WEBVTT - Previewing the NFL Combine with Dane Brugler | Bears Weekly 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:04.920 Welcome in Tough Bears Weekly powered by IGS Energy, a 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:08.920 Chicago Bears Network production. Bears Weekly is brought to you 0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:14.840 by Advocate Healthcare, Athletico Physical Therapy, C D. Gallaghy, Connie's Pizza, 0:00:15.160 --> 0:00:16.640 IGS Energy. 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:17.680 And Men Are Lived. 0:00:18.239 --> 0:00:21.720 Here are your hosts, Jeff Chilliac aka the Mayor of 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:25.440 Bearsville and is sidekick Tom the Surfmaster Thayer. 0:00:28.760 --> 0:00:30.680 He's an in the National Football League and explore the 0:00:30.680 --> 0:00:32.919 new landscape of the Chicago Bears for twenty twenty five 0:00:32.960 --> 0:00:35.239 and beyond. We do so tonight on Bears Weekly here 0:00:35.240 --> 0:00:37.920 on ESPN one thousand and the Bears Radio Network with 0:00:37.960 --> 0:00:40.240 Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer and former Bears 0:00:40.320 --> 0:00:42.800 quarterback Jim Miller from Sirius XMNFL Radio. 0:00:42.840 --> 0:00:44.839 I'm Jeff Joniak coming up of the program. 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.320 We visit with the outstanding draft expert from the athletic 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:49.839 Dane Brugler who always digs deep and goes deep with 0:00:49.920 --> 0:00:52.560 every single draft class. I want to thank our producers tonight, 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:56.240 Dan Brillly, Jordan Treadup and in the ESPN studio Justin Pottinger. 0:00:56.280 --> 0:00:59.920 The executive producer of the Bears Radio Network is Eric Ostrotski. Gentlemen, 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:03.040 good evening. This is this is my favorite time of 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:05.640 year posting your bulley into the Combine Timmy this week. 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:08.399 I know you don't have the opportunity to head over there, 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:12.240 but it's just a wealth of information. It's just something 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:14.679 that lives for a long time, and you can recall 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:16.720 a lot of what you learn over the course of 0:01:16.760 --> 0:01:17.720 the year or for years. 0:01:17.880 --> 0:01:20.039 Listen, I see more in the Combine off of TV 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:22.640 than you guys see in person. You guys may get 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:25.480 eye contact or talk to somebody, but I think that's 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.320 one of the great things about the modern day NFL 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:30.679 is the fact that they go there and you get 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:33.959 a chance to look at these guys, compete, learn a 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:37.520 little bit more about them, read the reports from all 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.319 the people that go and uh, you know, put in 0:01:40.319 --> 0:01:43.959 their big boards and their drafts and everything, and you know, 0:01:44.040 --> 0:01:45.479 it's it's exciting. 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:45.280 You know. 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:47.960 I remember going to the Combine as a kid man, 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:50.160 and I was so excited to meet and greet and 0:01:50.200 --> 0:01:53.360 see some of the guys that I read about, talked about, 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:56.440 you know, watch from their All American teams they made 0:01:56.520 --> 0:02:00.240 and stuff. And I don't you know, Jeff, if you're 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:03.840 an actual participating in the Combine and you're not going 0:02:03.880 --> 0:02:07.400 there with your heart on fire. I think that gives 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:10.360 you an indication of what you're really committed to for 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:11.440 the next ten years. 0:02:11.840 --> 0:02:14.320 You know, the combine was about the medicals, but like 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:16.480 Tom said, you can probably see more on TV. But 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:19.000 as for the interviews, the interviews are great. You really 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:22.400 get to get up close in personal hollow player ticks. 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:25.320 And you know, some guys don't get invited. Jeff, you 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:28.040 just called the Senior Bowl donomobile. Eight guys from that 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:31.359 game did not get invited. But that doesn't mean that 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:33.960 you're not going to get drafted or even sign as 0:02:33.960 --> 0:02:36.440 an underrafted for agent. I always bring up Carl Brooks, 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:39.160 d tackle of the Green Bay Packers. He played at 0:02:39.160 --> 0:02:42.160 the Senior Bowl. Didn't get an invite to the Combine 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:45.160 because a lot of these teams vote on players, and 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:48.000 if you get sixteen votes out of thirty two teams, 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:51.200 odds are you'll be at the Combine. If you don't 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:54.760 get sixteen votes, maybe like eight teams want to see 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:57.280 they want to bring another corner, so you may just 0:02:57.360 --> 0:02:59.560 fall out by one vote and not be able to 0:02:59.600 --> 0:03:02.280 go to the Combine. It didn't stop Carl Brooks. He's 0:03:02.320 --> 0:03:05.760 a big factor for the Green Bay Packers, And so 0:03:06.120 --> 0:03:08.960 I think for players, after the combine's over, then it'll 0:03:09.000 --> 0:03:11.160 turn to the to the pro day is what will 0:03:11.200 --> 0:03:13.480 be the next step for them. But the interviews are 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:15.200 terrific where you get to know the players. 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:18.920 On top of that, you're laying the groundwork for free agency. 0:03:19.040 --> 0:03:20.360 You're dealing with agents. 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:24.680 There are deals with gms making trades that will emerge 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:27.360 once the new league here kicks open, and now free 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.440 agency is less than a month away. So the conversations 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:34.000 behind the scenes Jim are as worth as much as 0:03:34.040 --> 0:03:36.560 those in person interviews with the college prospects. 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:39.200 Yeah. Here, you know you talk about the two way 0:03:39.240 --> 0:03:42.640 player you know coming out and Willie. You know, what 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:43.960 is he going to choose? Is he going to be 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:46.119 a receiver? Is he going to be a corner? That's 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:48.160 kind of a turnoff for a lot of teams. I 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:50.480 know Pad had talked to my partner Pat Kerwin on 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:52.560 serious six times. He had talked to a couple of 0:03:52.760 --> 0:03:56.280 NFL executives that they want him to commit to one position. 0:03:56.840 --> 0:03:59.320 You know, he's going to work out probably at both, 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:02.080 but they want him to decide because they have a 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:04.600 vision for the player, and maybe it's like what Dane said, 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.120 they probably think he's a better corner than what he 0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:10.360 is a receiver. Now, hey, we know Dion Sanders, he 0:04:10.400 --> 0:04:12.560 did both. He started out at corner, started to flip 0:04:12.600 --> 0:04:14.840 over a receiver, and maybe that's in the cards. But 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:17.920 they want him to focus early on one position early 0:04:17.960 --> 0:04:19.520 if he were be a part of their team. So 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:22.480 saying hey, I'm a two way player to an NFL 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:25.559 owner is kind of a turnoff really at this point. 0:04:25.680 --> 0:04:27.480 You know, it's also the type of talent your face. 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:28.960 And if you want to be a two way player 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.160 in college and play against some of the college talent 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:32.840 that he did, it's a little bit different than when 0:04:32.920 --> 0:04:35.720 you're going against a five star wide receiver week in 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:38.480 and week out. Whether you're the number one corner on 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:40.640 your team or your number two corner on your team, 0:04:40.680 --> 0:04:43.760 you're going to face a better receiver than basically you've 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:45.040 ever faced in college. 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:48.960 What are you most intrigued to learn from the combine 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:51.440 about position groups that may impact the Bears? 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:54.320 You know, offensive line, I mean certainly we know the 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:57.800 sacks have totaled up. You know, they just have been 0:04:57.839 --> 0:05:00.039 too many sacks, so I do think they want to 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:03.440 focus on the offensive line. I know everybody's focusing on 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.760 Trey Smith in free agency. Obviously Ryan Poles knows the 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.760 player very well, but you know you're gonna find out 0:05:09.800 --> 0:05:12.760 there's some gems in this draft on the offensive line. 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:16.880 I talked about Emery Jones down there for LSU's Abel 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:20.120 out of North Dakota State. This guy, he's played basically 0:05:20.200 --> 0:05:23.040 every position, but he's probably a center. He's a center 0:05:23.080 --> 0:05:25.800 when it's all said and done. And I think, you know, 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:29.240 for positions of the Bears, sometimes you got to think 0:05:29.279 --> 0:05:32.160 outside the box. You know, we get so caught up 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:35.560 on body frames and traits and all those things. And 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:38.720 there's a kid right down there at North Carolina. He's 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:42.159 not invited to the combine. Don't forget about Willie Lampkin. 0:05:42.400 --> 0:05:43.960 You know, he's going to be a five to ten 0:05:44.080 --> 0:05:46.240 center who's about probably going to play at about two 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:50.479 eighty two eighty five. This guy knows leverage and he 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:53.400 is very powerful. He you know, he went against the 0:05:53.440 --> 0:05:57.400 big guys down there in Mobile. He did not embarrass himself. 0:05:57.400 --> 0:05:59.080 I'm not saying he's going to be a first rounder, 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:00.840 but he's a guy who you want on your team. 0:06:01.080 --> 0:06:03.960 He's forty seven to oh his senior year as a wrestler. 0:06:04.279 --> 0:06:06.599 This guy kind of reminds me of Carlton hassel Rig 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.279 when I played for Pittsburgh. He was on practice squad 0:06:09.320 --> 0:06:11.120 his first year and then became a starter. He was 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:14.160 a grick Old Roman wrestling champion, so we knew he 0:06:14.240 --> 0:06:17.080 knew wrestling. So this is a very powerful young man 0:06:17.480 --> 0:06:19.800 out of North Carolina. And I think a lot of 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:22.719 teams are like, hey, the traits be damned. You just 0:06:22.800 --> 0:06:25.279 kind of know a football player is a football player, 0:06:25.279 --> 0:06:27.560 and they come in all different shapes and sizes, and 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:29.520 maybe you don't draft him as high as what you think, 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:31.880 but you know, sure enough he's going to make your 0:06:31.880 --> 0:06:33.280 team one way, shape or form. 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:34.760 Tom where your eye is going to take you. 0:06:35.520 --> 0:06:38.200 It's difficult, you know, It's a difficult because I always, 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:40.880 you know, gravitate towards offensive lineman. I like looking at 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.479 their athleticism, their ability to move their feet. You know, 0:06:44.520 --> 0:06:47.599 I have some interest in linebackers as well, because I 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.520 think of when you look at think about the Chicago Bears, 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.400 where they're at the linebacker position, where this defense is 0:06:53.440 --> 0:06:56.479 going to be going forward, What type of linebackers do 0:06:56.520 --> 0:06:59.320 they need in this system against this division. But when 0:06:59.320 --> 0:07:02.080 you look about where they fit in terms of depth, 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.960 where they fit in in terms of developmental talent that 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:07.080 working to be starters. 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:09.200 You know, I'm interested in that too. 0:07:09.279 --> 0:07:10.800 But like I said a couple of weeks ago, if 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:13.880 they invested every draft choice and offense and defensive. 0:07:13.440 --> 0:07:15.920 Linemen, I'd be willing to go that route. 0:07:16.480 --> 0:07:18.920 Bears with the number ten, thirty nine, forty one, and 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:20.880 seventy two picks for the first three rounds of the 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:25.080 draft top one hundred, and that is prime real estate 0:07:25.160 --> 0:07:28.240 to take advantage of, no question about it, Jim. The 0:07:28.320 --> 0:07:32.240 salary cap is going way up. This impacts all teams. 0:07:32.280 --> 0:07:34.560 So I would say more than half the teams in 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:36.160 the league are going to have north to thirty million 0:07:36.200 --> 0:07:38.360 dollars a cap space Bears right now at number six 0:07:38.600 --> 0:07:39.640 sitting pretty. 0:07:39.520 --> 0:07:42.840 Yeah, and it is it's important every team manages their 0:07:42.880 --> 0:07:45.720 cap differently. Certainly, some team's got to eat a lot 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:48.360 of money. You know, look at Mickey Loomis in the Saints. 0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:50.200 They kind of live in this world. They had to 0:07:50.280 --> 0:07:54.160 clear seven or sixty million dollars last year. This year 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:56.840 they have to clear fifty million. Now you mentioned with 0:07:56.880 --> 0:07:59.400 the new cap number that cuts it in half. Since 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:02.640 the cap up twenty five million dollars this year, So 0:08:02.840 --> 0:08:05.440 now the Saints they're twenty five million in the hole. 0:08:05.520 --> 0:08:07.840 But to start the league year, you have to get 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.320 in the positive. You have to get in the positive, 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:12.440 or the legal do it for you. They'll just start 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:15.360 cutting guys and say hey, all right, now you're in 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:17.600 the black and we can start doing some work here. 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:21.200 So really, for teams, they really have to focus on 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:23.320 their cap. Teams like the Bears will have will be 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:25.920 players in free agency because they've got the money to 0:08:25.960 --> 0:08:27.880 do it. They're not going to use their credit card 0:08:28.000 --> 0:08:30.080 like the Saints. The world the Saints have lived in 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:32.319 literally over the last decade, it'll be. 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:35.439 Interesting to see what this salary cap, what team it 0:08:36.400 --> 0:08:40.280 benefits them to release in some veterans, you know, because 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.920 you got a couple guys out there, and the obviously 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:47.439 the veteran cornerback carousel as a daily talked about subject 0:08:47.800 --> 0:08:51.560 around the NFL. But I think when you look and 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:54.120 you kind of understand that maybe there's that guy that 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:56.200 I wanted to see what the salary cap was going 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:58.719 to add to this, so now I can sign this 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:02.680 veteran who's a big contributor to my team. And I 0:09:02.720 --> 0:09:05.800 think every single football team out there has one of 0:09:05.840 --> 0:09:06.400 those guys. 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:08.080 All right, when we come back, we'll be joined by 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:10.679 Dane Burgler from the Athletic to deep dive into the 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:13.320 NFL Draft and the Combine coming up next week in 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.280 Indianapolis with Tom Thayren, Jim Metal. I'm Jeff Jonihak, and 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:18.439 this is Bears Weekly on an ESPN one thousand of 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:34.200 the Bears Radio Network. It's Dane Brugler, the draft analyst 0:09:34.200 --> 0:09:37.960 from the Athletic. He is a beast and so is 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:41.240 his draft publication. Everybody's been calling it the Beast, and 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:44.040 it garners that title because you are a beast. For 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:46.320 how in depth you go into putting that thing together 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:48.880 every year. I don't know how you do it. Loving 0:09:48.920 --> 0:09:50.720 it so much, I don't know how you do it. 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:52.480 Where did you concoct the Beast? 0:09:53.160 --> 0:09:54.720 I first of all, thank you for the kind words. 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:59.000 It made something that at my heart I'm a draft fan, 0:09:59.080 --> 0:10:01.880 and so I want to create something that I would 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:06.240 want to enjoy and really dive into. And I really 0:10:06.280 --> 0:10:10.080 appreciate so much of the draft process from just of 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:13.520 course the analysis, strengths, weaknesses, all of that, but also 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:14.199 you know the. 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:16.280 Details, you know the journey these guys take. 0:10:16.400 --> 0:10:18.200 So I want to know where'd you grow up, what 0:10:18.280 --> 0:10:19.600 sports did you play growing up? 0:10:19.760 --> 0:10:21.680 What adversities have you hit in your life? 0:10:22.400 --> 0:10:24.400 You know, I want to know all the details about 0:10:24.440 --> 0:10:27.840 your testing. So you know, this is the only the 0:10:27.840 --> 0:10:30.640 only place that I know of that has all the 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:34.120 pro dain information for thousands of players, NFL verified Pro 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:37.120 Day numbers in in the Beast, and so it is 0:10:37.280 --> 0:10:39.360 I want to put together the ultimate draft guide. And 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:43.439 I don't know where the Moniker Beast came from. As 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:46.160 someone some fans called it started calling it that. I 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:48.600 pushed back on it initially, and then it just kind 0:10:48.600 --> 0:10:50.680 of stuck. And you know, I figure, if it's going 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:52.280 to be called the Beast, I've I've got a lot 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:54.160 to live up to. And so every year trying to 0:10:54.160 --> 0:10:57.200 make it better and better and better, and hopefully able 0:10:57.200 --> 0:10:59.199 to do that this year when it comes out in 0:10:59.240 --> 0:10:59.800 early April. 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:04.440 Real quick, how long did you invest to just create 0:11:04.480 --> 0:11:08.760 connections and you know, to get opinions from mothers, the colleges, 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:12.160 knowing that you're getting good information because the market is 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:13.640 now flooded with draft analysts. 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:15.840 Yeah, I mean I've been I'm about to go to 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:18.800 the Combine here next week. It'll be my fifteenth, and 0:11:18.880 --> 0:11:22.520 so I've been doing this a while. I first started 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:24.800 when I was in college. I went to Mount Union 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:28.120 and Pierre Garsona and I were seniors and together that 0:11:28.200 --> 0:11:29.959 year and we had so we had scouts coming through 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:32.440 all the time. I worked for the football team, and 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.560 so I was taking scouts all, you know, to practice 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.160 and you know different parts of uh, you know, the 0:11:38.200 --> 0:11:40.880 facility to meet with Pierre and all and the coaches 0:11:40.880 --> 0:11:43.320 and that kind of thing. So that was my first, 0:11:43.559 --> 0:11:45.400 you know, foot in the door to the scouting world. 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:46.960 And so I still have a lot of those connections, 0:11:47.000 --> 0:11:49.240 a lot of those friends, and that's why I love 0:11:49.280 --> 0:11:51.960 the combine. Is of course to talk to the players, 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.320 to see the on field workouts, but everybody's in Indianapolis, 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:58.120 so a chance to meet with, you know, my buddies 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:00.320 in the league and you know, catch up with them, 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:05.040 meet new people, you know, whether whether it's the agent community, 0:12:05.160 --> 0:12:07.440 people like that. So it's it's something that I've been 0:12:07.520 --> 0:12:10.640 doing long enough, and there's mutual respect there you know, 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:12.400 I have so much respect for what scouts do or 0:12:12.440 --> 0:12:14.400 what agents do, and they look at my work and 0:12:14.440 --> 0:12:17.120 see that I'm not just you know, you know, I 0:12:17.480 --> 0:12:19.800 invest everything I have into this, and so the mutual 0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.200 respect is something that I think really shows through. 0:12:22.440 --> 0:12:22.560 Dan. 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.600 What's your foundation for studying a guy like Travis Hunter? 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.280 What side of the ball do you start with and 0:12:28.360 --> 0:12:32.679 what kind of preconceived notions of the draft are in 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:34.960 your head after studying him a little bit. 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.040 Well, he's incredibly unique, right, I mean, we just have 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:40.679 We don't see players like this come around. I mean, 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:44.120 even Charles Woodson, you know, way back when he wasn't 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.240 playing the numbers of snaps on offense that we saw 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:50.079 Travis Hunter play this year. It's just really a unicorn 0:12:50.559 --> 0:12:54.120 type of situation. And so I think, you know, teams 0:12:54.160 --> 0:12:56.679 are looking at it from that frame of reference too, 0:12:56.720 --> 0:12:58.720 where it's like, Okay, we've never seen a guy like this, 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:01.800 so we have to kind of attack it differently than 0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.760 we would a normal prospect, you know, we have to. 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:06.840 The combine is going to be big because this is 0:13:06.880 --> 0:13:09.920 going to be the first chance for coaches to really 0:13:10.320 --> 0:13:13.040 get eyes on Travis Hunter. Of course, they know who 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:16.240 he is, but coaches have been involved in during the season, 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:18.640 they're focused on the season. Now that the season's over, 0:13:18.720 --> 0:13:20.400 we're in the offseason, they have a chance to really 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:21.920 focus on these prospects. And so when they have a 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:24.040 chance at the combine to sit down with him and 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:26.360 get a better sense for Okay, where do you want 0:13:26.360 --> 0:13:28.400 to play? First and foremost? I mean, are you dead 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:30.760 set on playing both ways? What's your favorite? Do you 0:13:30.800 --> 0:13:32.680 love the play offense? Maybe do you love to play 0:13:32.720 --> 0:13:35.199 defense and you know you're okay doing the other one 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:37.240 on the side, or you know whatever we can work in. 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:40.720 So finding out what Travis Hunter wants is going to 0:13:40.720 --> 0:13:43.719 be paramount during this process, and if he's dead set 0:13:43.760 --> 0:13:45.320 on playing both, you have to make sure that your 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:47.719 coaches are on board with that if you're going to 0:13:47.760 --> 0:13:51.240 consider drafting him personally, I like because when you felt 0:13:51.240 --> 0:13:53.760 when you do a skouting report, there's no such thing 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:56.560 as being a two position player. You have a primary position, 0:13:56.600 --> 0:13:58.840 they have a secondary position, and so I think you 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.400 have to be to feel comfortable with what you're going 0:14:01.440 --> 0:14:03.840 to win position you're in write down for that primary position. 0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:05.079 For me, it's corner. 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:07.360 I like him better on defense, but he can be 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:09.800 an electric wide receiver, There's no doubt about it. So 0:14:09.840 --> 0:14:12.760 even though wide receiver is a secondary position, it might 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:16.440 as well be a primary position as well. He should 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:19.720 do some fun things at the combine. He's listed as 0:14:19.760 --> 0:14:23.760 a corner, but you know, teams request that players work 0:14:23.760 --> 0:14:26.040 out with different position groups all the time. I'll be 0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:27.600 shocked if we don't see him work out with the 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:29.040 receivers as well. 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:31.720 So what's your approach to offensive lineman? Do you have 0:14:31.800 --> 0:14:35.680 a primary and a secondary possible developmental position for that 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:38.600 player or I'm the type of guy at this stage 0:14:38.600 --> 0:14:41.000 if you're looking for bona fide offensive lineman, I want 0:14:41.000 --> 0:14:43.360 to draft you in the position that you play. I 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:45.880 don't want you to be an experiment. So what's your 0:14:45.920 --> 0:14:48.280 feeling about offensive lineman in those terms? 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.840 Yeah, and I think every context is so important. You know, 0:14:52.240 --> 0:14:55.320 what was the situation? You know, for some players, they 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:59.160 played a certain position at a necessity because that's what 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:02.360 their college team needed, you know. And so you know, 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:04.240 you take a guy at Gray Zabel, for example, North 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:06.880 Dakota State, where he was the best player in that line. 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:08.560 So the best player is going to play left tackle, 0:15:08.640 --> 0:15:12.080 and maybe he didn't have ideal measurables, but you don't 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:15.000 need ideal measurables to play left tackle at that level. 0:15:15.200 --> 0:15:18.840 Whereas okay, in the NFL thirty two and change arms, 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:20.520 that's not really going to work. So we're going to 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:23.320 kick you inside. But that's where these All Star games 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.520 come in and seeing Gray's able to see your ball 0:15:25.880 --> 0:15:28.520 at guard at center, and all of a sudden, it'say, Okay, 0:15:28.840 --> 0:15:30.960 this guy's the best center in the draft. Even though 0:15:31.000 --> 0:15:33.920 it is a projection, it is a transition. He did 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:37.120 play center in high school, so there is some experience 0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:39.200 there seeing him do it the Senior Bowl, Okay, that 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:40.960 gives me a little bit better feeling that he can 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:44.400 make that move. I mean, I certainly understand what you're saying, though, 0:15:44.440 --> 0:15:46.880 because you want to feel you know, you don't want 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:49.240 to draft a project Ideally, you want to draft someone 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:51.640 that has done it for a long time at a 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:52.520 specific position. 0:15:52.960 --> 0:15:55.240 But you know, I think that with some of these. 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:59.320 Linemen it's it's not always that easy, and so some 0:15:59.360 --> 0:16:01.800 guys don't have the measurables to stay at that position. 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:03.640 You want to move them inside, You want to move. 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:06.240 Them uh to a different part, and for some of 0:16:06.280 --> 0:16:08.040 these players, you just want to feel comfortable that they 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:10.160 have that versatility. And this is where I think the 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:12.400 offensive line, this is where the coaches come into play. 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:14.720 If you know, you're looking at a player who was 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.720 a left tackle only in college, but maybe you have 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:19.600 a left tackle and you want to you know, Joe 0:16:19.600 --> 0:16:21.440 Alt last year, he was a left tackle. 0:16:21.120 --> 0:16:21.760 In Notre Dame. 0:16:22.200 --> 0:16:24.640 But you know, you look at the Chargers, they had 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:26.360 their left tackle. They want to know he can he 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.120 play the right side. Uh, that's where your offensive line 0:16:29.120 --> 0:16:31.840 coach comes in. And Okay, let's work them out privately, 0:16:31.880 --> 0:16:34.280 and let's see him in a right tackle stance. Let's 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:36.120 see how does he move when he's you know, in 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:38.520 his kickout and and you know his slides and these 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:40.480 different things that you throw at him. This is where 0:16:40.480 --> 0:16:43.280 the coaches come in. And it's so important to understand 0:16:43.680 --> 0:16:46.600 what their you know, their muscle movements. You know, is 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:49.440 it is it something that's natural for them? Is it 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:52.080 going to be more of a struggle. And so the 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:54.000 offensive line coaches are a big part of that. 0:16:54.480 --> 0:16:57.120 Dan Bugler from the Athletic Our guest here on Bears Weekly, 0:16:57.120 --> 0:16:59.320 the second to Bears Weekly, brought to you by I G. 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:03.640 S Shatter with Tom Thayer Jeff Cioniac. So everybody likes 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:05.640 to slot where the strengths of the draft are. 0:17:06.400 --> 0:17:07.360 Where the Bears are. 0:17:07.480 --> 0:17:10.760 They've got plenty of top one hundreds here and probably 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:12.879 some of your top one hundreds will be Chicago Bears 0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:14.200 are their sweet spots. 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.959 Yeah, obviously, you know every position is a little bit 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:22.639 different this year. You think of the strongest positions, defensive line, 0:17:22.760 --> 0:17:24.879 tight end, running back, those are the three positions that 0:17:24.960 --> 0:17:27.679 jump out immediately as Okay, these are the strengths of 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:30.320 the draft. And I think that when you look at 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:34.520 the first round, specifically offensive line, it's a good offensive line, 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:37.359 not like last year. Last year was unbelievable with the 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:40.880 number of tackles we saw go early. But there are 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:43.760 some good offensive linemen in the first round this year. 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.000 And so you look at the Bears and having what 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:50.679 three picks in the top forty five, it kind of 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.600 lines up with where they might be looking with defensive line. 0:17:53.640 --> 0:17:57.159 Offensive line should be heavy trenches for them. If they 0:17:57.200 --> 0:17:59.720 want to go offensive line or defensive line at number ten, 0:18:00.080 --> 0:18:02.320 there's gonna be a good player there. It's just that's 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:04.439 that type of draft. And if they wait until the 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:06.880 second round. There's going to be some good players there, 0:18:06.920 --> 0:18:09.480 so I think they're in good shape. But I mentioned 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:11.840 tight end and running back. Those are the two other 0:18:11.880 --> 0:18:15.480