Thomas Graham Jr. on competition in secondary | All Access

Tell us what you're doing down there, and you're we're pinch hitting because no time there tonight he's on VACA. How about that? Yeah, well day Tom well earned on his parts from a little vacation. But no, I'm down here at the Resa Senior Bowld their Hall of Fame induction. So it's really a special night last night. Guys like Philip Rivers von Miller, tremendous linebacker, obviously two time world champion.

Other guys like Kevin Falk who I played with the New England Patriots, so tremendous player, who's a running back from LSU. So they all got inducted last night. And how about the Rookie of the Year Creed Humphrey, who's a starting center for the Kansas City Chiefs. He got inducted for the Rookie of the Year. Was a tremendous player, left handed center. He's the only left handed center I've ever seen can snap the ball and he'd snaps at every time. Clean to Patrick Mahomes. So truly a great night.

They're out golfing right now today, and so a nice round of golfing. It's a beautiful day here in Mobile. All right. Did you get a chance to talk to Humphrey by the way, Yes, I did, any any change, any insights, any insights on maybe the Ryan Poles connection. Well no, I think for him one him and Trey Smith, imagine him. Both those guys got drafted last year by the Kansas City Chiefs. Made every single regular season game. Both played all the way through the playoffs. Didn't miss

a snap. So think about that, the impact of young draft picks and how they can instantly come in and impact your team. So two five guys of their offensive line never miss a snap as rookies. So yeah, it's important. Drafting doesn't matter what round you go in, whether it's the first through the last round, the seventh round, these guys were impact, impactful players for the Kansas City Chiefs coming up at the bottom of the hour. Tom and I did catch up last week with second year cornerback

Thomas Graham. You'll enjoy that interview. He's got great character and he's very excited about his royal Jimmy, you are not involved in that interview, but when we hear it later on, you're gonna hear a confident guy and he has a great opportunity here and maybe maybe maybe one of the underrated stories possibly of training camp will be Thomas Graham. Well, he's got an opportunity. I think he's gonna have an opportunity to carve out a nickel slot role.

You know, you think about him late in the year for the Bears, he got some you know, to me, it's invaluable when you get in there, every snap, every snap that you get is valuable. And I thought he had impactful snaps for the Bears last year. Now you've

got a new coaching staff evaluating him. He's from the old regime and already obviously he's made a good first impression and going to have an opportunity this fall in camp for the Bears and He'll tell you that this defense is more reflective what he played in his junior year at Oregon, and so he loves the idea of eleven guys going after the football. Yeah, well, I mean that's the key. I mean a coach Matt Eberflus has really preached that that that's the standard. Guy's got to

be able to run. They've got to fly to the football. And you know when good, good things happen when you do that. You know, the ball, you never know when the plays over, could it be a forced fumble? You know, if you're just flying to the ball almost like a swarm of bees, you gotta be almost like a killer bee mentality. And it sounds like that that's what they're

trying to generate for the Bears this ball. Now, the old Dolphins had some killer bees right now, but hey, you know, maybe you just we got the new version of the killer bees, hopefully. I told any I started coaching flag football with my son Manny, and I had all the kids buzzing like bees. For that very reason, I go, hey, what do bees do? They go towards the honey right these so they all before the snap of the ball, you hear them all just buzzing, right.

It's that ball snap. You gotta be a killer bee and fly to the honey. Now I like it. I like it. We had barking back in the Otis Wilson days. Now we're buzzing for the Bears of twenty twenty two. Jim, you're onto something here. See you're an idea man, just like there. Got to keep it simple, right, and the

kids they loved it. They followed it, and they did they always got the honey, and good things were gonna happen, all right, little honey for Cotter Gordon in terms of his first pro contract, that helping over the weekend the second round pick side his four year contract. You know, you don't realize these things until you think a bottom

more in context for what's ahead. You know, on draft day we all have notes on players, but you know what occurred to me that last year was the first time he was a full time starter, and now he's an expected sixteen game starter in the National Football League as a rookie. He's got to earn that job. But you know, everybody's kind of penciled him in at the other cornerback spot opposite Jalen Johnson. There will be competition, however, and he's gonna have to earn it. But that's a

big ask for a guy, isn't it. Yeah, I mean certainly for him. You know, obviously, expectations are gonna be there. He's gonna make his sure of mistakes. This is a big corner. Now. He's six foot two hundred pounds, so the physicality's there. Now, he's got to learn the nuances of the position. He's gonna have to grow from the mental side of the game. Again, He's gonna make his share of mistakes, and as a player, you can't get

intimidated by that. You've got to have that short term mentality where you just shelve that play, put it behind you, and go on to the next. So every rep in practice in training camp is going to be important for him. The walkthroughs are going to be important. It's learning, learning, learning, and it's gonna come at him fast, all right. But you know, for him, he's got to be able to have thick skin, put it behind him and move forward. It's always about the next play. And I'm excited for him.

This is a talented young player that's going to have an opportunity for the Chicago Bears, and we'll see how he stacks up. But physically he can stack up against the best. It's how quickly he learns the mental part of the game. The other stuff I love about him, the intangibles. Of course, he is a competitor. He competes, he's tough, and he's very smart. Okay, So Jiquon brisk are the only unsigned rookie in that twelve man class

that'll get taken care of. And I was just going through what was written today this morning about the Bears from over the weekend, because you know, even though it's this dead period, there's always kylemnches being written, and so there was a lot about Jakwan Brisker from our own Larry Mayor from Chicago Bears dot com. Patrick Finley did a whole piece on Mattieberflus's desire to limit penalties. That was a topic at the end of the veteran minicamp.

Two of the last three seasons, the Colts were the least penalized defense in the NFL. And interesting to note, though, Jim, that these two rookies were just talking about Brisker and Gordon, they did not have a single penalty in their final two years in college. So well that'll transition. Well yeah, that well, one, it talks about their discipline, right, and coaches, right, I mean, people forget about the penalties because that's what

we call hidden yardage, right. I mean anytime say when a kickoff return, say is to the twenty yard line or the twenty five yard line. Anytime you get a yard further or say if it's the twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight yard line, all the way up to thirty one percent. Every time the yard it leads to points, that percentage always increases. And so if you don't give up the hidden yardage, you get better opportunities where you

can lower that percentage. I mean, it's just cheap yardage that you're giving an offense, and it gives them more of a percentage to score. So I think it tells about how discipline these players are and what they were in college. And yeah, I do think it'll translate to the NFL because they've already trained themselves not to do though with such foolish things. Yeah, you think about the corners,

the safeties and a deep play. Maybe it's third and sixteen and Aaron Rodgers has just throwing it up there to see what he can get, and you get that first down off a third and long and a Those are the ones that rip your heart at or on the offensive side of the ball. The potential here for two young tackles, maybe even a rookie tackle. Those guys get their share of holding penalties. Well, you bring up

a good point. I mean, think about that. I mean, I thought the NFL was going to address the past interference rule, because you're right, that becomes a spot foul, you know's what it is. I wish it was just a fifteen yard due, which is still a killer. Yeah, it's a killer killer, but I hate it. I hate it the other I mean, imagine me as a quarterback. He brought up Aaron Rodgers. If I'm at the fifty yard line and I throw it up to the one yard line, that ball, if it's a pass interference call,

it goes to the one yard line. It's a spot foul. It's devastating to what it can do not only for your football team, but the psyche of your team. All Right, we got a bunch of stats to throw you coming up at our next segment here about justin fields from other analysts out there that do all the analyticals and throw some interesting comments in there about what's next for Justin Fields and the Bears, which Jim Miller. I'm Jeff Joniac. This is Bears All Access here on Chicago Sports Radio

six seventy the Score. Welcome back to Bears All Access, 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. Former Bears quarterback Jim Miller from sirius XM NFL Radios, Moving the chains with us from Mobile, Alabama. Who else did you rub shoulders with over the weekend. I had a great conversation with Brett fav this morning. He looks in great shape. He's into triathlons now, he's into biking and all that stuff.

But he brought up great things about you know, when he played and how to play through things, and you know, just his sheer toughness. Obviously we know the toughness of Brett Fire. The guy started consecutive over two hundred games. And I talked to Philip Rivers as well. Think about Philip Rivers started two hundred and forty consecutive games in the NFL, just that availability that they're always there for

their teammates. They just want, you know, their fellow teammates, their coaches to know that, Hey, I'm going to be the guy. I will be here every single Sunday. And I think that's something that Justin Fields He's gonna have to prove that, right. He got a little beat up last year, took some big shots. He's got to be smarter and how he approaches his game because he's got to be there every single week for his teammates and hopefully for all Bears fans that he's able to line up,

say over two hundred consecutive games. All right. I saw this on sports social media, something called sis football, and they did some analytics on Justin Fields. When he was contacted behind the lines scrimmage, he got a first down twenty nine point four percent of the time, that's first in the NFL. And then his stuffed percentage was thirty five point three, that was second lowest in the NFL.

So the idea here is Jim, which we certainly know from that forty nine Ers game on that memorable play, that's a glimpse of the future being able to create something out of nothing, and that will be one of the intangible elements that will continue to shine as he gets more and more comfortable back there, won't it. I mean, these stats are interesting given his frankly small amount of playing time ten games or so last season. Yeah, I

think is his improvability is special. You know, It's something that you can't coach, whether it's you know, the coaches Luke Getzi or Mattieberflus. You don't want to coach that out of him. That's what makes justin Field so special. But at the same point, what you can coach in him is the risk reward. No, when to go down.

It's okay some times to take a sack. You can't make a play every single play, you know, because it could be a negative play, whether you're you know, because he's so strong physically, it could lead to a fumble or things like that. So there are times where he's gonna have to know, hey, I just need to get down here. You know, the take in the sack is the best play, it's the only play. Or if he decides to take off and scramble and utilize his skill set which are so special, when to get down, when

to get out of bounds. You know there are certain situations where he's gonna have to give up his body. Maybe it's a third and one where he scrambles and has to lower his shoulder and get a first down. So the risk rewards or what he's gonna have to weigh, and how the coaching is. You know that they're communicating to him or when those situations are, and he will. He's too smart of a player, he's too special of a player. And he's got all the speed, he's got

all the toughness. We know that about him, and I think he'll just continue to learn and get better. So last year he ran the Boss seventy two times, whether these are scrambles or design plays four and twenty yards five eight three to carry in a couple of touchdowns. What do you envision in this style of offense with Luke Getzy for justin fields in terms of maybe design runs. We know what he can do on the scramble. But do you see less of that, more of that or

about the same. No. I think you're going to see more of it. It It will be more incorporated than what it was a year ago. I think you'll see an RPO influence that he'll be able to attack the line of scrimmage with his legs. I do think you're going to see a lot of the bootleg game because they're

focused on that outside zone run. The bootleg is really just a natural play action that comes off of that, and you can do half rolls and things like that that will set up the play action passes with the bootlegs, whether it's waggle routes and things like that, or even dash plays out of the shotgun. I think they'll all be incorporated, and they need to be consistent throughout an

entire game, no matter what the score is. I think the Bears have to be consistent with their play calling to let that, to let the opponents know that that's going to be a threat throughout an entire game. He's a weapon that they need to utilize. Now, you had a long career in the NFL. What challenges await a second year quarterback? We always know what challenges await a rookie quarterback, and certainly one that did play now and he knows what the feel and speed of the game is. Granted,

new offense seemingly more comfortable in it. What challenges await justin fields for me, my second year was getting to know defenses a lot more. You know, really your rookie ye, you're kind of focused on your offensive side of the ball, and here Justin's learning a new offense and it will have changes to this offense, but there'll be things that carry over. But now it's about learning the defensive side of the ball. Cover three, what's a cover two? What's

single high? Safety's a man and man? What's blitz zero? All these things that he's going to have to learn it. You know, if you learn it, now you know where the weaknesses are and you can start to attack those weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. So knowing his offense like the back of his hand, now he'll be able to get in a lot of things that maybe he can check to understanding what defenses are doing and how to attack them. Then kind of year three

is where it all comes together. You know the offensive side the ball, you know the defensive side the ball. In year three, that's where you should kind of be coming into your own as a quarterback, where you really know the game very well and how to attack it. So I expect big things from Justin fields, but it's really on the defensive side of the ball. He needs to know what they're doing in order to take advantage

of it. I know he's a worker. I mean, there's videos already this morning about him in the weight room working out. Somebody took videos of him working out here in this downtime, which is important for everybody. Stay, stay ready. But I think the conquered part, the intangible part of understanding what it takes to be a pro at this level. There's no way he didn't get to know that last season.

So that part of it, Okay, that's already to me, you know, tail lights like, okay, we're moving forward, right Yeah, well yeah, I think any player you got to get in a routine, you know, and me, the routine was, you know, you shall say you play on Sunday. You've got to shelve that, put it behind you. It's onto the next week, it's onto the next ref, it's onto the next game. You've got to stay in the now. And every day when you show up at hallis Hall,

you've got to attack that day. Every meeting's important, you know, getting all the things that the coaches want to accomplish in terms of the game plan, and you're kind of got to compartmentalize everything. But it's getting in that routine of how you study, how you prepare, because again, preparation is everything, and I think he's he prepared himself well in college. Now it's getting the preparation for the pros weekend and week out. That's really a big part of

what a quarterback needs to do. Bears Running Game and Cole comment our next topic when we return with Jim Milleri'mjeff Jonny Ac. Thanks to our producers Jordan Trudup, Dan Brilly and the folks here at the score for producing tonight stick around More ahead here on Bears Out Access, brought to you by IGS Energy on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. This segment of Bears All Access

is brought to you by a Letico Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to requested employment in clinic or virtually and start feeling better tomorrow. Former Bears quarterback Jim Miller our guest here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score from Sirius XM NFL Radios. Moving the chains down in Mobile, Alabama, Rub and elbows with Heck former teammates, Hall of Famers, Future Stars how many people there today for this chair. There's a ton think about former NFL

linebacker Robert Brazilsils here. Yeah, Robert Brizi play a great linebacker. Ozzie Newsom's here, obviously, he's a Hall of Fame tight end. He's a Hall of Fame GM. He's a little bit of like Charlie Chaplin on radio, though silence is golden with him. But Ozzie's always a great guy to talk to. So you led me in right into a topic of tight ends. A tight end you wrapping up over the week, and I guess and they had a good time with it. But Scott Pioli, a former NFL executive and now does

a tremendous job with his analysis work. This was a comedy said about Cole Comet. This guy has all the tools and is a complete tight end. He's one of the top young talents at the position in the league. High praise obviously, so there are expectations, and we've talked a lot about Cole Commet being an integral part of this growth process with a young quarterback. What would in your opinion, a breakout year from Cole Commet mean for the Bears right now? I think it'll be huge. Again.

I go back to the outside zone run play, you know, because that's the foundation of the Bears and what they're trying to do. He's going to be key on the edge, you know, we talked about it last week, depending on the techniques or the end man on the line of scrimmage. At times he's gonna have to skate that guy out and put him on roller skates. At times he's gonna have to hook him. And he's two hundred and sixty pounds,

I mean, let's be honest with Cole Commet. But he can move, so that bootleg game for him on over routes or shallow crosses. And you think a guys like George Kittle that play in this exact offense out there for the forty nine ers, it's going to be in an impactful position for the Bears. So I expect him to be heavily involved in the run game in terms of the point of attack at the line of scrimmage and block. But I expect him to be a big part of the Bears play action game. The ball is

going to be force fed to Cole Comet. He's going to get a lot of opportunities, and he's too athletic not to make plays. He's got nice soft hands, he can run after the catch, and he's allowed to bring down. I mean, this guy truly can be a special player, and I think the Bears and Luke Getzi are going to try to attack that and really force feed him to football. All right, Luke Keetzi in Green Bay with the Green Bay Packers bringing some of that and his

own touch on this offense. And Tom wanted us to talk about this. You wanted me to look at what they did on the ground last year and what the Bears potentially could do and what you'd be happy with. So went through the statistics with a fine toothcomb. So Packers average twenty six point two rushing attempts a game last season. Not obviously this is a little bit apples

and oranges. Because they got Aaron Rodgers, they could do whatever up there, and one hundred and eleven yards on the ground four point three Kerry Bears ran it more twenty seven point nine a game, that's eleventh most. And the other big running teams that relate to this offense. San Francisco ran at four hundred and ninety nine times So the Bears in that ballpark green Bay four forty six. As I said Philly, it's not the same system, but one fifty nine and seven rushing yards per game that

was number one in the league. Thirty two carries a game with a running quarterback Indie Baltimore Cleveland, Tennessee all one hundred and forty plus yards per game. Bears had one eighteen point seven, green Bay one eleven point eight. Okay, before I go any further, what would be the wheelhouse and if you know you're winning with this running game in terms of attempts per game and average yards per carry, what would be a wheelhouse hope for the Bears in

twenty twenty two. Yeah, I like that number. About twenty eight carries a game because you know, again, normally in a game you're gonna get about roughly sixty to sixty five offensive snaps, all right, So that tells you it's balanced. If you're getting say twenty eight to thirty rushing attempts, then you factor in the play action, which will be another fifteen to twenty play actions, and then you're gonna have your other fifteen to twenty which are going to

be the just straight dropbacks situation. So the key what you brought up about, Say, if you're comparing them to Green Bay, green Bay has Mercedes Lewis, right, he's their big, burly blocking tight end. They lost Robert Tannyan last year. Who if you go back the year prior to him tearing his ACL, the guy head close to double digit touchdowns.

I think he had eleven. When you look at Robert Tanyan, Robert Tonyan's more the more the in line, Plus he can run routes, Cole combats all that, and one he's Mercedes Lewis and Robert Tanyan together, so he's probably legitimately he shouldn't come off the field. He's in every down tight end that you can split out. You can put outside the numbers, you can put him in the flex position, or you can put him in line for the Bears to run their play action in the bootleg game that

I mentioned. So legitimately, I think you're onto it. Jeff, twenty eight to thirty rushes a game, and then about fifteen plays should be play action. Then you're probably gonna have another fifteen to twenty in straight dropbacks. That should

be the formula for the Bears. But that support in running the football needs to be there for Justin fields to take advantage of all those things that we just talked about, his ability to move, the play action game, the bootleg game, the rollout game, all those things will be incorporated, but it's going to stem from those rushing attempts. Even though the offense struggle to score points, they did run the ball well as compared to the rest of

the league, and again, you know, compared the Packers. So the Bears last year tied for twelve fifty four runs of ten plus. Justin had something to do with that too. Green Bay had only thirty six and no touchdowns. Bears had thirteen twenty plus yard runs a couple of touchdowns, tied for seventh and the league. Green Bay had seven. So that speaks well obviously to David Montgomery and killing her. So where are you at on those two guys as compared to that duo in Green Bay Aaron Jones and

AJ Dillon. Yeah, I've said this. I do think Montgomery is the tougher runner meeting between the tackles. So if they do the inside zone stuff or say they're going to do some power football with the power plays or say duo action. I think David Montgomery is the guy that can get the tough yards. He's the AJ Dillon, so to speak. And then Cleo Herbert is a change of pace. He's got probably a quicker step for the

outside zone game, much like say Aaron Jones. Not that they can't do the cutback game, because that'll be there too, because he's able to jet and has that other gear to really hit it when the Bears want to hit it. But that to me is how it sets up. Montgomery's the AJ Dillon and you look at Clio Herbert. To me, he's the Aaron Jones in this offense for the Chicago Bears. And if you're into it, you know, one hundred yard backs or quarterbacks, they usually usually result in wins if

things are going off. Colts for nine and one last year with that, San Francisco five and one, Cleveland five and two. So those are some teams that really run the football. And we get the idea of the Bears are gonna run the football more with Jim Miller. After a interview with Tom Thare and I and Thomas Graham, the Bears second year cornerback, it's all ahead here on

Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought to you by CDW People to Get It with Tom Thayer, Jeff Joni Yac, Jim Millerver Loong as well as we are joined by Thomas Graham, the young corner for the Chicago Bears. Good to talk to you again. Thanks for taking the time off during your time off, and I simply got to say, how excited are you right now about the potential for twenty

twenty two and you being heavily involved in it. I'm very excited just because, like you know, playing football has just come to something that we all just want to do it, just like this out there and just like now just kind of feel like right now I'm just going out there and like being able to enjoy a way more than I felt like I did last year kind of was more focused on the bid inside instead of playing, and now it's just kind of just like being able to just go out there and play. Just

it makes you play and feel different. It's interesting you refer to as the business side. Why do you say the business side, because you know, frankly, you had to be climbing the walls staying on the practice squad, just biting your time. But what was the business element of it? Um just understanding that, like you know, like there's a reality check and like that's the business side. There's so many people that are can only be on the team. There's so many people that can be dressed up. So

it's just like I wasn't a starter. Since I wasn't a starting, I wasn't the main contribute on special teams last year, like you know, it didn't put my value as high. So it's just like this year, it's just like contributing as much as I can on special teams,

doing what I can defensively. It's just like kind of just like telling like going from a position like in college where you didn't play as much special teams to where it's just like you got to change your mindset and and understand your value to the team and give it as best as you can anything you do. Hey, Thomas, even though there's a new head coach, new GM, did you feel different, maybe more confident when you walk on the field during this session of OTAs and mandatory minicamp

than you did a year ago? Yeah, because I feel like last year I was just really focused on like like learning the playbook like this and that, and it's just like this year, even though it's a new scheme, it's just like, yeah, I'm learning it, but it's just like I was trying to do everything in chunk. So it's just like when you do everything smaller and progressively, it just kind of just like it's a it's a

different mindset you come in with. So like I was coming in with just attacking and learning like a little step by step instead of trying to learn everything at once, because you know, we all go make a mistake if I'm a rookie or a VET. So it's just like you go in there and knowing that it's just like your mindset, it's different, just you don't repeat that same stake. That's how you become a VET or you stay at rookie.

You know, I gotta say, being around the Bears for thirty five years now, I've never seen a defense approach the offseason with the speed and which you guys were playing. And is that transferable from out of pads to impads, yes, because it's just like it helps certain things, Like it's the little things that it helps, like it teaches everybody to pursue to the ball, so like that one play

like it's a tip in the air. But then it's just like it's a difference between you being that one step away and then you already being there, because it's just like a happy that you already created or you feel me you're running to the ball the way you're doing and doing everything full speed, like it's able to wear. Like now you feel more comfortable with the knockback when you when you make tackles. So it's just like certain little things that like not all fans, not like everybody

that doesn't really truly though football can see. Is like what makes that so important? Thomas Graham, Junior, our guest here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score with time there Jeff Joniac. Does this new defensive style suit your personality better than the old style? And did you practice and play like this in college? Uh? I say this reminds me more of the defense that I have my junior year of college. Okay, so it is I feel like it's broken down in a more simpler,

complex way, easier to learn. Um, I feel like, really you can only run like six or seven courages. It's kind of just like, really what the coach likes to run more of. So it's just like I felt like certain other things are different. But as a whole um, I think I can play a whole lot faster, mainly just from just being in the having the year of experience.

You gotta feel fresh too, because let's be honest, you know, you did not play in twenty twenty due to the pandemic at Oregon, and then you don't get to play until what week fifteen? I can't and so, and you played every snap, so you had to be mentally and physically and emotionally and spiritually ready to play that game because there were nobodies to play in addition to that, so you gotta you had to play. But do you feel rush because of all the circumstances and how the

domino's fell for you? Yes, Personally, Like my whole life, I've always done like and no matter what season it was, I was always doing the sports, So like that was kind of like definitely with the COVID years, my first real year also going into like the year, I felt like I felt better, but I think like in the aspects of it hurt. It hurt me with more of like the edds, like the everyday drills, just to cutting all the time, and I think that showed up majority

of the year, definitely during camp. So like by the time I really got the hang of things again, like my time was ready to sign and I made the best in my opportunity. It looks like you're running first team with Nickel during the entire off season here, and how does that suit your skill setting? How do you see this playing out for Thomas Graham Jr. Um I just feel like it's it's a high competition in that

room just in general. You gotta tell young Event teaches me and helps me all the time, like we were talking and pass a little notes, so it's like competitive edge. And then with Duke the same thing. So I just felt like it's just going in there. I wouldn't say anybody just started, because we all got rested with the ones, but it's just all going in there. It's just like

a high competition. I think, like people talk about our secondary and things like that, but if you see the guys that we got, I think it's way better than what you people say to realize, and if you want to go look at the stats to go look at duke stats two hundred and forty snaps, start giving up a touchdown in the slot, and then Tay Young has already been proven to be one of the best nickel pointers in the NFL already with this pedigree. So it's just like, I know his past, he's gotten hurt, so

just stay in, stay healthy for him. And just kind of me just going out there being a young gun balling. So it's just like you get three different players, but three great players no matter what. Well, kind of piggybacking off that question a little bit. I remember you at the podium last year after your first start and you said, you're getting better. You're understanding the defense better, You're understanding your leverage a little better according to the defense called.

So now when you ready for this defense, are you a right or left cornerback or I, like Jeff said, the reps that you're taking at nickel. What is the one two three process of Thomas Graham at this point in the upcoming season with corner is kind of just kind of playing both sides, But right now it's probably going to be more nickel the dominant And I think me personally like I think this is a stepping stone on where I kind of want to go with my career eventually. I just want to be kind of just

being able to follow somebody. A person I really look up to is Darius Slay, and I like watching his game because he doesn't just play outside. He doesn't play inside. He just follows like the number one receiver, And that's kind of like where I want to do have my engo. But if I can't play in the slot, I've already shared I can play outside, Like if I can't consistently play in the slot, then I can't accomplish my goal.

So it starts here in I feel like playing in the slot, no matter what, helps your game as a corner or a dB in general, just because like you're going to against litter dudes that are like quicker and stuff like that. So makes your film study more more in detail, more in debt, because you feel you got to make sure that you're anticipating things, but you're not assuming,

because if you assume, you make me nothing. It's like you got to be able to put yourself in those positions because you do have the Tarik Hills, the jailing waters, and I can keep going on and knowing that just like you feel me. You see, if you want to be on ESPN, they get way of the bad way. So you know, we've every player that Jeff and I have talked to you since Matt Eberflus has been hired. We talked to about the comedy made about the running shoes,

but no corners. Corners and wide receivers. They run all the time anyway, So it's not it's it's a big adjustment to us offensive linemen or defensive linemen in positions like that. Do you feel that you're running a lot or do you just have to be in shape so

you can run a lot? Um. I feel like it's more like we are running a lot, but it's not like what he's asking us to run for, like it's no reason, Like it's the what I talked about before is like the little things like we're not running, like he's not making us run just to run, like we're

running majority of and all the times. Is to create good habits, like for a team, like if we want to be the defense that we say we want to do, we have to always be able to swarm to the ball, like you know, like feel scary when you've seen on film eleven dudes in the picture every time you watch

this defense compared to seeing five or six dudes. Because you see five or six dudes, you feel me running back, do the right thing, or receiver get behind the coverage in this in spot like it maybe a good it's most like there'll be more supposed to play. But it's eleven guys to the ball, you know that, Like it's always somebody coming and running there. Hey Thomas, in your football life, when's the last time that you've ran conditioning

after practice? I will say my freshman year of college, all right, And I think that's part of the run processes. He they're asking you to run so fast and individual work in the team works in seven on seven that you don't have to do conditioning after practice because you're you're doing conditioning the entire practice exactly, and it just kind of like it builds your workload too. And like we you know, you understand Beffy from being a player.

It's just like we sometimes like be like, oh, this is a lot, but like when we go play that game and like it's the fourth quarter and you see that person across from you super tired and you're just like, dang, this is just a normal Tuesday, like it just it's it's a different film than that. That builds confidence for you to do things that you didn't think you can do before. You know. Thomas grahamar guest here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score.

It's funny he asked you about that because when I first started covering sports, it was Tom's eighty five team that won the Super Bowl, and I was at that training camp and these guys after practice at a run sprints and they were dying after double days. So he still has nightmares, that's what. But I like your routine more than the old thing. That's why I asked that question. No question. So you mentioned Tavon Young. Now what does this tell you about the business of the National Football League.

Tavon Young was once the NFL's highest paid nickel and now not a part of the Baltimore Ravens anymore. Finds a home here. Hopefully it's an impactful one with the Bears. But you know, it's things change so quickly, Like you mentioned Thomas, maybe some injuries here and there, but you know, once he's on top of the mountain. Is this something you can learn from as a young player, just how important it all is. Yeah, it's just like, um, he'll

tell you he's already talked to me about it. But it's just like kind of just like you got to just be able to enjoy each moment. Like you know, like football is a is a contact sports, so you're you're one serious injury away from not being able to play again. And also like a lot of the stuff isn't avoidable, but you can do your best to work on things to avoids. So it's just like you gotta like do little things and take care of your body.

I think the person that's done it best to show us professionally is Lebron James, like you from me, he invested so much money into his body early, even though like some people be like why you're spending that much money in your body and then look how it pays out for him. So it's just like when you take care of your body and pays it. So it's just

like that's one thing you got to do. And sometimes, like with the sport that we play, some freak injuries, some freak things happen, but it's just kind of more just like putting yourself in a position to where a lot of those things don't happen. All right, We're just starting to get to know some of the new coaches on the defensive side of the ball. Your DUB coach James Row, and you have a nickel coach David Overstreet.

Coach Row and the kidd last month when we met with him, that you meet with coach eaver Street every morning at seven am. What do you guys discuss? What's that been? Like? What's that relationship? Help? Um? It showed me a lot. Um. It's something that it was a routine that I did in college with my DV coach and helped me understand the defense process certain stuff. And then also just like kind of ask questions without being

in the room with everybody else. And I think something for some people it's bigger than others because like you know, sometimes some people, you know, he might get stage fright. You just feel like that might be a little bit too but too much off topic. So I think it's been just like a great job of being able to to kind of dissect the defense in other ways and then like we don't just talk about the nickel or like even like some days we won't even just come

in and talk like film on the defense. We'll talk about just like my my everyday drills. He calls them edds and those little things and playing and focusing on weaknesses. I remember one of the first times we met, he went in there and put in, uh showed me. He put in three good plays, three bad plays of last year. And it's just like those three bad plays we need to we need to fix that, and us three good plays we need to keep and make those three six.

It's just like it's a good thing and he's willing to be honest with me. And I think that's like one thing you need out of the coach. Every time you go to the line of scrimmage and you think of your train of thoughts. I'm this roster. You got receivers from five to eleven, Darnell Mooney to six or five eq. Saint Brown. Do you have the same philosophical thinking once the ball is snapped or do you have a different approach to that size difference? Oh? Yeah, most

definitely you have a different approach. But it't for me. It's not really too big on the size. It's like the style and type of receiver you are, like EQ has sneaky speed like you feemy Mooney, I put him in that same category at sneaky speed. Like when I say that, it's just like you're running with him and it's just like you right there. And then next thing, you know, like the ball in the air and you look over. Now they one or two stripes ahead of you.

But then you got like you got somebody like Veless that you already know has that speed on them. And then let's see what you got. You got somebody like Pringlehood that's not as fast, but he's quicker. So it's just like you kind of just like you got to know who you learned enough against, no no matter what.

And I think it does a good job, like definitely, like with the person at A difference with this year is because like we don't have all the same receivers and that's good because now it kind of teaches you how to when we actually start getting into the season, like just like in camp, you weren't treating every receiver to say, you can't treat every receiver you play against the same. All right, We'll let you go one final thought and again appreciate your time. Thomas so what do

we got nearly an All Pac twelve secondary. I mean, that's what we're looking at here. We kind of Gordon Washington, Jalen Johnson, Utah, you out of Oregon. You guys face a lot of air attacks for sure back in your college days. But you know, you mentioned maybe people don't think a lot about this secondary, Tom, and I think it's one of the strengths of the team because there is a lot of depth, and there's young talent, and there's a veteran in there and Eddie Jackson Tavon. I

mean there's depth. There's a lot of different ways you can go here. Uh, and all of you may be called upon. So you know, is that what you're referring to, because it is a very talented secondary that has to grow and have the chemistry, but it is talented. Um, Yes, that's that's That's really what it's it's about, Like I feel like there's really no drop off if you're going

from the top to the bottom. So it's just like you, I could I could speak on every single one of them and just to throw this out there, you feel me, I do have it. I ended off with a win against Kyler and Jaylen in college. So I'm a hold on the doct decks, but it feels real. It feels real good when you have that because Um, like pose

Um said earlier, he's building a team based off of competition. UM, And I feel like he's doing a great job definitely in a room that that people talked about last year, we give a thirty one passing touch them, so it's just like, um, we got to do do our best to change that end. The first thing he did was bring competition to the room, and I think that's great, like definitely for the team because I think that, well, the only thing we can do is get better now exactly,

And that's a great thought. To wind this up, Enjoy the balance of your summer. We'll see a back at training camp. Appreciate the time. Yes, there go beers. Thomas Graham Junior, our guest here on Bears Out of Access. Back with more with Jim Miller after this on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. Get an up close view of practice and your favorite Bears players at hamus All. The twenty twenty two training camp schedule is out. Go

to Chicago Bears dot com for more details. Hope to see you guys at training Cambino Jim's headed over to training camp this year. First couple of days when the fans are going to be there, and it was a great environment during the pandemic period here. Now all those restrictions are lifted. Knock on wood, they stay that way. Fans are going to get a better view of things and interacting with their favorite players. You know, I've said

this about all sports. For NFL training camps, it's a great up close and personal view where the fans are so close the rate there on the field, they're able to ask for autographs and players want to put on a show. Well, like I said, they want to entertain and they want to show their best every single practice and you get juice as a player when when the

fans are there. So it's going to be great for a family environment for young uh you know, young kids to go and experience when an NFL training camp is about. And it's really just a great event from that standpoint, and you know, it's just good to have the fans back out. I know the players enjoy it speaking from personal experience, and I'm glad they're able to enjoy it this year. So a lot of fans are asking you this though too of me, and I'm sure they're doing

it to you as well. You run into people how's this team going to look in twenty twenty two, And I, Jim, don't have an answer for you right now because it is a great unknown. There's so many new moving parts and a new system that until we actually see it in Week one against the forty nine ers will get a true flavor of what the intentions are. We know what the plan is, but what it ultimate looks like is another thing. So I just go with okay. Fields

commit explosive run game. Mooney reaches another level. Vayalis Jones becomes an impact rookie offensive line comes together, becomes a strength defense, flying around, force and turnovers, having fun scoring touchdowns. Trevis Gibson becomes a double digit sack guy, Roe quant and All Pro. Jalen Johnson becomes a lockdown guy steps up in his third year. Eddie Jackson back to being dangerous Eddie in a quick six Jackson as I used to call him, when he's putting the ball in the

end zone. And of course the overridings stay healthy. That's a really big, big view of But is that all gonna happen at once. Hard to say, but if it did, yeah, they could surprise a lot of folks. Yeah, I think you're looking for effort in competitive competitiveness from a very young team. You know they're gonna make their share of mistakes, but I think it's about incremental improvement and how it

starts again, is not how it's gonna finish. You know, you want to see that incremental growth over the entire season, and there's gonna be changes. You know, there's gonna be guys in and out of the line up that they're going to have to evaluate. They're going to learn from their mistakes. But I think if you see a team that's out there that's competitive, that puts forwards that effort and is extremely tough, that's what Matt Everflus has talked

about the standard. Can they meet that standard? Because if they don't meet that standard, there will be changes throughout the entire season. So I think those are things that are going to be worth evaluating as the season goes along. But the process, the growth of a young quarterback in justin fields you mentioned the young players, whether it's Kyler Gordon in there, Jalen Johnson and a new style of

defense Roquan Smith. Evaluate these players and see where the growth is from the start of Week one to where it finishes in Week seventeen and beyond this year. Pro Football Focus a couple of weeks ago did a whole analysis of the salary cap. The Bears have the most effective cap space in the NFL over the next three years. Yeah, absolutely. I mean next year the Bears are going to have over one hundred and twenty million dollars to spend in free agency. So there's teams like at the Chicago Bears.

I think Atlanta is really the comparable for the Bears. Right They're going to go in a different direction at quarterback, They've changed moved away from Matt Ryan, who's now an Indianapolis Colt, and they're playing a lot of young players. Last year was their foundational year. But look at that team. They were seven and nine. You know, they were a competitive team that was right there in the mix, that had an opportunity to make the playoffs a season ago.

So I think that's how Bears fans need to look at it. You know, I think we're looking at delusions of grandeur if we say, hey, this team's going to the Super Bowl, but can you be a competitive team and lay that foundation? Because much like Atlanta, the Bears will be in a similar spot where they're able to have one hundred and twenty million dollars and really go out and sign some impactful free agents next year. But this is a foundational year where they'll have the opportunity

to do that. All right, a couple quick hitters on a broader scope, and an interesting question for you to answer as well. All right, we're going to talk quarterbacks. So Deshaun Watson reported league gonna have his hearing tomorrow at the National Football What might happen there, What happens at Baker Mayfield? And Jimmy Garoppolo offseason shoulder surgery beginning to throw soon, which could then start potential discussions of trades. Where do you see these three things going? Guys like

Ben Roethlisberger, he got six games. He wasn't convicted of anything either, but minimum he got six games. I think it's going to be more than that for Deshaun Watson. I think everybody's bracing for a year suspension is it's what it's going to be for Deshaun. And I still go back to this Cleveland. They have the rights to Baker Mayfield. And if I'm Baker Mayfield, I'm just putting myself in his shoes. The best opportunity is with the Cleveland brown He knows this offense. They own his rights.

They don't have to trade him anywhere. There's been teams that I think that they're just going to release him. Why would the Browns do that. They're on the hook for eighteen point eight million regardless. All right, so Carolina has consistently tried to work a trade for Baker Mayfield. They want Cleveland to pick up more than half of his contract, and that may be the point where he could be moved if say, you know, Cleveland's willing to pay nine million dollars of the eighteen million. But I

don't think it's going there, you know. To me, for Cleveland, Baker Mayfield's the best option. I think he's the upgrade to Jacoby Brissette, who's the backup right now. But for Baker, he should want to go in there and play, not accrue the fines and suspensions because they could find him for conduct detrimental if he decides not to show up for a training camp. Plus, it would put him in the best position to get traded to another team by

the trade deadline. Okay, if he's got out there and he plays and plays well, potentially he could be a chip that could be moved. So there's still a lot that needs to to unfold in the minimum. What needs to unfold first is what is going to be the punishment for Deshaun Watson, because I think that is really going to dictate where it goes for Baker Mayfield this season. How about Jimmy G quickly, Jimmy G. I do expect him to be a trade chip, but if I'm San

Francisco again, I own his rights. We don't know about Trey Lance. I mean, think of Trey Lance from North Dakota State. We have not even seen him in a two minute offensive situation. Can this guy lead a team, you know, in a two minute where it's strictly on his arm. He got his feet wet last year. He's one and one as a starter. There's a lot of growth that needs to happen there. So Jimmy G still

could be the best option. If say Trey Lance falls on his face the first four weeks of the season, they may want to put Jimmy g back in in the lineup once he's healthy. So I think again. I think San Francisco is gonna slow play it, let him get healthy. Trey Lance is a quarterback. If he falls on his face, they've already got a guy on the bench that has led that team to the super Bowl in an NFC championship game a year ago. All right, I add a real special question for you, just you know,

as it relates to you. But I'm gonna have to wait till next week. We're out of time, so all right, I will not forget it. I can't wait to hear your answer. Jim, thanks very much, enjoy the rest of your time and mobile. All right, we'll do Jeff, always good to be with you. Thanks for listening, Everybody that's gonna do it for Jim, Metta, Hime, Jeff, joni Ac, Thanks again to Bears quarterback Thomas Graham, our producers tonight, including Jordan Trudup, and thanks of all to you for listening.

This has been Bears All Access on Chicago's Sports Radio six seventy to score. Good night, everybody,