Latest / 2nd City Gridiron / Bears Banter Ep. 242: Mark Grote joins as OTAs/Minicamp wrap up!

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Bears Banter Ep. 242: Mark Grote joins as OTAs/Minicamp wrap up! · 2nd City Gridiron

• 0:03
  [UNKNOWN]: Thank you.
• 0:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: There are bears fans at the time for another edition of Skoggle Bears podcast bears Vansor power by second city grid iron Bill Zimmerman with you and we are back with another podcast And you all we're gonna do today
• 0:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to talk some football.
• 0:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: The last podcast we did, of course, with Brendan Moore was about the stadium.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: We might talk about the stadium at a touch today, just a touch, but we're going to talk about football.
• 0:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: We do this podcast traditionally every year, mid to late June, which is basically what I call the OTAs, mini camp wrap.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: up a podcast and I talk about where this team is in the spring and heading into training cabin.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to do that today with Mark Grody of the scorn, of course, to take the North podcast with Dan Weeder, he is going to be by in just a little bit, but before you get Mark, you're stuck with me and we have a few things to talk about.
• 1:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think we're going to go too long here with the monologue.
• 1:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: We got a few things to talk about.
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And of course,
• 1:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: The big headline that we have to start with is that the Chicago Bears have a hallmark movie.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am kidding, of course, but it is kind of funny, the Bears have a hallmark movie.
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I have been saying this for years.
• 1:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it's really too much of a surprise.
• 1:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's certainly not a surprise to Bears fans.
• 1:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I've been saying this to other fan bases as well that you almost don't want the Chicago Bears to be good because if they are,
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: they are going to get shoved down your throats.
• 1:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And honestly, the bears have never been good in the social media in this world that we live in now.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Lovey Smith era, first of all, that was when they were pretty good.
• 2:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I understand they made a Super Bowl, but this was not perennially going 12 and 4 most seasons back then.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were pretty good.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Basically, they were like a 9 and 17 with a
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, that's not good enough.
• 2:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: 2018 was fun, but there's no sustained success there.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have to go back to the 1980s when there was absolutely nothing but newspapers.
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: There was barely cable television at that point.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: So this is a brand new world.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the Chicago Bears are looking like they are going to be good and sustained being able to sustain being good.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll see if they could become great.
• 2:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's up to Ryan Polls, Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams.
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: But at least they're going to be sustained good, it would appear because it's hard to be bad when you have the coach right in the quarterback right in the bear certainly look like they have those two things.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: So like we said when the schedule came out in the bears, not only are they over the prime time, but they've got the 425 Eastern starts, they've got, you know, a stand-alone games, they are everywhere on that schedule and Caleb Williams is on the cover of Madden and now a hallmark.
• 3:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: movie.
• 3:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is funny.
• 3:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's funny.
• 3:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Chicago Bears.
• 3:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is, I've said, saying it for years.
• 3:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's where I think Bears fans are funny when they sit there and say that the NFL, because and I understand officiating has been bad against the Bears.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I know weren't sharp even put out numbers.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: That suggests that officiating has been bad against the Bears.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: But again,
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Good teams, 10 to get the benefit of the calls.
• 3:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when the bear stink most seasons, it's just kind of the way it goes.
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have to kind of build up that thing.
• 3:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're basically, you get the benefit of the doubt from officials.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's where the chiefs got.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone got annoyed with the chiefs.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you are old enough to remember the Chicago bulls in the 1990s, you know the bulls got the benefit of the calls several times.
• 4:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just what happens with the great teams.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Great teams get the benefit of the calls.
• 4:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: So certainly that played into it.
• 4:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why the bears didn't get officiating, but this is why we laugh.
• 4:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: when bears fans, and I'm sorry, bears fans, it's true.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you come up with this idea that the NFL is out to get the bears, they want the bears to be bad, they're conspiring against the bears.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's pure insanity.
• 4:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: The NFL wants the bears to be the Brady Bella check Patriots and be great for 25 years, basically.
• 4:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what they want.
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: They want that the bears are the number one NFL market in the country.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have talked about it.
• 4:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: The giant suggests in New York are split L.A. split and also that's a Lakers town that is not a Ram's town.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's split.
• 4:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Chicago has one football team and this city is obsessed with that football team.
• 5:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: period and destroy, especially not at the Cubs won the World Series 10 years ago.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is a bears hungry city.
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's obsessed with this, this team.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's obsessed with Ben Johnson.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's obsessed with Caleb Williams.
• 5:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it shows in the ratings.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the NFL has thrilled the Bears are good.
• 5:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: The NFL wants the Bears to continue to be good.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they will put them everywhere, including featured.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: in a hallmark movie.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: So let's get into some things here.
• 5:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I do wanna talk about, you know, a couple of things off the field, but let's get into the OTAs.
• 5:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know what was great about these OTAs?
• 5:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Really, I'm gonna say this.
• 5:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know what was fabulous?
• 5:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Think, what do you think I'm about to get?
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: What do you think was absolutely the best thing about OTAs in many camp for the Chicago Bears in 2026?
• 5:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: give you a second to answer.
• 5:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if you said it was boring and uninteresting, you are correct.
• 6:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's where we're at with the Chicago Bears because we are not obsessed over every little piece of minutia.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are not obsessed
• 6:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: with important things but things that are constantly new.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with Caleb Williams coming into rookie year.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with Caleb Williams.
• 6:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now with first your head coach Ben Johnson.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with Justin Fields.
• 6:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: How's he going to do with Matt Eberfluss?
• 6:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed
• 6:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: with Justin Fields as a rookie with Matt Nagy.
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with Mitch Tribiski.
• 6:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is he gonna develop?
• 6:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with a broad and Matt Nagy.
• 6:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is he gonna do well in his first year?
• 6:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with the Mitch Tribiski.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nick Folls, QB, you know, Nick Folls.
• 6:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: the Mitsubiski Mike Glennon QB controversy or the Mitsubiski Nick Falls QB controversy.
• 6:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not obsessed with all these things that constantly are big deals in the spring.
• 7:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: because the Chicago Bears made the playoffs.
• 7:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Wanna play off game?
• 7:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're, you know, cup of coffee, you know, an inch, one play away from the Chicago Bears making the NFC championship game.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we get into the OTAs that we get in the mini camp.
• 7:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are we obsessed with the quarterback plate?
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: No, Caleb Williams is like, hey, I'm a great shape.
• 7:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know Ben's system things are feeling great.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm feeling great.
• 7:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, he calls out Kyler Gordon a little bit, you know, he says a couple things, but Ben Johnson, everything's copicetic.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're obsessed with Ben Johnson getting pissed at a cell phone rang during his press conference.
• 7:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who cares, Manusha?
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the kind of things here.
• 7:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We don't have a lot to talk about.
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, we're going to talk about the things that matter here, that matter for this team,
• 7:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're not worried about it.
• 7:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the OTAs are boring.
• 7:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're like, OTAs with these other good football teams.
• 8:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: People don't obsess over how does Josh Allen look in the OTAs because it doesn't matter because you know he's good.
• 8:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know he's great.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's where we are with the bears.
• 8:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: It feels great.
• 8:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: It feels great to know that love wouldn't comment are a great 12 first and hell.
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll worry about Sam Rausch and July and August and see how he's doing there.
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just,
• 8:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's OTAs for a tight end three as a rookie, who cares?
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we're worried about the offensive.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why do we need to know if Braxton Jones has it?
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: We need to know if it's going to be Bradbury or Logan Jones, but the pads are on.
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, cares, yeah, we want to see, you know, Karanama Gaji seem like he was getting reps with the twos.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't like to see that, but I'll worry about it in July and August.
• 8:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll worry about it when he gets preseason reps. And if he's a turned style, guess what, he's not going to be on the football team.
• 8:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if he's improved, great, the pairs have another reliable backup tackle.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is where you are when the Chicago Bears are a functional franchise.
• 9:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: You don't have to worry about spring practices.
• 9:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I'm sitting here going, who's gonna be the RB3?
• 9:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who's gonna step in if Swift or Manangai misogamer 2?
• 9:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, okay, yeah, we wanna have a little more depth in a few positions.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, all right, yeah, we wanna see if Luther Bird makes the step.
• 9:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: We wanna see if Roma Dunes-A's healthy and what he's doing.
• 9:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bears fans, I know we obsess over Jada Walker, how good is he?
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I get it.
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: But these things, they're not critical.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're usually worried about very critical things during OTAs in many camp.
• 9:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now we're worried about, you know, who's going to be, you know,
• 9:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, like, minimal things, who's going to, is it going to be T.J. Edwards or Demarco Jackson as your second linebacker?
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
• 9:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, if T.J. Edwards is healthy, and two guys are pretty functional at the position, well, that's not, that's a good problem to have, right?
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: This isn't just like, is a six round rookie going to come in and take the place of some crappy veteran.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: We don't have to worry about that.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: the bears are good.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, of course, when we look at who was playing over, like there's positions up in the air, Tyrex Stevenson, Malik Muhammad, is that going to be a competition?
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know, we'll see.
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, like I mentioned, TJ Edwards, Demarco Jackson, what's going to, how are the linebackers going to shake out?
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll see.
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: The defensive line, I promised I wasn't going to obsess and harp over it, so I'm not obsessing and harping over it.
• 10:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Certainly got some questions there.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: His Austin Booker is going to be the starting edge opposite
• 10:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I said, we need to know about some things with the offensive line.
• 10:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's stuff we'll worry about in training camp.
• 10:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if Caleb Williams looks terrible a couple of weeks in the training camp, we'll worry about it a little bit.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: We won't obsess over it, but we'll worry about it.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I don't expect that to happen.
• 10:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: So the bears, OTAs, mini camp is largely a, all right, they had him.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like,
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: It really, you remember when we, and this is not to not the people who did it because it generated
• 11:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, content and it generated engagement and I get it.
• 11:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: What do you remember when we used to track seven on seven statistics for Justin Fields?
• 11:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Justin Fields would be 14 for 18 for 222 yards and two touchdowns, everyone go crazy.
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So people would be like, yeah, but he didn't have the pads on and he was getting rid of the ball five six seven seconds after he he snapped the ball.
• 11:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's not great.
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nobody cared.
• 11:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: They wanted the statistics.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is
• 11:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: a fantastic place to be in as a Chicago Bears fan that OTAs and many camp came and went and they're just really wasn't a lot of interesting things that happened.
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I for one love it.
• 11:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, a couple of things I do want to talk about here out of the OTAs.
• 11:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I do want to talk about the Kyler Gordon situation because I thought that was interesting what Ben Johnson had to say about Kyler Gordon.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Big supporter of Kylo Gordon, glad he got the extension.
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think I was pretty steady about that the last few years, that that needed to happen.
• 12:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now Gordon had a terrible year last year in terms of being able to stay on the field and we know the most important ability is availability and that's certainly what Ben Johnson feels, right?
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: We know Ben Johnson wants guys play and wants guys focus, wants guys is part of the team and we can't really know what exactly is going on with Kyler Gordon, because if you're hurt and you're truly injured, there's really not much
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: that you can do about it, and if you're injury-prone, yeah, but Ben Johnson, to me, felt like he was calling out something bigger with Kyler Gordon.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: To me, I kind of felt like Ben Johnson was calling out Kyler Gordon's desire to play football.
• 12:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like,
• 13:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: There is, as a professional athlete, an amount of pain and hurt that you need to play through.
• 13:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is just the way it is.
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like we hear media members talk about it all the time.
• 13:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: You get to December.
• 13:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Everybody's hurt in December.
• 13:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's just who is hurt, you know, a least amount that can actually get out on the field.
• 13:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is that an issue with Kyle Gordon?
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am not pointing the finger and saying Kyle or Gordon is soft or the Kyle or Gordon does not care.
• 13:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm saying that's simply it has to be questioned when Ben Johnson makes the comments he makes where he kind of gets the idea that Ben Johnson who wants guys who are obsessed with football.
• 13:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Perhaps Kyler Gordon is not obsessed with football.
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: And perhaps that is where this disconnect is with Ben Johnson.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And again, I go back to what I continue to talk about.
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is a regime change.
• 13:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I understand that Kyler Gordon technically got his extension under Ben Johnson's watch.
• 13:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: But Ben Johnson could not do everything last year, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
• 14:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: right Ben Johnson was installing a new offense with Caleb Williams.
• 14:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was making sure he brought in his guys for his offense.
• 14:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was fixing the offensive line.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was doing a lot of different things.
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if Ryan Polls sits him down and says, Hey, Tyler Gordon's been great, you know, maybe he watched some tape or whatever.
• 14:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: We want to give him an extension.
• 14:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then sure Ben Johnson says, Okay, fine, like we're not, you know, we're not going to live and die by a 45 million, 44 million dollar extension, whatever it was that Tyler Gordon got.
• 14:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So,
• 14:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: We still have to remember that anyone drafted or signed before Ben Johnson arrived is on finice in essence with Ben Johnson's.
• 14:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Kyler Gordon is not a Ben Johnson guy.
• 14:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think that is important to keep in mind moving forward.
• 14:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, what are they going to do with them?
• 14:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think, obviously, they're going to play him.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Um, if he's healthy, but I do think it's interesting that we saw on OTAs that Malik Mahamid did take some snaps inside.
• 15:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when you sit there and say, do the bears think Malik Mahamid is a nickel back.
• 15:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do they potentially think Malik Mahamid is a potential replacement for Kyler Gordon and
• 15:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you have to take that into consideration as a possibility.
• 15:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, other than that, to me, the biggest surprise was that Kronomagaji was the Second String Left tackle.
• 15:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: That to me was the next most surprising thing that I saw.
• 15:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because, you know, I have dismissed this guy.
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: He has shown very little
• 15:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: proves he belongs on an NFL field, and for me, the bottom line here is I haven't seen it, so I'm going to assume it doesn't exist.
• 16:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now Dan Rochars had him under his wing for a year, maybe I'm a god, she's figured something's out, maybe he can become a viable left tackle.
• 16:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: This is certainly his last chance, like if I'm a god, she is not healthy and on the field,
• 16:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: in assets or, you know, you know what I mean?
• 16:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: Back up left tackle for the bears week one, like there's no point to keep him around.
• 16:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think jedric wills is interesting because I think jedric wills has a lot of potential and it's a pretty darn good past blocking left tackle.
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, can he still do that?
• 16:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: What's going on after all these injuries and this alignment surgery he had who knows?
• 16:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I do think the left tackle position is interesting.
• 16:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: But it certainly seems to be pointing at Braxton Jones, it's his position, and
• 16:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, things have to go wrong for Brax and Jones for him not to be the left tackle this year.
• 17:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what it seems to be.
• 17:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because I think even if Karan Amagaji has improved, he's not going to have improved to the point where he's going to take the left tackle position away from Brax and Jones.
• 17:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the only one who couldn't potentially do that is Judric Will's because he does have the pedigree and the talent to be that kind of player.
• 17:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Judric Will's a lot of the things with Will's in Cleveland was his desire to play.
• 17:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: did he truly want to be a professional football player, effort, things like that.
• 17:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: You had to sit out a year because of these injuries, maybe that fire has been lit in him, and he's going to be that obsessed with football guy that Ben Johnson is looking for.
• 17:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: If he's not, then it was a no harm, no foul, you know, you sign him, you see what you got, and you get rid of him, and it's no big deal.
• 17:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: If he is
• 17:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, if he has that fire lit in him with Ben Johnson, then you sit there and go, okay, maybe we've got something here with Jedrick Wells, you keep him, you start him, whatever you might be.
• 17:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And again, like I said, it's a, you know, low risk high reward signing, and there's nothing wrong with that.
• 18:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: So OTAs, many camp to me, the most interesting thing that came out of it was the comments about Kyler Gordon.
• 18:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the fact that Corona, my God, you seem to be getting steady reps, as far as I could tell, at the left tackle position.
• 18:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I look at this and go, this was a nice boring OTAs.
• 18:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't remember the last time the Bears had a boring OTAs.
• 18:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's been, I mean, there has been something to obsess over every year since Mitch Schrumsky was drafted.
• 18:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, you know, am I going to go back 10 years and remember specifically where were we with John Fox?
• 18:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I got you had a new coaching staff in 2015, you know, where were we in 2016 where things going crazy?
• 18:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Then probably not, but then Trebiske's there in 2017.
• 18:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it's basically been a quarterback disaster for the last 10 years until Caleb Williams showed up.
• 19:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you're obsessed with the quarterback every year.
• 19:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're obsessed with all the different coaches.
• 19:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, that's what happens.
• 19:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's what OTA is in many camper for for the bad football teams that can obsess over their young quarterbacks or brand new coaches bears didn't have that this year.
• 19:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nice boring spring practice and I hope that's where it continues.
• 19:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you didn't see Caleb Williams is not getting the trademark on Iceman, this whole story was weird.
• 19:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I don't blame Caleb for trying to trademark Iceman, you know, why not, you know, get that under your belt.
• 19:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: The fact that George Curve and came out and got all upset, and yes, George Curve and was the Iceman.
• 19:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was a hundred percent his nickname, you know, but again.
• 19:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: him trying to come out and say, well, I need to trademark this and he needs to battle him.
• 19:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's like 80 years older, whatever.
• 19:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, what, what are you doing, George?
• 19:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just go back at the retirement home, put your feet up, drink some lemonade and, you know, watch lawn order.
• 19:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, that's where you need to be at that point.
• 20:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: George Garvin.
• 20:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, and I like George Garvin.
• 20:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I, I, like, the finger, the one thing I could do was finger all those commercials he had back in the day.
• 20:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: George Garvin was fun.
• 20:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: You haven't played for the bulls the last couple years of his career.
• 20:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, I don't have a problem with George Garvin.
• 20:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Be in the ice man.
• 20:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just, like, oh, I thought I trademarked it 40 years and just go away, George.
• 20:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now Caleb Williams didn't get it anyway.
• 20:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, this was much to do about nothing.
• 20:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: stadium.
• 20:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bears are talking to Illinois.
• 20:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bears representatives are going on Chicago Median going on the score and talking about there's movement and they're talking and they're figuring things out.
• 20:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: So again, I still think
• 20:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: the bears end up in Arlington Heights.
• 20:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know the people who want the bears in Indiana or predicted the bears in Indiana, whether that be fans, whether that be trolls on social media, or whether that be some content creators that like to pretend they have sources, or even ones that have sources and were misled.
• 20:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't even know, but,
• 20:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bottom line here is I still think Indiana was always a leverage play and it was only going to happen if things were truly a disaster in Illinois.
• 21:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bears never gave up on Illinois.
• 21:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: We went through all this last year.
• 21:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: I still think it's going to be Illinois.
• 21:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe they call a special session at the end of the summer.
• 21:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe they don't.
• 21:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think either way, I don't think it matters too much.
• 21:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: because I think the bears at this point, it's like I said in the last podcast, shovels in the ground in 2027.
• 21:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's gonna happen regardless.
• 21:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if it happens in April or July, I don't think it matters that much.
• 21:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think the bears are gonna get this square away.
• 21:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: They will get there.
• 21:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: The architects in there, they'll get the engineers in there, they'll get what they need done.
• 21:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then when the ground thaws, I think the bears will be pretty close to ready to go.
• 21:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Before we get to Mark Roddy, one other thing, this Detroit lion story with Terry on Arnold is wild.
• 21:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, I don't, you can't, it doesn't even make sense.
• 22:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, you read the story and you're like, this guy has, he has made a millions of dollars a season and he's getting obsessed over people that he thinks stole stuff out of his property
• 22:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: He rented it out as an Airbnb.
• 22:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, okay, yeah, that sucks if you think that happened and you should be pissed also by the way, that's why you have security deposits and things like that on the Airbnb to try and protect yourself from that kind of stuff.
• 22:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's why you book things through Airbnb.
• 22:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you can go to them and say, hey, this stuff was stolen out of my house when I put it there, you have protections as a renter on Airbnb.
• 22:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: guns and kidnap people at gunpoint, what goes through people's heads?
• 22:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't understand it.
• 22:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Terry and Arnold E. Not playing for the Detroit Lions ever again.
• 23:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he's going to end up in prison.
• 23:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know they said it couldn't carry a life sentence.
• 23:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I doubt that.
• 23:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I do think he's going to be in prison for at least a couple of years.
• 23:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we will probably never see him in the NFL again.
• 23:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: If we do, maybe he tries to come back in a few years, but he wasn't playing that well for Detroit
• 23:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: What an absolute bizarre story.
• 23:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Glad it seems that nobody actually got hurt with that and Terian Arnold.
• 23:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: Congratulations.
• 23:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have flushed your NFL career down the toilet.
• 23:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope it was worth it.
• 23:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, let's get to Mark Grody.
• 23:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: He joins me next.
• 23:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is Bill Zimmerman, Bears Banner.
• 23:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll be right back.
• 23:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back into the podcast excited to have this next guest on he is a first time guest of bears banter and we always love our first time guest.
• 23:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: He is Mark Grote of the score.
• 23:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Of course, hosting on the score mid days podcast host for take the north, which I know many of us listen to, and you can follow him at Grote sports.
• 24:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, you may be following the wrong Mark Jordan to make sure you are following at Grote sports and Mark joins me now.
• 24:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mark builds the
• 24:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Bill, it is a pleasure to be on your podcast.
• 24:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, long live at Mark Rotisports.
• 24:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's so sad because there's so much fun stuff on there through through my years of covering the bears.
• 24:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then one day for reasons I'm still trying to figure out, I don't maybe if somebody is listening to your podcast bills or women, they can I have not given up on at Mark Rotisports.
• 24:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: I simply haven't, the account was suspended.
• 24:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know why, maybe I clicked the link.
• 24:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I have no idea what happened, but I lost it in it hurts, and you have reopened the wound.
• 24:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's why you had to hear all that.
• 24:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, one wound we don't have to reopen is the Chicago Bears from about, you know, 2009 to 2023 here.
• 24:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: or 20, I guess 2024, I should say because Ben Johnson is here and of course coming off this fabulous season that the Bears had last year and entering this season.
• 25:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I just want to get for someone who goes around Hallis Hall and is around this team a good amount.
• 25:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just curious kind of a big picture not so much on the field last year.
• 25:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: But what was it like being around the
• 25:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: organization could we hurt a lot of things about the e-burflos and and and things going on there like what was was there a different vibe in terms of structure and and basically the whole season how it played out in terms of how Ben Johnson had things running analysis.
• 25:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.
• 25:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, there was a new sheriff in town and it was Ben Johnson and he had a way about him.
• 25:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think one of the
• 25:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: of Ben Johnson last year.
• 25:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's many things from which we can choose, but one of the biggest things that he said and this really stands out with Caleb Williams was he's got to catch up to me.
• 25:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's got to do it my way.
• 26:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: of course Ben Johnson is going to at times cater to the quarterback.
• 26:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: You simply have to when it comes to a game plan in the plays he likes and the game plan that they are implementing.
• 26:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: But the fact that he said that QB1, number 18, the number one overall pick, the elite generational quarterback, he's got to come to me.
• 26:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought that that sent the template for the whole season, that this guy, your star, the guy around whom this entire team is built to make no mistake about it.
• 26:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's Caleb Williams and we've been starving for this quarterback for almost literally forever.
• 26:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: when he made that clear, that's a message to the rest of the team.
• 26:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then we saw it play out, you know, I'm not gonna, I won't get into all the minutia because I know that wasn't the spirit of your question, but we saw it play out in training camp in the OTAs with Ben Johnson going out on the field and ripping face basically when the formations weren't right and yelling at Caleb Williams, yelling at Cole Comet.
• 27:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: These are the guy like Cole Comet.
• 27:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're not allowed to yell at Cole Comet.
• 27:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, you are.
• 27:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: he made it very clear who was in charge and his credibility only went up because of the 11 games that they won last year.
• 27:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: His while it was difficult like you hear you hear from Caleb Williams in there.
• 27:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: It felt like and I always say this with weiter on the Take the North Podcast like it felt like there were times last year where Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams
• 27:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: weren't going to make it here.
• 27:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Montez sweat talking about, you know, crazy Ben Johnson.
• 27:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He knows that they're going to work as ass off.
• 27:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's hard to play for Ben Johnson, but the results are there.
• 27:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's sort of the template that he put in place the difference that he made.
• 27:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: He commands a different respect than his predecessors.
• 27:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if we're just talking about Maddie Barflos, he came in with more credibility than Maddie Barflos ever had.
• 27:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely.
• 27:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: And since you brought up Caleb Williams, I'll jump there next because I think, you know, it was, it was interesting last year and we and we heard like you talk about we heard things kind of trickling out over the course of the year and quotes even if they were, you know, a sideline reporter during a game or something like that about like Caleb Williams early on was like, what, what is going on with this guy?
• 28:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like it was, it was a big change for him and something he had to adjust to and I felt like Ben Johnson just,
• 28:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, you know, through, you know, toll stories, entire, uh, writings at him and said, figure an abkin and, uh, you know, you better, like you said, catch up to me and, and Kayla Williams did that and by the last six weeks, eight weeks of this season, he was, he was, he was really clicking with Ben and, and I think we hear Kayla talking about this year about, you know, and that, I don't know if he actually used the word.
• 28:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: easier, but like how much easier it is for him now that he has that year under Ben Johnson and he's building from, I don't want to go to the Matt and Aggie route to Matt, you know, 2.0 off, and so you don't need to go back to that, but you know, where he can now, he doesn't have to start from scratch.
• 28:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's can build upon things this off season.
• 28:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you've been at Hall's Hall, have you seen a more relaxed, a more in control, Caleb Williams, than where he
• 29:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: He finished basic training.
• 29:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I look at and he had one of those mean Hollywood drill surgeons.
• 29:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's who Ben Johnson was.
• 29:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was hard and maybe you're not going to make it and Ben Johnson doesn't give a crap if you don't make it, but to answer your question directly Bill.
• 29:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it has been a different Caleb Williams who, you know, admitted last, he's healed or drowning.
• 29:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: He said that recently during the OTAs that he felt like he was drowning last year, that it was that difficult that he's using adjectives and descriptive words like that, and then this year, yeah, it's totally and completely different.
• 29:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ben Johnson gave to Caleb Williams.
• 29:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Caleb Williams is now giving to other players where you start to see him being just a little bit more vocal with the players and a little bit more demonstrative, which I don't think necessarily comes naturally to Caleb Williams like that's just not his personality.
• 30:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not his demeanor, but you're starting to see more of that.
• 30:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's kind of beautiful to see that whatever Ben Johnson said and did and we know some of it to get in his head
• 30:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: now we start to see Caleb Williams turn the trick on on his players and that's only something that's going to ascend and it's a good thing.
• 30:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, 100% and but one other thing I wanted to mention based on your first answer about Ben Johnson and everything and I brought this up multiple times last year on my podcast because to me it was so refreshing and it was the one thing and I didn't hear a lot of people talking about it until you know maybe the second half of that last season of mad eberfluous is those those press conferences with Matt eberfluous.
• 30:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: He never took accountability, started doing it a little bit at the end and I swear there must have been someone in PR or someone getting in his ear and saying this isn't working but there was always like when when the bears lost it was all we just got to execute the plan better like basically pointing the finger at players all the time and time again and Ben Johnson.
• 31:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: immediately like when when things went wrong and I go back to that Vikings game to open the season and Ben Johnson is just like I screwed up the end of the game with the with the kicking it D. I I was trying to get five extra yards.
• 31:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: It wasn't worth it like Ben Johnson admitted like game one.
• 31:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's basically I and you know Ben thinks he's a hell of a coach like you know he's got an eat
• 31:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: willing to admit that he made a mistake and I immediately just grabbed on to that because I was like that has to be such a change for the players who are sitting there here and constantly that they're not executing and when Ben Johnson's able to stand up in front of the press and say I screwed that one up.
• 32:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: If he's going to call it other players, which he did, he didn't do it a lot by name, but he, you know, talked about it.
• 32:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's got to look better when players don't have the ball on their hands.
• 32:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: We need better effort.
• 32:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: All these type of things.
• 32:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: When he does that and says that about his players to the media, but also takes accountability for his own coach himself or his coaches, mistakes.
• 32:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: It has to resonate in the locker room and just change the entire vibe of how they do things.
• 32:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: No doubt.
• 32:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want to start with what you were saying about Maddie Riffles because you're spot on.
• 32:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: And even when Maddie Riffles started to take accountability, it felt passive aggressive, it felt sarcastic almost.
• 32:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I put it on me.
• 32:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah, I guess it's me.
• 32:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then you could tell when it coach is being disingenuous.
• 32:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of my favorite questions when I have the balls to do it is to ask a coach, okay, yeah, it's it put it on me.
• 32:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I screwed up.
• 32:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Okay, give me give me the things you did tell me the things you did wrong to screw up this game if you're going to fall on your sword And you're going to do it in a disingenuous way, but that does bring me to Ben Johnson I actually remember after that Minnesota game we did a zoom with with Ben Johnson myself and and other bears reporters I actually asked them the question of hot, you know, self-assessing, you know, the your moves in the game And it was almost like he was waiting for somebody to ask the question because he rattle off like multiple things
• 33:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pacific things that he thought he could do better.
• 33:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: So again from the beginning from training camp setting that template of we ain't fon around here if I see you guys Lacks coming out of the hotel.
• 33:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to come out there.
• 33:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to yell on you.
• 33:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to grab your your face mask.
• 33:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to go Mike Dick on you.
• 33:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then do we see it with himself?
• 33:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he gave me bullet point bullet point bullet point bullet point on the things that he did wrong.
• 33:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, I mean, I think it's a beautiful thing.
• 33:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think transparency is great.
• 33:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can't be completely 100% transparent.
• 33:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think bears fans would want him to be because you don't want him to give stuff away.
• 33:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think another one of those things, too.
• 33:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: just talking about the the bigger picture stuff and the general questions about how Ben Johnson is how will he handle year two with Caleb Williams.
• 34:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was hilarious because he was asked, I think it was the the second day of the mandatory mini camper maybe was the third day because I wasn't there for it, but I did go back and watch and he was asked specifically to talk about how
• 34:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: How was Caleb during the offseason program?
• 34:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Did he get better with accuracy?
• 34:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Was he better with ball placement?
• 34:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he was pressed on the question because he wasn't really answering it.
• 34:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: But eventually he just said, it was just okay.
• 34:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like he's not most coaches in that spot are gonna say, we saw some things that we liked, some things we got to clean up.
• 34:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: We really like our quarterback though.
• 34:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was just okay.
• 34:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So just because it's year two and we're not in basic training anymore and he's taken off the drill sergeant cap.
• 34:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Ben Johnson is still going to be a heartbreaker to his players when he would the real this.
• 34:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, yeah, he definitely will now before I want to get in the I like to do one of these podcasts and kind of mid to late June to kind of go over OTAs and many camp and where the team is and some holes and and some things like that before we get into the specifics I do want to ask you about kind of your thought about this team overall
• 35:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: But now we sit here and say the bear's have a tougher schedule and I know some people go, you know, oh, well, we don't know that the schedule could get easier.
• 35:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: And yes, if Josh Allen gets injured, that's going to be a lot of an easier game, but if Josh Allen's there, the buffalo bills are still going to be a formidable foe, we know these kind of things.
• 35:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: So they've got several tough, put, uh,
• 35:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: several tough games on the schedule, that we know about turnovers and we know that they tends to regress back to the mean and they may not have that same level of turnover success this season, the close games, the comebacks, that times tends to regress as well, is there any concern from you that this team even if it improves overall the record may go 10 and 7, 9 and 8.
• 36:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, of course.
• 36:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that that is plausible.
• 36:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're right.
• 36:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it is a hell of a schedule that the bears have that it's it's hard to sustain success in the NFL and you like will will personalize it will make it bears because we all know that the literally the bears have not had sustained success.
• 36:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: since the 1980s and the traditional sense, I know earlier in the 2000s there were a couple of back-to-back years, but most of these years, I call them pop-up seasons where the bears have a hell of a regular season and then they do nothing in the postseason, like 2018 and 2018.
• 36:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: What does use that as the example?
• 36:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: We'll use that as the couple.
• 36:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: What happened the next year?
• 36:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the thing.
• 36:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: They come out and play the Packers on opening night and build.
• 36:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: They were
• 36:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll tell you, Mark, that loss in 2019 week one of the, that was one of the worst I've ever felt as a bear's fan.
• 36:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I said, because you thought Mitch was taking a step forward and you're going to build on this and you're like, oh no, it was so deflating, like there were parades and like chance the wrappers out here bears in and up and like the, the, the, the civic pride was boiling over.
• 37:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: way too many seasons like that for the bears way too many one offs this duck dare i say it this does feel different in that i think the bears are still going to be good you've got the coach you have an ascending quarterback for sure we can nitpick the roster um you know the offense the loss of dj more is not a small thing you've got to figure out where those balls are going to go and
• 37:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, who are, we know who the main guys are at Roma Dune Zay and Luther Burden, but who what are you going to get from Khalifa Raymond?
• 37:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Xavier Thomas is he going to, is he going to be a revelation as a rookie?
• 37:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's Jade Walker take the next step up.
• 37:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you've got, you do have questions and then obviously there's a ton of questions on, on the defense because
• 38:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're depending on, and I'm talking about the defense of line, I'm pretty comfortable right now with linebackers and secondary and all that they have done in that regard, but it though they are depending right now on faith and improvement that that what they have is going to be better, so that's a little bit of a concern, but to the overall picture of what you are saying.
• 38:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 38:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's no doubt that the possibility of regression is real, but there's also a lot of reasons to believe that the bears could potentially win 11 games again this year.
• 38:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely.
• 38:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, you brought up the defensive line and I, I, I harped on it a lot in this offseason and I'm, I'm going to try and harp on it less this summer because it is what it is, but I do want to ask you because when, when this topic came up, it was specifically about the defensive line and that was about how the bears handled the salary cap this past offseason.
• 38:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: With the idea that they did not convert salaries to bonuses and open up cap space to potentially go out there and Whether it was trade for Max Crosby or trade for Dexter Lawrence or just sign even a good player Making say 15 million dollars a year they chose not to do that they basically chose to run it back with in essence the same crew They had last season and you know Adam Shepter came out with the you know the bears are broken.
• 39:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know that that that
• 39:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: flowed it all across social media and across Chicago media, sports media for that matter.
• 39:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, where were you?
• 39:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not so much are the bears broke.
• 39:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Could they have done this?
• 39:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I'm not trying to get into that.
• 39:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: But the strategy to go in and say, we're not going to kick any money into the future.
• 39:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're not going to, we're just going to roll with this defensive line.
• 39:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Obviously, they can make a lot of defensive line changes next year, because they can get rid of Odango and Brady Jarrett, if they wish.
• 39:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, and that's going to open up some things for him potentially, but where were you with how they handled their free agency in terms of how they spent this?
• 40:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 40:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, the problem is, I mean, I'm like anybody.
• 40:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like you look at what they have.
• 40:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: It doesn't feel great, but there's a lot of money invested into the defensive line that we could talk about whether or not it was a mistake to sign dial or dang bow.
• 40:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: or give them massive contract to Montes wet.
• 40:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know he had double digits ax last year, but he's always a hot spot to discuss the pain, you know, grady Jared.
• 40:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they invested in their defensive line two years ago.
• 40:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: So they kind of screwed themselves a little bit in terms of where they're going to spread the money on the rest of the roster.
• 40:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: draft wise.
• 40:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was okay with, I mean, like I get it, everybody was stunned that they didn't get help as far as as an edge rush, right?
• 40:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know they go out and get Jordan Vanderberg, but Brandon Berg, but he, you know, obviously he's a defensive lineman.
• 40:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was nobody that at the spot, the bears were that was blowing me away and saying, yeah, you absolutely should invest in somebody, but
• 41:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: it is scary that they're just depending on Dio Dango to all of a sudden be a revelation and not just be a guy that just watched the film really closely to know what he does and coming off another Achilles in.
• 41:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he coming off the Achilles.
• 41:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it was good to see him.
• 41:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I will say that in my, I went to the first day of the mandatory mini camp and there was Dio Dango moving around out there so that was super encouraging to see, but I can't necessarily say that the guy is
• 41:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: 100% right now.
• 41:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I feel decent about Montes wet.
• 41:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Austin bookers an interesting prospect.
• 41:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, does he have, I for ever am asking the question, Bill, maybe you can answer it for me.
• 41:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that is, is Austin Booker good?
• 41:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yes.
• 41:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: his Austin Booker is he is he a guy that could get to double digit sacks he there there's so much mystery surrounding it that he kind of gets to this this sort of cult hero status i put i put him and jade walker together because they haven't they haven't done enough to screw up and they haven't done and and they've had some big huge moments so they're really interesting prospects but i can't like list these guys on this
• 42:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Unfortunately, you look at where they invested and are you like last year, depending on the secondary and and Dylan Thineman and Colby Bryant and Jalen Johnson and Tyreeg Stevenson, to do the damage for your defense and like you kind of indicated earlier, one can't assume that you are going to force those turnovers.
• 42:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, it would be shocking if the bears had half as many turnovers interceptions as they did last year.
• 42:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and you know, you brought up the secondary.
• 42:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: So let's talk about this defense kind of as a whole because I'm with you.
• 42:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I I'm pretty comfortable with the back seven.
• 42:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want to talk to you about the other outside corner opposite Jalen Johnson in a minute, but to to me for this defense and for Dennis Allen.
• 42:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know Dennis Allen can get creative, he can blitz, Kyler Gordon, we know is a successful blitzer and he's going to move Brian at the end of the round and he's going to be able to bring it from the linebackers as well.
• 43:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know Dennis Allen can get creative and create pressure at times, but to me this defense is going to come down to and this is where I have the biggest concern is
• 43:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: sometimes you've just got to get pressure with four guys and I really just if I'm just being frank looking at this I don't see this team having the ability to get pressure with just four guys and that you might be able to get away with that against a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL but when you get to the playoffs assuming the bears are back there this year and you're playing elite quarterbacks if you're not getting you know pressure with four on Matthew Stafford you're in trouble.
• 43:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
• 43:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 43:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, and you think about guys like I didn't even mention Dr.
• 43:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Von Dexter when I was talking about them earlier and what this year means for him and the pressure that he could potentially get on the on the inside, you know, they bring a Neville Gallamore.
• 43:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: uh... what you know we'll see you know he's kind of the Andrew Billings replacement uh... we'll see if there's anything with him but yeah it's it's a it's a risky proposition that the the bears have gone with by not making any moves and who knows if by the way i apologize for the the other coming for you brigade is coming i am and that
• 44:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: haven't downtown Chicago and I I left a window open in my place so hello everybody hope we're all doing great but but yeah I mean it's just it does put the pressure on the rest of the defense and who knows who knows man maybe
• 44:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe this, this is the year that Dennis Allen gets something out of Dio Dango, whatever they were seeing with the colds they get out of him in Austin Booker has double digits, and these coaching staff coaches, the hell out of them this year.
• 44:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: But again, it just feels like we're wishing and hoping at this point for the defensive line.
• 44:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and I don't think we're wishing and hoping in a lot of other areas, I think bear's fans and media feel really good about those other areas.
• 44:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: What one area where I'm really interested to see what happens here is the Tyreek Stevenson spot.
• 45:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Assuming he does start this year opposite Jalen Johnson, which based on how things went last year, Mark towards the end of the season, if Malik Mahamid has a great training camp,
• 45:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't even put it out of the realm of possibility that he could win that job because when the bears had injuries and they had issues, Tyrex Stevenson wasn't getting out there for more than 30-40 percent of the snaps because I mean he clearly, I really thought he was going to have a really good season with Dennis Allen.
• 45:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought he was going to hit the scheme.
• 45:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought everything was going to fall back into place.
• 45:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he was going to be closer to where he was as a rookie year.
• 45:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: If not better, didn't seem to happen this this past season fell out of favor.
• 45:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Was not playing as much towards the end of the year.
• 45:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now we enter a season where, you know, nation right is gone.
• 45:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And there's not, you know, there's not a lot of competition there, other than a fourth round rookie.
• 45:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you feel like this bears coaching staff and you personally even should there be confidence in Tyreek Stevenson that he can get the job done opposite Jalen Jones.
• 46:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, because the coaching staff has made it pretty clear, they're not in love with Tyreek Stevenson and I like Tyreek Stevenson.
• 46:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: I love talking to the guy.
• 46:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's had some nice moments.
• 46:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's why he's not had a bad career.
• 46:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: with the bears, but you're right.
• 46:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'd be by cutting his playing time at the end of the season and choosing guys that were like an injured Jalen Johnson, over Tyreke Stevenson and some of the players that they were using last year that says everything to me and I don't think I don't think they dislike Tyreke Stevenson.
• 46:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Tyreke Stevenson will get a shot, but there is some
• 46:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: I can't call an on him.
• 46:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: He didn't really stand out to be honest with you in the offseason program.
• 46:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And there was times when we didn't see him doing a whole lot when he was playing at times.
• 46:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: The first thing I saw him doing is during the OTAs.
• 46:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is prior to the mandatory mini-camp, which was the last thing they did before they broke.
• 47:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: Standing in the Walter Peyton Center, looking zeroing in on Malik Muhammad.
• 47:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: And there he was playing on the inside.
• 47:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, and it just makes you wonder what they have in store like that might be low key.
• 47:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: I get why I totally understand why we're talking about the two guys on the outside because of of Jalen Johnson's injury last year And who's going to be Tyreek Stevenson or Lake Muhammad or Terrell Smith.
• 47:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, one of these guys, but that that with Kyler Gordon
• 47:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Being missing an action being hurt right now.
• 47:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: You we saw we saw Jalen Jones playing in the slot and I don't think the That's I don't know how you feel Bill, but I don't know that that is ideal at this point to have him playing in there and and quite frankly I'm like my hobby did not play that done inside in college.
• 47:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: So you're training him
• 47:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: to do that.
• 47:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think the bears have their hands full on as far as the depth and the inside guy right now.
• 47:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I do think it'll be Jalen Johnson and Tyreek Steven.
• 48:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: So we're going to see that the most probably with other guys getting opportunities like Malik Muhammad.
• 48:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: like Terrell Smith, they're even throwing like a Dallas flowers or somebody like that.
• 48:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it's interesting.
• 48:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And we didn't even mention the name.
• 48:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: We talked about the guys that are gone.
• 48:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: You mentioned the Sean Wright, but CJ Garder Johnson.
• 48:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously.
• 48:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Another one.
• 48:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was terrific.
• 48:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Terrific last year and took care of your problems on the inside.
• 48:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and like, you know, there's been some interesting comments that Ben has made about Kyler Gordon where you wonder if they're, you know, and I understand Kyler's been hurt, but he gets hurt a lot.
• 48:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you do wonder if maybe there's an idea that maybe Malik Mahamed if he's better inside at the NFL level and it could be an essence of replacement for Kyler Gordon.
• 48:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kyler has another year where he's on the field for five games that you
• 48:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, it's tough because you such a good player, you know that.
• 48:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: We all know that when we see the guy playing.
• 48:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a reason that that he got paid, but it's a weirdest thing, man, because I don't ever remember a coach appearing to be angry with a player for being injured.
• 49:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, I don't know that I have enough detail on what's going on, if Kyler Gordon is not communicating well, if he's not taking the rehab seriously enough, or if Ben Johnson is just one of these sort of heartless coaches like Alab Bill Parsel's back in the day, if you can't help me then then what good are you?
• 49:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, but Ben Johnson is also made the point that that he made this, you know, with Jalen Johnson to that he hasn't just doesn't know these guys hasn't gotten a chance to know these guys because these guys aren't around and he says it in a way as as you know, which makes it sound like he's mad at these guys.
• 49:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that's a big reason why, by the way, just to fold it over in the jail in Johnson, why Jalen Johnson was here for the voluntary portion, which he typically does not attend, and he doesn't have to.
• 50:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: If there's a reason that is voluntary, Jalen Johnson's like, oh, this coach is calling us out, man, I need to show up.
• 50:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: When's Tyler Gordon gonna quote on quote show up, you know?
• 50:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, 100% and I think he's he definitely trying to light a fire under those feet and see what happened.
• 50:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, he's just so good, too.
• 50:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like that.
• 50:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, it's he's fun to watch.
• 50:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: I hate the idea that this player, like if if injuries are going to sabotage his career or if he sells sabotaging, I don't know what the story is.
• 50:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: It sucks because Dennis Allen from day one last year walked in and
• 50:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: name check, Kyler Gordon because of his versatility and just his obvious skill and you want wins.
• 50:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, this is a second round draft pick, or was he third?
• 50:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, he second.
• 50:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Gordon second.
• 50:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Second.
• 50:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 50:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, yeah, the second round.
• 50:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was Ryan Ryan's first pick effort.
• 50:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's right.
• 50:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's right.
• 50:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's right.
• 50:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So yeah, so there's that part too that this, this is your guy.
• 50:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: This is a guy that you drafted and makes it feel more valuable.
• 50:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: No.
• 51:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: 100%.
• 51:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's move over to the offense couple things there before I let you go.
• 51:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's start with we can kind of lump white receivers and tight ends together here.
• 51:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's start with the weapons so to speak because I think there's two things interesting here and D. J. Moore and I was critical of D. J. Moore at times.
• 51:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Understandable.
• 51:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: He did some things on the field and
• 51:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: and all these things.
• 51:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: But at the same time, I 100% have to give credit to DJ because and I think Caleb understood this as well.
• 51:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like you look at Caleb Williams, like you have some fun to like, hey, what are the biggest highlight real throws of the season?
• 51:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: DJ Moore is on the receiving end of a lot of them and even if it's not a highlight real play like the game winning touchdown against the Packers in overtime was to DJ Moore.
• 51:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: The legendary one to DJ Moore, of course, the
• 51:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: It looks like Joe Montana against the Browns, D.J.
• 51:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: more, the great ridiculous sideline passed on the Ravens, against the Ravens, D.J.
• 52:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: more.
• 52:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: D.J.
• 52:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: more was on the receiving end of a lot of these throws.
• 52:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: So my question is whether D.J.
• 52:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: was in consistent, I think a lot of people can agree with that, but he did step up a lot of times when he needed to.
• 52:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: who is the guy that Caleb Williams when it's third and nine and he needs a first down you know with the game on the line five minutes ago in the fourth quarter who's the guy he's going to be looking at with DJ Morgan and now in Buffalo.
• 52:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah I mean that that's absolutely the question it would appear that you know
• 52:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Luther Burden is a guy that they have at least pointed to and put the pressure on.
• 52:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
• 52:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like Ben Johnson said in the OTA said I'm buying stock in Luther Burden, which is which is huge.
• 52:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, Roman Dunes, I mean, that this is a huge year for Rome, but, I mean, you got to look at at Colston, Loveland, like he was there most productive ballcatcher last year.
• 53:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was there most productive passcatcher last season.
• 53:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I could see him being that guy, absolutely.
• 53:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: like you need whatever amount of yardage in a pinch on third down.
• 53:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: As you said, I think that I feel very comfortable with him, probably Luther Burton next and right now quite frankly.
• 53:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: By the way, the way it's sounding and stacking up and I have it like, I don't think like Roma doomsday is bad or anything like that.
• 53:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's kind of third in line right now.
• 53:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: The way I'm feeling it with Colston Lovelin, Luther Burton, and then on to Roma Dunze, you're going to get some help too from, like, I feel like Khalif Raymond's going to come in handy in those scenarios as well.
• 53:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I want to say Zavian Thomas, but I think it's crazy for me to sit here right now and be like, yeah, he's going to be a go-to guy in his first year.
• 53:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure that that is completely clear yet,
• 53:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, I think Lovelin and Burden are the two guys right now that I'm thinking of and we'll see them.
• 53:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that could change, we'll see what training camp looks like in the preseason, but right now that's how it feels.
• 54:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, and we know the bears are going to utilize a lot of 12 and 13 personnel.
• 54:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson's made that very clear and the draft pick of Sam Rausch makes that very clear as well that that's going to be a plan moving forward, but we know that they're going to be in 11 personnel at times and who is that third wide receiver going to be.
• 54:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I think to a lot of bears fans, if you even mentioned that it's going to be
• 54:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: Depants you and and slap you on the ass because they're not going to be happy if Jada Walker is not given that opportunity now at the same time it's fun and I know he had the game time catch against the packers, but he had six catches for the season.
• 54:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have to keep that advice, but in play for the majority of the season, it's a big leap and I understand, undrafted free agent, he's been a phenomenal story, but for that third wide receiver spot when they're in 11 personnel, is this a competition in training camp between Walker and Raymond?
• 54:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you think Raymond hasn't been as good the last couple years in Detroit?
• 55:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you think Raymond gets it?
• 55:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: What do you think this plays out between Walker and
• 55:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: It does feel like Raymond.
• 55:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that's a guy that Ben Johnson is familiar with and just because of familiarity, you know, if Cliff Raymond did sucks and he's dropping balls and all that kind of stuff.
• 55:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, Ben Johnson, not just going to be stubborn and using, but there's a reason they brought him over here and I am with you.
• 55:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't sure if you were.
• 55:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: a jade walker guy.
• 55:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I hate it because I like jade walker, just like anybody, but there's so many people who are just so it and he did have some big catches.
• 55:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: There is no doubt about it, but he's a guy that's squeaked onto the roster with some excellent stuff in the preseason.
• 55:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: He earned it.
• 55:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: He earned it.
• 55:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's no doubt about it, but the idea that just because he made, you know, make his mark at the end of the season.
• 55:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: As Ben Johnson said, it's a whole new year and you got to do this all over again.
• 55:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's got to make this team all over again, which again, by the way, he just barely made the team that I do know.
• 56:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's very close with Caleb Williams.
• 56:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: That can't hurt and we're not going to, we're not going to base playing time on how much Caleb Williams likes guys, but Caleb Williams does love Jada Walker.
• 56:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I do think it's it's Caliph Raymond like if we're going to talk about it right now and I had to say who the third wide receiver is it probably would be Caliph Raymond and Jada Walker they even said it in the offseason program he's got to earn it all over again so I hope I hope for the best for I hope Jada Walker is a 1000 yard receiver and he is terrific, but I am not one of those people who is getting carried away and making the point that somehow Jada Walker deserves all the playing time at this point.
• 56:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.
• 56:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, let's just kind of wrap up here with the offensive line because look, it's been something that bears fans have been desperate for for years and Ben Johnson delivered and the bears had, you know, arguably, you know, a top five.
• 56:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: If not, the best offensive line in the league at the end last year, they were a well-oiled machine.
• 56:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Drew Dalman throws him a curve ball with the retirement, the unfortunate Ozzie Tracillo injury.
• 57:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: And now we've got two spots on the offensive line that we have questions about.
• 57:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Who is Braxton Jones at this point?
• 57:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is he 2024 and 2023 Braxton Jones that we all liked?
• 57:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is he 2025 Braxton Jones, who got benched and never saw the field again?
• 57:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, with the center position, I know Bradbury is a reliable guy.
• 57:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not thin flashy, but Logan Jones is rookie.
• 57:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: We know how important the center position is.
• 57:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: If this is a, you know, Bradbury starts and Logan Jones takes over eventually, that's not something you want to flip back and forth, where you do Jones too early.
• 57:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then he's not ready and you've got to go back to Bradbury.
• 57:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's going to mess up Caleb Williams.
• 57:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: So specifically, we don't have to really talk about the rest of the line, but specifically left tack on center.
• 57:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know you can't really see much when the pads aren't in OTAs, but where do you think this plays out with the offensive?
• 57:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you can't see much of the pads, but you can definitely see who they are valuing at left tackle and who they're not valuing, I guess, because Braxton Jones from what I saw did get the majority of the starts at left tackle.
• 58:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Believe it or not, Karan, I'm a godgi, got some work with the first unit at left tackle.
• 58:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Mostly, though, with the second unit, it is nice to see him healthy and moving around and you realize that he is very athletic and he does have a certain amount of quickness, so it's good to see, I'm not, I don't think Karan, I'm a godgi, he's going to be your starting left tackle, but it is nice to see him healthy out there.
• 58:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't want to go that I will rule out in the competition.
• 58:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's the Obanodet because they're just putting them on the right side from what I saw, the times that I was there.
• 58:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was playing at the right tackle position.
• 58:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, backing up.
• 58:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: So, I think they want to kind of cross train him and have him be your depth at the tackle position in general.
• 58:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'd love, I mean, a cool story of Judric Wills was to be able to nail down that spot considering his pedigree and all the injuries that he has been through, but I can't imagine it be in him.
• 58:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I think my long window way of saying, it is Braxton and he didn't like this phrase geology when it was put to him by a reporter, it's his job to lose.
• 59:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's Braxton Jones'
• 59:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: job.
• 59:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it appears that the 23, 24, as you said, Braxton Jones is there looking jacked up, as Ben Johnson said, it just feels like anybody else at this point at left tackle would probably be a risk until Asi Trepello comes back, you know, maybe later this year, but next year, and that's when Asi Trepello would get all the chances to play the left tackle spot, but I do
• 59:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And what do you think about the center position?
• 59:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, oh, yeah, center as well.
• 59:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've gone back and forth on this.
• 59:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I felt early on before I even saw them take the field and any of the offseason program.
• 59:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I was like, why not Logan Jones?
• 59:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Why not a guy who played every single game of his Iowa career at center.
• 59:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: He is a.
• 1:00:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pure, pure center.
• 1:00:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's a center.
• 1:00:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: He does nothing else.
• 1:00:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: We know the Iowa pedigree and the players that have come before him and inevitably the players will come after him I think the safe bet is and I hate to put it like that because nobody wants to hear these the safe that but
• 1:00:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's got to be Brad Berry, Drew Dalman meant so much to the team and getting them lined up right and identifying what was going on in the opposing team's defense.
• 1:00:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: And as Caleb Williams' career goes on, he's not going to need that crutch as much.
• 1:00:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he probably won't need it as much this year.
• 1:00:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I still think Caleb needs that assistance, especially from that position considering all that Dalman did.
• 1:00:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: To me, at this point and just to see in a little bit of what went on in the offseason program, I'd be surprised if it wasn't a Garrett Bradbury this season.
• 1:00:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: And if it goes bad, if the offense of line looks bad, they need to make a change.
• 1:00:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I could see Logan Jones coming in then.
• 1:00:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I think this is a year for Logan Jones to sit behind Garrett Bradbury.
• 1:01:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then obviously Logan Jones in theory, ideally would be the starting center going forward.
• 1:01:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what it feels like to me, and it's mainly because of number 18.
• 1:01:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right.
• 1:01:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And last question for you, speaking of number 18, because it's a lot depending on him with this question.
• 1:01:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: What is the ceiling for this team this year?
• 1:01:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, I think we all know the floor, you know, if things really go wrong and they could win seven eight games, I don't think anyone thinks they're going for in 13.
• 1:01:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: But at the same time, where is the ceiling?
• 1:01:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is this team a team that can reach the Super Bowl when the Super Bowl is it's still just kind of a playoff contender?
• 1:01:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: What is the ceiling for the 2020-26 Chicago Bears?
• 1:01:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would say the ceiling for the bears is uh NFC title game.
• 1:01:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think I mean like they should they've easily could have gotten their last year.
• 1:01:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: If not for a weird play at the end and a misconnection between Caleb Williams and DJ Moore, if Caleb Williams decides the run there and get them into
• 1:01:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: field goal position.
• 1:01:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you're talking about the bears advancing on to the NFC title game.
• 1:02:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's where I'm putting it right now.
• 1:02:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not sure that I'm ready to call the bears a Super Bowl team, but winning a couple playoff games or winning a playoff game again and getting to winning a couple playoff games, obviously, would take to get to the title game probably.
• 1:02:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that that is realistic.
• 1:02:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if I'm ready to say Super Bowl yet.
• 1:02:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Fair enough that that's where I'm to if the bears you've got the defensive line I might be there, but that's yeah, that's kind of that's my big concern Scared like like we said at the beginning of the podcast the schedule is scary and not the unknown of the defense Which is ironic because most years of my life.
• 1:02:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's it's the offense.
• 1:02:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're curious about but you know it again if Caleb Williams goes to this next level which he was clicking at towards the end of the year
• 1:02:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: anything is possible, but if you're asking me right now, I see an Fc title game is the ceiling.
• 1:02:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, well, there he is, Mark Grody of 1043, the score it's still very foreign for me to say.
• 1:03:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: 1043, the score in Chicago, and of course, to take the north pod with Dan Weeder, make sure you check that out wherever you get your podcast.
• 1:03:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mark, thanks for so much time, really enjoy the conversation, and we'll have to do it again down the line.
• 1:03:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Bill, my first time on your podcast was great.
• 1:03:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: It felt so good.
• 1:03:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you, sir.
• 1:03:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, there he is, Mark Grody, everybody.
• 1:03:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Love a first time guest on the various banter podcasts.
• 1:03:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: I suspect we will have Mark on again.
• 1:03:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was a great interview.
• 1:03:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was fun.
• 1:03:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was informative.
• 1:03:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I enjoyed that.
• 1:03:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: I hope you did as well.
• 1:03:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, the one thing that happens when you do these podcasts and you stare back at yourself in the video and you're just looking at yourself for 20, 30 minutes at a time, especially when you're not talking, when you're talking, you're thinking you're not focused too much on the box.
• 1:03:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you're interviewing someone and they're talking and you're just watching them and you glance over and you look at yourself and go,
• 1:03:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really need a haircut.
• 1:03:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I think that's gonna have to happen in the next couple of days because I look terrible, but that's not for bear spanner.
• 1:04:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's get to the mailbag.
• 1:04:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's get, we don't have too many questions here, but let's get into them.
• 1:04:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Jason Black.
• 1:04:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hello Bill, hope you're having a great summer.
• 1:04:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Give me one surprise cut on offense and one surprise cut on defense and give me one free agent signing that isn't being talked about, but you can see happening before the start of the season.
• 1:04:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Jason, I'll start with the free agent and I'm just going to say, I don't see one.
• 1:04:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was hoping for Cam Jordan, Cam Jordan has now resigned with the Saints.
• 1:04:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's not going anywhere.
• 1:04:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's going to retire as a saint.
• 1:04:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think that was always what Cam Jordan wanted.
• 1:04:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: He just wanted to make sure the Saints were going to give him enough money that he was satisfied with what they put on the plate for him there.
• 1:04:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I was hoping with that he got pissed off, Dennis Allen.
• 1:04:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll go play one year with the bears before I move on.
• 1:05:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think the bears are signing anybody.
• 1:05:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: If they do, it's a scrap heap signing.
• 1:05:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a league vet minimum signing.
• 1:05:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it's anything.
• 1:05:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: The only thing I look at this roster, the only thing I potentially see is a hole at the third running back, right?
• 1:05:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know the defense of wine.
• 1:05:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: We've talked about the defense of wine.
• 1:05:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: But like you can roll out Austin Booker and Grady Jarrett and Javan Dexter and Montes wet.
• 1:05:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you'd look at all those guys and say, well, they all should be on an NFL roster.
• 1:05:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Shouldn't all be starting?
• 1:05:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: We can talk about the quality of that.
• 1:05:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's one thing.
• 1:05:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: But they're all NFL caliber players.
• 1:05:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: The third running back on the bears is not.
• 1:05:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Britain Brown.
• 1:05:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Basically, I mean, if he's going to be the third running back, he's literally going to be in a situation where he's probably going to be on the practice squad.
• 1:05:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: And if one of the guys gets hurt, he's going to get called up to the 53-man roster.
• 1:06:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's not exactly inspiring in terms of who you're third running back is, you know, if it's Rochon Johnson, it doesn't seem like it's going to be him because the bear stones seem to have any interest in him.
• 1:06:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's a special team's player at this point.
• 1:06:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: He had no opportunities on offense last season.
• 1:06:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I mean, and who else are you potentially looking at?
• 1:06:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: The Ahmed?
• 1:06:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: The guy they borrowed from the cold, I mean, maybe there's there's just not much there at the third running back am I going to obsess over it now because swift and monoggy if healthy are going to get a 100% of the snaps.
• 1:06:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: If one of them gets hurt, the other one's going to get 90% of the snaps or 85% of the snaps.
• 1:06:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: So this is not talking, I'm not sitting there panicking that the bears may not have a viable third running back.
• 1:06:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just using it as, you know, a discussion point here in terms of who are they going to sign.
• 1:06:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: They just, there's just not a lot of things outside of defense and line.
• 1:06:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think the bears are just going with the situation and maybe George McCaskey says,
• 1:07:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: ton of money, I know dang well, you spent a ton of money on Jared, you spent a ton of money on the defensive line.
• 1:07:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're not going to, we're not going to put money into the future and I'm going to fork over more cash because you made bad signings.
• 1:07:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I'm not going to sweat a bad signing, but the other two I am.
• 1:07:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: So when we look at this with the bears, there's just not a lot of things that they can do in terms of adding a player other than defense of wine.
• 1:07:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think they're gonna add it to defense of wine.
• 1:07:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I don't think they're, I think this is the team they're rolling out.
• 1:07:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, someone gets cut at last cuts at the end of August.
• 1:07:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, sure, the bear's gonna potentially pick someone up they like there.
• 1:07:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not saying that's not a possibility.
• 1:07:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm not saying the 53 guys that they're, it's gonna make the team in week one or on,
• 1:07:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: the the 90 man right now there's probably one or two that aren't but I don't think it's anyone significant.
• 1:08:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now for a surprise cut I think that's a little challenging.
• 1:08:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: because I don't know what would he considered a surprise cut.
• 1:08:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you heard Mark Grody talk about the John A Walker, it's gonna have to fight to make the 53 man roster again.
• 1:08:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he will, so, but John A Walker would certainly be a surprise cut.
• 1:08:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe that's where Mark Grody was going.
• 1:08:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: If I asked him this question.
• 1:08:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: But,
• 1:08:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: to me, one surprise cut on offense and one surprise cut on defense.
• 1:08:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Would Karanama, God, you be a surprise cut?
• 1:08:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think that would be a surprise cut.
• 1:08:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just don't really see an opportunity for a surprise cut here, Jason.
• 1:08:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really don't.
• 1:08:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's a good question.
• 1:08:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: but what I guess let's call Rochon Johnson a surprise cut.
• 1:08:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I think there's a good chance he makes the roster because of his special teams contributions.
• 1:08:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: The bears clearly don't have any interest in him as a running back on offense.
• 1:09:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Rochon Johnson, who we all of myself included, as a rookie, I will say he is a surprise cut.
• 1:09:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe you don't think he is, but I'm not I can't come up with anything better than that.
• 1:09:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm the defensive side of the ball.
• 1:09:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, I look at this.
• 1:09:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll say Terrell Smith as a surprise cut at corner back.
• 1:09:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that's a good one.
• 1:09:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: TJ Edwards, it have to be an injury settlement.
• 1:09:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think that's going to happen.
• 1:09:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hippolyte, even if he's bad, he's going to stick around no a fool, if he's not healthy, if he's struggling, he could be an injury settlement.
• 1:09:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just looking at the the depth chart here and I'm not seeing a lot of opportunities for a surprise cut like Cam Lewis, you know, he could be bad, but you know, they don't really have a safety to replace him.
• 1:09:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, it's just, it's just interesting with the bears because they're not stacked up at certain positions where you sit there and go, oh, that veteran could get unseated or whatever, you know, it's just, and if the players are bad enough, like Dio Dengbo for example, you're like, he could be a surprise cut, well, he can't because he makes too much money and leaves too much dead money behind.
• 1:10:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: They have no way to cut him.
• 1:10:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: They can cut him after this season, and I fully expect them to do it.
• 1:10:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: But Jason, I like the question, I just think the bear's roster is set up in such a way.
• 1:10:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: that I don't think there's really going to be surprised cuts on this roster because the guys that I think the 53 man roster is pretty set.
• 1:10:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like I think if you look at the bear's roster, I think when we see 53 man roster projections coming out, you know, and I know some people are doing them now, but when those people, they all come out, I'll do one too, I'm sure.
• 1:10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: In August,
• 1:10:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: everyone's going to have like 50 50 guys right like I think it's pretty straightforward we're going to have a pretty good idea of who's going to be on the bear's 53 man roster come September.
• 1:10:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, siege says theoretically what could the bear's get if they moved off of Gordon?
• 1:11:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, siege.
• 1:11:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you're I assume you're saying they want to trade if they trade Kyle Gordon what could they get for him?
• 1:11:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to say very little.
• 1:11:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I was wrong about DJ Moore.
• 1:11:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't think they would be able to sniff a second on pick for DJ Moore.
• 1:11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you very much.
• 1:11:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought that was a great trade from Ryan Polls.
• 1:11:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Kyler Gordon coming off injury issues in essence being traded because the bears kind of view them as soft potentially, because that's what it is if they trade them at that point, right?
• 1:11:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: So
• 1:11:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think it's anything better than a day-free pick.
• 1:11:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think there's a chance you can get a day-to-pick for a nickel-back who is having injury issues and is on a second contract so it's not like you're getting Kyle Gordon for a couple million dollars a year, you're getting Kyle or Gordon.
• 1:11:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would guess, I don't know exactly what the salary structure is, I'm going to guess the incoming teams probably going to have to pay them about $910 million a year.
• 1:12:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would guess probably, yeah, I'd say about 10, right?
• 1:12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: So you get Kyler Gordon, you probably get them on like the incoming team.
• 1:12:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: We probably get them on an essence, what would equate to a two-year deal at probably 10, 10 and a half million dollars a year.
• 1:12:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, that's a guess I did not look exactly at the contract.
• 1:12:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think your best case scenario is a five.
• 1:12:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think what would happen is you probably get a conditional trade there.
• 1:12:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: that would be based on playing time, where maybe the bears get a six round pick, and if he plays 15 games, the bears get a fifth round pick.
• 1:12:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Something like that.
• 1:12:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I would not think it would be anything substantial for Kyler Gordon.
• 1:12:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, let's see what else we got.
• 1:12:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: We have James Fox, you seem like more of an Atari guy.
• 1:12:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ah, I said questions on anything welcome, and I said Sega Genesis,
• 1:13:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: uh... you know that that that that's was my peak video game abilities um... sadly he's making fun of my age uh... with the Atari joke and yes i have played the Atari 2600 that was i was a we we lad with that one uh... but uh... that was more like my dad would play pack man or asteroids until three in the morning
• 1:13:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: That was more what that was.
• 1:13:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't really play Atari that much, but we did have one.
• 1:13:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nintendo Mike Tyson Spunchout 073735963.
• 1:13:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: See James just made fun of me here and now we're real in off, you know, a little video game here.
• 1:13:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: By the way, I was on Tik Tok and you I don't know if you can search it.
• 1:13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're an Nintendo guy, there is someone making acoustic guitar covers
• 1:13:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's awesome.
• 1:13:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you played Contra in Nintendo and you like Contra, I'm guessing if you search Contra, like a acoustic or something like that, this it'll pop up.
• 1:14:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: If you're on TikTok or whatever, go find it.
• 1:14:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's phenomenal.
• 1:14:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's it's great content.
• 1:14:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am here for that kind of content.
• 1:14:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: So Sega Genesis though, that was my peak NBA live 95.
• 1:14:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think I have that big of an ego, but I am confident enough in my NBA Live 95 abilities that if I went against anyone right now, I even played the game in probably 20 years.
• 1:14:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Pick up that cross that controller right now, I will beat anyone by at least 30 points.
• 1:14:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: I was unstoppable in NBA Live 95, even though I hated the team, it was the Utah Jazz,
• 1:14:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: where you bring in J Humphrey's at small forward, you get rid of Byron Russell, you play Stockton, Hornus Sec, and J Humphrey's.
• 1:14:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: You shoot three's from them.
• 1:14:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: You have felt and Spencer on defense to block shots if they come into the paint and curl them alone.
• 1:14:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: He'll clean up rebounds and you can go down low with curl them alone.
• 1:15:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the team.
• 1:15:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll kick your ass.
• 1:15:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: In fact, I dropped 62 points on my friend, shout out Mark Michelin with felt and Spencer.
• 1:15:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, there you go.
• 1:15:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is it for the mailbag.
• 1:15:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, we'll do a brief mailbag and we will wrap it up.
• 1:15:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: bears banter will be back.
• 1:15:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: We're going to do our training camp preview.
• 1:15:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: You'll get those.
• 1:15:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think I'm going to have one or two more podcasts before then.
• 1:15:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll see.
• 1:15:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just work on some guests.
• 1:15:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it'll be fun.
• 1:15:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think you'll be interested in them.
• 1:15:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: But until then, it's the slow season.
• 1:15:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are through many camp and we are waiting for training camp, which is even later this year because the NBA or the NBA.
• 1:15:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: The NFL, shout out Caleb Wilson, by the way.
• 1:15:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Love that pic.
• 1:15:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think he was my number two guy.
• 1:15:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: I had him, Darren Peterson, I think is the best player in this draft.
• 1:16:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think Caleb Wilson has a chance to be better than AJ DeBonza.
• 1:16:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's how much I love this guy.
• 1:16:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: I understand he's not there yet, but I think he is going to be a special player.
• 1:16:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I think the bulls will actually be on to something eventually.
• 1:16:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's not going to happen this year.
• 1:16:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to be bad again this year.
• 1:16:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: But I think the bulls give him a couple years.
• 1:16:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: Give Caleb Wilson, couple years to figure things out.
• 1:16:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: are going to figure it out.
• 1:16:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: But we're going to do our training camp preview.
• 1:16:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are going to as we always do.
• 1:16:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are going to do a couple more guest podcasts.
• 1:16:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is the slow season as we wait for training camp to open, which is going to open late this year because the NFL season starts as late as possible.
• 1:16:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's literally as late as possible because of where Labor Day falls.
• 1:16:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: And of course, the NFL does not want to start before Labor Day.
• 1:16:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: That is a big thing for.
• 1:16:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: that.
• 1:16:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, that's going to do it for Bear's banter.
• 1:16:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: We will talk to you again soon.
• 1:16:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: Bear it out, everybody.
• 1:16:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Adios.