AZ54

I'm really curious about Campbell at Center. I don't really know what physical traits make for a good Center. I get the intelligence side needed for the protection calls.

Lots of defensive studs all around. What's great is that we'll get to see their 1v1 against Oline prospects. In many years you're hoping to see Oline get some 1v1 against a top defensive prospect but those happens infrequently. This year these Oline guys are not getting a break on any reps.

Time to kick off the draft process... I've only just begun looking into draft prospects and there are already some names on this list I'd love to draft like Walter Nolen. TJ Sanders. Deone Walker at 6'6" 345lbs is a unicorn as a pass rusher but why can't he stop the run? I gotta start digging into the other names on this list. https://thedraftnetwork.com/2025/01/23/senior-bowl-2025-edge-idl-primer

In other news for our former candidates: Brian Schottenheimer to the Cowboys. Was he even on any other team's radar? Was Jerry just looking for someone who would take orders from him? Pete Carroll takes on the John Fox role for the Raiders. Liam Coen appears to be headed to JAX? He might be a good OC but I don't see him as HC material, at least not at this point in his career. Is the owner hiring a HC before a GM and what does Ian Cunningham think of that? Plus the backstory of Coen asking for more money to remain OC in Tampa after his interview with JAX and refusing their offer for a 2nd interview. Tampa agreed only to see Coen refuse to answer multiple phone calls from the Bucs when it was time to sign the new deal. He had quietly left to visit JAX again. I can't see Ian wanting to join that circus.

Of course Allen does have the right to refuse any job offer. I would say however that if he gave his word to the Bears and Johnson and went back on it, then we don't really want him here. The NFL world is a very small community. These guys all know each other, or know someone who knows that coach. With veteran coaches at most there are 2 degrees of separation. Possibly 3 degrees when you get down to some newer position coaches. They're all chatting around with each other each offseason trying to help their friends get jobs. Its like hanging out at the smoking area at work. The smokers always know what is really going on. Ben Johnson was asked...for someone who had been vocal (picky?) about what he wanted in an organization why did he decide to come to Chicago and work with Ryan Poles when he had never even met him in person nor visited the facility. What gave him confidence this was going to work? Ben simply said they have had a lot of common connections in their careers and there were plenty of people he knew and trusted who told him all about Poles. That didn't happen the day after the Lions lost. Ben had to have been doing his research on the team and organization for weeks in advance. I'm sure he did the same with the other job openings he had interest in. From the Zoom interview he was able to confirm what he'd been told and then asked a few other questions such as is George going to be meddling in football decisions.

I was thinking the same about having more competent and experienced coaches around will help in the evaluations.

Why not both? Zeitler isn't going to command a huge salary. I'm not sure he'll want to leave Detroit but he just might follow Ben. This draft is super deep on Dline. Spend in FA to fix IOL, use a 3rd Rd pick on a future Center. The rest of the top 100 picks go toward the Dline. On day 3 we address S and RB.

Agreed. Some future DC signed off on this hire (of a former Packer). https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/cowboys/2025/01/24/cowboys-defensive-backs-coach-al-harris-joining-chicago-bears-staff-per-report/

Ah the job nobody wants. Interesting.

Remember the rules require at least 2 minorities be interviewed for all coordinator positions.

Finally got to watch the press conference with Ben Johnson. He was surprisingly emotional. Refreshingly honest, detailed, and focused. Caleb has survived this far mostly on his elite talent. I believe he's going to get a rude awakening on things he needs to work on. A directness that, IMO, he really needs. I think grasshopper Caleb knows that as well.

Ben had a big influence on the defense in that game. It had to be disappointing too when he called those interception plays.

We were worried about the new guys leadership? He just walked into Halas Hall and owned it.

I commented on the wrong radio show...but here's the link.

Yeah that's kinda shocking.

Quite often routes are structured so that the read is of one player. What that CB or safety does determine if you throw to read one or two. Everyone can be correct on what Daniel’s is doing.

Everett’s problem was a lack of effort

Lovie was a good coach defensively but he was also one of those we’re going to do what we’re going to do coaches. My hope is that Johnson is the rare coach who is one step ahead of those type of coaches, even when they change it up a bit. Watching him easily dissect Flores whack-a-mole defenses among others makes me think he might be.

I listened to Mike Martz on Waddle and Silvy last night. For whatever you think of him he has a great run in the NFL before defenses caught up to him. He worked over year with Ben. Said he was constantly asking questions about why they were doing things the way there were. Very detail oriented. He went on about what Been had been doing and said he’s really a once in a generation OC. Not just a good coach who runs a scheme very well like most of the good coaches.

I get the whole Flus thing but that fact he remained here last year also means Ben Johnson knows Poles has his back as well. Ben was looking for that in his next organization while also (apparently) not wanting meddling owners.

I'm still out of sorts because I'm so used to being left alone at the altar. My team, Da Bears, went out and hired the best coaching candidate. They did it after interviewing a record 17 candidates (an insane number and very Bears-esque). Then they were supposed to go through a second in-person interview with at least two or three candidates yet they suddenly shrugged off all the BS bureaucracy and just hired Ben Johnson via a phone call. Further confounding this historical turn of events are the rumors that Ben Johnson just wanted the Bears job. Which, given the fact he didn't even pursue other options, seems to be true. The odds of the Bears choosing the best HC candidate and being willing to pay for him...pretty small. Odds the best HC candidate wants to come to Chicago...even smaller. Yet here we are. Ben Johnson refused the Washington job last year. Effectively walking away from it as they were headed to Detroit for a second round of interviews. He just lost to them in the playoffs. That is not why he's here but I guarantee you he's thinking "watch what I do with Caleb".

He's the better talent. I'm not sure I'd go with better player since, at least for me, that encompasses the whole enchilada of being a professional athlete and teammate. Next year is the 3rd season and I expect Dexter to get a lot more help than he had this year so we'll see how it goes.

Watching Carter do nothing but stand up late in the game today tells me we drafted the right player. Conditioning is still an issue with him. Yes I know when he wasn't blocked he got a sack that helped win the game.

You're spot on with the "hey we're willing to pay top dollar" theme.

A couple family members have met Eddie George on several occasions. He has some business here in Phx and also works with my son's company. Everyone says he's a great guy and, not surprisingly, very successful in business. One non-NFL fan said "he tells me he used to play in the NFL but he seems too nice to be a football player". I sent her his highlight film of him running over people. I don't know if the Bears are using him just to satisfy the Rooney rule but they could have serious interest in adding him to a staff to help improve the culture. I'd be 100% behind that. Given all the non-football business activities he has I can't see him having the time, or wanting to invest the time, to be a full-time NFL coach. That would also mean leaving his college coaching job which he enjoys.