May 1, 2025 • 47 mins
Tight end Colston Loveland sits down with Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer to share what his first moments as a Bear were like and what he can bring to Chicago.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Got over that Dj Moore nisode Touchdown Touchdown Pairs.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I am Jeff Joniac. Blitz is not done, go offcur
What was like playing for Coche?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Good do?
Speaker 4 (00:14):
I don't want to answer any questions like that.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Pressure coming is a big trouble.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Donnie Goes Mottest Sweat.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Bears, et Cetera.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Brought to you by Miller Light with the voices that
the Bears, Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well, it's funny to me.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
We have the regular season, we've got the business season,
we've got the off season, we've got the draft season,
and now we have the greeting the draft season soon
to be followed by the schedule release Ota mini camps
and of course training camp. And we started all over
again with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom There. I'm
Jeff Joniac. Welcome to episode. The Bears et Cetera. Podcast
(00:54):
were brought to you by Miller Light. I start that way, Tom,
because it's now midweek as we tape this and the
grades are still still pouring in. There was actually a
website that put together a conglomerate of every grade from
every possible person that does the draft, analysts out there, podcasters, whatever,
(01:14):
and then gave a composite score of everybody's draft, and
they ranged from A to F. But I always find
that an exercise in futility. I never quite understood the
incessant need to grade every team's draft eight to F because, hey,
let's be honest, entity a as a player ranked in
the top one hundred, they pick him at one forty.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
All of a sudden, that's value pick.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
You got.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Another team drafts a guy a lot higher than he was. Great,
Now that's a bad pick. They're not getting bad choice.
You could have had players c on and on and on.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
It's all fun, but after a while it gets to
me out. You know, it's just you won't know for
three years. Huh you really won't.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
But since the beginning of this draft, since we started
evaluating talent and looking at what the Bears need, I didn't.
I don't care about who was picked where and what
did they pick with the Bears needed. And I think
when you go back and you look at this draft,
they went along the lines of needs after the free
agency period, and they brought an experienced offensive lineman, high
(02:15):
motivated defensive lineman, and then where else do they need
some you know, like a one to two punch one
two punches, the two tight ends. You know, you need
guys that are going to fit the plan of Coach
High Tower on the special teams, and they've been able
to do that. They brought in a wide receiver that
can elevate the receiver room even though they have guys
(02:36):
like DJ in Rome. So I like what Ben Johnson
and Dennis Allen have worked alongside Ryan Poles and brought
together guys that are needed and needed to develop overtime.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
And coming up, we'll be listening to us sit down
with Colston Loveland, the Bear's number one choice out of
Michigan at the number ten pick. Delightful, young twenty one
year old man and very excited to be a Shakan
Go Bear. We brought this up on our Box Sports
NFL Draft recap with Lukenellis the other night. I brought
it up, and it's the strength of the NFC North.
(03:11):
It's unescapable right now. It's an unescapable fact that it's rugged. Yes,
the AFC West is powerful as well. I added up
all the records of the divisions tom and the NFC
North had the best record in football last year at
forty five and twenty three.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
The AFC.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
West also had forty but nobody it's just different. It's
the physicality component, it's what teams are. It is a
reflection of the AFC North. Same thing they did very
well as well. You think you about it. We talked
about it last year, rugged divisions, but they doubled down
on the rugged part, you know, at the line of
(03:52):
scrimmage offensively on the defensive side of the ball, both
in free agency and in the draft.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That tells me something.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Yeah, you're exactly right. It is a physical division, and
I think it's only gonna get more talented and more
physical as time goes on, because when you have a
guy like Ben Johnson that moves from the Detroit Lions
to the Chicago Bears. We've seen a lot of Ben
Johnson from the work we do evaluating an opponent. But
now you have time to listen to Ben Johnson speak
(04:21):
at the microphone, and to me, I really believe he's
a no nonsense guy and he's about inner team competition.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
That's gonna make you.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
More competitive in the NFL schedule and your division. So
I'm really excited to see what we knew of him,
but what we're learning about him, and when they get
on the field and they start going to work and
then he evolves into pads and training camp, I think
there's gonna it's gonna be a working atmosphere that some
(04:51):
of these guys have never seen before.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Just in the draft alone, the four teams added twelve
pieces to the line of scrimmage either.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Side of the ball. I'd have to go through the the.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
The task and free agency, but we both know every
team did it. Vikings did it, Bears did it. So
it's to me, it's just getting ready, putting the armor on,
getting ready.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
They're gonna run the ball.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
You got young quarterbacks except for Jared Goff, who's in
the highlight of his career right now in a wheelhouse
see where see what happens now without Ben Johnson there.
But it just seems to me these teams are gonna
be really I can't wait to see the schedule and
how it all stacks up. You know, the league obviously
puts the division games more towards the middle of the
(05:33):
end of the year.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Maybe they'll sneak one in in.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
September, but it's you know, get ready for that finish
and and you know, start knocking out wins right away,
cause it's gonna get It's gonna be tough.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
It's gonna be tough. It's gonna be a tough division.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Like last year.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
You said this season where it really wasn't gonna start
until Week eleven when they started playing division games. But
I like the fact that within the division, all the
teams didn't deny the importance of the offense and defensive line.
And when you look at a young Caleb Williams that's
learning a new system, a JJ McCarthy that hasn't started
a game yet, a guy who's really talented but slowing
down in Jared Goff, and then still kind of figuring
(06:12):
how Jordan Love is going to fit in the big
picture for the Green Bay Packers. The reason that they're
all going to be successful or challenge is because of
the offense and defensive line performance. And you know, the
Bears and Ryan Poles and his staff went and made
some really you know, experienced choices up front that could
help Caleb the most. They know what they have in
(06:34):
the developing Darnell right now. They figure out what they're
going to do at left tackle, but every team in
our division. Like you said, they didn't deny that there
is need for upfront power, help and depth.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
We're brought to you by PNC Official Bank of the Bears,
and I'm thinking, you really just got to do it
every year. You got to just add reinforcements. And if
you have an over abundance of players at a spot,
so be it. Because we all talk about what degradation
over the course of a season that happens, and either
performance related or injury related, it's it's acute. That's why
(07:09):
Team Mike Philadelphia just keeps on pouring it in on
the defensive side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Offense.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
They draft high, they draft well, and they and they
pay their guys. Cam Jurgen's getting an extension. They sweetened
the pot for the right tackle Lane Johnson. He's in
his His thing is you're thirty five his age thirty
five year A yeah, no, but you know they just
you know, just draft, developed, draft develop, which is what
(07:35):
Ryan Poles wants to do. That was his state of
going when he got the job. Let's listen to the
first round pick Colston Lovelin. This was at Hallis Hall
right after his arrival with his family. They were in
awe of the place. It was pretty cool to see
brothers just enjoying the moment. Basically, when you're drafted to
the NFL, as you were, Tom, you bring your family
along with you. You go for the ride, and that happens
(07:57):
nowadays with first round picks and they bring their whole family.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
So let's listen in Coleston, Lovelin.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Welcome Chogolar number one.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
You just jazzed up right now and excited. Tell me
about how you're feeling.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, I'm excited. I've never been here. Got to see
all the coaches and everything, meeting everyone. Everyone's super nice
in the building. I feel like this is is a
good place to call home for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Isn't it like a hall of fame the Bears oone per.
I mean there's history everywhere.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
In Michigan, a lot like obviously it's different, but a
lot like Michigan.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, all right, So take us back to the call.
What was your immediate response.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yeah, it was like it was a little unexpected for sure.
Like it was in the private room talking with my
agents for my agent, and we're like and then boom,
I had two phones on me one but no one
had the number, except you know NFL team. So I
was like, I want to started ringing Illinois all right.
It was a rotten Ryan call. He's like, hey, it's
(08:53):
Ryan Pool, come on now. I was super excited. Yeah.
I can't even describe how offelt well on when I
got that call.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
It probably won't sink in for a while.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Right, Yeah, yeah, I don't know if it's it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
So now that this call comes in, and now you
know it is the charter franchise, This is where it
all began. You know, George Hollis the statue out in front.
Does that resonate with you, this kind of franchise to.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Be with, Yeah, no it does. And like I mean,
the fan base, the organization, everything about it. Like you said,
we're talking about the history, tradition. That means a lot.
And I'm just trying to help, you know, bring us
back to eighty five. Go win some games, Go win
a super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
So I appreciate the fact that you know that history, right,
not even born yet at that time. Walk us through
the last twenty four hours then from getting the call,
arriving here and then who have you had a chance
to meet and what are your first impressions? Of the facility.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, so got drafted, came out here, left at nine
pretty pretty quick. Got here, Matt really everyone, I feel like,
shout out to the ladies smoothies downstairs. They're super nice too.
They are really nice. Everyone is really nice. But yeah,
I know, I feel like I was saying, I feel
like there's a good place to call home. Met up
with all the coaches, Coach Johnson, I chopped it up
(10:10):
for a while, which is cool. I'm gonna meet with
Ryan here soon, so that would be nice. But uh not. Yeah,
I love everything about it. First time here obviously, and
like I said, it's it's it's own. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
That was my next question. How do you assess your
interactions with with Ryan on the phone and you know,
maybe during the scouting process and then of course Ben
coach Johnson's got a lot of juice energies.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yeah, he does.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
You got to you got to match that and surpass that, right, Yeah,
telling about those interactions.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
No, Yeah, I love it. So I met with them.
I had a meeting with them in common, but at
Pro Day was when I kind of it was like
a they had everyone hit at Pro Day. It was
probably like an hour and a half meeting and installed
watching tape breaking everything down, and I felt really good
about that one. I loved the energy I was getting
from coach Johnson, coach Dre Ryan, everyone, and uh so
(10:58):
I kind of had a little idea, but then like
to be here now and to see how fired up
they are about to pick, and how fired up I
am about to pick. It's super cool and I feel
like we're gonna mess well for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
And Ben obviously an elite football in mind league, and
what I understand is you have a very much the
same caliber understanding of football. There is a scouting quality
to football intelligence. Do you feel you have that?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah? Yeah, I think my football intelligence is pretty high.
I don't know where that comes from, whether that's just
kind of you're born with it or you just kind
of get it as time goes. But I'd say it's
pretty high, but it can definitely get higher. And I'm
being around a guy like coach Johnson's that's that's the
best way to do.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
How do you see your skill complimenting what is already here?
And we don't know exactly how it's all gonna look,
players don't even know yet with a new staff and whatnot.
But just complimenting that tight end group, and certainly Cole comment.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Yeah, he's a stud, and I think it's gonna be
great just learning from him and seeing how he moves,
figuring out his routine, you know, just kind of watching
and see how to move here. But I feel like
the game is getting to more twelve personnel, more two
tight ends, throwing defenses in a loop. You know you're
playing nickel base. What do we do? So you're having
two tight ends? I can do everything you know, true
(12:09):
three down tight ends. I think I just throws defenses
in a buying So I think it's gonna look really good.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
He's Coal, but you know you're Colston. So do you
go by Coal or that?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Over with?
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Now?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Well, yeah, I actually do. My family everyone calls me Cole,
so it'll probably have to be over with. It'll be Colston.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Somebody's gonna naturally organically have we're gonna call you something, something,
They're gonna call you something. You've played in some big
moments at such a big school, at national champion Michigan.
How do you think that experience prepares you for what's ahead?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah? I think for I think obviously it's different. There's
levels to it and NFL is different, but I think
that's as close as you can get for sure. Being
at the college today, just playing the game Rose Bull
National Championship, so blessed to be able to do those
and it's I think it's gonna help for sure, just
the pressure moments and you know, the bigger moments come
into lead.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Coach Harbaugh text you by chance because he's an expair.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Now he is. He hasn't talked to me. I don't
know if he's hit me up after the draft, but
he did talk to me before and he's just wishing
all as well and everything was good.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
What kind of goals do you have? Are you a
goal setting personally? You at liberty to share with us
what they might be.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah, I like to normally keep my goals to myself,
but uh yeah, I think just right now, like initially
my thoughts are coming here, create the relationships, earn respect,
earn you know, trust with my teammates, the coaches, everyone,
and build that relationship so we can actually get some
get some things going and uh yeah, just put my
putting my head down work and do whatever the whatever
(13:41):
I'm ask to do and win games.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Have you heard some teammates yet.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Uh yeah, Actually, Caleb face Timmy after I got drafted
and then Cole brig reached out, he texted me just saying, hey,
you know, wish all the best, congrats, let's get to work,
let's go in games.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
How about JJ McCarthy because he's a Chicago guy. Yeah,
you know, your former quarterback. But by virtue of the
Bears doing their due diligence and scouting Caleb and all
the other quarterbacks last year, that became a familiarity with
this big six foot six, nearly six foot six tight
end from Idahole. Yeah, so you got to thank JG
(14:16):
for that too. But it interesting, like you always.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Have to be.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
It's a perfect lesson of you never know who's watching
went exactly. You weren't ready to go to the NFL
just then, but you were getting scouted. You didn't even
know it.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yeah, without even getting scouted, like you said, watching the
JJ and then it's like, oh, who's just who's just
kid catching all these balls? So yeah, it was shouts
of Jedi for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
You know this is crazy, but prior to last night,
there had only been five tight ends drafted in the
first round over the last eight years and you know
there's two of you last night. Is that in addition
to your talent, but and the traits that you guys
bring to the table. Now, is it a sign of
the times in college football? The passing games, the spread,
whatever the case may be, some colleges using twelve personnel,
(15:00):
just the different influences of college that there is a
natural transition.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
To the NFL. Yeah, I think so, And like you
can just kind of see, like the tight end markets
just keeps climbing and climbing. Like I said, like more
teams are more and more tight ends on the field
playing because it puts defenses in a buying So I think, yeah,
it's something we're seeing at the college level. And then
I mean, if you do what if you do like
you know, what you do in the college level, it's
hard for a team not to take it in the
first round. So as long as you just do what
(15:26):
you can do, I feel like that's what I think
we're going to see some more of the next couple
of years for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
All Right, last one, I'm pretty certain that there's not
a player on this roster at the moment. It has
a history of branding calves and putting up wire fence
like you did in Gooding, Idaho. Right, tell me about
that and how did it shape you for your football life?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, yeah, it was did a lot of it for sure.
For grandparents and so uncles. They all had a bunch
of land and a bunch of cows, so we're always
always doing something. I feel like, just kind of growing
up around that, seeing how hard those people work, and
it's just work, work, work, it's all it is, you know,
the blue collar mindset, you could say, And just growing
up and being around that definitely helped me, I think,
(16:10):
on the football field and just you know, it's similar,
just work hard, do what you're supposed to do at
the best of your ability. And I think that definitely
helped shape me and I think it's going to continue
to shave me for sure.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Congratulations again, Thanks you so much. Appreciate time, Appreciate it
all right. I always ask you for your impression because
you know, first you've got to do the listening of
how he sounds and how comfortable he is, how mature
he is, and then dig into what he has to
say and what are your thoughts because I have a
few as well.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Again, just twenty one years old.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
At the very beginning, you asked him about the draft
night and the whole process, and he talked about how
he had two phones, and he had one phone that
only the teams in the NFL had the number two.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Well, we had a landline at my house.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
Jim Finks called my sister and that answered and she said, hey,
Jim Finks is on the phone, and he the Bears
just drafted you.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
That's the way the draft process went for us.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
We weren't anywhere celebrating anything. We're at home, and they
had our number, so anybody could have called us and
they might have gotten a busy signal. But the whole
draft process for a young man like that, and you
have your team, your family, your team at your home team,
your family surrounding you, waiting for that big moment, and
(17:23):
when it's unpredictable, but you're assuming and his best assume
assumptions came to light that phone rang, Hey, it's Ryan Poles.
The Chicago Bears were drafting you. And just think about
how your head starts spinning after that point. A million
different decisions. Oh my god, here I am on this
(17:44):
in Idaho. Now I'm going to Chicago. I just came
from Michigan, and now I'm going to go to a
team that had the rookie of the year, Mike Ditka,
the best tight end in history, the first tight end
in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
And then you talk about him getting.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
The Hallas Hall for the first time and going to
Hallas Hall for me two fifty North Washington.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
It was a.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
Small building with one hundred yard field and a forty
yard field, and you think about what you're exposed to
when you get in the building. How friendly the people were,
the girls that made the smoothies downstairs, how nice they are.
Just all the things that a kid like you said.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
That's twenty one years old is running through his mind.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
But it started twenty four hours ago and it's not
going to stop for what eight months, nine months, ten months?
And we talked about rome a doomsday, about that the
draft night, about from the time you finish your college season,
all the preparations and then once that season's over, that's
your first chance to rest. And Colston's not going to
(18:51):
get a chance to rest until the season's over.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah, how do you feel about that? Since you lived it?
You lived at year.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
You went USFL and played you know, two full seasons
in a Super Bowl win. I mean, it's the love
of the game one, but it's got to be mentally fatiguing,
let alone physically fatiguing, especially while you won.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
So I mean maybe it wasn't.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Now you know, it was an awesome experience for me,
but you also kind of never lose sight of the
people behind you that are counting on you. And I'm
not talking about your teammates, I'm talking about your family.
And then it kind of amps the pressure up a
little bit because everything they're going to do here and
cheer about for the next hopefully ten years is all
(19:38):
about Colston. And so I think he's a guy that
I really like his attitude because he's not.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Blowing anything out of proportion.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
He understands the reality of it, and so I'm excited
to see how his career uh moves along.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
You know, even commenting on the women that make this
moothies at hallis and that he is right, they are
very nice, very nice people, always pleasant. However, just to
bring that up out of nowhere, it tells me a
lot raised right gets it because we often say and this,
you know, I'm not a fan of how he says
(20:16):
things cam Newton. But he said something the other day.
I don't know if you saw it. If I find it,
I'm gonna send it to you. Can't air it because
it's filled with expletives. But it was in relation to
Shador Sanders and just draft picks in general. Do you
not basically as messages when they say they do work
on you, Oh, they're doing work on you. They're going
(20:36):
to every person they could possibly find that could tell
you something that will enhance you as a prospect or
derail you as a prospect. They want to know the
answers to the questions before they ask the player. So
they're gonna go talk to your old girlfriend. They're gonna
go talk to the people in the kitchen at Texas
A and M or you know, wherever you may have
(20:58):
played football, going to go to the bars that you
may have hung out at in college. Hey did you behavior?
They're going to so get that off your radar. It's
going to happen because this is a big job. It's
a big job interview with a major investment, and sometimes
he says things that make me scratch my head.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
But boy, he nailed it.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
He had he had the scouting process and the process
that every team goes through to a tea because they're
investigating everybody. They're investigating you from the time you went
to grade school. Trust me, it's just a matter of fact.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I'm surprised that of everything that I've looked and read
and heard about Colston and no one has talked about
that wall behind him in the draft room. And you
see those elks mounted on the wall.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Now someone did. It's his uncle's place, right.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
But this is what I would like to know, because
I grew up in a family of hunters and we
ate wild game when I was growing up. I would
like to know throughout the course of his life on
a farm, the different types of things as a family,
and as when you survive with grandma and Grandpa's and
aunts and uncles that have those farms. You know, you
(22:13):
you eight other things other than the elk that are
up on the wall. I would like to know what
as a kid, the different things that.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
It just it probably made me squirm because some of
the things that you ate, I couldn't do it.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
I couldn't do it. I give you credit. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Well, I mean it's a bit.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
It's a big family and you're surviving and that's part
of bringing of that era of my mom and dad,
and so I would love to hear what he wants.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Wasn't that Xavier Worthy?
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Who's that player?
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I can't remember now. Last year he's from down to
the South. They were eating some crazy things and he
was telling people what he was eating, and it was
it was kind of hard to literally and figuratively digest.
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(23:08):
Ninety six calories and three point two carbs per twelve ounces.
So George Kittle just passed Trey McBride of Arizona with
an NFL record pay day four years seventy six point
four million. It's about nineteen point one annual average. McBride,
the young player from Arizona at nineteen. Then in order
(23:28):
Travis Kelce, TJ. Hockinson, Dallas Goddard, Mark Andrews. The latter
two there were thought to be on the trade block
and still yet me me Dealt, David and Joe Cool Cleveland.
Cole Comet checks in at number eight at twelve and
a half million on average, Pat Fryarmuth from Pittsburgh, Dalton
Schultz of Houston.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
They're not just pure blockers. You got to do a
little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
But you know, we talk about the passing game, of
the age of the passing game, and the impact of
all these receivers, but I hesitate to forget about the
impact of the tight ends owning the middle of the field,
your red zone weapons, third down weapons, moving the chains.
Every catch you make is a first down on average.
I mean the significance of having Coal and Colston and
(24:12):
how they're going to play off of one another. We
discussed this before the matchups. They're going to create for
Ben Johnson, or that Ben Johnson will create for them,
and Caleb Williams two big targets that you can't miss.
They're going to have a size advantage ninety percent of
the time on who's defending them on the back end.
And I just see big things happening for both of them,
(24:33):
and it's reflected in the amount of money that's being
invested in these titands.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Well, Colston brought that up in your interview with them
about how do you defend the two tight ends of
Coal and Colston. It was funny when you were talking
to him about his family, how they call him Coal.
But now at twenty one years old, they're going to
have to change the way they talk to him, and
it's back to the formal Colston. But he understands their
(24:59):
role and the importance and the difficulty of matching up
against the two of them. And they're not only in
line blockers anymore. Now they're probably one of the most
versatile offensive pieces that there is in the NFL these days.
And you think about the transition. You know, Dave Casper
was an offensive tackle at Notre Dame in college and
(25:19):
then he became a Hall of Fame tight end in
his career. You have other guys that were offensive tackles
in college became tight ends, and you had tight ends
that became offensive tackles. So the position nowadays is very
specific to the multiple needs that you have.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
To have for a tight end.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
And right now you look at the Bears tight end room,
they have a group of some of the best tight
ends in the division and.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
In the league.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, Derham Smythe added he's an inline guy for the
most part. Stephen Carlson, whom we liked, we liked last
year at training camp. This is a very serious player
and a guy that will be in the mix as
well a tight end. So a lot lot of good things.
Now you know, we can talk about Luther Burden the
third How's how's this player? I mean, I'm sure you've
(26:08):
dipped into some tape here and watch some things about
what he brings to the table, the dynamic yak Uh,
there's so many different comparisons that are being made about
who he can be. I look at a similar body
type to a DJ Moore, but others have brought into
the mix, a player like Deebo Samuel, but you can
(26:28):
do a lot of things with them. But uh, the
make you miss, the vertical, speed, the fluidity.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Are all on the table.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Just going back and watching him evading tackles, forcing misstackles
with a ball in his hand. So I I liken
this to okay. So Ben Jonson talked about yack so much.
Gotta have run after the catch, gotta have yards after
the catch. So DJ's a tackle breaker. Luther Burden is
a tackle miss er, tackle breaker. Cole Comet with ahead
(26:56):
of steam is hard to bring down unto the ground.
Colston Lovelin looks physical at the point of the catch,
and we'll be hard to bring down as well, chopping
down that lumber Roma dunsay. I mean, all these guys
have a physical component that really excites me. I think
it's going to bring the house down at Soldier Field
when they're breaking tackles for big plays.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I agree.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
You know, one thing about Luther Burden, it seems like
he has eyes in the back of his head because
he's a.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Type of guy.
Speaker 5 (27:21):
While the ball's in the air, he's already thinking about
how he's going to make the first defender missed and
then how that's going to add extra yards to the catch.
And I like everything I've seen out of him. He's
a super talented receiver. He's a fast twitch receiver. He
it does really good job of running deceptive combo routes
(27:43):
to one side of the field or the other. And
I think when you have a guy like DJ and
Rome already that he's only going to make the offense
more versatile. He's going to you know, add to the
you know, three receiver sets with multiple tight ends on
the field, and like we've seen DJ run out of
the backfield, I wouldn't be surprised at some point this
(28:05):
year we see Luther lying up in the backfield.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
And now we have not.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Discussed this, but let's also.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Highlight Alamode's a kias because this is a tough, tough
right receiver.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
He is.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
He is no nonsense.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
He's gonna dig you out, he's gonna block you, he's
gonna make some nice catches. He had a great year
last year in Washington with that quarterback. So Devin DuVernay
as a potential return candidate at a fifth type of
ride receiver. Tyler Scott still the board. It's gonna be
it's gonna be interesting. There's a whole different cachet of
talent here, and you know we're gonna over the course
(28:41):
of the next several weeks we'll touch on all these
these guys, but we'll finish out with the second rounders
and then I got to bring up something on the
back end of the draft here. But as you've digested,
Ozzie Trepido and his six foot eight frame added to
the mix to compete for a starting job at at
the tackle position either side of the fence.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Where has where has those thoughts taken you?
Speaker 1 (29:05):
I know you mentioned the comparison to Dance Skipper in
terms of size and potential usage as a sixth attacker,
as a blocker and such, and as a pass receiver
for that matica Skipper's caught those What.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Have you learned?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
What have you learned from from from thinking about it
and watching some stuff on Azie Tripillo.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
You know he's a committed football player. He's not a
guy that's looking for what's my next best opportunity and option.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
His best opportunity and option is.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
To come to the Chicago Bears camp and then start
competing for a starting position. And if they find out
that he's such a dominant right tackle that maybe you
got to plug him in there and you got to
go to work and then explore what Darnell Right is
capable of at the left side or vice versa. I
think Dan Rochard, the new offensive line coach, he's got
(29:53):
enough experience that if he says, this guy is undeniably
one of our best six or seven offen of lineman
that's competing on a daily basis, then you're going to
have to explore every option for him. And I'm not
excluding offensive guard because I've seen guys have done it
before back in the hog type of days, the Washington
(30:16):
Redskins at that time, they had big offensive guards playing
inside there.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
And so I just think when you have a.
Speaker 5 (30:25):
Guy that is that talented, you got to figure out
a way for him to earn opportunities on the field.
And that's why I keep bringing up Dan Skipper because
I think when you have multiple six offensive lineman sets, damn,
he could go in there almost immediately and give you
power on the outside where you can use them as
a point of attack or you can use them as
(30:45):
a deceptive backside. And he did play a little tight
end in his background, like you said, And so there's
always going to be that concern is what is Ben
Johnson going to do to trick me.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
With, you know, in the in the weirdest of ways.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, some unbalanced lines, who knows. I mean, all that's
on the table with Ben. Also, I have a lot
of respect from the information I've gathered on Dan Roschar
to have the right teaching tools and ability to connect
with his guys to get the most out of that
offensive line.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
So I think you would agree on that one.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
I can't wait you guys get more time together talking
about things because wealth of experience. This is not a
young offensive line. This guy has been around a bit.
He's in his sixties. He's coached at various levels, a
great time with the New Orleans Saints with an outstanding
offensive line during his time there, and then also in
the college game.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Listen, he coached my nephew.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
I have other offensive line coaches in the NFL that
have reached out to me to tell me what a
good coach he is in terms of technique and fundamentals
in what offensive linemen need preached to them every single
day if you or in the first year.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Of the career year in the tenth of year year career.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
So I am looking to see how he takes this
big ball of bodies.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
And molds them into an offensive line.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
And then for us, let's hope the pieces that he
puts in place can stay there for a long period
of time that can help Caleb this offense and Ben and.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
The sooner the better, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Obviously, we don't know about Braxton Jones or when he'll
be able to begin practicing, and you'd like to have
things really headed into training camp, rare and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
And not doing a ton of experimenting.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
I would think, you know, you would like to get
those guys whoever the five are playing together as rapidly
as possible and as many practice reps and time on
task together to solidify that you don't want to I
wouldn't think you want to go right up until the
first week of the season and we're still trying to
figure out who's going to play where well.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
As we sit here in late April twenty twenty five,
and Ben said, there is no depth chart, but we
knew if we talked about the offensive line, we know
four of the five that are going to line up
on the first play, and everything is the evaluation of Braxton,
karam Amagazi, Trapillo, everybody who's a candidate for that left
(33:16):
tackle position. That's where Dan's going to have to work
probably the most in order to figure out who wins
that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
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Speaker 2 (33:44):
A word on Amagaji. As we sit here.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
In the evaluation that people may have had of him
last year, I say, let's dismiss it. That's unfair, you
know exactly. So I'm excited because a he's a committed player,
he loves the game. He wants to be he wants
to be something special. Okay, he's a very smart guy.
(34:08):
He's got gifts physically, god given gifts, the size, the athleticism,
and as a third round pick that's a high pick,
and develop him in some fashion where it is guard
or tackle, whatever they decide to do.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I'm excited about that piece as.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Well, because he's going to have a clean runway now
hoping that he's one hundred percent healthy, I'm assuming he is.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
He's going to have a runway he didn't have last
year at all.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
In a lot of different ways. He's going to have
a runway that he didn't have last year.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Because you know.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
The thing about it is, if he's playing a position
where he has an experienced veteran next to him, don't
understand how much that can do for you as a
developing player.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
And when I came to.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
The Bears and Horn and Hilge were bolt in place
for a period of time, you could talk so much
football with these guys that they could speed up your
thinking process, you know, months in advance. So I think
when you get a guy like Krona Magaji, who's talking
to a player like Joe Toney who is an All Pro,
(35:17):
multiple year Super Bowl winning offensive guard, but he's also
played offensive tackle, So there's a lot of conversation that
it's not only going to be through Dan Roshar. Sometimes
it's going to be to the guy playing to the
right and to the left of you.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
All right, let's talk Shamar Turner, Tom Texas A and
M second round pick number sixty two, explosive three technique.
He's all about a bundle of being an energy bundle,
and he's fiery, and he's he's going to have to
pull it in in games a little bit, I would imagine,
but I think training camp is going to be fire
with him.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Now.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
You know, DeMarcus Walker was like that. Other players that
we've had a Keem Hicks was like that back in
the day. If my memory reserves correctly, Ted Washington and
Keith Traylor were like that against you know, uh, you
know Olin and Roberto Garza and the Fellas.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
In between, I know, we've had some others that that
really warm people up, got him stirred up, got the
blood up, all in the name of just let's be
We're gonna be a tough football team. We're gonna we're
gonna make some noise. We're gonna have a little swager
around the defensive side of the ball. Granted he's just
a rookie, but I feel he plays one way. This
is how he's gonna play.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
You know, it's gonna be fun to sit there and
watch one on ones because that's always the great competition
of training camp and full pads. But I don't think
we're gonna see the best until you see preseason game
reps and in the regular season. Because the way this
guy tackles, he tackles with a violence that he wants
that body to hit the ground hard and it's gonna
(36:53):
be the ground the opponent and him on top of you.
And so when I go and I watch these highlights,
his intent at the tackling point is physical, quick and
hard and so like I said, they're not going to
allow him to tackle his own teammates. But when he
gets a chance to get some reps in those early
games in the regular season, I think that's when we're
(37:16):
going to see the best.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
Out of them.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
All Right, I've only seen a few, but I'm going
to spend some time even today looking up and seeing
what I can find on Kyle Manunguy, the Rutgers running back.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
A little bit over five to eight. He's a bowling.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Ball back, durable, reliable, the no fumbles and seven hundred
plus snaps twice a captain, scrapes free yards, play special teams,
a tractor beam to the hole. These are all scouting
lines and signatures of who the player is.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
But have you watched his pass protection stuff?
Speaker 6 (37:51):
Yep, yea wow wow, initiating the contact, blowing people up
with a tom Tom.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
I wish that we could get head coach Greg Ciano
on the podcast with us at some point for ten
or fifteen minutes, because a lot of people Bears fans,
they probably don't remember Greg Ciano and they don't know them.
Speaker 4 (38:16):
But this dude is serious. He's hardball serious, and if you.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
Don't come up and live up to his expectations, his
work ethic and what he expects out of you and
your ability, you're not gonna play for him. Greg Ciano
is one of the strictest and toughest coaches in the
college football. And I think this guy and Hippo have
(38:41):
benefited for playing for a guy like that, And that's
why they're both coming to an NFL camp for, you know,
to put what they've learned on display.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
Ruben Hippolyte from Maryland also a traits player as they say,
four four to two speed would have led all the
linebackers of the combine. And a guy that'll hit you
as well. And excited about seeing him as well as
Zach Fraser our Ze Fraser excited to see him. About
Ze Fraser the long corner at six three, I like
(39:11):
big corners.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
I keep thinking of Peena Tillman. I just the length matters.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
It erases some distance and it takes away some of
the speed element if you can get your hands on.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Him, and that's what's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
But he still ran a four to three.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yeah, well know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Yes, speat on the other side gets muted if you
put a hand in your chest and you gotta re
set and go. And then Luke Newhoman in Michigan State
durable and strong with the twenty nine reps at the combine.
So I'm thinking this guy, it's important to him and
I can't wait to see what you think about him
as well. These are all players that I'm excited to
see in addition to what we brought in. I think
(39:46):
it's going to be a fun, fun training camp.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Hey Bears.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
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Speaker 2 (40:10):
Rick Sarah Tell has been a long time draft guy,
does a great job. If you would have asked me this,
I would have failed.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
I don't know how this is possible, but he said
in the Week one last year, there were four hundred
and eighty six undrafted players on NFL rosters.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Does that sound right to you.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
Yeah, okay, So the average makes it more about fifteen
players a team. We often think of only the undrafteds
that are in our face right now.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
The Bears have a collection of them.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
They'll be at rookie Mini caamp here in a week
and more than likely some of those guys are gonna
make the team.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
But there have been guys that have made teams.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Edwards that you forget that he wasn't drafted. When Jack
Sanborn is here, he didn't play like an undrafted player.
He played like a draft pick. So, but more to
this now, So twelve percent of the Week one starters
in the NFL last year undrafted. Fifteen have been inducted
to the Pro Football Hall of Fame that were undrafted,
(41:16):
And without seventeen rounds of a draft, you'd have a
lot more that would be considered undrafted, you know, in
today's world of seven rounds. So on any given year,
undrafted players consist of approximately twenty percent of each NFL roster. Now,
there are some cost savings there by having an undrafted player.
They get a minimum salary, so that helps with the
(41:39):
salary cap, and then it would increase to forty percent
of NFL rosters when you throw in practice squad players.
So hats off to the undrafteds, the guys who teams
didn't think had the pedigree to be a draft pick,
or there's too many good players at one position, We're
gonna just double down and get some undrafted guys in
(42:02):
here to increase the competition. Those guys give themselves a
great opportunity because they're hungry, they're not paid yet, as
you'd like to say, they give their full effort. They're
never gonna take it for granted. It never leaves them. Heck,
you're still mad you were a fourth run pick. I mean,
this was very enlightening to me. I never took the
(42:22):
time to delve into something like that. But here's to
all the undrafted players are gonna be at rookie mini camps,
the guys that are gonna get tryouts to hopefully be
an undrafted player on the training camp roster. But they're
all over the league, and they'll be at Hallas Hall
too next week.
Speaker 4 (42:37):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (42:37):
They're the hungriest, most disciplined guys from the moment they
come aboard to the end of their career. And the
undrafted free agents that I played with Jay Hilgenberg, who
should be a Hall of Famer. Just an incredibly talented
guy in his prime, probably the best center in the
National Football League, next to Dwight Stevenson from the Miami
(42:58):
Dolphins and the other free agents that we've got to
broadcast for along the line, like Big Kat Williams. Just
an amazing, dedicated group of men.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
They are never late.
Speaker 5 (43:12):
You don't have to ask them to be on time,
you don't have to tell them where to be, you
don't have to wonder if they're going to be in
full pads or not in that day of practice. It's
a legitimate group of competitors that are probably as alpha
in their existence as any other player in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
Because they got more on the line.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
And they're always living on the edge, they're more than
likely to be in a series of one year contracts
over successive years. It's really quite interesting in the levels
of which an NFL team is built in the hierarchy
and how it's all put together to build one good,
architecturally sound, winning, winning program. All right, Tom, I think
(43:54):
I've exhausted my notebook. I had one more as non
Bears related. Can I just throw it at you. Yeah,
I found this interesting because what do you think of
Gino Smith he's now the Vegas Raiders, Because I'm going
to give you some numbers about him since twenty twenty
two in the NFC.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
Listen, I thought he was done, me too, he was
on his way out of football. I thought he was
going to be a career backup or maybe you know,
some other exploratory quarterbacks outside of Geno the wreck. He's
not really a reclamation project. He just finally clicked with
the right staff and the right offense. And I really
(44:32):
like what the guy has been able to redevelop into.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
In the NFC since twenty twenty two, So the last
three years, he is second in passing yards, third in
completion percentage. It's sixty seven point four percent, sixth in
passing yards per game, third in passing touchdowns with fifty,
and fifth in lowest interception percentage. I'd say that's a
(44:57):
definition of underrated, nicely done, but.
Speaker 5 (45:02):
Underrated, but redeveloped because like I said, you know, he
kind of flourished a couple or he kind of failed
on a couple of opportunities, and then he flourished in
the perfect opportunity and then he what, he just got
a extension this year for the Los Angeles Raiders and
we'll see him out there this year.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Vegas Raiders once, Vegas once, the Los Angelus Raiders and
the opener did I say los Angeles it.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
Happens to him Vegas Raiders? Yes? And you know that's uh. I.
Speaker 5 (45:35):
I really applaud Geno Smith for what you know what
he's been able to recover.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
All right, Tom, you're in OI now hitting the water,
and have you taken the board out yet? Testing you
took a spin on that new uh new knee.
Speaker 5 (45:51):
I took put I did? I surfed. I was surfing
yesterday morning and I got video of him. Sent him
to the doctor who did my surgery, just to let
him know what he did for me is already at work.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
Wow. What was the fear factor?
Speaker 1 (46:08):
If I may ask, on a scale of one to ten,
ten being the worst, There.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
Was no fear.
Speaker 5 (46:13):
It was more of you know, popping to your feet
and make sure that you know you have that stability. No,
I was super encouraging. Really, it just kind of gave
me a new lease on life, just like Gino Smith.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
Yeah, well, hey, the water it speaks to you like
the Ryan Pole's draft board buddy.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
That's right, we'll have fun.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
We'll talk to you on Thursday night on Bears Weekly
on a SBO one thousand and the Bears Ready to network.
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(46:56):
That's going to do it for us. Special thanks to
Coaston lovelinport Time.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
There.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
I'm Jeff Jonia. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
Everybody, please subscribe now in the Chicago Bears Official Apple, Apple,
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Speaker 2 (47:08):
Spear down, everybody,
Got over that Dj Moore nisode Touchdown Touchdown Pairs.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
I am Jeff Joniac. Blitz is not done, go offcur
What was like playing for Coche?
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Good do?
Speaker 4 (00:14):
I don't want to answer any questions like that.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Pressure coming is a big trouble.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Donnie Goes Mottest Sweat.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
Bears, et Cetera.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
Brought to you by Miller Light with the voices that
the Bears, Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Well, it's funny to me.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
We have the regular season, we've got the business season,
we've got the off season, we've got the draft season,
and now we have the greeting the draft season soon
to be followed by the schedule release Ota mini camps
and of course training camp. And we started all over
again with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom There. I'm
Jeff Joniac. Welcome to episode. The Bears et Cetera. Podcast
(00:54):
were brought to you by Miller Light. I start that way, Tom,
because it's now midweek as we tape this and the
grades are still still pouring in. There was actually a
website that put together a conglomerate of every grade from
every possible person that does the draft, analysts out there, podcasters, whatever,
(01:14):
and then gave a composite score of everybody's draft, and
they ranged from A to F. But I always find
that an exercise in futility. I never quite understood the
incessant need to grade every team's draft eight to F because, hey,
let's be honest, entity a as a player ranked in
the top one hundred, they pick him at one forty.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
All of a sudden, that's value pick.
Speaker 4 (01:36):
You got.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Another team drafts a guy a lot higher than he was. Great,
Now that's a bad pick. They're not getting bad choice.
You could have had players c on and on and on.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
It's all fun, but after a while it gets to
me out. You know, it's just you won't know for
three years. Huh you really won't.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:54):
But since the beginning of this draft, since we started
evaluating talent and looking at what the Bears need, I didn't.
I don't care about who was picked where and what
did they pick with the Bears needed. And I think
when you go back and you look at this draft,
they went along the lines of needs after the free
agency period, and they brought an experienced offensive lineman, high
(02:15):
motivated defensive lineman, and then where else do they need
some you know, like a one to two punch one
two punches, the two tight ends. You know, you need
guys that are going to fit the plan of Coach
High Tower on the special teams, and they've been able
to do that. They brought in a wide receiver that
can elevate the receiver room even though they have guys
(02:36):
like DJ in Rome. So I like what Ben Johnson
and Dennis Allen have worked alongside Ryan Poles and brought
together guys that are needed and needed to develop overtime.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
And coming up, we'll be listening to us sit down
with Colston Loveland, the Bear's number one choice out of
Michigan at the number ten pick. Delightful, young twenty one
year old man and very excited to be a Shakan
Go Bear. We brought this up on our Box Sports
NFL Draft recap with Lukenellis the other night. I brought
it up, and it's the strength of the NFC North.
(03:11):
It's unescapable right now. It's an unescapable fact that it's rugged. Yes,
the AFC West is powerful as well. I added up
all the records of the divisions tom and the NFC
North had the best record in football last year at
forty five and twenty three.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
The AFC.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
West also had forty but nobody it's just different. It's
the physicality component, it's what teams are. It is a
reflection of the AFC North. Same thing they did very
well as well. You think you about it. We talked
about it last year, rugged divisions, but they doubled down
on the rugged part, you know, at the line of
(03:52):
scrimmage offensively on the defensive side of the ball, both
in free agency and in the draft.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That tells me something.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Yeah, you're exactly right. It is a physical division, and
I think it's only gonna get more talented and more
physical as time goes on, because when you have a
guy like Ben Johnson that moves from the Detroit Lions
to the Chicago Bears. We've seen a lot of Ben
Johnson from the work we do evaluating an opponent. But
now you have time to listen to Ben Johnson speak
(04:21):
at the microphone, and to me, I really believe he's
a no nonsense guy and he's about inner team competition.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
That's gonna make you.
Speaker 5 (04:30):
More competitive in the NFL schedule and your division. So
I'm really excited to see what we knew of him,
but what we're learning about him, and when they get
on the field and they start going to work and
then he evolves into pads and training camp, I think
there's gonna it's gonna be a working atmosphere that some
(04:51):
of these guys have never seen before.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Just in the draft alone, the four teams added twelve
pieces to the line of scrimmage either.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
Side of the ball. I'd have to go through the the.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
The task and free agency, but we both know every
team did it. Vikings did it, Bears did it. So
it's to me, it's just getting ready, putting the armor on,
getting ready.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
They're gonna run the ball.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
You got young quarterbacks except for Jared Goff, who's in
the highlight of his career right now in a wheelhouse
see where see what happens now without Ben Johnson there.
But it just seems to me these teams are gonna
be really I can't wait to see the schedule and
how it all stacks up. You know, the league obviously
puts the division games more towards the middle of the
(05:33):
end of the year.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Maybe they'll sneak one in in.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
September, but it's you know, get ready for that finish
and and you know, start knocking out wins right away,
cause it's gonna get It's gonna be tough.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
It's gonna be tough. It's gonna be a tough division.
Speaker 4 (05:47):
Like last year.
Speaker 5 (05:47):
You said this season where it really wasn't gonna start
until Week eleven when they started playing division games. But
I like the fact that within the division, all the
teams didn't deny the importance of the offense and defensive line.
And when you look at a young Caleb Williams that's
learning a new system, a JJ McCarthy that hasn't started
a game yet, a guy who's really talented but slowing
down in Jared Goff, and then still kind of figuring
(06:12):
how Jordan Love is going to fit in the big
picture for the Green Bay Packers. The reason that they're
all going to be successful or challenge is because of
the offense and defensive line performance. And you know, the
Bears and Ryan Poles and his staff went and made
some really you know, experienced choices up front that could
help Caleb the most. They know what they have in
(06:34):
the developing Darnell right now. They figure out what they're
going to do at left tackle, but every team in
our division. Like you said, they didn't deny that there
is need for upfront power, help and depth.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
We're brought to you by PNC Official Bank of the Bears,
and I'm thinking, you really just got to do it
every year. You got to just add reinforcements. And if
you have an over abundance of players at a spot,
so be it. Because we all talk about what degradation
over the course of a season that happens, and either
performance related or injury related, it's it's acute. That's why
(07:09):
Team Mike Philadelphia just keeps on pouring it in on
the defensive side of the ball.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Offense.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
They draft high, they draft well, and they and they
pay their guys. Cam Jurgen's getting an extension. They sweetened
the pot for the right tackle Lane Johnson. He's in
his His thing is you're thirty five his age thirty
five year A yeah, no, but you know they just
you know, just draft, developed, draft develop, which is what
(07:35):
Ryan Poles wants to do. That was his state of
going when he got the job. Let's listen to the
first round pick Colston Lovelin. This was at Hallis Hall
right after his arrival with his family. They were in
awe of the place. It was pretty cool to see
brothers just enjoying the moment. Basically, when you're drafted to
the NFL, as you were, Tom, you bring your family
along with you. You go for the ride, and that happens
(07:57):
nowadays with first round picks and they bring their whole family.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
So let's listen in Coleston, Lovelin.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Welcome Chogolar number one.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
You just jazzed up right now and excited. Tell me
about how you're feeling.
Speaker 3 (08:09):
Yeah, I'm excited. I've never been here. Got to see
all the coaches and everything, meeting everyone. Everyone's super nice
in the building. I feel like this is is a
good place to call home for sure.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
Isn't it like a hall of fame the Bears oone per.
I mean there's history everywhere.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
In Michigan, a lot like obviously it's different, but a
lot like Michigan.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, all right, So take us back to the call.
What was your immediate response.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Yeah, it was like it was a little unexpected for sure.
Like it was in the private room talking with my
agents for my agent, and we're like and then boom,
I had two phones on me one but no one
had the number, except you know NFL team. So I
was like, I want to started ringing Illinois all right.
It was a rotten Ryan call. He's like, hey, it's
(08:53):
Ryan Pool, come on now. I was super excited. Yeah.
I can't even describe how offelt well on when I
got that call.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
It probably won't sink in for a while.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
Right, Yeah, yeah, I don't know if it's it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
So now that this call comes in, and now you
know it is the charter franchise, This is where it
all began. You know, George Hollis the statue out in front.
Does that resonate with you, this kind of franchise to.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
Be with, Yeah, no it does. And like I mean,
the fan base, the organization, everything about it. Like you said,
we're talking about the history, tradition. That means a lot.
And I'm just trying to help, you know, bring us
back to eighty five. Go win some games, Go win
a super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
So I appreciate the fact that you know that history, right,
not even born yet at that time. Walk us through
the last twenty four hours then from getting the call,
arriving here and then who have you had a chance
to meet and what are your first impressions? Of the facility.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Yeah, so got drafted, came out here, left at nine
pretty pretty quick. Got here, Matt really everyone, I feel like,
shout out to the ladies smoothies downstairs. They're super nice too.
They are really nice. Everyone is really nice. But yeah,
I know, I feel like I was saying, I feel
like there's a good place to call home. Met up
with all the coaches, Coach Johnson, I chopped it up
(10:10):
for a while, which is cool. I'm gonna meet with
Ryan here soon, so that would be nice. But uh not. Yeah,
I love everything about it. First time here obviously, and
like I said, it's it's it's own. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
That was my next question. How do you assess your
interactions with with Ryan on the phone and you know,
maybe during the scouting process and then of course Ben
coach Johnson's got a lot of juice energies.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Yeah, he does.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
You got to you got to match that and surpass that, right, Yeah,
telling about those interactions.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
No, Yeah, I love it. So I met with them.
I had a meeting with them in common, but at
Pro Day was when I kind of it was like
a they had everyone hit at Pro Day. It was
probably like an hour and a half meeting and installed
watching tape breaking everything down, and I felt really good
about that one. I loved the energy I was getting
from coach Johnson, coach Dre Ryan, everyone, and uh so
(10:58):
I kind of had a little idea, but then like
to be here now and to see how fired up
they are about to pick, and how fired up I
am about to pick. It's super cool and I feel
like we're gonna mess well for sure.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
And Ben obviously an elite football in mind league, and
what I understand is you have a very much the
same caliber understanding of football. There is a scouting quality
to football intelligence. Do you feel you have that?
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah? Yeah, I think my football intelligence is pretty high.
I don't know where that comes from, whether that's just
kind of you're born with it or you just kind
of get it as time goes. But I'd say it's
pretty high, but it can definitely get higher. And I'm
being around a guy like coach Johnson's that's that's the
best way to do.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
How do you see your skill complimenting what is already here?
And we don't know exactly how it's all gonna look,
players don't even know yet with a new staff and whatnot.
But just complimenting that tight end group, and certainly Cole comment.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
Yeah, he's a stud, and I think it's gonna be
great just learning from him and seeing how he moves,
figuring out his routine, you know, just kind of watching
and see how to move here. But I feel like
the game is getting to more twelve personnel, more two
tight ends, throwing defenses in a loop. You know you're
playing nickel base. What do we do? So you're having
two tight ends? I can do everything you know, true
(12:09):
three down tight ends. I think I just throws defenses
in a buying So I think it's gonna look really good.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
He's Coal, but you know you're Colston. So do you
go by Coal or that?
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Over with?
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Now?
Speaker 3 (12:21):
Well, yeah, I actually do. My family everyone calls me Cole,
so it'll probably have to be over with. It'll be Colston.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Somebody's gonna naturally organically have we're gonna call you something, something,
They're gonna call you something. You've played in some big
moments at such a big school, at national champion Michigan.
How do you think that experience prepares you for what's ahead?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah? I think for I think obviously it's different. There's
levels to it and NFL is different, but I think
that's as close as you can get for sure. Being
at the college today, just playing the game Rose Bull
National Championship, so blessed to be able to do those
and it's I think it's gonna help for sure, just
the pressure moments and you know, the bigger moments come
into lead.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Coach Harbaugh text you by chance because he's an expair.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Now he is. He hasn't talked to me. I don't
know if he's hit me up after the draft, but
he did talk to me before and he's just wishing
all as well and everything was good.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
What kind of goals do you have? Are you a
goal setting personally? You at liberty to share with us
what they might be.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Yeah, I like to normally keep my goals to myself,
but uh yeah, I think just right now, like initially
my thoughts are coming here, create the relationships, earn respect,
earn you know, trust with my teammates, the coaches, everyone,
and build that relationship so we can actually get some
get some things going and uh yeah, just put my
putting my head down work and do whatever the whatever
(13:41):
I'm ask to do and win games.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Have you heard some teammates yet.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Uh yeah, Actually, Caleb face Timmy after I got drafted
and then Cole brig reached out, he texted me just saying, hey,
you know, wish all the best, congrats, let's get to work,
let's go in games.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
How about JJ McCarthy because he's a Chicago guy. Yeah,
you know, your former quarterback. But by virtue of the
Bears doing their due diligence and scouting Caleb and all
the other quarterbacks last year, that became a familiarity with
this big six foot six, nearly six foot six tight
end from Idahole. Yeah, so you got to thank JG
(14:16):
for that too. But it interesting, like you always.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
Have to be.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
It's a perfect lesson of you never know who's watching
went exactly. You weren't ready to go to the NFL
just then, but you were getting scouted. You didn't even
know it.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Yeah, without even getting scouted, like you said, watching the
JJ and then it's like, oh, who's just who's just
kid catching all these balls? So yeah, it was shouts
of Jedi for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:36):
You know this is crazy, but prior to last night,
there had only been five tight ends drafted in the
first round over the last eight years and you know
there's two of you last night. Is that in addition
to your talent, but and the traits that you guys
bring to the table. Now, is it a sign of
the times in college football? The passing games, the spread,
whatever the case may be, some colleges using twelve personnel,
(15:00):
just the different influences of college that there is a
natural transition.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
To the NFL. Yeah, I think so, And like you
can just kind of see, like the tight end markets
just keeps climbing and climbing. Like I said, like more
teams are more and more tight ends on the field
playing because it puts defenses in a buying So I think, yeah,
it's something we're seeing at the college level. And then
I mean, if you do what if you do like
you know, what you do in the college level, it's
hard for a team not to take it in the
first round. So as long as you just do what
(15:26):
you can do, I feel like that's what I think
we're going to see some more of the next couple
of years for sure.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
All Right, last one, I'm pretty certain that there's not
a player on this roster at the moment. It has
a history of branding calves and putting up wire fence
like you did in Gooding, Idaho. Right, tell me about
that and how did it shape you for your football life?
Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yeah, yeah, it was did a lot of it for sure.
For grandparents and so uncles. They all had a bunch
of land and a bunch of cows, so we're always
always doing something. I feel like, just kind of growing
up around that, seeing how hard those people work, and
it's just work, work, work, it's all it is, you know,
the blue collar mindset, you could say, And just growing
up and being around that definitely helped me, I think,
(16:10):
on the football field and just you know, it's similar,
just work hard, do what you're supposed to do at
the best of your ability. And I think that definitely
helped shape me and I think it's going to continue
to shave me for sure.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Congratulations again, Thanks you so much. Appreciate time, Appreciate it
all right. I always ask you for your impression because
you know, first you've got to do the listening of
how he sounds and how comfortable he is, how mature
he is, and then dig into what he has to
say and what are your thoughts because I have a
few as well.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Again, just twenty one years old.
Speaker 5 (16:40):
At the very beginning, you asked him about the draft
night and the whole process, and he talked about how
he had two phones, and he had one phone that
only the teams in the NFL had the number two.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Well, we had a landline at my house.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
Jim Finks called my sister and that answered and she said, hey,
Jim Finks is on the phone, and he the Bears
just drafted you.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
That's the way the draft process went for us.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
We weren't anywhere celebrating anything. We're at home, and they
had our number, so anybody could have called us and
they might have gotten a busy signal. But the whole
draft process for a young man like that, and you
have your team, your family, your team at your home team,
your family surrounding you, waiting for that big moment, and
(17:23):
when it's unpredictable, but you're assuming and his best assume
assumptions came to light that phone rang, Hey, it's Ryan Poles.
The Chicago Bears were drafting you. And just think about
how your head starts spinning after that point. A million
different decisions. Oh my god, here I am on this
(17:44):
in Idaho. Now I'm going to Chicago. I just came
from Michigan, and now I'm going to go to a
team that had the rookie of the year, Mike Ditka,
the best tight end in history, the first tight end
in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
And then you talk about him getting.
Speaker 5 (18:00):
The Hallas Hall for the first time and going to
Hallas Hall for me two fifty North Washington.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
It was a.
Speaker 5 (18:08):
Small building with one hundred yard field and a forty
yard field, and you think about what you're exposed to
when you get in the building. How friendly the people were,
the girls that made the smoothies downstairs, how nice they are.
Just all the things that a kid like you said.
Speaker 4 (18:25):
That's twenty one years old is running through his mind.
Speaker 5 (18:28):
But it started twenty four hours ago and it's not
going to stop for what eight months, nine months, ten months?
And we talked about rome a doomsday, about that the
draft night, about from the time you finish your college season,
all the preparations and then once that season's over, that's
your first chance to rest. And Colston's not going to
(18:51):
get a chance to rest until the season's over.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Yeah, how do you feel about that? Since you lived it?
You lived at year.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
You went USFL and played you know, two full seasons
in a Super Bowl win. I mean, it's the love
of the game one, but it's got to be mentally fatiguing,
let alone physically fatiguing, especially while you won.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
So I mean maybe it wasn't.
Speaker 5 (19:17):
Now you know, it was an awesome experience for me,
but you also kind of never lose sight of the
people behind you that are counting on you. And I'm
not talking about your teammates, I'm talking about your family.
And then it kind of amps the pressure up a
little bit because everything they're going to do here and
cheer about for the next hopefully ten years is all
(19:38):
about Colston. And so I think he's a guy that
I really like his attitude because he's not.
Speaker 4 (19:46):
Blowing anything out of proportion.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
He understands the reality of it, and so I'm excited
to see how his career uh moves along.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
You know, even commenting on the women that make this
moothies at hallis and that he is right, they are
very nice, very nice people, always pleasant. However, just to
bring that up out of nowhere, it tells me a
lot raised right gets it because we often say and this,
you know, I'm not a fan of how he says
(20:16):
things cam Newton. But he said something the other day.
I don't know if you saw it. If I find it,
I'm gonna send it to you. Can't air it because
it's filled with expletives. But it was in relation to
Shador Sanders and just draft picks in general. Do you
not basically as messages when they say they do work
on you, Oh, they're doing work on you. They're going
(20:36):
to every person they could possibly find that could tell
you something that will enhance you as a prospect or
derail you as a prospect. They want to know the
answers to the questions before they ask the player. So
they're gonna go talk to your old girlfriend. They're gonna
go talk to the people in the kitchen at Texas
A and M or you know, wherever you may have
(20:58):
played football, going to go to the bars that you
may have hung out at in college. Hey did you behavior?
They're going to so get that off your radar. It's
going to happen because this is a big job. It's
a big job interview with a major investment, and sometimes
he says things that make me scratch my head.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
But boy, he nailed it.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
He had he had the scouting process and the process
that every team goes through to a tea because they're
investigating everybody. They're investigating you from the time you went
to grade school. Trust me, it's just a matter of fact.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
I'm surprised that of everything that I've looked and read
and heard about Colston and no one has talked about
that wall behind him in the draft room. And you
see those elks mounted on the wall.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Now someone did. It's his uncle's place, right.
Speaker 5 (21:53):
But this is what I would like to know, because
I grew up in a family of hunters and we
ate wild game when I was growing up. I would
like to know throughout the course of his life on
a farm, the different types of things as a family,
and as when you survive with grandma and Grandpa's and
aunts and uncles that have those farms. You know, you
(22:13):
you eight other things other than the elk that are
up on the wall. I would like to know what
as a kid, the different things that.
Speaker 1 (22:23):
It just it probably made me squirm because some of
the things that you ate, I couldn't do it.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
I couldn't do it. I give you credit. I don't know.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
Well, I mean it's a bit.
Speaker 5 (22:32):
It's a big family and you're surviving and that's part
of bringing of that era of my mom and dad,
and so I would love to hear what he wants.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Wasn't that Xavier Worthy?
Speaker 1 (22:41):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
Who's that player?
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I can't remember now. Last year he's from down to
the South. They were eating some crazy things and he
was telling people what he was eating, and it was
it was kind of hard to literally and figuratively digest.
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(23:08):
Ninety six calories and three point two carbs per twelve ounces.
So George Kittle just passed Trey McBride of Arizona with
an NFL record pay day four years seventy six point
four million. It's about nineteen point one annual average. McBride,
the young player from Arizona at nineteen. Then in order
(23:28):
Travis Kelce, TJ. Hockinson, Dallas Goddard, Mark Andrews. The latter
two there were thought to be on the trade block
and still yet me me Dealt, David and Joe Cool Cleveland.
Cole Comet checks in at number eight at twelve and
a half million on average, Pat Fryarmuth from Pittsburgh, Dalton
Schultz of Houston.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
They're not just pure blockers. You got to do a
little bit of both.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
But you know, we talk about the passing game, of
the age of the passing game, and the impact of
all these receivers, but I hesitate to forget about the
impact of the tight ends owning the middle of the field,
your red zone weapons, third down weapons, moving the chains.
Every catch you make is a first down on average.
I mean the significance of having Coal and Colston and
(24:12):
how they're going to play off of one another. We
discussed this before the matchups. They're going to create for
Ben Johnson, or that Ben Johnson will create for them,
and Caleb Williams two big targets that you can't miss.
They're going to have a size advantage ninety percent of
the time on who's defending them on the back end.
And I just see big things happening for both of them,
(24:33):
and it's reflected in the amount of money that's being
invested in these titands.
Speaker 5 (24:39):
Well, Colston brought that up in your interview with them
about how do you defend the two tight ends of
Coal and Colston. It was funny when you were talking
to him about his family, how they call him Coal.
But now at twenty one years old, they're going to
have to change the way they talk to him, and
it's back to the formal Colston. But he understands their
(24:59):
role and the importance and the difficulty of matching up
against the two of them. And they're not only in
line blockers anymore. Now they're probably one of the most
versatile offensive pieces that there is in the NFL these days.
And you think about the transition. You know, Dave Casper
was an offensive tackle at Notre Dame in college and
(25:19):
then he became a Hall of Fame tight end in
his career. You have other guys that were offensive tackles
in college became tight ends, and you had tight ends
that became offensive tackles. So the position nowadays is very
specific to the multiple needs that you have.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
To have for a tight end.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
And right now you look at the Bears tight end room,
they have a group of some of the best tight
ends in the division and.
Speaker 3 (25:46):
In the league.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yeah, Derham Smythe added he's an inline guy for the
most part. Stephen Carlson, whom we liked, we liked last
year at training camp. This is a very serious player
and a guy that will be in the mix as
well a tight end. So a lot lot of good things.
Now you know, we can talk about Luther Burden the
third How's how's this player? I mean, I'm sure you've
(26:08):
dipped into some tape here and watch some things about
what he brings to the table, the dynamic yak Uh,
there's so many different comparisons that are being made about
who he can be. I look at a similar body
type to a DJ Moore, but others have brought into
the mix, a player like Deebo Samuel, but you can
(26:28):
do a lot of things with them. But uh, the
make you miss, the vertical, speed, the fluidity.
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Are all on the table.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
Just going back and watching him evading tackles, forcing misstackles
with a ball in his hand. So I I liken
this to okay. So Ben Jonson talked about yack so much.
Gotta have run after the catch, gotta have yards after
the catch. So DJ's a tackle breaker. Luther Burden is
a tackle miss er, tackle breaker. Cole Comet with ahead
(26:56):
of steam is hard to bring down unto the ground.
Colston Lovelin looks physical at the point of the catch,
and we'll be hard to bring down as well, chopping
down that lumber Roma dunsay. I mean, all these guys
have a physical component that really excites me. I think
it's going to bring the house down at Soldier Field
when they're breaking tackles for big plays.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
I agree.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
You know, one thing about Luther Burden, it seems like
he has eyes in the back of his head because
he's a.
Speaker 4 (27:21):
Type of guy.
Speaker 5 (27:21):
While the ball's in the air, he's already thinking about
how he's going to make the first defender missed and
then how that's going to add extra yards to the catch.
And I like everything I've seen out of him. He's
a super talented receiver. He's a fast twitch receiver. He
it does really good job of running deceptive combo routes
(27:43):
to one side of the field or the other. And
I think when you have a guy like DJ and
Rome already that he's only going to make the offense
more versatile. He's going to you know, add to the
you know, three receiver sets with multiple tight ends on
the field, and like we've seen DJ run out of
the backfield, I wouldn't be surprised at some point this
(28:05):
year we see Luther lying up in the backfield.
Speaker 4 (28:09):
And now we have not.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Discussed this, but let's also.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Highlight Alamode's a kias because this is a tough, tough
right receiver.
Speaker 4 (28:18):
He is.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
He is no nonsense.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
He's gonna dig you out, he's gonna block you, he's
gonna make some nice catches. He had a great year
last year in Washington with that quarterback. So Devin DuVernay
as a potential return candidate at a fifth type of
ride receiver. Tyler Scott still the board. It's gonna be
it's gonna be interesting. There's a whole different cachet of
talent here, and you know we're gonna over the course
(28:41):
of the next several weeks we'll touch on all these
these guys, but we'll finish out with the second rounders
and then I got to bring up something on the
back end of the draft here. But as you've digested,
Ozzie Trepido and his six foot eight frame added to
the mix to compete for a starting job at at
the tackle position either side of the fence.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
Where has where has those thoughts taken you?
Speaker 1 (29:05):
I know you mentioned the comparison to Dance Skipper in
terms of size and potential usage as a sixth attacker,
as a blocker and such, and as a pass receiver
for that matica Skipper's caught those What.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
Have you learned?
Speaker 1 (29:17):
What have you learned from from from thinking about it
and watching some stuff on Azie Tripillo.
Speaker 5 (29:22):
You know he's a committed football player. He's not a
guy that's looking for what's my next best opportunity and option.
Speaker 4 (29:29):
His best opportunity and option is.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
To come to the Chicago Bears camp and then start
competing for a starting position. And if they find out
that he's such a dominant right tackle that maybe you
got to plug him in there and you got to
go to work and then explore what Darnell Right is
capable of at the left side or vice versa. I
think Dan Rochard, the new offensive line coach, he's got
(29:53):
enough experience that if he says, this guy is undeniably
one of our best six or seven offen of lineman
that's competing on a daily basis, then you're going to
have to explore every option for him. And I'm not
excluding offensive guard because I've seen guys have done it
before back in the hog type of days, the Washington
(30:16):
Redskins at that time, they had big offensive guards playing
inside there.
Speaker 4 (30:22):
And so I just think when you have a.
Speaker 5 (30:25):
Guy that is that talented, you got to figure out
a way for him to earn opportunities on the field.
And that's why I keep bringing up Dan Skipper because
I think when you have multiple six offensive lineman sets, damn,
he could go in there almost immediately and give you
power on the outside where you can use them as
a point of attack or you can use them as
(30:45):
a deceptive backside. And he did play a little tight
end in his background, like you said, And so there's
always going to be that concern is what is Ben
Johnson going to do to trick me.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
With, you know, in the in the weirdest of ways.
Speaker 1 (31:01):
Yeah, some unbalanced lines, who knows. I mean, all that's
on the table with Ben. Also, I have a lot
of respect from the information I've gathered on Dan Roschar
to have the right teaching tools and ability to connect
with his guys to get the most out of that
offensive line.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
So I think you would agree on that one.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
I can't wait you guys get more time together talking
about things because wealth of experience. This is not a
young offensive line. This guy has been around a bit.
He's in his sixties. He's coached at various levels, a
great time with the New Orleans Saints with an outstanding
offensive line during his time there, and then also in
the college game.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
Listen, he coached my nephew.
Speaker 5 (31:45):
I have other offensive line coaches in the NFL that
have reached out to me to tell me what a
good coach he is in terms of technique and fundamentals
in what offensive linemen need preached to them every single
day if you or in the first year.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
Of the career year in the tenth of year year career.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
So I am looking to see how he takes this
big ball of bodies.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
And molds them into an offensive line.
Speaker 5 (32:10):
And then for us, let's hope the pieces that he
puts in place can stay there for a long period
of time that can help Caleb this offense and Ben and.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
The sooner the better, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Obviously, we don't know about Braxton Jones or when he'll
be able to begin practicing, and you'd like to have
things really headed into training camp, rare and ready to go.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
And not doing a ton of experimenting.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
I would think, you know, you would like to get
those guys whoever the five are playing together as rapidly
as possible and as many practice reps and time on
task together to solidify that you don't want to I
wouldn't think you want to go right up until the
first week of the season and we're still trying to
figure out who's going to play where well.
Speaker 5 (32:56):
As we sit here in late April twenty twenty five,
and Ben said, there is no depth chart, but we
knew if we talked about the offensive line, we know
four of the five that are going to line up
on the first play, and everything is the evaluation of Braxton,
karam Amagazi, Trapillo, everybody who's a candidate for that left
(33:16):
tackle position. That's where Dan's going to have to work
probably the most in order to figure out who wins
that opportunity.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
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Speaker 2 (33:44):
A word on Amagaji. As we sit here.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
In the evaluation that people may have had of him
last year, I say, let's dismiss it. That's unfair, you
know exactly. So I'm excited because a he's a committed player,
he loves the game. He wants to be he wants
to be something special. Okay, he's a very smart guy.
(34:08):
He's got gifts physically, god given gifts, the size, the athleticism,
and as a third round pick that's a high pick,
and develop him in some fashion where it is guard
or tackle, whatever they decide to do.
Speaker 2 (34:25):
I'm excited about that piece as.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
Well, because he's going to have a clean runway now
hoping that he's one hundred percent healthy, I'm assuming he is.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
He's going to have a runway he didn't have last
year at all.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
In a lot of different ways. He's going to have
a runway that he didn't have last year.
Speaker 3 (34:40):
Because you know.
Speaker 5 (34:44):
The thing about it is, if he's playing a position
where he has an experienced veteran next to him, don't
understand how much that can do for you as a
developing player.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
And when I came to.
Speaker 5 (34:57):
The Bears and Horn and Hilge were bolt in place
for a period of time, you could talk so much
football with these guys that they could speed up your
thinking process, you know, months in advance. So I think
when you get a guy like Krona Magaji, who's talking
to a player like Joe Toney who is an All Pro,
(35:17):
multiple year Super Bowl winning offensive guard, but he's also
played offensive tackle, So there's a lot of conversation that
it's not only going to be through Dan Roshar. Sometimes
it's going to be to the guy playing to the
right and to the left of you.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
All right, let's talk Shamar Turner, Tom Texas A and
M second round pick number sixty two, explosive three technique.
He's all about a bundle of being an energy bundle,
and he's fiery, and he's he's going to have to
pull it in in games a little bit, I would imagine,
but I think training camp is going to be fire
with him.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Now.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
You know, DeMarcus Walker was like that. Other players that
we've had a Keem Hicks was like that back in
the day. If my memory reserves correctly, Ted Washington and
Keith Traylor were like that against you know, uh, you
know Olin and Roberto Garza and the Fellas.
Speaker 2 (36:10):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (36:11):
In between, I know, we've had some others that that
really warm people up, got him stirred up, got the
blood up, all in the name of just let's be
We're gonna be a tough football team. We're gonna we're
gonna make some noise. We're gonna have a little swager
around the defensive side of the ball. Granted he's just
a rookie, but I feel he plays one way. This
is how he's gonna play.
Speaker 5 (36:31):
You know, it's gonna be fun to sit there and
watch one on ones because that's always the great competition
of training camp and full pads. But I don't think
we're gonna see the best until you see preseason game
reps and in the regular season. Because the way this
guy tackles, he tackles with a violence that he wants
that body to hit the ground hard and it's gonna
(36:53):
be the ground the opponent and him on top of you.
And so when I go and I watch these highlights,
his intent at the tackling point is physical, quick and
hard and so like I said, they're not going to
allow him to tackle his own teammates. But when he
gets a chance to get some reps in those early
games in the regular season, I think that's when we're
(37:16):
going to see the best.
Speaker 4 (37:17):
Out of them.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
All Right, I've only seen a few, but I'm going
to spend some time even today looking up and seeing
what I can find on Kyle Manunguy, the Rutgers running back.
Speaker 2 (37:29):
A little bit over five to eight. He's a bowling.
Speaker 1 (37:31):
Ball back, durable, reliable, the no fumbles and seven hundred
plus snaps twice a captain, scrapes free yards, play special teams,
a tractor beam to the hole. These are all scouting
lines and signatures of who the player is.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
But have you watched his pass protection stuff?
Speaker 6 (37:51):
Yep, yea wow wow, initiating the contact, blowing people up
with a tom Tom.
Speaker 5 (38:03):
I wish that we could get head coach Greg Ciano
on the podcast with us at some point for ten
or fifteen minutes, because a lot of people Bears fans,
they probably don't remember Greg Ciano and they don't know them.
Speaker 4 (38:16):
But this dude is serious. He's hardball serious, and if you.
Speaker 5 (38:20):
Don't come up and live up to his expectations, his
work ethic and what he expects out of you and
your ability, you're not gonna play for him. Greg Ciano
is one of the strictest and toughest coaches in the
college football. And I think this guy and Hippo have
(38:41):
benefited for playing for a guy like that, And that's
why they're both coming to an NFL camp for, you know,
to put what they've learned on display.
Speaker 3 (38:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
Ruben Hippolyte from Maryland also a traits player as they say,
four four to two speed would have led all the
linebackers of the combine. And a guy that'll hit you
as well. And excited about seeing him as well as
Zach Fraser our Ze Fraser excited to see him. About
Ze Fraser the long corner at six three, I like
(39:11):
big corners.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
I keep thinking of Peena Tillman. I just the length matters.
Speaker 1 (39:17):
It erases some distance and it takes away some of
the speed element if you can get your hands on.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Him, and that's what's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (39:23):
But he still ran a four to three.
Speaker 2 (39:25):
Yeah, well know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (39:26):
Yes, speat on the other side gets muted if you
put a hand in your chest and you gotta re
set and go. And then Luke Newhoman in Michigan State
durable and strong with the twenty nine reps at the combine.
So I'm thinking this guy, it's important to him and
I can't wait to see what you think about him
as well. These are all players that I'm excited to
see in addition to what we brought in. I think
(39:46):
it's going to be a fun, fun training camp.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
Hey Bears.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
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bring this up to wrap us up. This is a
site called All Access Football.
Speaker 2 (40:10):
Rick Sarah Tell has been a long time draft guy,
does a great job. If you would have asked me this,
I would have failed.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
I don't know how this is possible, but he said
in the Week one last year, there were four hundred
and eighty six undrafted players on NFL rosters.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Does that sound right to you.
Speaker 1 (40:32):
Yeah, okay, So the average makes it more about fifteen
players a team. We often think of only the undrafteds
that are in our face right now.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
The Bears have a collection of them.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
They'll be at rookie Mini caamp here in a week
and more than likely some of those guys are gonna
make the team.
Speaker 2 (40:48):
But there have been guys that have made teams.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
TJ.
Speaker 1 (40:53):
Edwards that you forget that he wasn't drafted. When Jack
Sanborn is here, he didn't play like an undrafted player.
He played like a draft pick. So, but more to
this now, So twelve percent of the Week one starters
in the NFL last year undrafted. Fifteen have been inducted
to the Pro Football Hall of Fame that were undrafted,
(41:16):
And without seventeen rounds of a draft, you'd have a
lot more that would be considered undrafted, you know, in
today's world of seven rounds. So on any given year,
undrafted players consist of approximately twenty percent of each NFL roster. Now,
there are some cost savings there by having an undrafted player.
They get a minimum salary, so that helps with the
(41:39):
salary cap, and then it would increase to forty percent
of NFL rosters when you throw in practice squad players.
So hats off to the undrafteds, the guys who teams
didn't think had the pedigree to be a draft pick,
or there's too many good players at one position, We're
gonna just double down and get some undrafted guys in
(42:02):
here to increase the competition. Those guys give themselves a
great opportunity because they're hungry, they're not paid yet, as
you'd like to say, they give their full effort. They're
never gonna take it for granted. It never leaves them. Heck,
you're still mad you were a fourth run pick. I mean,
this was very enlightening to me. I never took the
(42:22):
time to delve into something like that. But here's to
all the undrafted players are gonna be at rookie mini camps,
the guys that are gonna get tryouts to hopefully be
an undrafted player on the training camp roster. But they're
all over the league, and they'll be at Hallas Hall
too next week.
Speaker 4 (42:37):
Listen.
Speaker 5 (42:37):
They're the hungriest, most disciplined guys from the moment they
come aboard to the end of their career. And the
undrafted free agents that I played with Jay Hilgenberg, who
should be a Hall of Famer. Just an incredibly talented
guy in his prime, probably the best center in the
National Football League, next to Dwight Stevenson from the Miami
(42:58):
Dolphins and the other free agents that we've got to
broadcast for along the line, like Big Kat Williams. Just
an amazing, dedicated group of men.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
They are never late.
Speaker 5 (43:12):
You don't have to ask them to be on time,
you don't have to tell them where to be, you
don't have to wonder if they're going to be in
full pads or not in that day of practice. It's
a legitimate group of competitors that are probably as alpha
in their existence as any other player in the locker room.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
Because they got more on the line.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
And they're always living on the edge, they're more than
likely to be in a series of one year contracts
over successive years. It's really quite interesting in the levels
of which an NFL team is built in the hierarchy
and how it's all put together to build one good,
architecturally sound, winning, winning program. All right, Tom, I think
(43:54):
I've exhausted my notebook. I had one more as non
Bears related. Can I just throw it at you. Yeah,
I found this interesting because what do you think of
Gino Smith he's now the Vegas Raiders, Because I'm going
to give you some numbers about him since twenty twenty
two in the NFC.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
Listen, I thought he was done, me too, he was
on his way out of football. I thought he was
going to be a career backup or maybe you know,
some other exploratory quarterbacks outside of Geno the wreck. He's
not really a reclamation project. He just finally clicked with
the right staff and the right offense. And I really
(44:32):
like what the guy has been able to redevelop into.
Speaker 1 (44:36):
In the NFC since twenty twenty two, So the last
three years, he is second in passing yards, third in
completion percentage. It's sixty seven point four percent, sixth in
passing yards per game, third in passing touchdowns with fifty,
and fifth in lowest interception percentage. I'd say that's a
(44:57):
definition of underrated, nicely done, but.
Speaker 5 (45:02):
Underrated, but redeveloped because like I said, you know, he
kind of flourished a couple or he kind of failed
on a couple of opportunities, and then he flourished in
the perfect opportunity and then he what, he just got
a extension this year for the Los Angeles Raiders and
we'll see him out there this year.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
Vegas Raiders once, Vegas once, the Los Angelus Raiders and
the opener did I say los Angeles it.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
Happens to him Vegas Raiders? Yes? And you know that's uh. I.
Speaker 5 (45:35):
I really applaud Geno Smith for what you know what
he's been able to recover.
Speaker 1 (45:41):
All right, Tom, you're in OI now hitting the water,
and have you taken the board out yet? Testing you
took a spin on that new uh new knee.
Speaker 5 (45:51):
I took put I did? I surfed. I was surfing
yesterday morning and I got video of him. Sent him
to the doctor who did my surgery, just to let
him know what he did for me is already at work.
Speaker 2 (46:05):
Wow. What was the fear factor?
Speaker 1 (46:08):
If I may ask, on a scale of one to ten,
ten being the worst, There.
Speaker 4 (46:12):
Was no fear.
Speaker 5 (46:13):
It was more of you know, popping to your feet
and make sure that you know you have that stability. No,
I was super encouraging. Really, it just kind of gave
me a new lease on life, just like Gino Smith.
Speaker 1 (46:28):
Yeah, well, hey, the water it speaks to you like
the Ryan Pole's draft board buddy.
Speaker 2 (46:33):
That's right, we'll have fun.
Speaker 1 (46:35):
We'll talk to you on Thursday night on Bears Weekly
on a SBO one thousand and the Bears Ready to network.
This podcast brought to you by the official beer partner
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(46:56):
That's going to do it for us. Special thanks to
Coaston lovelinport Time.
Speaker 3 (47:00):
There.
Speaker 2 (47:00):
I'm Jeff Jonia. Thanks for listening.
Speaker 1 (47:02):
Everybody, please subscribe now in the Chicago Bears Official Apple, Apple,
Spotify YouTube, oh, wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
Spear down, everybody,
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