July 18, 2025 • 48 mins
Bears kicker Cairo Santos sits down with Jeff Joniak, Tom Thayer and Jim Miller to share his mindset heading into training camp and what fans can expect from him this season.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome in Tough Bears Weekly powered by IGS Energy by.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Chicago Bears Network Production.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Bears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Athletico
Physical Therapy, CD Collaghy, Connie's Pizza, IGS Energy, and Meta Lite.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Here are your.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Hosts, Jeff Chiliac Kka, the Mayor of Bearsville and is
sidekick Tom the Surfmaster Thayer.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Well. The Bears rookie class is set to report to
training camp on Saturday. The rest of the roster next Tuesday.
It's time to fly. It's Bears Weekly here on ESPN
one thousand of the Bears Radio Network with Super Bowl
winning Bears guard Tom Thayer. We're joined by former Bears
quarterback Jim Miller from servisex MNFL Radio. I'm Jeff Jonahak.
Coming up in the program, we visited with Bears kicker
Cairo Santos. We keep saying that cole comet Tom is
(00:49):
the longest tenured Bear boat. Cairo's right there with him,
six year in the league with the Bears.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I was thinking about that in doing the interview and
listening to it at the fact that it's nice when
you get to talk to a car over a period
of time because it gives you security in the position,
and I think that's really important when you think about
the move moving back of the extra points, the difference
in the kickoff rules, and the other things that Cairo
(01:15):
is able to do. So I think he plays an
important role on this team.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Dan Burally, Jordan's tread up, Katie Fox, our producers as
well as our producer in the ESPN Studios tonight, Jake Santos.
Eric Strowski is the director of the Chicago Bears Radio Network.
Big Jim, I know you're going to be hitting the road.
What's your first training camp start on serious XM NFL radio.
Is it the Beloved because we're going to be doing
(01:41):
it here in a while.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, we will be doing Chicago.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
That'll be the twenty fourth and twenty fifth, but no, Jeff,
I start with the in division rival, the Detroit Lions.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
So that will be on Tuesday.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
You're gonna have good intel coming, Yeah, I should have
some really good intel. So and I'm gonna ask quite
a bit about obviously Ben Jonson. You know, I'm gonna
see quite a bit and you know, be interesting to
see him conduct his first training camp as a head coach.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, Tommy. Week two, that's gonna be something at Detroit.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It is.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
It's gonna be just massive because of so many reasons.
The new coaching staff in Detroit, the whole change of
the culture there inside that building. Ben Johnson is going
to walk onto the field as the head coach of
the division rival Chicago Bears. It is going to be
an atmosphere unlike any others for Ben on that day.
(02:33):
And it's just gonna be the same thing for JJ
McCarthy when he walks into Soldier Field as the starting
quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. So you think about that,
the emotional impact and the early part of Ben's new
journey in the NFL. It's not gonna be overlooked, but
it's gonna be such an interesting storyline on the season.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Hey, tom I know you're not on Twitter, Jim is
Jim checks in on this stuff. I saw a video
this morning. I thought it was absolutely perfect timing. There's
a video of a mom teaching her son how to
block as an offensive lineman. It's absolutely hilarious. I will
send you the video later, Tommy. It's at Football. Great
moments at FB. Great moments. She had all about the
(03:14):
footwork all about staying you know, bent at the hip
because she says, okay, you know, come out of your stands.
First thing you did was stand straight up and she
was on them. You will be proud of this, mom,
hands inside, you know, keeping it in the framework of
the I mean, perfect stuff, big Jim. I love that
(03:34):
as an interlude to the start of training camp. Even moms.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Yeah, I mean, well, I think everybody's excited about their team.
Obviously for the season of footballs it just kicks off.
You know, college football is just around the corner. I
saw how they're going to kick that off in great
fashion as well. But it's just you know, again, the excitement,
the build up, the passion for football, I.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Think has grown.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
I think how you look at how the NFL has grown,
how they're growing internationally, how the sport is kind of
America's past time now it's kind of surpassed baseball and
every other major league sport and so and now you
get the moms who are involved, you know, and there's
such a crucial part of it. You know, it is
a physical sport. There's a lot of contact involved in it.
(04:21):
For recent years, you know, the safety of football's coming
to play, but mothers seem to be accepting of the
safety changes that are made, and I think for years
to come, I think the sport is in a really
good spot.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Jeff my eight year old nephew, great nephew, John Henry,
he's a lefty, and I have him practicing left handed
stance because he's gonna be a big guy. And I
always say, left handed stance makes you money. And so
you know, it's whether it's mom or an uncle or whomever,
when you start getting into the minds of these young
(04:55):
kids early in their life, it's something that they can
carry through for the rest of their life.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Through drills every day, Tommy, you doing full work, but I.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Do have them getting a stance every day, and I
make sure that he gets in the left handed balanced dance.
You know, I say John getting a stance, and there
he goes left handed.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You know, that's awesome. Let's talk about training camp, and
the initial thing is I'm gonna go with the health
of individuals. So obviously we're going to be interesting to
see where Braxton Jones is at. We'll hear from Ryan
Poles on Tuesday up at alis Off for a breakdown
of who may be starting out, maybe on the the
early season injured list or you know, the pup list
(05:35):
or whatever. Maybe nobody. I don't know, but rookie first
rodd Or Coaston Lovelin was at his charity event. He
did some things there for Lourie Children's Hospital last week,
so he felt that he would be ready to go
on track. Not anticipating any restrictions once camp starts. But Jim,
that is up to the medical staff, of course.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
I mean, everybody's going to get designations, whether it's pup,
physically unable to perform, non football injury. I saw like
several teams yesterday listed players that couldn't participate due to
a non football injury, so that'll take time for them
to participate. Then guys who are coming off of injury
and who will be fully cleared, you know, so that's
(06:18):
going to happen. So all these things are going to
happen in succession of who's designated to practice, who won't
be able to practice, and really the time periods when
they'll be able to come back. Some guys will be
placed on IR early and that really won't you know,
for them to even come off IR. I think there's designations,
like you know week eight is what that would entail
(06:40):
a lot of rules, but the designations are important because
it really gives you a time frame of potentially when
a player could return.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
To ac joint surgery. What do you think of that?
And he said one of the big things they said,
the scar tissue is barely there anymore. Emphasize what that
means because everybody has surgery, or I mean, there is
scar tissue that builds up and you got to break
it down.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Well, first of all, it's the ability to move your
shoulder and every way shape and form without any pain.
And then once you get a chance to move your
shoulder around in so many different positions that are required
for football, Now, can you go into the weight room
and start lifting weights to the point where it's going
to make your shoulder stronger, all your deltoids, everything that
(07:24):
supports the shoulder, and how you got it fixed. So
I think that's an evaluation of all the doctors, plus
to get an evaluation from Colson himself. And I'm just saying, Okay,
I have no pain in my shoulder. I have the
ability to do this. I can get in the right
handed or left handed stance. I don't even know what
shoulder it is with no pain. And then when you
(07:45):
start getting on a bench press, so you get into
some of the more strenuous exercises that focus specifically on
the shoulder, and then that's when you get your weight
staff involved. So there's a lot of different evaluator to
the process of shoulder rehabilitation. So it's not only Colston,
it's everybody else in that building.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
That was a six month recovery from January surgery, so
right on the timeline there also with him, he played
through a lot of that pain last year, Jim, and
still put up great numbers at Michigan.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, well, you know the players.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
You know, there's numerous players that play with a ton
of injuries and you know, I think it says a
lot about them that they're able to go out and contribute.
But ultimately you're going to be judged on that as well.
So there's kind of a fine line in dealing with that.
I saw who was it for the Raiders, the seventh
round draft pick quarterback who they took O'Rourke. I believe,
you know, the young player, he played through a torn
(08:41):
acl all.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Year at Indiana, and he's going to start.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Obviously, you know his first season on IR and they
still was it was the forty nine ers as who
was who drafted him, and he went in the seventh
round and he's going to miss basically his initial training camp.
Says a lot about the player that he was able
to play through injury during that time period, but he
will be unable to play. So it also comes into
(09:09):
question about the training staffs at both the college level
and the NFL level, because that injury was not seen
until the NFL combine. That's when he was diagnosed that hey,
your ACL is torn. And this young man played through
an entire year of it at Indiana. So the medicals
are important, but I think it does glean on a
(09:30):
player's toughness, what their ability to play through, and how
they perform. And now this young man should be able
to perform a lot better moving forward.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
You know one thing, Jeff about Colson level, and I'm
not giving away any secrets because it's going to be
evident to anybody who's at practice. When you have a
bad shoulder, you were a shoulder harness and it kind
of keeps your shoulder in place to the point where
it can't get to the position where maybe it can
become out of the joint. So you're going to be
able to see that from underneath his the sleeve on
(10:00):
his shoulder. So I do think if that's something you
want to see to get an indicator of where he's at,
just look.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
At that, all right, one segment in the books Coming
up next, we'll dive into some other topics. Says the
Bears get ready for a challenging season ahead. The schedule
is difficult, the division tough, but so are the Bears.
We'll find out more from Jim and Tom here on
Bears Weekly out of ESPN one thousand of the Bears
Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniac on
the Bears Radio Network. This is Bears Weekly with the
voice of the Bears for twenty four years, Chef Jona,
Chef jon on the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by
IGS Energy with Tom Behir, Jeff Joniac Jim Miller from
Serious XM NFL Radio. I was just jotting some things
down as we look forward here. Obviously the second round
pick thing is still a topic as of this broadcast.
The other Domino in the second round really has fallen.
That was last night the forty nine ers, the number
(11:04):
forty three overall, Thick Alfred Collins. He reached the deal
that includes about eighty eight percent of it guaranteed. I
know the agents were all looking for the thirty two
second rounds to all get guaranteed money. Tyler Shuck is
an interesting topic because he's a Saints quarterback who's looking
for guaranteed money and has a chance to start in
year one because of the circumstances there with Derek Carr retiring.
(11:27):
Jim what is your angle on this. The Bears have
three second round picks, so that's the significance there, and
they're big parts of the future of the Bears.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, I think the Bears have all the leverage in
their corner.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
You know. I think historically those two contracts really when
you look at Higgins for the Houston Texans and Sweessinger
was the linebacker who were given guarante fully guaranteed contracts
in the second round, those are the outliers. No team
really has to fall in line. Granted, the agents are
going to fight for that, there's no question about that.
(12:01):
But I think from a team perspective. It hasn't been
done before, so I think every team will be different. Again,
the agents are going to fight for it now that
it's kind of set precedence that is different now. But
I don't think teams are going to fall in line.
I think they're not going to guarantee the contracts and
they will fight to how it was previously prior to
(12:24):
these two outlier deals.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Now you're really and this is a dangerous water because
you talk about the new collective bargaining agreement that will
eventually be negotiated. If the second rounders get fully guaranteed contracts,
then you're going to see the third rounders start fighting
for them. So this is a real slippery slope. You
better get the language in place before you ever get
that collective bargaining agreement negotiated, and you better get an
(12:49):
understanding that this isn't something that's going to trickle down
to the seventh rounders unless you that guarantee all the
contracts for all rookie contracts.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
It's not a good.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Thing either, because you take a little bit of the
competitiveness away from it. So it's kind of a dangerous
little area that they're getting into.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Jim, I what opened the door to this, Well.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
I think I don't know why.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Nick Cassario, the general manager of the Houston Texans, felt
compelled to guarantee higgins contract and really is Jalen Higgins.
He was the first one to get a guaranteed contract
in the second round. Maybe due to injury at that position,
you know, because right now Tank Dell is hurt down
there in Houston. They just got rid of Stefan Diggs,
(13:37):
so maybe they felt a need that it was a
priate priority. Should I say that he gets to work
right away, meaning through the OTAs, they felt that that
was valuable time because he's probably going to be a
very big contributor for the Houston Texans. And I would
say the same thing about that first Wessenger, the linebacker.
(13:57):
The kid is very productive linebacker from UCLA who makes
a lot of tackles and he obviously must be in
big plans for the team, So for them to guarantee them,
I think they're going to be huge contributors. The other
second rounders, that's not the case. Not all will have
that big of a role for their team. They won't
be contributors, But I don't think so much so that
(14:19):
they be a starter, whether you would want to guarantee
their contract.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
All right, So there have been a lot of people
asking you know who your top Bears are going to
be this year? Who are the most valuable? And I'm
always going to go with the offensive line, the entirety
of it, which leads me to looking at to see
not just the fact that we get that the five
guys that are going to start, get him on the
field as soon as possible, and work together for the
entirety of training camp if necessary, if possible, and get
(14:44):
ready to have a durable season. Because the Bears are
going to face some really good pass rushers and they're
dotted all over the league. Not everybody has two, but
if they have a big one, and there are some
really talented ones. And I was just looking at the
teams that the Bears are going to face, and maybe
guys that don't even hit the radar quite like some
of the popular names. Obviously a guy like Miles Garrett,
(15:06):
the Bear is gonna face Miles Garrett Cleveland led the
league in pressure percentage when they rush four. This is
obviously I'm looking at last year. Things are gonna change,
But Pittsburgh Jlex high Smith number three in pressure rate
among edge defenders last year. He got Nick Bosa, the
forty nine ers, Jonathan Grenard of Minnesota, Namdi Matabuke, the
defensive tackle of Baltimore as a bad man in there
(15:28):
that pressure defense, Mac Crosby, the Vegas Ads, Jalen Carter
inside at Philly, the healthy return of Aiden Hudginson, TJ
Watt and Pittsburgh, Micah Parsons Dallas, and if Trey Hendrickson
signs in Cincinnati. Eighty seven total pressures led the NFL
last year and fifth over the past four years. It's
a big year tom for the offensive line to protect
(15:50):
that quarterback and for Caleb Williams to get rid of
the football and.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
For Ben Johnson.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
So if you have a pass rusher on a football
team that's predictable, you know exactly where he's gonna line up,
Trey Hendrickson, Miles Garrett Hutchinson, then you can kind of
predetermine your pass protection in that direction. So you have
a couple sets of eyes on them, or you have
help before a tight end goes out in a pattern,
or you have a back chipping. It's those guys that
(16:15):
can play on the interior that have versatility, and a
guy like Chris Jones comes to mind, or Aaron or
Aaron Donald when he was in the league. But what
type of guys are they playing against that have that
type of versatility. And then you get the defense that
starts watching team and preparation to play against the offensive line,
and the first thing is they try to point out
(16:36):
the vulnerability in their offensive line or who's the worst
pass blocking offensive lineman on that team. So then you
got a guy like Miles Garrett who's got that type
of versatility, who can move anywhere that he feels that
he can provide his strength in the past pressure of
the Cleveland Brown. So there's gonna be a lot of
scientific type of you know, experiments in the in the
(17:01):
construction of this offense when you start playing these different
individuals that you just brought up.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Jim, I know it's just a sample size, but I
also read this. I think it was the sharp football analysis.
Quarterbacks took a sack on twenty one percent of pressures
last season, the highest rate over the last five seasons,
and the impact of having a sack on a drive.
It's it's self explanatory really. But if you don't get
(17:27):
sacked in a drive, there was a forty one percent
score rate last year in a twenty six percent touchdown rate.
You take a sack, it's a twenty three percent score
rate and just an eight percent touchdown rate on the drive.
We always talk about first down penalties, especially holding penalties
to knock you back on the first snap of the drive,
you're digging out of a ditch. But those sacks man
on first down especially puts you in a big any
(17:49):
any sack on a drive.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, they set you back.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
And I've given examples you know of, say, look at
Justin Fields. It's the opening play of the versus Minnesota.
It's first and ten. Do they open in empty five wides?
Minnesota blitzes the play one exactly what you're referring to.
Justin Fields is not ready for it the Bears. He
(18:13):
gets sacked. Now the Bears are dealing with second and eighteen.
It's hard to stay on schedule when you're always playing
from behind. And that was from the opening snap of
a game. And if it's like that the entirety of
a game, or like you said, two or three series,
and that the most you get maybe eight series to
(18:34):
nine series. In a game half your series, you're blowing
up yourself because you're not prepared for those blitz situations.
And so you got to stay on schedule. Everybody's got
a job to do. You've got to communicate it so
that you can deal with it effectively to stay on schedule.
Otherwise you're going to be playing from behind, and you're
(18:56):
going to be constantly chasing points playing from behind.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Tom As are the influx of outstanding pass rushers and
all sorts of varieties and really teams getting really creative
with their pressure packages. Does this lean more into the
running game, because here's an interesting stat. I found the
twenty twenty four season at the fewest combined pass attempts
per game in an NFL season in sixteen years. So
(19:23):
teams ran the ball more. Are we going to continue
that phase? Do you believe? Well?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I think you have to have a dedicated running game,
and then you have to be good at it because
it gives you so many opportunities to expand the ability
of your offense. And that leads me to play action
because if you take an offensive line that has some
vulnerability in one on one pass protection, if you can
do it from a quarterback under center out of a
play action where it creates an instant of hesitation within
(19:50):
the defensive front seven. That's all the advantage you need.
And then you took about you talk about the variety
of receivers that the Bears have, from the backfield to
the line of scrimmage to the wide receiver position. That's
where I think Ben Johnson's creativity comes into play. His
creativity can take and he can help an offensive line
if they feel that they're going through stages of development
(20:12):
at a position i e. Left tackle or just continuity
of five guys just coming together.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
And Jim every time when there's a pass rusher of
note that Tom Fields has a weakness says or run.
I to run at them all games. So you know,
can all these guys I just said, Jim and Tom.
We gotta run at these guys.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
Yeah, I think Ben Johnson's got to press the envelope.
And again it's going to be the same thing for
Caleb Williams. He's going to need a better running game
to support him.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Well.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
You know, with all the added assets that's been added
up front with Joe Tooney and Drew Dolman and Jackson
who's been added there, and we already think Darnell Wright
is a good power run blocker. That run game is
to support the development of a young quarterback. It was
missing last year. Staying on schedule was missing last year.
(21:02):
You know, to not put in bad situations of playing
from behind or in long yarded situations. So it's all
by design put in place to help develop and bring
along a young quarterback in Caleb Williams.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
All right, coming up next, kicker Cairo Santos joins the program.
This is Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the
Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniak on
the Bears Radio Network. Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly
on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the voice
of the Bears, Jeff Joey.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
This segment of Bears Weekly brought to you by Athletical
Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to request and in
clinic or virtual deployment. That's start feeling better tomorrow twenty
one to twenty five plus twenty five of twenty six
and extra points. That was the season for Cairo Santos
a year ago. Now thirty three. He has played one
hundred and fifty NFL games and begins his twelfth NFL
(21:57):
season six with the Bears. And the conversation we had
with Tom and I. I started with Tom discussing footwear
and the great Walter Paton.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
We used to wear these kangaroos and they have seven
spikes on. They got two in the heel and five
up on the front of your foot. And so he
wore these inch and a quarter cleats in the front
of his foot, and he wore shorter ones, these inch
quarter inch ones in his heel because he ran. And
so I was say, would a kicker do that? Would
they have longer spikes on their plant foot?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
And so he was and the answer is yes, because kickers,
like all athletes, Uh, you're always looking for a little
bit of an inch. Yeah, right, So you gotta even
look at the footwear.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
Repetition is the name of the game. So you want
to have your plant foot, your kicking foot coming through
making contact with the ball exactly the same spot every time.
So we even on my kicking cleat, I shaved the
studs on the inside so as I'm brushing the ground,
it doesn't catch any grass or turf, so it just
kind of brushes and it doesn't have much grip. So
(22:59):
if I have to run make a tackle better.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Do you have a tackle in your career record?
Speaker 6 (23:05):
I have a few, but I think the only sideline tackles.
You know you're pushing the guy.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Okay, okay, but you haven't wrappedn't wrapped up, no driven through.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
I even have a slide tackle that got me a
fifteen yard Yeah, but he saved the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
That's uh, that's most That's most important. So every off
season you have a training regimen and anything different this
year that made an impact on you.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
No, just kinda just had a big chip on my
shoulder this season. I felt like he could have been
a really good year for me. I kicked the ball well.
I didn't feel like I missed a few goal wide
all year. There had a few blocks that they watching film.
They kind of stayed right on the path of the
center of the uprights as after they got blocked. So
(23:51):
I think I could have made every cake last year.
But No, definitely didn't work out that way as as
teams were rushing us pretty heavy and and got a
few hands on a few of them. But that kind
of maybe even hungry and more of like a killer
mentality and nothing that helped me in the last Green
Bay game to go in that place with with revenge
(24:13):
in my mind.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
You notice how he said that place we all relate,
and I kind of took that approach.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
So offseason, I want to have the year that I
think I could have had last year. But you know,
I respect that it's the NFL and there's plenty of
professions on the other side of the field trying to
make play. So it's not something that I think I
did wrong, but it's something that I can improve and
just get much better.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
You brought up the word repetition a little while ago,
and so now you're a kicker that you come into
the business, and now you're a kicker that you've been
in the business for a while having it done super successfully,
how do you learn repetition? Because this was a question
that was asked by me by a freshman kicker last year,
and I ended up asking you at some point during
(24:59):
the season, But you brought it up at this level,
how do you know and learn repetition?
Speaker 6 (25:05):
And I've adapted on year twelve of my career this year,
and I feel like I'm still learning things that I
can introduce to my routine. With every kick. Before I
kick the ball, I try to control every part of
it in the areas that I can control. So I
mean I talk about even like I wait to a
certain play clock or number on the play clock to
(25:27):
start my approach. So it's a place where I can
replicate here at practice. Let's say it's twenty seconds. I
wait for the play clock to get to twenty seconds
and I start my approach. So when I get in
the game, and sometimes you know, it could be rainy,
or it could be the refstick a little longer to
get the ball in, or change the spot or something,
(25:49):
and you get caught and then all of a sudden
you're rushing your steps, and so you don't settle into
that routine. But if I can control every part of
it and repeat that in practice every single kick, when
I get into a game, I just tell myself to
repeat my routine, and that takes out the pressure, the noise,
who we're playing against, where stadium we're playing with, wind,
(26:11):
I just focus on my routine. So so I think
every year I've learned a way to control what I
can control, and I see the results improving year after year,
and you know the amount of kicks that I can't make.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Is there a worst field condition in the NFL right now?
Because we know the Chicago Bears changing their turf the
last couple of years, it's been one of the finest
surfaces of outdoor stadiums that you can have. Is there
a new worst?
Speaker 3 (26:41):
H Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:41):
No, Sojia has actually been very enjoyable to play the
last couple of years since putting Bermuda, they've done such
a good job changing it every certain amount of games,
Like it took that element out of and which I
thought was the worst element kicking it here in Chicago
was it's the fuel condition. But they made it so good.
I would say a Cleveland is always kind of chewed up,
(27:02):
but they also did a good job taking care of it. No,
I actually didn't love Tampa when a few times we've
been down there. Down there, it's it's more uneven uneven
than most stadiums.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
And uh, it might depend on that weather conditions are
at all these places, what time of year you're playing them.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
Correct, it always rains on some part, either pregame, warm
up or doing a game. It'll it'll get some showers, no,
but yeah, but that kind of also I grew for
a moment, I from the first year I've been in Chicago,
and that was kind of like an element to an
adapt You've kind of learned to also just not think
about it as much, you know, that's just what.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
We deal with.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
And then, uh, and that improved here but also allow
me to just not think about the surface as much.
You just put the ball down and kind of kick.
And when you kind of first introduced to that, you're
starting noticing what most kickers come to Soldier and even
like complain about, like the grass is this and that,
(28:04):
and to me, it's normal now, the wind is this, and.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
That's like let him complain today.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
And just because I've it's kind of my world now
and uh, and I've learned to succeed in it.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Well, like this year going Baltimore than the Cincinnati. Two
stadiums that we haven't been in that much, you know,
throughout our whole career. So is it kind of an
atmosphere that you have to go in and just kind
of feel it for a little while before you go
out and practice kicking or is that part of the
growth process.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Yeah, definitely, I think you can also learn a lot
in watching games and I try to watch look at
the weather and what the flags are doing. Uh, talk
to kickers played in those stadiums. I've played in both
of those stadiums. Baltimore is tricky and like right on
the Harbor gets swirly. I found Cincinnati wasn't. It's a
(28:59):
heavy cross win more like a Kansas City type of
type of wind. You can't get windy, but it's more
crosswind versus the soirly. So it's different adjustments. You got
to feel, like you said, and just rely on your
pregame and obviously your experience or information you've gathered to
go out and have a game plan. At the end
(29:20):
of the day comes down to striking the ball well.
So like that, that's one part that you can focus on.
If the wind, you know, it becomes a something that
you're so you're unsure about, just then strike to try
to strike the ball well and see see what he does.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
High towers back. So that's big obviously for you and
just the core special team. I think it's an excellent
special team's core. There's some very good football players on
that unit. Coverage unit, kickoff coverage, kickoff return you name it, uh,
and then of course yourself the new kickoff rule, were
you wiining in?
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Yeah, No, I agree with you about the the core.
It seems like the main core is back the Blackwell,
Travis Homer aim in coming back. Those are big pieces
in stability and in a unit that finished I think
top five last year. So High Tower, I know it's
pumped to have him, and we're pumped to have High
(30:16):
Tower also and stay with the staff and so that
continuity we're looking forward to that very much. And and
also High Tower is really pumped up about this, uh,
this rule because the return game in Chicago is really Yeah,
what many great players that made a living and you know,
and I think we have players in the locker room
that see the same way that you know. They begged
(30:37):
me to kick it short and not kick a touch
back because they want to hunt, they want to make tackles,
and now more than ever a field position, we don't
want to give him, uh the opportunity to start a
thirty five yard line with the touchback. So majority of
the league I think is going to kick the ball
and cover yep. And that's something that's in our identity
here in Chicago. So I think it's it's an advantage
(30:58):
both sides of that that play.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
For us last one quickly as a kicker with a
new and first time head coach. I know, high Towers,
you're essentially your boss right your special teams. But do
you need to get a relationship with Ben so that
there's trust that he trusts what you're saying and you
trust in him. Yeah, that's you know for key moments
and clutch situations.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
Yeah, that's really important something we are developing already on
the two minute drills we're having at practice for him
to trust the range that I tell him. Usually, Uh,
we communicate before the game, know what what what the
yard line and and I want to get these opportunities
to hit those long cakes in front of him so
he can build that trust. He's like, okay, like that
when he tells me that, Like I can really count
(31:40):
on that. Uh, to not make him feel like he
has to be as aggressive as he's shown that he
can be. You know, if if you can rely on
the on three points where we want to be there
for him.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
A lot of great stuff there from Cairo, A pleasant
interview as always, Uh, so many things that he works
on every year and that ending discussion about trying to
earn the trust of your head coach as soon as possible.
In terms of clutch situations, he leveraged moments in a game,
Tom and Jim, that would be to me the first
(32:14):
step that has to take place during training camp for
Cairo insinuated. Yeah, we've been working on that for a
while in the offseason. But how critical is that for
a new head coach.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
I mean, I think it's super critical because you have
to go out there and training camp and try to
put him in some of the most uncomfortable positions that
you can put him in to see how you gain
trust in each other. You have to have perfect kicking conditions,
and I think that's one of the best things that
help the Bears kickers down on Soldier Field is because
that surface is so perfect. But you know, when you
(32:45):
start putting him in these uncomfortable scenarios in training camp
and you get the defenders to surround him and they
start heckling him and everything, it gives you. It gives
you a chance to learn a little bit about Cairo.
But when you're talking about his years of experience, he's
learned a lot of.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Respect from the league already. Well, the coach knows his history.
But you know, and I say that all the time,
how many games are decided by kickers. There's probably more
kickers that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame
because they're deciding the outcomes of games. And for Ben Jonson,
think about how it's going to affect his play calling.
(33:22):
If he knows Santos is good from fifty, you know,
how does that affect his play calling right before the
half where they can get an easy three points before
the half, or how he sets up maybe a game
when he drive knowing they need.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
A field goal to win it.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
You know, does the ball got to get to the
forty based on the conditions? Is it indoors? Is it outdoors? Hey,
we know Santos's history suggests this. So the coach is
weighing all this, plus he's seen it in camp through
the preseasons of how his kicker is performing and what
he has confidence in and what he needs to do
(33:58):
play calling wise, it comes to a situation where we
need a field goal to win it or tie to
give us the best chance to win. And so it's
critically important because it could decide the outcome of a game.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Well, Santos number ten are the active list among kickers
for points score number eleven in field goal percentage at
eighty five and a half. He's been outstanding at Soldier Field.
All Right, we return with Tom's thoughts coming up next.
Don ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
You were listening to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Well,
welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network.
Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff Joey.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
This sega to Bears Weekly, brought to you by IGS Entergy, Jeff,
Tom and Jim. As we inch towards the started training
camp next week, time for Tom's thoughts. Tom, I love
one of your headlines, A pressure cooker camp. Who is
in pressure cooker for the Bears? As camp gets ready to.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Go, Listen, we've all experienced through about the course of
our career the way you know what. There was one
time when they drafted Jerry Fontina in the third round
out of Texas A and M. And he's going to
come and directly compete against.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Me for my job.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
So I felt I was going through a pressure cooker
camp and when I look at some of the guys.
I look at a guy like Zach Pickens because he
was an interior defensive lineman draft a couple of years ago.
Now he has a new defensive line coach and a
new defensive coordinator that's going to expect different things out
of him. We've seen the explosiveness out of Zach. We
know that he has the ability to play in the NFL.
(35:29):
But then they bring in free agents and they draft
a guy at that position. So you got to make
sure that every single day that you have full pads
on or you are out in training camp. Then you
got to show something that impresses your position coach and
that defensive coordinator. So you look at Zach, you know
that's one thing. Then noahsoul here's a guy they get
rid of. Jack Sanborn. Step up, Noahsoule, you've been around
(35:52):
for a couple of years. You understand the working atmosphere
of this team again, new coaches, new system. What can
you contribute immediate league, not only on special teams, but
as that third linebacker because there's other competition that they
brought in at the linebacker position. Roshan here's a running back,
he's got all the skills, everything that.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
You need out of them.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
But when you bring in another running back who's got
that same similar skill set, how are they going to
distribute that carries and then the protections that they're going
to put you in? Tyler Scott, we've seen him, He's
got speed. How do you create more speed on this offense?
Is you have to have fast guys. Tyler Scott is
that guy. But you look in you bring in Rome
(36:34):
last year, you bring in a couple of free agents
this year. You know he is on that he's a
pressure camp. And then Karanamagaji. And the only reason I
say this is because, Yeah, they're going to explore him
at the left tackle position, and I think he's got
the skill mentally and physically to play the position. But
if he can't play left tackle, then where can he play?
Where does his template fit back?
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Best?
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Is he going to move into guard and start creating competition?
So when I think of pressure, it's not an insult
or I'm not saying, wow, these guys better look over
their shoulder. I'm just saying each of these guys have
an opportunity to impress this training camp, to show the
coaching staff what they can do.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
And Jim I look at numbers of people at certain positions.
So I brought this up in our podcast with Tom
the other day, talk about competitive spots, the best battles.
There are nineteen defensive backs on this training camp, right,
so you've got to carry a lot obviously for training camp.
But there's a sprinkling of veterans in there too that
have some attachment to the current coaching staff, Guys that
(37:40):
have been around the league a little bit, Guys that
impressed on special teams last year. I think that's going
to be also a pressure cooker for those other spots
outside the starting five defensive backs, as we assume that
they are right now.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
You've got a history of players that understand the schemes
and what the coach is asking for. So yeah, I
think that plays a part of it. And I do
think the injury history of a lot of guys play
into it. You know, we've talked a lot about well Briskery,
is he going to be healthy? You know, Kenny play
all seventeen games. So the backup safety spot is a
(38:13):
position that that's got to be pretty solid, just with
this history and what's happened, younger players got to continue
to develop that We've talked about, whether it's Stevenson, whether
it's the other young corners that are out there for
the Bears, and communication is always a key. So yeah,
I think it's highly competitive. I do like the secondary,
(38:34):
I do like the talent that is there, and we'll
see how it all comes together.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
I think it's going to be a pretty rockous punch
back there. Again, their tone setters back there. They're loud
and proud. Another one from Tommy and I'll start with
Jim on Tommy's topic, who's the best fit at QB
two On game day? There is a competition there between
Tyson Pagent and case keenum Camp is going to decide,
I'm sure, but are there other factors and what's your
opinion on it?
Speaker 5 (38:59):
I think if all things are equal, you'd always defer
to the younger player, you know, But but the coach
for experience matters, you know, maybe it's something more week
by week, it could change that, maybe they want the
veteran experience one week of Case and you know, maybe
another week. It would fluctuate, But I would think Tyson
Bagen in my opinion, he's a sought after commodity. I
(39:23):
think this kid has proven quite a bit. I think
now he's a little bit more experienced, granted not playing
time wise, but he's he's he's a grinder so to speak.
He's got a lot of traits you like and want
to develop. And I do think he's a he's a gamer.
I'm expecting him to win that second string battle personally,
(39:44):
and really, uh for case Keenum, it'll be more of
a support experience, uh you know thing for him as
the third QB, just helping those two guys along in
their development.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
I go along with Jim I always, you know, youth
is a really something that can be an asset when
you talk about the quarterback position. But I do think
Campbell decided and I think Ben Johnson, when he's the
guy that knows this offense the best, he's going to
understand the performance of the quarterback. Are the questions being
answered instantaneously in the meeting room. Are the decisions being
(40:19):
made in seven on seven and one on ones to
the point where you know the ball should go when
you're doing small things, just like a mirror drill, is
the timing to year pass as.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Perfect as you need it.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
So there's a lot of decisions that Ben's going to
be able to make through observances. But I think Tyson
has proved to this organization, in this team that he's
a dedicated young guy and he's got a high skill level.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Yeah, I'm big fan, big fan of Tyson Bagent. All right,
one more segment to go. This is Bears Weekly out
of ESPN one thousand or the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniak on
the Bears Radio Network. Is Bears Weekly with the voice
of the Bears for twenty four years, Chef Shone at
Chef Shy on the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by
Athletical Physical Therapy visit athletical dot com to a question
in clinic Gore Virtual Deployment at start feeling better tomorrow
and Jeff, Tom and Jim as we wrap things up
a couple of topics. Jim, you touchdown Jakwan Brisker when
he's played, when he started, he started all if he's
out the East start thirty five games in his career,
but he's put up some really good numbers which has
(41:33):
me so excited about him. And he is one of
my bears of significance this season because of the type
of play caller. I assume and seen that Dennis Allen
is going to be on the defensive side of the ball.
So this man can be let Lucia and fly around
and make plays when he's around the ball, great things happen.
Thirteen pass breakups, two hundred and forty nine tackles, three picks.
(41:54):
He should have had many more. He admits that they've
been on his hands. He hasn't collected them all. Six sacks,
which speaks to blitzing, eleven tackles for lost, four force
fumbles because he is a force hitter, and two fumble recoveries.
I don't want to under I mean, we talk a
lot about obviously a nickel like Kyler Gordon and the
significance of a man corner that can get in your
(42:16):
face and be very, very impactful in Jalen Johnson. What
we see is potential in Tyreek Stevenson to continue to grow.
But what happens at safety is going to be utterly
important given the type of defensive style Dennis Allen wants
to employ.
Speaker 5 (42:31):
Yeah, I think when we bring up all those stats
about Brisker, it suggests he's a better in the box player,
you know, because he can blitz, because he can disrupt,
because he causes fumbles. So I think he'll have a
role active to the line of scrimmage at the snap
of a ball and how he's going to be utilized.
But again, health is going to determine that and if
(42:53):
he were to miss games, because I think when you
look at both him and Kevin Byrn, they're both over
two hundred pounds, so they can be rock and roll
safeties where you're you know, having both in the box
and can affect things similarly, and it will affect the
offense because they don't know which one is going to
be down there because they're used in a similar manner.
(43:13):
But when he's out, then that's when things can be
affected because I don't think I think Josh Blackwell when
he's played safety or Elijah Hicks, I think they've been effective,
but I don't think they're the same in the box
guys that really can affect and disrupt the line of scrimmage,
so things would have to be played differently. So again
(43:34):
it's the adjustments. It's what the player can do versus
the players that can't, and that will decide or determine
how aggressive really Dennis Allen can get defensively, but with
Brisker on the field, they're better with him on the field,
and I would think he is going to be somewhere
close to the line of scrimmage where he does his
best work.
Speaker 4 (43:54):
Yeah, can I put an asterisk to this because I
think when you talk about the interior of the Bears
secondary and you talk about the safety position, and they're
both high quality guys, I think they're all tied to
Kyler Gordon because the versatility that he brings from the
second level even up to the first level to the
third level. He can add a lot to that safety
(44:16):
dimension of this defense. But he's also a guy that
has to stay healthy and stay on the field because
there was a couple of years ago when we are
uncertain about who is going to play in the defensive
backfield because of multiple injuries back there. So if you
can get this group of guys to stay healthy for
the for the long term, then you're talking about a
(44:37):
defense that can increase its versatility because of the versatility
of every one of those players.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
I want to talk wide receiver before he wrap things up.
Jim I just I have this snapshot of my mind
of DJ Moore at Washington two years ago when he
had the game of his career, blowing through the secondary,
getting free yards after the catch, break in tech, the suddenness,
and he is still wide receiver one for the Chicago Bears.
(45:05):
But how much now around him and how Ben Johnson's
creativity will fall in here will make him even more
dangerous and maybe give him a real big boost this
season because it's not just him, it's Roma Doonesa, it's
Luther Burden, it's alamodez Kias, it's you know we touched
on all these, it's the two tight ends. Could he
could he blow up this year and just go crazy?
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Yeah? I do.
Speaker 5 (45:28):
I still think he's a coverage dictator where he can
open up a lot of things for other guys. But
it's got to start somewhere, because if he continues to
do what he do what he does week one, teams
are still going to come in covering him as the
number one guy. But if Ben Johnson is able to establish,
say over a four week period, that the tight ends
(45:48):
are getting the ball more or Roma done Ze, teams
will start dedicating their coverage towards the other guys, and
now DJ Moore will have a chance to explode. Plus
he's always going to be a far to play action
if the run game is a possibility, because they're going
to dedicate more players to the line of scrimmaers to
stop the run and that could leave good one on
(46:09):
ones on the outside for Tjmore, for Djmore for home
run opportunities. So it's critical there's a nice buffet that
Caleb Williams, the quarterback of the Bears, has to choose from,
because I think the weapons are legitimate.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
And they are as good as any in.
Speaker 5 (46:24):
The league quite frankly of what they can do on paper,
but they have to do it on the field, and
that will dictate a lot how much Djmore will be
able to eat here in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
All right, boys, the pieces are in place, Jim, I
believe this is the last show for you during the offseason.
Camp now begins, so you're galivant and across football country
and then we will visit with you from time to
time during the season.
Speaker 5 (46:50):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to next week, Jeffic. It'll start
for you and I at Bears camp the twenty fourth
and twenty fifth, So let's get this party started.
Speaker 4 (46:58):
Big Jimmy, you and I would be remissed if we
didn't wish a happy birthday to our host, Jeff Joniac.
If we signed off without saying happy birthday and gushing
over him.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
I know he's ten years older than you.
Speaker 4 (47:11):
Jim Miller, you didn't even know who he was when
you were born, But on this July seventeenth day, it's
Jeff's birthday.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
Happy birthday, Jeff.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
Thank you guys, and thank you for not singing. That's
going to wrap us up. Thanks to our listeners and
our producers, and Tokiro Santos for time there, and Jim Miller.
I'm Jeff Joniac. This has been Bears Weekly on the
radio home of the Chicago Bears ESPN Chicago. Chris Bleck
is next. Have a great night, everybody.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Thank you for listening to the Chicago Bears Network presentation
The Bears Weekly, hosted by the Mara Bears, Bill, Jeff Juliac,
and Surfmaster Tom Thayer. Podcasts were available on the Chicago
Bears Official ab brought to you by Verizon and Apple Podcasts.
Bears Weekly has been brought to you by Miller liked
Speaker 2 (48:01):
The spell
Welcome in Tough Bears Weekly powered by IGS Energy by.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Chicago Bears Network Production.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Bears Weekly is brought to you by Advocate Healthcare, Athletico
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Speaker 2 (00:18):
Here are your.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Hosts, Jeff Chiliac Kka, the Mayor of Bearsville and is
sidekick Tom the Surfmaster Thayer.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Well. The Bears rookie class is set to report to
training camp on Saturday. The rest of the roster next Tuesday.
It's time to fly. It's Bears Weekly here on ESPN
one thousand of the Bears Radio Network with Super Bowl
winning Bears guard Tom Thayer. We're joined by former Bears
quarterback Jim Miller from servisex MNFL Radio. I'm Jeff Jonahak.
Coming up in the program, we visited with Bears kicker
Cairo Santos. We keep saying that cole comet Tom is
(00:49):
the longest tenured Bear boat. Cairo's right there with him,
six year in the league with the Bears.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
I was thinking about that in doing the interview and
listening to it at the fact that it's nice when
you get to talk to a car over a period
of time because it gives you security in the position,
and I think that's really important when you think about
the move moving back of the extra points, the difference
in the kickoff rules, and the other things that Cairo
(01:15):
is able to do. So I think he plays an
important role on this team.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Dan Burally, Jordan's tread up, Katie Fox, our producers as
well as our producer in the ESPN Studios tonight, Jake Santos.
Eric Strowski is the director of the Chicago Bears Radio Network.
Big Jim, I know you're going to be hitting the road.
What's your first training camp start on serious XM NFL radio.
Is it the Beloved because we're going to be doing
(01:41):
it here in a while.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Yeah, we will be doing Chicago.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
That'll be the twenty fourth and twenty fifth, but no, Jeff,
I start with the in division rival, the Detroit Lions.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
So that will be on Tuesday.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
You're gonna have good intel coming, Yeah, I should have
some really good intel. So and I'm gonna ask quite
a bit about obviously Ben Jonson. You know, I'm gonna
see quite a bit and you know, be interesting to
see him conduct his first training camp as a head coach.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
Yeah, Tommy. Week two, that's gonna be something at Detroit.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It is.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
It's gonna be just massive because of so many reasons.
The new coaching staff in Detroit, the whole change of
the culture there inside that building. Ben Johnson is going
to walk onto the field as the head coach of
the division rival Chicago Bears. It is going to be
an atmosphere unlike any others for Ben on that day.
(02:33):
And it's just gonna be the same thing for JJ
McCarthy when he walks into Soldier Field as the starting
quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. So you think about that,
the emotional impact and the early part of Ben's new
journey in the NFL. It's not gonna be overlooked, but
it's gonna be such an interesting storyline on the season.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
Hey, tom I know you're not on Twitter, Jim is
Jim checks in on this stuff. I saw a video
this morning. I thought it was absolutely perfect timing. There's
a video of a mom teaching her son how to
block as an offensive lineman. It's absolutely hilarious. I will
send you the video later, Tommy. It's at Football. Great
moments at FB. Great moments. She had all about the
(03:14):
footwork all about staying you know, bent at the hip
because she says, okay, you know, come out of your stands.
First thing you did was stand straight up and she
was on them. You will be proud of this, mom,
hands inside, you know, keeping it in the framework of
the I mean, perfect stuff, big Jim. I love that
(03:34):
as an interlude to the start of training camp. Even moms.
Speaker 5 (03:38):
Yeah, I mean, well, I think everybody's excited about their team.
Obviously for the season of footballs it just kicks off.
You know, college football is just around the corner. I
saw how they're going to kick that off in great
fashion as well. But it's just you know, again, the excitement,
the build up, the passion for football, I.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Think has grown.
Speaker 5 (03:58):
I think how you look at how the NFL has grown,
how they're growing internationally, how the sport is kind of
America's past time now it's kind of surpassed baseball and
every other major league sport and so and now you
get the moms who are involved, you know, and there's
such a crucial part of it. You know, it is
a physical sport. There's a lot of contact involved in it.
(04:21):
For recent years, you know, the safety of football's coming
to play, but mothers seem to be accepting of the
safety changes that are made, and I think for years
to come, I think the sport is in a really
good spot.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
You know.
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Jeff my eight year old nephew, great nephew, John Henry,
he's a lefty, and I have him practicing left handed
stance because he's gonna be a big guy. And I
always say, left handed stance makes you money. And so
you know, it's whether it's mom or an uncle or whomever,
when you start getting into the minds of these young
(04:55):
kids early in their life, it's something that they can
carry through for the rest of their life.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Through drills every day, Tommy, you doing full work, but I.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Do have them getting a stance every day, and I
make sure that he gets in the left handed balanced dance.
You know, I say John getting a stance, and there
he goes left handed.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You know, that's awesome. Let's talk about training camp, and
the initial thing is I'm gonna go with the health
of individuals. So obviously we're going to be interesting to
see where Braxton Jones is at. We'll hear from Ryan
Poles on Tuesday up at alis Off for a breakdown
of who may be starting out, maybe on the the
early season injured list or you know, the pup list
(05:35):
or whatever. Maybe nobody. I don't know, but rookie first
rodd Or Coaston Lovelin was at his charity event. He
did some things there for Lourie Children's Hospital last week,
so he felt that he would be ready to go
on track. Not anticipating any restrictions once camp starts. But Jim,
that is up to the medical staff, of course.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (05:57):
I mean, everybody's going to get designations, whether it's pup,
physically unable to perform, non football injury. I saw like
several teams yesterday listed players that couldn't participate due to
a non football injury, so that'll take time for them
to participate. Then guys who are coming off of injury
and who will be fully cleared, you know, so that's
(06:18):
going to happen. So all these things are going to
happen in succession of who's designated to practice, who won't
be able to practice, and really the time periods when
they'll be able to come back. Some guys will be
placed on IR early and that really won't you know,
for them to even come off IR. I think there's designations,
like you know week eight is what that would entail
(06:40):
a lot of rules, but the designations are important because
it really gives you a time frame of potentially when
a player could return.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
To ac joint surgery. What do you think of that?
And he said one of the big things they said,
the scar tissue is barely there anymore. Emphasize what that
means because everybody has surgery, or I mean, there is
scar tissue that builds up and you got to break
it down.
Speaker 4 (07:01):
Well, first of all, it's the ability to move your
shoulder and every way shape and form without any pain.
And then once you get a chance to move your
shoulder around in so many different positions that are required
for football, Now, can you go into the weight room
and start lifting weights to the point where it's going
to make your shoulder stronger, all your deltoids, everything that
(07:24):
supports the shoulder, and how you got it fixed. So
I think that's an evaluation of all the doctors, plus
to get an evaluation from Colson himself. And I'm just saying, Okay,
I have no pain in my shoulder. I have the
ability to do this. I can get in the right
handed or left handed stance. I don't even know what
shoulder it is with no pain. And then when you
(07:45):
start getting on a bench press, so you get into
some of the more strenuous exercises that focus specifically on
the shoulder, and then that's when you get your weight
staff involved. So there's a lot of different evaluator to
the process of shoulder rehabilitation. So it's not only Colston,
it's everybody else in that building.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
That was a six month recovery from January surgery, so
right on the timeline there also with him, he played
through a lot of that pain last year, Jim, and
still put up great numbers at Michigan.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, well, you know the players.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
You know, there's numerous players that play with a ton
of injuries and you know, I think it says a
lot about them that they're able to go out and contribute.
But ultimately you're going to be judged on that as well.
So there's kind of a fine line in dealing with that.
I saw who was it for the Raiders, the seventh
round draft pick quarterback who they took O'Rourke. I believe,
you know, the young player, he played through a torn
(08:41):
acl all.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Year at Indiana, and he's going to start.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Obviously, you know his first season on IR and they
still was it was the forty nine ers as who
was who drafted him, and he went in the seventh
round and he's going to miss basically his initial training camp.
Says a lot about the player that he was able
to play through injury during that time period, but he
will be unable to play. So it also comes into
(09:09):
question about the training staffs at both the college level
and the NFL level, because that injury was not seen
until the NFL combine. That's when he was diagnosed that hey,
your ACL is torn. And this young man played through
an entire year of it at Indiana. So the medicals
are important, but I think it does glean on a
(09:30):
player's toughness, what their ability to play through, and how
they perform. And now this young man should be able
to perform a lot better moving forward.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
You know one thing, Jeff about Colson level, and I'm
not giving away any secrets because it's going to be
evident to anybody who's at practice. When you have a
bad shoulder, you were a shoulder harness and it kind
of keeps your shoulder in place to the point where
it can't get to the position where maybe it can
become out of the joint. So you're going to be
able to see that from underneath his the sleeve on
(10:00):
his shoulder. So I do think if that's something you
want to see to get an indicator of where he's at,
just look.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
At that, all right, one segment in the books Coming
up next, we'll dive into some other topics. Says the
Bears get ready for a challenging season ahead. The schedule
is difficult, the division tough, but so are the Bears.
We'll find out more from Jim and Tom here on
Bears Weekly out of ESPN one thousand of the Bears
Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniac on
the Bears Radio Network. This is Bears Weekly with the
voice of the Bears for twenty four years, Chef Jona,
Chef jon on the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by
IGS Energy with Tom Behir, Jeff Joniac Jim Miller from
Serious XM NFL Radio. I was just jotting some things
down as we look forward here. Obviously the second round
pick thing is still a topic as of this broadcast.
The other Domino in the second round really has fallen.
That was last night the forty nine ers, the number
(11:04):
forty three overall, Thick Alfred Collins. He reached the deal
that includes about eighty eight percent of it guaranteed. I
know the agents were all looking for the thirty two
second rounds to all get guaranteed money. Tyler Shuck is
an interesting topic because he's a Saints quarterback who's looking
for guaranteed money and has a chance to start in
year one because of the circumstances there with Derek Carr retiring.
(11:27):
Jim what is your angle on this. The Bears have
three second round picks, so that's the significance there, and
they're big parts of the future of the Bears.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, I think the Bears have all the leverage in
their corner.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
You know. I think historically those two contracts really when
you look at Higgins for the Houston Texans and Sweessinger
was the linebacker who were given guarante fully guaranteed contracts
in the second round, those are the outliers. No team
really has to fall in line. Granted, the agents are
going to fight for that, there's no question about that.
(12:01):
But I think from a team perspective. It hasn't been
done before, so I think every team will be different. Again,
the agents are going to fight for it now that
it's kind of set precedence that is different now. But
I don't think teams are going to fall in line.
I think they're not going to guarantee the contracts and
they will fight to how it was previously prior to
(12:24):
these two outlier deals.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Now you're really and this is a dangerous water because
you talk about the new collective bargaining agreement that will
eventually be negotiated. If the second rounders get fully guaranteed contracts,
then you're going to see the third rounders start fighting
for them. So this is a real slippery slope. You
better get the language in place before you ever get
that collective bargaining agreement negotiated, and you better get an
(12:49):
understanding that this isn't something that's going to trickle down
to the seventh rounders unless you that guarantee all the
contracts for all rookie contracts.
Speaker 2 (13:00):
It's not a good.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Thing either, because you take a little bit of the
competitiveness away from it. So it's kind of a dangerous
little area that they're getting into.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Jim, I what opened the door to this, Well.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
I think I don't know why.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
Nick Cassario, the general manager of the Houston Texans, felt
compelled to guarantee higgins contract and really is Jalen Higgins.
He was the first one to get a guaranteed contract
in the second round. Maybe due to injury at that position,
you know, because right now Tank Dell is hurt down
there in Houston. They just got rid of Stefan Diggs,
(13:37):
so maybe they felt a need that it was a
priate priority. Should I say that he gets to work
right away, meaning through the OTAs, they felt that that
was valuable time because he's probably going to be a
very big contributor for the Houston Texans. And I would
say the same thing about that first Wessenger, the linebacker.
(13:57):
The kid is very productive linebacker from UCLA who makes
a lot of tackles and he obviously must be in
big plans for the team, So for them to guarantee them,
I think they're going to be huge contributors. The other
second rounders, that's not the case. Not all will have
that big of a role for their team. They won't
be contributors, But I don't think so much so that
(14:19):
they be a starter, whether you would want to guarantee
their contract.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
All right, So there have been a lot of people
asking you know who your top Bears are going to
be this year? Who are the most valuable? And I'm
always going to go with the offensive line, the entirety
of it, which leads me to looking at to see
not just the fact that we get that the five
guys that are going to start, get him on the
field as soon as possible, and work together for the
entirety of training camp if necessary, if possible, and get
(14:44):
ready to have a durable season. Because the Bears are
going to face some really good pass rushers and they're
dotted all over the league. Not everybody has two, but
if they have a big one, and there are some
really talented ones. And I was just looking at the
teams that the Bears are going to face, and maybe
guys that don't even hit the radar quite like some
of the popular names. Obviously a guy like Miles Garrett,
(15:06):
the Bear is gonna face Miles Garrett Cleveland led the
league in pressure percentage when they rush four. This is
obviously I'm looking at last year. Things are gonna change,
But Pittsburgh Jlex high Smith number three in pressure rate
among edge defenders last year. He got Nick Bosa, the
forty nine ers, Jonathan Grenard of Minnesota, Namdi Matabuke, the
defensive tackle of Baltimore as a bad man in there
(15:28):
that pressure defense, Mac Crosby, the Vegas Ads, Jalen Carter
inside at Philly, the healthy return of Aiden Hudginson, TJ
Watt and Pittsburgh, Micah Parsons Dallas, and if Trey Hendrickson
signs in Cincinnati. Eighty seven total pressures led the NFL
last year and fifth over the past four years. It's
a big year tom for the offensive line to protect
(15:50):
that quarterback and for Caleb Williams to get rid of
the football and.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
For Ben Johnson.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
So if you have a pass rusher on a football
team that's predictable, you know exactly where he's gonna line up,
Trey Hendrickson, Miles Garrett Hutchinson, then you can kind of
predetermine your pass protection in that direction. So you have
a couple sets of eyes on them, or you have
help before a tight end goes out in a pattern,
or you have a back chipping. It's those guys that
(16:15):
can play on the interior that have versatility, and a
guy like Chris Jones comes to mind, or Aaron or
Aaron Donald when he was in the league. But what
type of guys are they playing against that have that
type of versatility. And then you get the defense that
starts watching team and preparation to play against the offensive line,
and the first thing is they try to point out
(16:36):
the vulnerability in their offensive line or who's the worst
pass blocking offensive lineman on that team. So then you
got a guy like Miles Garrett who's got that type
of versatility, who can move anywhere that he feels that
he can provide his strength in the past pressure of
the Cleveland Brown. So there's gonna be a lot of
scientific type of you know, experiments in the in the
(17:01):
construction of this offense when you start playing these different
individuals that you just brought up.
Speaker 3 (17:07):
Jim, I know it's just a sample size, but I
also read this. I think it was the sharp football analysis.
Quarterbacks took a sack on twenty one percent of pressures
last season, the highest rate over the last five seasons,
and the impact of having a sack on a drive.
It's it's self explanatory really. But if you don't get
(17:27):
sacked in a drive, there was a forty one percent
score rate last year in a twenty six percent touchdown rate.
You take a sack, it's a twenty three percent score
rate and just an eight percent touchdown rate on the drive.
We always talk about first down penalties, especially holding penalties
to knock you back on the first snap of the drive,
you're digging out of a ditch. But those sacks man
on first down especially puts you in a big any
(17:49):
any sack on a drive.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Yeah, they set you back.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
And I've given examples you know of, say, look at
Justin Fields. It's the opening play of the versus Minnesota.
It's first and ten. Do they open in empty five wides?
Minnesota blitzes the play one exactly what you're referring to.
Justin Fields is not ready for it the Bears. He
(18:13):
gets sacked. Now the Bears are dealing with second and eighteen.
It's hard to stay on schedule when you're always playing
from behind. And that was from the opening snap of
a game. And if it's like that the entirety of
a game, or like you said, two or three series,
and that the most you get maybe eight series to
(18:34):
nine series. In a game half your series, you're blowing
up yourself because you're not prepared for those blitz situations.
And so you got to stay on schedule. Everybody's got
a job to do. You've got to communicate it so
that you can deal with it effectively to stay on schedule.
Otherwise you're going to be playing from behind, and you're
(18:56):
going to be constantly chasing points playing from behind.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
Tom As are the influx of outstanding pass rushers and
all sorts of varieties and really teams getting really creative
with their pressure packages. Does this lean more into the
running game, because here's an interesting stat. I found the
twenty twenty four season at the fewest combined pass attempts
per game in an NFL season in sixteen years. So
(19:23):
teams ran the ball more. Are we going to continue
that phase? Do you believe? Well?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I think you have to have a dedicated running game,
and then you have to be good at it because
it gives you so many opportunities to expand the ability
of your offense. And that leads me to play action
because if you take an offensive line that has some
vulnerability in one on one pass protection, if you can
do it from a quarterback under center out of a
play action where it creates an instant of hesitation within
(19:50):
the defensive front seven. That's all the advantage you need.
And then you took about you talk about the variety
of receivers that the Bears have, from the backfield to
the line of scrimmage to the wide receiver position. That's
where I think Ben Johnson's creativity comes into play. His
creativity can take and he can help an offensive line
if they feel that they're going through stages of development
(20:12):
at a position i e. Left tackle or just continuity
of five guys just coming together.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
And Jim every time when there's a pass rusher of
note that Tom Fields has a weakness says or run.
I to run at them all games. So you know,
can all these guys I just said, Jim and Tom.
We gotta run at these guys.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
Yeah, I think Ben Johnson's got to press the envelope.
And again it's going to be the same thing for
Caleb Williams. He's going to need a better running game
to support him.
Speaker 6 (20:40):
Well.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
You know, with all the added assets that's been added
up front with Joe Tooney and Drew Dolman and Jackson
who's been added there, and we already think Darnell Wright
is a good power run blocker. That run game is
to support the development of a young quarterback. It was
missing last year. Staying on schedule was missing last year.
(21:02):
You know, to not put in bad situations of playing
from behind or in long yarded situations. So it's all
by design put in place to help develop and bring
along a young quarterback in Caleb Williams.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
All right, coming up next, kicker Cairo Santos joins the program.
This is Bears Weekly on ESPN one thousand of the
Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniak on
the Bears Radio Network. Well, welcome back to Bears Weekly
on the Bears Radio Network. Here's your host, the voice
of the Bears, Jeff Joey.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
This segment of Bears Weekly brought to you by Athletical
Physical Therapy. Visit Athletico dot com to request and in
clinic or virtual deployment. That's start feeling better tomorrow twenty
one to twenty five plus twenty five of twenty six
and extra points. That was the season for Cairo Santos
a year ago. Now thirty three. He has played one
hundred and fifty NFL games and begins his twelfth NFL
(21:57):
season six with the Bears. And the conversation we had
with Tom and I. I started with Tom discussing footwear
and the great Walter Paton.
Speaker 4 (22:05):
We used to wear these kangaroos and they have seven
spikes on. They got two in the heel and five
up on the front of your foot. And so he
wore these inch and a quarter cleats in the front
of his foot, and he wore shorter ones, these inch
quarter inch ones in his heel because he ran. And
so I was say, would a kicker do that? Would
they have longer spikes on their plant foot?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
And so he was and the answer is yes, because kickers,
like all athletes, Uh, you're always looking for a little
bit of an inch. Yeah, right, So you gotta even
look at the footwear.
Speaker 6 (22:38):
Repetition is the name of the game. So you want
to have your plant foot, your kicking foot coming through
making contact with the ball exactly the same spot every time.
So we even on my kicking cleat, I shaved the
studs on the inside so as I'm brushing the ground,
it doesn't catch any grass or turf, so it just
kind of brushes and it doesn't have much grip. So
(22:59):
if I have to run make a tackle better.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
Do you have a tackle in your career record?
Speaker 6 (23:05):
I have a few, but I think the only sideline tackles.
You know you're pushing the guy.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Okay, okay, but you haven't wrappedn't wrapped up, no driven through.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
I even have a slide tackle that got me a
fifteen yard Yeah, but he saved the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (23:20):
That's uh, that's most That's most important. So every off
season you have a training regimen and anything different this
year that made an impact on you.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
No, just kinda just had a big chip on my
shoulder this season. I felt like he could have been
a really good year for me. I kicked the ball well.
I didn't feel like I missed a few goal wide
all year. There had a few blocks that they watching film.
They kind of stayed right on the path of the
center of the uprights as after they got blocked. So
(23:51):
I think I could have made every cake last year.
But No, definitely didn't work out that way as as
teams were rushing us pretty heavy and and got a
few hands on a few of them. But that kind
of maybe even hungry and more of like a killer
mentality and nothing that helped me in the last Green
Bay game to go in that place with with revenge
(24:13):
in my mind.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
You notice how he said that place we all relate,
and I kind of took that approach.
Speaker 6 (24:20):
So offseason, I want to have the year that I
think I could have had last year. But you know,
I respect that it's the NFL and there's plenty of
professions on the other side of the field trying to
make play. So it's not something that I think I
did wrong, but it's something that I can improve and
just get much better.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
You brought up the word repetition a little while ago,
and so now you're a kicker that you come into
the business, and now you're a kicker that you've been
in the business for a while having it done super successfully,
how do you learn repetition? Because this was a question
that was asked by me by a freshman kicker last year,
and I ended up asking you at some point during
(24:59):
the season, But you brought it up at this level,
how do you know and learn repetition?
Speaker 6 (25:05):
And I've adapted on year twelve of my career this year,
and I feel like I'm still learning things that I
can introduce to my routine. With every kick. Before I
kick the ball, I try to control every part of
it in the areas that I can control. So I
mean I talk about even like I wait to a
certain play clock or number on the play clock to
(25:27):
start my approach. So it's a place where I can
replicate here at practice. Let's say it's twenty seconds. I
wait for the play clock to get to twenty seconds
and I start my approach. So when I get in
the game, and sometimes you know, it could be rainy,
or it could be the refstick a little longer to
get the ball in, or change the spot or something,
(25:49):
and you get caught and then all of a sudden
you're rushing your steps, and so you don't settle into
that routine. But if I can control every part of
it and repeat that in practice every single kick, when
I get into a game, I just tell myself to
repeat my routine, and that takes out the pressure, the noise,
who we're playing against, where stadium we're playing with, wind,
(26:11):
I just focus on my routine. So so I think
every year I've learned a way to control what I
can control, and I see the results improving year after year,
and you know the amount of kicks that I can't make.
Speaker 4 (26:23):
Is there a worst field condition in the NFL right now?
Because we know the Chicago Bears changing their turf the
last couple of years, it's been one of the finest
surfaces of outdoor stadiums that you can have. Is there
a new worst?
Speaker 3 (26:41):
H Yeah?
Speaker 6 (26:41):
No, Sojia has actually been very enjoyable to play the
last couple of years since putting Bermuda, they've done such
a good job changing it every certain amount of games,
Like it took that element out of and which I
thought was the worst element kicking it here in Chicago
was it's the fuel condition. But they made it so good.
I would say a Cleveland is always kind of chewed up,
(27:02):
but they also did a good job taking care of it. No,
I actually didn't love Tampa when a few times we've
been down there. Down there, it's it's more uneven uneven
than most stadiums.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
And uh, it might depend on that weather conditions are
at all these places, what time of year you're playing them.
Speaker 6 (27:20):
Correct, it always rains on some part, either pregame, warm
up or doing a game. It'll it'll get some showers, no,
but yeah, but that kind of also I grew for
a moment, I from the first year I've been in Chicago,
and that was kind of like an element to an
adapt You've kind of learned to also just not think
about it as much, you know, that's just what.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
We deal with.
Speaker 6 (27:42):
And then, uh, and that improved here but also allow
me to just not think about the surface as much.
You just put the ball down and kind of kick.
And when you kind of first introduced to that, you're
starting noticing what most kickers come to Soldier and even
like complain about, like the grass is this and that,
(28:04):
and to me, it's normal now, the wind is this, and.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
That's like let him complain today.
Speaker 6 (28:12):
And just because I've it's kind of my world now
and uh, and I've learned to succeed in it.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
Well, like this year going Baltimore than the Cincinnati. Two
stadiums that we haven't been in that much, you know,
throughout our whole career. So is it kind of an
atmosphere that you have to go in and just kind
of feel it for a little while before you go
out and practice kicking or is that part of the
growth process.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
Yeah, definitely, I think you can also learn a lot
in watching games and I try to watch look at
the weather and what the flags are doing. Uh, talk
to kickers played in those stadiums. I've played in both
of those stadiums. Baltimore is tricky and like right on
the Harbor gets swirly. I found Cincinnati wasn't. It's a
(28:59):
heavy cross win more like a Kansas City type of
type of wind. You can't get windy, but it's more
crosswind versus the soirly. So it's different adjustments. You got
to feel, like you said, and just rely on your
pregame and obviously your experience or information you've gathered to
go out and have a game plan. At the end
(29:20):
of the day comes down to striking the ball well.
So like that, that's one part that you can focus on.
If the wind, you know, it becomes a something that
you're so you're unsure about, just then strike to try
to strike the ball well and see see what he does.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
High towers back. So that's big obviously for you and
just the core special team. I think it's an excellent
special team's core. There's some very good football players on
that unit. Coverage unit, kickoff coverage, kickoff return you name it, uh,
and then of course yourself the new kickoff rule, were
you wiining in?
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Yeah, No, I agree with you about the the core.
It seems like the main core is back the Blackwell,
Travis Homer aim in coming back. Those are big pieces
in stability and in a unit that finished I think
top five last year. So High Tower, I know it's
pumped to have him, and we're pumped to have High
(30:16):
Tower also and stay with the staff and so that
continuity we're looking forward to that very much. And and
also High Tower is really pumped up about this, uh,
this rule because the return game in Chicago is really Yeah,
what many great players that made a living and you know,
and I think we have players in the locker room
that see the same way that you know. They begged
(30:37):
me to kick it short and not kick a touch
back because they want to hunt, they want to make tackles,
and now more than ever a field position, we don't
want to give him, uh the opportunity to start a
thirty five yard line with the touchback. So majority of
the league I think is going to kick the ball
and cover yep. And that's something that's in our identity
here in Chicago. So I think it's it's an advantage
(30:58):
both sides of that that play.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
For us last one quickly as a kicker with a
new and first time head coach. I know, high Towers,
you're essentially your boss right your special teams. But do
you need to get a relationship with Ben so that
there's trust that he trusts what you're saying and you
trust in him. Yeah, that's you know for key moments
and clutch situations.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
Yeah, that's really important something we are developing already on
the two minute drills we're having at practice for him
to trust the range that I tell him. Usually, Uh,
we communicate before the game, know what what what the
yard line and and I want to get these opportunities
to hit those long cakes in front of him so
he can build that trust. He's like, okay, like that
when he tells me that, Like I can really count
(31:40):
on that. Uh, to not make him feel like he
has to be as aggressive as he's shown that he
can be. You know, if if you can rely on
the on three points where we want to be there
for him.
Speaker 3 (31:52):
A lot of great stuff there from Cairo, A pleasant
interview as always, Uh, so many things that he works
on every year and that ending discussion about trying to
earn the trust of your head coach as soon as possible.
In terms of clutch situations, he leveraged moments in a game,
Tom and Jim, that would be to me the first
(32:14):
step that has to take place during training camp for
Cairo insinuated. Yeah, we've been working on that for a
while in the offseason. But how critical is that for
a new head coach.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
I mean, I think it's super critical because you have
to go out there and training camp and try to
put him in some of the most uncomfortable positions that
you can put him in to see how you gain
trust in each other. You have to have perfect kicking conditions,
and I think that's one of the best things that
help the Bears kickers down on Soldier Field is because
that surface is so perfect. But you know, when you
(32:45):
start putting him in these uncomfortable scenarios in training camp
and you get the defenders to surround him and they
start heckling him and everything, it gives you. It gives
you a chance to learn a little bit about Cairo.
But when you're talking about his years of experience, he's
learned a lot of.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Respect from the league already. Well, the coach knows his history.
But you know, and I say that all the time,
how many games are decided by kickers. There's probably more
kickers that deserve to be in the Hall of Fame
because they're deciding the outcomes of games. And for Ben Jonson,
think about how it's going to affect his play calling.
(33:22):
If he knows Santos is good from fifty, you know,
how does that affect his play calling right before the
half where they can get an easy three points before
the half, or how he sets up maybe a game
when he drive knowing they need.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
A field goal to win it.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
You know, does the ball got to get to the
forty based on the conditions? Is it indoors? Is it outdoors? Hey,
we know Santos's history suggests this. So the coach is
weighing all this, plus he's seen it in camp through
the preseasons of how his kicker is performing and what
he has confidence in and what he needs to do
(33:58):
play calling wise, it comes to a situation where we
need a field goal to win it or tie to
give us the best chance to win. And so it's
critically important because it could decide the outcome of a game.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Well, Santos number ten are the active list among kickers
for points score number eleven in field goal percentage at
eighty five and a half. He's been outstanding at Soldier Field.
All Right, we return with Tom's thoughts coming up next.
Don ESPN one thousand of the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
You were listening to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network. Well,
welcome back to Bears Weekly on the Bears Radio Network.
Here's your host, the voice of the Bears, Jeff Joey.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
This sega to Bears Weekly, brought to you by IGS Entergy, Jeff,
Tom and Jim. As we inch towards the started training
camp next week, time for Tom's thoughts. Tom, I love
one of your headlines, A pressure cooker camp. Who is
in pressure cooker for the Bears? As camp gets ready to.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Go, Listen, we've all experienced through about the course of
our career the way you know what. There was one
time when they drafted Jerry Fontina in the third round
out of Texas A and M. And he's going to
come and directly compete against.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Me for my job.
Speaker 4 (35:09):
So I felt I was going through a pressure cooker
camp and when I look at some of the guys.
I look at a guy like Zach Pickens because he
was an interior defensive lineman draft a couple of years ago.
Now he has a new defensive line coach and a
new defensive coordinator that's going to expect different things out
of him. We've seen the explosiveness out of Zach. We
know that he has the ability to play in the NFL.
(35:29):
But then they bring in free agents and they draft
a guy at that position. So you got to make
sure that every single day that you have full pads
on or you are out in training camp. Then you
got to show something that impresses your position coach and
that defensive coordinator. So you look at Zach, you know
that's one thing. Then noahsoul here's a guy they get
rid of. Jack Sanborn. Step up, Noahsoule, you've been around
(35:52):
for a couple of years. You understand the working atmosphere
of this team again, new coaches, new system. What can
you contribute immediate league, not only on special teams, but
as that third linebacker because there's other competition that they
brought in at the linebacker position. Roshan here's a running back,
he's got all the skills, everything that.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
You need out of them.
Speaker 4 (36:12):
But when you bring in another running back who's got
that same similar skill set, how are they going to
distribute that carries and then the protections that they're going
to put you in? Tyler Scott, we've seen him, He's
got speed. How do you create more speed on this offense?
Is you have to have fast guys. Tyler Scott is
that guy. But you look in you bring in Rome
(36:34):
last year, you bring in a couple of free agents
this year. You know he is on that he's a
pressure camp. And then Karanamagaji. And the only reason I
say this is because, Yeah, they're going to explore him
at the left tackle position, and I think he's got
the skill mentally and physically to play the position. But
if he can't play left tackle, then where can he play?
Where does his template fit back?
Speaker 2 (36:56):
Best?
Speaker 4 (36:56):
Is he going to move into guard and start creating competition?
So when I think of pressure, it's not an insult
or I'm not saying, wow, these guys better look over
their shoulder. I'm just saying each of these guys have
an opportunity to impress this training camp, to show the
coaching staff what they can do.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
And Jim I look at numbers of people at certain positions.
So I brought this up in our podcast with Tom
the other day, talk about competitive spots, the best battles.
There are nineteen defensive backs on this training camp, right,
so you've got to carry a lot obviously for training camp.
But there's a sprinkling of veterans in there too that
have some attachment to the current coaching staff, Guys that
(37:40):
have been around the league a little bit, Guys that
impressed on special teams last year. I think that's going
to be also a pressure cooker for those other spots
outside the starting five defensive backs, as we assume that
they are right now.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
You've got a history of players that understand the schemes
and what the coach is asking for. So yeah, I
think that plays a part of it. And I do
think the injury history of a lot of guys play
into it. You know, we've talked a lot about well Briskery,
is he going to be healthy? You know, Kenny play
all seventeen games. So the backup safety spot is a
(38:13):
position that that's got to be pretty solid, just with
this history and what's happened, younger players got to continue
to develop that We've talked about, whether it's Stevenson, whether
it's the other young corners that are out there for
the Bears, and communication is always a key. So yeah,
I think it's highly competitive. I do like the secondary,
(38:34):
I do like the talent that is there, and we'll
see how it all comes together.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
I think it's going to be a pretty rockous punch
back there. Again, their tone setters back there. They're loud
and proud. Another one from Tommy and I'll start with
Jim on Tommy's topic, who's the best fit at QB
two On game day? There is a competition there between
Tyson Pagent and case keenum Camp is going to decide,
I'm sure, but are there other factors and what's your
opinion on it?
Speaker 5 (38:59):
I think if all things are equal, you'd always defer
to the younger player, you know, But but the coach
for experience matters, you know, maybe it's something more week
by week, it could change that, maybe they want the
veteran experience one week of Case and you know, maybe
another week. It would fluctuate, But I would think Tyson
Bagen in my opinion, he's a sought after commodity. I
(39:23):
think this kid has proven quite a bit. I think
now he's a little bit more experienced, granted not playing
time wise, but he's he's he's a grinder so to speak.
He's got a lot of traits you like and want
to develop. And I do think he's a he's a gamer.
I'm expecting him to win that second string battle personally,
(39:44):
and really, uh for case Keenum, it'll be more of
a support experience, uh you know thing for him as
the third QB, just helping those two guys along in
their development.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
I go along with Jim I always, you know, youth
is a really something that can be an asset when
you talk about the quarterback position. But I do think
Campbell decided and I think Ben Johnson, when he's the
guy that knows this offense the best, he's going to
understand the performance of the quarterback. Are the questions being
answered instantaneously in the meeting room. Are the decisions being
(40:19):
made in seven on seven and one on ones to
the point where you know the ball should go when
you're doing small things, just like a mirror drill, is
the timing to year pass as.
Speaker 2 (40:31):
Perfect as you need it.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
So there's a lot of decisions that Ben's going to
be able to make through observances. But I think Tyson
has proved to this organization, in this team that he's
a dedicated young guy and he's got a high skill level.
Speaker 3 (40:46):
Yeah, I'm big fan, big fan of Tyson Bagent. All right,
one more segment to go. This is Bears Weekly out
of ESPN one thousand or the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
You were tuned into Bears Weekly with Jeff Joniak on
the Bears Radio Network. Is Bears Weekly with the voice
of the Bears for twenty four years, Chef Shone at
Chef Shy on the Bears Radio Network.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
This segment of Bears Weekly is brought to you by
Athletical Physical Therapy visit athletical dot com to a question
in clinic Gore Virtual Deployment at start feeling better tomorrow
and Jeff, Tom and Jim as we wrap things up
a couple of topics. Jim, you touchdown Jakwan Brisker when
he's played, when he started, he started all if he's
out the East start thirty five games in his career,
but he's put up some really good numbers which has
(41:33):
me so excited about him. And he is one of
my bears of significance this season because of the type
of play caller. I assume and seen that Dennis Allen
is going to be on the defensive side of the ball.
So this man can be let Lucia and fly around
and make plays when he's around the ball, great things happen.
Thirteen pass breakups, two hundred and forty nine tackles, three picks.
(41:54):
He should have had many more. He admits that they've
been on his hands. He hasn't collected them all. Six sacks,
which speaks to blitzing, eleven tackles for lost, four force
fumbles because he is a force hitter, and two fumble recoveries.
I don't want to under I mean, we talk a
lot about obviously a nickel like Kyler Gordon and the
significance of a man corner that can get in your
(42:16):
face and be very, very impactful in Jalen Johnson. What
we see is potential in Tyreek Stevenson to continue to grow.
But what happens at safety is going to be utterly
important given the type of defensive style Dennis Allen wants
to employ.
Speaker 5 (42:31):
Yeah, I think when we bring up all those stats
about Brisker, it suggests he's a better in the box player,
you know, because he can blitz, because he can disrupt,
because he causes fumbles. So I think he'll have a
role active to the line of scrimmage at the snap
of a ball and how he's going to be utilized.
But again, health is going to determine that and if
(42:53):
he were to miss games, because I think when you
look at both him and Kevin Byrn, they're both over
two hundred pounds, so they can be rock and roll
safeties where you're you know, having both in the box
and can affect things similarly, and it will affect the
offense because they don't know which one is going to
be down there because they're used in a similar manner.
(43:13):
But when he's out, then that's when things can be
affected because I don't think I think Josh Blackwell when
he's played safety or Elijah Hicks, I think they've been effective,
but I don't think they're the same in the box
guys that really can affect and disrupt the line of scrimmage,
so things would have to be played differently. So again
(43:34):
it's the adjustments. It's what the player can do versus
the players that can't, and that will decide or determine
how aggressive really Dennis Allen can get defensively, but with
Brisker on the field, they're better with him on the field,
and I would think he is going to be somewhere
close to the line of scrimmage where he does his
best work.
Speaker 4 (43:54):
Yeah, can I put an asterisk to this because I
think when you talk about the interior of the Bears
secondary and you talk about the safety position, and they're
both high quality guys, I think they're all tied to
Kyler Gordon because the versatility that he brings from the
second level even up to the first level to the
third level. He can add a lot to that safety
(44:16):
dimension of this defense. But he's also a guy that
has to stay healthy and stay on the field because
there was a couple of years ago when we are
uncertain about who is going to play in the defensive
backfield because of multiple injuries back there. So if you
can get this group of guys to stay healthy for
the for the long term, then you're talking about a
(44:37):
defense that can increase its versatility because of the versatility
of every one of those players.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
I want to talk wide receiver before he wrap things up.
Jim I just I have this snapshot of my mind
of DJ Moore at Washington two years ago when he
had the game of his career, blowing through the secondary,
getting free yards after the catch, break in tech, the suddenness,
and he is still wide receiver one for the Chicago Bears.
(45:05):
But how much now around him and how Ben Johnson's
creativity will fall in here will make him even more
dangerous and maybe give him a real big boost this
season because it's not just him, it's Roma Doonesa, it's
Luther Burden, it's alamodez Kias, it's you know we touched
on all these, it's the two tight ends. Could he
could he blow up this year and just go crazy?
Speaker 2 (45:27):
Yeah? I do.
Speaker 5 (45:28):
I still think he's a coverage dictator where he can
open up a lot of things for other guys. But
it's got to start somewhere, because if he continues to
do what he do what he does week one, teams
are still going to come in covering him as the
number one guy. But if Ben Johnson is able to establish,
say over a four week period, that the tight ends
(45:48):
are getting the ball more or Roma done Ze, teams
will start dedicating their coverage towards the other guys, and
now DJ Moore will have a chance to explode. Plus
he's always going to be a far to play action
if the run game is a possibility, because they're going
to dedicate more players to the line of scrimmaers to
stop the run and that could leave good one on
(46:09):
ones on the outside for Tjmore, for Djmore for home
run opportunities. So it's critical there's a nice buffet that
Caleb Williams, the quarterback of the Bears, has to choose from,
because I think the weapons are legitimate.
Speaker 2 (46:22):
And they are as good as any in.
Speaker 5 (46:24):
The league quite frankly of what they can do on paper,
but they have to do it on the field, and
that will dictate a lot how much Djmore will be
able to eat here in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
All right, boys, the pieces are in place, Jim, I
believe this is the last show for you during the offseason.
Camp now begins, so you're galivant and across football country
and then we will visit with you from time to
time during the season.
Speaker 5 (46:50):
Yeah, I'm looking forward to next week, Jeffic. It'll start
for you and I at Bears camp the twenty fourth
and twenty fifth, So let's get this party started.
Speaker 4 (46:58):
Big Jimmy, you and I would be remissed if we
didn't wish a happy birthday to our host, Jeff Joniac.
If we signed off without saying happy birthday and gushing
over him.
Speaker 3 (47:09):
I know he's ten years older than you.
Speaker 4 (47:11):
Jim Miller, you didn't even know who he was when
you were born, But on this July seventeenth day, it's
Jeff's birthday.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
Happy birthday, Jeff.
Speaker 3 (47:19):
Thank you guys, and thank you for not singing. That's
going to wrap us up. Thanks to our listeners and
our producers, and Tokiro Santos for time there, and Jim Miller.
I'm Jeff Joniac. This has been Bears Weekly on the
radio home of the Chicago Bears ESPN Chicago. Chris Bleck
is next. Have a great night, everybody.
Speaker 1 (47:37):
Thank you for listening to the Chicago Bears Network presentation
The Bears Weekly, hosted by the Mara Bears, Bill, Jeff Juliac,
and Surfmaster Tom Thayer. Podcasts were available on the Chicago
Bears Official ab brought to you by Verizon and Apple Podcasts.
Bears Weekly has been brought to you by Miller liked
Speaker 2 (48:01):
The spell
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