Tyson Bagent, Durham Smythe on shaping the Bears' offensive identity | Bears, etc. Podcast

Tyson Bagent and Durham Smythe sit down with Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer on Bears, etc. to dive into the Bears’ evolving identity on offense.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Cut open that DJ Moore nisode Touchdown Touchdown Pairs. I
am Jeff Joniack Blitz is not Donnie got.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
What was like playing for Kobe Goodgo.

Speaker 1 (00:14):
I don't want to answer any questions like that pressure
coming is a big trouble. Dommie goes Mottest Sweat.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
Bears, et Cetera, brought to you by Miller Light with
the voices that the Bears Jeff Joniac and Tom Thayer.

Speaker 1 (00:32):
The march towards mid July. The start of training camp
continues as we preview what's ahead in episode one fifty
of the Bears et Cetera podcasts were brought to you
by Miller Light with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer.
I'm Jeff Joniak. In this week's podcast, we visit with
third year quarterback Tyson Beaijan, who's in a battle with
case Keenan for the number two job behind the starter
Kata Williams, and I believe both players are going to

(00:53):
make the final roster no matter how it stacks up,
but that'll be something the key on for sure. And
we also visit with veteran tight end Durham's a free
agent edition from the Miami Dolphins. Tom can you believe
we made one hundred and fifty one fifty?

Speaker 3 (01:08):
I can't wait till three hundred.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
What's your takeaway from doing these podcasts? We've interviewed a
lot of different people over the last three years and fifty.
It's a nice milestone, Tommy.

Speaker 3 (01:22):
It is. You know. I always get a kick out
of some of the newbies, some of the guys that
haven't had very many interviews. They come in nervous and
they leave comfortable. And that's what I like most about
it is because we're sometimes we're getting a chance to
meet these guys for the first time face to face.
You meet them a lot more often than I do.
But when we all have something in common, we have

(01:44):
something that's relatable, I think it cuts the tension easily
and then it's just a football conversation and you can
hear it from Tyson and you'll be able to hear
it from Durham. They're two different, completely different people at
the microphone.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
Yeah, great personalities. That's why I bunched them together here.
And this goes back to and I touched on this
the photo day before the Veteran mini camp. All the
players got to get in full uniform. They got to
go through the drill of taking photos, announcing where they're
from for the networks, the stuff you see on television
or in the stadium on game day, on the on
the big boards. But they they made players available for

(02:24):
Tom and I and that was one of the most
enjoyable things I've done in a long time.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
Tommy.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
It was a string of about eleven or twelve guys,
and we've been rolling out these interviews over time here
and it was just a relaxed atmosphere. They're in full pads,
sitting there at the table and in many cases meeting
Tom for the first time and me maybe for the
first time as well. But we had fun with these
guys and they're just in that relaxed environment when you're

(02:49):
not getting ready for a game. It was it was
an enjoyable experience. I hope we continue to get those
over the years because I think they brought a lot
of their personalities out and they felt comfortable.

Speaker 3 (03:00):
Well. First of all, it's going to be the last
time we'll see them in full paths where there isn't
something going on, whether the competition, a training camp. Talking
to him right after a game mid season and all that,
But I want to know, Jeff Joniak is in the
green screen getting ready to introduce himself as a Monday
night football player. Are you gonna say Iowa State or

(03:22):
are you going to say You're high school?

Speaker 1 (03:24):
No, I'm gonna I'm gonna stay say Iowa State. That's tradition.
I know you would prefer I say Hersey High School,
but I know that's that's in vogue. And you really
appreciate the work that the coaches and the programs around
the state of Illinois handle their business in the i HSA.
It's it's impressive. The volunteers that coach and the guys

(03:44):
on staff do a great job. Our own Jason McKee
one of them at Carmel Mundeline. Well, I mean, you're
gonna go Notre Dame, aren't you.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
I might go Joliet Raiders, Jo Raider Pop Warner football team,
and back.

Speaker 1 (04:00):
Then you'd have you'd have your friend Chris Berman announce
it for you.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
And right, you know, because there's a lot of domers
out there. We talked about that with Durham. But also
the fact that I like saying Joliet. I like promoting
the people and the kids and everything from my hometown.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
Hey, you're proud of where you came from. You just
don't say Joliet. You tell everybody even though we're in
the state of Illinois, Joliet, Illinois. I still don't understand
that one. But that's just the way you are. You
have a little quirkiness to you, don't you fifty seven much?

Speaker 4 (04:33):
You know? Hi?

Speaker 3 (04:34):
I'm Tom player.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Hi, my name is Tom. My name's Tom. Tom. Do
you wish you I mean, you had fun as a player.
Obviously you had one of the greatest teams in NFL history,
so everything was a riot at that time. Did you
feel you took advantage of every opportunity you had as
an NFL player to have to enjoy the moment, to

(04:57):
take the moments or not? Or you just were too nervous,
and you know you had that little bit of scariness
that hovered over you because of Mike Dick. I don't know.
You tell me.

Speaker 3 (05:10):
I honestly, it wasn't fun. It wasn't no Listen, I
want to explain this. I loved it, and I would
do it all over again in a heartbeat, given what
I know and how I feel and all that kind
of stuff. But it was so competitive that you never
had the fun. You never had that financial security that

(05:31):
you could feel, Okay, if I lost my job today,
I'm still going to be good for my lifetime and
my family's lifetime. And that was a day to day accomplishment.
Like I said, I went there every day with the
fear of losing my job, and I and at I
had never that never left me. And then I had
the competitive both physical and academically at Notre Dame. And

(05:56):
sometimes I was out of my academic level because the
kids there are so smart and they're just you know,
just so academically sound. So but I will let me
preface this, because I loved the fun that McMahon brought,
because he was a guy that was so loose and
so confident and had so much fun in the locker room.

(06:19):
And sometimes he would make the most monotonous situation, you know,
just he would, you know, just cut the levity, I mean.
And so I always had my enjoyment through other guys,
had my enjoyment through Walter, had my enjoyment through guys
that I enjoyed being around, like Otis and Richard and
stuff like that. But did I have fun, Yeah, I

(06:43):
loved every second of it. But it wasn't the you know,
every single day there was pressure. You never had a
pressure less day.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
Well, no, I take this in the in the framework
I want to say here, so you know you said
at times you maybe you didn't use this word, but
at times at Notre Dame academically since it is, it's
an unbelievable institution. I can't even imagine having gone there
and going to school there and getting out of there
with a degree. Was that a little overwhelming the classroom

(07:14):
at times? And how did you balance that with knowing
you know, god, I just love playing football, like I know,
I get I have to get my degree. I have
to do well in the classroom to be able to
be on the field. But not everybody's a student. Not
everybody you know is a good student. It's hard. What
was more challenging for.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
You, Well, you know, staying academically eligible. That was always
such a concern because I you know, they had a
little bit higher of academic qualifications there. But the best
thing about Notre Dame was I think the biggest class
I ever had at Notre Dame was thirty five people.

Speaker 1 (07:48):
You didn't have big auditorium, Yeah, lectures.

Speaker 3 (07:51):
Yeah, you're not getting you're not getting lost in the shuffle.
And as soon as if you don't go to the class,
they tell do you have an academic advisor? Mine was
Professor de Chico, who was also the fencing coach, and
they were kidding, nationally qualified, I mean they had Olympic
champions and so on and so forth. So if you

(08:12):
didn't go to class, you were called out immediately and
by the time you got to the locker room, there'd
be a note in your locker and you would have
to explain why you weren't at class. That's what I
liked the most about it, because again being you know,
just not being as academically qualified as some of the
kids that I roomed with and the guys that I

(08:34):
got to meet while I was there. I just didn't
have that, But I did have it in the football
terms living, you know, going to meetings, going to the
weight room, showing up a practice every day, being versatile
to change my position every year. Those are the things
that you know, kind of held me together.

Speaker 1 (08:53):
What are you most proud of, gradually getting a diploma
of your whole life?

Speaker 3 (09:03):
Oh man, that's a rough one, you know, being a
part I mean, listen, man is a part of the
Super Bowl in the eighty five Bears that you know,
that smile will never be rubbed off your face, and
we're getting ready to celebrate the forty year anniversary of it.
And the guys on that team I love as much
today as I did the day that we've landed in

(09:25):
O'Hara Airport after the Super Bowl was over. And I
admire so many of those guys, and I just love
the fact that being a local guy, I got to
be a part of the life of you know, Mike
Singletary or Fensk and happen Mange and all the other
guys that I mentioned, every guy in that offensive line.

(09:45):
So you know, that's hard not to be proud of
because it affects your whole family.

Speaker 1 (09:50):
And that's the other thing I was going to bring up,
because your family got to experience at firsthand in a
unique way as well. So I mean, they lived their
life in their own and they they live vicariously through
you on the football field, your whole family, and it
still does. Is that a fair representation?

Speaker 3 (10:09):
Oh yeah, you know, Listen, I come from a blue
collar family. Still I'm the same house I've been in
for sixty three years, so it's not something that's it's
led to greener pastures. But I love my life, I
love my family. I love everything that I've been able
to do with you and the Bears over the course
of a lifetime and being a part of You know,

(10:32):
just every time you see a team that or someone
that wants to reference something about a great football team,
they always reference the eighty five Bears.

Speaker 1 (10:39):
So you know, and you still and your love of
the games never waned.

Speaker 5 (10:43):
You love the game.

Speaker 1 (10:44):
You'll watch every football game on no matter what, everythes
This podcast is brought to you by the official beer
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Go to Middlelight dot com slash bear spot to find
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twelve ounces. As Tom didn't know he was getting a

(11:05):
personal profile interview by me today, I kind of slipped
that in and it I know, I know, it makes
you uncomfortable, right, it makes you uncomfortable. You'll have that
opportunity one day to interview me. I would like that
to happen. You yes, sit across and interview me for
like ten minutes and find out what you learn. So
a guy who's very similar in terms, I don't get

(11:26):
it twisted. He's very similar. I believe in the mental
aspect of preparing his body to get ready to go
and compete for a job and play this game. Is
Tyson beagent? I firmly believe that. I think he's absolutely
committed to his craft. And we had a chance to
visit with the third year quarterback, remember out of Shepherd University,

(11:51):
undrafted free agent in twenty three out of Martinsburg, West Virginia,
and he enters the final season before restricted free agency
on a quarterback team that has a depth chart with
Cata Williams the number one overall pick in twenty twenty
four at the top of that list. He did play
a lot in college. He played a lot in his

(12:12):
rookie year and learned to playbook quickly, and that's what
he's known for. He's known for being mentally ready to
play and getting himself ready to play, and he played
in three different offenses. Are ready, Tommy, So his experience
should not be ignored here as he competes for that
number two job with case Keenum. There's not honestly, there's

(12:32):
not a concept he hasn't seen yet. Really, I he's
he's gotten a lot of learning here.

Speaker 3 (12:38):
But you know the thing about Tyson, nothing's come easy
to him. He never walked in here and was you know,
came in here with the respect of a high draft choice,
no matter what position you played. And it's about work ethic,
preparation and the commitment that he has shown to these
guys and the reason while he's still on the same

(12:58):
team as a free agent quarterback. Remember the longest ten
yured player off of that eighty five team was Mike
tom Zach. He was a non drafted free agent quarterback,
also out of Ohio State. So when you think about
Tyson and his commitment to professional football, we may be
talking about him ten or twelve years from now at

(13:18):
about the incredible career that he's able to you know,
put it put in the archive. So Tyson's got the
reason he is successful is his personal commitment and preparation.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
Yep. So let's dig into some of that. One of
our interviews with the Bears leading into the twenty twenty
five training camp. Here's a very energetic Tyson Beijing, Texan,
Beijing with us great. I almost didn't recognize you. I
swear to you, folks, he's he's clean, cut back.

Speaker 5 (13:46):
I'm back.

Speaker 1 (13:47):
I missed the flow though, because that's like, you know,
that was you. I'm honestly god, I wouldn't not have
recognized you without the number. This is how good he looks.

Speaker 5 (13:55):
I've been getting a lot of that recently.

Speaker 1 (13:56):
Why why what happened?

Speaker 5 (13:57):
Why cut the hair?

Speaker 2 (13:58):
Yeah, I was it was I grew up for two years,
had had the long hair for a couple of years.
I felt like it was just time, you know, every
time I was working out, it was coming out of
the bun, coming out, you know, in my face all
the time.

Speaker 5 (14:11):
Really just a hassle that I didn't feel like dealing with.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
Well, And the thing is, as everyone knows, and if
this guy loves working out, so if it's gonna mess
with your jam on your workouts, we gotta we gotta
fix it.

Speaker 5 (14:22):
We had to pivot.

Speaker 1 (14:23):
What what crazy addition to your routine did you throw
in the mix of this off season to get ready? Anything? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Unique as far as the routine goes, Yeah, routine always
changes a little bit.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
But as far as like workouts, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,
anything out there that's a little Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:38):
We did a full interesting five mile partner carry for
for four teams of two and we ended up I
ended up winning that one, so it was it was good.

Speaker 1 (14:48):
Can you get more detailed?

Speaker 4 (14:49):
What is that?

Speaker 1 (14:50):
What is it? So?

Speaker 2 (14:51):
Partner carry? So it's like a piggyback ride. When you
get tired, you stop, jump on your partner's back. He goes,
he gets tired, stop jump on you know, he's back
on your back. Fifty I think just under an hour
is how long it.

Speaker 1 (15:07):
Took and how many miles? Five Wow, how much your
partner way?

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Everybody was relatively the same way. I think I was
about eight pounds heavier at that day, right, So it
was it was pretty even.

Speaker 3 (15:19):
Okay, I got a football question because I've been curious
about this. So I always watched the backup quarterbacks in
the background of a play. So obviously you listen to play. Yeah,
so obviously you listen and during teamwork, so you listen
to the play call and then you do a ghost
strap behind the quarterback that's actually running the play. You

(15:39):
know what I'm you know, So that means that he's
dropping back if he's actually a quarterback in the play
and then going through the throwing motion of do you
ever see the play differently than the quarterback who's actually
running the play.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yeah, there's there's there's a little bit of that, but
you know, as far as like, the coaching is usually
so good and when we're out there on a practice field,
we've usually just.

Speaker 5 (16:01):
Gone over a lot of that stuff.

Speaker 2 (16:04):
So a lot of times you end up just emulating
whatever the starting quarterback is doing. But there is a
time here and then where you know, you got two
different answers on a play and you can kind of
see that because you know, you got you know, guys
like myself doing the play behind the play. So there's
maybe a little bit of that, but not as much
as you would think.

Speaker 3 (16:22):
So now that you're kind of a couple of years
in the NFL with a couple of different systems, do
you have to wash your brain out of the last
system and the terminology so you're only familiar with the
terminology you're learning now because I have played with quarterbacks
that have come into the team mid stride and sometimes
they revert back to what they already know. So what

(16:45):
what what process are you in right now?

Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, I think right now the whole spring has kind
of been geared towards Like you said, we're all trying
to speak the same language this year, and I think
half of learning a new offense is forgetting the old
offense right. So there's that, there's there's very every offense
got the same word. They're using the same way, but
you know a lot of times those words just mean
different things, like especially formationally. You know, Richmond to one
person might not be Richmond to the next person might

(17:08):
be a completely different right formation.

Speaker 5 (17:10):
So I say, we're that's that's.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
What we're spending this time right now, and I think
we're doing a great job just trying to speak the
same language, just so everybody's clear and concise on what
we're talking about during meetings and you know, when we're
talking to other players and stuff like that.

Speaker 3 (17:23):
Is this terminology in the NFL a lot more complicated
than the terminology used in college or is it just.

Speaker 5 (17:29):
A different level? Yeah, it's it's a lot harder.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:32):
So third year now, you you know, now you have
some real I know you haven't played a ton, but
you're a veteran quarterback, let's go Yeah, right, yeah, let's
go right. I mean, and you know the way you're
sitting there, you're a study and this is all kind
of a study in what intensity is Okay?

Speaker 5 (17:50):
I like that.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
I watch you constantly and I'm impressed with everything you
do to get ready for any snap at any moment,
whether it's practice or game day. We see what you're
doing on the sidelines during games because you're not the
starting quarterback and you're trying to get there. Do you
have to do this to stay ready at all possibility

(18:11):
and you're training yourself without playing?

Speaker 5 (18:14):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, I think everything is geared towards that. I mean, everybody,
you know selfishly, which I think everybody's got a limpit
to that selfishness within them. I am trying to, like
you said, be a guy in this league, and you
know what you just said about being being a study
and you know all that, Like you know, I could
cry right now just thinking about that I'm doing. You know,
that's how much I love it. So there really is
no alternative. It's what I would do no matter what.

(18:37):
Freaking get goosebumps right now just thinking about it and
talking about it. But I need to, like my life
depends on it, and I love it and I love
the Bear so much and they've done so much for
me and my family that really it is the It
is just on autopilot, you know, me just always going
hard getting ready, you know, I want to be ready
for myself, for my family, for my teammates, for the staff.

Speaker 5 (19:00):
So for me, it's just it does it. I just
don't let it turn off.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
The interesting thing and this is I know it's small,
but it's not. So Tyson gets gets his reps and
then he's getting ready for the next one. But you
know what, here comes case skiingum so and you sprint
out of that huddle. It's like you're just on goal constantly.
You're always like and I don't think it's for listen.

(19:24):
This is who you are, right, this is how you're wired.

Speaker 2 (19:27):
Yeah, and some people don't like that. Shit make some
people uncomfortable. Some people love it. I love it, yeah,
some people love it. But nonetheless, just it's on autopilot.
So whether you like it or not, it's just what
I'm gonna do.

Speaker 4 (19:42):
Listen.

Speaker 3 (19:42):
So I got to know your dad a little bit.
Love the guy. I wish he was a teammate of mine.
When I was playing for the Bears. I love his intensity.
I like just his whole persona. So as a quarterback
and your dad, do you have to say because I
think you got a lot of your dad in you?
Because when the way hear you talk, your preparation and

(20:02):
all that, is there a separation between quarterback and your
dad or do you have that same type of personality
inside of you that your dad does?

Speaker 2 (20:13):
Yeah, I would say I have. I did get a
lot of my dad. I'm noticing that as I get older.
I think I have a good mixture of him and
my mom, and I think outside of football, I tend to,
you know, go a little bit more my mom's route.
But as far as like, you know, what my dad
has kind of ingrained in me is just like kind
of like what we just talked about, just you know, hey,

(20:35):
who out here is going to go to hardest? And
who out here cares the most? And just energy energy, energy,
chest out That's always something that he was kind of
spewing to me, you know, as I was growing up.
So I'd say, yeah, I definitely I have certainly gotten
a lot of my dad, and it's starting to show
as I get.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
Older, you know, I think one of the blessings that
he gave you is we're in the Walter Payton Center
and you see some of the pictures up there Walter Payton.
Walter Payton never had anybody train him. He trained himself.
He never took anybody's you know, advice or anything. He
tried to encourage people to come and work out with him.
And it seems like that's one of the things that

(21:15):
your dad gave you, is that interior work ethic that
you need to have that really you don't get a
lot of notoriety for it because no one's there following
you with a camera when you're in the gym or
you're doing all the other training that you do. So
that's one of the things that's benefited you in your life,
is to have that training intensity that you need to
get where you are.

Speaker 4 (21:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Absolutely, I think that of all of all the of
all the things that it takes to be NFL quarterback,
I think work ethic is the will be the hardest
one to start once you get here. You know, I
think the playbook and everything you can study the playbook,
you can get better to playbook, But as far as
like you know who you are and how hard you're
going to go trying to make that trying to flip

(21:56):
that switch once you get here, I think is a
lot a lot more different than learning an offense.

Speaker 5 (22:01):
So just very happy that, you know.

Speaker 2 (22:04):
My family instilled that work ethic into me, because then
everything else is just second nature after that.

Speaker 4 (22:10):
Where have you.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Improved the most in your opinion?

Speaker 2 (22:14):
Yeah, I think just everything revolving just quarterbacking. I think
mentally obviously year three, like you said, I've just you know,
had this is the fourth offense, fourth coordinator, fourth guy
calling plays. Just you know, that that knowledge to see
what guys in the league are running, how they're running,
and how they're getting a certain plays. I've definitely made
a lot of improvement improvements there. And then really just

(22:36):
throwing the ball. I got a good routine, I got it,
got a hold of the weighted balls, which is the
trendy quarterback thing now, and it's really made a difference
in you know, how my body feels after practice and
how my arm and shoulder especially feels, and just kind
of you know, more zip on the ball and you
know you can't throw it far enough, far enough in.

Speaker 1 (22:54):
It's lea are you clicking with Ben.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
Yeah, yeah, Ben, Ben is the He's uh, this is
really the staff is uh, the first staff that I
could see myself coaching the way that they're coaching. I
think that every staff has been, you know, pretty exceptional
since I've been here, but I would say that there
were some things where maybe I wasn't seeing an eye
eye with how they were, you know, operating or going

(23:16):
about things. This staff is really like, you know, looking
at you in your face, like, hey, are you ready
to roll?

Speaker 5 (23:22):
Like you know, I got to edit.

Speaker 2 (23:23):
It, you know, we got yeah, like you know, we
got to do and we're in the National Football League.
So that's really, in my opinion, how it should be Ran.
So I love I'm loving.

Speaker 3 (23:32):
It so far.

Speaker 1 (23:32):
Awesome. He lets it rip, man, He's comfortable, He's comfortable
in his own skin, and he is totally committed. I
love this player. I love his mindset. Tommy.

Speaker 3 (23:43):
Yeah, you know, for those of us that are lucky
enough to have met his dad, Travis, who's one of
the most electric personalities that I've ever met since a
guy like Steve McMichael, I see why Tyson is the
way he is. But he's still a little bit more
reserved than what his dad is. But he's like, I
think my mom and dad for what they did for

(24:03):
me and the work ethic they've instilled in me. It's
the same thing with Tyson when you talk about his
training routine in the off season, UH that he's never
going to have to be asked to be in shape.
He's always going to be mentally prepared. And I think
he's probably one of the most important players in this
locker room and he's earned it. In his third level.

(24:27):
Nothing was gifted to him.

Speaker 1 (24:28):
And he comes up with a creative way possible to
come up with a new way to get to get fit.
He's challenging himself mentally and physically. What was this the
fireman's carry thing?

Speaker 4 (24:39):
He did?

Speaker 1 (24:40):
Put guys down the back and have it. I mean
that's it was a two man race.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
So I carry you as long as you can, then
you carry me as long as you can and it
goes for an hour. And the last year he got
a lot of publicity from doing the the burpies, you know,
for I hate a mile.

Speaker 1 (25:01):
I hate those things, Tom, Those are those are never fun,
those are painful pain p Ai n Hey Bears fan
Steinhoffels is a proud partner of the Chicago Bears, now
open in Orland Park. Steinoffls is Chicago dands furniture at
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storing online at steinhoffels dot com. So he's thrown the

(25:24):
ball one hundred and forty five times. One hundred and
forty three of those were in his rookie year, completed
almost like completely, sixty six percent of his passes three touchdowns,
had the six picks only five sacks. Ran the ball.
Tommy Well twenty nine carries one hundred and two yards
and a couple of touchdowns, but he brings fire to
the field. He's ready every single snap, waiting for his opportunity.

(25:45):
The discipline of that alone is impressive because you could easily,
you know, you could say, okay, I'm never getting in,
but you always got to be ready. The moment you're
not is when you're called on, you fail, and then
you're then you're done, like they're not. You know, you
don't get a second chance.

Speaker 5 (25:59):
You know.

Speaker 3 (26:00):
The real reasons that Tyson always has to be ready
is because any position player on the offensive side of
the ball can come him and ask him a question
about their assignment, about the play just called, about how
the protection is moving from right to the left, whether
you're a center or a wide receiver. And I think
it's so important to be able to have that sounding

(26:22):
board that has experienced a lot like what case Keenum
is going to do. But when you have multiple guys
that you can go up there and ask very specific questions.
Even Caleb can go and ask a very specific offensive
question from Tyson and he'll know the answer.

Speaker 1 (26:38):
His first career appearance was Week six of the twenty
twenty three season against Minnesota at Sodier Field. That was
after that hit by Danielle Hunter tracking down Justin Fields
and knocked him out for several weeks. Daniel Hunter always
a wrecking crew against the Bears, but in that game
he came off the bench to go ten to fourteen
eighty three yards. I had an interception in a secon.

(27:00):
He won his first career start against Vegas thirty to twelve.
He was twenty one of twenty nine in that game
seventy two percent a touchdown, and then lost his first
two road starts at LA against the Chargers and then
the Saints where interceptions bit him a little bit, which
happens with young quarterbacks for sure. Then in one of
his Week ten matchup against Carolina at Soldier Field sixteen

(27:22):
to thirteen, he was twenty to thirty three member, he
ran wild and now eight for seventy and he picked
up five rushing first down, So you know he has
a little bit of a resume. How he fits, in
your opinion with this particular offense, I would seem to think,
just fine, it's going to be a I would think
emphasize short passing game, get the ball to your skill,

(27:44):
get yards after the catch, and protect the football and
establish that run.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
Run after catch. And I think that's a key phrase
that Ben has said since the moment he's got here.
And one thing about a quarterback, you have to have
perfect timing to have your pass complets result in run
after catch. And I think that's what the coaches, everybody
wants to evaluate. They that's what they want to see

(28:10):
out of Tyson once training camp begins, and I think
every Bear fan wants to see every quarterback being able
to do that.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
How do you evaliate the personalities now that you know
all three quarterbacks having met and interviewed Case Keenum and
knowing Caleb and what he's been like, it looks to
me like a very good mesh. They're all very different,
I would say, but it's a good mesh with a
good mix of experience here.

Speaker 3 (28:32):
You know, I think they compliment each other really well.
They're all different personalities, but they're also committed to football.
And whether it's Case Keenum talking about at this time
in his career being able to play a kid's game
as an adult, or you got Caleb Williams who's playing
a kid's game and he's still a young man who
you know is going to be a better quarterback in

(28:54):
three years than he is the day he walks in
the training camp. And Tyson Bagent the same thing. He's
a guy that nothing has better ever been easy for him,
nothing has ever been guaranteed. And Tyson has lived up
to his what the coaching staff asks out of him,
and he's been able to kind of surpass some of

(29:15):
the evaluators that took a look at him in college.

Speaker 1 (29:18):
And I don't mean to minimize Austin Reid either. I
like Austin Reid. He's also a very confident young man.
H and he's going to get his chances as well.
I'd like to keep all four. Honestly, I'd like to
keep him here. If it's practice squad or what. Keep
them all here. You never can have enough at the
quarterback position. And as guys develop over time, they become

(29:41):
they can become assets, assets if you if you need
to move them or whatever, they're assets. I don't want
to see guys move. But Austin Reid is another guy
to keep an eye on.

Speaker 3 (29:50):
It's crazy what we've seen out of the quarterback position
in the last couple of years. And when you think
of a guy like Jamis Winston who's on the you know,
trying out as for a quarterback and the Giants. There's
nothing guaranteed to anybody, no matter if you are the
first picking the draft or you are a free agent.
And Austin has done a lot of really good things.
And when you talk about training camp, you need four

(30:13):
quarterbacks to get through training camp and the amount of
passes that are going to be throwing. Every single time
he throws the ball to the receiver, he's getting evaluated
not only here, but honestly everywhere around the league.

Speaker 1 (30:27):
You know, if a guy like Tyson Pagent as a
veteran who's who's been a part of this game for
your entire adult life, what advice would you give him?
Because you know, you know you could, you could see
it out of his face. He wants more, right he
of course you do. If you don't, you don't belong here.
But patience is tough.

Speaker 3 (30:46):
You know we you and I were talking about this
the other day. Steve Young started his first NFL game
in his eighth year. So this is not something that
we have to annoying. Tyson a starter right now. The
best thing that he can do is follow along with
every coach that he's playing for, every system he's playing in,
and continue to do the physical part of the game

(31:09):
that's required of him. And you never know what's going
to happen with the guy like Tyson. He could become
a starter in his eighth year. He could contribute in
his third year. So there's nothing that's etched in paper
exactly what's going to happen for him and to him,
and he just got to keep doing the things that
he's been doing to earn that roster spot that he

(31:31):
earned year one. And now look we're talking about a
year three good news.

Speaker 1 (31:35):
Chicago United Airlines is getting brand new planes with all
the bells and whistles, like Bluetooth connectivity screens at every
seat in room for everyone's rollerbag. United proud to fly
to Chicago Bears and you two all right, let's switch
to the tight end position, another all eyes on it
type of position with Cole Comet and Coaston Lovelin should
be ready to go when training camp begins. There are
other additions including Jordan Murray out of Hawaii, a first

(31:59):
year player. Where's number eighty seven? Stephen Carlson who's been
around for a few years. Joel Wilson number eighty six,
a tight end out of Central Michigan, in his first
year side of the Bears practice squad last October and
stayed there all through the rest of the season, then
signed a futures contract, bounced around from Buffalo Green Bay
the Giants, but also got the eyes and the attention

(32:20):
of head coach Ben Johnson when he was asked later
in the veteran mini camp week, you know some guys
that caught his attention. Joel Wilson was one of them.
But Durham Smythe has been around eighth year out of
Notre Dame, a fourth round pick of the Dolphins in
twenty eighteen out of Belton, Texas here on a one
year deal. Cap casually about the Dolphins after seventh seasons

(32:43):
started twelve plus games in five consecutive years, but the
arrival of John new Smith impacted his twenty four season,
so lost some playing time. Let's listen in to a
very fun interview with Durham Smite. I just dropped into
the conversation. The two domers are comparing residents Hall.

Speaker 3 (33:00):
But when I went to Notre Dame as an older guy,
I went to the only dorm at the time that
had air conditioning, and that was that was necessary for you, Yes,
called Flanner, and they had one next to it called
Grace that now our office buildings and.

Speaker 4 (33:13):
City lived in zamb Hall.

Speaker 3 (33:16):
They don't have air conditioning.

Speaker 4 (33:18):
And that stuff absolutely not.

Speaker 6 (33:19):
So yeah, I got there in twenty thirteen fully expecting
air conditioning and I go in zero air conditioning, a
heater that would burn me every night.

Speaker 4 (33:26):
It was character building. I enjoyed it. I would I
wouldn't change a thing me either.

Speaker 3 (33:32):
I love the experience of going there, but air conditioning
was a pre record.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
He gets very excited as I do. I grew up
in the Midwest and my dad was a big fan
of Notre Dame in Ohio state. I know, right, right,
but this franchise has a large, long history of Notre
Damers coming here and now you got a handful. I
love it. And so the guys at Iowa friends we

(33:58):
have are always you know, quick to say, hey, it's
tight end you and thomsays, hold it, Nope, Nope, that
would be Notre Dame.

Speaker 4 (34:04):
That's exactly right.

Speaker 6 (34:05):
I mean, it's become that I get the argument that
these guys are making the recency. They've been incredible. I
would argue, so have we. But our our lineage goes
way back, you know, it goes I could, I could,
you know, Dave Casper, it goes.

Speaker 4 (34:19):
It goes all the way back.

Speaker 6 (34:20):
So I think there's arguments to be made for other schools,
but you know, Notre name will always be.

Speaker 1 (34:25):
Dave Casper lives still in the Chicago Are really yes.
He always used to come to the National Football Foundation,
had a charity scholarship and always come with his wife.
Nicest guy in the world, nicest guy, and I always
loved Dave Casper. I also had a dinner with him
and uh In when the Super Bowl was in Minneapolis,

(34:45):
and it was Casper and Ron Coomer and it was story.
Ryan Coomer is the color analyst for the Cubs on radio,
and what a great guy. But the storytelling from Casper.

Speaker 4 (34:57):
Yeah, that's a great crew. Right there, Ya goes to
the post.

Speaker 1 (35:00):
I just want to call that one more time, right
ghost to the post.

Speaker 3 (35:03):
So I also played for the Miami Dolphins, so at
the end of my career. So now you make your
way back to the Midwest. You're here in Chicago. What
attracted you to Chicago? Especially the tight end position? To me,
tight end position is one of the most valuable, complicated
positions to play because your point of attack, your backside,

(35:23):
your h back, your full back, your wide receiver. You
got so many different things to do at the position.
So Ben Johnson led offense. What attracted you here?

Speaker 6 (35:33):
Well, I mean so many things. You know, first and foremost,
the city itself before anything, like you said, you know,
Notre Dame being so close. I was familiar with the city,
an incredible sports town, which I was, you know, first
and foremost fired up about. And then with Ben, it's
you know, one of the smartest minds in modern day,
you know, NFL football. A guy that I was a
little familiar with being with him in twenty eighteen down

(35:55):
in Miami.

Speaker 4 (35:56):
He does a lot of things with tight ends.

Speaker 6 (35:58):
We're very multiple guys doing different things in different positions,
which has always attracted me. I like the thought of
being able to do, you know, numerous things. And then
also there was some familiarity with the room. You know,
I was at Notre Dame with Cole. He was a
freshman when I was a senior. He's an incredible player.
I think underappreciated actually, and you know, I've known him

(36:18):
for so long that we have a little little rapport,
so that's nice. And we've added some great pieces or
some great young kids in the room as well, all
good players. So it's it's really exciting anyway you look
at it.

Speaker 1 (36:29):
Any any good Cole freshman stories from Notre Dame.

Speaker 4 (36:32):
Oh, man, I got your helmet?

Speaker 6 (36:34):
Yeah, see, he was always great about that. He was
he was eager to do it. He was asking, you know,
what what can I do for you? And that's you know,
that's how you know you like a guy immediately when
they're not going to press back and saying that, and
then when when guys are eager to do that, they
kind of get off, you know, light, You're not gonna
you know, attack him too much when they're when they're
eager to do it. So he was, he was great
from the very beginning, and obviously getting back with him

(36:55):
now he's he's the same awesome guy.

Speaker 3 (36:58):
You know, your approach to this season because I the
different things that the tight end position has to do.
You're learning the new offense and you're learning a new quarterback.
Do you have a priority of what direction you go
or does kind of everything fall into a basket you
just pick and choose between the day.

Speaker 6 (37:17):
Sure, I mean, it's it's all important. There's some terminology
familiarity for me with this offense from twenty eighteen, and
Bens has done a great job of combining you know,
that offense from from the Dolphins in twenty eighteen with
things he's picked up along the way, with more of
you know, the outside zone and things of that nature.
So I at least I have some familiarity there, which

(37:38):
is nice. Those things are coming back and I think,
you know, priority wise, it's very important to have not
only a good relationship with the quarterback, but you know,
help him in any way you can, especially a younger quarterback,
and especially one that's talented as the one we have.
So I think you know our room in general, me,
you know, specifically as an older guy, I'm just gonna

(38:00):
try to do everything I can to help him because
if you know, if he can reach the potential that
he has, then you know, the sky literally is the limit.
And I've played with a lot of talented quarterbacks in
the past, but I noticed immediately what what his ceiling is,
and it's it's pretty incredible. So I think that that's
the priority right now is to help him in any
way possible.

Speaker 3 (38:19):
Are you ready for the intensity of a training camp,
because it seems like every time a training camp is
led by a first time head coach, the intensity is
cranked up a little bit.

Speaker 6 (38:28):
You're ready for that, absolutely, you know. I went through
three of those in in Miami, and you're absolutely right.
It's it is the first year when it when a
coach comes in, is establishing a culture. It's definitely a
little bit more, like you said, kind of ratcheted up
than the rest, which is I think it's necessary and important,
and you know, Ben's an intense guy, fair but intense.

Speaker 4 (38:49):
You know he's not He's not.

Speaker 6 (38:50):
There's some coaches out there that are, you know, intense,
but you know it's almost too uh to a detriment
to some guys. Ben is fair but but very tense,
and I think the training camp will reflect that, and
I think it'll be good for the culture and ultimately
good for the franchise.

Speaker 1 (39:05):
I know it's really had no training camp yet, no
game yet, But the Ben Johnson you knew in twenty
eighteen versus the one now, do you see a difference
in his style, as approach, knowledge, all of it.

Speaker 6 (39:19):
Yeah, I mean I think there's there's obviously, you know,
an evolution that takes place when you know, when I
first met him, he was a younger position coach who
had been the NFL for a while, but you know,
still younger, still learning. But I think the funny thing
is that you know, he's the same guy he was.
He was always the smart guy who was taking little
things from different coaches, in different players and kind of

(39:41):
putting it together. And his his approach is the same
as it was then. He's always been this regimented, intense coach.
But I think he's just really picked up on the
things that he's learned from coaches over the last ten
fifteen years and kind of combined them to create his
own thing that's was obviously very successful in Detroit and
something that we'll try to recreate and you know, eventually

(40:03):
surpass here. So he's he's always been the same guy,
but he's done a great job of kind of evolving
as the years have gone on.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
And he's mentioned this, and I've heard it from a
lot of of the other coaches, but everybody thinks, oh,
close your eyes, it's going to be Detroit. So no,
there's a blend of different influences here with other guys,
Press Taylor, Declan Doyle, you name it. This is truly
going to be a unique offense. It's going to be
the Chicago Bears offense whatever that looks like. Yes, there

(40:30):
will be twelve personnel a lot hopefully, but do you
do you get that sense?

Speaker 3 (40:35):
Also?

Speaker 4 (40:35):
Absolutely?

Speaker 6 (40:36):
I mean, I think to be a successful coach in
the NFL, you can't fit a you know what they say,
a square peg into a circular hole. You have to
mold the offense to your players first and foremost, and
what they're good at and I think that's been one
of ben strengths throughout his career. And like I just
mentioned a second ago, another thing he's been very good
at is picking up things from different coaches along the way.

(40:57):
And we have a lot of talented, smart young coaches
in the building right now that I think he'll he'll
pick up things from as well. So I think you're right.
It's going to be the Chicago Bears offense. It's not
going to be exactly what it has been in the past,
and hopefully that will, you know, continue to morphinism.

Speaker 1 (41:10):
But I do love that twelve personnel thing because it
forces a defense into some very interesting dilemmas. Number one, right,
so Bill Parcells loved it. I get that, you know
you're going to have to declare what you're doing.

Speaker 4 (41:24):
Why stop there? We love thirteen personnel too. Yeah, that's
even more so, want to stop there?

Speaker 3 (41:30):
Are you the elder statesman in the tight end room
right now?

Speaker 4 (41:33):
I am? I am.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
It's amazing how it's a short amount of time that
you've been in the NFL, but on this team you're
the elder statesman and there's going to be a lot
expected w in terms of leadership and you know, the
different things, the examples that you can set in the
locker room and everything. So I think it's a it's
a pretty cool deal when you reach that level.

Speaker 4 (41:54):
Sure, it's that's that's a role that I'm looking forward to.
It's funny.

Speaker 6 (41:58):
I mean, as you know, it goes by so fast.
You know, you blink and you're the oldest guy in
the room. Last year, I think I was the longest
tenured Dolphin and it felt like I had just been there.

Speaker 4 (42:07):
I had just gotten there.

Speaker 6 (42:08):
So now to come into a room and I'm, you know,
the oldest guy, I'm a little bit used to that,
and I understand the importance of the role leading some
of these really talented younger guys.

Speaker 4 (42:16):
We have in the room.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
Yeah, hot in Miami, dude. I remember practicing down there
in December and it being like two hundred degrees and.

Speaker 6 (42:24):
I was just saying, every August down there, it's a
near death experience. I'm excited to kind of get that
behind me, all right.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
Last want to let you go. How many times do
people mispronounce your last name they assume one thing.

Speaker 6 (42:37):
I would probably put it at around sixty percent of
the time. It's I get I get the Smith or
the Smithy. But you know, at this point, this deep
into my career, you let her. Going back to high school,
I've learned to answer to everything. So but it is Smith,
it is smyth and it is nice when it is
said Smith.

Speaker 4 (42:54):
I do appreciate that. But you know I can come on.

Speaker 1 (42:57):
Us on game day. We'll make the right Appreciate that,
Appreciate your time absolutely.

Speaker 4 (43:02):
Thanks Tom.

Speaker 1 (43:03):
The big takeaway here he goes back with Ben Johnson.
So when Ben was a receivers coach before joining the
Lions as an offensive quality control coach with the Miami Dolphins,
So there is a there's knowledge there, so they know
each other. A Comet teammate at Notre Dame, Cole Comet
had at a time with him as well as a
sixteen year old guy. Now cole'sam married, twenty four year old.

(43:24):
It's just funny to me how this league works. And
in between, Durham Smight put together an eight year NFL career.

Speaker 4 (43:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
Well, you mentioned all the competition there is at the
tight end position, and I think that's one thing you
need in the NFL as you have tight ends that
can compete because they play so many different positions, including
special teams, and then you have that caveat. Ben Johnson
used to be a tight end coach. He probably knows
more about the tight end position as a play caller
than some of the other positions out there. But the

(43:53):
one thing that I get a kick out of is you.
You brought up during the interview about Ben liking to
play twelve personnel and the first three he says, what
about thirteen? So yeah, don't lose sight that you know
you can use multiple tight ends in a variety of
positions and have them all on the field at the
same time. And when you have that track record of

(44:15):
contribution at the tight end position, I think Durham Smyth
has really put himself in the right position this year.

Speaker 1 (44:22):
YEP does very well as an inline blocker as well.
Thirty five catches, three sixty six, ten and a half
the catch in twenty three as a fourteen game starter.
Last season just seventeen targets. Again the John ou Smith
factor there had nine catches for fifty three yards. But
considered to be a very smart player and by Ben

(44:43):
Johnson a Swiss Army knife type player. So when you
hear somebody's Swiss army knife that goes through your head.

Speaker 4 (44:49):
You know.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
So when you come out of tight end, you and
and I'm talking about Notre dame here, you are able
to play a variety You have a variety of skills.
You can play a variety of positions. And I think
that's when you talk about a Swiss army knife is
because you got to be a good inline point of
attack blocker, but you also have to be a backside

(45:10):
deceptive you know, also a blocker to help whatever tackle
you're playing next to. Then you got to play full back,
you gotta play eighth spac you gotta play wide receiver,
you gotta go in motion. You got to be able
to be a movable blocker. So there are so many
job requirements for the tight end position. It's really growing
into one of the one of the more versatile ability

(45:35):
to positions that there is in the NFL.

Speaker 1 (45:37):
The impact of twelve or thirteen personnel as it maybe
what's the impact and you you know, we talked about
it at great length. Ben's going to use a lot
of it. Nobody ran more plays out of twelve personnel
in the entire NFL three hundred and sixty one total
plays with a success rate of nearly forty eight percent,
averaging a gain of six point two yards per play.

(45:58):
That included fifty nine explosive plays at that position with
two tight ends and led the NFL and touchdowns scored
out of twelve personnel twenty nine touchdowns. What are we
looking at here, what's the why of that? Why does
it impact? And when you have the capability of being
a good twelve personnel team.

Speaker 3 (46:17):
Just got to look at field position. When you're backed
up and coming out of your own end zone, you'd
like to have more blockers at the line of scrimmage
that have the ability to block with power. Then if
you look at short yardaging goal line, you got to
look at multiple tight ends because you can use them
anywhere on the field, up and down the line of scrimmage,
and you can change the balance of the defense that

(46:38):
you're facing. And then you look at short yardaging goal line.
Next to the goal line, you talk about multiple tight
end sets with multiple offensive linemen. And I just think
when you have versatile athletes at the tight end position
that you can create a mismatch by motion. And I
think that Ben Johnson has done that so creatively in
the last couple of years that when you look at

(47:00):
at this group of tight ends that the Bears have,
I'm telling you you can really have some interesting types
of missed match packages. Because all we've heard about Colston
Lovelin is what a difficult cover he is because of
his catching rate in his versatility. So a you know,
just to add another tool in that tight end toolbag,

(47:23):
and I think you're gonna see the results here in Chicago.

Speaker 1 (47:26):
There's no official full back on the roster, but can
some of these guys take the h back position as well?

Speaker 3 (47:32):
Every one of them can. We've seen Cole do it.
We know that Durham can do it. We know that
Steven Carlson can do it. I think every tight end
that grows up as a tight end in modern day
football from their college game all the way through the NFL,
they're all capable playing every position that's required from them.

Speaker 1 (47:50):
So you know, it's not like this twelve personnel is
a new thing in the NFL, obviously, but it's just
the Bears do have two impact tight ends at Cole
Kmet and a number ten pick and the drafted tight end.
If you're a number ten pick, you're going to be
playing right away in the NFL. So Coston Lovelin has
a star quality to him as a as a potential,
everybody's a potential and still you start playing.

Speaker 3 (48:12):
But back to question for you. Let me ask you
one cool question. Okay, total number of catches by the
entire tight end position. What would you be if we
are talking at the end of the season and we said, wow,
the tight ends contributed blank amount of catches.

Speaker 1 (48:30):
Well, Sam Laporta and Detroit in that offense. And again
we're not doing exactly what the Lions did, but I'm
sure there'll be similar takes on it. What do you
have eighty seven catches a rookie record at tight end? Boy,
with this bunch, and you keep pumping me that you
know Cole's going to have more than the forty seven
catches he had less season. So I mean, I mean,
I mean what I mean, it's uh with everybody. Would

(48:54):
one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty be okay?

Speaker 4 (48:57):
I mean I mean I.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
Was I was thinking one fit fifty to one and sixty.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
Okay, okay, And but here's what I want. More than
the catches, I want touchdowns. Report had ten touchdowns. Yeah,
so I keep saying, you know Cole's that I think
Cole could be a ton touch I predicted ten touchdowns
the last couple of years for Cole Comet and then
I fallen short here, but I think I think you
could have Wait, what if what if both of them

(49:23):
are ten touchdown guys?

Speaker 3 (49:25):
Okay, so on this one hundred and fifty first podcast,
if they have one hundred and fifty one catches by
the tight end position.

Speaker 1 (49:31):
All right, let's mark this down right now, let's mark
this down. But I was going, you know, the twenty
thirteen twenty fifth to like the twenty fifteen seasons. Okay,
it was, it was. It was rough, but they had
Martellus Bennett who had some game to him. You had
Zach Miller, uh, you had Brandon Monta Malajuna, Mike Matthew Mulligan.
They played all together. So they We've had twelve personnel

(49:54):
before with good receivers, like you can have an explosive offense.
But but this looks different. This because of the types
of receivers they are, and Loveland's ability to run routes,
Cole's ability, the ruggedness after the catch for both of
these guys, uh, and then whomever becomes the third or
fourth and fifth tight I mean, it's I real, this

(50:16):
is gonna be a very fun watch. There's two things
I love Tommy love myself a little nickelback, love those
nickel corner blitzes. And I love tight ends. I love
tight ends. Always asking. I can remember for years under Ditka,
where's always like, oh, you know, they always needed another
tight end? Can can you get the tight end the ball?

(50:38):
And then you would always tell me, well, most John
Allred got inturr rolled up me. More man hours lost
at the tight end position than any other position in football,
So knock on what everybody stays healthy.

Speaker 3 (50:50):
Yeah, you know, you look at the line of the
tight ends at the first day of training camp and
you hope that line is equally as long at the
end of training camp and then some difficult decisions by
the personnel guys up in the front office.

Speaker 1 (51:05):
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(51:27):
That's fun when we're just thinking things through as the
season approaches. One thing on Caleb before we wrap it up,
what do you believe the impact will be? Because in
the last couple podcasts we addressed the offensive line, especially
the interior on the impact on Caleb with that interior
three and also Caleb at his rookie season learned a ton.

(51:52):
Pro Football Focus had him as the best big time
throw rate of all rookies last season. And the addition
of having another tight end of a quality of the
hands and the ability to run the rocks like leveland
a pair with Comet should open up the middle of
the field. So you have the middle of the of
the offensive line, give him a nice clean pocket to

(52:13):
work from, and you also have the middle of the
field at your disposal, especially if you pull them from
under center and you have play action, the true play
action from center drawn everybody up. Don't you think this
is going to really elevate the overall production of Caleb
and efficiency of the offense for this young man.

Speaker 3 (52:35):
Yeah. You know, first of all, if they have the
continuity out of the offensive line from the beginning of
training camp and Caleb gets to understand the blockers, their
strengths in front of them, and they all get to
repeatedly hear the different types of protections, it's all gonna
help Caleb. And then if you have an aggressive running
game and you're getting some average per carry, and then

(52:57):
your running game is a little bit more threatening, so
play action was a little bit more deceptive. Those are
all the building blocks to Caleb, and so if every
other part can do play its role in the Ben
Johnson offense, I think it's only going to create big
play opportunities for Caleb.

Speaker 1 (53:14):
And lastly, the NFC North, we keep saying it's the
top division. I don't even think it's arguably anymore. But
as we begin this search and we're Bears weekly, this
week we'll have a NFC North preview in detail with
some of our friends in the broadcast cruise. Top division
of the NFL last season posting the best winning percentage

(53:36):
six sixty two, most by a division tom since two
thousand and two. That was last year but this year,
I believe everybody's just as or stronger in different ways,
and so this is going to be interesting. This is
since twenty twenty, two thousand and two in the format,
change the four divisions. East Conference. Now when the postseason

(53:59):
began off three teams that made the playoffs, we're eliminated
in the first game. So it's a tough division. They
beat each other up. It's going to be fun to watch, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
It is. I'm you know, I'm excited to watch one
team and that's the Bears because I think there's question
marks on every other team. There's question marks on the Bears,
but there's also question marks on every single team within
this division, and they probably they won't be answered until
we get into the bulk of the division games. But
you know, still, you got to be ready to roll
Week one against the Minnesota Vikings. They come in Monday

(54:32):
night football, and it's got to be an atmosphere unlike
any others, and so I think it will got to
me I ide as well, but you know the whole
you got to just make sure your roster is mature
enough to sit for that Monday game because now you've
got Sunday where you're going to practice, and you got

(54:54):
that anks man, you're ready to roll. And then it
comes to Monday morning, you wake up, you go down
to breakfast, and then you got to sit there all
day until you go to the stadium. It just creates
a little bit different of an anxious silt that a
twelve nude start gets out of the way Monday night.
It doesn't.

Speaker 1 (55:13):
So is this unique to week one? You're saying because
you've been building up for this for so many months? Yes, yeah, okay,
that's a good takenique.

Speaker 3 (55:21):
To week one. You've been getting ready for this opponent
for the last six months and now you're gonna have
play a game and now you're going to have five
days to get ready for week two. And so it's
just that you know that whole beginning, so it begins.

Speaker 1 (55:36):
Hey Bears, Fan Steinhoffls is a proud partner the Chicago Bears,
now open to Norland Park. Steinhoffles is Chicago dans furniture
and mattress leader with the largest election to fit every
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shopping store and online at steinhoffels dot com. That's gonna
do it for us. Special thanks to our guests Tyson
Beijing and Durham Smythe a fun podcast, indeed for Tom Payer.

(55:56):
I'm Jeff Joniak. Thanks for listening to everybody. Please subscribe
now in the Chicago Is official app, Apple, Spotify, YouTube
or wherever you get your podcasts. Bear down, everybody, m