WEBVTT - All Access: Raymond on Bears tight ends 0:00:01.120 --> 0:00:04.560 The following is a presentation of the Chicago Bears Network 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:08.600 and Chicago Bears dot Com. Download the Chicago Bears official 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:11.600 mobile app for up to the minute Bears content every 0:00:11.680 --> 0:00:16.279 day and now welcome to Bears All Access. You're All 0:00:16.320 --> 0:00:20.759 Access passing to Chicago Bears football. Bears All Access is 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:25.280 brought to you by IGS Energy and sponsored by CDW, 0:00:25.400 --> 0:00:28.800 Miller Lite and Kulu. I am good even to everybody 0:00:28.800 --> 0:00:31.320 in Jeff Johnny Econong, my broadcast partner Tom there from 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:34.880 News Radio seven eighty and one oh five point nine FMWBBM, 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.600 and Jim Miller from Sirius XM, NFL Radio, Bears Preseason 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:40.800 TV and the x Bears quarterback get evening. Fellow is 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:42.800 good to be back with you. You got your camp 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:46.680 fases on. Oh yeah, now for the last yeah, the 0:00:46.720 --> 0:00:49.240 last couple of weeks before camp starts. It kind of 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:52.880 starts taking shape. And now it's down to that Defcon 0:00:53.120 --> 0:00:56.000 one or five, whichever is the worse, because it's here 0:00:56.560 --> 0:00:59.680 and you better be ready. Well. Deva Brocco's already reported 0:00:59.720 --> 0:01:02.520 at the first practice today, a couple other teams had 0:01:02.520 --> 0:01:05.560 their first year players, like the Baltimore Ravens and Cardinals 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:08.479 are showing up. So football's back. Excited about it. Jeff, 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:10.840 Good to have you back for vacation. You should be 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.800 well arrested for next Friday, well arrested, ready to go. 0:01:13.959 --> 0:01:16.800 That internal clock keeps on ticking. You get a little 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:20.360 more less congenial as you get ready to get into 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.080 the grind, the great grind of the football season. I 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:25.720 actually told my kids that today, if I'm a little grouchy, 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:27.759 don't get upset with me. It's it's that time. It's 0:01:27.800 --> 0:01:30.000 that time to get focused. Well, you know, I'm a 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:32.640 little edgy. You know, Vic Fangio going back to back, 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:35.480 the two longest seasons you can have, going back to 0:01:35.840 --> 0:01:38.560 Hall of Fame games, So it's gonna be, you know, 0:01:38.680 --> 0:01:40.840 quite a workload for him in the two years and 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:42.679 his first year as a head car. Yeah, but nobody, 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:46.280 nobody loves it more than him, guys, nobody. Yeah. Well, 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:51.080 they got a long camp, they got nineteen nineteen public practices, right, Yeah, yeah, 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:53.120 they do, they do well. He commented on that today. 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:55.080 And you know, I hate to see that the team's 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:57.600 doing this too. A lot of teams are lessening the 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:00.280 public to come out. And I've always stayed this that 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.360 what greater atmosphere than NFL training camps. No other major 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:06.640 sport allows you to get up close and personal with 0:02:06.680 --> 0:02:09.760 the players. You know, sometimes not everybody can afford going 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:12.359 to the games, and that's really their access. And so 0:02:12.400 --> 0:02:15.160 hopefully the NFL at some point maybe mandates how many 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:17.600 open practices you can, whether it's ten, whether it's twelve. 0:02:18.280 --> 0:02:22.000 Dallas Cowboys they don't regulate anything, they have twenty open practices. 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:24.320 There are some teams like the Raiders, they don't offer 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:27.640 the public. They can't even see one. So you know, 0:02:27.680 --> 0:02:29.639 it's uh, you know, I think the NFL is making 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:31.520 a big mistake. You know, I like that set up 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:34.079 in bourbon A for the Bears. The Bears fans show out, 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:37.280 show up in droves. It gives them great access now 0:02:37.280 --> 0:02:40.360 that it's centrally located in Illinois, not that drive what 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:42.920 it once was up to Platteville, Wisconsin. Not that that 0:02:43.040 --> 0:02:44.760 wasn't great, but you know, it's nice to see it 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.160 local there in you know, in Illinois where everybody can 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:51.480 come out, whether the southern fans or east or west 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:54.040 of Chicago and the northern fans can make that drive 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.480 down to bourbon A and get close access to the chic. 0:02:56.639 --> 0:02:58.320 I'd rather have the roar of the crowd and the 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:00.760 fans surrounding the fields, and I would the music at 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:03.520 this new generation they play out there, and I think 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:05.639 it could be motivating to see the fans as you're 0:03:05.680 --> 0:03:07.920 going through the gates to get ready for practice. Well, 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:11.000 and that's part of the support. Tom, what about in yours? 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:12.960 You know, I kind of liked it having the fans. 0:03:12.960 --> 0:03:14.920 Are you kind of as a player, you wanted to 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:17.640 put on a show. Hey, here, they've out of respect, 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:20.240 They've made the trip in the journey to come here 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:22.760 to this practice. Put on a show. Make it worth 0:03:22.760 --> 0:03:24.920 their while is what I always thought. And it really 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:27.680 I think provide a lot of extra juice for practices 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:29.520 because I don't think any of the players wanted to 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:31.359 let the fans down. Yeah, you don't want to let 0:03:31.400 --> 0:03:34.519 that go because and especially this year, I believe they're 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:36.520 you know, obviously given the one hundred and what we 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:40.760 saw at the convention in June, Tom and Jim, the 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:43.760 buzz about this football team, I think the turnout could 0:03:43.760 --> 0:03:46.240 be real good this year in Bourbon at OH it 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:49.640 would be packed every day because this has superstar power 0:03:49.760 --> 0:03:52.119 they want to get up close to Khalil, They want 0:03:52.120 --> 0:03:54.960 to look at a team. They want to see Roquan develop, 0:03:55.040 --> 0:03:57.600 they want to see Mitchell Trubisky in his development at 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:01.080 the quarterback position. They want to see Monmory and you know, 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:03.680 every one of these guys. I'm just you know, pointing 0:04:03.680 --> 0:04:06.400 out the guys in the roster. But this there's a 0:04:06.400 --> 0:04:09.560 lot of star power that well everybody can gravitate and 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:12.000 have something in common with. If you wanted a player 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:14.320 coming off the field, whether they throw them a wristband 0:04:14.560 --> 0:04:17.240 or a glove or something. As for the NFL, they 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:20.440 should be concerned because if that happens, or an autograph, 0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.080 you got a fan for life, a fan for life. 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.120 And that's really what vic Fanje was talking about. Who 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:29.520 doesn't want a Jim Miller wrist band. I've got many 0:04:29.560 --> 0:04:32.760 on my shelf. It all opens on Saturday, July twenty seventh. 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:34.960 Through August Tent Bears training camp open to the public 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:37.880 seven thirty in the morning till noon on those days, 0:04:37.880 --> 0:04:40.920 and then throughout the month of August, the first portion 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:44.560 of August leading up through the Bears preseason opener against 0:04:44.560 --> 0:04:47.080 the Carolina Panthers, and then it's off to meet the giants, 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:49.480 and it's here quickly. Coming up. Next, we'll be joined 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:52.520 by our rookie tight end, Dex Raymond, the undrafted guy 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:55.680 out of Utah State. He'll join Jim and Tom and myself, 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:58.080 Jeff Joni at herb Lawrence helping us out along with 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:02.000 Julio Rosseo. Today this is Bears All Access on Chicago 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:07.039 Sports Radio six seventy. The score blung back end. The 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:09.880 Bears All Access are brought to you by Igs Energy 0:05:10.080 --> 0:05:12.640 and Jeff Joni acc along with Tom Thayer and Jim Miller. 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:15.440 Joined now by tight end Dex Raymond, the rookie tight 0:05:15.520 --> 0:05:18.719 end out of Utah State, joining a long list of 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:21.000 tight ends trying to make their way into the fifty 0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:24.320 three man roster. Just about a week from now. In fact, 0:05:24.320 --> 0:05:27.240 the rookies will report a bit earlier, along with quarterbacks 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:30.320 as the Bears get going on what is exciting to say, 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:34.040 an outstanding potential season for these twenty nineteen Chicago Bears. 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:37.360 Good evening decks, How you doing and welcome to our program. Hello, 0:05:37.480 --> 0:05:39.560 I'm thank you for having me on. I'm excited to 0:05:39.560 --> 0:05:42.919 be on tonight and you gotta be thrilled beyond belief 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:47.479 that you are an NFL rostered player at the moment, given, 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.520 given you know the journey that everyone has some guys 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:53.800 our first, second, third round picks, and they pretty much 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:55.720 got a lock out a roster spot when you when 0:05:55.760 --> 0:05:59.440 you start the festivities. But guys like yourself started right 0:05:59.480 --> 0:06:01.000 from the bottom. I mean, gott to work your way up, 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:04.360 don't you exactly? But hey, you know, I wake up 0:06:04.360 --> 0:06:06.279 and I'm playing in the NFL right now, I'm living 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:08.919 the dream. So I couldn't be any happier with the 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:11.200 situation I'm in right now. You know, Dax, I think 0:06:11.240 --> 0:06:13.880 everybody pulls for free agents and it's interesting to hear 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:16.120 the story. Why are you with the Bears? Was this 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:19.719 a system related decision? Or did the Bears went out 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:23.640 over other teams that wanted to your services? Yeah, so 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:26.600 at the combine, I actually I had a formal interview 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:28.800 with the Bears, so they had shown interest in me 0:06:28.920 --> 0:06:36.200 before the draft, and after looking through after going undrafted 0:06:36.200 --> 0:06:39.560 and realizing I was going undrafted, looking through what options 0:06:39.560 --> 0:06:41.039 I had, I feel like the Bears would be a 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:43.600 good fit and it was a great team. So after 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:46.279 speaking with my parents and my agent, you know, we 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:48.320 decided that we thought the Bears would be the best fit, 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:51.359 and I said, you know, let's go for it. Well, 0:06:51.480 --> 0:06:54.320 Dax's Jim Miller here. Pleasure to talk to you and 0:06:54.680 --> 0:06:56.960 just talk about the bloodlines. I believe your father is 0:06:57.000 --> 0:07:00.320 a longtime player, your brother is a longtime player, you know, 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:02.279 And how did you end up playing for the Aggies? 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:05.000 And certainly you know your measurables at the combine. People 0:07:05.040 --> 0:07:06.960 don't realize you got big hands, man ten and a 0:07:07.000 --> 0:07:10.520 quarter in chance rants, a good speed there at the 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.559 combine running posting a four seven. We cover every single player, 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:17.680 and certainly your number stood out. Yeah. So my dad 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:21.920 he ran track at BIU. He's still on the record 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:24.560 board for high jump. He's still in the top ten 0:07:24.840 --> 0:07:28.920 over at BIU. My mom was a dancer at Cougar 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:33.160 att at BIU. My older brother he played basketball for 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:37.680 a year at a small school in Virginia and at 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:41.400 a small college. And my little sister she runs track 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:44.520 and she holds the state record for long jumps. So 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:46.840 I think we just have a bunch of athletes in 0:07:46.840 --> 0:07:50.080 our family. You know, we just loved playing sports. It's 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:53.280 what we've been doing since we were kids. Jack's ram 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.640 and our guest here on Bears All Access on Chicago 0:07:55.680 --> 0:07:59.080 Sports Radio six seventy score with the Indel seven o'clock tonight. 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:03.640 Scout David Williams, who handles the West, called you a smart, competitive, 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:08.200 versatile player. And anytime the word smart, competitive, and versatile 0:08:08.240 --> 0:08:11.440 are in the same sentence, that does check many boxes 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:14.600 for this Bears organization and what the front office wants 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:17.480 and a player, would you say that's an accurate description 0:08:17.520 --> 0:08:20.560 of you in a simple way. There's certainly the xs 0:08:20.600 --> 0:08:23.800 and o's and the other aspects of your fundamentals and traits, 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:25.920 But would you say that's something you can wrap your 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:30.200 arms around. Absolutely. You know, I pride myself in knowing 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:32.600 the plays and knowing the offense and the you know, 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:35.800 in the back of my head, and at the end 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:38.520 of the day, it's all about winning in my brain, 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:41.360 and that's you know, I want to compete, and you know, 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:43.360 I want to be as competitive as anyone out there 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:47.000 on the field. So I agree with that statement one percent. Hey, Docson, 0:08:47.080 --> 0:08:49.800 near system you you came from in college? Did you 0:08:49.840 --> 0:08:52.400 line up on the hash next of the tackle or 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:55.160 in an h back position? Where did you line up 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:59.120 the most Honestly, I did it all. It was pretty balanced. 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:01.960 That was something that we did a lot at Utah State. 0:09:02.120 --> 0:09:03.960 Was you know, I'd be out on the hash and 0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:05.960 then the next play I was, you know, in an 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:09.040 H back position for the run play. So I'm comfortable 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:12.240 with it all. I'd say I was mostly hash and 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.319 H back. Putting my hand in the in the dirt 0:09:15.440 --> 0:09:17.680 was a little more rare. It was more suttered in 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:22.000 short or goal line. But I definitely did it all well. 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:25.800 All Mountain West Honors in twenty seventeen and twenty eighteen 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:29.520 for the Yaggies. And have you always played tight end? Like? What? 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:32.040 You know? What? What won? What drew you to football? 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:35.000 Since your family is just for an array of athletes 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:38.800 and obviously or did you play all sports growing up? Yeah? So, 0:09:39.360 --> 0:09:42.680 you know, growing up, my dad obviously pushed track because 0:09:42.720 --> 0:09:45.680 that's what he did. But my older brother and I 0:09:45.720 --> 0:09:48.760 we really just loved football and basketball. I mean, my 0:09:48.840 --> 0:09:51.120 greatest memories growing up for you know, shooting in the 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:54.480 driveway with my older brother and all of our friends. 0:09:54.559 --> 0:09:57.679 So we all we played football and basketball growing up. 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.840 My brother went with basketball and I just love football, 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:04.760 so I chose football again. We have Dax's Raymond our 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.160 guest on Bears All Access to Night in Chicago Sports 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:10.319 Radio six seventy to score twenty seven catches, three hundred 0:10:10.360 --> 0:10:14.199 forty five yards two touchdowns last season at Utah State. 0:10:14.400 --> 0:10:17.560 Kid who hailes from Provo Utah and at any tight 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.720 end in your position would love to have those bigger 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:23.240 numbers the college game, though, tight ends don't always get 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:26.400 used the way they are in the at National Football League, 0:10:26.480 --> 0:10:29.280 and particularly the blocking aspect of things. Where are you 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:33.000 add at that level? You know, I feel like I'm 0:10:33.040 --> 0:10:37.400 still improving of the blocking tight end. You know, I 0:10:37.520 --> 0:10:40.240 only played tight end in college, and I only played 0:10:40.280 --> 0:10:45.120 three years of tight end, so I still feel like 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:48.560 I have tons of room to improve. And I don't 0:10:48.559 --> 0:10:50.880 like the work potential because that means I'm not there yet. 0:10:51.320 --> 0:10:53.920 But I still feel like I'm have so much that 0:10:53.960 --> 0:10:55.559 I can learn, and that's why I'm excited to get 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:58.439 in this program with these great coaches that can teach 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:01.520 me and coach me up well. Das Jeff asking about 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:03.720 the blocking, what about the routes you ran in college? 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:05.920 Are they relatable to the routes that you're seeing in 0:11:05.920 --> 0:11:09.160 this early installation of the Bears offense, and are there 0:11:09.160 --> 0:11:12.160 things relatable that you'll be able to take from your 0:11:12.200 --> 0:11:16.560 college routes to this level. Yeah, for sure. There's tons 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.280 of routes that are really similar, which really helped me 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:23.520 in the OTAs, just kind of understanding, you know, where 0:11:23.520 --> 0:11:26.960 we're trying to break off our stands or you know, 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:30.800 identical routes where you know, I already ran this route 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:33.000 for four or three or four years in college, so 0:11:33.160 --> 0:11:35.600 you know, I'm used to them. So yeah, I'd say 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:37.880 there are a lot of similarities. There's definitely some new 0:11:37.920 --> 0:11:40.600 stuff that I have to work on, but for the 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:42.520 most part, I was pretty comfortable with all the routes 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:45.280 that we were running. How has the install period gone 0:11:45.320 --> 0:11:48.200 through the the OTAs and the mini camps and all that, 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:51.040 and just the volume of the install just you know, 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:52.959 you're going to see a lot more coverages, the array 0:11:53.000 --> 0:11:55.840 of coverages you're probably being exposed to as you arrive 0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.960 at the Bears. How's that been for you? Yeah? Absolutely. 0:11:58.960 --> 0:12:01.839 I Mean the playbook five times the size of any 0:12:01.840 --> 0:12:05.640 playbook I've ever seen, UM, which has been awesome. And yeah, 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:09.280 the defense is, you know, there's defenses I've never seen before. UM, 0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:13.280 but like you guys know, I served a two yr mission. 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.520 I learned the Russian language, and I pride that I 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:20.079 can learn I can learn an offense because I've learned 0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:23.920 the Russian language, so it wasn't too bad for me. Yeah, 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:26.880 let's say Bears win the Super Bowl in Russian? How 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:29.000 can you? How can you fire that off at us 0:12:29.080 --> 0:12:35.920 right now? JEDDI good enough for me? Sounds good. Deck's 0:12:36.000 --> 0:12:39.200 Raymond here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score. 0:12:39.240 --> 0:12:41.720 I'm sure. I'm sure your new teammates are gonna bust 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:43.680 you on these things a little bit during training camp 0:12:43.840 --> 0:12:47.000 when everybody gets really acquainted, you know, getting away from 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:50.080 Halla Saw and everybody's in the same boat up at 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:55.200 training camp, it's got to be not only exciting and 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:57.720 fun to think about what's coming next, but when the 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:00.559 pads come on, things certainly change. Did you know from 0:13:00.559 --> 0:13:04.240 being a football player, is that aspect you mentioned how 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:06.480 competitive you are and you love to compete, you love 0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:09.520 to win. Will that be when you get in the 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:11.559 heat and you get on that field, you know, and 0:13:11.640 --> 0:13:13.520 the first time you throw on pads in the National 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:16.160 Football League and you know what's coming at you. These 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:18.720 grown men when you're you're a young man twenty four, 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:20.800 but a rookie in the national football when it's all 0:13:20.840 --> 0:13:24.240 going to sound and feel real. Yeah, you know, it's 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:26.240 crazy just hearing you say that. Right now. You know 0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:28.839 it's it's game day every day once you put those 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:31.880 pads on, So you got to have the mindset ready 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:34.920 to go game day every day. Hey, Dax, you know 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.800 your quickest route to a jersey is through special teams. 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:41.120 Did you have any experience of that in college? I mean, 0:13:41.280 --> 0:13:43.680 this is kind of a serious question because you're twenty four, 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:45.120 you played a lot of football. Do you know how 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:48.520 to tackle? Do you know the techniques and the fundamentals 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:50.720 that go about it? Because when you're on punt coverage, 0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:53.000 you're on kickoff coverage. You know you gotta be on 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:56.040 kickoff return, punt return. But you know, now you start 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.160 doing some things that maybe you don't have a great 0:13:58.200 --> 0:14:01.760 deal of experience at Uh huh. Yeah. So last year 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:04.640 I started on punt all year with Utah State, and 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:08.280 I've been on kick return, so I am familiar with tackling. 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:11.040 And like I said, like you said, for sure, I 0:14:11.400 --> 0:14:14.640 understand to get on this roster, I'm gonna have to compete, 0:14:15.040 --> 0:14:17.120 especially on special teams. And if I can start on 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:19.080 four special teams, I would do that in a heartbeat. 0:14:19.840 --> 0:14:22.720 Whether it's running down on the kickoff or blocking on punt, 0:14:22.800 --> 0:14:25.680 I'll do whatever I can to make this team well 0:14:25.720 --> 0:14:27.480 for that two year mission, you just sound like you 0:14:27.600 --> 0:14:30.200 got you know, you're mature twenty four year old. You 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:32.600 know a lot of young guys, you know, sometimes come 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:35.560 in with the anxiety of training camp and it just 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:38.600 doesn't sound like the case for you at all. Decks 0:14:38.960 --> 0:14:41.040 Maybe your point of view, because you know, I'm sure 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:43.560 there's always that doubt in your mind, but you have 0:14:43.680 --> 0:14:46.160 the maturity to go out there and say, hey, I'm 0:14:46.200 --> 0:14:49.640 gonna go compete to make this team. Yeah. Absolutely, I 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:53.720 pride myself that I'm more mature twenty four year old 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:56.360 rookie because that's a little more rare and most rookies 0:14:56.360 --> 0:14:59.600 aren't twenty four. But yeah, I mean I see it 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:01.720 at a differ print. There's a different aspect to it. 0:15:02.280 --> 0:15:05.840 You think, yeah, I'm twenty four. You know, I've had 0:15:05.960 --> 0:15:08.280 a bunch of football in my past. But you know 0:15:08.440 --> 0:15:11.360 those two years, I wasn't taking a beating, you know, 0:15:11.400 --> 0:15:14.240 I was I was walking around in Siberia. But I 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:18.120 wasn't getting smashed every day playing football, so my football 0:15:18.160 --> 0:15:21.840 mileage really isn't. I'm more of a twenty one year 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.440 old body, but just in a twenty four year old brain. 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:28.360 And still, yeah, it does make sense and still a 0:15:28.360 --> 0:15:30.920 lot to learn at this level. You said tight end 0:15:31.200 --> 0:15:34.120 only three years in your football playing life, so you 0:15:34.120 --> 0:15:36.160 can look at that in a couple of different ways. 0:15:36.600 --> 0:15:41.200 You're this piece of multiple material right now to to 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:44.080 adapt to this system, in this scheme, and you don't 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:47.640 have a lot of bad habits right at the position. Yeah, yeah, 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:50.400 I hope I don't have any. You know, I hope 0:15:50.440 --> 0:15:52.720 that the coaches, if I do, they'll get those out 0:15:52.720 --> 0:15:54.880 of my system real quick. And you know, only can 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:58.200 learn new things that will help me improve to be 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:00.200 the best tight end that I can be. Well, we 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:02.480 wish you, We wish nothing but the best. It's gonna 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:05.280 be a fun training camp. Everybody's looking forward to it, 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:07.280 as I'm sure you are as well. A week out 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:10.320 here getting ready for Bears twenty nineteen. Dax Raymond, thanks 0:16:10.320 --> 0:16:13.040 for joining us. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. 0:16:13.440 --> 0:16:16.080 Dax Raymond, our guest from Utah State, the rookie tight 0:16:16.160 --> 0:16:18.880 end will join the group along with Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, 0:16:19.040 --> 0:16:23.200 Ben Bronicker, Bradley soul Ian Bunting out of Hinsdale Central, 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:27.640 Jesper Horstead else, I'll excuse me, Ellis Richardson. The whole 0:16:27.680 --> 0:16:30.280 cast of characters ready to compete at training camp. We 0:16:30.320 --> 0:16:32.200 come back, we'll break down that tight end position a 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:34.920 little more with Tom there and Jim Miller. I'm Jeff 0:16:34.960 --> 0:16:43.440 Jonik on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy to score. Welcome 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:46.520 back to Bears All Access brought to you by IGS Energy, 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:50.040 a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, providing electricity, natural gas, 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:53.360 and home warranty products to over one million customers across 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:57.360 the country. Learn more about IGS Energy at igs dot com. Jeff, 0:16:57.360 --> 0:17:01.200 Tom and Jim joining us on Bear Access. Just heard 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:04.719 from undrafted rookie Ted and Dax Raymond. Sounds like a 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:08.800 really sharp guy, fellas. Yeah, you know, and he is 0:17:08.920 --> 0:17:10.840 mature beyond his years, you know, being twenty four and 0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:13.400 not having that abuse of football over the last couple 0:17:13.400 --> 0:17:17.119 of years. I think there's higher expectations for him because 0:17:17.119 --> 0:17:20.679 of that. You have life experiences, you have the experience 0:17:20.680 --> 0:17:25.040 of traveling around the world, the ability to adapt, the 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:28.600 ability to master another language so you can survive in 0:17:28.680 --> 0:17:31.679 that area of the world. All those skills are relatable 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:34.399 to football. So and then I was I was talking 0:17:34.440 --> 0:17:38.439 to some personnel people around the NFL today and running 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.520 a four seven three forty, you know, having almost a 0:17:41.560 --> 0:17:43.679 two hundred and fifty two hundred and fifty five pound 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:48.240 body weight, and then this position needing competition. I think 0:17:48.280 --> 0:17:51.679 all of those, you know, spell well for Dax and 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:53.800 it's going to give him a true opportunity to come 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.879 here and earn a roster spot, and he's got to 0:17:56.920 --> 0:17:59.479 be able to contribute on special teams. Yea seven one 0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:01.960 five in a three cone Droll talks about his change 0:18:01.960 --> 0:18:04.040 of direction. That's pretty good time for a player of 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:06.800 that size. We look at six five, two hundred and 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:09.800 fifty five pounds and like anything else you know, to me, 0:18:10.000 --> 0:18:12.480 he could be a perfect guy for the practice squad 0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:16.159 because he is so young, I should say at the 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:18.520 tight end position, only play in three years, you know, 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:21.320 but he's got these oily hips and he's a tremendous athlete. 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:23.920 Maybe just a little bit more development is there, because 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:26.080 when you look at the depth at the tight end 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:29.360 and the dependent on roster cuts and you know numbers 0:18:29.400 --> 0:18:31.359 are going to come into be a factor. You can't 0:18:31.359 --> 0:18:33.560 think about that as a player, But with Bradley Soul 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:37.480 making that transition to tight end, you know that's gonna 0:18:37.760 --> 0:18:40.080 change some things and how that position. So Dax to 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:44.040 me would probably be a perfect person for practice squad 0:18:44.160 --> 0:18:46.199 as it sits right now. You know, Jimmy like about him. 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:48.480 Jim and Jeff when we talk about Bradley Saul and 0:18:48.560 --> 0:18:53.120 we talk about Dax, who really has the advantage from 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:56.400 this moment on a person that's young with three years 0:18:56.480 --> 0:19:00.840 experience and limited or a person that understands the blocking 0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:03.960 schemes and how to block and fundamentals of blocking but 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:06.280 has never played the position. And I'd like to get 0:19:06.320 --> 0:19:08.960 both of your take on that. Well. I mean, well, 0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:11.520 coach Snaggy spreads it out a lot more than some 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:14.240 other teams around the league in terms of goal line personnel. 0:19:14.480 --> 0:19:16.600 But I think if you're just looking for overall blocking, 0:19:16.640 --> 0:19:18.760 if you're going to go heavy personnel and obviously short 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:21.119 yardage and goal line command it when you kind of 0:19:21.119 --> 0:19:22.760 want to just stuff it up in there, And I 0:19:22.760 --> 0:19:25.919 would think Bradley Swells has the advantage, you know, and 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:28.040 I would think when you look at those guys on 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:30.920 the roster, Trey Burton's more of a movement guy. Dax 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:35.600 is probably a movement guy until he improves his blocking ability. 0:19:36.000 --> 0:19:37.760 But then the bigger guys, when you look at Adam, 0:19:37.840 --> 0:19:41.720 Sheheen and Bradley probably would probably provide a better benefit 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.880 and heavy personnel in those positions, which I think would 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:46.880 give them an advantage if the Bears want to play 0:19:46.920 --> 0:19:49.800 smash model, I would agree with what Jim saying, maybe 0:19:49.840 --> 0:19:53.360 two different types of position players here. And in addition 0:19:53.400 --> 0:19:56.280 to that, knowing that Matt Naggey loves a buffet, he 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:59.800 loves an offensive buffet of different options. As we all 0:20:00.040 --> 0:20:02.239 learned and will continue to learn, this is not just 0:20:02.359 --> 0:20:05.840