be on the field, and Dicka took notice of that, and because of how successful they were in practice and how good of a team they were, all of a sudden that night in the team meeting, he says, I don't want anybody lollygagging

in between drills. I want you to sprint to that next drill position, get ready, and make you sure that the tempo continues on that same pace. So, whether it's an example of another team what they're doing right in front of you, and how it kind of transform what year head coach thinks, it was an eye opening experience for all of us that we're gonna start going from drill to drill as quickly as the forty nine ers were doing it. As you just time, did you just

call your team meets lollygaggers just like Bull Durham. First, the second, well, you know, we we practice every practice gym. We're in full pad, so we were going live. There was no you know, tempo, but you know, you kind of take that slow jog over to the next period. But after that, there was no more slow jog in between periods. It was get there and let's see if we can get maybe an extra rep or two in

that period. Well, we're gonna be looking at positions throughout the course of the next few weeks because that'll be the end of the offseason program here in about a month, when they wrap up with the mandatory mini camp. So a good place to start is at the safety position, which I put a lot of value in. I know some others don't. They don't, they don't look at it the same way, but I've always always felt strongly about it.

And when you look at the depth chart now and there's three, four, five, five of the six players, assuming Michael Joseph is still a safety and not just a corner. There's a new new bodies surrounding Eddie Jackson. I we'll start with Tom and then we'll go to Jim. How do you feel about this now? A couple of veterans DeAndre Houston Carson obviously comes back as well, but some new young blood. Yeah. You know what I like again the speed in which they complimented the defensive backfield with

how quickly they went to their angle of pursuit. But what kind of intrigues me is can you take a couple of the six two young guys in turn them into big, physical safeties. And that's when you look at the size of some of the guys that they're bringing aboard this year to get into the competition at CAMPY.

I know you have to look at them as special team contributors, but I think the safety role of the Bears defense is equally as important as you want to talk about the three technique or the nickel the slot corner. You gotta have a ferocious element at that safety position, and the Bears have had it before in the past, but I think that's a new element that needs to be designed into this new defensive system. Time you're talking about John Alexander and A J. Thomas Agie Thomas from

Western Michigan by way of Detroit. He was a rookie Minicamp signing, and same with John Alexander from Charlotte. You throw in Jim Elijah Hicks, the five eleven safety out of cows picking the seventh round. Of course, Jikwon Brisker six one, two hundred. In the second round. You got Dane Crookshank, he's six one two o nine. Michael Joseph is six one one ninety six at least on the roster right now. And Eddie Jackson is six feet two or six. So you got some big boys back there

at the safety position. Yeah. Well, I mean just look again, look where the coaches have come from. Right, Look how Indianapolis is built. When they drafted, uh Cary Willis out of Michigan State, He's right in that same mold. You know, they want the over two hundred, big physical guy. They're gonna have to come downhill and fill and help and run support and all those things, but still have the

the ability in coverage. From that standpoint, I think, you know, both Brisker and all those guys kind of have the same body frame and what they're trying to do. They all can run, they're all physical, but they're in that two hundred to two fourteen range like Kari Willis of the Annapolis Colts. That's that's what they wanted to look like in my opinion for the Bears. All right, a couple of things to go over here. Uh, you know, it's the family of Tom Waddle. Tom Waddle the bears

former wide receiver. But Gino Cappelletti, one of the best players in NFL history, an original member of the Boston Patriots in nineteen sixty has his number retired, number twenty. He's a Hall of Fame receiver and place kicker there with the Patriots and was a long time broadcaster as well. He died this morning at the age of eighty seven. So condolences to Tom. Who's uh that's his father in law and his wife Kara. A great family and a

great guy. We met him many times. I know, Jim you've probably met him too, just along the broadcast circuit over the over the course of that man's career. But the AFL's all time leading score wow, and also an MVP back in nineteen sixty four. So shout out to him, and then Robin Wilkie, who has and an executive assistant for multiple general managers Jerry Angelo and Filmery, and then John Fox, Matt Naggie and Matt Eberflus is retiring I think here in the next few days. But she had

been with the Bear since nineteen ninety eight. A lovely woman, fullest bunk on it does her job at a very very high level and a very big part of that front office for a long time. We've known Robin a long time and now Jim she was there when she was there since ninety eight, so we all know her. What a great woman and just fun, fun, but really diligent about her job. So we gotta wish her happy retirement, right big Tom, Oh my God, never shy of sharing

an opinion with who Robin was. And I'm so proud to have known her and worked alongside of her for all these years, and she played an important role inside that building, and I wish her nothing but a long, happy, successful retirement. Yeah that was zero. I arrived in Kago and she was a treat man obviously, always a pleasure to work with and like said, a lot of fun.

So you know, we wish you're all the best in retirement will be thinking about She's impacted so many people and done such a good job, so hopefully retirement as everything she wants it to be. Absolutely, she's definitely earned it, that's for sure, all right. So schedule release coming up here in a couple of minutes. Single game tickets going on sale at eight thirty, so you know it's getting closer to impact here. The Barriers will open the season

against San Francisco Week one at Soldier Field. As Jim alluded to when he joined the program in the last half hour, who the quarterback is for the forty nine ers, we don't know at this time whether it's going to beat Trey Lance or if it's going to be Jimmy Garoppolo. Still they're in San Francisco. My guess it's going to lean towards Trey Lance getting a start here in his second season, and then at Green Bay Week two against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers without Davante Adams

an adjustment for him up there as well. You're already shaking your head. You're really getting your anger on towards the no you know what, I just want the loyalty of the Bears fans to show up September eleventh at Soldier Field and make it difficult for whomever plays quarterback. Let's start this season on the right foot. In advance every week accordingly, Absolutely and Jim. The NFL season opens Buffalo at the Rams Thursday, September eighth. We'll be looking

forward to that. Jim. We'll talk to you next week. Sounds good. Appreciate it, guys. That's gonna do it for us. Thanks to Duck Kramer, University of Illinois product and a Bears draft pick now on their offensive line for joining the program tonight. Thanks as well too, Jordan Trudup, Dan Brilliant, Amstezinski Coming up next, Gabramer is at Anthony Herron will join you. This has been Bears All Access on Chicago

Sports Radio six seventy to score. Good night, everybody, thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears Network presentation of AIRS All Access. Podcasts are available on Chicago Bears dot com and on iTunes or download the official Bears mobile app. Bears All Access has been brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by Miller Litte