Latest / 2nd City Gridiron / Bears Banter Ep. 213: David Kaplan joins!

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Bears Banter Ep. 213: David Kaplan joins! · 2nd City Gridiron

0:02
[UNKNOWN]: Yeah!
0:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Bear down, bears, wait, let's start with another chicken.
0:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Of the Chicago Bears podcast bears, banter power.
0:25
[SPEAKER_00]: By Second City, Grant Iron Bill Zimmerman is with you and we have week one upon us.
0:32
[SPEAKER_00]: It is finally here.
0:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Regular season football, since that last time the bears
0:39
[SPEAKER_00]: played and gloriously beat the Green Bay Packers.
0:42
[SPEAKER_00]: Another division rival on the horizon, the Minnesota Vikings.
0:46
[SPEAKER_00]: And we are going to talk about it.
0:47
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to talk about getting ready for week one here and moving forward into this season.
0:54
[SPEAKER_00]: If you missed our big season preview, make sure you check it out last week had a great conversation with Aaron Lemming.
1:01
[SPEAKER_00]: We do it every year.
1:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure you go on to the Windy City Gridiron.
1:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, I'm sorry.
1:05
[SPEAKER_00]: The second city grid at iron podcast feet wherever you get your podcast.
1:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure you check that out.
1:10
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, all the other great content by second city grid iron.
1:14
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, you're checking out today's episode, which is featuring David Kaplan.
1:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, the cat man from ESPN.
1:22
[SPEAKER_00]: One thousand.
1:23
[SPEAKER_00]: He is going to be by here in just a little bit excited to get his opinions on this team and where it is headed.
1:30
[SPEAKER_00]: But let's jump.
1:31
[SPEAKER_00]: in here and I don't want to mirror exactly what we talked about last week with Aaron.
1:37
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's get it a little more specific to early in the season, not just the Vikings game, but the first few games this season, what I'm looking for, what to expect and where I think this team has had it.
1:50
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course Ben Johnson met with the media.
1:53
[SPEAKER_00]: on Tuesday and, you know, made captains announcements.
1:56
[SPEAKER_00]: I liked that the Bears have five captains and they'll be rotating a captain in.
2:01
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's a good setup for this year.
2:03
[SPEAKER_00]: But more importantly, he announced Braxton Jones would be the team starting left tackle.
2:08
[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think that's a surprise at this point.
2:11
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it was honestly the only move you could make.
2:14
[SPEAKER_00]: And the hope here, the hope is that Braxton Jones
2:19
[SPEAKER_00]: is his old self.
2:21
[SPEAKER_00]: That's all we need, Braxton Jones to be, is his old self a pretty good average left tackle.
2:27
[SPEAKER_00]: And if the bears can get that out of him, he's going to be excellent as basically the worst offensive lineman on the Chicago Bears front five there.
2:36
[SPEAKER_00]: But we can't have the Braxton Jones that we've seen in preseason.
2:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And I understand it's preseason we can't read too much into it.
2:43
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's all true.
2:44
[SPEAKER_00]: But just the way he was moving, the technique we saw, the flaws, the thin legs, which already hurts an anchor.
2:53
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not great with him to begin with.
2:56
[SPEAKER_00]: These are the things that have to get cleaned up and have to be better for Brax and Jones.
3:00
[SPEAKER_00]: But that still leaves overall excitement for this offensive line.
3:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, I have concerns about the depth
3:09
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know exactly who's going to be the guys that you're really, truly going to be able to trust coming off that back five, because they've got five bench guys that are currently offensive linemen with Karanama Gaji making this team.
3:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you look, Theo Bennett is a great story as an undrafted free agent and making this roster, probably as a better future as a guard.
3:33
[SPEAKER_00]: But if Braxton Jones gets hurt against the Vikings,
3:37
[SPEAKER_00]: How much faith do you truly have in Theo Benedict stepping in and neutralizing most of the time?
3:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Now all the time, we know that's not gonna happen, but most of the time neutralizing like a Jonathan Grinard.
3:49
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't have confidence in that, and I love that Theo made this roster.
3:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's a great story, and it's great to see how much he's improved since since last season, but again, you still have to look at big picture.
4:00
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if Azita Pillow came in, I think he might be able to hold his own a little bit against pretty good players.
4:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, the Micah Parsons types are going to dominate a guy like Azita Pillow.
4:10
[SPEAKER_00]: He might be able to hold his own, but I think they're going to keep Azita exclusively over on the right side.
4:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't feel, and again, I haven't heard this from anyone on the bare staff or anyone with any nuggets or anything.
4:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't feel like the bears have a swing tackle this year.
4:23
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the bears have a Theo Benedict backup left tackle.
4:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Azita Pillow backup right tackle situation that they're doing this year.
4:30
[SPEAKER_00]: So I don't think they have a true swing tackle that's gonna play both positions.
4:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I could be wrong about that, but that's what I see happening.
4:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, could I see something where if Braxton Jones gets hurt, they swing Darnell right over there and move Azita Pillow to right tackle?
4:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they try something like that because if we're going to talk about left tackle here, let's talk about the future of left tackle.
4:53
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know I said I'm going to focus on the first few games and I am, but I do think this left tackle situation is interesting because obviously the bears have a number one pick next year.
5:03
[SPEAKER_00]: What direction are the bears going to go with that pick?
5:05
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if you want to look in terms of where this roster is weakest, you know, things like safety and linebacker next year are going to be really thin.
5:13
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't have a safety under contract for twenty twenty six right now.
5:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Uh, Tremaine Edmonds is almost certainly going to get cut.
5:19
[SPEAKER_00]: You probably don't think you can trust no a stool or Ruben Hippolyte.
5:23
[SPEAKER_00]: I certainly don't see it right now that they can step in and be a starting linebacker.
5:26
[SPEAKER_00]: So you can look at that.
5:27
[SPEAKER_00]: But again, if the bears are picking in the first round, somewhere between fifteen and twenty two, I think that's fair to say that that's probably where they're going to be this year, just missing the playoffs or just getting into the playoffs.
5:41
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you probably, again, if there's a stud safety or something sitting there, they want to get okay.
5:47
[SPEAKER_00]: But if you're going to look at premium positions, the position there the bears could take is left tackle.
5:52
[SPEAKER_00]: or edge.
5:53
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think running back is the right way for the team to go.
5:56
[SPEAKER_00]: I know we all love Jeremiah.
5:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Love he's an excellent running back.
5:59
[SPEAKER_00]: Excellent running back.
6:01
[SPEAKER_00]: But again, I don't think that's a first round move.
6:04
[SPEAKER_00]: The Bears can make next year because I just don't trust this edge room.
6:07
[SPEAKER_00]: I really don't.
6:08
[SPEAKER_00]: I've talked about it multiple times unless Austin Booker really comes into his own this year.
6:14
[SPEAKER_00]: And the Bears are like this guy's a starting edge in twenty twenty six.
6:18
[SPEAKER_00]: That can change your perceptive perception a little bit on that room.
6:22
[SPEAKER_00]: But right now, I just think they need to add more beef into that edge room.
6:27
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's the smarter move.
6:29
[SPEAKER_00]: They can draft a left tackle next year, but that is a lot of investment into tackle being, you took Darnell, right?
6:37
[SPEAKER_00]: You took Azita Pillow, you took Karanama, Gaji, now you're taking a left tackle and round one.
6:41
[SPEAKER_00]: A lot of investment into the tackles to get not that much back in return at that point.
6:47
[SPEAKER_00]: And at that point, then you're almost committing Aussie Trepello to be a backup, or you're letting Darnell right walk.
6:52
[SPEAKER_00]: It makes some interesting thing.
6:54
[SPEAKER_00]: So I reason I bring that up is if the bears, if really, if it comes down to Dan Rocher, if he does not think Aussie Trepello can play left tackle.
7:05
[SPEAKER_00]: And maybe that's just a rookie thing, and he plans on having him play left tackle next season.
7:11
[SPEAKER_00]: But if he doesn't think Aussie Trepello can play left tackle,
7:16
[SPEAKER_00]: Then they need to find a left tackle and it's not going to be feel better than it.
7:19
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, but it's a nice story.
7:20
[SPEAKER_00]: His arms are too short.
7:21
[SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't have the length needed to really be a left tackle in this league.
7:24
[SPEAKER_00]: His best chances to become a starter in this league is going to be on the interior at guard.
7:31
[SPEAKER_00]: That means Darnell Wright has to move to the left side.
7:34
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the situation there.
7:35
[SPEAKER_00]: So I do think the tackle situation is early is is interesting and something to watch early to see how these guys look because it's a puzzle that you have to start putting together for twenty twenty six.
7:47
[SPEAKER_00]: And with that tackle room, I think you need to start.
7:49
[SPEAKER_00]: looking at it early.
7:51
[SPEAKER_00]: So the announcement of Braxon Jones to start at left tackle is no surprise there, but keeping a close eye on Braxon Jones, keeping a close eye on Darnell, right?
8:00
[SPEAKER_00]: And if those guys miss any time, how the bears manage the tackle room is going to be really interesting.
8:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, going into these first few weeks on offense and on defense, let's take a look at this on the offensive side of the ball.
8:17
[SPEAKER_00]: I have a feeling they're going to start a little slow.
8:19
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there was still a little too much inconsistency.
8:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's still a lot of room to grow.
8:25
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they threw a lot of Caleb Williams.
8:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're going to pair it back now and they're going to look at what Caleb does really well.
8:30
[SPEAKER_00]: What he's really grasp well in this offense.
8:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we'll see things that are a little smoother than we did in preseason.
8:35
[SPEAKER_00]: But I just I expect bumps.
8:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe it's the bears fan in me that we just can't have anything nice.
8:41
[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm not saying Ben Johnson's offense is going to stink.
8:44
[SPEAKER_00]: I expect this offense to get better and better, you know, development isn't linear, but I do expect we're going to see, you know, an upward trend throughout the season and that the offense we see, you know, in early December is significantly better.
8:59
[SPEAKER_00]: any offense we see in September with other veteran teams.
9:02
[SPEAKER_00]: That's not necessarily the case.
9:04
[SPEAKER_00]: You don't necessarily think that Bengals offense in November or December is going to be much better than it is in September.
9:09
[SPEAKER_00]: These guys have been together.
9:10
[SPEAKER_00]: They know the system.
9:12
[SPEAKER_00]: There's not as much room to grow.
9:14
[SPEAKER_00]: the bears.
9:15
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's going to start a little slow.
9:16
[SPEAKER_00]: That's my hunch on this.
9:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope I'm wrong.
9:19
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope the bears score thirty four against the Vikings.
9:21
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think it's going to be a little slow.
9:24
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to see some some really good things about the offense.
9:27
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to see him stack good plays.
9:29
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to see some scoring drives.
9:31
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to see a lot of promise from Caleb Williams.
9:33
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to see him playing in structure.
9:34
[SPEAKER_00]: We're going to see a lot of it.
9:37
[SPEAKER_00]: But I just don't see, think we're going to see a perfect cohesive unit here just yet.
9:41
[SPEAKER_00]: I just think there's too many questions based on what we saw in August, what we heard in August for them to be in excellent shape.
9:51
[SPEAKER_00]: with the offense coming right out of the gate.
9:54
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're going to see kind of an interesting mix of who's getting the ball here.
9:58
[SPEAKER_00]: We talk about the top six weapons, receiving weapons, putting DeAndre Swift aside with the four wide receivers and the two tight ends.
10:06
[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be interesting to see who gets a bulk of the of the targets early on.
10:12
[SPEAKER_00]: He didn't hear DJ Moore's name a lot.
10:16
[SPEAKER_00]: He heard DJ Moore's getting lined up in the backfield a decent amount.
10:19
[SPEAKER_00]: They're going to maybe try and debo Samuel him a little bit here.
10:23
[SPEAKER_00]: This season will be interesting to see what they do with DJ.
10:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, I think you're going to see Moore's targets increase.
10:29
[SPEAKER_00]: and he'll be a bigger part of the offense here in week one, moving forward here early.
10:33
[SPEAKER_00]: But I make Olamidae Zacchaeus is also going to be a pretty big part of this offense.
10:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm not saying he's getting ten twelve targets a game and I think it's one of those things where maybe Zacchaeus is a bigger part of the offense early on than he is later because I think this is a guy that Ben Johnson contrasts
10:49
[SPEAKER_00]: and therefore Caleb Williams can trust while guys like Luther Burden and Roman Dunesay and Colston Loveland.
10:55
[SPEAKER_00]: The young guys kind of get their feet under them in this system.
10:58
[SPEAKER_00]: I think a guy like Zacchaeus, a veteran who's been in a few different systems, is going to be able to step in and do well right away.
11:06
[SPEAKER_00]: So kind of those like four catches, fifty yard type games, maybe a touchdown here or there for the first month of the season.
11:12
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you're going to see Zacchaeus probably a bigger part of the offense than people expect.
11:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I could be wrong about that.
11:17
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no guarantees
11:19
[SPEAKER_00]: that's accurate, but that's the way I kind of see this.
11:22
[SPEAKER_00]: With the tight ends, I'm really, I don't know what to expect from Cole Comet this year.
11:27
[SPEAKER_00]: I wish I had a better answer for people on that.
11:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, I think he's going to be, it's weird.
11:32
[SPEAKER_00]: I say he's a lesser part of the offense, but he was practically not part of the offense at all last season.
11:37
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think
11:39
[SPEAKER_00]: What we expect, what a lot of bear's fans expect Cole Comet to be as a part of this offense.
11:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Like what he was in twenty twenty three twenty twenty two.
11:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think we're going to see that Cole Comet.
11:50
[SPEAKER_00]: I do think you're going to see a Cole Comet who will be a reliable target he'll be a dump off guy.
11:56
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they'll have a pretty high catch rate.
11:59
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what we're going to see from Colman.
12:00
[SPEAKER_00]: We're not going to see him.
12:01
[SPEAKER_00]: I know he had that beautiful seam shot with Caleb Williams in the preseason.
12:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if we're going to see as much of that from Colman.
12:08
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see it from time to time.
12:09
[SPEAKER_00]: I think obviously going to try and use love more and that role.
12:12
[SPEAKER_00]: But again,
12:13
[SPEAKER_00]: How close are these guys ready to step in and be really good week one week two of the regular season as young guys picking up a new system.
12:22
[SPEAKER_00]: That's going to be interesting to see.
12:23
[SPEAKER_00]: So early on, I think maybe you see a little bit more from the veterans, a little DJ, a little Zacchaeus, maybe a little commit because again, he is a veteran and some deandre swift out of the backfield, which gets us to the backfield.
12:37
[SPEAKER_00]: To me, I think this is Swift and Monangai.
12:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Someone asked me, should I draft Monangai or Rochon Johnson in fantasy leagues?
12:45
[SPEAKER_00]: To me, that's Monangai.
12:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, I think he's a clear RB too.
12:49
[SPEAKER_00]: I think Swift's going to get the bulk of the action there in the backfield, but I think Monangai is going to be the guy.
12:54
[SPEAKER_00]: And if Monangai
12:56
[SPEAKER_00]: plays well.
12:58
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you're going to see that him starting getting more and more of the share in the backfield, but how is he going to play well?
13:04
[SPEAKER_00]: How is he going to pass block?
13:05
[SPEAKER_00]: How is he going to do all the things that you need to do as a running back to fit in Ben Johnson's offense?
13:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Monungai looked like a good pass blocker in college from what I saw, but did not look good in those short amount of preseason reps he did have, of course, before he got hurt.
13:20
[SPEAKER_00]: So assuming Monungai's back, how does he handle
13:24
[SPEAKER_00]: picking up blitzers and picking up past rushers and things he needs to do there.
13:28
[SPEAKER_00]: That's going to be really determined as to how much he plays early on.
13:32
[SPEAKER_00]: If he struggles with that, I think Rochon Johnson will do a better job in that category.
13:37
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, that's assuming both these guys are healthy.
13:39
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't have exactly a clear
13:42
[SPEAKER_00]: idea on that other than the fact that they aren't on the IR, Travis Homer is on the IR.
13:46
[SPEAKER_00]: So we'll see what happens here, but that gets us to DeAndre Swift and what that you can expect out of him this season.
13:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I think this is his last season in Chicago.
13:55
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the Bears Ben Johnson specifically is going to rework this running back room in twenty twenty six.
14:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Like if you look at the Bears here,
14:04
[SPEAKER_00]: in terms of how they are built.
14:06
[SPEAKER_00]: This offensive line, other than maybe figuring out left tackle if they don't have it figured out right now, offensive lines pretty set for next year.
14:14
[SPEAKER_00]: They can draft a day two or a day three linemen and put them in the developmental chain if they want, but they don't have to worry about that tight end.
14:22
[SPEAKER_00]: As long as they're comfortable paying cold commit, they don't have to worry about tight end next year.
14:27
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't have to worry about wide receiver next year.
14:29
[SPEAKER_00]: They've got enough young talent there and enough talent under contract.
14:33
[SPEAKER_00]: The running back room, you can get out of Swiss contract.
14:38
[SPEAKER_00]: You probably are going to lose Rochon.
14:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I assume the bear is probably going to cut ties with him unless he takes a lot of steps forward this year.
14:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they like him sticking around as an RB for kind of the Travis Homer role, and they let Homer go after this year.
14:52
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think you're going to see at least two new faces in that running back room, including a new RB one in twenty twenty six.
15:01
[SPEAKER_00]: But in twenty twenty five for Deandre Swift, he is the guy kind of by default.
15:08
[SPEAKER_00]: Now again, to spend Johnson like him, how is that relationship going to go after it?
15:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Both these guys like, oh, everything was fine.
15:15
[SPEAKER_00]: And Detroit, I just don't buy it.
15:17
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't buy that when Ben Johnson took over.
15:19
[SPEAKER_00]: He greatly reduced the Andre Swift's role.
15:21
[SPEAKER_00]: And then they traded him for pennies on the dollar.
15:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe nickels on the dollar is a better idea.
15:25
[SPEAKER_00]: It maybe wasn't pennies, but nickels on the dollar to fill the delfias.
15:29
[SPEAKER_00]: So I don't buy that Ben Johnson is all in on the Andre Swift.
15:33
[SPEAKER_00]: He needs a guy.
15:34
[SPEAKER_00]: He likes that can go in between the tackles.
15:37
[SPEAKER_00]: That feels like Kyle Mnongai to me right now.
15:39
[SPEAKER_00]: So an opportunity.
15:41
[SPEAKER_00]: Furmanungai if he plays well to start taking carries from Swift.
15:45
[SPEAKER_00]: But early on, I think we're going to see Swift.
15:49
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, that leads us to Caleb Williams and Caleb Williams kind of as the offense as a whole.
15:54
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I said, I think it's going to be a little slow.
15:57
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think we're gonna see three hundred and thirty yards and two touchdowns out of Kayla Williams in week one.
16:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Think maybe we see two hundred and twenty yards and one touchdown that kind of thing.
16:04
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it's gonna be bad.
16:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't think it's gonna be outstanding.
16:07
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're gonna see Kayla growing throughout the season as he's getting coached up from Ben.
16:13
[SPEAKER_00]: But again, this offense, I think just give it a little more time to gel than where it is right now.
16:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Now on the defensive side of the ball, I think the defense can do things really well out of the gate.
16:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, the big question there is past rush coming from the outside.
16:29
[SPEAKER_00]: I've already talked about it.
16:30
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't trust this past rush room, past rush room.
16:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think they need to worry about getting more edges probably in the draft because now you're paying into guys, right?
16:40
[SPEAKER_00]: Your paying swept Montez, sweat, twenty five million.
16:43
[SPEAKER_00]: You're paying Odenbo, sixty million.
16:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Lot of money already committed to that edge room.
16:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you want to go out and get another free agent?
16:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if they want to do that, but taking a first round edge to me, that makes a lot of sense.
16:59
[SPEAKER_00]: The rest of the defense, though, I think you have to like pretty much everything, even with some of the injuries, even with Terrell Smith going down.
17:07
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you have to be happy with that starting three corners.
17:10
[SPEAKER_00]: I like that Jalen Jones's back.
17:12
[SPEAKER_00]: I like what he can do.
17:13
[SPEAKER_00]: I like Josh Plackback, Plackwell as a backup nickel.
17:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I think Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks are functional backup safeties and you got to like buyard and briskers as long as briskard can stay on the field.
17:24
[SPEAKER_00]: The linebackers.
17:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Do I want to pay for main admins?
17:27
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, eighteen million dollars a year.
17:29
[SPEAKER_00]: I sure don't but he's here and he's getting paid this year.
17:32
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's absolutely fine.
17:35
[SPEAKER_00]: He is a functional linebacker.
17:37
[SPEAKER_00]: TJ Edwards is a functional linebacker.
17:38
[SPEAKER_00]: That backs seven.
17:40
[SPEAKER_00]: is as good as any back seven in the league.
17:43
[SPEAKER_00]: It may not be the best, but it's up there.
17:45
[SPEAKER_00]: It's in the top five, top ten in the league in terms of back seven.
17:49
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm a big fan of this interior defensive line.
17:52
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that we're going to see Dennis Allen really rotating these guys heavily.
17:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Rotating them heavily.
17:59
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think you're going to see gritty Jared or Javan dexter out there for eighty percent of the snaps.
18:04
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you're not going to see anyone out there for more than about sixty to sixty five percent of the snaps.
18:07
[SPEAKER_00]: These guys are going to be fresh in the fourth quarter.
18:10
[SPEAKER_00]: They're going to be fresh throughout the season because you're going to see waves with
18:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Dexter, and Jared, and Billings, and even Turner and Chris Williams, and Odengbos, you know, sliding inside.
18:22
[SPEAKER_00]: You're going to see waves and waves in that interior, and I love that they're going to be able to do that.
18:28
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't love the edge room, especially with Austin Booker hurt.
18:32
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they don't have a third edge.
18:36
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't care what Dennis Allen or Ben Johnson or Ryan Polls or anyone says.
18:39
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't have a third edge.
18:41
[SPEAKER_00]: To me,
18:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Daniel Hardy and Dominique Robinson are not NFL players.
18:47
[SPEAKER_00]: They're practice squad players.
18:49
[SPEAKER_00]: They're on an NFL roster right now and they're going to get snaps.
18:53
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, Tano, I guess is going to is probably going to be elevated from the practice squad.
18:57
[SPEAKER_00]: He'll get snaps.
18:58
[SPEAKER_00]: This is not good.
18:59
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a really bad situation.
19:01
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, Dengbo was told, it's preseason.
19:03
[SPEAKER_00]: I get it.
19:04
[SPEAKER_00]: He was totally neutralized by Josh Simmons.
19:07
[SPEAKER_00]: in that first quarter against the chiefs.
19:09
[SPEAKER_00]: Josh Simmons, a rookie, my Jew, first round rookie, but a rookie totally neutralized him.
19:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Montez sweat, he has to return to the twenty twenty free form.
19:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Has to.
19:20
[SPEAKER_00]: If he doesn't, the bears have no exterior past rush coming in there.
19:25
[SPEAKER_00]: And Dennis Allen is going to have to do some work to get this team dialed up on some pressure.
19:31
[SPEAKER_00]: He's going to have to give different looks.
19:33
[SPEAKER_00]: But looking at the short term with Dennis Allen, he's got a back seven.
19:38
[SPEAKER_00]: He can rely on, that's going to be pretty sticky in coverage.
19:41
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got an interior that I think's going to be able to get some interior pressure and collapse the pocket when need be.
19:47
[SPEAKER_00]: He's just got to figure out how to dial up pressure from the outside.
19:50
[SPEAKER_00]: He does that.
19:52
[SPEAKER_00]: This defense is going to be able to step in and be good right away.
19:55
[SPEAKER_00]: They don't have to be great right away, but they will be good right away.
20:00
[SPEAKER_00]: when you get to week one and you have an essence a rookie quarterback going against a smart experience defensive coordinator like Dennis Allen with enough talent on that field.
20:11
[SPEAKER_00]: I expect JJ McCarthy to struggle week one against the Chicago Bears even with.
20:17
[SPEAKER_00]: someone like Kevin O'Connell calling the shots and training up JJ McCarthy.
20:22
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's where I'm feeling this team is early.
20:25
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're going to have to see the bears rely on the defense a little more early as the offense gets their feet under them.
20:32
[SPEAKER_00]: But as this season progresses,
20:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it'll be more of a fifty fifty and if all things go well by the end of the year, this is more of an offensive team, you know, with a really good offense and a good defense, rather than a team that is relying on the defense to keep the scores a little closer.
20:50
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're going to take a quick break and we're going to get back here with David Kaplan of ESPN.
20:56
[SPEAKER_00]: This is Bill Zimmerman, Bear Spanter, will be right back.
21:01
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, welcome back into the podcast.
21:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Excited to do this spot.
21:04
[SPEAKER_00]: We've had this gentleman on a couple times over the last few years and he's he's nice enough to come back on.
21:10
[SPEAKER_00]: He's kind of a Godfather of Chicago sports media at this point.
21:14
[SPEAKER_00]: He is David Kaplan.
21:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, ESPN one thousand.
21:16
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got his YouTube channel, the recap that's R.E.
21:19
[SPEAKER_00]: K.A.P.
21:20
[SPEAKER_00]: And he joins me now.
21:21
[SPEAKER_00]: David Bill Zimmerman, how are you?
21:23
[SPEAKER_01]: I am awesome Bill.
21:24
[SPEAKER_01]: It's always an honor to be on with you and back to football.
21:29
[SPEAKER_01]: And the cops, my team are playing well.
21:31
[SPEAKER_01]: The bears look like they should have a very competitive team.
21:35
[SPEAKER_01]: So yeah, I'm in a good spot.
21:37
[SPEAKER_01]: How about you?
21:38
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm feeling really good.
21:39
[SPEAKER_00]: This has been a really fun and exciting off season.
21:41
[SPEAKER_00]: So I am ready for some regular season football.
21:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Before we jump in though, like ESPN-one thousand is your show moving, you know, coming coming here in the near future?
21:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It actually is.
21:51
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you for asking.
21:52
[SPEAKER_01]: So tomorrow morning, it'll be an earlier wake up.
21:56
[SPEAKER_01]: Instead of seven to ten, we are now moving to six to nine a.m.
22:01
[SPEAKER_01]: It'll be me and Jonathan Hood and my guys, James Orange, Shay Norling and then Carmen and Yurko, nine to noon, leading into Rich Eisen.
22:09
[SPEAKER_01]: And then it's black and up dollar commercial free for an hour, two to three, water, still be three to six, thirty.
22:15
[SPEAKER_01]: So a same old names.
22:18
[SPEAKER_01]: different times.
22:19
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm really excited.
22:20
[SPEAKER_01]: I six a.m.
22:21
[SPEAKER_01]: That's the big boy league.
22:22
[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm excited.
22:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
22:24
[SPEAKER_00]: The little tweak of the line.
22:25
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm so good to know where everyone can catch the beginning of the show.
22:29
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, the me to the show, Captain Jay Wood.
22:31
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's just dive in.
22:32
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't, I don't want to waste any time.
22:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I want to dive in here.
22:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And I know, you know, you've had a chance.
22:37
[SPEAKER_00]: You've talked to Ben Johnson this this off season.
22:39
[SPEAKER_00]: You've had a chance to really, you know, have your pulse on this team.
22:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with Ben Johnson because
22:45
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you followed this team, you know, going way back, you know, the last last thirty, thirty, forty years.
22:50
[SPEAKER_00]: So you, you remember when Dave Wandset was hired and and Geron and love you and all these guys.
22:56
[SPEAKER_00]: So the hiring of Ben Johnson in terms of excitement and confidence level before you ever saw them coach.
23:04
[SPEAKER_00]: Where is that?
23:06
[SPEAKER_00]: And a kind of, of course, your Chicago fandom and career in terms of some of these other coaches they've hired.
23:12
[SPEAKER_01]: This is probably as good as it gets when they hired John Fox.
23:17
[SPEAKER_01]: I called him the golden parachute because he was an older coach getting one more big payday.
23:23
[SPEAKER_01]: So it didn't really do much for me when they hired Lobby and that was a good hire.
23:28
[SPEAKER_01]: He's, I like a more passionate, more vibrant, charismatic coach.
23:34
[SPEAKER_01]: But he was a really good football coach.
23:36
[SPEAKER_01]: So that one worked out when they hired Mark Trustman.
23:39
[SPEAKER_01]: I thought it was an absolute joke.
23:41
[SPEAKER_01]: I had to interview him the day he got hired.
23:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And I'm like, this is our coach.
23:46
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
23:47
[SPEAKER_01]: I hope you guys know what you're doing.
23:49
[SPEAKER_01]: Matt Negey, it was five came from the chiefs, whatever.
23:52
[SPEAKER_01]: The ebra flu sire.
23:55
[SPEAKER_01]: not my cup of tea.
23:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Sure he's a good person, great husband, great father.
24:00
[SPEAKER_01]: He knows his ex as he knows that.
24:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Vanilla, I got an engine to tape, and we just have to execute it.
24:08
[SPEAKER_01]: That's not me, and that's not my kind of coach.
24:11
[SPEAKER_01]: This dude, this guy is all about ball, but he is honest.
24:18
[SPEAKER_01]: You ask him a direct question.
24:19
[SPEAKER_01]: You're going to get a direct answer.
24:22
[SPEAKER_01]: And I sat with Kevin Byer, who works with me on my YouTube channel.
24:27
[SPEAKER_01]: He has his own joke called Intercepted, where he intercepts one of his teammates.
24:31
[SPEAKER_01]: And I sat and did the first show.
24:33
[SPEAKER_01]: It was me and my partner Ryan McGuppy and Kevin.
24:36
[SPEAKER_01]: And we sat and talked and I said, so tell me about this guy.
24:39
[SPEAKER_01]: He said, first of all, he and Dennis Allen are both intense.
24:45
[SPEAKER_01]: He called Dennis Allen militaristic.
24:48
[SPEAKER_01]: He said, this dude's out of his mind.
24:50
[SPEAKER_01]: He said, I love playing for him, but it's militaristic.
24:53
[SPEAKER_01]: And he said, with Ben, he does not let you slide that much, not an inch.
24:58
[SPEAKER_01]: And he'll call you out.
24:59
[SPEAKER_01]: And I was at training camp when Caleb couldn't get the cadence right.
25:04
[SPEAKER_01]: And guys aren't lined up, correct.
25:06
[SPEAKER_01]: And Cole, commetsful to be there, not there.
25:09
[SPEAKER_01]: And he said, OK, first team, out.
25:12
[SPEAKER_01]: And he said, I didn't throw them.
25:14
[SPEAKER_01]: We had them on the radio on the SP with a thousand and hoodie asked him, did you throw the first team out?
25:20
[SPEAKER_01]: He said, let's get it clear.
25:21
[SPEAKER_01]: I did not throw them out of practice.
25:24
[SPEAKER_01]: I simply said, okay, second team, you get it and see if you can run it.
25:28
[SPEAKER_01]: And then I brought them back in.
25:31
[SPEAKER_01]: Biod, Tyson, Beijing, spin in our YouTube studio.
25:35
[SPEAKER_01]: He said, this dude is all what we needed.
25:39
[SPEAKER_01]: It is cleaning up the culture issues.
25:41
[SPEAKER_01]: For example, to do that last year, it was okay to bring your breakfast into meetings in the morning.
25:48
[SPEAKER_01]: You have to summon people like so.
25:50
[SPEAKER_01]: You're eating your breakfast while you're at a meeting.
25:52
[SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson walked into what?
25:54
[SPEAKER_01]: Hold out a second.
25:56
[SPEAKER_01]: What's going on here with outlets and croissants that get it out of here?
26:01
[SPEAKER_01]: We're here to work.
26:02
[SPEAKER_01]: You want to have a cup of coffee while you're talking?
26:04
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, I'm cool.
26:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Put your breakfast outside to eat it when we're done or get here five minutes earlier and eat it before we meet.
26:11
[SPEAKER_01]: We are here to work.
26:13
[SPEAKER_01]: And so that's what I think the culture needed.
26:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Now you got to win football games.
26:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.
26:19
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think I think it's funny when we go back to January about the Ben Johnson discourse.
26:25
[SPEAKER_00]: And the whole thing came down and we've heard this all the time.
26:29
[SPEAKER_00]: It's always brought up with these coaches.
26:31
[SPEAKER_00]: The leader of men aspect.
26:33
[SPEAKER_00]: I was like, well, Aaron Glenn's a leader of men.
26:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Ben Johnson's just a guy who wants to sit in his office with a whiteboard and dial up place.
26:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if he's going to be able to lead a locker room.
26:42
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's what I think has really been put to bed this offseason.
26:47
[SPEAKER_00]: We're excited for the offense and all the other things he brings.
26:50
[SPEAKER_00]: But like you said, this is a no nonsense guy.
26:54
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a guy that has a very high bar and he expects everyone to meet it, exceed it, in fact.
27:00
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that's exciting.
27:02
[SPEAKER_00]: And the other thing and you brought up Dennis Allen is and not not to pull
27:07
[SPEAKER_00]: poor cold water on his career, but this is a guy who's failed as a head coach twice.
27:12
[SPEAKER_00]: So if Ben Johnson is the guy we all hope he is offensively, and Dennis Allen can get back to how he was as a defensive coordinator, a great defensive coordinator that we all know.
27:22
[SPEAKER_00]: It feels like the potential to be kind of that Andy Reed Steve Spagnola thing with the chiefs, where Dennis Allen's not getting another head coaching job anytime soon, if not forever.
27:33
[SPEAKER_00]: And these two guys can work together for years and years.
27:36
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think you make a very, very astute point that Dennis Allen's had two bites at the head coaching Apple.
27:44
[SPEAKER_01]: And he's a great defensive coordinator.
27:47
[SPEAKER_01]: And they're paying him what some head coaches, the lower level head coaches made, maybe a year or two ago.
27:53
[SPEAKER_01]: He's a five million dollar guy at least as a coordinator.
27:57
[SPEAKER_01]: So if you're Dennis Allen, unless you have this burning desire that I have got to find a way to be a head coach again,
28:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Why wouldn't you just cash checks at that level?
28:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Work for Ben Johnson in a great city on a roster that I think you would admit this offseason, markedly improved this roster.
28:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, really might.
28:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, defense, they, you know, a couple of tweaks there with Grady Jarrett.
28:23
[SPEAKER_00]: This offense, I was actually looking at with that initial fifty three came out.
28:26
[SPEAKER_00]: They've overturned thirteen out of the twenty five on the entire offensive depth.
28:31
[SPEAKER_00]: So more than half
28:33
[SPEAKER_00]: new faces on the offensive side of the ball.
28:35
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's jump on the offensive side of the ball.
28:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Not Barry the lead.
28:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's jump in with Caleb Williams.
28:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I know it's been an inconsistent training camp with him, but we know he's learning a new offense.
28:46
[SPEAKER_00]: Ben Johnson's throwing a lot on his table.
28:48
[SPEAKER_00]: We've seen some really really good highs, but we've seen some inconsistent play there as well.
28:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Where are you?
28:53
[SPEAKER_00]: Where were you with Caleb Williams at the end of last season and your expectations now with Ben Johnson heading in the year two?
28:59
[SPEAKER_01]: By the way, my dog is he never barks and he apparently loves talking bears football because he barking at me.
29:07
[SPEAKER_01]: Stanley, you're trying to stop man.
29:10
[SPEAKER_01]: Hang on one second.
29:11
[SPEAKER_01]: What kind of dog is giving you some last Stanley here?
29:14
[SPEAKER_01]: Take this.
29:15
[SPEAKER_01]: Okay, there you go.
29:17
[SPEAKER_01]: You can have it.
29:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Lee is interrupting us.
29:18
[SPEAKER_01]: I love it.
29:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, the other two dogs are with my wife.
29:22
[SPEAKER_01]: I've got Stanley and then I've got Maverick and Sparky.
29:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Stanley is the rescue dog that we have.
29:27
[SPEAKER_01]: The other two are pure breads.
29:29
[SPEAKER_01]: So anyway, let's get into this.
29:33
[SPEAKER_01]: You asked me about the offensive Caleb Williams, where I was at.
29:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, Caleb end of last year and now going into year two.
29:39
[SPEAKER_01]: So I was told by people in that building that the last three or four weeks Caleb's process got sidetracked.
29:50
[SPEAKER_01]: He was basically had PTSD.
29:53
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you get sex, six to eight times that can happen, a hundred percent.
29:59
[SPEAKER_01]: So it wasn't that his work ethic changed.
30:03
[SPEAKER_01]: It was just get me to the end line.
30:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Please, we're not going to the playoffs.
30:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm getting my head kicked in.
30:11
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I wasn't disappointed in him.
30:14
[SPEAKER_01]: I was disappointed in the situation he was put in.
30:19
[SPEAKER_01]: And I also thought, okay, you need to be better Caleb.
30:24
[SPEAKER_01]: It is what it is, man.
30:25
[SPEAKER_01]: You got to fight through this and through the toughest times, you have got to be really, really dialed in.
30:33
[SPEAKER_01]: And I thought maybe he lost some of that dialed in this, if that's a word, because of what was going on.
30:40
[SPEAKER_01]: Ten game losing streak.
30:42
[SPEAKER_01]: Three different coordinators from Waldron,
30:45
[SPEAKER_01]: the Thomas Brown to Thomas Brown's the interim, so the name in name only, another offense coordinator, and it's just a train wreck, and it was awful.
30:56
[SPEAKER_01]: I think Caleb Williams will go down as the greatest quarterback in Bear's history.
31:00
[SPEAKER_01]: I've said that from day one, and now that Ben Johnson is here, I truly believe it.
31:05
[SPEAKER_01]: This kid can do spectacular things, but it's going to take time.
31:11
[SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson's offense is complex, and it takes getting the ball from the center and bam, there's my read.
31:19
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm going there, or if I'm going through my progressions, if that pressure's coming, get rid of the football man,
31:26
[SPEAKER_01]: And so I think he is showing growth.
31:30
[SPEAKER_01]: I think there will be some hiccups where we'll be like Can't hold the ball that long like in the Kansas City game.
31:36
[SPEAKER_01]: He had one play like that.
31:38
[SPEAKER_01]: You can't probably be opening snap on a handoff.
31:41
[SPEAKER_01]: Those things cannot happen.
31:44
[SPEAKER_01]: But in the end, I'm thrilled he's our quarterback.
31:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, no.
31:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's it's it's tons of positive.
31:50
[SPEAKER_00]: I've been excited about the potential for Caleb Williams when the Panthers were out to that brutal start.
31:55
[SPEAKER_00]: They were one in nine, one in ten, whatever they were.
31:57
[SPEAKER_00]: I was already excited at that point.
31:59
[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm right there with you and I I'm right there with with the ceiling.
32:03
[SPEAKER_00]: as well.
32:04
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think the one thing that yes Ben Johnson's offense is complicated.
32:08
[SPEAKER_00]: And yes, there's going to be some growing pains in the regular season.
32:11
[SPEAKER_00]: And we're not just going to see Caleb stepping and throw for four, six hundred yards and forty touchdowns.
32:16
[SPEAKER_00]: There's going to be some bumps along the way.
32:18
[SPEAKER_00]: But the one thing and this isn't just coming from me.
32:21
[SPEAKER_00]: This is coming from those X's and O's tape grinders that do the tape, the Brian baldingers and the Dan Warlowski's and those guys.
32:29
[SPEAKER_00]: with Shane Waldron's offense and then Thomas Brown and everything moving forward.
32:33
[SPEAKER_00]: The lack of easy buttons, the lack of safety valves, the lack of things that all quarterbacks need, but especially rookie quarterbacks need that just wasn't there from, and I think you're right.
32:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I think he tried to trust that protection early on like that Texan's game where he was getting pummeled, but he stood in the pocket there.
32:52
[SPEAKER_00]: Then towards the end of the season, the feet got happy, started bailing out early, where he's just like the protections not going to be there.
32:58
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the PTSD I've talked about.
33:00
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
33:01
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think while Ben Johnson, there's going to be some growing pain.
33:05
[SPEAKER_00]: There's also going to be a lot more easy button plays that are going to get Caleb and the offense on track early.
33:11
[SPEAKER_00]: And it was just missing.
33:12
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, how many times was it just punting on the first series of the game for the bears?
33:18
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're going to see a little definitely a lot more of a cohesive offense this year.
33:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I fully expect that and they're going to be days where we're gonna look over at Ben Johnson and he's gonna be like, like, what are we doing here?
33:31
[SPEAKER_01]: That's going to happen and that's okay.
33:35
[SPEAKER_01]: As you learn, your second year quarterback, those mistakes are not gonna all be corrected because Ben Johnson's the head coach.
33:44
[SPEAKER_01]: But I do think the plan will be better and I do expect them to win.
33:49
[SPEAKER_01]: I picked him ten and seven.
33:52
[SPEAKER_01]: If you said they went nine and eight, okay, yeah.
33:56
[SPEAKER_01]: If you said they went eleven and six, surprisingly, really, really good.
34:00
[SPEAKER_01]: If you told me they go six and eleven, five and twelve, seven and ten, I'll be really ticked off and really surprised.
34:09
[SPEAKER_00]: I would be as well.
34:09
[SPEAKER_00]: So let me ask you about this.
34:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Now this is an old story, but I have a feeling with the Vikings coming up here.
34:14
[SPEAKER_00]: This is going to recirculate a little bit.
34:16
[SPEAKER_00]: And that is the Seth Wicker Shimp book and the excerpts about Caleb Williams and wanting to go out of the Vikings.
34:22
[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, early on in the process and Carl Williams not wanting him to go to the Bears.
34:27
[SPEAKER_00]: We saw all the excerpts from Seth Wikersham.
34:29
[SPEAKER_00]: What did you think about Caleb and Carl talking to Seth?
34:32
[SPEAKER_00]: And kind of what did you think about some of those quotes?
34:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Because, you know, like I look at it and say, you know, if you got the chance to sit down with Kevin O'Connell as a, you know, a draft prospect, of course you'd be excited to play for Kevin O'Connell.
34:45
[SPEAKER_01]: Look, he's a hell of a football coach.
34:47
[SPEAKER_01]: He is.
34:48
[SPEAKER_01]: The amazing thing to me is Kevin O'Connell has shown you that he's a great developer of offensive football in quarterbacks.
34:57
[SPEAKER_01]: Why did the bears not interview him when they heard Matt Eberflus?
35:03
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, Bruce Ariens.
35:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we know the list.
35:06
[SPEAKER_01]: Well, at least they brought Bruce Ariens in.
35:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Right.
35:09
[SPEAKER_01]: When Ryan Paul's got hired, they literally handed him a list.
35:13
[SPEAKER_01]: It said, here's three guys.
35:15
[SPEAKER_01]: We interviewed these three guys.
35:16
[SPEAKER_01]: You should look at these three.
35:18
[SPEAKER_01]: Jim called well, Matt Maddie, Bruce and Dan Quinn.
35:22
[SPEAKER_01]: That is correct.
35:24
[SPEAKER_01]: And
35:25
[SPEAKER_01]: Then, not only did they have those three come in, but they really liked deeper flutes.
35:32
[SPEAKER_01]: I can't believe Ryan Paul's would have hired him if he hadn't been given a list and said, here's three guys for you.
35:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't believe that.
35:41
[SPEAKER_00]: And the Bill Paulian aspect, the Tracer Armstrong aspect, you know he was getting pulled in those directions.
35:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and it would stun me if Brian Paul's had the ability to fire him a year ago.
35:55
[SPEAKER_01]: I don't believe he did.
35:57
[SPEAKER_01]: I still can't believe the bears would have eaten three years of money.
36:01
[SPEAKER_01]: That's one, two, in terms of
36:05
[SPEAKER_01]: Ben Johnson, I've been told by someone this close to Ben.
36:09
[SPEAKER_01]: I mean super close.
36:11
[SPEAKER_01]: He was not taking any job last year, even if they had fired eber flues.
36:15
[SPEAKER_01]: So maybe in the end, all the pain we all went through, including Caleb's physical pain, it worked out because I don't know who the head coach would be.
36:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, let's, we have our fingers crossed that it did.
36:27
[SPEAKER_00]: So let me ask you about a few other positions here before I let you go.
36:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's stick with the offensive side of the ball.
36:31
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's start with the line.
36:33
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you talked about how much they improved this roster.
36:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, three new guys across the interior.
36:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Braxton Jones is the one position right now.
36:42
[SPEAKER_00]: I think a lot of bears fans are concerned about based on how he's looked in preseason.
36:45
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he looks like his legs look skinny.
36:48
[SPEAKER_00]: It looks like he hasn't really fully recovered from that injury.
36:51
[SPEAKER_00]: How confident are you in the offensive line as a whole?
36:54
[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, let's really focus on Braxton Jones because that's the big question mark right now.
36:58
[SPEAKER_01]: He's got to be a better player built with Joe Tony standing next to him.
37:02
[SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't think all men standing next to Joe and Jonah Jackson standing next to him and Darnell Wright standing next to him.
37:09
[SPEAKER_01]: You would think everything would be better.
37:12
[SPEAKER_01]: Now, look, when you face Micah Parsons or you face some of the exotic blitz schemes that we're going to see week one from Brian Flores or you face whoever it is on the edge and some of these games you're going to play.
37:27
[SPEAKER_01]: Then here's the deal.
37:28
[SPEAKER_01]: Then you'd have to use a back to chip.
37:30
[SPEAKER_01]: You have to go two tight ends.
37:32
[SPEAKER_01]: You've got to help protect.
37:34
[SPEAKER_01]: But Braxton Jones, that's able to do his job.
37:37
[SPEAKER_01]: Period.
37:38
[SPEAKER_01]: You're being, I'm assuming he's the starter through your job.
37:42
[SPEAKER_01]: That's it.
37:43
[SPEAKER_01]: And if you have to help a little bit, help a little bit.
37:46
[SPEAKER_01]: You cannot let one guy record game against you.
37:49
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and I do think Ben Johnson and Dan Roshar will do the necessary things.
37:53
[SPEAKER_00]: This won't be the Matt Nagy Cleveland Browns just in fields to buckle.
37:57
[SPEAKER_00]: There will be help if Braxon still needs it.
37:59
[SPEAKER_00]: At least fingers crossed.
38:00
[SPEAKER_00]: I expected.
38:02
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me ask you about the weapons because I love this weapon room.
38:05
[SPEAKER_00]: We're talking the top four receivers and the top two tight ends.
38:08
[SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know, the ability to do twelve personnel, eleven personnel, empty backfield, four wide receiver sets.
38:14
[SPEAKER_00]: The amount of flexibility.
38:16
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what I'm excited about.
38:17
[SPEAKER_00]: When you get a
38:18
[SPEAKER_00]: offensive mind like Ben Johnson and you heard guys like, oh, well, he doesn't need to good passing to pass catching tight ends.
38:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Look at what he did into Troy.
38:26
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, but now he has to pass catching tight ends.
38:29
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the flexibility that this unit these these six players are going to give him offensively is he's going to be able to throw waves of different looks at defenses.
38:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and one thing I would tell you is, yes, they can both catch passes, but they're both radically different heights of players.
38:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Like, I think Cade, I mean, a coal command, I was gonna say, I did just flash Cade Horton on the TV here.
38:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Coal command can catch the ball, can make people miss, but he's not Travis Kelsey George Kittle.
39:05
[SPEAKER_01]: as an excellent, excellent blocker for a tight end.
39:09
[SPEAKER_01]: Colston Lovelin gets painted as he's a wide receiver in a tight end's body, but that we got to see him block at the NFL level.
39:18
[SPEAKER_01]: And I think he's a better blocker than he gets credit for.
39:22
[SPEAKER_01]: One guy who gets less credit as a receiver
39:26
[SPEAKER_01]: and more as a blocker and the other guy gets more credit as a receiver and less as a blocker.
39:31
[SPEAKER_01]: So you have two kind of hybrid tight ends and I think constant lovelin is going to be a hell of a football player.
39:38
[SPEAKER_01]: A hell of a player.
39:39
[SPEAKER_01]: Now the big question is maybe you can answer this one.
39:44
[SPEAKER_01]: If the kid from Texas, the left tackle had been available at ten.
39:50
[SPEAKER_01]: He went pick nine Kelvin banks.
39:53
[SPEAKER_01]: If Kelvin banks had been available, one of the bears do because I know Ben Johnson and Ryan Polls, but especially Ben Johnson wanted Colston, Lovelin.
40:02
[SPEAKER_01]: The Rams tried desperately to move up to get in front of the bears and then if the bears had taken somebody else, the Rams were zooming up to eleven, twelve, somewhere before the
40:14
[SPEAKER_01]: So they could get calls to the level and that was the guy showing me they wanted.
40:18
[SPEAKER_01]: So my question is, if Calvin Banks is there, he's a plug and play starter on day one, do they take him over they wedded to calls to the level and I guess we'll never know.
40:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I don't have an answer for that, but it's it's one I thought about in the spring and I am curious.
40:35
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's jump over to the defensive side of the ball and you know, look, I think the back seven is solid.
40:41
[SPEAKER_00]: I think the interior defensive line is great.
40:43
[SPEAKER_00]: I love the depth they have there.
40:45
[SPEAKER_00]: Cap, I am really worried about this edge room, especially with Austin Booker on IR.
40:51
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if Dio is a great past, Russia.
40:54
[SPEAKER_00]: I know the bears paid him to who what he could be, not necessarily what he was an Indianapolis.
40:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Montez Sweat, we really need to see the twenty twenty three version.
41:02
[SPEAKER_00]: I know he was banged up in twenty twenty four, but if we get the twenty twenty four version this year, I am really concerned about them being able.
41:10
[SPEAKER_00]: I know Dennis Allen is creative.
41:12
[SPEAKER_00]: He stuns twist.
41:13
[SPEAKER_00]: He's going to do what he needs to do to get pressure.
41:15
[SPEAKER_00]: But I am really worried if the bears are just rushing for that they're going to be able to get the pressure they need from the outside.
41:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't disagree with you.
41:22
[SPEAKER_01]: Dio Odenball has got to play better than we saw in the preseason.
41:27
[SPEAKER_00]: He got beat by Josh Simmons and it's preseason, but Josh Simmons totally handled him.
41:31
[SPEAKER_00]: It's rookie.
41:32
[SPEAKER_01]: He looked like they were doing the Texas two stuff.
41:35
[SPEAKER_01]: I'm like, wait, whoa, whoa, that guy got forty eight million dollars.
41:38
[SPEAKER_01]: I need to see more.
41:40
[SPEAKER_01]: So let's find out what they do the first week against Derosaw and all these guys up on the Vikings line.
41:47
[SPEAKER_01]: They overhaul their interior just like the bears did.
41:50
[SPEAKER_01]: So it's going to be interesting to see what we see.
41:54
[SPEAKER_01]: You're right.
41:55
[SPEAKER_01]: Dennis Allen will use stunts and twists in this and that and get exotic if he has to, but
42:02
[SPEAKER_01]: The back end of that deepensive, Jalen Johnson's healthy and if Kyler Gordon's healthy and I love Kevin Byrd and Juquon Brisker together, you have a chance to have one of the better defensive backfields in the national football league, but those guys can't cover for five seconds.
42:18
[SPEAKER_01]: They just can't.
42:19
[SPEAKER_01]: You gotta get pressure.
42:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.
42:22
[SPEAKER_00]: And we'll see what he can accomplish with that with that edge group.
42:25
[SPEAKER_00]: So last one for you.
42:26
[SPEAKER_00]: And then I just a quick prediction on the Monday night game.
42:29
[SPEAKER_00]: Gotta ask you, micro Parsons is a Green Bay Packer.
42:32
[SPEAKER_00]: These rumors were circulating for a few days.
42:35
[SPEAKER_00]: And I just have to know why.
42:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Like they're there.
42:36
[SPEAKER_00]: This is all the Jerry Jones soap opera.
42:38
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no way they're going to do this.
42:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And of all teams, he ends up on the Green Bay Packers.
42:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Not in the AFC, like Khalil Mac got moved to the NFC, the kind of things that Jerry Jones is just going to do when Jerry Jones does.
42:50
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, it's brutal if you're gonna ask me, you're getting Brian Flores, two games a year, you're getting Mike Parsons, two games a year, you're getting Aiden Hutchinson, two games a year.
42:59
[SPEAKER_00]: That is a rough spot to be in for the Chicago Bears.
43:02
[SPEAKER_01]: It is, but let me ask you a question, how many games of the Dallas Cowboys won in the postseason with Mike Parsons and Diggs and all the talent that they have on that team?
43:13
[SPEAKER_01]: Don't disagree, he's a phenomenal football player.
43:17
[SPEAKER_01]: Find a way, man.
43:19
[SPEAKER_01]: Find a way.
43:21
[SPEAKER_01]: Thank you.
43:22
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
43:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Yep.
43:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Nope.
43:24
[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to make you, you know, games a little more nerve wracking there, but yeah, absolutely.
43:29
[SPEAKER_00]: You got to, to be the best.
43:30
[SPEAKER_00]: You got to beat the best, right?
43:31
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's exactly what's going to happen.
43:33
[SPEAKER_00]: So last thing before I let you go, Cap.
43:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Monday night football, bears, Vikings, of course, JJ McCarthy's first NFL start, Brian Flores, you know, Ben Johnson seems to have his number.
43:44
[SPEAKER_00]: Caleb Williams looked against the Florida's defense last year.
43:47
[SPEAKER_00]: Are you feeling confident that the bears can bring this one home?
43:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I do think they will win.
43:51
[SPEAKER_01]: In fact, I'll be disappointed if they don't win.
43:55
[SPEAKER_01]: It's the first game for JJ McCarthy.
43:58
[SPEAKER_01]: That's a big deal.
43:59
[SPEAKER_01]: They have two knee surgeries and miss your entire rookie year of development.
44:02
[SPEAKER_01]: He's a very smart football player.
44:05
[SPEAKER_01]: I just with no Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson has had some hamstring issues throughout training camp.
44:13
[SPEAKER_01]: I think the bears win the football game and I haven't like twenty four seventeen twenty four twenty one somewhere in that range.
44:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, you got to figure it's going to be a one score game.
44:23
[SPEAKER_00]: The Vikings are a really good football team.
44:25
[SPEAKER_00]: So there is David Kaplan.
44:27
[SPEAKER_00]: Of course, six AM to nine AM Chicago time on ESPN.
44:32
[SPEAKER_00]: One thousand.
44:32
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure you note the new time.
44:34
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, the recap are EKAP on YouTube.
44:37
[SPEAKER_00]: Kaplan, thanks for so much time.
44:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Really enjoy the interview.
44:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And let's hope we are talking about a really good football team all season long.
44:44
[SPEAKER_01]: I hope so.
44:45
[SPEAKER_01]: You got my number.
44:46
[SPEAKER_01]: So make sure we stay in touch.
44:47
[SPEAKER_01]: Get me back.
44:48
[SPEAKER_01]: Bill Zimmerman.
44:49
[SPEAKER_01]: You're the man.
44:50
[SPEAKER_01]: Thanks, Cap.
44:52
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
44:53
[SPEAKER_00]: There he is.
44:54
[SPEAKER_00]: David, Cap, and always a good interview with Cap Plenty of energy.
44:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Plenty of information.
45:01
[SPEAKER_00]: plenty of opinion.
45:02
[SPEAKER_00]: David Capone, so again, make sure you keep in mind his show is now one hour earlier with the new lineup with Bridge Eyes and getting into the mix there.
45:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Cap and Jay Hood now on six to nine a.m.
45:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Chicago time.
45:16
[SPEAKER_00]: So let's jump into the mail bag, give you a Vikings Bears prediction at the end here.
45:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's get through these as quickly as we can.
45:23
[SPEAKER_00]: So we can get to as many as we can.
45:25
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll start with Captain CB.
45:28
[SPEAKER_00]: who needs to have a better season to prove their worth.
45:30
[SPEAKER_00]: Montez Svet or Dio Odenbo.
45:34
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's Svet.
45:35
[SPEAKER_00]: I think it's pretty easy.
45:36
[SPEAKER_00]: Dio is going to be here for two years.
45:38
[SPEAKER_00]: May not be here for the third year of that contract if it doesn't work out, but he's here next year no matter what.
45:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Montez Svet, I don't have the exact contract details in front of me, but assuming if Svet is it here in twenty twenty six, it's because he was traded.
45:53
[SPEAKER_00]: If you trade Montez sweat and you do it after June, you do it a post June first designation again, you can trade them before June first.
46:01
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to designate it a post June first designation.
46:04
[SPEAKER_00]: I think what it is is you get four million dead in twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven and then you save the twenty one million on the cap.
46:13
[SPEAKER_00]: So the bears have a movable contract in Montez sweat after this season.
46:19
[SPEAKER_00]: And again, if you have
46:23
[SPEAKER_00]: That situation where you've been able to move, sweat off the books for twenty one million, you can save a lot of cap space, but also that contract becomes pretty sexy for an opposing, you know, for another team.
46:37
[SPEAKER_00]: If you get Montez sweat at two years and forty two million dollars and only have basically the first season that guaranteed for an incoming team,
46:46
[SPEAKER_00]: There's going to be teams interested in Montes, sweat.
46:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what kind of return you're going to be able to get on him.
46:51
[SPEAKER_00]: If he doesn't have a particularly good year, because if he has a good year, obviously you're going to want to keep sweat around.
46:56
[SPEAKER_00]: So to me, sweat makes more money, sweats the movable contract, sweat is not a Dennis Allen guy.
47:02
[SPEAKER_00]: He was brought in.
47:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, and I've said this multiple times, you look at this as a new regime.
47:07
[SPEAKER_00]: I know Ryan Polls is still here.
47:09
[SPEAKER_00]: But guys brought in before Ben Johnson was here.
47:12
[SPEAKER_00]: You should consider the old regime.
47:14
[SPEAKER_00]: I think we're going to see significant turnover.
47:16
[SPEAKER_00]: I know we didn't see much on the defense this year because the defense is already established in most spots.
47:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you're going to see
47:24
[SPEAKER_00]: and linebackers start to turn over.
47:26
[SPEAKER_00]: We've already seen them infuse new talent in the defensive line with Jared and Turner and O'Dangbo.
47:32
[SPEAKER_00]: And then you're gonna start seeing this defense turn over a pretty good amount over the next couple of years.
47:36
[SPEAKER_00]: They'll keep a couple guys around obviously they committed to Kyler Gordon.
47:40
[SPEAKER_00]: That kind of thing, but we'll see some turnover with this defense over the next couple of years.
47:46
[SPEAKER_00]: And are are we trusting this deline rotation behind Dio and Sweat?
47:51
[SPEAKER_00]: We have Hardy and Dom Robb.
47:53
[SPEAKER_00]: who have combined two sacks and three seasons.
47:55
[SPEAKER_00]: Bookers on IR, I don't get the logic behind it.
47:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I'll say this in our, when you say D line rotation, you have to trust the interior D line rotation.
48:05
[SPEAKER_00]: I talked about it earlier.
48:06
[SPEAKER_00]: You like that a lot, but the edge I agree with you is a disaster.
48:10
[SPEAKER_00]: I do not trust this rotation.
48:12
[SPEAKER_00]: I want Sweat No Dangbo playing ninety percent of the snaps.
48:15
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't want Hardy and Dom Rob on the field.
48:16
[SPEAKER_00]: They can't play.
48:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Hardy's okay.
48:18
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a pretty good special teamer.
48:20
[SPEAKER_00]: He should be your fifth defense event.
48:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Austin Booker, depending is your third or fourth defense event, and then you need another guy as good or better than Booker to be in the rotation.
48:31
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's not Tano, that's certainly not Dominique Robinson.
48:35
[SPEAKER_00]: So no, this is really bad.
48:37
[SPEAKER_00]: I am really surprised they did not add someone.
48:40
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that just means they're really high on Booker and just unfortunate that he's on the IR, the first four games of the season.
48:47
[SPEAKER_00]: So this is gonna look really thin in September.
48:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It is not going to look great unless sweat and diet can eat a big chunk of the snaps and look good doing it.
48:57
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you're going to see a problem there.
49:00
[SPEAKER_00]: But at the same time, I think
49:03
[SPEAKER_00]: If Booker comes in and Booker plays really well where you can get a sweat and Odengbo's snaps down to about seventy to seventy five percent Booker can play about fifty percent of the snaps to sixty percent of the snaps and whatever that five ten percent left can be filled in by the other guys that'll put you in decent shape but this all hinges on Austin Booker making a huge huge step forward this year and it's not going to be in the month of September so yes
49:31
[SPEAKER_00]: certainly some areas to pause right there.
49:34
[SPEAKER_00]: That is without question, the biggest question mark on this team.
49:39
[SPEAKER_00]: What is the true floor and ceiling of this season's window?
49:42
[SPEAKER_00]: It says RTP.
49:45
[SPEAKER_00]: I think eight wins is the floor and eleven wins is the ceiling.
49:50
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's fair.
49:52
[SPEAKER_00]: If we're below eight wins, if the Chicago Bears are at, you know, seven and ten, six and eleven, something went wrong.
49:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Caleb got hurt, Ben Johnson is not the guy we think he is.
50:02
[SPEAKER_00]: I just, I have, again, the schedules tough, but if this team can't eat out eight wins, we have problems.
50:09
[SPEAKER_00]: I just, I just, this has to start moving in the right direction.
50:13
[SPEAKER_00]: Last season was supposed to be the big breakout season and they won five games.
50:17
[SPEAKER_00]: So at some point, either, you know, this has to work or it has to collapse.
50:22
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's the fore, and then the ceiling, this is a tough schedule.
50:27
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Micah Parsons is now in the NFC North.
50:30
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't see this team going on some crazy, twelve, thirteen, fourteen wins.
50:34
[SPEAKER_00]: So eight to eleven to me, Pete, that is the window.
50:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Ed Helensky, what are you liking and disliking about the bears roster right now?
50:42
[SPEAKER_00]: I've kind of talked about it already, Ed Drume, do not like the Ed Drume major problems there.
50:47
[SPEAKER_00]: And there is plenty to like.
50:49
[SPEAKER_00]: I like the defensive tackle room.
50:51
[SPEAKER_00]: I like the weapons.
50:52
[SPEAKER_00]: If you want me to pick one thing, I'll pick one thing.
50:55
[SPEAKER_00]: The weapons that Caleb Williams has to throw to.
50:58
[SPEAKER_00]: Top four receivers, the top two tight ends, and DeAndre Swift.
51:02
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got seven legitimate receiving threats.
51:05
[SPEAKER_00]: Juan, how do we feel about polls considering that we started the twenty twenty five draft with the big, big needs at Edge left tackle defensive tackle.
51:13
[SPEAKER_00]: And next year we have the same needs, except hopefully change dt for safety.
51:18
[SPEAKER_00]: Juan.
51:19
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm on the fence and probably on the wrong side of the fence with Ryan Pulse.
51:24
[SPEAKER_00]: I've said it many times.
51:26
[SPEAKER_00]: He does things well.
51:27
[SPEAKER_00]: He gets great contracts out of his guys when he retains his guys.
51:31
[SPEAKER_00]: It gets very team friendly deals, manages the cap really well.
51:36
[SPEAKER_00]: He knows how to construct a team.
51:38
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got a good process there.
51:40
[SPEAKER_00]: He usually trades back more than he trades up, gives him an opportunity for more bites at the apple in the draft.
51:47
[SPEAKER_00]: I think his draft assessment is poor.
51:49
[SPEAKER_00]: I think his free agent assessment is mediocre.
51:54
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think in the end talent and deciding, you know, assessing talent and deciding who you're going to pay, who you're going to keep and who you're going to bring in his free agents, who you're going to draft, that's really the bulk of a GM's duties.
52:10
[SPEAKER_00]: And I have big concerns about his assessment, especially
52:13
[SPEAKER_00]: outside of the top, you know, sixty picks, you know, in each draft.
52:17
[SPEAKER_00]: I just don't think you can trust him.
52:20
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think we've seen enough hits.
52:22
[SPEAKER_00]: I know people will argue with me and the poll King polls does it again and those, you know, live for Ryan polls to the death.
52:29
[SPEAKER_00]: But at the same time, Juan, I'll say this, but the hell's the difference.
52:31
[SPEAKER_00]: He got an extension.
52:32
[SPEAKER_00]: He's here.
52:34
[SPEAKER_00]: hopefully Ben Johnson who I do think.
52:37
[SPEAKER_00]: If I had to say, what is the control power with with the bears with between polls and Johnson?
52:43
[SPEAKER_00]: Ben Johnson is more than fifty percent and Ryan polls is less than fifty percent.
52:48
[SPEAKER_00]: That's my opinion.
52:49
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that for certain.
52:51
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a working relationship, but I think Ben has plenty of power.
52:56
[SPEAKER_00]: Let's move to Susnic.
52:58
[SPEAKER_00]: What is your boldest prediction for this season?
53:01
[SPEAKER_00]: that you feel is going to happen, both good or bad.
53:05
[SPEAKER_00]: All right.
53:05
[SPEAKER_00]: How about this?
53:07
[SPEAKER_00]: Bold, good prediction.
53:09
[SPEAKER_00]: The bears have a four thousand yard passer.
53:11
[SPEAKER_00]: We will go with that.
53:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson will figure it out.
53:15
[SPEAKER_00]: Go north of four thousand yards passing.
53:18
[SPEAKER_00]: A bold, negative prediction.
53:21
[SPEAKER_00]: No one on the bears has ten sex.
53:24
[SPEAKER_00]: How about that?
53:25
[SPEAKER_00]: Montes, sweat is your leader with sacks at like seven and a half.
53:29
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, dial only gets three or four stacks.
53:32
[SPEAKER_00]: The rest of it is going to come from interior pressure and from blitzes.
53:35
[SPEAKER_00]: The bears pass rush will not be what it needs to be, especially coming from the outside.
53:42
[SPEAKER_00]: Brett Murphy, are they making tripello the swing tackle also the lack of quality.
53:47
[SPEAKER_00]: You're all talking about edge.
53:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I can't blame you.
53:49
[SPEAKER_00]: The quality defense events going to hold this team back from being a ten-win team.
53:53
[SPEAKER_00]: Dio is underwhelming and sweat is a max ten-sack guy.
53:57
[SPEAKER_00]: Brett, I said this earlier, I think Trepello is the backup right tackle and Theo Bennett is the backup left tackle.
54:03
[SPEAKER_00]: Now again, it could be that Darno right swings over to left tackle if something happens to Braxton Jones and Trepello starts at right tackle.
54:12
[SPEAKER_00]: But I don't think we have a swing on this roster who's going to back up at both left tackle and right tackle and yeah, edge sucks.
54:19
[SPEAKER_00]: We've talked about it multiple times.
54:21
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't need to go through it again.
54:23
[SPEAKER_00]: Big concerns there at edge.
54:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Jason Black, take talk to me on the ledger at the edge room with Booker on IR.
54:28
[SPEAKER_00]: Tell me how this is going to work.
54:30
[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to work Jason through Dennis Allen.
54:32
[SPEAKER_00]: That's twist, stunts, blitzes, Dennis Allen creates pressure.
54:37
[SPEAKER_00]: He understands, I think, I think as a really good defensive coordinator that he doesn't have the guys, he needs to get pressure off the edge.
54:45
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's going to figure out ways to do it.
54:48
[SPEAKER_00]: If he's only going to rush for, it better not just before straight up, he's going to have to do some interesting things with stunts and twists.
54:55
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll see exactly what he does here on the defensive side of the ball to create pressure.
55:02
[SPEAKER_00]: But bottom line here is they don't have the horses right now.
55:06
[SPEAKER_00]: Joe to CO, do you think the possibility is real to have right move to left tackle or is that more of an in case of emergency move?
55:12
[SPEAKER_00]: Joe, I think it's an in case of emergency move this year, but it may be more of a permanent move next year.
55:19
[SPEAKER_00]: And then they see his Darnell right good enough at left
55:22
[SPEAKER_00]: tackle to pay and then they can have a cheap right tackle in Tripillo.
55:26
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that might be where the bears end up going because they don't have left tackle solve for twenty twenty six.
55:32
[SPEAKER_00]: And I certainly don't think they're going to pay.
55:34
[SPEAKER_00]: Braxton Jones, Jake A. Ninety nine, does Javan Dexter fit more of a defensive end in Dennis Allen system.
55:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I do think we might see him bounce out there, but I don't think it's a it's going to be a permanent role.
55:45
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's one of those things, maybe dial all bounce inside sometimes, and Dexter will bounce outside sometimes.
55:51
[SPEAKER_00]: Alan likes to throw a lot of different fronts at you.
55:54
[SPEAKER_00]: He likes to move guys around.
55:56
[SPEAKER_00]: So, I mean, Andrew Billings obviously isn't going to bounce out at any outside, but a guy like Dexter absolutely could, so I do think that's fair to expect that.
56:06
[SPEAKER_00]: But I don't think you're going to see Dexter out there exclusively, but I will not be surprised if you see Dexter out there multiple times the game.
56:14
[SPEAKER_00]: Every game.
56:19
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, and what's finished with Sad Vols fan will DJ M to DJ Moore be our most productive player out of the backfield.
56:26
[SPEAKER_00]: No, that's going to be the Andre Swift.
56:28
[SPEAKER_00]: You guys know I'm not a big Swift supporter.
56:30
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't like the signing.
56:32
[SPEAKER_00]: It was what it was last season.
56:34
[SPEAKER_00]: That was a Shane Waldron pick.
56:35
[SPEAKER_00]: Shane Waldron wanted to beef up the running back room and Swift's still here.
56:39
[SPEAKER_00]: Shane Waldron didn't even make it through the season, but no.
56:42
[SPEAKER_00]: DJ Moore, I think might be a little bit of a gimmick guy.
56:45
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think it's going to be a Debo Samuel thing where he's getting eight, ten carries a game or anything like that out there.
56:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're going to move DJ Moore around.
56:54
[SPEAKER_00]: I think with the running back room being a little thin right now, we will see him get some shots in the back field.
56:59
[SPEAKER_00]: But at the same time, most productive player.
57:03
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I don't think we're going to see anything about that.
57:06
[SPEAKER_00]: There are a couple more questions about edge, but I'm going to skip those because I don't want to be too redundant.
57:12
[SPEAKER_00]: We all agree this edge room is a problem.
57:18
[SPEAKER_00]: All right, let's move to the Vikings game.
57:20
[SPEAKER_00]: Give you a quick prediction here and we will sign off for the week.
57:25
[SPEAKER_00]: I do like the bears to win this game.
57:27
[SPEAKER_00]: I said it last week with Aaron Lemming.
57:29
[SPEAKER_00]: David Kaplan said it just, you know, fifteen minutes ago.
57:33
[SPEAKER_00]: The Chicago Bears are playing in essence a rookie quarterback against Dennis Allen.
57:39
[SPEAKER_00]: To me, that is the number one reason why I think the Chicago Bears win this football game.
57:45
[SPEAKER_00]: I do not think it's because Ben Johnson owes Brian Flores.
57:48
[SPEAKER_00]: I do not think it's because Caleb Williams looked pretty good against Brian Flores last year.
57:52
[SPEAKER_00]: I think I look at this defensively and think that with
57:58
[SPEAKER_00]: the Jordan Addison issue.
57:59
[SPEAKER_00]: I think with Justin Jefferson and his hamstrings, I think with JJ McCarthy and essence being a rookie quarterback, his first NFL start, I think the Vikings offense may spotter a little bit against the bears and I think the bears win this one, but I think it's all uglier and a little bit more low scoring than a lot of people are expecting.
58:19
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to call.
58:20
[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be close to this is a one score game going to come down in the fourth quarter.
58:24
[SPEAKER_00]: Anybody's game, but that home field advantage situation and JJ McCarthy having his first shot against a first team defense and live bullets.
58:35
[SPEAKER_00]: I think this becomes
58:37
[SPEAKER_00]: a Chicago Bears victory.
58:39
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to call this one, nineteen to seventeen, not pretty, but enough to get the bears in the wind column.
58:48
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll call it nineteen to seventeen a Chicago Bears victory.
58:53
[SPEAKER_00]: that's all you need in week one is get that on the get that victory get on the right side of the ledger that's going to do it for bears banter again we will be back all week and also make sure you check out this Saturday releases we're going to be doing this year
59:10
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully every week obviously that's going to depend on guests because this is going to be a guest heavy series, but eighty five at forty the forty of anniversary of the Chicago Bears first episode is coming out this Saturday make sure you check that out and look for them moving forward on the second city gridiron podcast feed where of course you can get
59:35
[SPEAKER_00]: All the Jacob and Fonte post game show, you'll be able to get Baron balanced and Taylor's preview shows and Mason's breaking bear bones and not breaking bones.
59:48
[SPEAKER_00]: Bear bones with Mason and of course our new additions, the Mac and Reed podcast middle of the week and we've also of course got bears overbears returning from last several
1:00:01
[SPEAKER_00]: season.
1:00:02
[SPEAKER_00]: So there is content coming in every day.
1:00:06
[SPEAKER_00]: So now again, when the bears play Sunday, the Sunday post game show, the Monday with Jeff and Jeff and Lester Tuesday is going to be Mac and Reed Wednesday is going to be bears over beers.
1:00:19
[SPEAKER_00]: Thursday is going to be bare bones.
1:00:21
[SPEAKER_00]: Friday is going to be Taylor, Saturday is going to be eighty five and forty.
1:00:24
[SPEAKER_00]: And you got my podcast coming to the feet as well.
1:00:26
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I don't do the live.
1:00:28
[SPEAKER_00]: The live ones because my show is guest dependent.
1:00:32
[SPEAKER_00]: So I record with the guests.
1:00:34
[SPEAKER_00]: And then of course we pot that up on the YouTube channel, second city gridiron YouTube.
1:00:38
[SPEAKER_00]: Make sure you subscribe there.
1:00:40
[SPEAKER_00]: And of course, make sure you subscribe to second city gridiron podcast feed wherever you get your podcast Spotify.
1:00:47
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, apple, wherever we are there.
1:00:50
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's going to do it for Mayor's bancher.
1:00:52
[SPEAKER_00]: We will talk to you next week, bear down everybody.