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Jeff Chiliac, aka the Mayor of Bearsville, and his sidekick Tom the Surfmaster Thayer Well.
A fourth draft class of rookies now the Bears Den selected by General manager Ryan Poles at his football operations staff, in concert with head coach Ben Johnson and his staff. The collaborative effort drawing Rave reviews as the twenty twenty five version of the Bears Taking Shait Welcome into Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand and the Chicago Bears Radio Network with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer and former Bears quarterback Jim Miller from sirius XM NFL Radio.
I'm Jeff Jonayak coming up with the program. We visited with one of the Bears three second round picks, defensive lineman Shamart Turner out of Texas A and M. You'll enjoy the conversation thanks to our producers Dan Brially, Jordan Treadup, and in the ESPN studios tonight, Jack mcgraft, the executive producer of the Bears Radio Network, Eric ASTROSI good evening, gentlemen, and we're still talking draft. Jim Miller. You're situated down there in South Florida. You were at the draft in
green Bay. Tommy tells me six hundred thousand people showed up. I still don't know where they put him, Jim. Was it a good experience up there?
Yeah? I thought they did a good job. Yeah, they got them all in. But a lot of friends of mine were in the mosh pit. And after green Bay, selected in the first round, had emptied out, there were only six guys left, and I think they were all my friends. They all went to the bar to celebrate, is what the green Bay Packer fans did. So it was green Bay oriented, that's for sure.
Tom. You know, I think Chicago, buddy.
Right, you know, Well, that's the thing about it is is once the NFL put this thing on a place to place type of draft opportunity for the cities that don't have Super Bowls and stuff, I think it's neat to see what the next city did. What the next thing he does. Green Bay did a good job with their population and what they have surrounding lambeau Field. And I don't know where it is next year, but Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. That will be interesting because Pittsburgh, of all the NFL stadiums outside.
Of Soldier Field, it's probably my most.
Favorite stadium to go to because of the loyalty of the fans and you know how they support that organization and that football team. So I bet Pittsburgh will have an enormous showing a lot like Chicago did.
And Tom and I discussed a lot of this on the Bears Etc. Podcast. Jim our review of the draft? What is your review of the Bears draft? Our first chance to talk to you post draft?
Yeah, I like it, you know, I like what they did. They got some weapons for their young quarterback. I think we know the emphasis of their new head coach Ben Johnson. A lot of twelve personnel. I'm sure you guys talked about that. You got to look at Love is more of a receiving type of tight end. Burdens just an absolute burner, you know, and you know there's not a defensive back that's going to run for him. Step first step, so he definitely can stretch the field. It'll be interesting
how he's utilized. Obviously Detroit look at their use of Williams, who's a burner up there. I think Ozzie to Trapillo, don't sleep on the on the tackle. I actually talked to Bill O'Brien, the head coach of Boston College. He said he's a he's a heck of a player. At times he can get a little too high, but I think you look at him as a swing tackle. He can play both right and left if needed in a pinch, and I think if he would have played Day one, I don't think that'd be an issue for him at
either right or left tackle. And then obviously with the loss of a linebacker here in the offseason, you know they get the Hippolyte, who's a speedy linebacker, comes with a lot of blazing speed. I know we'll talk to Shamar as wal Schamar Turner to to the defensive line, but I think overall areas of need that were attacked, but I think obviously specifically to help out the young quarterback.
And Tom, where is your head at right now in terms of the offensive line. This morning on capin hood. On ESPN one thousand, the flagship of the Bears radio network, Ryan Poles talked about, you know, they may let him start out at left tackle, have that competition with Karna A. Magash, you see where Braxton Jones is at, and see how it all plays out. But he emphasized that he really would like to get this offensive line kind of settled earlier rather than later, as opposed to making flip flops
all around the offensive line. He'd like to get well, however long that takes, and get something settled with five guys and have them work together throughout camp.
Well, Jeff, I think before they ever put spikes on, I think they are a better offensive line right now than what they started the season last year and the way they concluded it because there were so many question marks. There are guys that weren't practicing. You weren't able to develop the consistency with a rookie quarterback, and so I
think that really stunts your growth. So I think if you got four fifths of that offensive line almost decided already and then you kind of figure out what you can do at the left tackle position, you have a competitive veteran like Braxton Jones, that's coming from an injury. You got Karan Amagaji that's got a tremendous upside. He's got the template, he's got the intelligence, he's got the athleticism, he's got a little bit a little bit of experience,
and he knows what he needed to work on. And Dan ro shared the new offleensive line coach knows what he needs to work on with him. And like Jim said, Azzi Trapillo, he's got everything that you're asking for an offensive line and he's got dedication, durability. He comes from a program that preaches discipline, and he's got NFL bloodlines, and I think he understands what it takes to be a Division one college football player, but what it's gonna take to be an NFL pro.
And Jim, I know you're you have a good relationship with the Boston College coach Bill O'Brien from all the years in the NFL, and I'm sure with with his check mark on that it means something to you. Yeah.
Yeah, certain schools, you know, they're known for certain things. Iowa obviously tight ends, Penn State hold on, hold.
On Notre Dame.
Notre Dame's tight end. You Jim So let's get that straight right now.
He's gonna put Notre Dame in there. Penn State's in there as well, you know. But Boston College is known for offensive alignment. Yeah, they've had I mean, look at Chris Lindstrom. He's considered one of the best guards in football. He's a Boston College player down there for the Atlanta Falcons. So I think Gazi Trapillo, he was given a stamp of approval head coach said, he's tough as nails, you know. And this guy he'll play and he's played a lot
of football. I'd say that about Luke Newman, who they took out of Michigan State. Obviously, Dan Roschar knows a lot about him. I don't think Luke Newman and missed a college game, you know, and he'd win against some top tier talent as well. But yeah, I think Ozzie if that battle and it will be competitive, and I think that's a good thing. You know, it's going to raise the level of play of Amagaji. I would think Braxton Jones he knows he's on notice, and Nazi Trapillo
is hungry. He knows that spot's available too, So cream will always rise to the top. They spend a lot of money on their offensive line, and I tend to agree with Ryan Poles, they've got to fix their O line. They've led the league in sacks. Granted, if you were to go back with Justin Fields, he missed five games whatever it was two years ago, but they've they've led the league in sacks the last three years. If people aren't aware of that, that can't happen. It can't happen again.
So you got to address it.
Yeah, And I think he's it's almost like seeing a bad movie over and over again with the amount of changes on the offensive line, many times due to in game issues, whether it be injury or performance. But I think last year it was twenty three in game and twenty one overall combinations. Tom, we all agree it happens,
but it can't happen to that extent. Otherwise you're just you're just spinning your wheels a little bit, aren't you, in terms of that chemistry, And and you know, we only we only look at it, not we but I think most people only look at it from a quarterbacks perspective and protection pass protection, but it does impact the running game as well, and that's important here.
Well, the thing about it is you never had a chance to develop chemistry because you've never had a group of guys in there five at a time that stayed in there for an extended period of time, from the time Ryan Bates got hurt until uh, you know, just the other issues that they had up and down the line of scrimmage that there was no consistency in.
The group in front of Caleb.
So you can't become familiar with with that group. And I and I think Coleman Shelton did a great, really nice job at center, saving that position and helping that offensive line have I'm consistency at a position and are now sorry.
It's just how do you stay on schedule? You have that many negative plays? And even running the football, you have that many negative plays, whether it's the lack of continuity, whether it's the changing of the offensive line. Good luck calling a game. You know the Bears they had a new offensive coordinator, what was it Week nine, week ten? I mean it did not go well. It's hard if
you're not on schedule. Good luck, good luck, because the minute you start getting in second and fifteen second and twelve second and thirteen, you're running games out of the equation. As Tom knows. I mean, if you call run play on first and second or first down and it's a negative two yards or three yards, second and thirteen is not going to be another run, it's going to be a pass play. You're almost forced into that situation from
just the way quarduators think. And so you know, and then your one dimensional team's already got you on your heels and you're playing right into the formula. So those negative plays just cannot happen. They can't happen.
And from that perspective alone, the Bears that were going to be better in twenty twenty five, I think, I think we can all agree that that will not be tolerated and that won't happen. Hopefully we knock on wood here for twenty twenty five. All right, when we come back, Shamark Turner joins us, I sit down with the second round pick out of Texas A and M. He's coming up next to here on Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly. Become a Bears Radio network. Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff Joy.
This segment of Bears Weekly, brought to you by IGS Energy. First of all, graduates, well, welcome to the NFL and more importantly, welcome to the charter franchise of the National Football League.
How does it feel to be a Chicago Bear?
M man, it feels great. I'm not gonna I don't even know where to start. My mom is still all over the place, bro, but it's exciting. I'm not gonna lie, man, come into a great city like this, with the fan base that y'all have, like selling out ninety nine point one percent of season tickets, it's crazy. You've done like all y'all tickets is so it's crazy. So yeah, nah, I feel like playing for a city like this and doing it the right way.
It's gonna be fun. I'm not gonna lie. Well, let's show people.
You saw it on a Barti trophy in the lobby. So that's nineteen eighty five. It's been a man now forty years. But they always say you win here. They love you forever. You're a legend forever. So that that's how passionate this fan base is. It's why I level what I do.
They're gonna love what you do too.
You seem to play with that emotion and organic passion that bears fans embrace.
Do I have you figured out a little bit here? You play that way?
Yeaes Sirtain. Ah, Yeah, I play. I played pretty passionate. Man.
I love this game so much and done so much for me, man and my family, Like, and you can't do nothing but pay respects back by shoe playing hard and having fun bouncing around.
When you were introduced to the Chicago media on the Zoom call last night, I think you are answering questions, but at the same time, as you indicated, your head was spinning, and I don't think you believed it's happening.
Like that was my impression.
You tell me though, because you were living it going.
To line uh man, that I really just got picked and it still didn't feel real, and it probably still won't feel real till I put the pass in Jersey on the Hilm. When it passed on, man, it just felt like a dream come true and I just got cun stop smiling. I know I apologized a lot yesterday, but I just it's crazy, bro.
You don't never apologize.
That's the beauty of being And you had the wrong motion that everybody feels it's all the hard work that.
It was what you did, like you only know what it took to get here.
And I think that's the cool thing about the draft because no matter where a player goes, whether it's the number one pick of the two hundred and fifty seventh pick, you did it. You reached one of your most significant goals in the one humanity.
Man can do it.
A lot of people do not get the opportunity. So no matter where you go, like, it's just another opportunity, and this opportunity that not a lot, not a lot of people at all get to do and they dream about it as kids and still don't get to do it. So just getting this opportunity.
The people you know that thought you'd never get.
Here, Yeah, there's a few people.
It's a few people I know that probably thought I was gonna go a few different places with everything. But you know, just staying on the right path, stay, keep my mind, keep my faith high, and to praying to that man and keeping him in the middle of everything.
Big You me pretty good, bro, So to stand still clear, bro? All right?
So you get the call from Ryan Poles at that moment, can you take me there?
And what this last twenty four hours has been talking to coach Ben Jonson?
Man, Uh, get that phone call was? I was trying to hold my emotions back. I couldn't. They took over on me. But uh man, getting that call was. Getting that call was special. You know, being able to change you on your family's life. You in your family's last name, you can start a legacy. You can create an actual good background and good base for your family's name. Somebody can always look you up this Popaul, uncle, cousin, whatever.
I always can always look that last name up and say, man, he started this for us, and sure hopefully I can keep it going. But yeah, nah, it's it was a dream come true. To answer your question.
That is cool. That is cool.
How did your skill set compliment the defensive line here? Now you're gonna get to know them quicker than you think. It's a new scheme here, obviously with Dennis Allen, but he like long guys that played violent. So hey, man, do you check all those boxes for coach Allen?
Yes, sir, oh my god. Yeah. No, we're gonna play violent. We're gonna be physical, and.
I feel like this d line man, I feel like, Bro, if you get somebody in there that can jump that thing off and get that fire started, yeah, nah, we're gonna it's gonna be scary. And you put it in Chicago, I'm not gonna lie. Uh, but that energy, Bro, I'm a brain.
Bro.
It's not only when I'm making plays, but when I see guys that that I've been working with, a grinder would make plays like We're gonna bounce around and that defense gonna be defense, gonna be fun.
This team is gonna be crazy.
And you always played this way back to pee wee.
Yeah, just juiced up. I don't know what it is, bro, It's just a love for the game.
I guess. I don't know.
It's just when I get on that field, I put the helmet on, it's just like a whole nother, like buttoning a whole nother.
Shamar Turner, do you remember the first tackle you ever made?
Man? Uh?
It was actually we do. We used to do like an alley drill in the Little league and it was against Byron Murphy, which is crazy. Yeah, So he used to play running back for US De Soto Dolphins and we was doing a tackling drill we're doing the alley. He was at running back and I'm a linebacker. So yeah, that collision was it was one to be remembered.
I think that's fantastic.
How do you think you fit the culture that Ben Johnson is trying to create here and he's not trying, he is creating here.
I feel like I fit right in with everything he got going on. Man, fast, physical and attack. You just go and literally your hard work and dedication gonna take you everywhere you want to go. So put his hard work and then go get in there. Man, you're gonna be I feel like I fit the system. Uh pretty well.
I read where you idolized the great Ray Lewis was accurate.
Yes, that's my dog.
I think energy Why Ray.
Because like I said, how he played being a big dude like that, Like he had his trenchs, he had his weaknesses, but nobody wanted to come across that field ever. And like his work ethic even after he was Ray Lewis, even after he was five too, like he was still going. He's still a dog. He's still doing it today. Like just looking up the guys that have success and still go after they had a success.
Those are guys.
I really you look over that right shoulder right there, and you see that.
Logo, guys, just like that in the history of this Dick Bucks, Dick Buddy step Michael Dan Hampton, the eighty five Fairs, Okay, Mike Singletary, Yeah, the fire is there for sure.
I saw this written about you too, and I had to write it down. This is even before I knew we were drafting. You all adrenaline all the time, and the way you're moving here still are you all adrenaline all the time?
Yeah, No, I'm always It's always go, especially when I get excited, especially when I'm anxious and ready to go. Yeah, everything is always. I'm pretty I'm a pretty intense dude.
They say so with a smile.
On your face, though. I love that intensity is the intensity? What was it Lake playing on that defensive line?
I mean that was almost a famous recruiting class of five star players like yourself, another Shamar who happen to be another beast, and another fiery player, and obviously a Nick Gorton comes over from Purdue. And I'm sure there are others that I'm not remembering, but that's pretty potent defense.
Yeah, No, having guys, around you.
They can, they can go and that you pretty much don't have to do that too and worry about like you can actually go.
Man, it was great.
I'm not gonna lie going to A and M with playing with that defensive line the years I had, man, it was good. It was always good, and we always had some pretty good players. But this year, having two edges, they can they can do their thing out there was it was lovely.
It's lovely, especially as a three take, it's lovely.
Do you care where you play along the defensive line and what's.
The best weight you feel the best act to do everything you want to do?
No, I actually I want to be that check piece, that pustle piece where shooting on third down they can put me at five technique or shoot they want to throw me in a zero one technique too. I will literally wherever they want to put me where whenever. Like, I love being that player for the people, love being that player for guys and coaches. So my best best playing way was the actually the spring, uh was that my junior season was that spring of fall camp camp.
I think it was spring right at two ninety so two ninety ninety five.
I feel like I can I can go.
Mister damage all right, DeSoto High School last one, DeSoto, Texas that you you're from, Van Miller's Nave comes up too, So you kind of have this whole thing going on with all these these great players.
Uh.
And I don't know if you've ever been to Vine's camps. I mean they're legendary, right, Uh huh? Is that another symbol just of where you've come from and where you're now.
Here where you can write there, Yes, Sir, Yavana is definitely a great, great symbol of great guy to look at, especially when coming from the Soto. That DeSoto pipeline is crazy and we worked hard. We that's what we pretty much instilled while you're at the Sodo. You're gonna bust your ass, you're gonna work hard, and you're gonna go and then attensity is always gonna be there.
And I feel like that's that's where it all started with Boring.
It's just the way we like it here in Chicago. Welcome thangulations man, Appreciate you.
Well, appreciate you.
Thank you all right, Schamart Turner entertaining interview guys, and I gotta tell you, Jim and Tom he was he was moving in the chair, the legs are pumping, he's clicking his fingers. That wasn't me doing that, that was him.
I got a real kick out of him. And this morning, also on the ESPN one thousand with capin hood uh he Ryan Poles addressed you know, he'd like to see what kind of creativity Tom Dennis Allen can do with the length of a Shamart turner the length of a Javon Dexter outside as well.
Yeah, you know, you still have to start with the explosiveness of Grady Jared, you know, because he's gonna be the instigator of pressures if he can have a good three technique season where he is exposing offensive lineman being out of position, because then you're opening the creases for the outside rushers and the other inside rushers, and then I think it's going to open up the versatility opportunities
for Dennis Allen. I mean, you have characters right now that you could go to a five man defensive line that's not run very often in the NFL, but it was ran back in the day, and then you can have an.
Asset at every position.
I love his attitude because he doesn't care where he is going to play, and he feels he can play everywhere, and at two hundred and ninety pounds. If you're a two hundred and ninety pound outside force in the run game, I mean you're doing a lot to create a winning mismatch against some of those exterior blockers. So I'm super excited for him. I hope he plays to his attitude because he's got the attitude that belongs in that locker room.
I think. For I don't think he's got the length that that you're looking for. I do think he could be a penetrating inside interior rusher. He is relentless. He's got a temper now too, Like when you say, you know he's shifting in his chair, I mean, this guy does play with a lot of emotion. At the end of the day, does have a ton of production thirty five starts for his college career at Texas A and M. But it's really his attitude. He plays with a lot
of attitude and he uses that energy. I guess that emotion that you were tapping into Jeff definitely to his advantage, is what i'd say for Shamar.
You know he wore he wore a single digit number on his college Jersey. Did they know what number these guys are, what he's gonna be yet?
Not yet yet.
I just looked that up.
I want to Tony's holding that one close to the best.
Yeah, because I know that choice.
I don't think he can uh well, can you wear in the NFL a single digit on the defensive line?
Yeah?
Right, of course you can give him his choice, all right, Kyler Gordon's not gonna like that.
No, no, no, We're gonna take a break. That's down there. Jim Miller, I'm Jeff Joniac more when we come back here on Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
This is ESPN Chicago, w NVP, WTBC, h D two Chicago, a Good Karma Brands radio station.
Is Bears Weekly with the Voice of the Bears for twenty four Jeff jon Chef on the Bears Radio Network.
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, May fourteenth. Mark calendars at the same day the schedule comes out. If all goes well, Jeff joni Ac, Tom there, Jim Miller, as we get you set for the twenty twenty five season. Mini camp coming up next week for the rookies, and should be a fun look at everybody. More conversation fellas on some
other positions. Obviously, the tackle position is one of interest, but the running back position with the returning DeAndre Swift, Roshawn Johnson, you've got obviously Booker you've got also, Uh, Ian Wheeler is what I'm saying. Excuse me, Ian Wheeler. I keep calling him Booker whack back to last preseason and I don't know why. It's bugging me to no end if I have to say so myself. But Ian Booker.
Uh.
And and some others including a draft pick that that came in and just popping some tape on Jim I was. I was talking to Tom about Kyle and young guy from Rutgers watching him in pass pro is kind of treatd very physical guy. That's for their seventh round pick.
But uh, Poles was asked about that this morning as well on capin Hood and Uh, there's options about signing a running back in free agency that uh there they could explore, but they want to see what the current room is like, see what the staff thinks before anything else is brought to the table.
Tommy, Yeah, well there's gonna be plenty out there.
In agency.
I mean, certainly because of the running back position. I do think it took, you know, a good step forward. I think everybody's talking about how the running back position was devalued. I think with the year that Saquon Barkley had last year he rushes for two thousand, he kind of put Philadelphia on their back. I thought the year Josh Jacobs had, you know here the Raiders get rid of him. I thought he performed very well for the Green Bay Packers. And there were twenty eight running backs
drafted in this year's draft. There were thirty guys that they expected to be drafted. So you do see kind of a resurgence at that position. And obviously with Saquan getting the biggest deal in NFL history, I'm not saying that all backs are are going to get up there with him and Christian McCaffrey. I think it's James Cook right now for the Bills. He wants like fifteen million
a year. I don't see the Bills doing that. But it kind of put the position back on the map, so you know, productive backs, and I think it wasn't until round four. Obviously, two win in the first round. Then there's started to be a picking in the second, in the third round, and then really the fourth round. Running back position starting to flow pretty steadily, and obviously the Bears got a good one in the seventh round with the big tenor very powerful back. Guy loves football,
same thing, and you know he'll have a shot. And I think for the Bears, we know they got to be able to run the football. They were twenty seventh in the league last year running the ball. Hopefully the continuity on the offensive line will solidify it. And I believe even Ben Johnson, I think they're going to do more under the center stuff with Caleb Williams. So you would think play action is going to be a big part about it, a big part of it, and they've
got to be able to sell it. And they've got to be able to sell it.
You know, Jim, when you talk about Manongai and he comes from a Greg Ciano led program, he's a really serious, you know in you know, head coach that really has high standards for the work ethic of everybody on his team offense and defense. That's why Hippolyte I'm also encouraged by him because I think if you make it through a Greg Ciano program. It tells me a little bit about your background and what. Yeah, they're tough on what
you're willing to do. So Ian Wheeler and Manunguy, they're gonna get every chance to impress me if I'm Ben Johnson and the whole offensive coaching staff. Because if these two guys can come in and work with the DeAndre Swift and a Roshawan Johnson and you're not counting on them for forty snaps a game, but maybe you're counting on them for ten to fourteen snaps a game. You never know what you can do and help in their development. Manung Guy has the reputation of being a willing blocker.
So you think of Ben Johnson and what he wants to do with the backfield play action and everything. Maybe he'll open up more opportunities for himself because of what he's the dirty work he's willing to do.
Well, what Tom said about about a Greg Chiano program, I'll give you a back right now that beat out a first round draft pick, and that is Isaiah Pachecko of the Kansas City Chiefs. You know, tough guy goes into Kansas City. They basically he beat out their first round draft pick, and he's ahead of Kareem Hunt right now, who they drafted in the third round a couple of years ago. Obviously went to Cleveland. Now he's back in Kansas City. But Pachecko was the same way, just tough
as nails. And here he's a the guy knows that nothing but super bowls. Every year he's been in the league, he's been in a Super Bowl and he's got two championships under his belt. And they lost this last one. So Pachecko has been a big part of it. Another Greg Schiano kidd, you.
Know, I was looking at Jamar Gibbs, how many touches he had Montgomery who missed a couple of games, three games. It was about three hundred touches for Gibbs a little over two hundred from Montgomery. And so do you use that as a template or does it not matter because it's going to be a different kind of offense.
I do you know the thing about touches? Where are they and when are they? Because it's not always runs in between the tackle. There's a lot of that play action asking those exterior passes, those screens and stuff. So if you can put the running back in a more favorable at tackle position. By the time he gets that touch, I think that's when you kind of see what they're capable of doing outside the tackle the tackle box, and maybe that benefits your offense as well.
All Right, we're gonna pick it up from there when we come back. Another segment of Bears Weekly ahead as we take a look at some other topics in the league, fifty year options and some draft recap in the division, what they did and how it stacks up as this arms race in the NFC North continues here on Bears Weekly on the ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniak on the Bears Radio Network. Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff ja.
This segment of Bears Weekly brought to you by Athletico Physical Therapy is at Athletico dot Com to request and in clinic or virtual appointment. It started feeling better tomorrow. Jeff, Tom and Jim here on Bears Weekly. So I know there have been tons of grades given. I don't like doing that. I don't think it's necessary or really It's just an exercise, and it's interesting after the draft, already putting together mock drafts for the twenty sixth draft, which
I blows my mind. We can't even let the paint dry. This is the annual process though around the league with a draft crazy NFL that this is the case. But also this one piqued my curiosity to the Pro Football Focus, what player was your favorite draft pick from each team? And I thought it was interesting. So it was written that Luther Burden was THEIRS because of the value they thought he was a first round pick. That was a
second round pick. But as I started to contemplate it, I kind of like where they were going with this because of how Ben Johnson values that slot receiver. Now, maybe if it wasn't an impactful player like i'm on Ross Saint Brown. You got to give i'm on Rossaint Brown credit for developing as well putting the work in as a fourth round pick, but also of Ben Johnson figuring out the best way to utilize this player and create matchups and he made him into an All Pro.
We touched on that last week. So I think Burden's gonna find himself in the slot quite a bit. And so from that lens, I'm looking at that for me as a really important piece to this puzzle.
Yeah, first of all, I'm gonna give myself a D minus because in the last segment I said that Hippolyte went to Rutgers, but he went to Maryland, So I wanted, out of due respect to him, I wanted to correct that. You know, there's one thing I like about this draft is because of what Ben Johnson has the ability to do with every one of these players. But to me, the betterment of this football team is still on the
line of scrimmage. I think Burden can be a top notch receiver and everything he's gonna do, but again, Ben Johnson, no block, no run, and so that's one of the disciplines that.
You have to get back into when you.
Go from a college program primary receiver to earning your way on the football field as a wide receiver. But to me, it's still about the line of scrimmage. And if you get Turner and Trapillo to kind of morph into the type of players that they've been drafted to be, they could have an enormous role as rookies and going forward.
So I'm interested to see what they do.
But I also think Burden he's got that, you know, kind of that first round reputation, and I'm excited to see how Ben develops his relationship with him along with Antoine randel Al the coach.
Yeah, I think for Burden, I think that's a good comparison when you look compare him to Amandra Saint Brown, who probably doesn't have top end speed, but boy, he's got the ability to separate and he's got the ability to to get open. If you go look at Burden and his play at Missouri, he played really well against the top level teams, you know, where he was getting a lot of production against some of the best defenses out there. This guy can separate and he can make plays.
And I'm not saying he's slow. He's not slow.
He can.
You know he can. He ran a four to four to one, so he's he's close to getting in that that four three nine barrier. So he's got enough speed to really make big plays down the field. But man, he can separate. And that's what among your Saint Brown does for the Lions to get open a lot of play making ability.
And so doas Coaston Loveland when he runs his routs. He can separate at the top of his routes. That's going to be fun to watch as well. You often wonder, you know, as you're watching games until you actually watch the tape, you know, because you can't see everybody on the field at once as a fan. You're following the ball, Tom's fouling the offensive line to start the play a. Uh are they getting open? Are players getting open? Why is nobody open? And and and some of that is
the route running ability. Uh, if they're not great route runners, they're not creating separation, or the coverage is so sticky. You know, those are all parts of this equation. I think Ben's really going to enhance that, right.
But I have a question for Jim here because you know, one thing that I think Caleb has to do moving forward is what's open. Because separate you're not always going to create that separation where you're throwing to an open target where you're the defensive coverage guy is trailing you. Sometimes you're putting it in an area where the defender's close to you. But you have to have the willingness
and the understanding of what open really is. And so, you know, Jim, when I think about the future of Caleb.
He's got to understand that. Understand that as well.
Yeah, he's well, he's got to be able to trust that the guys like guys like Luther Burden, that guy can get on defenders and stack him really quickly. What do I mean by stack him? He could say if it's a trail technique by defensive back, say he's playing the slot, he beats the nickelback off the line of scrimmage. He has already stacked the nickelback, so the nickelback is
now in a trail technique. And say the say Burden is running an over route across the field, and that trail technique right when he puts his foot in the ground to start heading across the field on his over route. You know, that's where Caleb has got to trust that Burden's gonna win that foot race. He's already got the defender beat by say, you know, a step to two steps, because of how he stacked him and how he's already put the defensive back behind him now to throw him
to the open area. He may not look open once he's off the line of scrimmage, but when you trust where the timing to where the throw needs to be that Luther's going to be there, and he'll already have stacked the defensive back where he's he's trailing him from behind. And so those are the type of trust things that really that Caleb has to get familiar with and just knowing his receiver and that he's going to come down with the football because Burden's got great hands. That actually
was the comparison with him. He's like an Amandro Saint Brown. The guy catches everything, and so you just got to trust that he's a good route runner and where that ball needs to be, he's going to be in the right spot where it needs to be caught.
Jim, when did you start trusting your receivers are going to be open?
Well, you know, I credit Todd Haley a lot. You know, is you know, it was fun seeing Dez White call the draft picks for the Chicago Bears because those guys were all young. You know, when when Marty Booker and obviously they drafted David Terrell and even Des White, that was a young group. Marcus Robinson was hurt his back injury at that point, he was still healing up, and so we had a lot of young receivers. And I just remember Todd Haley coming off the field someday said, Jim,
I will whip these guys into shape. They will be where they need to be, uh when you need to throw the ball. And over time, it just you started to trust him, especially Marty. Marty and I worked a lot together, and I knew exactly what what he was going to do, you know, and just you know it just that trust. Even if it was double coverage, I knew Marty was coming down with it.
Just as Marty Booker, one of my favorite players the call games with. You ever talked to Marty out of careacity.
Yeah, he talked to Marty.
How's he doing?
Oh he's doing great. He's doing great. His hands are still big. He can throw a football farther than I could. For God's sake. When he got in there and he throwing about eighty yards, I'm like, hell, why didn't you lining up under center? For God said.
So that receiver room is going to be listen. Training camps should be exciting because yes, you got dj you got wrong, you got Burden, you got Alamine's chais Devin Duverney, you know, as a return specialist as well, Tyler Scott, Samuri Tory, Miles boyk In, the local product, Maurice Alexander who's got experience with Detroit also a candidate in the return game. A couple of free agents Jedai Walker he's six three two oh three out of Texas A and M and JP Richardson five to eleven one ninety five
out of TCU. So there's gonna be a bunch of guys. Walker blocked a couple punts in college. Richardson a punt returner, So the competition for all these roles are going to be very intriguing on the offensive side of the ball as well as defens At.
The end of the season last year, Tyler Scott did some really nice things on the punt team, So if he could come in here and continue a rise on special teams and coach High Tower gives.
Them a little bit more leeway where.
Maybe, okay, if he's on punt coverage team, maybe I can put him on kickoff return or punt return, not as the returner, but as in.
A blocking position.
So I think you have to open every opportunity for yourself if you're competing for a roster spot at the receiver position.
All right, we're gonna go inside the division when we come back. This is Bears Weekly. I THESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
Well, welcome back.
To Bears Weekly.
Become a Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff Jonior.
This segment, the Bears Weekly, brought to you by IGS Center Jeff Joniac, Tom there, Jim Miller. Our final segment. I want to emphasize this. I know how both of you guys feel about youth football and into the high schools, and it's important for the growth of the sport. But a total of NFL came out with US today. Two hundred and forty six high schools contributed to the two hundred and fifty seven players drafted. IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Florida had the most with three, including Tyler Booker and Johatte Campbell. Texas the number one state with thirty seven, and over the past eight years, six hundred eighty seven players from Texas and Florida have been elected in the NFL Draft. That's an amazing Tom split pretty much perfect four from Illinois this year and for the nineteenth time in twenty years, at least one player drafted from a high school outside the United States. This year, one from Australia,
one from Canada. So the math is this which is a testament to the both of you as well players drafted in the US. The odds are literally based on this year's draft based on population density one and one point three million. So it's a lot of reticket and you work to get the lottery ticket. Good though you're blessed with some traits, but you got to work at it because even great athletes don't always make it to
the NFL for a variety of reasons. So when you hear those numbers, respectively, how does that make you feel that you've been a part of this, And how these guys must feel. They'll know it later in life when they experience what you guys experienced time.
Yeah, you know, Jim and I, our careers are behind us. So when you hear about those types of numbers, there still is a shocking is when we were coming up through the ranks and that we had an opportunity to
make it into the NFL. And I really admire a lot of these kids that are playing football nowadays, and a lot of the girls that are playing in the Flag Football League in Chicago, because football is not an easy sport, especially when you're going out to those fields in the middle of the summer and they're asking you to go out there and sweat and grind if you're nine, ten,
eleven years old, and it doesn't make it easy. So I'm happy for every one of these kids that are benefiting their life and like Turner said, his family's life with the football success.
Yeah, every player's got a story of why they wanted to be in the National Football League. For me, I was nine years old. My dad took me to the pontac Silverdome and I saw Doug Williams throw an eighty yard touchdown pass and I remember looking up my dad and saying, Dad, that's what I want to do. And I knew right then that's what I was going to do. And you know, it sticks with you. But every player's got their story of what led them to making it
to the National Football League. So whatever that story is, you know, those players got to keep on tapping into it in order to stay because, as Tom knows, it is a lot of hard work, it's a lot of dedication, and you gotta love football. You gotta love it in order to do it.
All right, lightning rounds. So we got to be quick with these, all right, I promised the NFC North. The one thing that stuck out to me about the Green Bay Packers is just adding more at wide receiver speed with Matthew Golden, adding Seveon Williams, who's a Deebo Samuel type guy, Mikole Hardman, and they got Dantavian Wicks and Jaden Reid and Christian Watson, Harmy Dobbs. That's that's about the Green Bay Packers, quick thought, Tom.
Golden, you know, that was the one pick because they've been void of taking wide receivers high in the draft for a while, and he's the type of guy that can now set that new speed edge for the division.
Yeah at Detroit, Tom, Yeah, go ahead, Jimmy.
Well, they tried to trade for DK Metcalf and even Pickings and they went speed, as Tom mentioned, so they will be a threat deep three.
New interior offensive lineman now for the Minnesota Vikings with Donovan Jackson, Ryan Kelly and Will Fries diresaw back. They got to protect JJ McCarthy and open that run game.
Tom, you know again, I think offensive defensive lineman on any football team that can come and increase, increase the competitiveness at such an important position, especially when you have j McCarthy coming aboard.
Important Jim, you have the last one, Jim, you have the Detroit Lions. You get Aiden Hutchinson. Hutchinson healthy, Aleen McNeil back. They drafted ty League Williams. How much more dangerous is the division champs?
Yeah, Alee McNeil. They got him back late in the year, so he's healing up. They also got Levi Ownzeriki. We know they had a ton of injuries on defense, and I believe it was the first Egyptian player Oza seen who they drafted later. He does provide pass for us, so they did get an edge rusher and helped out their interior d line with Malai.
Guys, will see you next week. Thank you so much. That'll do it tonight for Bears Weekly. Thanks to all of our producers, including Jack McGrath in studio. This has been Bears Weekly on the radio home of the Chicago Bears, ESPN Chicago with Bleck and abdalla Our Next. Good night, everybody,