WEBVTT - T.J. Edwards on the Chicago Bears' Secondary 'There's Leaders Everywhere' 0:00:00.920 --> 0:00:01.800 Welcome in Tough. 0:00:01.920 --> 0:00:07.080 Bears Weekly powered by IGS Energy, a Chicago Bears Network production. 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:11.400 Bears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Athletico 0:00:11.480 --> 0:00:17.800 Physical Therapy, cd gwany Connie's Pizza, IGS Energy, and Mener Liked. 0:00:18.360 --> 0:00:22.680 Here your hosts Jeff Chilliac aka the Mayor of Bearsville 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:25.520 and his sidekick, Tom the Surfmaster Thayer. 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:31.120 Everybody, it starts to get real right aim on the corner. 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:35.200 Here a new and start for the Bears on Saturday, 0:00:35.200 --> 0:00:37.600 preseason Week one in Buffalo. The starters are going to 0:00:37.640 --> 0:00:40.160 give it a go, including rookie quarterback Kato Williams. Bears 0:00:40.159 --> 0:00:42.280 Weekly right here on ESPN one thousand of the Bears 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:44.880 Radio Network with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer. 0:00:45.200 --> 0:00:48.879 I'm Jeff Joniyat coming up. We visit with Bears linebacker TJ. 0:00:49.320 --> 0:00:52.880 Edwards and we're getting ready for Week one of the preseason. 0:00:53.000 --> 0:00:56.640 Josh Allen and the Bills starters also expected to play 0:00:57.040 --> 0:00:59.960 at least a quarter in the ESPN studio spending the 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.720 dials tonight. We've got Sean Grany thanks to Dan Brilliant, 0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:04.840 Jordan Tredip and the Bears and the executive producer of 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:08.040 the Bears rady A Network is Eric Ostrowski. Tom, this 0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:11.039 is I got a game on the television right now, 0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:12.920 New England and Carolina getting underway. 0:01:13.000 --> 0:01:14.240 So it's here. 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:14.440 Now. 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:15.920 I know we had the Hall of Fame game, but 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:17.960 now you're going to see starters, and that's what I'm 0:01:17.959 --> 0:01:18.880 most excited about. 0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:21.480 You know, I'm most excited that it's a noon start 0:01:21.680 --> 0:01:24.000 because if you think of the first regular season game 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:26.319 for the Chicago Bears, it's a noon start and Soldier 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:29.280 Field against the Tennessee Titans. Now you really get to 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:33.479 fall into that pregame rhythm of how it's actually all 0:01:33.520 --> 0:01:37.279 gonna happen. What are the times of the pregame meals, 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:40.080 the pregame meetings, What time do the busses leave, What 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:42.120 bus do you want to be on? When do you 0:01:42.160 --> 0:01:44.160 want to get into the locker room and start getting 0:01:44.160 --> 0:01:47.480 yourself prepared? And I really do think having a noon 0:01:47.600 --> 0:01:52.240 start in Buffalo plays an important role in the preparedness 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:53.600 for week one of the regular sets. 0:01:53.680 --> 0:01:56.000 The funny thing is, you never looked at the schedule, 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:59.160 and so you thought, just you know, assuming it's Saturday. 0:01:58.840 --> 0:02:01.800 Night, Yeah I assume, Yeah, you know, that's you know. 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:04.480 That's why you should never assume, as you know, during 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:07.720 a football season. And I'm super happy that as a 0:02:07.760 --> 0:02:13.079 noon start on Saturday. But for forty years, preseason games 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:16.920 have always been at seven o'clock at night, especially in 0:02:17.000 --> 0:02:18.480 Buffalo where you know. 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:20.839 That seems to be when the fans want to come out. 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:23.200 Yeah, they'll be out, they'll be out, we heard Tevin 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:25.119 Jenkins say, And we're going to hear from a bunch 0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:26.640 of guys who are at the podium today. 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:28.960 We'll start with Matt Eberflus here in a second. 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:33.079 But everybody's talking about how things are working out here. 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:36.000 We've been to every practice. We've got our thoughts as well, 0:02:36.040 --> 0:02:39.120 so we'll share those with you. Injury concerns remain some 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:42.880 of the storyline here. There's nothing quite serious in terms 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:45.280 of something that season ending or going to be out 0:02:45.720 --> 0:02:48.040 a super long time other than what we heard on 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.200 THEO Benedette could be about five or six weeks. We 0:02:51.280 --> 0:02:54.320 learned that from what we saw in Hard Knocks the 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:57.600 other night. But Kyler Gordon's been out for several weeks, 0:02:57.720 --> 0:02:58.640 a couple of weeks. 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:00.680 Here now, so it sounds like he he's on the 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:01.320 mend on. 0:03:01.360 --> 0:03:03.440 The way back, and hopefully he'll be getting out there 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:07.520 promptly because that chemistry. We're only focusing on the offense, 0:03:07.560 --> 0:03:09.720 it seems, but that chemistry in the back end of 0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:12.000 the defense is also as important as anything. 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:12.720 Well. 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:14.560 I have no worries about Kyler Gordon. 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:16.680 I really think he'll be there to start the regular 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:20.600 season and hopefully a little bit before. But what was 0:03:20.680 --> 0:03:23.240 one of the results of some injuries in the defensive 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:24.560 backfield last year. 0:03:24.919 --> 0:03:26.720 It's the development of depth. 0:03:27.080 --> 0:03:30.000 So if we're sitting there and Kyler Gordan's missing a 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:33.480 couple weeks of training camp practice, we're not scratching our 0:03:33.520 --> 0:03:36.040 heads saying, oh my god, this sea is already in 0:03:36.080 --> 0:03:40.000 a downward spiral. No, there's other guys, other candidates up 0:03:40.040 --> 0:03:43.960 there that have had time to play and prepare, that 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:47.600 can step in and this defense can function efficiently. 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:48.000 Yeah. 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:50.440 One of the guys that has really done well is 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.000 Jalen Jones. He has been here for several years. He 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:55.720 knows the defense, He has done great on special teams. 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:58.880 Is he core special teams player as well? Josh Blackwell 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:01.800 is one of them as well. Ready Steward, an undrafted 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:04.360 free agent, is also turning some heads as well. 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:04.600 Tom. 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.400 Without further ado, let's listen in how Matt Eberfluss is 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:10.520 looking at this preseason game in terms of snap counts 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:11.320 for the starters. 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:14.960 About that, guys are just about it in terms we 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:17.520 have a really good plan and a good process for that, 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:21.120 and we have a range of plays that we feel 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:23.720 that are going to be good for those particular groups. 0:04:24.080 --> 0:04:25.960 I'm not going to get into talking about numbers, but 0:04:25.960 --> 0:04:27.440 we want to see a good flow and a good 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:30.720 rhythm to it. But the starters that are available to 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:33.960 us will play on Saturday. But we're excited about the 0:04:33.960 --> 0:04:38.480 opportunity to show our execution and really for the individual 0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:40.560 battles that we have across the team. Those guys are 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:42.920 going to be battling in there as well once the 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:43.719 ones get out. 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:47.240 Of there from going offense Saturday. 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:51.359 Just more what we see now where he is in 0:04:51.440 --> 0:04:53.480 terms of the progress, you know, and this is this 0:04:53.800 --> 0:04:56.440 first time in live action. He's been getting a lot 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:58.400 of good reps with our one defense, so I think 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:01.880 he'll it'll feel similar to him. But I really feel 0:05:01.920 --> 0:05:04.200 that when it's live there in the pocket, to be 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:07.880 able to move, maneuver in the pocket, ride the pocket, escape, 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:10.320 either on the outside, b gaps, all those things and 0:05:10.360 --> 0:05:12.360 be able to deliver the ball, keep your eyes down field, 0:05:13.080 --> 0:05:14.919 and really just the operation of it getting in and 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:17.960 out of the huddle or no pre snap penalties, just 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:19.240 clean operation. 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:24.080 Kyler Gordon and probably about two weeks, can you kind 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:24.880 of update U something. 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:27.440 Yeah, he's it's a work in progress. We're getting close. 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:30.960 We feel good where he is. And again, this is 0:05:30.960 --> 0:05:33.600 something that in training that he did and then it 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:36.120 just kind of came in with it, you know, So 0:05:36.160 --> 0:05:38.760 we're just kind of making sure that it's right. And 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:41.120 there's a delicate balance here because we have to make 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:45.120 sure it's right, but also he's working hard, diligently to 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:46.960 get back because we know we have to have that 0:05:47.279 --> 0:05:51.160 conditioning level, the playing with the other players in terms 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:53.880 of the continuity for that unit to be able to 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:56.400 thrive that we wanted to. So we have to get 0:05:56.440 --> 0:05:58.400 him back as soon as possible. He understands that he's 0:05:58.440 --> 0:06:00.719 working to get there. What's your perspective of on Caleb's 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:04.599 growth in terms of you urgently need him to be 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:06.360 ready for the start of the season, especially with the 0:06:06.440 --> 0:06:08.560 roster leading, but also these. 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:11.839 Are in theory very small, very early steps and what 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:13.880 you expect to the alarm room. 0:06:14.320 --> 0:06:16.600 Yeah, that's that's a good point. And I would say 0:06:16.600 --> 0:06:18.440 that he's right where he needs to be right now. 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:22.280 He's having some good days, some good periods and then 0:06:22.360 --> 0:06:24.880 some other ones that you know, he's learning from adversity, 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:27.680 you know, and a setback, and I told him to 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:30.160 just lean into that. So when you have a setback 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:33.240 or have adversity, don't shy away from it. Lean into 0:06:33.320 --> 0:06:36.080 it and then learn from it and then get better 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:37.800 from it, you know, because a lot of people want 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:40.200 to hie and shrink, shrink away from adversity. That's not 0:06:40.279 --> 0:06:42.440 what we do. We lean into it and get better 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:45.880 from it. Invest our time, grow and improve. And that's 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:47.920 what he's been doing. And he's got some moments out 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:49.640 there today that he's going to need to do that 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:52.800 in today's practice, and I'm sure he's going to have 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:54.760 some in the game. So it's again the exposure and 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:57.039 experience that we can give him, you know, throughout the 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:59.720 course of this camp, the reps in pre season, the 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:02.760 reps with the joint practice next week, all those are 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:03.400 very valuable. 0:07:03.480 --> 0:07:05.920 Matt Billis he's been a running back for three days now, 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:09.039 it's not enough to get him a couple of carries. 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:09.520 In the preseason game. 0:07:10.160 --> 0:07:14.120 Yeah, yeah, definitely. I think that he's done well back there. 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:17.440 He's certainly got speed. We know that he's very durable. 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:19.400 You know, he's got some good lean mass to him, 0:07:19.400 --> 0:07:23.120 so he can knock it forward pretty good. So he's 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:25.280 got some good acceleration. He's going to be a threat 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:27.160 out of the backfield in terms of the passing game. 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:29.000 So I'm excited for him. 0:07:29.040 --> 0:07:30.840 And again we're going to evaluate that. Like I said, 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:32.760 I believe earlier in the week Stacked by Stack in 0:07:32.800 --> 0:07:37.080 terms of the practices, and we'll reevaluate that after Buffalo's 0:07:37.120 --> 0:07:38.640 Pro A trickier. 0:07:38.320 --> 0:07:39.240 Topic with some of you. 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:40.600 It is. 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:42.760 It is because it's new. It's new to him. He 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:45.240 doesn't have that experience doing that, so again it's new. 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:47.440 But I know he's stout, I know he's tough, So 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:48.960 I just we'll see where it goes. 0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:51.320 Yeah, we saw some of that the other day. 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:53.160 What are you just having that one on ones with 0:07:53.200 --> 0:07:55.320 the linebackers and pass pro And yeah, that will be 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.360 an adjustment. So a lot to unpacked there. Let's hit 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:00.640 on the key points, the things that stick out for you. 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.680 And obviously there has been a lot of discussion, a 0:08:03.680 --> 0:08:06.560 lot of things written and discussed about how the offense 0:08:07.040 --> 0:08:10.120 is behind the defense right now, a defense that has 0:08:10.160 --> 0:08:12.440 been in the same system for three years, an offense 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.360 that has a new offensive coordinator and a rookie quarterback 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:17.480 trying to find its way. 0:08:17.680 --> 0:08:19.360 You know, that's the one thing about defense. 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:22.440 If guys have experience in the system, they're playing at 0:08:22.480 --> 0:08:25.200 a faster tempo on the defensive side of the ball. 0:08:25.640 --> 0:08:28.280 And a lot of times, defensive football can be taught 0:08:28.320 --> 0:08:31.120 simply as when the ball is snapped, you go do 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:33.679 your assignment and you chase the guy that has a 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:38.719 football and tackle him. Whereas an offense development, especially when 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:41.439 you're teaching a new system, from a new offensive coordinator 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:44.720 to a new quarterback, the difficulty of that whole process 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:47.959 takes time. And one thing that I like about Matt 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:51.240 and talking about Caleb is leaning into something if he 0:08:51.320 --> 0:08:54.840 doesn't do it so well, Because our offensive line coach, 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:58.120 Dick Stanfeld used to say, eventually, I have to stop 0:08:58.160 --> 0:09:01.480 coaching you and you have to start coaching yourself. If 0:09:01.520 --> 0:09:05.440 you recognize a mistake, whether it's a fundamental or some 0:09:05.520 --> 0:09:07.760 type of technique, then you've got to be able to 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:11.400 correct that with me without me always telling you. And 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:14.360 I think that's the same thing for any position on offense. 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:16.760 And when you go back into the meeting room and 0:09:16.800 --> 0:09:19.720 you start watching tape and you go, Okay, I could 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:22.640 have made this read more efficiently, or I could have 0:09:22.679 --> 0:09:26.439 had this ball placement another foot over in this direction. 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.640 Those are all questions that Caleb eventually is going to 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:31.160 be able to answer for himself. 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:33.160 And I also agree with Matt. 0:09:33.240 --> 0:09:37.040 I think Caleb is progressing at the rate that you 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:40.800 expect a guy coming from college to professional football. 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:44.000 There have been wins, there's been past plays downfield, swing 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:47.160 passes out, DeAndre Swift really shining out of the backfield, 0:09:47.240 --> 0:09:49.720 all the backs, and this one offensive line is still 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:52.199 trying to get the five guys they want, trying to 0:09:52.240 --> 0:09:55.080 get healthy up front. So there's been some change and 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:57.760 experimenting going on as well. All right, hold that thought. 0:09:57.760 --> 0:09:59.240 We're going to go to our first break when we 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:03.000 come back. We joined by Bears linebacker TJ. Edwards here 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:05.520 on Bears Weekly on a ESPN one thousand and The 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:07.240 Bears Radio Network is. 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:09.960 Bears Weekly with the Voice of the Bears for twenty 0:10:10.040 --> 0:10:13.800 three years Jeff Jonak on the Bears Radio Network. 0:10:17.040 --> 0:10:19.040 This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:22.120 CDW IF people to get it with Tom Dare, Jeff Joniak, 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:24.959 and our guest this week is Bears linebacker Taj Edwards. 0:10:25.000 --> 0:10:27.040 Thanks for taking the time. How you feeling doing? 0:10:27.080 --> 0:10:27.280 Good? 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.120 Man who always has a smile on his face? 0:10:29.120 --> 0:10:31.720 I tell you that right now, bless hey, hey, right, 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:33.760 tell us, Why tell us why you're blessed? 0:10:33.880 --> 0:10:35.920 You know, my dad told me a long time ago. 0:10:35.960 --> 0:10:38.600 Anytime you can go to work and put sweatpants on 0:10:38.679 --> 0:10:40.480 to enter the office, you're doing something right. 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:42.520 So keep being blessed for sure. 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:42.760 Yeah. 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:44.800 And the man playing a kid's game, absolutely right. 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:47.600 Ever since the early days of those Bears jerseys on 0:10:47.880 --> 0:10:51.920 is now that you're deep into your Bears career, do 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:54.480 you reflect it all again back? I know you've been 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:57.400 asked many times, but you wear that uniform with a 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:01.080 lot of pride, and you're one of us, You're one 0:11:01.120 --> 0:11:02.760 of the fans of the Chicago Bears. 0:11:03.040 --> 0:11:05.160 Yeah, I mean absolutely, you know, I take a lot 0:11:05.160 --> 0:11:08.200 of pride in the hometown team and now being able 0:11:08.200 --> 0:11:10.560 to you know, obviously play for it and try to 0:11:10.640 --> 0:11:13.560 make a name for myself. Is it's really cool? You know, 0:11:13.559 --> 0:11:14.840 you try to take it all in because it goes 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:15.640 quick for sure. 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:16.640 You know. 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:18.920 Jay Hilgenberg always used to say football is a great 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:20.880 job when you don't have to shower before you go 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.199 to work. I also want to bring him up again, TJ, 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.400 because I've heard so much about you crushing a golf 0:11:27.440 --> 0:11:30.760 ball throughout the whole offseason, and Jay said, and Jay's 0:11:30.800 --> 0:11:33.240 a really good golfer, but he says, one of the 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:36.000 most impressive big hitters he's ever seen is TJ. 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:36.720 Edwards. 0:11:37.000 --> 0:11:39.840 How did that come about? Who taught you that? Is 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:41.920 it just natural talent that you have? 0:11:43.160 --> 0:11:45.680 I mean I think, I mean you said natural talent 0:11:45.720 --> 0:11:47.320 makes it seem like I'm really good. But I think 0:11:48.360 --> 0:11:50.600 growing up as a baseball player and it kind of 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:53.840 it kind of just related. And my dad loves the 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:55.640 golf and something I did at a young age, and 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:59.079 I just enjoy it, man, being outside, being you know good, 0:11:59.120 --> 0:12:01.600 three four hours off there and uh yeah, I can. 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:02.960 I can hit it a decent way. I couldn't tell 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:04.839 you always where it's going, but it's going to go 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:05.360 a long way. 0:12:05.960 --> 0:12:07.160 Well, I hear your crush. 0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:08.880 And I know you got a birthday coming up, so 0:12:08.960 --> 0:12:11.120 happy birthday in advance. 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:13.680 Mine's the sixteenth, yours is the twelfth. 0:12:14.000 --> 0:12:16.920 So TJ, when you think about a year ago when 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.680 you came to the Chicago Bears and you started training 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:22.920 camp and the speed that you picked up throughout the 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.680 course of the season, are you playing at the speed 0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:28.120 that you left off at the regular season or are 0:12:28.160 --> 0:12:32.600 you and Tremaine playing a faster pace of linebacker play 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.160 now that you're kind of more familiar with each other 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:36.160 in the system. 0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.240 Yeah, I mean, I think you know, even coming in 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:40.400 last year, it's a it's a unique system in a 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:42.160 lot of ways, and just in terms of the movement 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:44.080 that we play with and kind of the read and 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:45.840 react things off of the D line, which is which 0:12:45.880 --> 0:12:46.600 is awesome when. 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:48.360 It when everyone's working on all cylinders. 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:50.000 But it definitely took a second, and I think you 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:52.280 can really feel kind of what it looks like right now, 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:54.800 you know, and and guys are flying around, guys are 0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:55.880 confident what we're doing. 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:58.520 It feels like we're off to a really good start. 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:01.280 And obviously you know, it's camp, and the offense knows 0:13:01.360 --> 0:13:03.319 us pretty well by now. We know them pretty well 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:05.000 by now, but I'm excited just with kind of the 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:07.439 chemistry that we have and kind of knowing how each 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:09.680 other play. It's gonna it's gonna definitely translate for sure. 0:13:09.720 --> 0:13:09.880 You know. 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:11.600 One of the things that you're you're seeing a lot 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:14.160 of screens, so it'll set you up for the regular season. 0:13:14.520 --> 0:13:17.800 Sniffing out those screens is always a challenge. I mean, 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:21.520 if it's done right, it's done repetitiously by the offense 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:22.760 at nauseam. 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.200 Does that help you guys flow quicker to the ball? 0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:26.040 Absolutely? 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:27.959 I mean I think you know, it's it's one of 0:13:27.960 --> 0:13:29.480 those things where you want to see all the all 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:31.079 the problems you can't right like, you want to see 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:32.640 all the plays that are tough and all the plays 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:35.360 that maybe don't fit how they should on paper, just 0:13:35.400 --> 0:13:37.080 so you can talk about them and see them. But 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:39.360 our offense, I would say, is definitely given us a 0:13:39.360 --> 0:13:41.160 good amount of them, and they're they're good at them right, 0:13:41.160 --> 0:13:43.800 and they've got good good speed, good skill. You know, 0:13:43.880 --> 0:13:46.160 I think seems like Swift is catching them with one 0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:47.480 hand every day I'm out there. 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:50.559 But it's really good for us to see it is. 0:13:50.800 --> 0:13:53.080 What's different about the defense this year. 0:13:53.360 --> 0:13:55.640 I'm not you're not getting into scheme with me by 0:13:55.640 --> 0:13:58.480 any means, But do you feel there's more pages in 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:01.600 the playbook from the jump? Is that going to create 0:14:01.679 --> 0:14:06.720 some more creativity maybe and some more frequency of things 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:08.600 that maybe we all like to see a little more 0:14:08.600 --> 0:14:10.360 pressure from all levels. 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:12.960 Yeah, I mean, and it's again, it's camp, right, so 0:14:13.000 --> 0:14:15.040 you're kind of trying out all those things against a 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:17.360 really good offense and you're you're getting to kind of 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:20.480 see what's what's going on. But I think we've done 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:22.240 really good job of mixing things up and just kind 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:25.240 of seeing how we handle certain things and with with 0:14:25.360 --> 0:14:27.160 new looks every day and kind of giving the. 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:28.040 Offense a new look too. 0:14:28.080 --> 0:14:30.000 So it's been it's been really good, and I think 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:32.040 Flus and coach Washer have handled it really well. 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:33.840 You know, TJ and all the stats, you had one 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:36.560 hundred and fifty five tackles, two and a half sacks, 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:39.400 three interceptions. So last week I go back and practice, 0:14:39.600 --> 0:14:42.040 they're running a sleep to the left and Carrie blasting 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:43.320 game as a lead blocker. 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:45.440 You go and you meet him in the backfield. 0:14:45.960 --> 0:14:49.000 It was a pretty good collision and it's not something 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:52.640 that you don't make the tackle, but you make the play, okay, 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:55.000 and then I'm gonna say, Okay, that's part of TJ's game. 0:14:55.040 --> 0:14:58.080 And then you look at the receivers that you're playing 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:00.640 against this year and the interception and everything. 0:15:00.800 --> 0:15:03.600 What part of your game do you enjoy the most? 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:07.120 Is that a line of scrimmage physical style or is 0:15:07.160 --> 0:15:10.360 it the athleticism downfield style? 0:15:11.440 --> 0:15:13.920 Yeah, I mean, I think growing up and kind of 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:17.280 the first thing that attracted me to football was the physical, 0:15:17.440 --> 0:15:19.560 you know, the physical aspect of the game. Being able to, 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:22.040 you know, especially at linebacker, being able to run downhill 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:23.840 and kind of just meet someone right where they're at 0:15:23.920 --> 0:15:26.000 and see, you know, who's gonna win. I think I 0:15:26.480 --> 0:15:29.400 enjoy that a lot. And also I think, you know, 0:15:29.440 --> 0:15:31.000 I kind of enjoy doing both. I think, you know, 0:15:31.080 --> 0:15:33.080 all the athletic parts and getting able to, you know, 0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:34.600 get in windows and make plays. 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:36.680 It's something I enjoyed too, especially. 0:15:36.640 --> 0:15:38.120 You know, people don't think I can do it, so 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:40.160 I love, I love, you know, proving people wrong in 0:15:40.160 --> 0:15:41.320 that aspect as well. 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:42.240 Which leads me to this. 0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:44.680 NFL dot COM's Kevin Patrack at the end of the 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.920 last season called you the young Sun, hero of the Bears, defense, 0:15:47.960 --> 0:15:51.560 the glue and Pro Football weeklyes excuse me, Pro Football 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:55.880 focuses Thomas Valentine, the secret superstar, the tent highest rated 0:15:55.920 --> 0:15:59.040 linebacker Top twenty, and run defense and coverage. 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:00.880 I know none of that that matters to you. 0:16:00.920 --> 0:16:04.240 But when you said people don't think I can do it, 0:16:04.800 --> 0:16:09.280 you know these terms of unsung and secret. You're not 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:13.800 a secret or unsung. You're just a damn good football player. 0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:16.760 I think you would agree. And how do you process that? 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:17.920 Yeah? 0:16:18.000 --> 0:16:19.240 I mean, you know, at the end of the day, 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:21.320 I feel like I know what I bring and I 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:23.440 know what my you know what my best football looks like. 0:16:23.560 --> 0:16:26.120 But i'd be lying if you know, those things will 0:16:26.120 --> 0:16:27.840 seem to keep me going, right, I think you know, 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:31.160 still it's still going back to coming out of you know, 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:32.960 being one of the guys that was supposed to go 0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:34.760 and didn't get a call. You know that, you know, 0:16:34.800 --> 0:16:36.760 every single team passed up on me, and I still 0:16:36.840 --> 0:16:38.360 keep that ship with me knowing that I got something 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:38.640 to prove. 0:16:38.680 --> 0:16:41.600 Every single day I call general manager Ryan Pulls the 0:16:41.680 --> 0:16:45.200 quiet Storm because he's he's very transparent, but he really 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:52.080 never shows you that emotion that may take different ranges neither, 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:55.640 do you would you also be classified in that quiet storm. 0:16:55.800 --> 0:16:57.680 I like to think that I live kind of right 0:16:57.680 --> 0:16:58.200 in the middle. 0:16:58.320 --> 0:17:00.360 Right, I don't live kind of in that range of 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:02.160 you know, I'm too amped up or I'm too louder. 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:04.199 You know, I'm not as quiet as I'm Also I 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:05.879 like to I like to kind of right in the 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:09.359