WEBVTT - Previewing the Vikings, WRs | All Access 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:02.920 Welcome into another edition of Bears All Access, brought to 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.760 you by IGS Energy When that broadcast partner from News 0:00:05.840 --> 0:00:07.760 Radio seven eighty and one oh five point out at 0:00:07.880 --> 0:00:11.560 m w BBM, mister Tom there and Jim Miller from 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:15.360 sirius XM NFL Radio moving the chains with Pat Kerwin 0:00:15.480 --> 0:00:18.640 also joining us today. Coming up at our next segment, 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:21.880 be joined by the analyst for the Minnesota Vikings, our 0:00:21.920 --> 0:00:24.800 good friend Pete Bursich. Thanks to our producers Jordan Trdup, 0:00:24.880 --> 0:00:28.880 Dan Billy and folks at the Score Chicago's Sports Radio 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:32.520 six seventy. Good to talk to you guys, a lot 0:00:32.560 --> 0:00:35.800 to discuss. The best news of all Tom and Jim 0:00:35.880 --> 0:00:38.519 is that every stadium has been cleared now for one 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:42.040 hundred percent capacity. The cults for the last one to 0:00:42.040 --> 0:00:45.159 come through, and so boy, we are tapping on the 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:48.640 door of normalcy, Big Tom and Jim. Yeah, how happy 0:00:48.640 --> 0:00:51.199 does that make every owner in the NFL? Because when 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:53.880 you talk about how much that means to what the 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.720 team can do in the future, they need season ticket 0:00:56.760 --> 0:00:59.120 holders in the seat. But then when you look at 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:02.760 it from the fan respective you love the anticipation of 0:01:02.800 --> 0:01:05.720 the crowd fill in the stadium. Whether you're home or away, 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:09.080 you like to see how important their role is to 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:13.720 the NFL. So I'm excited the seats and the stands 0:01:13.720 --> 0:01:15.679 are going to be filled and it's going to be 0:01:15.720 --> 0:01:18.679 an exciting year in the NFL. Yeah, I think everybody's 0:01:18.760 --> 0:01:21.240 looking to get back to their traditions, whether it's going 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:24.520 down to Soldier Field and tailgating, going in and sitting 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:26.840 in their seat, and they know the people right next 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.520 to them that probably been season ticket holders for so 0:01:29.560 --> 0:01:31.920 many years and they just want to connect again and 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:35.400 rout and cheer for their football team. So it's good 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.319 to see. I'm glad the Colts finally were able to 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:40.720 make that happen, and I think every fan in the 0:01:40.840 --> 0:01:43.920 NFL is excited to get this season going. Night, jem 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:45.640 I stick with you. We didn't get a chance to 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:47.680 talk to you last week. You at the Senior Ball 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:50.360 Hall of Fame, which was outstanding by the way to 0:01:50.440 --> 0:01:53.120 listen to all the different guys and listening to their 0:01:53.160 --> 0:01:57.360 perspectives on life right now in football from their day's 0:01:57.400 --> 0:01:59.200 playing it and what's going on and who wants to 0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:01.960 be in the big Hall of Fame and can't in Ohio, etc. 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:06.720 But the news regarding the Bears over the past couple 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:11.960 of weeks. Obviously the big news was the anticipation of 0:02:12.000 --> 0:02:14.960 putting an offer in to the Arlington Park site and 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:17.000 how you feel about that as an ex Bear who 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:21.359 played at Soldier Field and just what that due diligence means. Yeah, 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.320 you know from my perspective, and I obviously was playing 0:02:24.320 --> 0:02:26.400 for the Bears when they toured out Soldier Field and 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:29.080 we had to play a couple of years in Champagne, 0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:33.200 and I always felt the stadium meaning news Soldier Field, 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:36.000 it was shortsighted. You know, they can't even host a 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:38.160 super Bowl. They can't even you know minimum you have 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:40.600 to have seventy thousand fans to host a Super Bowl. 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:44.200 Bears only seat sixty one thousand and Soldier Field. So 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:46.519 to me, it just it makes a lot of sense 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:49.200 to really do it right this time. And what I 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:53.000 mean by that, if you do a domed stadium in Arlington, 0:02:53.360 --> 0:02:55.880 You're able to host the Big Ten Championship game, You're 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:58.320 able to host a Final Fours, You're able to host 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:02.040 all kinds of events. I think, what more, what city 0:03:02.120 --> 0:03:05.360 is more perfect for hosting the Super Bowl than Chicago. 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.080 You've got all the accommodations there. You've got great restaurants, 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:12.600 you've got great hotels. That was the concern in Indianapolis. 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:15.840 They had to build that Jwmryott Hotel in order to 0:03:15.880 --> 0:03:18.800 really get it approved. The Bears in the city of 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:22.520 Chicago already have that infrastructure in place. So to me, 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:25.440 it makes all the sense in the world for the 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.880 Bears to want to pursue this, and Tom you've you've 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:32.960 felt similarly, and again it's all about assets. So whether 0:03:33.080 --> 0:03:36.200 or not it happens or it doesn't, the investigation is 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:39.200 worth the squeeze, no question. Yeah. I mean they could 0:03:39.200 --> 0:03:43.120 build an on site practice facility that are Arlington you 0:03:43.120 --> 0:03:46.600 know one thing, living downtown and you drive by Soldier 0:03:46.640 --> 0:03:49.480 Field from the end of the football season till when 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:53.880 the weather returns, it sits there dormant. There's no activities. 0:03:54.040 --> 0:03:58.040 And when you talk about what dome stadium retractable roof 0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:01.680 could house during those dormant for a stadium you're talking 0:04:01.720 --> 0:04:04.680 about everybody's going to be able to capitalize on that. 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:07.720 And it's not an egregious drive from the city of 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:11.320 Chicago out to Arlington Park. So if they were able 0:04:11.320 --> 0:04:14.240 to host that big ten Championship Game, the Final Four, 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:18.520 a super Bowl, all those wintertime events. Everybody's going to 0:04:18.640 --> 0:04:21.520 benefit from it. It's not going to be people within 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:25.720 a three block radius of the Arlington facility. So I 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:30.080 think from all of us, we're all of UI and Jim, 0:04:30.080 --> 0:04:32.679 we're all fortunate to see every stadium that's been built 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:36.440 in the NFL, and you see what the possibilities could 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:38.960 be here in the Chicago land area. I think they 0:04:39.000 --> 0:04:41.960 have to investigate the opportunity and we'll be headed to 0:04:42.160 --> 0:04:44.240 La to see so far which we were not able 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:46.279 to go last year, called the game from the studio 0:04:46.360 --> 0:04:50.320 at WBBM, and then also the Vegas facility. We're gonna 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:53.520 check that out as well. Jim, you'll be touring training 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:57.000 camps again. I am assuming so that'll be a recharge 0:04:57.040 --> 0:04:58.559 for you as well to get out of the office 0:04:58.600 --> 0:04:59.960 and get out of the studio, get out of your 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:02.200 home a little bit, because you do learn a heck 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:04.480 of a lot. Where are you scheduled to see? Who 0:05:04.480 --> 0:05:06.840 are you scheduled to see this summer? Yeah, we're gonna 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:08.880 hit the Jets, We're gonna hit the Patriots, We'll hit 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:11.800 the Buffalo Bills, we'll hit the Pittsburgh Steelers, will head 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:14.040 south and hit the all the Florida teams. We'll head 0:05:14.080 --> 0:05:18.200 out west, hit the San Francisco forty nine Ers in Seattle, Seahawks, 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:21.000 in Denver, Broncos. So we've got a big slate of 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:23.320 camps that we're going to. When we always try to 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:26.159 go when they're in pads, I think you get a 0:05:26.200 --> 0:05:28.920 really good indicator of what a team is when they're 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:31.680 in pads, when they're actually hitting. I think you get 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:33.560 a sense of their toughness. I think you get a 0:05:33.600 --> 0:05:36.360 sense of their identity and what they're going to materialize 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:40.440 and ultimately be here this upcoming season. You know, Tim 0:05:40.480 --> 0:05:44.480 everybody asks the same question and it usually comes with 0:05:44.520 --> 0:05:47.080 an answer before you can get your answer out. Okay 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:49.720 they Okay, you meet some fans like I did last 0:05:49.760 --> 0:05:52.359 weekend downtown Chicago, Hey, what are you looking forward to 0:05:52.400 --> 0:05:54.600 the most of training camp? You know? And then they 0:05:54.600 --> 0:05:57.160 say it's got to be justin fields, right, And you know, 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:01.919 I look at the broader scope on so signaturely looking 0:06:01.960 --> 0:06:06.360 at just the quarterback position, but I think it's inescapable. 0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:09.640 That's what everybody wants to see is the young quarterback. 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.400 But there's still a lot of other things to see. 0:06:12.480 --> 0:06:16.000 So beyond justin, what else would you say are on 0:06:16.120 --> 0:06:18.839 your list of on your checklist of things you've got 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:21.040 to see you want to see a training camp Listen, 0:06:21.200 --> 0:06:25.640 if the Chicago Bears fans completely ignore full pad contact drills, 0:06:25.680 --> 0:06:28.080 one on ones and nine on seven team work of 0:06:28.160 --> 0:06:32.279 Tevin Jenkins, I think you're ignoring a bigger factor going 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:36.440 into the state into the season than justin fields, because, look, 0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:40.520 you've got to solidify that left tackle position, and when 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:43.280 we have a chance to talk to people around the league, 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:47.960 they understand how important that role is to the overall 0:06:48.080 --> 0:06:52.400 success of the offense. If you have versatility and athleticism 0:06:52.400 --> 0:06:55.479 at the quarterback position, you can kind of, you know, 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:58.840 have a plan of attack and how you're gonna you know, 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:02.400 figure out where are you vulnerable up in the offensive line, 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:06.120 and you can make adjustments accordingly. But you have to 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:10.560 see Tevin Jenkins and how he fits in against all 0:07:10.600 --> 0:07:13.400 those different types of drills that you're going to see 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.920 him face. I think it's enormous to see. And I 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:18.920 also think you're gonna have to pay attention to the 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:23.280 cornerback position opposite of Jalen Johnson, You're gonna have a 0:07:23.360 --> 0:07:26.560 line there of guys that are looking to fulfill the 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:31.000 obligations to that position. In that role. The cornerback position 0:07:31.320 --> 0:07:35.200 has an equally important role as the left tackle position 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:39.840 in overall offensive defensive success. Jim, as you look at 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:41.640 the roster, what are you what are you looking forward 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.880 to seeing? Yeah, I'm with Tom Left tackles important, Desmond 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.480 Truffont does he still have it? The gas left in 0:07:47.520 --> 0:07:50.480 the tank? Op scorer? Hey, I want to see Eddie Goldman. 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:53.200 He's been away from football for a year. Can he 0:07:53.280 --> 0:07:56.320 solidify the defensive front and be stout up front? That's 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:58.760 going to be a key component to the Bears defense 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:00.680 and stop of the run. I want to see Sean 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:02.920 decide how was he going to be as a play caller. 0:08:03.000 --> 0:08:05.720 You've got a new play caller at the defensive coordinating position. 0:08:05.960 --> 0:08:07.840 I think all Bears fans should want to keep their 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:11.040 eye on that as well. And NFL players have until 0:08:11.160 --> 0:08:14.040 tomorrow to opt out of the seasons or my second 0:08:14.440 --> 0:08:18.120 so that'll be interesting if anybody does. And of course, 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:23.040 the angle gym of Aaron Rodgers taking that chance, because 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:25.840 he'd still preserve a big chunk of his money if 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:28.280 he chose to do that, he may mysteriously come down 0:08:28.280 --> 0:08:30.760 with diabetes and opt out. I don't know. You know, 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:34.600 anything can happen in these times that we're in right now. 0:08:34.720 --> 0:08:38.480 So you know, someone tells me he's gonna show up. 0:08:38.520 --> 0:08:42.320 He seems to have a really, really affection for his 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:45.760 teammates and has affection for his coaches. It's really more 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:48.959 geared towards the front office. So something tells me he's 0:08:49.000 --> 0:08:51.600 going to be there. All right. More to come, including 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:54.800 our annual visit with the analysts of the Minnesota Bankings 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:56.679 that would be in our tour through the NFC North. 0:08:56.679 --> 0:08:59.600 Pete Versage that's coming up next here on Bears All Access, 0:08:59.640 --> 0:09:03.600 don't caago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Welcome back 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:06.400 to Bears All Access, brought to you by IGS Energy. 0:09:06.520 --> 0:09:09.360 Choose clean energy for your home at IGS dot com 0:09:09.360 --> 0:09:11.880 because every good choice adds up to a better world. 0:09:11.920 --> 0:09:14.600 With Tom there, Jeff, Joni, Jim Miller from Serious XM 0:09:14.880 --> 0:09:18.080 NFL Radios moving the chains and please for our now 0:09:18.240 --> 0:09:23.400 annual excursion through the NFC North. We stop first to 0:09:23.520 --> 0:09:27.640 the Minnesota Vikings and do reason not because we don't 0:09:27.679 --> 0:09:29.760 want to talk about green Bear Detroit, but we got 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:33.679 a Chicago area guy in the mix here, Pete Bursitch, 0:09:33.800 --> 0:09:37.600 the veteran analyst for the Minnesota Vikings radio network, the 0:09:37.640 --> 0:09:41.320 former Vikings player, the former coach, and Providence New Lennox 0:09:41.440 --> 0:09:44.000 star along with the Golden domer. Pete, how are you 0:09:44.040 --> 0:09:47.479 doing this summer? I'm doing great. How are you guys? Fantastic? 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:50.800 Trying to work our way through normalcy. That's the number 0:09:50.800 --> 0:09:53.480 one thing. We're gonna have people at training camp at 0:09:53.480 --> 0:09:55.560 ha us Off for the first time ever. I don't 0:09:55.559 --> 0:09:58.280 know what your team's plans are for training camp, but 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:00.760 that's the most exciting part from Yeah, we want to 0:10:00.760 --> 0:10:03.080 see these guys on the grass, but it's the fans 0:10:03.080 --> 0:10:05.240 getting to see them up close and personal for the 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.439 first time in a long time. Yeah, the Vikings will 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:12.200 they will have fans in the seats for training camp, 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:14.920 So I know they have announced that. Um, you know, 0:10:15.040 --> 0:10:17.520 for the media and for us the people that are dealing, 0:10:18.440 --> 0:10:20.960 you know, with the players a little more closely, that 0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:22.920 is Yeah, that's gonna get back to normal. I mean, 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:28.960 with everybody you know getting vaccinated, it's it is going 0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:30.920 to feel a little bit a little bit more like 0:10:30.960 --> 0:10:33.560 the old school training camp instead of unstand what we 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:36.160 had to do with last year. You know, Pete, you 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:38.680 got the longest ten year coach in the NFL that 0:10:38.720 --> 0:10:41.760 hasn't won a championship, Mike Zimmer after eight years. But 0:10:41.840 --> 0:10:44.440 you also have Kirk Cousins. So when you get those 0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:46.760 fans this around the practice field, who's going to have 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:49.520 more pressure when their feet get on the field. Is 0:10:49.559 --> 0:10:51.439 it going to be Zimmer or is it going to 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:56.480 be the quarterback Cousins. That's a great question. We're one 0:10:56.520 --> 0:11:01.000 of the longest franchises without a uper Bowl win. You know, 0:11:01.040 --> 0:11:05.120 we've never you know, we've never had one either. So, um, 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:09.240 you know, I think that's a great question, only because 0:11:09.440 --> 0:11:12.200 I think Zimmers is secure in his position, because you 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:16.560 put Zimmer, you know, and Rick Spielman kind of together. Um, 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:18.559 but I think he's pretty secure in his position. The 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:21.080 only thing that's been changing a lot on his assistant coaches, 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:22.800 the guys that are underneath him. That's kind of the 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:24.960 only thing where if you take it take a step back, 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:26.920 you kind of you know, scratch your head, especially on 0:11:27.040 --> 0:11:29.280 offense with you know, with the Kobi Accs and with 0:11:29.440 --> 0:11:32.640 all these guys that have been rolling through. Um, But 0:11:32.800 --> 0:11:36.440 I do think Cousins. Now, yeah, with Kellen Mond, you 0:11:36.480 --> 0:11:39.000 know people, we have him kind of in the background 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:41.720 a little bit. Um. I think it. I think the 0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.280 it's gonna fall on the shoulders of Cousins, and I 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:45.880 think a lot of the most of the fans are 0:11:45.880 --> 0:11:49.000 gonna put it on the shoulders of Cousins this year. Well, Pete, 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:51.840 Jim Miller here, I come from Detroit, so Lions fans 0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:55.200 take offense to what you just said at least four times. 0:11:56.040 --> 0:11:59.000 But I talked to you a couple of weeks ago. 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:01.960 When you look at this Minnesota Vikings roster, to me, 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:03.760 it's one of the best zimmers ever built. We talked 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:07.280 to you a couple of weeks ago on Sirius Sheldon Richardson. 0:12:07.360 --> 0:12:11.119 You get Daniel hunterback, Anthony bars back, Kendricks is healthy, 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:14.920 this defense could be something special for the Minnesota Vikings. 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:19.319 You're absolutely right. I think you take a look at 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:22.880 the guys that you bring in inside, and we have 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:26.400 a couple of younger guys, guys like Genarius Robinson, who 0:12:26.440 --> 0:12:28.520 was a fourth round draft pick kid from Florida State 0:12:28.640 --> 0:12:32.400 whom did a film study on him and loved the kid. 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:35.120 But we got better up front, you know, we definitely 0:12:35.160 --> 0:12:38.120 got better with the D lineman and that's where it 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:41.080 all begins. And when you get Anthony barback healthy and 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:44.360 you have Eric you know, Eric Kendricks, if those guys 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:47.520 can move to the football, I mean, really, what we 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:49.920 want to do is play too deep safety and we 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:51.400 want to play gain to have a gap and a 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:54.240 half type of thing up front, and you can't do 0:12:54.280 --> 0:12:56.960 that with backup lineman. You know, you need you need 0:12:57.000 --> 0:13:00.839 to have guys up front, you know that can that 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.800 can play a gap and a half. And I think 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:06.640 we've brought some of those guys in and and defensively, 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:09.320 we're we're gonna be heading in the right direction, no 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:13.520 question about it. Yeah, throwing Dalvin Tamlinson, Stephen Weatherly, and 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:15.520 then the back end. We always seem to talk about 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:19.560 your secondary because it changes fairly frequently except for for 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:23.800 Harrison Smith there, but Patrick Peterson at thirty one, as 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.240 you look at him and where he's at in his career, 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:28.440 how big of an impact will he make at the 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:32.559 corner position. And then uh, pairing Harrison with Xavier Woods 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:36.240 now at safety, Yeah, I think you know Xavier Woods 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:39.440 is kind of a poor man's Harrison Smith. And you 0:13:39.440 --> 0:13:40.800 know what do I mean by that? Exist? You know 0:13:40.920 --> 0:13:44.000 Xavier Woods when you watch him on film, he can 0:13:44.040 --> 0:13:46.880 he can do a little bit of everything. He's versatile, right, 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:50.680 um not you know, he's he's down in the paint. 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:53.760 He blitz u, he's covering a little bit of man 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:56.200 to man. He's playing some deep half, some you know, 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.559 deep quarters. So you saw the Dallas Cowboys use him 0:13:59.600 --> 0:14:02.560 kind of in every way, and that that's really the 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:05.560 strength of Harrison Smith is that when he walks up 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:07.560 to the line of scrimmage, the quarterback has to respect 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:10.040 him because he's a good blitzer. He's also a pretty 0:14:10.040 --> 0:14:12.000 good and run support, you know, and and he's and 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:15.000 he's really he's good in coverage. He's not the best 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:18.840 at his position, I think in any one of these categories, um, 0:14:19.000 --> 0:14:23.280 but he definitely is probably the most all around safety 0:14:23.280 --> 0:14:25.280 there is. And your parent and with another guy in 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.000 Xavier Woods, that's kind of the same way. I don't 0:14:28.000 --> 0:14:30.160 think he's as good as Harrison Smith, but he's he 0:14:30.160 --> 0:14:32.040 can do all those things. So you can blitz and 0:14:32.040 --> 0:14:34.240 you can walk him down. And so that's gonna allow 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:37.560 Zimmer in the defense to play some games with those safeties, right, 0:14:37.640 --> 0:14:40.120 you know, one of Woods a walk up, Harrison Smith 0:14:40.120 --> 0:14:42.040 will walk up. So it's going to give him a 0:14:42.040 --> 0:14:44.320 lot of versatility. Patrick Peterson is just going to give 0:14:44.400 --> 0:14:46.000 us some time, you know, at least give us a 0:14:46.040 --> 0:14:49.520 stabilizing force out at the corner position. It's been you know, 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:51.920 it's been musical chairs with guys coming in and out, 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:56.320 guys getting hurt um and you know, watching Peterson last year, 0:14:57.520 --> 0:15:00.400 you know, he got he got guys behind him some times. 0:15:00.400 --> 0:15:02.760 I think those were issues that he had with Buddha 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:06.160 Baker and communication. But I think if you you know, 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:09.200 he faced the number one receiver for the Arizona Cardinals 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.840 last year weekend and week out, and if he doesn't 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:14.160 have to do that with the Vikings, and we could 0:15:14.320 --> 0:15:16.360 just sprinkle him in or give him a break and 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:19.960 not put so much on those thirty some year old legs, 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:22.640 I think you can get a good year out of him. 0:15:22.680 --> 0:15:26.800 Pete at the end of the season, Minnesota MVP Dalvin 0:15:26.800 --> 0:15:35.080 Cook or Justin Jefferson. Um, you know, I I think 0:15:35.160 --> 0:15:39.920 Dalvin Cook still still is going to be the MVP, 0:15:40.360 --> 0:15:44.680 and mainly because so much of what our offense does 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:48.000 is based on him. You know, you with the play 0:15:48.040 --> 0:15:52.720 action passed in game, with the way Dalvin can pass block, 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:56.640 and again his explosiveness in the running game. I think 0:15:56.720 --> 0:15:59.880 he is and this is not this is not the 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.400 takeaway from from the you know, from the from the 0:16:02.440 --> 0:16:05.480 young man, but Dalvin Cook is what makes his offense go. 0:16:06.040 --> 0:16:11.520 He does justin Jefferson, Um, he fits this thing perfectly 0:16:11.680 --> 0:16:13.960 in what Cousins wants to do with the play action 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:15.960 and you know, and getting the ball deep down the 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:17.920 field when you're trying to cover him one on one 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.680 of eight guys in the box to stop Dalvin Cook. Yeah, 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:22.080 then you know, then we're gonna get you with their 0:16:22.080 --> 0:16:25.400 wide receivers. But it all starts and stops. I think 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:30.200 with with Dalvin Cook, Well, he's our MVP right now, 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:33.360 all right. You know, well, key spot up front is 0:16:33.360 --> 0:16:35.480 going to be that left tackle position. And much like 0:16:35.560 --> 0:16:38.520 the Chicago Bears that have Tevin Jenkins who they drafted 0:16:38.880 --> 0:16:42.360 Christian Darsau, by all indicators, he's he's the real deal. 0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:46.080 What are the early indicators that you see Pete, Well, 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:47.840 he missed a little bit of time because he had 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:52.280 a he had a abdominal injury. In college that flared 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.920 up on him. Um, Christian Darisaw is gonna be as 0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:58.120 good as he wants to be. And and and I 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.440 think I kind of look at Tom in this respect. 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:04.119 And you see these guys that are so big and 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:07.400 they're so athletic, they get drafted in the first round. 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:11.600 It's just because of their height, weight, speed. They're immeasurable. 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:13.960 They're they're measurables. Excuse me, but it's the it's the 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:16.840 immeasurables that are gonna make this kid if you can 0:17:16.920 --> 0:17:19.480 stay healthy and if he will, you know, if if 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:23.680 he works hard, and it's it's it's hard to it's 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.000 hard to even speak those words to say, yeah, this 0:17:26.040 --> 0:17:27.600 guy comes in and just works hard, he's gonna be 0:17:27.600 --> 0:17:30.320 a great pro. But that's the case. I mean, he's 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:34.719 in a monster of a kid. Um, great feet, can recover, 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:37.080 can do all those things the scouts talk about it. 0:17:37.080 --> 0:17:38.720 It's just a matter of him putting it all together. 0:17:38.840 --> 0:17:41.720 So our you know, you got your fingers crossed. And 0:17:41.760 --> 0:17:44.159 we know that with the way spring ball is in 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:46.800 college and with the way these college kids come out, 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.560 they're less and less refined. There's more and more for 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:53.480 them to learn. From a technique standpoint, UM, mentally, tackles 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:56.080 not as hard as most positions. You know, you block 0:17:56.160 --> 0:17:58.320 the defensive end ninety percent of the time, You're gonna 0:17:58.320 --> 0:18:01.480 be right, you know what I'm saying that Mentally, it's 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:04.959 not that much of a challenge. Um, it's the physical challenge. 0:18:04.960 --> 0:18:08.480 And he's gonna be going against the best defensive players 0:18:08.640 --> 0:18:11.720 in the world week after week after week at that position. 0:18:12.240 --> 0:18:15.760 It does he have the mental toughness to compete. You 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.840 can't take a snap off, you can't have a bad quarter, 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:21.760 you can't have a bad series, you can't. So um, 0:18:22.119 --> 0:18:25.520 that's just that's the only question with him. And you know, uh, 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:28.320 fingers crossed. He's you know, he's gonna be the left 0:18:28.320 --> 0:18:32.240 tackle for the next four or five ten years. I guess, well, Pete, 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:34.440 you know the one thing, Pete Versus analysts for the 0:18:34.440 --> 0:18:37.480 Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Area product joining us here on 0:18:37.560 --> 0:18:40.160 Bears All Access with Tom There, Jeff Joniac, Jim Miller. 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:43.119 One more round of questions from us that you also 0:18:43.520 --> 0:18:45.720 left out the one important thing. You know, you alluded 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:47.720 to Tom as one of those big guys coming out 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:51.959 of college, but he also has the Neanderthal gene, you know, 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:55.760 and so he comes in. It's as well, that's never 0:18:55.800 --> 0:18:58.920 gonna change, right that he's still that way right now. Right, 0:18:59.119 --> 0:19:02.399 if you look, if you look in a you know, 0:19:02.520 --> 0:19:07.159 a scout, the scouting Bible, there's a definite personality difference 0:19:07.160 --> 0:19:10.880 between guard and tackle. Right. The guard is the guy 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:14.440 that's going to try to date your sister and take 0:19:14.480 --> 0:19:17.280 her out, right, the guard, the guard is the guy 0:19:17.960 --> 0:19:20.080 that you got to keep an eye on. They're the 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:22.480 dirty ones, they're the mean ones. And you know, the 0:19:22.520 --> 0:19:25.439 tackles are the tackles are just they're a little more calm, 0:19:25.520 --> 0:19:28.040 and you know, it's kind of flowing or whatever. But 0:19:28.320 --> 0:19:31.720 it you gotta you gotta be to be an offensive guard. 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:33.640 You gotta have a little you know what in your neck. 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:36.359 And so I don't, I don't. I don't trust them 0:19:36.359 --> 0:19:42.960 as far as I can throw them. Pete, what about 0:19:42.960 --> 0:19:46.720 your once in a decade transition at the tight end position. 0:19:46.840 --> 0:19:49.439 You got rid of Kyle rode off, and now you know, 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:52.159 there's there's still a lot of high expectations for that position. 0:19:52.200 --> 0:19:54.440 Because what it means the Dalvin Cook in the running game, 0:19:54.640 --> 0:19:56.800 what it means of the passing game, but how is 0:19:56.840 --> 0:20:00.080 that going to transition at that position? Yeah, that's I 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:01.879 think that's a great question. And I think in this 0:20:01.960 --> 0:20:03.720 day and age, with all the with all the five 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:07.080 man fronts, the bear fronts and things that you see, UM, 0:20:07.800 --> 0:20:11.679 a good run blocking tight end is you know, is 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:16.800 UH is a necessity. I did a study on all 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:20.680 of Dalvin Cook's big runs from last year and amazingly, 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:23.720 Kyle Rudolph was in for quite in quite a bit 0:20:23.760 --> 0:20:27.440 of those. And that Kyle Rudolph was in. What I'm 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:30.560 saying is Kyle's not the guy pile drive and these 0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:33.840 defensive ends and moving bodies. It's the threat of the 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:35.600 pass and then the threat of the you know, the 0:20:35.680 --> 0:20:38.520 threat of the past. At the same time, Um, Kyle, 0:20:39.160 --> 0:20:42.399 he was a good blocker at best IERF. Smith Junior 0:20:43.000 --> 0:20:44.879 UH is a little bit more of a fullback type 0:20:44.880 --> 0:20:47.480 of a body now as tall and long um and 0:20:47.640 --> 0:20:49.480 ERF Smith Junior was in for quite of those plays 0:20:49.480 --> 0:20:51.159 and a lot of those were him coming out of 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:55.919 the backfield some misdirection things. UM. So with her, we 0:20:55.960 --> 0:20:59.280 have another guy, Tyler Conklin, who we really thought was 0:20:59.320 --> 0:21:01.119 more of a rum locker, but he wasn't on the 0:21:01.119 --> 0:21:03.840 field much for these runs he's gonna be. He's more 0:21:03.840 --> 0:21:06.360 of a receiving tight end. But it's Ierf Smith Junior show. 0:21:06.400 --> 0:21:10.000 We've seen it with tight ends in your guy that 0:21:10.080 --> 0:21:12.360 you guys have is I would love to have him. 0:21:12.359 --> 0:21:14.400 What's he notre dame guy? Forget his name off top 0:21:14.400 --> 0:21:17.480 of my head, but come out. Yeah, a comet. And 0:21:17.800 --> 0:21:19.960 the reason why is because he can do both right. 0:21:20.040 --> 0:21:22.359 He's a good blocker and he's a good receiver. But 0:21:22.440 --> 0:21:24.800 Commet would be I think a perfect fit for us. 0:21:25.400 --> 0:21:28.239 But it takes a while. It takes it takes a 0:21:28.240 --> 0:21:30.159 couple of years for tight ends to develop. I mean, 0:21:30.160 --> 0:21:31.800 they got to learn the run game. They gotta learn 0:21:31.840 --> 0:21:33.760 all the fundamentals of run blocking. They gotta do it 0:21:33.760 --> 0:21:35.719 from the left side the right side, and then they 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:38.159 got to learn how to run routes and memorize the 0:21:38.200 --> 0:21:41.320 pasttory and do all those other things. So um IERF 0:21:41.359 --> 0:21:45.359 Smith Junior is kind of, I think a quiet little 0:21:45.440 --> 0:21:48.040 key for our offense if he can really take it 0:21:48.119 --> 0:21:50.879 to that next level and be a threat. Because I 0:21:50.880 --> 0:21:52.919 don't know who are number three receiver is gonna be? 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:55.280 You guys, that's a you know, you guys probably wondering 0:21:55.320 --> 0:21:57.760 two maybe not maybe don't care. I don't. I don't 0:21:57.760 --> 0:22:00.800 blame you. But you know who's who's that number three 0:22:00.800 --> 0:22:03.840 receiving threat and right now or Smith might be our 0:22:04.359 --> 0:22:07.720 number three receiver too. Well, it's interesting Zimmer put his 0:22:07.880 --> 0:22:11.120 number on Prole just to motivate Olabes and the other 0:22:11.160 --> 0:22:13.760 guys that are behind him BB as well. I thought 0:22:13.800 --> 0:22:16.200 that was pretty interesting. Right before you guys leave for 0:22:16.280 --> 0:22:19.160 training camp. Last one for me, Pete, and always appreciate 0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:22.119 your time. When you look at Mike Zimmer as a coach, 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:26.080 typically he's been a pretty conservative coach. But all the 0:22:26.119 --> 0:22:29.000 pieces look to be in place that you just explained. 0:22:29.240 --> 0:22:31.639 Do you think he's more aggressive this year in twenty 0:22:31.680 --> 0:22:35.240 twenty one, knowing the roster that he has in place. Um, 0:22:36.720 --> 0:22:41.639 maybe aggressive? Maybe aggressive in play calling? You know, I 0:22:42.160 --> 0:22:47.520 don't think with with Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson. You know, 0:22:47.560 --> 0:22:51.119 at six hundred and fifty pounds of bodies in the middle, 0:22:51.640 --> 0:22:54.520 I think when our defense is playing at its best, 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:57.680 it's a little more conservative, you know, it's a little 0:22:57.720 --> 0:22:59.920 bit more of the two you know, two deep show 0:23:00.240 --> 0:23:03.000 type of a game that he plays. Um, that's when 0:23:03.000 --> 0:23:04.760 our that's when our defense is at its best. It's 0:23:04.760 --> 0:23:06.960 not a it's not a pin your ears back and 0:23:07.040 --> 0:23:09.920 blitz and get after him. Uh So, from a play 0:23:09.920 --> 0:23:12.200 calling standpoint, I think defensively he might get a little 0:23:12.200 --> 0:23:16.520 bit more conservative. I think offensively is where uh you're 0:23:16.520 --> 0:23:19.800 gonna see. I think maybe hopefully a little bit more 0:23:21.160 --> 0:23:24.720 none I would say explosivity, but just some more chances 0:23:24.760 --> 0:23:29.920 I guess being taken. You know, yeah, and and and 0:23:29.960 --> 0:23:32.000 you know, here's another thing too, with fans in the 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:35.159 stands again for the first time you have you have 0:23:35.200 --> 0:23:37.199 a whole pile of rookies from last year. They have 0:23:37.280 --> 0:23:39.920 no idea what crowd noise is all about. They have 0:23:39.960 --> 0:23:43.600 no idea what it's like. Uh. You know, when you're 0:23:43.800 --> 0:23:46.520 when you're playing defense and it's third and one or 0:23:46.600 --> 0:23:48.680 fourth and you know, fourth and inches and you're at home, 0:23:48.800 --> 0:23:51.680 you have the crowd noise. You know, the coaches get 0:23:51.680 --> 0:23:53.159 to kind of get used to that too. You know, 0:23:53.160 --> 0:23:54.680 the coaches are gonna have to go back and say, 0:23:54.680 --> 0:23:57.080 all right, yeah, we we couldn't do this, We couldn't 0:23:57.119 --> 0:23:58.919 hard count all the time, we couldn't do all these 0:23:58.960 --> 0:24:02.000 different things because we're on the road and in the 0:24:02.040 --> 0:24:04.400 crowd noise, and that's all coming back as well too. 0:24:04.440 --> 0:24:09.720 So but you know, Zimmers is definitely methodical. He's not 0:24:10.800 --> 0:24:13.480 a gambler by nature on defense as a play caller. 0:24:14.000 --> 0:24:16.199 But again, and I think the other part of it 0:24:16.240 --> 0:24:19.280 too is special team. Special teams have been a bit 0:24:19.320 --> 0:24:21.159 of a thorn on our side. We don't know who 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:23.639 our punt returner is going to be. We don't know 0:24:23.640 --> 0:24:25.239 who our kick returner is going to be. Not that 0:24:25.240 --> 0:24:28.160 that's as important as it used to be, but I'd 0:24:28.160 --> 0:24:29.800 like to see him get a little bit more you know, 0:24:29.840 --> 0:24:32.440 some fakes. It's just I think he might get a 0:24:32.480 --> 0:24:35.119 little more aggressive that way, only because he's going to 0:24:35.200 --> 0:24:38.120 have I think a lot more confidence in his defense. Well, 0:24:38.160 --> 0:24:40.840 you mentioned thorn in the side. The Bears have been 0:24:40.880 --> 0:24:43.240 to the Minnesota Vikings and Kirk Cousins one and four 0:24:43.359 --> 0:24:48.040 record for Cousins at quarterback against beloved Navy Blue and orange, 0:24:48.520 --> 0:24:50.679 you know, and now not gonna stay for six months. 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:54.200 We don't play the Vikings until Monday night at Soldier 0:24:54.240 --> 0:24:57.200 Field December twentieth, and that your place to wrap things 0:24:57.280 --> 0:24:59.879 up as we always do on January night. So, Pete, 0:25:00.240 --> 0:25:02.359 it's been nice knowing you until then. Well, you know, 0:25:02.480 --> 0:25:04.600 and that's I have a question for you guys. Is 0:25:05.000 --> 0:25:06.919 your you know the schedule, you take a look at 0:25:06.960 --> 0:25:08.960 its seventeen games. You know it's a bit of but 0:25:09.560 --> 0:25:12.560 it's all division heavy in the second half. I think 0:25:12.600 --> 0:25:15.040 all of our division games at the last eight weeks 0:25:15.040 --> 0:25:16.439 of the season. I don't know if that's just a 0:25:16.560 --> 0:25:19.280 Viking specific thing or is that something the league is 0:25:19.320 --> 0:25:21.680 doing now, trying to get all those division games, Because 0:25:21.680 --> 0:25:24.320 if you know, with that being the case, you can 0:25:24.400 --> 0:25:27.040 almost look at it and say, hey, if we start slowly, 0:25:27.400 --> 0:25:29.480 not too worried about it, because the real games, the 0:25:29.520 --> 0:25:32.000 important games, are all in the second half of the season. 0:25:32.320 --> 0:25:35.000 Well that's a fair point because you know, also it's 0:25:35.040 --> 0:25:38.080 survival of the fittest by then two roster erosion due 0:25:38.119 --> 0:25:40.439 to injury and whatnot that could come into play in 0:25:40.440 --> 0:25:43.520 the division, and so many wildcard stories. You can't really 0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:46.159 predict what's gonna happen, and Ian ever can. That's why 0:25:46.200 --> 0:25:48.879 I always laugh when the writers start to, oh, this 0:25:48.920 --> 0:25:50.159 is what the record is going to be when the 0:25:50.200 --> 0:25:53.120 schedule comes out in April. Never works out that way. Pete, 0:25:53.119 --> 0:25:55.320 we gotta run. Thank you so much. Always good to 0:25:55.320 --> 0:25:59.800 talk to you. Bear's All Access with Tom There Jim. 0:26:00.040 --> 0:26:03.639 I'm Jeff Joniac on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy The Score. 0:26:04.359 --> 0:26:07.600 The Chicago Bears Network presents Inside the Bears, brought to 0:26:07.600 --> 0:26:10.120 you by Verizon At Anthony Adams and Lauren Screeden cover 0:26:10.160 --> 0:26:12.240 the world of Bears football on and off the field 0:26:12.240 --> 0:26:15.080 every Sunday night at ten thirty five pm on Fox 0:26:15.119 --> 0:26:18.320 thirty two Chicago, or watch anytime at Chicago Bears dot 0:26:18.359 --> 0:26:21.400 Com around the Bears Official app. Welcome back to our 0:26:21.440 --> 0:26:23.920 program tonight, Bears All Access brought to you by IGS 0:26:24.040 --> 0:26:26.800 Energy with Tom There and Jim Moller. I'm Jeff Joniac. 0:26:27.080 --> 0:26:30.600 Just heard from Pete Bursitch, the longtime analyst for the Vikings. 0:26:30.960 --> 0:26:33.040 There were so many things fellas that we didn't get 0:26:33.080 --> 0:26:38.360 to talk about because the interesting aspect of Gary Kubiak 0:26:38.560 --> 0:26:42.200 no longer there, but son Clint Jim as the offensive coordinator. 0:26:42.280 --> 0:26:44.480 Now they keep it in the family up there with 0:26:44.840 --> 0:26:48.560 Mike Zimmer's kid Adam as the co defensive coordinator. They're 0:26:48.640 --> 0:26:50.960 running out, they're running out of siblings and so forth. 0:26:51.040 --> 0:26:53.439 Up there. Yeah, well will you look at it? Obviously, 0:26:53.520 --> 0:26:56.880 Kevin Stefanski was a really good play caller. He moves 0:26:56.920 --> 0:26:59.840 on to the Cleveland Browns. But really, Kevin and Clint 0:27:00.080 --> 0:27:03.320 grew up together. They were always under Gary Kubiak, and 0:27:03.359 --> 0:27:05.719 he kind of took them under his wing, and you know, 0:27:05.800 --> 0:27:08.240 I think they're both fantastic coaches, and I think Clint 0:27:08.520 --> 0:27:10.720 really isn't going to stray away from what his dad 0:27:11.240 --> 0:27:13.640 has really wanted to do. It's really about the outside 0:27:13.720 --> 0:27:16.320 zone run, and it's about the play action pass off 0:27:16.320 --> 0:27:18.080 that they do a lot of bootlegs. They do a 0:27:18.080 --> 0:27:21.760 lot of play action. They've got two fantastic receivers. Plus 0:27:21.840 --> 0:27:24.600 I believe IRF Smith is a pretty strong tight end. 0:27:24.640 --> 0:27:27.959 So I don't think Clint is gonna stray from the script. 0:27:28.000 --> 0:27:30.040 He knows what they do well, and they're gonna stick 0:27:30.040 --> 0:27:31.920 with their bread and butter, and they've got a good 0:27:32.000 --> 0:27:34.240 defense to back it up in time. When you look 0:27:34.280 --> 0:27:37.040 now at the Vikings depth chart and you hear all 0:27:37.119 --> 0:27:40.600 those names, especially the big beef upfront defensively, how it 0:27:40.680 --> 0:27:42.640 matches up with what the Bears are going to want 0:27:42.680 --> 0:27:45.160 to be in twenty twenty one. Offensive believe with Andy 0:27:45.240 --> 0:27:47.520 Dalton getting into the ball quick, getting into the guys 0:27:48.080 --> 0:27:50.520 in the right areas, at the right moment. He's a 0:27:50.560 --> 0:27:54.679 confident quarterback in the pocket and he knows how to trigger. 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:57.440 He's got poison there. But the guy's up front. As 0:27:57.440 --> 0:27:59.760 you alluded to in the first segment tonight about Tevin 0:27:59.840 --> 0:28:02.520 j it's the entire offensive land in general. Now to 0:28:02.560 --> 0:28:04.800 deal with that, how do you see the Bears matching 0:28:04.880 --> 0:28:07.119 up with the Bikes? You know what's weird, Jeff, And 0:28:07.200 --> 0:28:09.719 you brought it up with Pete the first time the 0:28:09.840 --> 0:28:13.880 Vikings play the Bears. It's it's beyond the halfway point 0:28:13.880 --> 0:28:16.879 of the season. So what we're dreaming of and talking about? 0:28:16.960 --> 0:28:19.480 And I know all these people said, all the Minnesota 0:28:19.560 --> 0:28:22.800 Vikings have one of the top ten rosters in the NFL, 0:28:23.880 --> 0:28:27.240 And what do we July first? What does I mean? 0:28:27.280 --> 0:28:30.639 It doesn't matter. It's because what team are they going 0:28:30.720 --> 0:28:33.440 to be facing when they you know, they face each 0:28:33.440 --> 0:28:37.200 other the first time. So, yeah, if Minnesota stays healthy 0:28:37.200 --> 0:28:39.840 on the defensive side of the ball, and Mike Zimmer 0:28:39.880 --> 0:28:42.720 gets some consistency in his line up and some of 0:28:42.720 --> 0:28:46.240 these guys that they sign that thirty plus years old 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:49.360 can hold together for the entirety of the season, that's 0:28:49.360 --> 0:28:52.200 exactly what Mike Zimmer is looking for He's gonna let 0:28:52.280 --> 0:28:55.600 the offensive coaches coach the offense. But now you got 0:28:55.600 --> 0:28:58.040 to talk about Kirk Cousins. Is he going to be 0:28:58.080 --> 0:29:00.840 the efficient quarterback in which they dreamed of when they 0:29:00.920 --> 0:29:03.640 signed him a couple of years ago from Washington? Is 0:29:03.720 --> 0:29:07.000 Dalvin Cook gonna be the running back who's capable of 0:29:07.040 --> 0:29:10.480 being one of the best in the NFL at that position? 0:29:10.720 --> 0:29:13.080 And is Justin Jefferson going to be able to answer 0:29:13.120 --> 0:29:15.520 the bell in the year two because he's not gonna 0:29:15.560 --> 0:29:18.880 become He's not gonna start as an unknown. He's gonna 0:29:18.920 --> 0:29:23.840 be known as their star quality football player. And every 0:29:24.000 --> 0:29:27.840 defensive coordinator is gonna try to put together packages how 0:29:27.880 --> 0:29:30.760 to take him off, not off of the field, but 0:29:31.200 --> 0:29:34.880 out of the game to limit his impact. So there 0:29:34.880 --> 0:29:38.040 are so much that is gonna change in between now 0:29:38.320 --> 0:29:41.960 and the first time to bear see the Minnesota Vikings. 0:29:43.000 --> 0:29:46.400 All true, Jim, But you know this is what football 0:29:46.520 --> 0:29:48.520 brings to the table. This is why the NFL is 0:29:48.520 --> 0:29:51.040 so great. We can talk about this stuff July first 0:29:51.400 --> 0:29:54.360 and dream about the matchups all the way coming up. 0:29:54.360 --> 0:29:56.920 In our next segment, we're gonna preview our next position group. 0:29:57.000 --> 0:29:59.280 Last week Jim, you missed a missed out on the 0:29:59.320 --> 0:30:01.360 offensive line. We're going to tackle the receivers in our 0:30:01.400 --> 0:30:04.920 next next segment. But you know the thing about Zimmer 0:30:05.240 --> 0:30:08.280 that I respect, They're going to be competitive no matter what. 0:30:08.760 --> 0:30:12.640 He's never lost, He's never had less than seven wins. 0:30:12.640 --> 0:30:14.560 He took his team to the NFC title game just 0:30:14.600 --> 0:30:17.160 a few years ago in seventeen. The Bears were great 0:30:17.160 --> 0:30:20.880 and eighteen. So you know the rebound is expected for 0:30:21.120 --> 0:30:24.400 both because of the types of star quality they have 0:30:24.520 --> 0:30:27.160 on both sides of the field. Look at Dalvin Cook. 0:30:27.360 --> 0:30:29.120 You take Aaron Rodgers out of the mix, he might 0:30:29.160 --> 0:30:33.920 be the best player overall in the division. If it's 0:30:33.960 --> 0:30:37.640 not Aaron Rodgers in terms of his impact. Well, here's 0:30:37.760 --> 0:30:40.760 what I think of Zimmer, right, he's a defensive coordinator 0:30:40.800 --> 0:30:43.840 by trade. Let me just give you their defensive statistics 0:30:43.880 --> 0:30:47.000 from last year. They finished twenty seventh overall in the NFL. 0:30:47.280 --> 0:30:50.680 They were twenty ninth in stopping team scoring. They were 0:30:50.760 --> 0:30:53.960 twenty seventh against the run, They were twenty fifth against 0:30:54.000 --> 0:30:57.880 the past. There were twenty eighth in sacks. These things 0:30:57.920 --> 0:31:00.360 do not sit well when you're a head coach and 0:31:00.400 --> 0:31:04.080 you're a defensive coordinator. That has to be corrected. That's 0:31:04.120 --> 0:31:07.120 where they directed all their attention here this offseason, and 0:31:07.320 --> 0:31:10.520 Zimmer will not let that. I can guarantee you every 0:31:10.560 --> 0:31:12.800 week he gets in front of that defense, he's going 0:31:12.840 --> 0:31:16.040 to tell them how bad they sucked last year defensively, 0:31:16.160 --> 0:31:19.520 because that's where his stamp is. It's on defense, and 0:31:19.560 --> 0:31:22.360 he wants that to emerge again in time. I feel 0:31:22.360 --> 0:31:26.040 the same way about Matt Naggie in front of his offense. Yes, 0:31:26.360 --> 0:31:28.640 you don't think that sits well with him. What's happened 0:31:28.640 --> 0:31:31.280 the last couple of years. I think that is as 0:31:31.400 --> 0:31:35.720 big a story as Zimmer's defense in Minnesota, Oh, no 0:31:35.720 --> 0:31:37.680 doubt about it. And you know you always have to 0:31:37.720 --> 0:31:41.920 have that caveat that asterisk if Aaron Rodgers, whatever, however 0:31:41.960 --> 0:31:44.480 you want to finish that sentence, because I think it 0:31:44.600 --> 0:31:47.480 elevates the role of each of these head coaches. Because 0:31:47.520 --> 0:31:50.000 they've been around their teams for a period of time, 0:31:50.480 --> 0:31:54.600 they have a real confidence that if Zimmer's defense stays healthy, 0:31:54.920 --> 0:31:57.360 he can provide a spar for the team. If Andy 0:31:57.480 --> 0:32:00.840 Dalton continues to emerge as the starting quarterback in the 0:32:00.880 --> 0:32:05.480 development of justin fields, this offense has potential ahead of it, 0:32:05.760 --> 0:32:09.320 and so yeah, both of these coaches they have a 0:32:09.440 --> 0:32:13.040 lot of I think they have it's not pressure. I 0:32:13.040 --> 0:32:15.280 think they have a lot of confidence and they can 0:32:15.360 --> 0:32:18.640 bring to the table what's needed from their from their 0:32:18.680 --> 0:32:21.360 football team and their players. And I think there's a 0:32:21.440 --> 0:32:25.640 more weaponry on the skill set that Fitz Matt Naggie's 0:32:25.640 --> 0:32:27.800 scheme and what he wants to do will broach that 0:32:27.960 --> 0:32:30.640 the receivers. Coming up next as we do our camp 0:32:30.680 --> 0:32:34.240 breakdown ahead of the July twenty seventh start at Hatisall 0:32:34.320 --> 0:32:36.480 with Jim Miller and Tom There. I'm Jeff Joni Aac 0:32:36.520 --> 0:32:40.040 on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. This segment 0:32:40.080 --> 0:32:42.440 of Bears All Access is brought to you by Athletico 0:32:42.520 --> 0:32:45.680 Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to request an appoyment 0:32:45.720 --> 0:32:48.880 in clinic or virtually and start feeling better tomorrow. I 0:32:48.920 --> 0:32:52.920 got two guys, two x NFL players with significant NFL 0:32:53.000 --> 0:32:59.200 experience that gets through the rehab with hip replacements, knee replacements. Guys, 0:32:59.600 --> 0:33:02.160 you guys can speak to all this. Tom just had one, 0:33:02.440 --> 0:33:06.080 how's that been and what advice would you give to 0:33:06.240 --> 0:33:09.600 other NFL players that put in the time You did 0:33:09.680 --> 0:33:12.280 a decade plus in the league, not to mention your 0:33:12.280 --> 0:33:15.040 experience at the high school and college level to prepare 0:33:15.080 --> 0:33:17.840 for what's next and how to stay active and stay 0:33:18.320 --> 0:33:20.720 stay ready for anything, because you just don't. You're not 0:33:20.760 --> 0:33:22.760 a guy that's not going to sit around neither as 0:33:22.840 --> 0:33:25.040 Jim right. I mean, I just think you got to 0:33:25.040 --> 0:33:27.360 be diligent about any type of rehab you ever go 0:33:27.480 --> 0:33:30.040 throughout the course of your career. If you're a young 0:33:30.120 --> 0:33:32.320 high school kid that has an injury and then you 0:33:32.360 --> 0:33:35.600 have to go to physical be diligent about it because 0:33:35.640 --> 0:33:37.720 it's going to help you in the long run. It's 0:33:37.720 --> 0:33:42.080 the same thing after hip replacement. The process of going 0:33:42.080 --> 0:33:44.800 through the physical therapy is the reason why I feel 0:33:44.800 --> 0:33:47.200 as good as I do right now. I don't feel 0:33:47.200 --> 0:33:51.080 like I'm any more inhibited than anything I can do. 0:33:51.440 --> 0:33:53.720 The first thing I asked the doctor, can I surf 0:33:53.760 --> 0:33:56.040 after I get this thing done? He goes, I've never 0:33:56.080 --> 0:33:59.040 had that question ask to me, but we'll see as 0:33:59.080 --> 0:34:00.920 the process go. And so I went to see him 0:34:00.920 --> 0:34:03.240 a couple of weeks ago, and he says, I wouldn't 0:34:03.280 --> 0:34:07.440 stop you from doing anything you want, So listen, Matt, 0:34:07.480 --> 0:34:10.839 it's we're super fortunate in the world today that we 0:34:10.880 --> 0:34:13.239 have procedures that we can have in order to get 0:34:13.280 --> 0:34:15.560 back on our feet. You know, I feel just as 0:34:15.560 --> 0:34:18.839 good today as as as I ever have. Jim, what's 0:34:18.880 --> 0:34:21.279 the checklist on you? You've had a lot done on 0:34:21.400 --> 0:34:28.439 that battered body NFL quarterback, but you know you got 0:34:28.440 --> 0:34:30.640 a smile on your face. You're still doing what you love. 0:34:30.719 --> 0:34:33.600 But did you handle your rehab for all the different 0:34:33.640 --> 0:34:36.840 surgeries and then replacements that you've had, and did you 0:34:36.920 --> 0:34:39.440 did you do it according to plan or did you 0:34:40.320 --> 0:34:42.719 Are you one of those guys that said, ah, you know, 0:34:42.760 --> 0:34:45.040 like most people, they don't do exactly what they're told 0:34:45.080 --> 0:34:48.000 to do, right. No, I'm like Tom, you got to 0:34:48.040 --> 0:34:50.640 attack it, you know, because uh, you know, you want 0:34:50.640 --> 0:34:53.200 to live life. You know, for Tom, whether it's surfing 0:34:53.280 --> 0:34:56.279 and getting back to things that he enjoys. For me, 0:34:56.360 --> 0:34:58.279 it was about playing with my kids. You know. I 0:34:58.280 --> 0:35:00.000 want to be able to go out and throw football 0:35:00.080 --> 0:35:04.520 with my sons, teach them sports, whether it's baseball, football, basketball, 0:35:04.760 --> 0:35:06.680 you name it, and I want to show them how 0:35:06.680 --> 0:35:10.320 to compete. And so much like your rehab, you gotta compete, 0:35:10.400 --> 0:35:12.680 you gotta attack it, you gotta get after it. If 0:35:12.719 --> 0:35:14.640 those are the things that you want to be able 0:35:14.640 --> 0:35:16.880 to do, and so I took it pretty serious, just 0:35:17.000 --> 0:35:20.200 like Tom, and everything worked out just fine. So I've 0:35:20.200 --> 0:35:22.960 went through that surgery a couple of times. It's not fun, 0:35:23.200 --> 0:35:25.520 but I'm glad I did it because I'm able to 0:35:25.600 --> 0:35:28.279 live and enjoy all the things that I want to 0:35:28.280 --> 0:35:30.640 do in order to teach my kids how to compete 0:35:30.640 --> 0:35:33.440 and play sports as well. All right, let's tackle the 0:35:33.480 --> 0:35:35.800 wide receiver position for the Bears in the twenty twenty 0:35:35.840 --> 0:35:38.200 one camp. I'm gonna throw you guys this right out 0:35:38.200 --> 0:35:41.719 of the gate because I feel it's extremely important, as 0:35:41.960 --> 0:35:45.440 is the slot corner on the other side. The best 0:35:45.480 --> 0:35:48.440 slot receiver on the Bears the guy who can sink 0:35:48.480 --> 0:35:51.840 into his cuts and find those openings in very tight 0:35:52.120 --> 0:35:55.120 bone booth areas and move the sticks and threaten a 0:35:55.200 --> 0:35:58.360 defense from that position. Tom, let's start with you and 0:35:58.400 --> 0:36:02.239 go to Jim. There many candidates, and you could even 0:36:02.280 --> 0:36:04.719 throw you know, the top receiver on the team and 0:36:04.760 --> 0:36:07.200 that mix. He's good at that. But how important is 0:36:07.239 --> 0:36:09.680 that for the ice sight of the quarterback and just 0:36:09.760 --> 0:36:12.600 the overall effectiveness of the offense. If you have a 0:36:12.600 --> 0:36:14.680 slot receiver that can really be dangerous and in the 0:36:14.680 --> 0:36:17.320 middle of the field. God, I think it kind of 0:36:17.320 --> 0:36:19.640 goes hand in hand with the tight end position, whether 0:36:19.640 --> 0:36:22.719 it's Jimmy Gramm or Cole Commet, because the tight end 0:36:22.800 --> 0:36:26.120 is going to be a big interior pass catching athlete 0:36:26.480 --> 0:36:29.640 that can attract him a lot of attention, especially if 0:36:29.640 --> 0:36:32.359 he becomes featured in this offense. And then you think 0:36:32.400 --> 0:36:34.720 about some of the speed they brought in to compete 0:36:34.719 --> 0:36:37.480 at that slot receiver. Now, if they can have the 0:36:37.560 --> 0:36:40.440 element of speed and concern on the other side, it 0:36:40.520 --> 0:36:42.759 is going to continue to open up opportunities for the 0:36:42.800 --> 0:36:45.680 outside guy, but it's going to provide a bigger window 0:36:45.680 --> 0:36:48.680 of opportunity for the quarterback in the interior of the field, 0:36:48.960 --> 0:36:51.719 you know. And I'm interested to see what is the 0:36:51.760 --> 0:36:55.080 future of a guy like Terie Cohen because I do 0:36:55.239 --> 0:36:58.040 still believe that he's a type of guy with his 0:36:58.160 --> 0:37:02.360 skills in his open field kind of threatening ability that 0:37:02.520 --> 0:37:05.239 he could kind of morph into that slot receiver. So 0:37:05.320 --> 0:37:08.399 now you're talking about the development of depth. You can 0:37:08.480 --> 0:37:12.319 keep Darnell Mooney on the outside with Alan Robinson. Now, 0:37:12.320 --> 0:37:15.720 when you got Bird and Goodwin and Tariq calling and stuff, 0:37:16.080 --> 0:37:18.719 you have a variety of guys and styles that you 0:37:18.760 --> 0:37:21.719 can put in that position. Yeah, I think for me, 0:37:22.400 --> 0:37:25.399 I think clearly the Bears wanted to be Miller. They 0:37:25.440 --> 0:37:29.000 wanted to be Anthony Miller. He's had forty nine receptions 0:37:29.120 --> 0:37:32.879 last year, but clearly the message has been sent right, 0:37:32.960 --> 0:37:36.080 he's been on the trade block. They brought in competition 0:37:36.160 --> 0:37:39.399 to challenge him. He to me, has to take the 0:37:39.440 --> 0:37:42.759 next step. When you look at Anthony Miller, So whether 0:37:42.760 --> 0:37:46.359 it's maturity, whether it's more polished, he should have been 0:37:46.400 --> 0:37:51.840 working his fannie off this whole offseason because everything, every 0:37:51.880 --> 0:37:54.840 message for him to get the light bulb to go off, 0:37:55.000 --> 0:37:58.280 has been sent to motivate him. So to me, Anthony 0:37:58.320 --> 0:38:01.240 Miller is really a guy in the spotlight, right, I feel, 0:38:01.280 --> 0:38:03.399 you know, And I've banged the table for this guy 0:38:03.520 --> 0:38:06.360 forever for the time again. I just felt he'd be 0:38:06.400 --> 0:38:09.640 an excellent slot receiver because he's got the quickness to 0:38:09.640 --> 0:38:12.440 get away after the catch. He's got some physicality to him. 0:38:12.920 --> 0:38:14.360 But you got to be in the right place to 0:38:14.440 --> 0:38:16.560 the right time, and that's the message sent down. So 0:38:16.640 --> 0:38:19.279 that brings us to demere Bird. I'll start with you, Jim, 0:38:19.320 --> 0:38:21.600 because he did have an excellent season with New England 0:38:21.680 --> 0:38:23.640 last year, and he's got all that speed to play 0:38:23.680 --> 0:38:26.560 that position. Yeah, I'd like demere Bird. I think he's 0:38:26.560 --> 0:38:28.920 a solid guy that you can count on. He has 0:38:28.960 --> 0:38:32.200 the size that you're looking for from that standpoint, and 0:38:32.280 --> 0:38:34.960 you know he's got the quick the quick judes that 0:38:35.040 --> 0:38:37.040 to get to where you need. He's just a little 0:38:37.120 --> 0:38:40.160 jitterbug that he's going to compete at that position. So 0:38:40.280 --> 0:38:44.319 another opportunity or an opportunity for him, I said, I 0:38:44.320 --> 0:38:47.560 should say to really overtake Anthony Millard. So I think 0:38:47.640 --> 0:38:49.600 really it's up to him and what he comes to 0:38:49.680 --> 0:38:51.279 to do. But I think he's a steady guy that 0:38:51.360 --> 0:38:53.279 you can count on and that's what he brings to 0:38:53.360 --> 0:38:56.719 the table coming from New England. Tom, what are your 0:38:56.719 --> 0:39:01.000 expectations for Darnell Mooney, because Alan Robinson now is taking 0:39:01.040 --> 0:39:03.440 him under his wing. I think he's looking up to Alan. 0:39:03.480 --> 0:39:05.800 They're working out together and Alan gave him the blessing 0:39:05.880 --> 0:39:08.839 last week of this is the watch out for what 0:39:08.880 --> 0:39:11.400 this guy is capable of doing well. I think it 0:39:11.440 --> 0:39:13.880 goes back to a message Matt and Naggie delivered in 0:39:13.920 --> 0:39:17.759 the course of OTAs at Mandatory Minicamp that because of 0:39:17.920 --> 0:39:21.279 what Andy Dalton is going to deliver. You better be 0:39:21.360 --> 0:39:23.640 in the right spot. You better be in the right place, 0:39:23.920 --> 0:39:26.600 and you better have immediate expectations that the ball is 0:39:26.600 --> 0:39:28.560 going to be in your face. It's not going to 0:39:28.640 --> 0:39:30.919 be something where the quarterback's gonna sit there and wait 0:39:31.440 --> 0:39:34.000 and see you open and then throw the ball. He's 0:39:34.040 --> 0:39:36.759 gonna put the ball in the position like the play 0:39:36.840 --> 0:39:40.000 is drawn up. So I think, whether it's Darnell Mooney 0:39:40.239 --> 0:39:43.320 or Anthony Miller, any one of these receivers, you better 0:39:43.360 --> 0:39:45.880 be in the right spot. And I like that message 0:39:45.920 --> 0:39:49.359 that was delivered early by Matt and Aggie about the 0:39:49.360 --> 0:39:53.879 traits and the thinking process of Andy Dalton, because it's 0:39:53.920 --> 0:39:57.200 not gonna be be in a general vicinity. Now, it's 0:39:57.239 --> 0:40:00.160 gonna be where you're expected to be. If it's all 0:40:00.160 --> 0:40:02.919 of yards, an end, be twelve yards an end, don't 0:40:02.960 --> 0:40:05.640 be ten and a half yards, don't be fourteen yards. 0:40:05.640 --> 0:40:09.960 So I like the exact science to the offense because 0:40:10.000 --> 0:40:13.480 I think you can be more threatening if everybody understands 0:40:13.520 --> 0:40:19.400 their exact role in not the general concept of the offense. 0:40:19.880 --> 0:40:22.359 All right, tell you well, we're gonna continue the conversation 0:40:22.600 --> 0:40:25.160 because there are many more receivers to discuss our final 0:40:25.239 --> 0:40:28.320 segment just ahead here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy 0:40:28.360 --> 0:40:31.919 to score. This segment of Bears All Access is brought 0:40:31.920 --> 0:40:34.040 to you by CDW people to get it one more 0:40:34.080 --> 0:40:36.640 to go, Our final segment with Tom Thayre and Jim 0:40:36.640 --> 0:40:39.839 Miller from Serious XM NFL Radio. Moving the chains with 0:40:40.040 --> 0:40:44.839 Pat Kerwin Jim. July fifteenth the deadline to get any 0:40:44.880 --> 0:40:47.880 deal done with franchise players in the league, and that 0:40:47.960 --> 0:40:52.480 includes Alan Robinson. Do you have any inclination that there 0:40:52.520 --> 0:40:56.000 could be an agreement or will this just carry on through? Yeah? 0:40:56.040 --> 0:40:57.960 I think it'll just carry on through. I think Allen 0:40:58.040 --> 0:41:00.600 Robinson will play under the franchise tad. He is the 0:41:00.600 --> 0:41:03.120 bears number one wide receiver, and I think he'll be 0:41:03.160 --> 0:41:05.120 a true pro like he's always been a pro. I 0:41:05.120 --> 0:41:07.120 don't think he's happy about it. I'm sure he did 0:41:07.239 --> 0:41:09.560 want to get a long term deal, but the Bears 0:41:09.600 --> 0:41:11.919 have to you know, they have every right to place 0:41:11.960 --> 0:41:14.560 the franchise tag on it and let this play out, 0:41:14.680 --> 0:41:18.000 and so another year will pass. I think Allen Robinson 0:41:18.040 --> 0:41:19.799 will prove to be who he is and then the 0:41:19.840 --> 0:41:23.000 Bears will have another decision to make you know. The 0:41:23.080 --> 0:41:26.240 key after that is you know who's going to emerge. 0:41:26.239 --> 0:41:29.120 Because the Bears have drafted the young receivers like a 0:41:29.239 --> 0:41:33.440 Riley Ridley, Anthony Miller still needs to prove himself. And 0:41:33.520 --> 0:41:35.880 you look at Javon Wims, who will have an opportunity. 0:41:35.920 --> 0:41:39.080 Can he can any of these players step up and 0:41:39.120 --> 0:41:43.439 really replicate what Alan Robinson has done. So that's why 0:41:43.480 --> 0:41:46.000 the Bears drafted him. And who knows he might be 0:41:46.080 --> 0:41:49.239 leaving in free agency next year or the Bears will 0:41:49.239 --> 0:41:52.400 have a decision to slap another franchise tag or really 0:41:52.440 --> 0:41:55.840 extend him and really income to a lucrative contract. I 0:41:55.840 --> 0:41:57.719 think he'll be a pro's pro about it, though, and 0:41:57.920 --> 0:42:00.680 he understands the position he's in and he's got an 0:42:00.680 --> 0:42:03.840 opportunity to prove himself and show his work to the 0:42:04.000 --> 0:42:07.920 entire NFL. Two hundred receptions and nearly twenty four hundred 0:42:07.960 --> 0:42:10.040 yards time over the last two years with the Bears, 0:42:10.080 --> 0:42:12.799 and you know, he said all the right things at 0:42:12.800 --> 0:42:16.839 the veteran mandatory Minicamp about what he is planning to do. 0:42:16.920 --> 0:42:19.760 He sees great potential still for himself as a player. 0:42:19.800 --> 0:42:22.919 He's not hit his ceiling yet and he's working hard 0:42:22.960 --> 0:42:26.279 to deliver on an addition of speed with a ball 0:42:26.280 --> 0:42:29.520 in his hands after the catch, which you know in 0:42:29.560 --> 0:42:31.960 this day and age in the NFL, you can't get 0:42:32.000 --> 0:42:34.319 everything with long bombs down the field. You gotta get 0:42:34.360 --> 0:42:36.359 guys with a ball in the hands and get them 0:42:36.440 --> 0:42:38.520 yards after the catch to move those sticks. And he 0:42:38.560 --> 0:42:42.120 has that capability. You know, yards after the catch sometimes 0:42:42.120 --> 0:42:44.680 are because of the quarterback of soul efficient and where 0:42:44.680 --> 0:42:47.600 he's placing the football in terms of how close the 0:42:47.640 --> 0:42:49.880 coverage is to him. And he said, look, I like 0:42:49.960 --> 0:42:52.280 to tell I would like to turn an eight yard 0:42:52.320 --> 0:42:55.560 catch into a twelve yard catch. So he's not looking 0:42:55.560 --> 0:42:59.040 at things unrealistically. But when we look at things, we 0:42:59.080 --> 0:43:02.120 have to look at things from a business standpoint and 0:43:02.160 --> 0:43:06.000 then a player standpoint, because I admire everything Alan Robinson 0:43:06.040 --> 0:43:09.920 has ever shown to the Bears fans, the organization, what 0:43:10.040 --> 0:43:12.840 he's willing to do, and the type of influence in 0:43:12.880 --> 0:43:16.879 the cloud he carries inside the locker room. And then 0:43:16.920 --> 0:43:19.239 you have to look at it from a business standpoint. 0:43:19.560 --> 0:43:22.360 When you look at what the salary command demand is 0:43:23.400 --> 0:43:26.560 excuse me, for those top couple receivers in the league, 0:43:26.920 --> 0:43:30.160 that's when you have to start weighing the player against 0:43:30.160 --> 0:43:33.840 the pay. Alan Robinson love the guy. I think he 0:43:35.040 --> 0:43:38.040 demands and he commands the respect he gets, but then 0:43:38.080 --> 0:43:41.880 you have to start looking at it financially. All right. Lastly, 0:43:42.120 --> 0:43:44.160 before we go, Marquise good one, he will be a 0:43:44.200 --> 0:43:46.879 training camp because he did participate in the long jump 0:43:46.880 --> 0:43:49.920 at the Olympic Trials and Eugene did not become a 0:43:50.000 --> 0:43:54.279 member of that unit headed to Japan. And I think 0:43:54.320 --> 0:43:57.319 after an opt out season, Jim his body feels fresh. 0:43:57.400 --> 0:43:59.600 If he can stay healthy, you're adding a lot of 0:43:59.640 --> 0:44:01.960 speed eat again to this mix. But the health is 0:44:02.000 --> 0:44:04.880 always a concern. Yeah, it certainly is. And you know, 0:44:05.000 --> 0:44:07.040 for him, I think he's a he's a veteran player 0:44:07.120 --> 0:44:09.880 that really that they're going to be able to count on. 0:44:09.960 --> 0:44:12.200 I think he's hungry to return to the resport. He's 0:44:12.200 --> 0:44:16.080 obviously very competitive, as you mentioned, trying to train for 0:44:16.120 --> 0:44:18.680 the for the Olympics. So I think he brings a 0:44:18.680 --> 0:44:21.120 lot to the table. And I think again he's going 0:44:21.200 --> 0:44:23.680 to be a message center to all those young receivers, 0:44:23.719 --> 0:44:26.239 whether it's Anthony Miller, whether it's Jamre Byrd, whether it's 0:44:26.280 --> 0:44:29.080 Javon Wims. This is what it takes to be a pro, 0:44:29.400 --> 0:44:31.520 and he's been a pro for for a long time 0:44:31.600 --> 0:44:34.719 and he'll definitely add something to the to the mix 0:44:34.800 --> 0:44:36.640 for the Bears at wide receiver. He's a guy you 0:44:36.719 --> 0:44:39.799 can count on, you know, real quick, real quickly. Jeff, 0:44:39.840 --> 0:44:43.160 I don't think we we can't underscore the important role 0:44:43.239 --> 0:44:45.280 that these guys are going to take on special teams. 0:44:45.440 --> 0:44:48.000 Who are these speedsters are going to be able to 0:44:48.040 --> 0:44:51.400 handle that role because it means a lot to feel 0:44:51.440 --> 0:44:55.120 positioned success for the Bears. That's sound Bear Jim Miller. Jim, thanks, 0:44:55.120 --> 0:44:58.360 We'll talk to you next week and I'll do it 0:44:58.400 --> 0:45:01.040 for Bears on Access brought to you by IGS Energy. 0:45:01.280 --> 0:45:03.799 Have a good night, everybody. This is Chicago Sports Radio 0:45:03.880 --> 0:45:04.879 six seventy The Score.