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Speaker 1: day and now welcome to Bears All Access. You're All
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Speaker 1: Here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio six
Speaker 1: seventy score. Good even, everybody. I'mjeff, Joni Akadong and the
Speaker 1: broadcast partner from News Radio seven eighty and one oh
Speaker 1: five point OUTFMWBBM, Tom Fair and in his Michigan home,
Speaker 1: all tucked away by a fireplace, no doubt, maybe with
Speaker 1: a cool drink in his hand, the one and only
Speaker 1: former Bears quarterback Jim Miller from sirius XM NFL Radio.
Speaker 1: Good evening, Fellas, How are we doing good? Jeff? You
Speaker 1: know it's you know that offseason momentum starts. You know,
Speaker 1: you kind of leave the Super Bowl in the rearview mirror,
Speaker 1: you start thinking about all the things that they got
Speaker 1: coming up. They went through the senior ball. You start
Speaker 1: hearing about players that are being disinvited to the Combine
Speaker 1: and wondering how that's going to work out. You think
Speaker 1: about everything else that's going on in the world and
Speaker 1: football to us, it seems like a long time that,
Speaker 1: you know, a long way away. But man, once this
Speaker 1: thing starts rolling, like we experienced last year, it goes,
Speaker 1: it goes by fast. Yeah, Combine already here and probably
Speaker 1: the Bears will send a huge contingent down to Indianapolis,
Speaker 1: and you know, the business season has already started here.
Speaker 1: You know, the Bears resigned the right tackle Bobby Massey.
Speaker 1: You know he's going to join us here on the
Speaker 1: show tonight, so we're looking forward to that. But that's
Speaker 1: kind of what is right now. You see teams around
Speaker 1: the league starting to clear some clear some cap space,
Speaker 1: and normally that's what happens. A lot of it is
Speaker 1: to resign their own. You know, a team like Atlanta,
Speaker 1: they released a couple of players in Brooks Read and
Speaker 1: All for the cornerback we've already got signed by Arizona,
Speaker 1: and I think they're looking to resign Greedy Jared. He
Speaker 1: was one of the players in the pecking order that
Speaker 1: was on the outside looking in. As for free agency,
Speaker 1: I don't think we expect the Bears to be big players,
Speaker 1: not that Ryan Pace wouldn't be interested in signing a
Speaker 1: good player or so. But we know all that kind
Speaker 1: of happened last year. But it'll be interesting to see
Speaker 1: what the Bears do a players they want to resign
Speaker 1: one Bobby Massey, what happens with Adrian Amos Amos excuse
Speaker 1: me and other players. As this offseason, the business season
Speaker 1: really officially kicks off, you know, Jim and Jeff two
Speaker 1: as we can't ignore the Flacco trade of this week
Speaker 1: because we haven't. You know, there's a lot to talk
Speaker 1: about what Vic Fangio is thinking about the future, the
Speaker 1: quarterback position, in the style of offense he's going to run.
Speaker 1: It really surprised me. I thought the RPO offense would
Speaker 1: influence him enough for when his opportunity that came to
Speaker 1: be a head coach, he would have to make that decision.
Speaker 1: And the decision has been made. It's going to be
Speaker 1: interesting how that affects his success or his future as
Speaker 1: a head coach. Because we've been a part of the
Speaker 1: change from from straight drop back to RPO. Think about it,
Speaker 1: though you know John Lay. I mean, is it John
Speaker 1: Elway's decision or was it Vic Fangios the decision. That's
Speaker 1: the big thing. The RPO offense would have been in
Speaker 1: existence when John Elway came out of college. John Elway
Speaker 1: would have run the RPO offense. He was creative with
Speaker 1: his feed, he was a great athlete, and he had
Speaker 1: an arm that was a cannon. So I'm just surprised
Speaker 1: through the transition of time that that deal. Jim, Jim,
Speaker 1: what are you hearing on that one? Well, I think
Speaker 1: Gary Kubiak remember him now with the Minnesota Vikings and
Speaker 1: former head coach of the Broncos. He coached Jill Flacco.
Speaker 1: Remember he was the OC of the Baltimore Ravens before
Speaker 1: he arrived out there in Denver again reuniting with John Elway.
Speaker 1: I think he comes with a really a good scouting
Speaker 1: report from that standpoint, And regardless of what you think
Speaker 1: of Jill Flacco, I know he got paid, but he's
Speaker 1: still one. He won a Super Bowl. He's ten and
Speaker 1: six postseason all time, plus he was Super Bowl MVP.
Speaker 1: I think he's a solid quarterback who's an upgrade. VIC
Speaker 1: Fanjioe coached him or was on that staff the first
Speaker 1: couple of years. I think he, you know, not that
Speaker 1: he remember them as just being a solid guy. I
Speaker 1: think that's who he really really wants to represent his organization.
Speaker 1: He'll make plays. I think he really hasn't had a
Speaker 1: lot of talent around him in Baltimore over the past
Speaker 1: few seasons. Why Joe Flacco's numbers have really suffered, But
Speaker 1: they needed better quarterback play, more solid quarterback play, and
Speaker 1: I think that's what vic Vango was counting on with
Speaker 1: up bringing out Joe Flacco via that trade, an opponent
Speaker 1: the Bears will have on their schedule in Denver in
Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen season. Bears All Access brought to you
Speaker 1: by Igs Energy. You touched on Adrian Amos and I
Speaker 1: do want to talk about him in a couple of
Speaker 1: segments on this because you know, you got all your
Speaker 1: experts kind of ranking free agents at this point, many
Speaker 1: of them as the second or third safety on their list,
Speaker 1: along with Landon Collins and Earl Thomas for covering from
Speaker 1: his injury. You got LaMarcus Joiner on that list, Taryn Matthew,
Speaker 1: Trey Boston, Aha, Clinton Knicks, all kind of free agents
Speaker 1: at safety and what if it's not going to be
Speaker 1: something that they will be able to get done or
Speaker 1: that Adrian would accept, you know, other areas they could
Speaker 1: possibly go. But I'd love if Adrian would come back,
Speaker 1: just to keep that back for on intact. You know, Jeff,
Speaker 1: what do you think do you think at the end
Speaker 1: of the season last year that Kyle Fuller had a
Speaker 1: higher profile than Adrian Amos does at the end of
Speaker 1: the season. Just a quick reaction to that question specifically,
Speaker 1: and then I want to talk a little more. I'm
Speaker 1: not I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. You
Speaker 1: mean in terms of the projection for Kyle having a
Speaker 1: Pro Bowl season, right. Well, you know, so last last year,
Speaker 1: when Kyle was a free agent, he immediately got the
Speaker 1: offer from Green Bay, right and then you know, then
Speaker 1: it kind of started the recognition of yeah, there's gonna
Speaker 1: be teams out there that are looking as Kyle Fuller
Speaker 1: as an asset as the cornerback position, and the Bears
Speaker 1: had to think the same way about him. Now, Adrian Amos,
Speaker 1: does he conclude this season with the profile that Kyle
Speaker 1: did last year or does he have a higher profile
Speaker 1: because you know, he's been doing some really nice things
Speaker 1: on the field the last couple of years. Jim, what's
Speaker 1: the league look at how they look at Adrian? I think, well, one,
Speaker 1: I think that position, no position has been hotter than
Speaker 1: the safety position. Look how quickly all the safeties got
Speaker 1: scooped up a year ago. You know, free agents were
Speaker 1: going everywhere left and right around the National Football League,
Speaker 1: and they probably got paid a little bit higher just
Speaker 1: due to what they're being asked to do more in
Speaker 1: terms of coverage. I mean, even look at the Chargers
Speaker 1: they went with a seven dB look here in the
Speaker 1: postseason and how they played, say against Baltimore, and how
Speaker 1: they shut down Lamar Jackson because they wanted an athlete
Speaker 1: on athlete. Really Tom's point about the RPO offenses and
Speaker 1: mobile quarterbacks that are now around the NFL, I think
Speaker 1: there'll be a market for amos out there. I think
Speaker 1: safeties have been hot, and then it's really the choice
Speaker 1: of the Bears. If it gets too pricey, the Bears
Speaker 1: will probably take themselves out of the mix. Because if
Speaker 1: you're looking for a position that's really deep in the draft,
Speaker 1: I think the safety position is it. There's good defensive
Speaker 1: backs in this draft from safeties corners that are here.
Speaker 1: I saw a couple of them down at the Reesa's
Speaker 1: Senior Bowl. Really like Nasir Adderley, the kid out of
Speaker 1: down Hello, where he's six foot two hundred pounds, Darnel Sabatt,
Speaker 1: one defensive player of the week down there at the
Speaker 1: Reesa's Senior Bowl. He's out of Maryland, five to eleven,
Speaker 1: two hundred pounds. That's kind of in the same frame
Speaker 1: and mold of Adrian Amos. So there's a lot of
Speaker 1: talented guys where if the Bears field that it gets
Speaker 1: too pricey, that they won't match that offer in free
Speaker 1: agency for Adrian Amos, then I think there's gonna be
Speaker 1: plenty of players available available for them via the draft.
Speaker 1: All right, we gotta take our first break here on
Speaker 1: Bears All Access. Jeff Jony Act, Tom Fair, and Jim
Speaker 1: Miller with you. Coming up, we'll hear from Bobby Massey,
Speaker 1: the Bears veteran right tackle uncaus he lays down some
Speaker 1: roots here with the Chicago Bears in his new contract extensions.
Speaker 1: All coming up next here on Chicago Sports Radio six
Speaker 1: seventy to score. Welcome back to Bears All Access, brought
Speaker 1: to you by IGS Energy, a proud and partner of
Speaker 1: the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, and home warranty
Speaker 1: products to over one million customers across the country. Learn
Speaker 1: more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff Jony Act,
Speaker 1: Tom There and Jim Miller with you here on Chicago
Speaker 1: Sports Radio seventy to score and pleased to be joined
Speaker 1: by starting right tackle Bobby Massy of the Chicago Bears. Bobby,
Speaker 1: good evening and congratulations on your new contract extension. And
Speaker 1: I know I talked to you, Oh, I don't know when.
Speaker 1: It was, maybe late November, and just you know, theorizing
Speaker 1: about you know, your impact here and what it would
Speaker 1: mean to stay here, and you were all all about
Speaker 1: wanting to stay with the Chicago Bears. It seems to
Speaker 1: be a great fit for you in that locker room
Speaker 1: with that group of guys in this system, and the
Speaker 1: Bears see it that way too. Congratulations. Oh, thank you,
Speaker 1: Thank you a lot. And I'd like to say thank
Speaker 1: you for having me on myself. Yeah, what do you what? How?
Speaker 1: How exciting was it for you to get it done
Speaker 1: so quickly and let the world for me to get
Speaker 1: it done because I didn't want to leave Chicago Chicago
Speaker 1: is where I wanted to be. You know, I got
Speaker 1: here three years ago and and the team wasn't what
Speaker 1: it was from the last game we played, and I
Speaker 1: just didn't want to I didn't want to miss that,
Speaker 1: you know, because this team's gonna be good. The super
Speaker 1: Bowl is coming to the team, and I didn't I
Speaker 1: just didn't want to leave Chicago. On that note, Hey, Bobby, congratulations.
Speaker 1: I want to just backtrack a little bit because when
Speaker 1: I was reading about you, I was a fourth round
Speaker 1: draft choice. You are a fourth round draft choice, but
Speaker 1: you came out after your junior year. So when you
Speaker 1: look back at some of these young guys coming out
Speaker 1: of college, would that one more year given you more
Speaker 1: experience to become maybe a first rounder or or was
Speaker 1: it just that you felt like you had matured enough
Speaker 1: in college you and you were ready for the NFL opportunity.
Speaker 1: At this point in my career, I could say, I
Speaker 1: could say maybe saying an extra year would have help
Speaker 1: help my game a little more for the NFL level.
Speaker 1: But you know, at this point getting I got the
Speaker 1: chance of starry as a rookie coming to the NFL,
Speaker 1: and I played sixteen games, So I mean it wouldn't.
Speaker 1: It wasn't a great sixteen games, but I got to
Speaker 1: play of the rookies. But you've always played, you know,
Speaker 1: everywhere you've been, you know, coming here to the Bears,
Speaker 1: look at your track record here. So I mean that's
Speaker 1: the thing about it is, even going back to college,
Speaker 1: you are a regular player. Yeah. Well, Bobby, Jim Miller here,
Speaker 1: congratulations and welcome back to Chicago. Didn't want to see
Speaker 1: it go, but man, just how you've developed as a player.
Speaker 1: You know, everybody's is shedding labels, and I remember everybody's saying, hey,
Speaker 1: Bobby Mass he struggles against the speed rushers. I didn't
Speaker 1: see that this past year. What how is? How is
Speaker 1: Harry he stand really helped your game and how you've
Speaker 1: gotten better with everything you've worked out? Uh, coach here,
Speaker 1: he's a great coach. He's one of the best coaches
Speaker 1: I've had and going on my eight year career, and
Speaker 1: he just makes you work. Man, he brings the best
Speaker 1: out of you. It's he kind of reminds me of
Speaker 1: a college coach because he has that mentality and he
Speaker 1: doesn't he didn't care what year you are, how much
Speaker 1: money you make, and he's gonna He's gonna bring the
Speaker 1: best out of you. Hey, Bobby, I'm big on following
Speaker 1: the careers of offensive linemen most of because Tom Thare
Speaker 1: always talks about it in great detail, but you know,
Speaker 1: just the types of penalties that are called on players
Speaker 1: and things like false starts and holding penalties and just
Speaker 1: the mental part of the game. And man, the last
Speaker 1: two years, it has really been impressive how you have
Speaker 1: really not been bothered at all with the flags. Yeah,
Speaker 1: no holding penalties in twenty eighteen and that's the first
Speaker 1: time in your career, not that you've had many, but
Speaker 1: no holding penalties in twenty eighteen for a team that
Speaker 1: didn't have a lot of holding penalties this season? What
Speaker 1: do you attribute that to? And it does it have
Speaker 1: any impact on the fact that you guys were all
Speaker 1: together for the entire season for the most part. Kyle
Speaker 1: Long reinserted there at the end of the season. But
Speaker 1: what's the impact of the fewest number of holding penalties
Speaker 1: I think in the National Football League as a unit
Speaker 1: and you yourself not getting one. I think number one
Speaker 1: that has to do with the guys being there, the
Speaker 1: same unit being there all season and basically, besides Kyle
Speaker 1: be half part of it, and the coachy stand you know,
Speaker 1: his blocking method the way he came He came in
Speaker 1: and you know he had this philosophy knuckles up block,
Speaker 1: and he didn't one of us grabbing guys and just
Speaker 1: have us driving our feet every every single day. You know,
Speaker 1: we do the same drills one hundred miles an hour
Speaker 1: every single day. And so that coach, he staying that
Speaker 1: all that credit goes to him. Hey, Bobo, when you
Speaker 1: talk about the drills that you do every day, because
Speaker 1: it's kind of a monotonous living to be an offensive lineman,
Speaker 1: you do the same things. But what about you throughout
Speaker 1: your career because you kind of come in the NFL
Speaker 1: and you have a stationary stand up quarterback, seven step drops,
Speaker 1: a lot of responsibility of single blocks for the offensive tackles.
Speaker 1: But now you're an athlete man, you're RPO, you're all
Speaker 1: over the field, you're pulling and everything. What's changed about
Speaker 1: your game specifically from the two offenses that you've lived
Speaker 1: through so far. I'd just say I had to become
Speaker 1: I've had to come more versatile because you know, I've
Speaker 1: been coming from Bruce arians you know, when I was
Speaker 1: with him, it was all straight drop backs. You know,
Speaker 1: if the run went there early, you know who was
Speaker 1: going to throw the ball sixty sixty times a game.
Speaker 1: And so this is something in being first in Chicago.
Speaker 1: My first couple of years here, all we did was
Speaker 1: basically run the ball. So I mean, I've just look
Speaker 1: conversed though, being in different offenses and being in different
Speaker 1: schemes well, durability too. When you look at it from
Speaker 1: from your standpoint, forty six out of forty eight games
Speaker 1: you started as a Chicago bearer, what has been your
Speaker 1: off season regiment? Because man, you're you're The durability that
Speaker 1: you display has been phenomenal from the bearer's standpoint, Yeah,
Speaker 1: not gonna would for that, but you know, I just
Speaker 1: I just trained a lot in the off season. You know,
Speaker 1: as soon as the season was over, I take two
Speaker 1: two three weeks off and I started back training, do
Speaker 1: a lot of yoga and stretching. Um, it's been pretty
Speaker 1: much luck. You know, I can't really say it's everything
Speaker 1: I'm doing the off season, all right. Bobby Massy, our
Speaker 1: guest here on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports Radio
Speaker 1: six seventy to score kind enough to join us here
Speaker 1: this evening and you know. Yet you got me very
Speaker 1: excited when you said this, This thing is a super
Speaker 1: Bowl bound and obviously it could have happened this year.
Speaker 1: A lot of people felt maybe I had a schedule,
Speaker 1: but the season was so much fun. I could see
Speaker 1: it on your face from the time you got here,
Speaker 1: from the time I see you then to now. Just
Speaker 1: your disposition and your your approach and your presence in
Speaker 1: that locker room is so different when than you got
Speaker 1: here and you came off a winning team at Arizona,
Speaker 1: one of the few guys on this roster that had
Speaker 1: won in any kind of a playoff scenario until this year.
Speaker 1: You must know what it feels like then, you know,
Speaker 1: you see it. You know what it felt like in
Speaker 1: Arizona and how it all came together? Do you do?
Speaker 1: You definitely see that here now and where you guys
Speaker 1: are going and using this past season as a platform
Speaker 1: to the future. Oh, I definitely see that, you know.
Speaker 1: Unfortunately I haven't made it to the show, but you
Speaker 1: know I've I've been one game away and this team,
Speaker 1: man is, we can do some incredible things with the
Speaker 1: guys that we have, and I'm sore the additions that
Speaker 1: we're gonna make a off season and we're going to
Speaker 1: be in stoppable. If you look at all the games
Speaker 1: that we were just in this past season, we were
Speaker 1: in every single game, and unfortunately we came up short
Speaker 1: on a few. But you know the team that in
Speaker 1: the future is going to be forced to be recommenced. Hey, Bobby,
Speaker 1: when you look at the future and you think about
Speaker 1: this past year, you got a new system, you got
Speaker 1: a new head coach, a new position coach, and then
Speaker 1: you play with Kyle Long, Eric Cush and Brian Witzman.
Speaker 1: When so you're you're trying to learn the system yourself,
Speaker 1: You're trying to understand the terminology perfectly, and then you're
Speaker 1: trying to communicate with a guy every other week. How
Speaker 1: difficult was that experience for you until you were able
Speaker 1: to master or understand the system as well as you
Speaker 1: did at the end of the year. I mean, it
Speaker 1: wasn't it wasn't super hard. You know, me and all
Speaker 1: those guys, we stayed stayed after extra and after practice
Speaker 1: doing drills, and we came in early before meeting study plays,
Speaker 1: and you know, all of us have a real great relationship.
Speaker 1: So wouldn't wouldn't as hard as as you would think, Well,
Speaker 1: from your standpoint, Bobby, you've been around veteran quarterbacks and
Speaker 1: now you're seeing Mitchell Trubisky growing in what areas did
Speaker 1: you see him grow and challenge himself? Because it just
Speaker 1: seems like it was it was night and day from
Speaker 1: where he started to where he finished as the Bear
Speaker 1: starting quarterback. Yeah. I think his decision making, you know,
Speaker 1: that was one of the things I noticed the most
Speaker 1: from missus rookie years to the last year and the
Speaker 1: command he took over over the offense um. There was
Speaker 1: a lot of pressure coming in from him, from him
Speaker 1: being a high draft pick and being a basically the
Speaker 1: starting quarterback of the NFL team and coming into the
Speaker 1: huddle with a bunch of growing man and expecting to
Speaker 1: leave us. So that I knew. I noticed once Ota
Speaker 1: is a mini camp that you know, Mitch, Mitch stepped up.
Speaker 1: You know, he grew appairing over the off season. He
Speaker 1: basically became a man, and it was great to see
Speaker 1: because miss is gonna be a great quarterback. They are.
Speaker 1: There a lot of guys on that roster that became
Speaker 1: men in twenty eighteen. Oh, definitely, definitely, definitely, Well, James
Speaker 1: Daniels was one. Yeah, James Daniels, let's talk about that guy. Oh,
Speaker 1: James is a great guy. Don't judge book cover when
Speaker 1: it cover to James. He might be a laid back, cool,
Speaker 1: laid back guy, but he'll say your head off on
Speaker 1: the field. All right, Bobby, we're gonna let you go,
Speaker 1: but before we do, you're an old miss. You're an
Speaker 1: old miss. Guy you played in Mississippi. They've got a
Speaker 1: bunch of guys coming out among the you know, all
Speaker 1: the Power of five conferences, a lot of representation of
Speaker 1: the scouting gun by coming up here in a couple
Speaker 1: of weeks. But I saw a photo of DK Metcalf.
Speaker 1: They're their outstanding receiver. He looks like um, a combination
Speaker 1: of Calvin Johnson, uh Khalil Mack in terms of his body.
Speaker 1: Did you see that Twitter photo of DK Metcalf, young
Speaker 1: receiver coming out of Mississippi. Are you aware of him? Yeah?
Speaker 1: You look unbelievable. On the seat that said he's two twenty,
Speaker 1: But I called BF on that ball is two forty unbelievable.
Speaker 1: A little known fact, but Terrence Metcalf's son Tom Terrence
Speaker 1: Metcalf of this former Chicago Bear offensive Lineman, escape the
Speaker 1: cold and head to the U Palace. Kastamjaris and cancoon
Speaker 1: with your favorite Bears players, including Prince of Mukamara, Roquan Smith,
Speaker 1: and but A'll Nichols. Bust Inside the Bears hosts Laurence
Speaker 1: Greeden and Anthony Adams, visit Apple Vacations dot Com Slash
Speaker 1: Bears to a book today. Back with you, Tom Thayer,
Speaker 1: Jim Miller, Jeff Joniac on Bears All Access. Just finished
Speaker 1: our conversation with Bobby Massey, and you know, I really
Speaker 1: I want to emphasize again just how his personality has
Speaker 1: changed since the time he arrived in Chicago as a
Speaker 1: free agent signee and to where he's at right now,
Speaker 1: and a lot has gone in the right direction. From
Speaker 1: Bobby Masson and Jim you mentioned it to the durability
Speaker 1: has been outstanding. Tommy's cleaned up his game and he's
Speaker 1: become a very important part of this offensive line. Thought
Speaker 1: on what he had to say tonight, well, you know,
Speaker 1: I'd love the fact that Harry Heastead was able to
Speaker 1: take him and mold him into the player that that
Speaker 1: he was going to benefit the use of his size
Speaker 1: with his offense, and that is a big change because
Speaker 1: when you go to those Bruce Arians where you have
Speaker 1: a lot of responsibility, you don't have a lot of help,
Speaker 1: and you don't have a lot of versatility within your offense.
Speaker 1: If you fail with the run men, you go exclusive passing.
Speaker 1: That even puts it even more pressure on Bobby Massey.
Speaker 1: You know, I like where Bobby Massey has earned all
Speaker 1: of our respect because when he came here and you
Speaker 1: have a lacking supporting cast that you know, sometimes it
Speaker 1: you don't look like the player you really are. But
Speaker 1: when he comes in here and he learns that new system,
Speaker 1: dedicates himself, plays with three different left guards, four different
Speaker 1: tight ends, and h backs and stuff, I'm really I'm
Speaker 1: happy the Bears went out and signed him, and I'm
Speaker 1: glad he's here because that continuity amongst the offensive line
Speaker 1: is as important as any position out there. And he's
Speaker 1: just his continue to get better. Like I said, you're
Speaker 1: shedding labels. You know again, I think you know speed
Speaker 1: rushers were a big problem with him, and I didn't
Speaker 1: see it this past year. Now, whether it's the techniques
Speaker 1: and here he mentioned just going through those drills every day,
Speaker 1: it's becomes rope memory. But He's played a lot of
Speaker 1: football and he's been durable. The last two years in Arizona,
Speaker 1: he missed two games, and he's only missed two games
Speaker 1: as a Chicago Bears. So I think he's out there practicing,
Speaker 1: he's honing his craft. He's turned into a two true
Speaker 1: pro now, like he said, had some issues there at Arizona,
Speaker 1: has cleaned all that up and just continues to get
Speaker 1: better as a football player. And why the Bears probably
Speaker 1: felt very comfortable about giving him an extension. It's been
Speaker 1: a durable player who has produced every single week. You know,
Speaker 1: Jim Well, you think how fortunate they are to have
Speaker 1: the two offensive tackles in the center that come out
Speaker 1: there and they start each week because if you look
Speaker 1: at the rotation or the offensive guards in there, and
Speaker 1: you have to include the tight ends because of the
Speaker 1: tackles work with them and with frequency that those three
Speaker 1: guys did a great job, along with Harry Heastead, of
Speaker 1: keeping that offensive line to gather and productive. Because you
Speaker 1: talk about the development of James Daniels, and he was
Speaker 1: really consistent at the left guard position, and then you
Speaker 1: have all the change at a moment's notice at the
Speaker 1: right guard position and you know the center and the
Speaker 1: guys that are there. They have to live and they
Speaker 1: have to grow with those guys. And when you talk
Speaker 1: about the difficulty of going into in some environments that
Speaker 1: you can't verbally communicate throughout the course of a game,
Speaker 1: it is more impressive what those guys did. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: a good point because if you look at the past
Speaker 1: couple of teams in the Super Bowl, I think it
Speaker 1: was two years ago Atlanta, all five of their starting
Speaker 1: offensive lineman played every single game all the way up
Speaker 1: to in the same last year for the Rams, none
Speaker 1: of their starters missed. And like you said to Tom here,
Speaker 1: they go into a harsh environment there in New Orleans
Speaker 1: in the Superdome, dealing with all the crowd, noise and
Speaker 1: all those type of things. But that group was a
Speaker 1: very cohesive unit. And the Patriots as well. Granted they
Speaker 1: had to bring over Trent Brown and made him a
Speaker 1: left tackle for the New England Patriots, but they didn't
Speaker 1: have a lot of disruption with their offensive light either.
Speaker 1: So typically, if you're solid in the trenches, normally those
Speaker 1: teams advanced pretty far come playoff times. It's one of
Speaker 1: the great markers, right, you always look at that by
Speaker 1: the end of the season and you had to December
Speaker 1: if that offensive line has been able to stay healthy,
Speaker 1: Brian Large, you can point to that fact as one
Speaker 1: of the reasons why a team is headed to the
Speaker 1: postseason and why they're starting to emerge in December. And
Speaker 1: of course there are other reasons, but it's a heck
Speaker 1: of a place to start, and I hope that will
Speaker 1: be the case, you know, because the Bears did get
Speaker 1: pretty fortunate in twenty eighteen with injuries team wide, and
Speaker 1: you know, you hope that continues. It's never a guarantee, obviously,
Speaker 1: and all the different things that have been changed under
Speaker 1: Mattneggie and Ryan Pace, you know, redeveloping what they did
Speaker 1: in the training department, nutrition and whatnot the last couple
Speaker 1: of years. I hope that will continue in the right direction.
Speaker 1: I want to go back to what we were joking
Speaker 1: around about that DK metcalf pick here. Obviously he's gonna
Speaker 1: be a first round pick, but we're not joking. I mean,
Speaker 1: this guy is Ace Besseman. I don't even know who
Speaker 1: to compare him to. Body Tap. I thought they might.
Speaker 1: I thought they had the guy the wrong guy. I
Speaker 1: thought it's a different person playing that position. My goodness. Well,
Speaker 1: I was with the Bears when they drafted Terrence Metcalf.
Speaker 1: He was the third round selection. He played Hey, he
Speaker 1: played quite a bit for the Chica and he was
Speaker 1: a terrific Oh great guy, terrific guy, terrific player, terrific everything.
Speaker 1: But I had no idea that was his son either.
Speaker 1: But to me, as soon as I saw him, I
Speaker 1: was thinking David Boston. He's six three, two hundred and
Speaker 1: thirty pounds. He is an absolute beast as a wide receiver,
Speaker 1: just ripped up and yoked and everything that you think about.
Speaker 1: But like anything else, I was funny because I was
Speaker 1: following Jim Naggy on Twitter, who was the executive director
Speaker 1: of the REESA Senior Bowl. Anytime you see a receiver
Speaker 1: that big, you just want to see how flexible they are,
Speaker 1: and you know, with how bulked up he is, he
Speaker 1: maintains that flexibility. Man, this is a fantastic receiver. You know,
Speaker 1: They'm not a Mississippi the big receiver down for the
Speaker 1: Tampa Bay Bucks like Mike Evans. You know Mike Evans
Speaker 1: and Boston. You know, Boston never was the threat, the
Speaker 1: receiver that played to a size and played to that
Speaker 1: size burst that he had throughout his career. But the
Speaker 1: guy down in Tampa, he is everything to a size
Speaker 1: and if if they match up the right quarterback with
Speaker 1: him down there now with Bruce arians that guy, he
Speaker 1: can be as special as any receiver out there. So
Speaker 1: it's interesting to see it. Does the size and the
Speaker 1: snapshots always, you know, do they fit the player? Yeah? Granted,
Speaker 1: well Boston was kind of a flash in the pan.
Speaker 1: But if you remember probably the biggest receiver that kind
Speaker 1: of started that trend and he sat out, remember ten
Speaker 1: weeks for the San Diego Chargers, then the San Diego
Speaker 1: Chargers at that point, Vincent Jackson. Ye remember him. I
Speaker 1: mean that guy was a hell of a receiver, ended
Speaker 1: up sitting out, still got paid by Tampa and then
Speaker 1: he was a huge red zone threat six five, two thirty.
Speaker 1: Same thing. I was a bigger you know. It's like
Speaker 1: that Benjamin guy. Now, you know the Benjamin that I
Speaker 1: was traded and cut a couple of times this season.
Speaker 1: I'm and he's as big as anybody out there in
Speaker 1: terms of a receiver, but he's not productive to equate
Speaker 1: to his size and his ability. Yeah, and despite all
Speaker 1: that yeah, sixty seven combined catches in college for DK Metcalf.
Speaker 1: He had some injury issues and whatnot, so but a
Speaker 1: great specimen. And that's where you get in trouble, right
Speaker 1: Jim with the evaluation sometimes, uh, the old underwear Olympic
Speaker 1: thing kicks in a little bit. I mean he can play.
Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say he looked like Tarzan, play like Jane,
Speaker 1: but yeah, you gotta be weird. It's all about the
Speaker 1: tape how they line up and play football. But man,
Speaker 1: he was a productive player. Hey, if you didn't, if
Speaker 1: you didn't have to have tape, you sign you saying
Speaker 1: bolt right now would be at the top of the
Speaker 1: list of all wide receiver categories after his four two
Speaker 1: two right right? Well where Aldini amayah he was. He
Speaker 1: got a couple of coffee in the National Football League
Speaker 1: with the forty nine ers as a tracks I remember
Speaker 1: him tell yeah, all right, we gotta we gotta step
Speaker 1: away here on Bears All Access Jim and Tom and
Speaker 1: Jeff with you coming back here on Chicago Sports Radio
Speaker 1: six seventy to score This week on Inside the Bears,
Speaker 1: Terik Cohen and Benny Cunningham, work is undercover Baggers at
Speaker 1: Jewel Osco Way. Hey, well, not a minute here Inside
Speaker 1: the Bears there Saturdays at six pm on CW fifty
Speaker 1: Chicago and Sundays at ten thirty five pm on Fox
Speaker 1: thirty two Chicago. You can also watch show segments online
Speaker 1: at Chicago Bears dot com around the Chicago Bears Official
Speaker 1: app anytime Jeff, Joni actim there, Jim Miller with our
Speaker 1: producer Tony Gilhurb Lawrence helping us out as well. Hey,
Speaker 1: you know, I laugh about that. But this team now
Speaker 1: has personalities that really emerge when they go out outside
Speaker 1: the lines, when they're out there in public. There's some
Speaker 1: really good natured guys fellas. Some guys are great personalities,
Speaker 1: which I think now they're you know, with Matt Naggi's
Speaker 1: permission of bu they can be themselves. And it's fun
Speaker 1: to watch these guys interact with the with the fans
Speaker 1: and in variety of ways. You know, Jeff. That's unique
Speaker 1: to Chicago is the communities accept the players that live
Speaker 1: in their areas, and I think they feel very comfortable
Speaker 1: in their skin here in the city of Chicago and
Speaker 1: wherever they live, and so the longer they're around here,
Speaker 1: the more they're embraced by the community and the people
Speaker 1: and the fans, and the more comfortable they are. I
Speaker 1: think the Bears are really fortunate to have a coach
Speaker 1: like Matt Maggie that exposes the fans, the fun that
Speaker 1: they have after wins and everything else. That goes into
Speaker 1: not only a young group of guys, but a young
Speaker 1: group of guys that can have a positive effect on
Speaker 1: some older guys that have been around the NFL a
Speaker 1: little bit. Yeah, it just you know, it just seems
Speaker 1: like the players they all have, you know, maybe a
Speaker 1: cause that's that's near and dear to their heart, and
Speaker 1: they want to do good things in the community. And
Speaker 1: I'm with Tom, I think one as young as the
Speaker 1: team is and I don't want to keep on beating
Speaker 1: on the same drum, but they display a level of maturity.
Speaker 1: You know, when you just sit down and you talk
Speaker 1: to these guys, they keep things in perspective. They know
Speaker 1: what's important, they know what's you know, what's a waste
Speaker 1: of their time. They know what they want to do,
Speaker 1: you know, personally not only on the foot wall field,
Speaker 1: but things they want to accomplish off the field. And
Speaker 1: I think overall it's just a general good perspective of
Speaker 1: a lot of guys who have high character, have good
Speaker 1: head on their shoulders, that are going to make the
Speaker 1: right decisions and know what's important to them. You know
Speaker 1: what's amazing too, You think of the player's frame of
Speaker 1: mind from a year ago to right now. So now
Speaker 1: they've been exposed to success, from what they came off
Speaker 1: of a couple of years ago to the success they
Speaker 1: are able to achieve and to accomplish this year, and
Speaker 1: then you kind of look, like Bobby Massey said that
Speaker 1: they are their super Bowl belief on this football team.
Speaker 1: You think of the players minds just a year, a
Speaker 1: year ago to now, how much stronger and how much
Speaker 1: more positive the feeling is around here because of the
Speaker 1: uncertainty they were going to face last year. I think
Speaker 1: they're I mean, they were hungry, but they just didn't
Speaker 1: tell you about it. You could hear it through the grapevine,
Speaker 1: you could see it on their faces. I go back
Speaker 1: to what Mitch Drubisky said at the outset of the
Speaker 1: season about how they will they will win. Didn't say win,
Speaker 1: but they will win, And I just think that he
Speaker 1: kind of set the tone for the belief. But then
Speaker 1: they go out and start practicing with each other, as
Speaker 1: you guys and your respective eras with the Bears, you
Speaker 1: knew when you were going to be good, and you
Speaker 1: knew when maybe things were not going to be as good.
Speaker 1: They knew it. And now I believe, and I run
Speaker 1: into a couple of guys already this week. They are hungry.
Speaker 1: They're still hungry. They are not, by any stretch of
Speaker 1: the imagination, satisfied. No, I don't know, Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1: I don't think when they talk it's not cheap, you
Speaker 1: know what I mean. I do think they believe that,
Speaker 1: and I think they'll continue to put in the work
Speaker 1: that is necessary. And again the cautionary tale is Jacksonville.
Speaker 1: They were talking all kinds of smack here this offseason,
Speaker 1: and then you had the veteran player Klais Campbell, and
Speaker 1: you had players like Malik Jackson saying, hey, guys, we
Speaker 1: haven't done anything. Granted, we made it to the AFC
Speaker 1: Championship Game a year ago against New England, but it
Speaker 1: doesn't mean anything here. In twenty eighteen, and lo and behold,
Speaker 1: the immaturity of other positions of that team started to
Speaker 1: show themselves. They didn't work Leonard Fournette. Look, look, they
Speaker 1: just banged him for seven million dollars due to his
Speaker 1: lack of work it out and he even said he
Speaker 1: was out of shape and all the things that that happened.
Speaker 1: I don't see that level of immaturity for the Bearers.
Speaker 1: I think these players will put their money where their
Speaker 1: mouth is. They'll put in the work that is necessary
Speaker 1: to accomplish the goals that they feel that they are
Speaker 1: talented enough to achieve as a football team. You know,
Speaker 1: to have a conversation that has the word satisfied in
Speaker 1: it is almost illegal because you are satisfied of nothing.
Speaker 1: You have accomplished nothing. Yes, you're on the right road
Speaker 1: to have some great accomplishments in your personal, professional, and
Speaker 1: team life. But in terms of have any satisfaction results
Speaker 1: from this season that I think that would be unfair
Speaker 1: at every Bear fan out there because not to you know,
Speaker 1: harp on it, but when you think of that misfield
Speaker 1: goal at the end of the game, that was one
Speaker 1: of the most disappointing moments in the in the history
Speaker 1: of the Bears. Yeah, no question, and every team you
Speaker 1: see see the highlights, you know, they're just a lot
Speaker 1: of jaw drops. From players, coaches, fans and whatnot. From
Speaker 1: that situation, Jeff and Tom and Jim Miller with you
Speaker 1: here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score before
Speaker 1: we go to break. You know, there was all sorts
Speaker 1: of discussion about growth and how quickly this team will grow. So,
Speaker 1: you know, Tom, were they ahead of schedule? I mean
Speaker 1: the growth now has come with significant expectations for twenty nineteen. Well,
Speaker 1: I talked about the uncertainty of the players a year ago,
Speaker 1: and there I think the same uncertainty we're in the
Speaker 1: minds of all of us because we are having conversations
Speaker 1: and we didn't know a lot about what the future
Speaker 1: and how positive it was going to be. So now
Speaker 1: are we kind of ignorant to realize that the growth
Speaker 1: process it takes time. The development of this offense takes time.
Speaker 1: But because they did so well this year, are we
Speaker 1: pulling one year completely away from them and saying, all right,
Speaker 1: we're taking this year or growth away from you. We
Speaker 1: need the expectations at all of us had when you
Speaker 1: know we are watching the playoff game this year. Yeah, there,
Speaker 1: you know, there's certain areas that still have to sort
Speaker 1: itself out. You got a new defensive coordinator. How is
Speaker 1: Chuck Pagano gonna call plays? You know, is he going
Speaker 1: to do things differently? We kind of discussed that with
Speaker 1: what the talent's there, I think we understand that, but
Speaker 1: the injury front players got to step up, much like
Speaker 1: they did a year ago. Bryce Callahan went down, Sherick
Speaker 1: McManus came in, played brilliantly with how we perform and
Speaker 1: that that needs to continue and everybody still needs to
Speaker 1: strive for more. They have the talent to do it.
Speaker 1: Now it's about taking the next step and gelling again
Speaker 1: as a team. And there's always going to be the
Speaker 1: ebb and flows of the defense, or ebbs and flows
Speaker 1: of the season, i should say, and how they adjust
Speaker 1: to that, because we talked about the coach was very
Speaker 1: good about the messaging to get the team ready to
Speaker 1: play and fired up to be in all those games
Speaker 1: a season ago that could have gone either way, and
Speaker 1: unfortunately the last one, like you said, a kick away
Speaker 1: from moving forward or moving further in the playoffs. So
Speaker 1: we'll see if that can continue. But definitely the talent
Speaker 1: is zero, but more growth is necessary because that's a
Speaker 1: young football team that will continue to get better if
Speaker 1: they strive to do so. Time for another break here
Speaker 1: on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Jim Miller,
Speaker 1: Jeff Jony Aac and Tom There with you on Bears
Speaker 1: All Access. Back in a moment, Double break your newest
Speaker 1: little Bears fan with the Chicago Bears Crip Club, brought
Speaker 1: to you by PNC and no jokes, Tom, I know
Speaker 1: what you're thinking. To receive exclusive items and offers for
Speaker 1: children ages zero to four, visit Chicago Bears dot com
Speaker 1: slash Crib Club. Jeff Joniac, Tom There and Jim Miller.
Speaker 1: It is awesome to get these young Bears fans on
Speaker 1: board right now. You know, experience the winning feeling going on.
Speaker 1: This is where you grow your fans. Man. When they
Speaker 1: start young, they get excited about it and there there
Speaker 1: are There is major excitement about the Chicago Bears. I
Speaker 1: was at the Auto Show this past week. I had
Speaker 1: to do a broadcast for WBBM. I was floored how
Speaker 1: many Bears jerseys there were, and weren't a lot of
Speaker 1: baseball jerseys. There weren't a lot of It was Bears Bears,
Speaker 1: all ages, but all different types of people. It's the
Speaker 1: foundation that they're raised around because you know, in my family,
Speaker 1: I have a great nephew already I'm getting old, and
Speaker 1: all my niece, so John Henry, you know, he's surrounded
Speaker 1: by Bears and all the kids and my family of
Speaker 1: my nieces and my nephews and sisters and brothers. The
Speaker 1: foundation that you grow up around. And you see that
Speaker 1: when you do have a year and the reflection of
Speaker 1: it is as years of backing. And then you have
Speaker 1: this whole new generation of kids that are introduced to
Speaker 1: the Bears and in such a positive way. And you
Speaker 1: know what's interesting, it's it's like this team how you know,
Speaker 1: I think nationwide, you know, they kind of took hold
Speaker 1: when they started celebrating as a team, you know, whether
Speaker 1: defense and offense, when they scored in certain things and
Speaker 1: the you know, the the acts that they commit with
Speaker 1: to celebrate in the enzoe. But that's what I love
Speaker 1: is that they're celebrating this team. You know, Dictor, I
Speaker 1: never forget this Dictorond you used to always say that,
Speaker 1: you know, it's it's never about you, it's about your team.
Speaker 1: Go celebrate with your teammates. So when defense made a
Speaker 1: good play, they celebrate his team. When offense made a
Speaker 1: good play. They celebrated his team and then they carried
Speaker 1: it over to the sideline. Kind of reminded me of
Speaker 1: Tom Thayer in the Super Bowl Shuffle. They kind of celebrate, yeah,
Speaker 1: as a team is well. I gotta, I gotta. I
Speaker 1: meant to ask you guys this a couple of segments ago.
Speaker 1: We're talking about, you know, what guys are doing out
Speaker 1: on their own and helping out the organization and their
Speaker 1: own charitable foundations and whatnot, and just the community service.
Speaker 1: It's definitely changed now in this era of sports, not
Speaker 1: just the NFL, because it's it's this way for all
Speaker 1: thirty two teams tuesdays of the regular season. You're out
Speaker 1: there and you're in the community. Were you guys asked
Speaker 1: to do a lot of that stuff in your respective
Speaker 1: careers with your respective teams or did you find the
Speaker 1: time to do it, did you feel you needed to
Speaker 1: do it, or were you just so football focused that
Speaker 1: that wasn't a big part of your respective profile. I mean,
Speaker 1: you had a request that came in every week that
Speaker 1: you could fill your calendar with. I think what you
Speaker 1: had to really do is gravitate towards something that was
Speaker 1: important to you, to you know, gravitate towards something that
Speaker 1: was a factor in your life and in depending upon
Speaker 1: how much time you had during the season, there wasn't
Speaker 1: a lot of time that you could dedicate to that,
Speaker 1: but there's enough time in the offseason where you see
Speaker 1: these events that happened. These players travel to the different
Speaker 1: countries now and go all over the place in order
Speaker 1: to support what did you do events? My mom and
Speaker 1: I were have you involved in the Special Olympics. She
Speaker 1: was working for McDonald's at the time. They were involved
Speaker 1: in it, and that's what we did. We supported it
Speaker 1: in our community and we went to different events that
Speaker 1: they had in the different areas surrounding Joliet. Yeah, there's
Speaker 1: there's a tough things. Those requests come in every week,
Speaker 1: and I think Tom will back me up to those too.
Speaker 1: A lot of players may ask you, hey, you know,
Speaker 1: I'm holding this event, this is what is for, this
Speaker 1: is what I believe in, and you want to help
Speaker 1: out your teammates as well, especially if it's a cause
Speaker 1: that you believe in also, so a lot of times,
Speaker 1: you know, I remember t Washington asked me to do
Speaker 1: some things or donate towards his cause, or Tony Medlin,
Speaker 1: who I believe in in his cause of of the
Speaker 1: coach drive. He one year he asked me to represent that,
Speaker 1: and hey, heck, yeah, I'm all. I'm all in Tony.
Speaker 1: You know, when can I be down there? When can
Speaker 1: I speak? Or you're going out to schools to maybe
Speaker 1: speak or read stories to to kids, So those requests
Speaker 1: are always there, but it's got to be you know.
Speaker 1: I think something that is, you know, worthy, near and
Speaker 1: dear to your heart and what you believe in certainly
Speaker 1: brings you much more joy and how you want to
Speaker 1: really effectively use your time, I believe. But I think
Speaker 1: players are very generous with their time, especially with other
Speaker 1: teammates and helping them out with their causes as well,
Speaker 1: and also the causes that you believe in. Pet Well,
Speaker 1: it's harder for quarterbacks to find the time too, you know. Well,
Speaker 1: look like Tom says I, and I know I know
Speaker 1: a lot of Chicago Bears have done that, Like you said,
Speaker 1: travel abroad. I don't know if I could have done that.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I could have blocked out the time.
Speaker 1: You try to do that for the cause of your
Speaker 1: teammates to let them know how I got your back.
Speaker 1: But you know, if you're you're married, you got kids,
Speaker 1: sometimes that that's tough to do, uh from that standpoint,
Speaker 1: So you do what you can. You try to be
Speaker 1: a good teammate, you try to do great things in
Speaker 1: your community, and I think, like anything else, you want
Speaker 1: to be a solid citizen. Certainly the you know, the
Speaker 1: community that you live in, especially the older you get
Speaker 1: as a player and your your kids are involved in
Speaker 1: school systems and all those things, and certain things take
Speaker 1: a different priority than from when you were probably a
Speaker 1: younger player, you know, single and not married and didn't
Speaker 1: have kids. It definitely changes during the course of your career,
Speaker 1: you know what you know, it changes even more after
Speaker 1: your career is over. You know, Jim, because you know,
Speaker 1: I was talking to McMahon a couple of years ago
Speaker 1: and he was talking to me about he's traveled over
Speaker 1: two hundred days throughout the year in salute of military
Speaker 1: or charity supports. And that's a golf outings and those
Speaker 1: types of events. But when you're talking about traveling for
Speaker 1: a couple of days in order to bring the people
Speaker 1: there to continue that support, So you talk about some
Speaker 1: of these guys are more support order in their fifties
Speaker 1: or forties, fifties and sixties than they had time for
Speaker 1: in their twenties and early thirties. Yeah, totally agree with that.
Speaker 1: I mean, it's I mean and it's it's it's NonStop,
Speaker 1: you know, the requests as you mentioned Tom, whether it's
Speaker 1: through the organization, I think in the contract you had
Speaker 1: to make like six appearances, whether there's a Bear's generated cause,
Speaker 1: and in all those teams. But of course you've got
Speaker 1: other outside interests that you're interested in, or again your
Speaker 1: teammates what they're interested in. They may ask your help.
Speaker 1: A you know here, you're the quarterback of the Bears,
Speaker 1: A Jim, could you could you join me at an event?
Speaker 1: I'd really like to create a little bit more focus
Speaker 1: on my cause. And you understand that as a player,
Speaker 1: and I think most players they definitely have each other's
Speaker 1: back in terms of showing up at their events and
Speaker 1: really try to increase the awareness about their cause and
Speaker 1: what they believe in. And again, it's all good things
Speaker 1: that are good for the community. For for you know,
Speaker 1: every player that I've ever played with, no matter what
Speaker 1: team I've been on, they've all been great causes. Bears
Speaker 1: all access Jeff Joni Actome Bear and Jim Miller. I
Speaker 1: felt as did you watch the first weekend of audience
Speaker 1: of American Football? And will you watch it again? I
Speaker 1: did watch it and I will watch it again. I
Speaker 1: was you know, Jeff. First of all, let me talk
Speaker 1: about the I lived through this experience when I went
Speaker 1: to the USFL and there was so much uncertainty in
Speaker 1: a startup league in the spring and the NFL and
Speaker 1: a lot of the players didn't support it at the time.
Speaker 1: And I think the players now understood and they were
Speaker 1: kind of naive in though and not supporting it because
Speaker 1: it gave them different negotiation options and more jobs out there.
Speaker 1: So when I watched the Alliance, I do think it's
Speaker 1: a It is a good spot for these guys that
Speaker 1: have talent to develop and get some experience and get
Speaker 1: some reps. And it was a it's quality football, and
Speaker 1: I think there's a lot of really creative minds out
Speaker 1: there in the and their coaching that are going to
Speaker 1: allow these guys to develop. So I'm a fan of football,
Speaker 1: but I'm also a fan of an alternative for these
Speaker 1: guys to give themselves an opportunity to get the reps
Speaker 1: that may impress some coaches along the way. I'm with Tom.
Speaker 1: I think it's really beneficial towards offensive linemen that you know, again,
Speaker 1: they're not in pads a lot during training camps, so
Speaker 1: these guys are getting a lot of live reps, live action.
Speaker 1: I think it's good for quarterbacks for all the reasons
Speaker 1: that Tom has mentioned. Heck, I played in the World League.
Speaker 1: You know, you know, when I was behind thee Old
Speaker 1: Donald or Mike tom Zack. You don't get the reps man,
Speaker 1: and then you go over to the World League. Guys
Speaker 1: like Brad Johnson came out of there, Ker Warner came
Speaker 1: out of there, Jake del Home came out of there,
Speaker 1: and so it was really good quality reps for quarterbacks.
Speaker 1: And I definitely think it's beneficial for young offensive lineman.
Speaker 1: They don't get the reps that they need in terms
Speaker 1: of the past protection, run blocking, all those type of
Speaker 1: things due to the way the rules are geared in
Speaker 1: the NFL, and a lot of these guys eighty one
Speaker 1: percent of that league AF these players were in NFL
Speaker 1: training camps. So they've got the talent, they just need
Speaker 1: a little bit more to hone their craft or ultimately
Speaker 1: maybe they could stick the next time they get an opportunity, Jim.
Speaker 1: If Steve Young was Judge Donna's USFL career and his
Speaker 1: first a year or two with Tampa, he would have
Speaker 1: been cut and he would have been out of the league.
Speaker 1: That gave him an opportunity to see what he needed
Speaker 1: to improve on, what he needed to work on, and
Speaker 1: then when he got in was able to sit in
Speaker 1: San Francisco and learn more without having to perform. He
Speaker 1: was able to become the player in the Hall of
Speaker 1: Famer he is. However, initial judgment was really poor. So
Speaker 1: here's a type of here's a guy that was able
Speaker 1: to capitalize on that experience to understand what he needed
Speaker 1: to work out in order to benefit of his athletic ability.
Speaker 1: Speaking of quarterbacks, Kyler Murray, Jim, from your perspective, is
Speaker 1: he now the headliner for the combine? Yeah, I think
Speaker 1: you know, if he does everything I want to see
Speaker 1: him throw, want to see you I mean, we'd know
Speaker 1: he's got the skill sets. It's going to be about
Speaker 1: the height all the other things in even Lincoln Riley's
Speaker 1: come out. Hey, height has never been an issue, but
Speaker 1: I think there are some teams that have some reservations,
Speaker 1: even Pat Shermer, and we know the Giants, they're high
Speaker 1: up there in terms of ra he said, Hey, I
Speaker 1: do think there is a line of demarcation with the
Speaker 1: sign or with the size of a quarterback. So those
Speaker 1: are still going to be out there with him. You've
Speaker 1: got Dwayne Haskins the other quarterbacks that are available. But
Speaker 1: like anything else, I want to see him line up together.
Speaker 1: I want to see apples to apples in terms of
Speaker 1: how you you know, how you compare these quarterbacks now
Speaker 1: they stack up next to each other. He's got the
Speaker 1: leverage of baseball. We know that, whether he's driving up
Speaker 1: the price in terms of get a major league a
Speaker 1: huge major league baseball contract, because there's a difference between
Speaker 1: what they drafted him for and the contract they will
Speaker 1: sign him for. If he's a major league contract, much
Speaker 1: like Kirk Gibson, it forces him up the farm system
Speaker 1: quicker where it'd be a major league baseball player. So
Speaker 1: he's trying to use that leverage. And again, I think
Speaker 1: a lot of teams have for reservation about him because
Speaker 1: is he really into football? Does he love football? It's
Speaker 1: one thing saying it, but it's another thing do it
Speaker 1: doing it if a team puts a first round and
Speaker 1: slecks him in the first round draft and then he
Speaker 1: elects to go play baseball. So teams are really gonna
Speaker 1: have to do the research on Kyler mur All right,
Speaker 1: and lastly, before we go time, just get your quick
Speaker 1: opinion on this and we'll set you guys free. Do
Speaker 1: you agree with the NFL's decision at the combine to
Speaker 1: banned players with off field conduct in their past like
Speaker 1: it happened here with Louisiana Tech the past rusher jails.
Speaker 1: You know, I think if they are the issues are
Speaker 1: bad enough, then yes, I think it gives a lot
Speaker 1: of these kids incentive to do what's right, what's expected
Speaker 1: of them through their college years. If you can have
Speaker 1: these guys that may have some signs of the ability
Speaker 1: to play in the NFL, but they have an indiscretion
Speaker 1: in their background that's too hard for the NFL to accept,
Speaker 1: then I think there is a price to pay for
Speaker 1: those decisions you make, even though you're a young person.
Speaker 1: Give me a quick answer. I think they all should go.
Speaker 1: And here's the reason why. Because the Combine is a
Speaker 1: fact fighting mission. I don't even care if the player
Speaker 1: works out, If he's involved in an indiscretion. For Ferguson,
Speaker 1: he was involved in a mild fight four years ago
Speaker 1: in a McDonald's. Paid one hundred and eighty nine dollars
Speaker 1: fine to me. You know the other domestic abuse and
Speaker 1: all that. The guide to the combine don't even let
Speaker 1: them work out. But guess what. Put him in a
Speaker 1: room with all thirty two teams and they can grill them,
Speaker 1: roast them, get all the answers you want from because
Speaker 1: that's what the combines for. It's a fact finding mission.
Speaker 1: Jim Miller on a fact finding mission every single day,
Speaker 1: the Bears quarterback of two thousand and one. Thank you
Speaker 1: for joining us. As always, Tom Fair, I'm Jeff Johnny Act.
Speaker 1: Thanks to Tony Gilharb Lawrence, and thanks to our guest
Speaker 1: Bobby Massey. That's gonna be a rap for Bears All
Speaker 1: Access this week here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy
Speaker 1: to Score Connect. Thanks for listening to this Chicago Bears
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