WEBVTT - McCaskey, Phillips, Poles, Eberflus on Bears' outlook | Coaches Show 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:08.520 The following is the presentation of the Chicago Bears Network 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:14.440 now on news radio one oh five nine. This is 0:00:14.440 --> 0:00:17.919 a special edition of the Bears Coaches Show with Bears 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:22.160 Head coach Matt Eberflus, General manager Bryan Poles, team president 0:00:22.239 --> 0:00:25.919 Ten Phillips, and Chairman George mccasky. The Bears Coaches Show 0:00:26.000 --> 0:00:29.800 is sponsored by Advocate Healthcare and Athletico Physical Therapy. Now 0:00:29.960 --> 0:00:34.000 from Alice Hall, here's the voice of the Bears w BBMS, 0:00:34.120 --> 0:00:37.240 Jeff Jonyac. All right, thank you very much in a 0:00:37.320 --> 0:00:39.560 pleasure to get him every buddy. Yeah, We've got people 0:00:39.760 --> 0:00:45.519 in the house. That's right, love it. It's been a 0:00:45.520 --> 0:00:47.720 minute now, right, a couple of years ago, I was 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:50.199 the last time on this annual Labor Day show. Or 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.159 you finally got an invite, George, you always tell me 0:00:53.200 --> 0:00:55.480 you never like you know, you got the actual show tonight. 0:00:55.920 --> 0:01:00.520 So I'm so excited to be here normally on the 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:04.600 pre show, yo, the pre show, not ready for prime time, right, 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:06.640 very excited to be on the your time, aren't you 0:01:06.720 --> 0:01:08.920 glad he's here? Everybody? Come on now, this is this 0:01:08.959 --> 0:01:11.440 will be good coming up here for that type of 0:01:11.440 --> 0:01:15.840 the play. Either season ticket holders We appreciate you being 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:19.920 here on this Labor day. Nice nice venue. Ted Phillips, 0:01:20.160 --> 0:01:23.119 President and CEO here as well. We're in the PNC 0:01:23.400 --> 0:01:27.119 Broadcast Center, the p and C studios, and you said, wow, 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:29.080 this is this is nice. We've never done this before. 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:31.120 Usually we're in the Peyton Center, but we got we 0:01:31.160 --> 0:01:34.200 got intimate here and post COVID now we're ready to go. 0:01:34.280 --> 0:01:37.800 So it is a nice venue to share here tonight 0:01:37.800 --> 0:01:40.080 with these Spears fans, and it's good to get this 0:01:40.120 --> 0:01:42.959 season going in the right direction here for twenty twenty two. 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:44.479 We got a lot to talk about. We're here until 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:46.959 eight o'clock tonight, coming up around seven twenty or so. 0:01:47.080 --> 0:01:49.800 Head coach Matty Refluction, general manager Ryan Poles, who joined 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:53.480 the program as well. So, George, welcome to the twenty 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:57.120 twenty two season. It seemed probably to you and many others, 0:01:57.120 --> 0:01:58.920 and I know a lot of fans out there, so 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:02.640 much change, so many different things, and now the dust 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:05.480 is settling a little bit. We can see what this 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:08.480 is going to look like. We see in twenty twenty 0:02:08.480 --> 0:02:11.359 two here for the season opener on Sunday. How you feeling, 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:15.840 how you feeling about everything? Excited, still adjusting to the 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:20.239 three game preseason and only one home preseason game, so 0:02:21.400 --> 0:02:24.200 we haven't seen the folks around Solder, but looking forward 0:02:24.200 --> 0:02:26.160 to getting back to it. And I think you saw 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:31.639 a more disciplined team in our preseason games and that's 0:02:31.639 --> 0:02:34.799 a very encouraging science we head into the regular season. Yes, 0:02:34.919 --> 0:02:36.519 a lot of different things that we're going to break 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:38.800 down tonight and talk about because it is a different 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:40.760 look and a lot of the things that we all 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:44.320 as Bears fans always hope for and what it will 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.799 be like to watch this kind of team and their personality. 0:02:47.800 --> 0:02:49.679 And we'll get into that with coach Iberflus and Ryan 0:02:49.760 --> 0:02:53.160 Poles as well. But I know you. We had you 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:56.480 on the fourth quarter of the preseason finale in Cleveland 0:02:56.760 --> 0:02:59.320 and I said, what about the hits principle that you 0:02:59.720 --> 0:03:03.520 enjo and first word is hustle and you had him. 0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:06.639 He had you right. Yeah. The temple of the practices 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.680 has been a lot quicker, a lot faster. Everybody's moving, 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:14.359 the players, the coaches, the staff, and it's very encouraging 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.160 to see. And again, I think you'll see that transfer 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:20.880 to the games, all right. Ted Phillips, A lot of 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:23.880 news this week last week, I should say, so, have 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:29.360 you gotten used to the idea that February of twenty three, 0:03:29.960 --> 0:03:32.760 you're you're moving into retirement. I know it was a 0:03:32.760 --> 0:03:36.120 lot of thought went into this and took me by 0:03:36.200 --> 0:03:38.760 surprise the other day. I'm sure there's a lot of 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:42.400 emotions and what's been going on since. I'm sure you've 0:03:42.440 --> 0:03:45.080 got a lot of phone calls and text messages and emails. Well, 0:03:45.200 --> 0:03:49.840 you know what, forty seasons is a long time, Jeff, 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:57.120 and I just have to again gratitude to the McCaskey 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:03.680 family for the trust to support through all the years. UM, 0:04:04.200 --> 0:04:06.960 it has been amazing. People keep asking me, well, what 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:09.680 are you what are you gonna miss? I'm gonna miss 0:04:09.680 --> 0:04:13.000 the people. I'm gonna miss the people I miss. It's 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:16.560 it's still after forty seasons. I still kind of It's 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:19.719 still kind of amazes me when I'm out and certain 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:22.600 fans will still recognize me. I'm not used to that. 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:26.080 But you know what, the interactions with all of you, 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:31.839 UM has been ninety nine percent positive all the way across. 0:04:31.920 --> 0:04:35.800 So I appreciate that I'm going to miss that, UM, 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.719 because our fans are the best, through thick and thin, 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:44.360 and at this time of the year, especially right we're 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:47.880 all excited. We're all excited about the season, the changes, 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:51.400 and that's going to be hard to get used to missing. 0:04:51.520 --> 0:04:56.159 But it's time for me and I know that we 0:04:56.240 --> 0:04:59.640 have a lot of great staff and we have the 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:02.040 ab to find someone that's going to lead us into 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:04.360 the future, that's going to do it in the right 0:05:04.400 --> 0:05:07.440 way and continue with the values of the club and 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:11.280 know what it's like to be a bear with humility 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:15.680 and great innovation and foresight. So they're gonna We're gonna 0:05:15.720 --> 0:05:18.920 find the right person to take over. You mentioned forty years, 0:05:18.960 --> 0:05:22.320 and you mentioned the people that recognize you to this 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:24.760 day that you met maybe many years ago. There have 0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:27.479 been a lot of people through this building in forty years. 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:32.560 I mean talking about coaches, scouts, personnel. You know. I 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:36.600 dam Pompey's article on the Athletic which was extremely well 0:05:36.640 --> 0:05:40.479 done and covered your entire career. But when you first 0:05:40.520 --> 0:05:44.840 started here in nineteen eighty three, and what you inherited 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:47.080 over the course of time as you rose through and 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:50.120 climbed the staircase, so to speak, to your current position 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:54.240 was a much smaller staff, only needed nine coaches back 0:05:54.279 --> 0:05:58.600 in those days. Nine coaches, nine coaches, coach flow snow pressure, 0:05:58.640 --> 0:06:02.320 which is it doesn't seem possible, but one football field. Yeah, ye, 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.880 fifty employees right now we have two fifty hard to believe. 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.440 But you you've been at the center of that growth 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.240 over that entire four decade. How do you put that 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:17.200 in the context? Wow, it's been Um, it's it's been 0:06:17.240 --> 0:06:20.160 an honest play, it's been a pleasure. Every day has 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:24.200 been different. And to see the growth not just of 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:27.320 the Bears, but of the entire NFL. The way the 0:06:27.440 --> 0:06:30.760 values of the teams has has skyrocketed, and to be 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:35.240 a part of that, it's something I'll treasure every day 0:06:35.320 --> 0:06:36.919 for the rest of my life. George had a lot 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:40.080 of great quotes. I'm sure you come off your tongue 0:06:40.160 --> 0:06:42.400 right now as well about what he's meant to you 0:06:42.520 --> 0:06:46.839 in the family. Well, when Ted shared the news with 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:50.240 our staff on Friday, I had to follow him and 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:56.200 I told the Bears family that, um that I told 0:06:56.240 --> 0:06:59.280 Ted when he gave me the news that I had 0:06:59.600 --> 0:07:03.640 too much respect for him and I am too grateful 0:07:03.839 --> 0:07:09.800 to him to ask him to reconsider. And now I'm 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:13.560 wishing that I hadn't said that He's just been fantastic 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:19.720 for the Bears organization, for our family. You mentioned being 0:07:19.800 --> 0:07:23.520 here in the PNC Center. This was the first significant 0:07:24.880 --> 0:07:28.880 renovation of House Hall that Ted oversaw in twenty thirteen, 0:07:29.680 --> 0:07:33.520 the more recent one in twenty nineteen that Ted Oversaw 0:07:34.440 --> 0:07:37.440 gave us one of the best training facilities in the NFL. 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:43.119 And we're going to miss his leadership, his sense of humor, 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:50.200 his drive, his passion, and the thing I feel good 0:07:50.200 --> 0:07:54.000 about is that with Ted's help, we're going to find 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:58.800 an excellent leader to follow him Sunday Sunday's game, be 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:00.760 sure to stop by the middle of right Ultimate tail 0:08:00.800 --> 0:08:03.520 Gate located at the Field Museum for food, games, music, 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:05.400 and more, free to Bears fans of all ages. The 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:07.920 Ultimate tail Gate opens at ten am through one hour 0:08:08.040 --> 0:08:11.240 post game. We're here at PIANC Studio at HALLISAU. We 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:17.120 got some good friends here, season ticket holders, some veterans 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:19.760 here have been around a minute and we are on 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:22.160 the Bears Coaches Show with Chairman of the Board George 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:25.840 Hollis McCaskey and President CEO Ted Phillips. So the season 0:08:25.880 --> 0:08:31.920 opening up on Sunday at Soldier Field, Virginia. McCaskey no doubt, 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.920 just can't wait to see it. Yeah, she gets excited 0:08:34.920 --> 0:08:37.960 about every season. She gets excited about every game. I'm 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:41.480 sure she's listening tonight and we'll be sending me a 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:46.960 critique of your performance. I'm sure you get the critique too. 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:51.680 I know that for sure as well. Given all the change, 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:57.120 given all the change, it's it's almost it's almost like 0:08:58.200 --> 0:09:00.760 tearing down a house and rebuilding it in seven months 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:04.280 because there's there's so many new players, so many personnels, 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:08.679 so much going on, and then Ted's decision and then 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:11.160 everything else that you know, we're looking at here as well, 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:16.480 with the potential purchase of a Arlington Park that could 0:09:16.520 --> 0:09:21.480 become a new stadium for Chicago. Is this hard to 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:25.320 put into context for you, even as the chairman of 0:09:25.320 --> 0:09:28.440 the board, because a lot's going on at once, Yeah, 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:31.080 a lot is going on. When you have Ryan on. 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:35.319 He might dispute the use of your rebuilding the house analogy, 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:39.320 but I'll leave that to him. But there is a 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.400 sense of excitement. There's a lot of change in the air, 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:45.480 but a lot of it can be really positive if 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:48.080 we do it the right way. What have you seen 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:50.600 so far that you like in the decisions you made 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:55.720 to bring Matt and Ryan aboard. Love Ryan's calm, his 0:09:55.840 --> 0:10:04.920 leadership style, his analytical abilities, love Matt's intelligence what Ryan 0:10:04.960 --> 0:10:10.640 describes as Matt's emotional intelligence. It looks like he's been 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:13.800 a student of the game all that time that he 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:16.800 was an assistant coach and thinking about what he would 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:19.120 do and how he would do it when he got 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:21.240 the opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL. 0:10:21.679 --> 0:10:24.800 And Ted with the history of this franchise, it's just 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:27.839 always oozing from the pores of this building. You can 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:30.480 walk around and see it all. And Matt and Ryan 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:35.079 and both have taken a very strong interest in that history. 0:10:35.240 --> 0:10:37.160 And it was brought up again at the news conference 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:41.000 today with Coachyberflus with the media and he went through 0:10:41.040 --> 0:10:45.559 the one hundred year book because it's it's it's all 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:48.120 there for you to get excited about because now there's 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:50.520 a new chapter going. Yeah. I mean, if if you 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:52.800 don't believe in what it means to be a Bear, 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:56.840 you need to be somewhere else. But what I what 0:10:56.920 --> 0:11:00.800 I've been loving about the preseason is seeing in four 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:04.920 or five jerseys on defense at the ball carrier every 0:11:04.960 --> 0:11:07.640 single play. It's been a long time since we've seen that, 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:11.720 and you can't ask for a better preseason in terms 0:11:11.720 --> 0:11:14.600 of a confidence builder to take that next step. And 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.520 it's coming Sunday, all right. I get asked a lot 0:11:17.520 --> 0:11:19.720 about Justin Fields. I get asked a lot about Matt 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:21.600 Eberflus and what's this is going to be. But I 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:24.440 also get a lot asked questions about Arlington Heights. So 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:26.760 a lot going on there. You're at the forefront of it. 0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:30.000 What can you tell us, Well, there's been a lot 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:32.760 of work being done, a lot of people are digging 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:35.800 in and trying to see if we can make this viable. 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:41.080 We've said it before, but the reality is we haven't 0:11:41.160 --> 0:11:43.760 bought the land yet. We haven't closed on the land. 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:48.000 We might not. If we do, I think we will 0:11:48.040 --> 0:11:50.640 do it by the end of this year, early twenty 0:11:50.720 --> 0:11:56.520 twenty three. I'd like to have that accomplished before I leave. 0:11:59.000 --> 0:12:02.480 And if we do buy the land doesn't mean we'll 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:06.360 develop it. We don't have a stadium design yet, so 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:09.000 I know there's probably lots of questions on your guy's 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:12.840 minds about tickets and seating, and we don't We don't 0:12:12.880 --> 0:12:15.160 have that yet. It's a three hundred and twenty six 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:20.160 acre parcel that will be a stadium anchored development. If 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:24.600 it happens, probably be the largest development in Illinois history. 0:12:25.040 --> 0:12:29.480 So there's a lot of economic benefits that can go 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:33.320 towards it, and that's how it's going to get done, 0:12:33.440 --> 0:12:36.240 is by trying to sell the economic benefits, which will 0:12:36.240 --> 0:12:39.880 be staggering, along with the jobs. And an informational meeting 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.000 for community coming up on Thursday seven to nine at 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:45.720 my alma mater, Hersey High School. Yes, they're in our 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:49.480 LinkedIn Heights. What will be the gist of that? Both 0:12:49.480 --> 0:12:55.000 of you guys can chime in about well. Ted has 0:12:55.160 --> 0:12:59.040 said many times that we're concerned that people think that 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:02.040 the project is are there along than it is. We're 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.880 still in the exploration phase. We want to share what 0:13:06.000 --> 0:13:10.000 information we have, but we don't have all the answers. 0:13:10.760 --> 0:13:13.800 We think now though, is the right time to get 0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:15.880 in front of the residence of Arlington Heights and the 0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:20.120 neighboring communities and show them what we have to this point. Yeah, 0:13:20.120 --> 0:13:23.199 they're going to see a preliminary concept that if we 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:28.839 move forward, we'll probably change over time, but at a minimum, 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:32.520 it's exciting. It's exciting to explore this, correct, it's a 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:35.360 must to explore. It's very exciting. We didn't go out 0:13:35.440 --> 0:13:40.080 looking for this land. Churchill Downs, who owned the race course, 0:13:40.240 --> 0:13:44.000 the racetrack, excuse me, put it up for sale and 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:46.760 it was just too intriguing in terms of the access 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:50.240 to the property, the size of the property, what it 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:53.760 could be, the vision. So we just felt like we 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:55.719 had to put an offer in and we got the 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:59.680 winning bid. I'm excited about returning to your alma mater. 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:02.880 I'm sure he's in the Athletic Hall of Fame, the 0:14:02.920 --> 0:14:05.199 Academic Hall of Fame. I want to see the plaques, 0:14:05.360 --> 0:14:08.320 the shrine, whatever they may have. We'll take you on 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:11.840 the quick ten cent tour. I haven't been back in 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:15.000 that building in a long, long long time, so it'll 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:16.959 be it'll be interesting to be there, for sure, in 0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:22.080 a big moment in Bear's history. So, Ted, we appreciate 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:24.440 you coming on and we appreciate everything that you've done, 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:26.960 and you gotta allow work left to do on the 0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:30.720 table here before before you go into retirements. So from 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.760 from everybody from my crew, we appreciate what you have 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:38.119 been to all of us, and nothing but great success. 0:14:38.520 --> 0:14:40.360 You're gonna have that you're gonna have. You're gonna have 0:14:40.400 --> 0:14:43.120 that itch. I know it. You know, you know you're 0:14:43.120 --> 0:14:45.240 gonna have that itch for sure. I get it every year. 0:14:45.280 --> 0:14:47.520 And uh and you're a good man, and so is 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:49.840 Tommy Thayer your partner. And I love you, guys, I 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:52.520 love you too, all right, appreciate it. Coming up, we'll 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:55.840 be joined by Matty Berflus and Ryan Poles. This is 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:59.680 the Bears Coaches Show. Now more of the Bears Coaches 0:14:59.680 --> 0:15:04.240 Show featuring how two PNC studio at Hallis Hall where 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:07.680 a Bears fant are our family here since you take 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:09.560 it holders on the labor day, hope your labor day's 0:15:09.560 --> 0:15:13.080 going well. Now into a different phase of our show, 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:16.040 please welcome the head coach of the Chicago Bears, Matt Eberflus, 0:15:16.040 --> 0:15:21.000 and the time. Appreciate it, of course, Matt, you'll you'll 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:24.000 be here every Monday night with yours truly breaking it 0:15:24.000 --> 0:15:27.080 down because you got everybody together. It got a little break, 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:31.560 getting ready, little light practice today, getting some guys healthy 0:15:31.640 --> 0:15:35.360 today back on the field Byron Pringle for one Vayless 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:39.400 Jones Junior, little Lucas Patrick. So now you gotta run away, 0:15:39.800 --> 0:15:41.680 right you gotta run away to the start of the season. 0:15:41.680 --> 0:15:43.400 How do you feel about it? Oh, yeah, it's good 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:45.680 to get everybody back. You know, we've had some soft 0:15:45.680 --> 0:15:48.280 tissue stuff during training camp what you always have, and 0:15:48.320 --> 0:15:50.600 then you know, to get guys back and start putting 0:15:50.640 --> 0:15:53.520 them in there to compete. It was good. It was 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:55.760 good to see the guys out there and we're excited 0:15:55.880 --> 0:15:58.440 to get this week started. Like you said, today was 0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:01.560 a light practice. You know. We took a team photo today, 0:16:01.600 --> 0:16:03.280 which is pretty cool. You know, we all got out 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:04.920 there and took a team photo and we did something 0:16:04.960 --> 0:16:08.560 special today. We actually had the coach's exit after the school, 0:16:08.560 --> 0:16:10.480 then we had a late practice and then let the 0:16:10.520 --> 0:16:13.680 guys go. So yeah, very nice gesture because they're often 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:16.360 overlooked in terms of what you have to do and 0:16:16.680 --> 0:16:19.120 not from the inside, but people don't know what they do, 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:23.080 how many people are involved, and they are they work 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:25.320 as hard as anybody. Don't. Yeah, there's no question they do. 0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:27.600 So we had a show appreciation for the door, but 0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:30.400 it's it's something they're always going to have that that's 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:33.760 the memory of you made the final fifty three, you're 0:16:33.800 --> 0:16:37.080 ready for week one and Ryan putting to get together. 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:39.920 And I know I mentioned a house, but it's like 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.720 seven and a half months of redesigning something and the 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:46.200 amount of work that went into that. It's just the 0:16:46.320 --> 0:16:50.000 crazy thing to me about football when that happens, and 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:52.240 then you show up for your first practice. It all 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:55.680 looks normal like they've been doing but these it's everybody's new. 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:58.800 I mean across the board. How'd you pull this off 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:01.560 in seven and a half months. Yeah, it wasn't just me. 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:05.000 I have a really good staff and you know ways, 0:17:05.520 --> 0:17:07.479 and I've been really happy with the turnout. And then 0:17:07.520 --> 0:17:09.959 the other thing too, is we have a great coaching staff, 0:17:10.000 --> 0:17:13.320 so you know, with their involvement and you know their 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:15.879 willingness to coach these guys, especially the last you know, 0:17:16.560 --> 0:17:19.080 last weekend. You know there's new players that haven't been 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:21.320 here during camp and our coaches got them up to 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:24.000 speed and we're excited about it. Well, Matt, you talk 0:17:24.040 --> 0:17:27.480 about these coaches almost every time you're at the podium, 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:32.720 and you know you say it with a confidence because 0:17:33.560 --> 0:17:37.080 you know these guys, especially the coats, guys you've worked with, 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:39.600 but to get to know them and now let them 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:42.640 see the around a lot of good teachers that I've 0:17:42.640 --> 0:17:45.200 been under over the course of my career, so I've 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:48.680 learned what it looks like. And for me to talk 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:51.880 to these guys when we uh, you know, hired them. 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:56.080 It's about developing and teaching the players to become better players. 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:58.439 And people always say that, you know, I was a 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:00.359 college coach for eighteen years, and they say, well, you 0:18:00.359 --> 0:18:02.040 can't you know the pros are where they are. I don't. 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:05.080 I disagree one hundred percent. And all those coaches believe 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.919 that they're just teachers first, and then coaches, you know, 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:11.080 and then building relationships I think is really important, so 0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:13.720 we can challenge those guys. Ryan, you must have been 0:18:13.760 --> 0:18:17.200 around people, and Matt you yourself as well. There are 0:18:17.280 --> 0:18:20.760 some coaches that, Okay, you're gonna give me some rookies, 0:18:21.720 --> 0:18:24.720 but I, I don't know. I just don't have that faith. 0:18:25.080 --> 0:18:29.560 This gentleman believes in young players. You have fifteen rookies 0:18:29.680 --> 0:18:32.639 on this roster. It's a league high. The average age 0:18:32.680 --> 0:18:35.200 is just over twenty five nearly, you know, not quite 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:38.080 twenty six years of age. Aguins make sure that we're 0:18:38.080 --> 0:18:40.720 teaching them, they're getting their bodies right and they can 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:44.439 play fast and learn our system. So to have coaches 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:48.400 like we do is really good and in turn, these 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:51.040 young players, there's some innocence there when they're so young, 0:18:51.080 --> 0:18:54.080 they you know, I'm gonna get this opportunity. You know, 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:56.520 you're not just relegated to the practice squad for the 0:18:56.560 --> 0:18:59.960 first player a better mentally ready player. Yeah, I think 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:02.119 it's I think it's a good point. You know, you 0:19:02.200 --> 0:19:04.800 really want to just keep developing everybody on the roster. 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:07.080 So it doesn't matter if you're slated as a starter 0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:10.080 and then you're also slated as a backup, because at 0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:12.560 some point during the course of the season, everybody's going 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:14.600 to play and you have to be ready to play. 0:19:14.640 --> 0:19:16.320 So you got to be able to step in to 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:19.679 that role and put a winning performance out there. And 0:19:19.720 --> 0:19:21.359 that's why we do that. So we always want to 0:19:21.359 --> 0:19:24.080 develop everybody on at roster, from the first guy to 0:19:24.160 --> 0:19:26.080 the sixty ninth guy. We want to develop them because 0:19:26.080 --> 0:19:28.800 you never know. This special edition of the Bears Coaches 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:32.240 Show with Mattie Buflus and General Manager Ryan Poles is 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:35.720 sponsored by for Rising Bette Rivers and Miller liked once 0:19:35.760 --> 0:19:39.959 again the Voice of the Bears w BBMS Jeff Joniac. 0:19:40.440 --> 0:19:43.119 Great seats available to see your Chicago Bears this season 0:19:43.160 --> 0:19:45.640 a soldier field. Get your tickets at Chicago Bears dot 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:49.240 com slash tickets with Ryan Poles, Bears general manager and 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:52.280 head coach Maddie Boflus. I'm Jeff Joniac. We have Bears 0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:55.440 fans here and join the show on their holiday weekend. 0:19:55.800 --> 0:19:59.359 That's right, getting ready for the forty nine ers. Ryan. 0:20:00.160 --> 0:20:03.119 The other day, your face lit up. You said, I 0:20:03.320 --> 0:20:06.000 love that dude, that com man. About your affinity for 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:09.359 the man sitting next year right here, Matt Eberflus is resonating, 0:20:09.400 --> 0:20:12.400 and what have you come to learn about all aspects 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:14.520 of what he brings to the table now that you've 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:16.560 gotten to know him very well. Yeah, the leadership part 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:18.600 stands out. I mean when he's in front of the room. 0:20:18.640 --> 0:20:20.159 And that's the one thing you don't know, you know 0:20:20.200 --> 0:20:23.400 when the interview process, But when he gets in front 0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:26.119 of the room, everyone's locked in, and he's passionate about 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:30.080 what he does, and he has everyone's attention and he 0:20:30.280 --> 0:20:32.240 you know they're they're locked in. By the time you're 0:20:32.240 --> 0:20:33.600 done with the team meeting, you want to go play 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:37.600 football immediately after. So it's effective too. So the other 0:20:37.640 --> 0:20:40.880 thing too is just detail. You know, there's a lot 0:20:41.359 --> 0:20:43.320 that goes behind the scene. Is just in terms of 0:20:43.359 --> 0:20:47.320 the schedule to move everybody around, the coaching staff, the players, 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:50.320 and everything's been on point and it's been running really smooth. 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:51.960 You would think, you know, he was the head coach 0:20:52.000 --> 0:20:54.560 for a really long time, so it's been it's been awesome. 0:20:55.119 --> 0:20:56.920 In turn, what have you learned and what have you 0:20:57.000 --> 0:21:00.960 come to appreciate about the new general manager? I would say, oh, 0:21:01.040 --> 0:21:02.800 and I tell this all him all the time, is 0:21:02.840 --> 0:21:05.359 that the number one job of a GM is to 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:09.000 pick players that really can play. And he does a 0:21:09.040 --> 0:21:11.400 great job with that. Him and I have the same 0:21:11.520 --> 0:21:14.679 vision with the type of players we are. We cover it. 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:17.560 And he's got a great eye. I'm not talking about 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:20.199 a good eye, a great eye for talent and it 0:21:20.280 --> 0:21:22.160 takes a special eye. I'll be able to see those 0:21:22.200 --> 0:21:24.600 guys and pick those guys, um, you know in the 0:21:24.680 --> 0:21:27.719 later rounds uh, you know, like Braxton Jones, you know, 0:21:27.720 --> 0:21:30.160 like different players like that. And he's going to continue 0:21:30.200 --> 0:21:31.840 to do that. And that's not only in the draft. 0:21:31.880 --> 0:21:34.960 That's that's free agency, and that's picking guys, claiming guys, 0:21:35.040 --> 0:21:37.040 and and so I would just say that what a 0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:39.240 what a tremendous eye for talent. Well, it's just six 0:21:39.280 --> 0:21:41.800 claims last week, guys that are going to figure in 0:21:42.119 --> 0:21:45.960 to the future of the Chicago Bears hopefully. And that's 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:48.439 not a simple process either. And you and I spoke 0:21:48.480 --> 0:21:51.359 the other day. It's almost like a new draft, but 0:21:51.640 --> 0:21:53.880 it's a limited window and you gotta you gotta put 0:21:53.920 --> 0:21:56.199 in the time. But you know, you were looking for 0:21:57.280 --> 0:21:59.760 the traits obviously, but you were looking for plays like 0:22:00.560 --> 0:22:03.000 these guys playmakers and do they fit what a Bear 0:22:03.080 --> 0:22:06.360 looks like now? And you believe you found a few more. Yeah, yeah, 0:22:06.400 --> 0:22:09.080 we're excited. Um. And again it goes back to my 0:22:09.160 --> 0:22:11.679 staff and in the process that we have shoot that night, 0:22:11.720 --> 0:22:15.679 we put hours. We're until about one in the morning, 0:22:15.840 --> 0:22:18.280