Speaker 1: Christmas, Bears fans, and happy Holiday's Tom There. Jeff Joniak
Speaker 1: with you on a Thursday edition of Bears All Access.
Speaker 1: We're brought to you by IGS Energy here on Chicago
Speaker 1: Sports Radio six seventy to Score. Thanks as always to
Speaker 1: our producers Jordan trud Up, Dan BURRELLI and the folks
Speaker 1: here at the Score. They do a great job, and
Speaker 1: thank you all for listening. You're coming up on Sunday.
Speaker 1: In Seattle, they call it Boxing Day. Tom. I don't
Speaker 1: know if you're aware of this or not, but there
Speaker 1: is such a thing. It's back from the eighteen hundreds.
Speaker 1: Workers would have the day after Christmas would get boxes
Speaker 1: their gifts from their employers, and they'd get these big
Speaker 1: boxes of stuff. So it's called Boxing Day. First I've
Speaker 1: ever heard of it. Well, I appreciate the explanation and
Speaker 1: the history class of that. I should have probably paid
Speaker 1: attention to an eighth grade or something, but that one
Speaker 1: went over the top of me. But so happy Boxing
Speaker 1: Day to everybody and great Northwest. I'll be expecting the
Speaker 1: day after Christmas a big box or something from you, Tom.
Speaker 1: How about it? How about a Bears win? That'll be
Speaker 1: nice in a box? I take a Bears win in
Speaker 1: a box, in the bag, in a balloon and a
Speaker 1: shopping cart, anyway you want to deliver it to me,
Speaker 1: Big Jeff, I'll be right besides you, gladly to take it.
Speaker 1: Coming up in our next couple of segments, we'll be
Speaker 1: joined by Bears rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Junior. And then
Speaker 1: later in the program, former Seattle receiver Michael Bumpus now
Speaker 1: on the Seahawks radio network as the pre and post
Speaker 1: game host, And we're gonna hear a little Bears defensive lineman.
Speaker 1: But Allow Nichols. He happens to be on the COVID
Speaker 1: nineteen list. It was an interview I did with him
Speaker 1: last week and news today a Keem Hicks goes on
Speaker 1: that list. Now tom So will not be in the
Speaker 1: game this week. A couple of guys come off, Andy
Speaker 1: Dalton and Mario Edwards Junior. Sam Camara also off that list.
Speaker 1: He goes to the active roster and Ladarius mac goes
Speaker 1: to the practice squad. So again, a couple of defensive
Speaker 1: lineman against Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Yeah, you
Speaker 1: know they're fortunate they did get back Mario Edwards Junior.
Speaker 1: I'm sure he's fresh and ready to play, and hopefully
Speaker 1: he can have the bounds to the defensive line that
Speaker 1: a Keem Hicks did last week against the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 1: But what a shame, what a shame to him only
Speaker 1: be around for the Minnesota the Vikings game, and you know,
Speaker 1: hopefully he'll be around for the Giants in the next
Speaker 1: Minnesota game. But you know, the first concern of everything
Speaker 1: as a team's health. So that's all. I just wish
Speaker 1: the best for that. Already, Burns and Duke Shelley also
Speaker 1: coming off that list earlier in the week. So more
Speaker 1: options in the secondary as well. We're all interested. And
Speaker 1: you know, jermainea. Fetti met the media to daytime and
Speaker 1: he talked about what he you know, he knows Russell Wilson,
Speaker 1: he protected him for four years. He's intrigued by the
Speaker 1: Justin Fields Russell Wilson matchups as he wishes who was
Speaker 1: a national televised game, because I think he sees similarities there,
Speaker 1: and that's been a topic all week. What are the similarities.
Speaker 1: I don't know what you feel about about it, because
Speaker 1: they're different body types. In my opinion, obviously a guy
Speaker 1: in Russell Wilson established himself a Super Bowl champion, the
Speaker 1: whole bit, done a great job using that athleticism, but
Speaker 1: also just being able to pull the trigger from the
Speaker 1: pocket and lead his team, an outstanding leader for the
Speaker 1: Seattle States. Yeah, but Jeff, you know, we've been fortunate
Speaker 1: to have a long enough broadcasting career, but we've been
Speaker 1: around for the entirety of these players the length of
Speaker 1: their career. And when you think of Russell Wilson, what
Speaker 1: he was doing to the Bears at the beginning of
Speaker 1: his career, how of a well conditioned athlete he was,
Speaker 1: how that took a toll on the Bears as a defense,
Speaker 1: and many opponents are on the National Football League. If
Speaker 1: Justin has the potential to grow into a player like
Speaker 1: Russell Wilson, I'd be good benefit Bears for years to come.
Speaker 1: Offensive coordinator Bill Lazier also expected to be back this
Speaker 1: week earlier today, and what he expects to see and
Speaker 1: what he expects from Justin Fields in the final three
Speaker 1: games of the season, Well, I would go everything constant development.
Speaker 1: That would be the boring answer. You know, I think
Speaker 1: some of the stuff you see from the game is
Speaker 1: only learned from experience, which is here's the play. I
Speaker 1: don't like what I see right here. How do I
Speaker 1: keep my thread of running and make it really positive
Speaker 1: for the offense? How do I make sure that worst
Speaker 1: case scenario i'd take, someone just gets lucky and tackles
Speaker 1: me for a very small sack and not a big one.
Speaker 1: You know, we just we just I just think as
Speaker 1: an offense, you know, you see the big errors that
Speaker 1: hurt us and so but no, I'm I'm I'm all
Speaker 1: excited about continued growth, continued development. Coach every detail. It
Speaker 1: is like I said that the first answer was the
Speaker 1: boring answer. It is a little bit boring because it's
Speaker 1: just a grind, you know. Coach t Filippo just grinds
Speaker 1: them all the time. And that's that's how that's how
Speaker 1: we all get better. How did that conversation time? For me?
Speaker 1: What I pull out is too you know, if you
Speaker 1: are going to get sacked and seattle as a defense
Speaker 1: that can't sack the quarterback, you know, limit the damage,
Speaker 1: can't have the big fourteen fifteen yard sacks. Yeah, or
Speaker 1: justin fall into the rhythm of the offense. You know
Speaker 1: your initial read, know your secondary read quickly and then
Speaker 1: if you you have to eject the pocket, use your
Speaker 1: god giving ability to make the most out of the play.
Speaker 1: So it is a grind because when you look at
Speaker 1: a playbook and you hear Matt Naggee talk or any
Speaker 1: of these coordinators along the line, you have a selection
Speaker 1: or three or four hundred plays throughout the course of
Speaker 1: a career in a lifetime, and the grind is learning
Speaker 1: every one of those plays perfectly so you can master
Speaker 1: them and then used to the rhythm of the offense
Speaker 1: every time you call one. China say also a big
Speaker 1: topic of conversation. It was real quant Smith, he's mythed
Speaker 1: He says, it's a travesty that he wasn't named to
Speaker 1: the Pro Bowl. I know how you feel about it.
Speaker 1: All pros better than Pro Bowl popularity contests, but there
Speaker 1: is something about it, you know, that kind of lingers
Speaker 1: with guys a like Ogletree, same thing. You know, they're
Speaker 1: they're feeling there's an injustice here. Yeah, you know, that's
Speaker 1: kind of the feeling you're gonna have anytime you have
Speaker 1: a great player on your team and you feel that
Speaker 1: they're deserving of the Pro Bowl, but they don't make it.
Speaker 1: But you also have to face guys that have made
Speaker 1: it a multiple times over through the course of their
Speaker 1: career and they're the first on their list when some
Speaker 1: of these people are voting, or they come from a
Speaker 1: big fan a town of fans that really get involved
Speaker 1: in the voting. I guarantee you if Roquan was on
Speaker 1: a team that had a ten and four record rather
Speaker 1: than four and ten, he would be one of the
Speaker 1: first guys on the list. And listen, if Roquan Smith
Speaker 1: plays football at the level he's been playing and developing
Speaker 1: at the develop at the level he's been developing, I
Speaker 1: selfishly don't care if he ever makes a Pro Bowl
Speaker 1: because he means a lot to the Bears and he
Speaker 1: deserves it. Unfortunately, he didn't get voted in everybody can't
Speaker 1: Bobby Wagner did. Michael Parsons, the rookie in Dallas who
Speaker 1: plays all over the place, but Roquan a pure inside guy.
Speaker 1: The other topic is, you know, can that secondary replicate
Speaker 1: what they did against Minnesota against Seattle and Russell Wilson
Speaker 1: and those receivers. You know, Jeff, You've been saying it
Speaker 1: every time I hear you talk, and as we talk together,
Speaker 1: it's gonna the front is gonna have to help the back.
Speaker 1: And if the defensive line and can have that same
Speaker 1: aggressive approach, they can put the quarterback in a negative
Speaker 1: position when he's getting ready to throw the ball, then
Speaker 1: the Bears defensive backs are we'll be able to capitalize
Speaker 1: on that. It's no easy task, however, you know, it's
Speaker 1: kind of the opposite. It's gonna be quiet in there
Speaker 1: when Russell is going through his signals. If the Bears
Speaker 1: can kind of fall into the rhythm of his cadence,
Speaker 1: but maybe they can have a get off and really
Speaker 1: challenge this offensive line. Half of it is good, half
Speaker 1: of it is susceptible. Yeah, they give up a lot
Speaker 1: of sex. Some of that created by a guy who
Speaker 1: holds onto the football a long time, as long as
Speaker 1: he can in Russell Wilson. All right, Coming up next,
Speaker 1: we're gonna be joined by Thomas Graham Junior. We'll talk secondary,
Speaker 1: We'll talk kid from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Thomas Graham Junior
Speaker 1: coming up next on Bears All Access on Chicago Sports
Speaker 1: Radio six seventy to score. Welcome back to Bears All Access,
Speaker 1: brought to you by IGS Energy, choose clean energy for
Speaker 1: your home at igs dot com, because every good choice
Speaker 1: adds up to a better world. With Tom there, Jeff
Speaker 1: Jonnyak counting you down to Bears and Seahawks, but please
Speaker 1: to be joined by Bears rookie cornerback Thomas Graham Junior.
Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us on this day as you get
Speaker 1: ready to go out to the Great Northwest. Uh your
Speaker 1: old stomping grounds out there, huh Oregon? Yes, sir, Yes, sir. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's kind of weird. I'd imagine we're wondering when you
Speaker 1: might get a chance to play, and then all of
Speaker 1: a sudden, you have this game that everybody's so proud
Speaker 1: to talk about, and you must be proud to have
Speaker 1: experienced with your performance. Seven tackles, three pass breakups, save
Speaker 1: a touchdown and just show big. And now now you're
Speaker 1: a center of attention. You've gone from virtually nothing to
Speaker 1: the center of attention. Are you cool with that? Are you?
Speaker 1: Is it enjoyable or is it easy for you? What's
Speaker 1: your what's your thoughts? I think it's as enjoyable more
Speaker 1: for the aspect of as I just had so many
Speaker 1: people just cheer me on this whole time during the
Speaker 1: price of spot Joor that I was a table to
Speaker 1: go out there just let let all that out on
Speaker 1: the field and you're selling them one that I'm still here,
Speaker 1: but two also that like your supporting matter and it
Speaker 1: is the reason why I was able to still care
Speaker 1: around the confidence that I deal with and things like that.
Speaker 1: So that was kind of just more for the people
Speaker 1: that's just always been there for me more than just myself.
Speaker 1: I'm thinking your parents and your family. That's the first place,
Speaker 1: because I hear a lot about Team Graham, righty, yes,
Speaker 1: but it's not just parents family. I have a really
Speaker 1: big community behind the end I'm very thankful for. It
Speaker 1: goes back to my old teammates at Orgon and my
Speaker 1: Ground zero, so those are my boys from seven on setting.
Speaker 1: So it kind of just a really big community just
Speaker 1: to people of family, friends, and you know, I got
Speaker 1: to give all bloody gods. So I was just glad
Speaker 1: I had everybody on my side. As how many snaps
Speaker 1: did you play? I can't give you the exact number,
Speaker 1: but it was a lot, a lot more than I've
Speaker 1: experienced the last two years. Right. If you don't know
Speaker 1: the number, do you know your best and your worst?
Speaker 1: Just from this week's experience, like my best place in
Speaker 1: my work, worst place, just just one, you know, almost
Speaker 1: at the opp sit end of the spectrum. Mark, I
Speaker 1: know this one good one that I had, and I
Speaker 1: know this one I had that I have to you know,
Speaker 1: learn from it or let you know, don't don't let
Speaker 1: it follow through? Oh yes, must definitely. Um, I know
Speaker 1: all my bad plays. I knew it before we even
Speaker 1: stepped up the field. You know, I was happy with
Speaker 1: the game, but like nobody's ever had a perfect game.
Speaker 1: So it's just like you just had to keep stacking
Speaker 1: those Western names and when you do make a play,
Speaker 1: it's just like you know your defense one. That's the
Speaker 1: way you protected sixty four snaps and five special teams.
Speaker 1: You've got a good workout time. Wow. Nice, you know
Speaker 1: that double duty. I'm sure during your college career you
Speaker 1: don't have a lot of double duty of regular staffs
Speaker 1: and special teams. But I think when you're climbing the
Speaker 1: ladder of NFL success, it's a great opportunity to get
Speaker 1: your jersey on the field more than just your defensive responsibility. Yes,
Speaker 1: I feel like it. That's big though, because also it's
Speaker 1: big plays made on most sides, and I think definitely
Speaker 1: being a younger dude and the younger guy like you
Speaker 1: gotta put him work to be able to only do
Speaker 1: sir bang stand you know, I'm here to pay my
Speaker 1: dues or the impressive things listening to yesterday were with
Speaker 1: Thomas Graham Junior or the rookie cornerback out of Oregon
Speaker 1: made a big splash last week in the lost to Minnesota.
Speaker 1: Getting ready for Seattle. Was just how open you were
Speaker 1: about because you know, from my experience and it starts
Speaker 1: at the combine. I've gone to the last you know
Speaker 1: how many twenty seven combines or whatever, and horners are
Speaker 1: always uber confident, right they have to be that. You
Speaker 1: guys are on the island, and you admitted that, you
Speaker 1: know what, confidence took a hit not not making that
Speaker 1: final roster and then just biding your time working every day.
Speaker 1: That's a that's an our honest and rare reflection from
Speaker 1: a player, young or veteran to say, hey, my confidence
Speaker 1: definitely took a hit. How do you frame that and
Speaker 1: put it in context? M It was it was just
Speaker 1: going from just like, you know, sick of my life,
Speaker 1: I've always been on top of everything. Is probably I
Speaker 1: wouldn't say probably. The majority of time is always one
Speaker 1: on my side when it comes that God blessed me
Speaker 1: to be able to stay healthy, to the fact that
Speaker 1: going to places to where everything is in my favor,
Speaker 1: and I felt like this is an opportunity to where
Speaker 1: it just wasn't and I had to find my way
Speaker 1: and dig out and for me, my like, the biggest
Speaker 1: motivation was, it's just all every time I go home,
Speaker 1: all the little kids I work out with and stuff
Speaker 1: like that, What am I gonna be able to go
Speaker 1: home and tell them. I can even tell them that
Speaker 1: I stayed and fault the whole time during practice spot,
Speaker 1: I can tell them I do what I had to
Speaker 1: do to get better every day, or I can tell
Speaker 1: them I quit. So it was either one of those
Speaker 1: three choices, and I wasn't taking the last one. Did
Speaker 1: you budge in the shade? Townsend zero lot? It wasn't
Speaker 1: more a bugging um. He wanted to see me get
Speaker 1: better as much as I wanted to see myself. So
Speaker 1: as long as I went out there and reached out
Speaker 1: to him, it will be certain stuff could reach out
Speaker 1: to me. Are the pops And then I've already said
Speaker 1: it in pace would just kind of give me Valis
Speaker 1: film to watch that I felt me or my game,
Speaker 1: and he felt me or my game. And some of
Speaker 1: them were the same, some of them were different. When
Speaker 1: you're on the outside looking in, you're waiting for your
Speaker 1: opportunity physically, you can work on your skills every day
Speaker 1: in practice, but were you investing personal time in watching
Speaker 1: tape of Bears Defense? So you understood whatever opportunity is
Speaker 1: presented to me from the slot corner to the outside
Speaker 1: that you know, being mentally ready I think is as
Speaker 1: much of an important role as it being physically ready.
Speaker 1: That is that what the approach you took. Yes, And
Speaker 1: I'm very thankful for DT because in our meetings he
Speaker 1: gets everybody involved. So no matter if you're on a
Speaker 1: practice s guard, no matter if you Eddie Jackson, you
Speaker 1: go get involved in. You go be involved in the meeting.
Speaker 1: And said, you got to know the game plan. We
Speaker 1: always have to bring in a tip of week, have
Speaker 1: to take our little weekly test. So it's like I've
Speaker 1: always always involved in the game plan in the scheme,
Speaker 1: He's always been there. Since then, in practice, I kind
Speaker 1: of just said a focal point of just to one
Speaker 1: week work in that corner, then Nickel switching sides that
Speaker 1: corner and just doing as best as I can to
Speaker 1: make myself better. But also you can be following the
Speaker 1: card because that was on Scouts. What about Russell Wilson
Speaker 1: when you at Kirk Cousins, who you just hey, man,
Speaker 1: you're you're starting, You're playing to night. You kind of
Speaker 1: know a little bit of the process to the plan,
Speaker 1: a little bit more versatility and a guy like Russell Wilson.
Speaker 1: Have you seen more of those guys throughout your college
Speaker 1: time or is this a unique challenge for you. I've
Speaker 1: seen guys like him a college time, but it's still
Speaker 1: one of Russell Wilson, and it's the reason why he's
Speaker 1: Russell Wilson. So it's just I got to start seeing
Speaker 1: what and I've been doing the more on film, but
Speaker 1: just kind of seeing what's more him and what's certain
Speaker 1: stuff that I actually got to be rustening. And I
Speaker 1: think with him the focus point is just staying plaster
Speaker 1: because he can't make it, but he can't escape. Man.
Speaker 1: He probably has been the most beautiful deep ball in
Speaker 1: the NFL. And then definitely outside the numbers. So if
Speaker 1: you have a quarterback like that that can throw outside
Speaker 1: the numbers and you're a corner, just get ready for
Speaker 1: a long day. What sticks out about that throw? I
Speaker 1: mean the thing is he waits, man, he does not
Speaker 1: he doesn't mind getting popped. So does that make it
Speaker 1: more difficult because you know, even with his finger injury,
Speaker 1: I guess Tom and I talked about this, he's not
Speaker 1: as willing to leave the pocket at least right now
Speaker 1: in the last few weeks. And maybe that's just because
Speaker 1: of his finger or whatnot. But you know what makes
Speaker 1: him hang in there and make it difficult then on
Speaker 1: a corner, because you really do have to plaster that coverage,
Speaker 1: don't you. Um, Well, what makes it difficult is that
Speaker 1: he actually has those speedy receivers. So now he puts
Speaker 1: you and takes that that moment in the responsibility of
Speaker 1: a scheme to now out of it to where now
Speaker 1: this is one on one athletics. And now he stayed
Speaker 1: in there for that extra half a second to take
Speaker 1: to throw that boss and now our balls fifty six
Speaker 1: yards down the field, and now let's attract me with
Speaker 1: you and DK metcalf for you and type of locke
Speaker 1: and with those receivers. I think those two combined are
Speaker 1: probably leading the NFL right now in deep ball catches
Speaker 1: and touchdownsince they have teamed up. So it's just like
Speaker 1: you gotta be able to adjust to that. I'm smiling
Speaker 1: because you put DK Metcalf up there, and here's Tyler Lockett,
Speaker 1: who may have had the quietest three years in succession
Speaker 1: in the NFL. I mean, the guy's terrific. He's five nine,
Speaker 1: he said, three straight thousand yards seasons. But he's tucked
Speaker 1: away out up there in the Great Northwest, and I
Speaker 1: know he's been a Pro Bowl and whatnot. But then
Speaker 1: you got DJ Metcalf. DK Metcalf, My goodness, I mean,
Speaker 1: this is like something chiseled out of some chemistry experiment.
Speaker 1: And we knew his dad he played offensive line here
Speaker 1: for the Bears, Terrence Metcalf. So but but what how
Speaker 1: do you deal with that kind of size, speed and
Speaker 1: height ratio who can just fly by it and is
Speaker 1: very difficult to bring down to the ground. Um, you
Speaker 1: just got to come to there with confidence and just
Speaker 1: understand that everybody has a weakness and you just got
Speaker 1: to be able to either trying to find it or
Speaker 1: make him uncomfortable. And that's all you can do. You
Speaker 1: got to make it to where he can't use those
Speaker 1: abilities on you. And it's kind of hard because the
Speaker 1: Seattle does a great job of making sure that he
Speaker 1: can and that's is why he has been having success
Speaker 1: in the same for time locket like that. No, I
Speaker 1: don't think anybody in the NFL can can really track
Speaker 1: the ball as deep as he can. He does a
Speaker 1: great job with Justin It's crazy to see some of
Speaker 1: the throws and catches that him and Russ have together.
Speaker 1: So it's just like when you have somebody that's a
Speaker 1: freaking nature and somebody that has a guy given gift
Speaker 1: with another guy give and get it behind it. It's
Speaker 1: hard with Tyler and if I'm not mistaken, the chemistry
Speaker 1: between those two, he'll throw to an area and expect
Speaker 1: him to run and get it is that and that's
Speaker 1: gotta be really challenging. It's very challenging. It was one
Speaker 1: play to where I can't even exactly what team it was,
Speaker 1: but it was man to me encourage zero blitz and
Speaker 1: he just threw it up in the middle of the field.
Speaker 1: He made probably one of the most adjustment plays I've
Speaker 1: ever seen in my life, Like as a receiver, He faded,
Speaker 1: He faded inside like he was gonna go in the
Speaker 1: over faded all the way back five yards and then
Speaker 1: over the shoulder catch and it was just crazy. You're
Speaker 1: dig in right, you can't wait in the challenge. Thomas
Speaker 1: grahamar guests We're gonna step away for a time out
Speaker 1: here on Bears All Access with Tom There, Jeff jonnyaka
Speaker 1: Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. This segment of
Speaker 1: Bears All Access is brought to you by Athletical Physical Therapy.
Speaker 1: Visit Athletical dot com to request an appointment in clinic
Speaker 1: or virtually and start feeling better tomorrow. With Thomas Graham Junior,
Speaker 1: the Bears cornerback, the rookie making a big splash last week.
Speaker 1: Good to have him alongside. I'm Jeff Joniak and he's
Speaker 1: Tom There. You know, Thomas. Right before the break, we
Speaker 1: you were kind of talking about the long ball that
Speaker 1: Russell Wilson throws and kind of what an art that is.
Speaker 1: The One thing that impressed me most about justin fields
Speaker 1: when he got here early is his passes over twenty
Speaker 1: five yards and how accurate they were and how easily
Speaker 1: they seem to come out of his hand. You've had
Speaker 1: opportunities to practice against them, even when he's being prepared
Speaker 1: for the opponent. Have you noticed anything like that out
Speaker 1: of him? And is you know the unique quality that
Speaker 1: we're talking about, Yes, it is. I think both of
Speaker 1: them see are in factor, and I think that's kind
Speaker 1: of what helps with that bomb because with the fact
Speaker 1: that they act trust their right receivers and I think
Speaker 1: that comes to like very big because they allowed him
Speaker 1: to make that play. So sometimes they'll throw that deep
Speaker 1: ball and it's out in front and then they play
Speaker 1: mind games with the quarterback as itself, so with the
Speaker 1: cornerback as the quarterback, and which is crazy because sometimes
Speaker 1: over the shoulder the back shoulders, so it's just like
Speaker 1: you don't know which one to play, and when he
Speaker 1: gets to the point, if you don't know back shoulders coming,
Speaker 1: it's rap. So just like with justin development, definitely over
Speaker 1: time you can just see the more comfortability, the more
Speaker 1: trust he has with the receivers in being able to
Speaker 1: make those throws in It's gonna be a very special
Speaker 1: future for my boy one. All right. It's interesting too,
Speaker 1: not the loose sight, but a guy like Darnell Mooney
Speaker 1: and having a chance to watch his development, and he,
Speaker 1: to me is one of the more creative ball kick
Speaker 1: after the catch ball carriers in the league. The way
Speaker 1: he can get you off balance, out of position, he
Speaker 1: can turn a two yard catch into a ten yard catch.
Speaker 1: Is it's kind of interesting to be able to go
Speaker 1: against Russell Wilson and what he's offering you, but you've
Speaker 1: also had an comortunity to practice against the guy that
Speaker 1: has feet like Justin and passed route running ability like Darnell. Yes,
Speaker 1: it's very I think it's very good, definitely when it
Speaker 1: comes to my development too, because I'm actually punning against
Speaker 1: two people that are putting themselves to be in the
Speaker 1: same shoes as a Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett. That's
Speaker 1: already an established relationship like that, just the two dominant
Speaker 1: force a quarterback and receiver. But they're just younger now,
Speaker 1: so it's just it's just the things that they have
Speaker 1: to adjust from and add to stack to their skill
Speaker 1: they're already minding. But it's great to be able to
Speaker 1: go through that because it's helped me do the same
Speaker 1: with Tom There Jeff Joniac and Thomas Graham Junior Bears
Speaker 1: cornerback with you on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the score.
Speaker 1: Let's go back into last week's game, because I felt
Speaker 1: that the dbs were flying around. You guys were hitting
Speaker 1: flying around. It just looked fast, ud the impact of
Speaker 1: the front seven, A keen being back and Robert Quinn
Speaker 1: getting so much attention now and Roquan out of his mind,
Speaker 1: probably ticked off he didn't get named to the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 1: Just took it out on the vikings. Uh what was
Speaker 1: different about you guys? Uh? Is it the new blood?
Speaker 1: Is it just the opportunity? Was it the game plan?
Speaker 1: Was it a mix of everything or did you feel
Speaker 1: the same way. I think it was a mix of everything.
Speaker 1: The game plan fits us perfectly. And then just opportunity.
Speaker 1: We all we all have opportunity. I feel everybody on
Speaker 1: the team, UM, from practice squad all the way to
Speaker 1: the start. It feels like that they either want to start,
Speaker 1: they want to play the game. So it's just like
Speaker 1: we have the opportunity in front of us. And that's
Speaker 1: kind of all we talked about. Definitely Sunday and then Monday,
Speaker 1: it's just a keen rob They said they're going out
Speaker 1: there and they planned they playing like it it's their
Speaker 1: last time playing, because at the end of the day
Speaker 1: their bets, so they understand that this game and get
Speaker 1: taken away in For us, it's like we're playing because
Speaker 1: we want the opportunity to keep playing. And I feel
Speaker 1: like that was kind of just the whole mindset of
Speaker 1: the defense um Monday night was just go out there
Speaker 1: or take advantage of your opportunity, rob I said, Bro
Speaker 1: had said it in another before we had walked off,
Speaker 1: just like it's some of you guys are the first opportunity,
Speaker 1: but as bets, we get the same opportunities, So now
Speaker 1: let's go out there or take advantage of it. Did
Speaker 1: you guys get any emotional bump when Naggie went to
Speaker 1: bath for Dion Bush and Uh kind of made it
Speaker 1: how aggressively he made it known to the officials that
Speaker 1: he completely disagreed with the way you guys were being treated,
Speaker 1: because it seemed to me that emotions emotions raised a
Speaker 1: little bit. After that, it just felt good that that
Speaker 1: the coach here is as much as us. I think
Speaker 1: that's that's meaningful to just any any relationship that you have.
Speaker 1: And when he does that, we go show him that
Speaker 1: we got your back on the field too. For many people,
Speaker 1: it's like, oh, there's nothing left but for you and
Speaker 1: some of your other guys that got some opportunity, You're
Speaker 1: just starting your season, you know, in a sense, not
Speaker 1: to dismiss what you did do in practice and what
Speaker 1: you've done throughout the course of your time to get ready,
Speaker 1: but do you feel re energized as a guy, and
Speaker 1: do you feel the team will also carry that bump
Speaker 1: into the into the rest of these three games. I
Speaker 1: think the team is just gonna do that, just mainly
Speaker 1: because of the opportunity. I would say it was big
Speaker 1: on our team this year just because of the injuries,
Speaker 1: Like we've seen a lot of our players go down,
Speaker 1: from Khalil Mack to DHC just receiving any injuries. So
Speaker 1: it's just kind of just like everybody just like, wow,
Speaker 1: like this to get taken out somehow, some way. Majority
Speaker 1: of everybody has missed some either time at the facility
Speaker 1: or seeing d either do the COVID or do the injury.
Speaker 1: So it was just more our focuses and just take
Speaker 1: advantage of this opportunity. But for me, I do feel
Speaker 1: a little more reenergized just because I'm actually able to
Speaker 1: go out there on Sundays and see that it's just
Speaker 1: for me. It's a dream come to you. And it's
Speaker 1: just like take advantage to enjoy each moment because you
Speaker 1: never know when I'm gonna get it again, Thomas. When
Speaker 1: you got a young group of corners on that team,
Speaker 1: and some guys have experienced, some guys are just getting experienced.
Speaker 1: When you come off the field this past week and
Speaker 1: the offense was on the field, who did you gravitate
Speaker 1: towards or who kind of you know it was your
Speaker 1: comfort zone to stay prepared to get back out there.
Speaker 1: I was around Kendall, uh Teas and Bush Marquee just
Speaker 1: to start in like five and Nicol Uh and we're
Speaker 1: just all just around each other, just giving each other motivation,
Speaker 1: telling each other what we've seen out there, communicating on
Speaker 1: certain routes. And I'll probably say Kendall, but Kendall was.
Speaker 1: I was that way all year. Were Kendall from from
Speaker 1: game one to now. When he came off the field,
Speaker 1: I always ask him what he's seen, what he would
Speaker 1: like me to see, and stuff like that. So it's
Speaker 1: kind of just good to take the field and now
Speaker 1: I can tell him what I see too. All right,
Speaker 1: we got to get into your background a little bit.
Speaker 1: So you're you're California cool. You got that uh California
Speaker 1: bloodn't you? You get your parents that It sounds like
Speaker 1: your parents Thomas Senior and your mom to Misha, is
Speaker 1: that how you pronounce your name? Yes, they demanded excellence
Speaker 1: from you and your sister. And your sister is a
Speaker 1: great athlete in her own right, Jasmine and elite hurdler
Speaker 1: in college. Now I haven't followed up on that where
Speaker 1: she's at, what she's doing. But you know what did
Speaker 1: these parents of yours impress upon you? And do you
Speaker 1: think they made a difference in you getting to the NFL?
Speaker 1: I think I can't get here without all three of
Speaker 1: them in three different ways. My mom just for she
Speaker 1: given me the fight to never huit. She's probably went
Speaker 1: through the most trauma and through I say, all of
Speaker 1: us when it comes to losses, when it comes and
Speaker 1: when it happened, and just when it comes out. Actually
Speaker 1: treated up in my family aspect and dynamic just because
Speaker 1: certain stuff that had happened in her life. My dad
Speaker 1: was just because he's surrounded. He made sure it's just
Speaker 1: always surround me with excellence when it came to being
Speaker 1: a kid. No matter what, every age of life that
Speaker 1: I've been around, I've seen somebody make it professionally at
Speaker 1: the next level when he made sure that I've seen that.
Speaker 1: So I've always had great and good role I was
Speaker 1: in my sister because I was the one person that
Speaker 1: I could never no matter what I did, I could
Speaker 1: never be. I get an A in school, she gets
Speaker 1: an A plus. Were on the track, I run a
Speaker 1: PR She breaks the national record. So it's just like
Speaker 1: nothing I ever did was ever to be at a
Speaker 1: match and I finally I can say I can't but
Speaker 1: to me, she's the greatest thing ever. To me, that's
Speaker 1: my little minor who's faster on a flat surface over
Speaker 1: a sixty yard distance over a sixty yard distance me.
Speaker 1: But if you thought any hurdle and any obstacles, she
Speaker 1: probably for sure. But right now she's actually the sprint
Speaker 1: coach at the University of New Mexico. Oh wow, fantastic.
Speaker 1: So this athleticism is in this family clearly. Hey, yes, yes,
Speaker 1: it is some good stuff. So team Graham you fill
Speaker 1: in the phrase what do Grahams do? Give one hundred
Speaker 1: and ten percent. That is the theme, right, And have
Speaker 1: you been hearing that since I can remember. I'm very
Speaker 1: going to youth football games, going to track needs basketball
Speaker 1: tournaments as a kid, just anything we did sometimes, like
Speaker 1: if he took us at school, because it woul usually
Speaker 1: my mom, But if he took us to school, we'll
Speaker 1: say that if we're on the phone him before we
Speaker 1: left the car with my mom, he'll be like, they're like,
Speaker 1: who are we Grahams. We do give one hundred and
Speaker 1: ten percent. And it was just something we always went
Speaker 1: by and it's something that I live by. Any like
Speaker 1: surprise contacts, anybody to reach out to you in a
Speaker 1: social media way after you've been on the national stage
Speaker 1: and all the success you had on Monday Night football. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it was a lot of people, but I'll probably say
Speaker 1: one person that I really haven't talked to and too
Speaker 1: long that it was a Sante Samuel Junior and Greg Newsom,
Speaker 1: both of them Ricky's in my class, so it just
Speaker 1: kind of just feel respected. I met Greg in the process,
Speaker 1: and then me and a Sancee when he was he
Speaker 1: was easy year younger than me, so when he was
Speaker 1: in um, I want to say, a junior high school,
Speaker 1: I was in my senior year was at a camp
Speaker 1: together and it was on the same team. So it
Speaker 1: just it just feel good to be around. I mean
Speaker 1: people that are your mutual appears to give you that respect,
Speaker 1: and definitely when they're doing that, they thing that they
Speaker 1: places too. Lombardi's product. Greg Newsom here from the Chicago area. Okay,
Speaker 1: a couple of things to wrap us up. We appreciate
Speaker 1: all your time, like that phone with the guys a
Speaker 1: little bit, but it is Christmas, so we got to
Speaker 1: go down this path. Favorite Christmas gift ever that comes
Speaker 1: to mine, I'll say my favorite gift ever, I don't
Speaker 1: have it all right now, but it was a chain
Speaker 1: that my dad got me my fresh year in college.
Speaker 1: Favorite Christmas movie, Oh This Christmas? All right? Or Home Alone?
Speaker 1: Home Alone is a closing. If you're sitting at the
Speaker 1: Christmas dinner, what's your favorite Christmas food? I'm going with
Speaker 1: the mac and cheese, all right. Do you have a
Speaker 1: most memorable Christmas and it may have something to do
Speaker 1: with sports. I don't know. Uh, my most memorable Christmas
Speaker 1: with Holly b It was even two thousand nine and
Speaker 1: two thousen but it was just kind of our whole
Speaker 1: family was at our house Arena Valley, so it was
Speaker 1: probably last Christmas we have with everybody the other And
Speaker 1: have you done your shopping yet? Even though I know
Speaker 1: my family is listening, but no, I have not time.
Speaker 1: Time's always telling me there's no time for holidays during
Speaker 1: the football season. So you could take care of that later,
Speaker 1: right down right, stay out of all well though I
Speaker 1: don't want to say that. Yeah, we could be careful
Speaker 1: and we wish you continued success. You'd get a bright future. Thomas,
Speaker 1: thank you so much. Thank you. That's Thomas Graham Junior,
Speaker 1: our guest. Tom and I will continue our conversation with
Speaker 1: Michael Bumps, a former NFL receiver and prem post game
Speaker 1: host for the Seattle Seahawks Radio network when we return
Speaker 1: on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score. Download the
Speaker 1: Chicago Bears App to play our new predictor game risk
Speaker 1: It brought to you by Bette Rivers, for your chance
Speaker 1: to win two hundred and fifty dollars in free bets
Speaker 1: and a customed Bears jersey back on Bears All Access
Speaker 1: here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy the Score with
Speaker 1: top there Jeff Joniac breaking down Bears Seahawks. We'll get
Speaker 1: a Seattle perspective now from their prem postgame radio host
Speaker 1: and former NFL receiver, Washington states very on, I see,
Speaker 1: I see the dependant in the back gokubs. However, Michael Bumpus,
Speaker 1: Michael Bumpus was a record setter in college, and I
Speaker 1: had some time with the Seahawks and the Canadian Football
Speaker 1: League kind enough to join us. Michael, how you doing, brother,
Speaker 1: I'm doo well man. Thanks for having me on and
Speaker 1: on my coogs some love. Man, Hey, one hundred ninety
Speaker 1: five receptions? That is that still the record there? Oh? Man?
Speaker 1: I held on for ten years and then Mike Leach
Speaker 1: came and we got running backs with more receptions. Now
Speaker 1: I should have assumed that. Right, we'll tell us about
Speaker 1: your gang. I mean, this is unusual territory, not going
Speaker 1: to the playoffs, certainly with a quarterback like Russell Wilson.
Speaker 1: That is not happening until this time, at least a
Speaker 1: winning right. I mean, you're still alive. There are twenty
Speaker 1: seven teams still alive. You know, it's it's it's a
Speaker 1: tall order. But the losing record is not something that
Speaker 1: you're used to over there in Seattle, how's it being received? Yeah,
Speaker 1: unfamiliar territory. Over here, the sky is falling. Twelves are
Speaker 1: asking for Pete to go and Russell will go. It's
Speaker 1: almost like I was telling my buddy, I'm like, you
Speaker 1: guys have been spoiled, man. I mean, you don't know
Speaker 1: how good you having and how hard it is to
Speaker 1: find a franchise quarterback. Just ask the Chicago Bears, you know.
Speaker 1: I mean, I haven't had a quarterback through over four
Speaker 1: thousand yards. Ever, I believe what twenty nine touchdowns is
Speaker 1: the most quarterback is thrown over there. But for the
Speaker 1: people who who aren't twelves, the guys who have been
Speaker 1: fans of this team before twenty twelve, before this Russell
Speaker 1: was an era, they understand that this dude is allowed
Speaker 1: one or two tough seasons with the injury he has,
Speaker 1: with the moving on the offensive line, the running back
Speaker 1: position has been shaky. It's just one of those years, man.
Speaker 1: But they're hanging in there. They're technically not eliminated from
Speaker 1: the playoffs, which I don't think they're gonna make it.
Speaker 1: But it's weird. And then you have the Chicago Bears
Speaker 1: coming in and you can't overlook them. You look at
Speaker 1: the record, you go four and ten. Okay, well shoot
Speaker 1: we're five and nine. You know, you can't turn your
Speaker 1: nose up at anyone in this league. So interesting times.
Speaker 1: I've been covering the Hawks for five years. Never been
Speaker 1: in this situation, Michael. So when you look at Seattle
Speaker 1: Seahawks every time we come in, we probably talk about
Speaker 1: the noise for a week. How do you beat the
Speaker 1: Seattle Seahawks at home? How do you beat them? One?
Speaker 1: You don't have to crowd affect you, obviously, But this year,
Speaker 1: I'm telling you, man, there's been more empty seats than
Speaker 1: I've ever seen, and there's been more other color jerseys.
Speaker 1: I think our last home game was the forty nine ers.
Speaker 1: See of red out there. It was. It was crazy
Speaker 1: to be so one. You got to be disciplined, and
Speaker 1: you have to force Russell Wilson to turn the football over.
Speaker 1: If you win the turnover battle, you're probably gonna win
Speaker 1: this ball game, and then control the run. With Chris
Speaker 1: Carson not being in the backfield, they're gonna rely on
Speaker 1: Rashad Penny, Alex Collins, and DJ Dallas. I can say
Speaker 1: those names to a Chicago fan, they probably don't know
Speaker 1: who those guys are, right, Maybe Alex Collinson, he had
Speaker 1: a good year in Baltimore. But it's all about the run,
Speaker 1: and you can't allow Lockett to have one of his
Speaker 1: Lockett type of days where he has ten catches for
Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty and two touchdowns. You have to
Speaker 1: neutralize this offense who hasn't been great this year. I
Speaker 1: mean it's weird saying that at Russell Wilson's offense with
Speaker 1: all the weapons that they have, have not been great
Speaker 1: this year. But you hold them to twenty points. That's
Speaker 1: the key. These guys have not scored over twenty points
Speaker 1: in seven games this year. If you can keep them
Speaker 1: under twenty, you're probably gonna win this ball game. You
Speaker 1: bring up a great point. Michael Bumpashar at guest here
Speaker 1: on Bearshall Access, San Chicago Sports Radio six ten and
Speaker 1: the score. I stepped on time here because I just
Speaker 1: finished doing the offensive statistics and the deep dive and
Speaker 1: I thought, wait a minute, this can't be right because
Speaker 1: they're not dissimilar to what the Bears have struggled with.
Speaker 1: Not that anemic in terms of getting in the end zone,
Speaker 1: but it's not far off and the Bears run by
Speaker 1: a rookie quarterback and a bunch of injuries. So wow,
Speaker 1: I just I really was startled by it. Are you
Speaker 1: because you have talent? Man? I mean you got two
Speaker 1: of the best receivers in football and let alone Russell Wilson.
Speaker 1: That's why it doesn't make sense, right, That's why people
Speaker 1: being this guy has following me because they see DK Metcalf,
Speaker 1: who is i'd say a top ten receiver in this league.
Speaker 1: Tyler Lockett numbers wise as the top ten receiver in
Speaker 1: this league. And then you have a quarterback who's destined
Speaker 1: for the Hall of Fame. But there's been some changes
Speaker 1: on this offense too. Man. You're bringing a new offensive
Speaker 1: coordinator and I think it takes a while for those
Speaker 1: guys to mix in the blend. You lose your quarterback
Speaker 1: in the middle of this season, so the learning curve
Speaker 1: has just been increased a bit. You look at the
Speaker 1: roster and this team looks like a Super Bowl and tender.
Speaker 1: But this is the NFL. You cannot just show up.
Speaker 1: You gotta stay healthy and you gotta get lucky, and
Speaker 1: unfortunately they've been unlucky this year. You know, Mikealy, you
Speaker 1: talk about the effectiveness of their running game. All right, Now,
Speaker 1: put you in the shoes of a receiver. You're working
Speaker 1: with Russell Wilson and you're gonna go against possibly a
Speaker 1: cornerback that's starting his second game in his NFL career.
Speaker 1: Tell me a little bit about what how you would
Speaker 1: talk to Russ how you would go about trying to
Speaker 1: get after Thomas Graham Junior if he does start after
Speaker 1: starting last Monday night. Well, you know, one week you
Speaker 1: have to make him aware, which I'm sure Russell is
Speaker 1: aware of who's out there and who has experienced or not.
Speaker 1: And then you have to really communicate with your receivers.
Speaker 1: You know, the first series, you're testing him out. You're
Speaker 1: throwing those jabs, How fasts he how quickly does he
Speaker 1: turn his hips? Is he aggressive at the line of scrimmage.
Speaker 1: So after a couple of series, you go back to
Speaker 1: the sideline, You're like, look, can we take this guy? Not.
Speaker 1: Something tells me DK is always going to say he
Speaker 1: can take this guy no matter who it is. You're
Speaker 1: gonna be is Jalen Ramsey last week? You can have
Speaker 1: him beat a couple of times, rusts through the ball short,
Speaker 1: but you have to go at the guy experience is
Speaker 1: key in this league. We just talked to Kobe Parkinson
Speaker 1: on the Day Wyman Show today and he's talking about
Speaker 1: how later in the season now he's getting his feet wet,
Speaker 1: but he still feels like there's some things he has
Speaker 1: to get better at. I mean, that's just the life
Speaker 1: of an inexperienced guy in the NFL. But you test him,
Speaker 1: you take him deep, you take him sure, you throw screens,
Speaker 1: can't tackle, you process all that information you got what
Speaker 1: you got on film, but there's nothing like the real
Speaker 1: thing and being in it. So yeah, I would if
Speaker 1: I were Russell and Alur deck Kan Shane waldron Man
Speaker 1: the first couple series, I'm just going at him to
Speaker 1: see what he got and then let dake it under
Speaker 1: skin a little bit. You know, you can't like to talk,
Speaker 1: so I'll see what he does. Let's go to the
Speaker 1: other side of the ball. On both teams. Carlos Dunlap
Speaker 1: comes in with three sacks last week after we haven't
Speaker 1: coming into with the one and a half. You got
Speaker 1: Robert Quinn at sixteen. Two of these guys over thirty
Speaker 1: good pass rushers, being a lot to their team. Is
Speaker 1: done Lap on a map and is he gonna continue
Speaker 1: this or was this just a one game wonder? And
Speaker 1: when you look at Robert Quinn and what he can
Speaker 1: do too, if you if you have susceptibility in an
Speaker 1: offensive tackle, what do you think about the battle between
Speaker 1: these two guys. I think it's gonna be great. I
Speaker 1: just did a film session and broke down Robert Quinn
Speaker 1: and it's amazing the year that he's having opposted a
Speaker 1: year he had last year. I think he only had
Speaker 1: two sacks. This guy is long, he's strong, he gets
Speaker 1: off the football and he has great ben that's what
Speaker 1: you want getting around the corner. He's gonna give Dwayne
Speaker 1: Brown and Brendon Shell if he plays a lot of trouble.
Speaker 1: Now you flip bolder Carlos Dunlap. One, let me say,
Speaker 1: I'm happy that an eighties baby is still in the league.
Speaker 1: Produce we are a Guyan breed. Thank you, Carlos Dunlap.
Speaker 1: But man, he hasn't been playing a lot as of late.
Speaker 1: There's games where he had twenty twenty reps, seventeen reps,
Speaker 1: seven reps. And I talked to one of my colleagues
Speaker 1: about it. I'm like, you know, what, what do you
Speaker 1: think it is, and it's situational football when he comes
Speaker 1: to Dunlap. But after the week that he had last week,
Speaker 1: you have to see this guy. Three games left, you're
Speaker 1: not gonna make the playoff. You have nothing to hold
Speaker 1: back right now. You're playing to keep Russell Wilson happy
Speaker 1: and to keep the organization happy. So with these two
Speaker 1: guys going at him, and the older I get, the
Speaker 1: more I love the battle in the trenches. You know,
Speaker 1: as a young man, you want to and it's cute.
Speaker 1: You know. Now as I'm getting older, I'm like, I
Speaker 1: love the battle in the trenches. And I'm looking forward
Speaker 1: to him. Man, I'm just looking forward to a good
Speaker 1: game because I think both teams have a lot to
Speaker 1: play for. Justin Fields. I hear he's a great leader,
Speaker 1: even killed he's starting off his career kind of rough,
Speaker 1: he has something to play for. And Russell Wilson. Man,
Speaker 1: I think we're playing now to keep Russell happy, and
Speaker 1: Carlos Dunlo can really help if he if he performs
Speaker 1: all right. Remaining moments with Michael Bumpers, the pre and
Speaker 1: post game host of the Seattle Seahawks Radio Network. High
Speaker 1: school football coach there In Washington as well. It's deep
Speaker 1: in his blood, all right. So let's get your take.
Speaker 1: You're watching all these inside linebackers in the National Football League,
Speaker 1: and you got the premiere one in many people's estimation,
Speaker 1: Bobby Wagner coming down on the other side of thirty
Speaker 1: now but still getting those Pro Bowls. There's a big
Speaker 1: roar hear in Chicago about the fact that Roquan Smith
Speaker 1: was not named to the Pro Bowl. But there's a
Speaker 1: lot of good inside linebackers. You're shaking your head. You
Speaker 1: feel ro Quan deserved it most definitely. I mean it.
Speaker 1: It'sn't a shame this dude didn't get one hundred and
Speaker 1: forty tackles. You talk about a great Bears defense, and
Speaker 1: he's the name that that pops out. I mean him
Speaker 1: and Quinn. But that's that's that's what happens when fans
Speaker 1: both though you know they honestly, I think Bobby has
Speaker 1: had a good year, but he hasn't had a Bobby
Speaker 1: type of year. You look at the stats and you're like, Okay,
Speaker 1: he's a Pro Bowler, but you look at the film
Speaker 1: you know he's getting older. So I was I was
Speaker 1: disappointed for smith Man tell Us more about Jordan Brooks too.
Speaker 1: That's your second round pick from a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1: As a tandem, they put up a monster tackle number. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Jordan Brooks, he comes from a defense at Texas Tech
Speaker 1: where he was pretty much allowed to freelance right, he
Speaker 1: drops back, he's reading the quarterback. Now he has responsibility,
Speaker 1: and as the season progressed, you see him diagnosing plays right,
Speaker 1: He's reading the lineman and what they're doing. He's setting
Speaker 1: the edge. He's a for sure tackler and plays with
Speaker 1: a speed and intensity that we're used to see him
Speaker 1: from Bobby Winner. Bobby's just older now, you know, he
Speaker 1: makes calculated decisions to where Jordan Brooks and his youth
Speaker 1: you just throw your helmet in there and try to
Speaker 1: blow stuff up and make a play. With Jordan Brooks
Speaker 1: being here, I feel a lot better once it's time
Speaker 1: for Bobby to hang him up. Before Jordan Brooks, you know,
Speaker 1: we're looking at that second level. And Cody Barton from
Speaker 1: Utah good player, but probably a special teams guy. Ben
Speaker 1: Burghurber from dub good player, probably a special teams guy.
Speaker 1: I think the Hats have finally found a guy who
Speaker 1: can kind of hold down that second level once Bobby's gone.
Speaker 1: When you look at the athleticism, the comparison of Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson to Justin Fields, and when you see the young
Speaker 1: Justin Fields, do you see what the building blocks of
Speaker 1: success could be for him to eventually be Russell Wilson.
Speaker 1: And if you recognize those types of things, what is
Speaker 1: level too for Justin Fields in the pursuit of Russell Wilson. Well,
Speaker 1: let me want to say, I think Justin Fields is
Speaker 1: a better overall athlete than Russell Wilson. Even in Russell's Hey,
Speaker 1: they Russell could run. He's a great athlete. But when
Speaker 1: you have the frame, the size, and the speed of
Speaker 1: Justin Fields, I mean he just he just looks good
Speaker 1: in a uniform. Man. I think his mechanics around point.
Speaker 1: I love watching him throw the football. And I think
Speaker 1: for him to get to a Russell Wilson type of
Speaker 1: level one, you need a good defense. He has that
Speaker 1: right now. I mean, wait until Khalil Macket is healthy.
Speaker 1: Right like, this defense is setting ready to go. He's
Speaker 1: on a rookie contract, he has a small window to
Speaker 1: really play. It is done. How does he reach Russell
Speaker 1: Wilson's success level? He has to be a true student
Speaker 1: of the game right. He has to be able to
Speaker 1: go through his progressions and then make the incredible play.
Speaker 1: Russell made a living off the pirouete in the backfield,
Speaker 1: rolling outside, tossing a bomb. All about the long ball
Speaker 1: with Russell Wilson. The way this game is going, justin
Speaker 1: fields is gonna have plenty of opportunities to do that
Speaker 1: because this game is just opening up. You know, everyone
Speaker 1: wants to throw the ball forty five times. I think
Speaker 1: he has all the tools, but as you guys know,
Speaker 1: if you don't have pieces around that are consistent is
Speaker 1: going to be tough. Russell's had Doug Baldwin, he had
Speaker 1: Jimmy Graham for a little bit, you know. Now he
Speaker 1: has Tyler Lockett in DK. I like the kid, Darnielle Mooney.
Speaker 1: I think he's gonna be good to go for him.
Speaker 1: I like Alan Robinson, he struggled with injury this year.
Speaker 1: You have a good run game on paper. I'll look
Speaker 1: at the Bears. I'm like, this team might be turned
Speaker 1: a corner man. I think people are sleeping on this
Speaker 1: organization right now. But it's all about being available too.
Speaker 1: That's what it helped Russ grow. He played one hundred
Speaker 1: and forty seven consecutive games without getting hurt. So when
Speaker 1: you're getting all these reps, getting all this experience, you're
Speaker 1: allowed to kind of grow faster. So if he can
Speaker 1: stay healthy and the pieces around him can stay healthy,
Speaker 1: you match him up with that that tough defense he
Speaker 1: got over there. I don't see why not, man, I
Speaker 1: love Justin Field's game. What's next for the Sheathhawks with
Speaker 1: or without Russell? Yeah, it's um. These next three games
Speaker 1: are gonna be really telling. I just talked to John
Speaker 1: Clayton and he he yelled at me. He goes, stop
Speaker 1: asking me about Russell Wilson not being here. John does
Speaker 1: not believe Russell is going to leave me. On the
Speaker 1: other hand, I'm like, look, if we in this season,
Speaker 1: a three game losing streak, four game losing a streak,
Speaker 1: and you don't give reason for Russell to be here,
Speaker 1: why not? I mean, he's at the point of his
Speaker 1: career where he's done everything he can do here, He's
Speaker 1: won a Super Bowl, hasn't won MVP. I don't think
Speaker 1: he'll ever win one. That's just the luck of the
Speaker 1: draw for Russell Wilson. But it's going to be some
Speaker 1: interesting times this offseason, and no disrespect to the Bears.
Speaker 1: If the Hawks all lose to the Bears, everything is
Speaker 1: on the table. It's just Pete's getting Alady's seventy years old.
Speaker 1: And if you get rid of Russ. I think or
Speaker 1: Russ asked to get to get traded. He's under contract.
Speaker 1: He has to be here, but if he wants to go,
Speaker 1: the Seahawks are gonna let him go. And I think
Speaker 1: Pete's gone. If Russ has gone, Pete seventy years old,
Speaker 1: he doesn't want to rebuild. He didn't have the time
Speaker 1: to do that stuff. So yeah, it's um. There's a
Speaker 1: lot of questions that needs to be answered here. In
Speaker 1: the short term. The best thing for the Hawks to
Speaker 1: do is to win and look impress up doing it
Speaker 1: to give Russell reason reason to stay. Good stuff. Michael
Speaker 1: bump Is, good luck with this off this week's game,
Speaker 1: and Mary, Christmas to you and your family. Appreciate the time.
Speaker 1: We'll see you in Seattle. I guess appreciate guy. I'm
Speaker 1: going with Tom there. I'm Jeff joniac Our final thoughts
Speaker 1: for the Bears and Seahawks Sunday after this on Chicago
Speaker 1: Sports Radio, six seventy the score. This segment of Bears
Speaker 1: One Access is brought to you by CDW people to
Speaker 1: get it with Tom there Jeff Joniac wrapping things up
Speaker 1: on tonight's show here on Chicago Sports Radio six seventy
Speaker 1: the score. So the injury report today, you know Justin
Speaker 1: Fields did not practice todaytime with that ankle. He was
Speaker 1: limited yesterday and their walkthrough. Is this a red flag
Speaker 1: for you for Sunday? Well, it is only in the
Speaker 1: fact that if he did go through practice yesterday and
Speaker 1: he reaggravated it somehow, and it's more tolerable than you
Speaker 1: can go out there and play a game under those circumstances.
Speaker 1: He's the coaches, the organization, and he has to protect himself.
Speaker 1: He cannot go out there under you, under with the
Speaker 1: physical ability to run away from what's what he's gonna
Speaker 1: face in this game. So if he's not ready to play,
Speaker 1: I hope he doesn't play. However, there's still a couple
Speaker 1: of days to be able to recover. Another guy who
Speaker 1: won't be able to be in the lineup is Blown
Speaker 1: Nichols on the COVID list. And if you just joined
Speaker 1: against the Keem Hicks entered that List Today recent interview
Speaker 1: with Blown Nichols, we discussed his future with the Bears
Speaker 1: and much more. Here's a little snippet you'll hear Sunday morning,
Speaker 1: ten thirty on Bears Game Day Live on Fox thirty
Speaker 1: two Chicago. And you appreciate the journey you've traveled here.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, one hundred. You know what's funny is that, uh,
Speaker 1: you know a lot of times things don't always go
Speaker 1: as you playing. Um, so you know, just being through
Speaker 1: what it is that that we've been through as a team,
Speaker 1: that we've been through as a defense. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: it just it just kind of show your character as
Speaker 1: a player and as a person, and uh, it just
Speaker 1: kind of makes you appreciate all the good times that
Speaker 1: you do have. Um. I feel like, you know, everything
Speaker 1: that we're going through right now and sharpening us for
Speaker 1: a better future. And um, you know, every day we
Speaker 1: just got to continue to work and at the end
Speaker 1: of the day, like tough times don't last forever. People do.
Speaker 1: And that's kind of like my mind process on it
Speaker 1: just continuing to just come in with the same mindset
Speaker 1: no matter what it is that's going around me, going
Speaker 1: on around me, and just continue to keep getting better
Speaker 1: and better. What do you see for yourself? What do
Speaker 1: you want to be? I want to be an All
Speaker 1: Pro player. That hasn't changed. I mean that's been a
Speaker 1: dream of mine since I was a kid, and it's
Speaker 1: something that I definitely think that that's attainable for me.
Speaker 1: You know, I feel like I have the work ethic
Speaker 1: for it, um and I feel like I have the
Speaker 1: promise and you know, it ain't nothing gonna stop me
Speaker 1: from getting to that goal. I don't care what it is.
Speaker 1: I don't care. I'm gonna work to it. That's always
Speaker 1: been a dream of mine, and one day I'm gonna
Speaker 1: reach it, no matter what it is that's going on
Speaker 1: around me. Uh, That's that's always gonna be something that
Speaker 1: you know, I'm always chasing. It took a lot for
Speaker 1: you to get here, didn't it? Oh man, it took
Speaker 1: it took so much for me to get here. It's
Speaker 1: crazy because you know, you sit back in and you
Speaker 1: reflect on everything that you've been through, and you know
Speaker 1: everything that it took to get up to at this point.
Speaker 1: It kind of gets you emotional, you know, because you
Speaker 1: you know, I battled so many things to get to
Speaker 1: this point, and you know, my family didn't sacrifice so
Speaker 1: much to, you know, help me get to this point.
Speaker 1: And you know, I just I just want to at
Speaker 1: the end of the day, I want to look back
Speaker 1: and not have no regrets. And I just want to
Speaker 1: know at the end of the day that I made
Speaker 1: everyone proud and I set a great example for my
Speaker 1: daughter to you know, for her to see how it
Speaker 1: is to be successful and how it is to do
Speaker 1: things the right way. And you know, that's pretty much
Speaker 1: that's pretty much the type of legacy I try to
Speaker 1: leave day in and day out. So its a Delaware
Speaker 1: Blue hen you got a big old chip on your
Speaker 1: shoulder that you carried into the league. Is it still
Speaker 1: there or is that a dumb question? No, any question
Speaker 1: you asked is never a dumb question. But but you know,
Speaker 1: it's still there. It's still I think about it every day.
Speaker 1: I think about it every day still to this moment,
Speaker 1: and I still feel like I got so much approved.
Speaker 1: You know, I wasn't I wasn't the highest recruiter guy
Speaker 1: coming out of highest school. You know, I wasn't the hot,
Speaker 1: you know, the most sought out guy coming into the draft.
Speaker 1: You know, I had to really go out each and
Speaker 1: every day in ground for everything that I have up
Speaker 1: until this point. And you know, it makes me proud
Speaker 1: just to note that I got everything off the strength
Speaker 1: of me just grinding. Nothing was ever handed to me.
Speaker 1: And so that chip gonna always be there. It's gonna
Speaker 1: be there for the rest of my life. Tom, what
Speaker 1: do you see is Blown nichols future with the Bears.
Speaker 1: You know, I hope a lot Nichols is willing to
Speaker 1: negotiate and stick with the program he's got going here
Speaker 1: because he's been developed a year in and year out.
Speaker 1: He's got a really nice relationship on the defensive line
Speaker 1: of scrimmage going with Robert Quinn. He's a good leader
Speaker 1: in the locker room by example, and so Blown Nichols,
Speaker 1: you got a great future ahead of you in Chicago.
Speaker 1: If you could be an invested, long term player in Chicago.
Speaker 1: Do you have You've seen it throughout your career. That's
Speaker 1: why guys stay in the Chicagoland area when they're done,
Speaker 1: because they're accepted in their community and they're accepted into
Speaker 1: their organization. Tom, that's all the time we got. We
Speaker 1: will talk to you on Sunday. That's Tom there. I'm
Speaker 1: Jeff Jonnyak, thanks to our producers and everybody at the Score.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for listening. And thanks to Thomas
Speaker 1: Graham Junior and Michael Bumpus of the Seattle Seahawks Radio Network.
Speaker 1: That'll do it for us. Have a great night and
Speaker 1: Merry Christmas. Everybody, Happy Holidays. This is Chicago Sports Radio
Speaker 1: six seventy the Score. Good night,