Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Danny Parkins & Robert Garza talk Maxx Crosby, Bears (Hour 4)

Episode Date: March 11, 2026

In the final hour, Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris were joined by FS1 host Danny Parkins to react to the Ravens backing out of their trade to acquire star defensive end Maxx Crosby from the Raiders after Crosby failed the physical with Baltimore. How serious are Crosby's health issues? After that, former Bears offensive lineman Roberto Garza joined the show to reflect on his failed physical with the Baltimore Ravens in 2005, which led him to sign with Chicago, where he found great success.

Hey guys, this is Matt Norlander, co-host of the Ion College Basketball Podcast with Gary Parrish. We are part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network, and college hoops is turning toward what's going to be a phenomenal March. So be sure you are tuned into the show. We're going to be publishing at least four shows every week. Follow and listen to IOn College Basketball free on the Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcast. March is coming. I could do Stephen A's job, guys. It's not that part.

Denny Parkins. Party. All are invited. Host of Fox Sports Wands, first thing first. Coming in number six, though, the team that should be the favorites in the NFC North, though, the odds makers say they're the third best team. My Chicago Bears. Why can't the Chicago Bears be the best offense in football? The Bears, plenty of reason to doubt them.

Caleb Williams, no. Former host of 670 the score before he abandoned us. That's the Caleb Williams custom, baby. Jersey number one is going to the Raptors. You guys made it seem like a Chicago Bears. fans, we had our guy, Danny Parkins, all these guys. Danny Parkins on 1043, The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison Brody, and it is a Wednesday at 1 o'clock, and that means we talk to our friend, Danny Parkins.

Danny, formerly with us here at The Score, I don't think he abandoned us, but that's what our Open says. He hosts First Things First on Fox Sports One. You can check out the newly expanded edition from 4 to 5. he joins us on our hotline and on Twitch, twitch.tv.tv slash the score Chicago. Hey, Danny, how are you? I'm great. And this week with Nick Wright in Japan, I'm in for the full three hours.

So I'm in from two to five central. Well, I think you've got a victory lap to take in just under an hour because you predicted you did not think that Max Crosby was going to go for two firsts. Well, by default, and frankly, by order of backing out of the trade, I'm pretty sure you're going to be right. Yeah, and I said he wasn't going to go for what Michael Parsons went for, which was two firsts and a player. So I was already right when he just went for two firsts, although, you know, some people didn't agree with that characterization,

but it was true. And then, yeah, now the price is going to come down. You know, this is a very, very, very weird story with obvious bears ramifications that we can get into if you want. but you go back and you look at the history. I think we did this last week on the show. The guys who have been traded for who were non-quarterbacks for multiple first-round pick were all 25 and 26 with one 27-year-old in that mix over the last decade, and then Crosby was 29 coming off of knee surgery. And then when the Ravens did it, I was especially shocked

because there's a big difference between a late first-round pick and the 14th pick in the draft. So, you know, I think the Raiders are rightly furious. I think the Ravens are correctly getting questioned. And now there's huge ramifications for the rest of the league. But it was a huge gamble that Baltimore took. And I think on some level they got cold feet. And the question now becomes, Danny, outside of that criticism that you're talking about

and then both those teams trying to figure it out what they're doing next. Well, we know what the Ravens did, obviously, with Trey Hendry. and news. I wonder, should the bears be in on him? And I think they should, but I wonder what is the actual cost at this point going to be for Max Crosby? What do you think? I don't think the Raiders will give him away. Right. You know, they came into this offseason with about as much cap space as anybody in football. They can still afford him because of it. Like, they were trying to trade Crosby because they were trying to get younger and line up assets around Fernando Mendoza, not because they could not afford Max Crosby, right?

Like there is a difference. Like where Sean Gary got traded to Dallas because it wasn't really tenable for Green Bay to keep his cap hit, right? The DJ Moore got traded to Buffalo, not because he's a bad player, but partly because it wasn't tenable for the Bears to, they needed to reallocate those financial resources from offense towards defense. Like the Raiders could afford Crosby. they just didn't think he was in line with their timeline. So I don't think all of a sudden Max Crosby is going to be available for like a second round pick.

But I think that the complications of the trade are just like they're going to have to be conditional. Like we'll trade you a second this year and a future first. But that future first becomes a future second or third. if he misses games this year with a knee injury, or if he's not able to play week one because of a knee injury. And obviously it would be pending a physical. So, you know, I think it really complicates the trade. But I do think, like, if you're going to say, like, teams that would be interested,

I think the Bears and the Patriots would be the teams that make the most sense because, you know, the Bears have the 25th pick and the Patriots have the 31st pick, and they have the cap space, and they have the new. need. So, you know, it, I could see it happening for a reduced cost with some conditions around some draft picks, either this one or the next one going. Like, I don't think they're out of it yet, but, you know, I think the odds are here that he's going to be a Raider for a while. Danny Parkins talking to us on Rahimi Harrison Grady. And it's a fascinating one to work through. Sorry if that wasn't like the most concise answer. No, no. You, when I said, there's a, there's a lot,

There's a lot of, like, qualifiers that you have to put on this story. No, no, just so you know, what I said earlier in the show was a second and a first, like this year's second and next year's first, because they have multiple second round picks this year and then next year's first. If you have Max Crosby, it's supposed to be pretty good season for you. Yeah, like, that's fine, and you get to do the physical. The thing with the physical that's so weird and why I think Baltimore is taking a lot of heat for this and why they deserve to take a lot of heat for it is,

obviously he's not cleared to play right now. Like, we knew that. The guy was on crutches a week ago. He had surgery at the end of this past season. This season ended just a couple of months ago. And so, like, this idea that, well, they, you know, they did the medicals and they saw the, they didn't like it after the, they, he's not cleared to play.

Like everybody knew, of course he's not cleared to play. So you can do it. You're operating in self-interest. Hendrickson is a hell of a consolation prize, though Crosby is a better player than Hendrickson. He's younger than Hendrickson. He's way better against the run than Hendrickson. But obviously it doesn't cost you two first-round picks. So, you know, I don't even know.

I think what you're saying, Marshall makes sense. But Ryan Poles is going to need to be. convinced on the medicals, and are you really going to trade for someone that another team flunked him on the medicals because then if he gets hurt or if that knee is bulky and he doesn't play well, you know, you're going to take a lot of heat for it. So I don't know what GM is really going to stick their neck out for when another team flunked him. So I honestly don't really know how to handicap what it's going to cost to get Crosby. I think that's the rub here. That's the million dollar question, or in this case, 35 million, 35.

$1.8 million is trying to figure out what the price should have been to begin with based on what they think the medicals are. Like that was the issue. I think it came down more to Danny whether or not the knee was a problem enough to say whether or not it was worth two first round picks in this case or if the price needed to be determined to be lesser than because of it. I feel like that was the issue more so than whether or not he's healthy. People have a general idea of how healthy he is. it was just, I think, to the tune of what expense? Listen, if the Bears traded a first and a second for Max Crosby, I would celebrate it. Like, I would.

I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, it's a huge need and he's an excellent player. But of course, that is always under the condition of you are trusting the medical evaluation. But like, this is like maybe what my, what my, what the headline should be. And I don't know if you. guys have already seen this or talked about it. But have you guys seen Caleb Williams' most recent retweet? Have not, but I'll look now.

I think it came out during our show. Yeah, well, a couple hours ago. Yeah, so that would be during the show. Yeah, but yeah, we're all on Twitter. So Louis Riddick tweeted, yesterday's price is not today's price. And Caleb retweeted it. It's like, well, he's interested. he likes Max Crosby.

They are friends. They do podcasts together. There's no doubt in my mind that when the reporting was, you know, that the Raiders took calls last night from other teams on Crosby. There is no doubt in my mind that one of those calls is Ryan Pulse. Rich Eisen said they were a team that had offered multiple firsts. Caleb and Crosby have been flirting with each other all offseason. That post from Caleb.

Caleb also commented on the league's announcement of Trey Hendrickson signing with the Raiders with a little smiley face. Listen, a little bit of this is like millennial and Gen Z detective work and sleuthing, but like Caleb wants Crosby to be a bear. Crosby has at least at times been very interested in being a bear. I do think that there's a price at which Ryan Poles is willing to get to. And by the way, it might be two firsts. He might have no problem with it and just have some big old brass ones. and put him down on the table and say after the medicals, like, he might. He might.

That's a bridge too far considering everything. I think that that be a foolish purchase at this point based on what just happened. Well, no, but okay, but Marshall, what if the Ravens really didn't flunk him on his medicals? And they're just using that as an excuse because they realized that they can just pay for Trey Hendrickson and they got cold fee. That is what my belief is as well. That is my actual belief at this point is that even though people are saying flunked, like you said, you could do anything you want to a physical if you want to find a problem with a problem, especially one that's not clear to actually play football.

I talked to Willie Colon last night on the phone because he was so surprised by the story and he wanted to be sure that he wasn't being duped by the internet. He said he failed four physicals during his career. Like not like retirement physicals, like not like end a career. Like he's like, yeah, I would flunk physicals, but then you'd still get contracts because the season wasn't starting. I was like, oh, okay. So like you. Now, listen, flunking Crosby on his physical to then need to pay Hendrickson means you are going to overpay Hendrickson because it hurts your leverage there. I understand that. But let's put it this way. There is no part of me that believes the first time the Ravens reached out to Trey Hendrickson's representatives was after they flunked Crosby.

Like, they didn't flunk Crosby until they knew they could get Hendrickson. I definitely believe that. If that makes me a conspiracy theorist, then so be it. But so if Baltimore just got cold feet and decided to save their draft picks and pivot to just spending money on Hendrickson, then he didn't really have bad medicals. Then Ryan Poles' previous evaluation should still hold serve. I absolutely think the bears are live for Max Crosby as we sit here today. Would I predict it?

No, again, I said most likely he goes back to the Raiders just because of like egg on the face and the price being driven down on them, and they're going to take some time to sort this whole thing out. But I guarantee Ryan Poles made that call last night. I guarantee it. Well, I mean, any GM should. You know, any GM should find out what the new price would be for a Max Crosby trade. You just summarized the last 10 minutes. In the last, I'd say a couple of minutes, you just summarized like the last hour of our show.

We all said yesterday's price is not today's price. if you like watching the NFL. I don't know if that means Caleb Williams is interested or not. I think the podcast, there was definitely some flirting going on. It reminded me, Danny, of when Bryce Harper was flirting with the Cubs. That didn't end well for the Cubs. Bryce Harper wanted to be a Cubs. Bryce Harper's dog is named Riggly.

Like him and Bruce Bryant were best friends. That wasn't flirting. That was heavy petting. Like they, they were... No, no, it wasn't heavy petting. Some articles of clothing had already been removed because Bryce Harper told us after the fact I wanted to be a cub. This is totally going to get aggregated the wrong way.

I don't, yeah, whatever. Like, yeah, they were rounding second. Yeah, I'm with you. Like, that was that had to, we were like, we were like in the group chat bragging about it. Like, you can't, we won't believe what I did last night. Yeah, absolutely. Like I thought Bryce Harper would have been a cub and should have been a cub. No question.

Yeah. Got to pay that man. That's not inappropriate. I lost over Bryce Harper in a Cubs uniform. Are you kidding? But that's the point. We all did. It was like this dance that everybody participated in.

And safe to say there's been some association here, but I don't know that it's been as strong as you two both indicated. If it was a dance, Lela, though, it was the type of dance where the teacher comes over and tells you to please put your hands back up a little higher. square dancing class in elementary school? More contact than that. Yeah, exactly. It was, you know, like a snowball at a bar mitzvah, but when they say snowball, you're not going to any other partners. You're just staying there with your one boo thing.

Like, yeah, they were absolutely, that's a Jewish reference there that maybe flew right over over. It's okay. No, we figured it out. Yeah, you explained it well enough. Yeah, I think I explained it well enough. I just wanted to see boothing again. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say booing ever.

For Boutang, but not Bouthing, but I like it. Well, that's, yeah, that's the difference right there. I'm not going to totally appropriate. That's, that's the difference. I'm not going to totally appropriate. Appreciate you for that. Yeah, no problem. No problem.

But yeah, listen, will I, so if they traded for Max Crosby in 14 minutes, would you really, like, not be happy about it? Oh, I would be ecstatic. I told, we are Maxinistas here on this show. Okay. Like, you'd be worried about the medicals, but like, we should have been worried about the medicals six days ago, 60 days ago. They sat him out for the last few games of the season because of it. Like, this is, he had surgery. He was on crutches. Like, this is not new. Like, there's nothing,

there's nothing, if they had not signed Hendrickson, I'd be more worried about the medicals. But because they did, I'm like, oh, they just got cold feet and pivoted. Yes. So, you know, I absolutely want the Bears to be invested here. Again, don't be dumb. I thought two first rounders was a lot. I told you guys that at the end of the year.

But like, for the right price, of course, go get them. Danny also just quickly, what do you think about the Bears free agent moves so far and then the direction they might take in the draft after seeing what you've seen? You know, listen, fine. You know, I don't, I don't. Nothing is, we were all debating Byard or Brisker. Now it's probably going to be Byard and Brisker that go, right? So that's probably the biggest headline that comes out of it.

Kobe Bryant has a nice, versatile safety who's got experience for an elite defense and a championship team. So, you know, I think that is nice. I think spending money on the defensive side of the ball is nice. I thought the Edmonds thing was inevitable. I thought the second round pick for DJ Brown. DJ Brown, DJ Moore was nice. Like, you know, I think, I think it's been, it's been fine. And if, like, I make like a macro point out of it,

the bears are back to back to back offseason champs, right? Like, and so this year, it looks like we're going to be a six and 11 team in the offseason. And we aren't going to be able to for Pete as offseason champs. but it translated to you won a playoff game, and you've got one of the most exciting coach player combinations in the NFL and probably the most exciting player coach combination since Ditka and Walter Payton in Chicago. So, like, it's pretty good.

And so, like, I'll take a slower off season for a more juicy regular and postseason. But, you know, I think it's been a little underwhelming so far. And then as for the draft, you know, do they have, Let's see. Do they still have their pick? As of now they do, I certainly expect one of those premium picks to be on the offensive line, and then basically the rest of them to be defense. So, you know, when you guys start doing, you know, like player to pick, it's, I always found,

like, once, if you were picking lower than like, basically like second half of the first round, it's just much, much, much harder to slot a player to the pick. Like trying to line up the 25th pick and a specific prospect is going to be a very difficult exercise for you guys to do. Because there's just so much information and so many different permutations out there. So I would just like generally in terms of resources, I would say one of the first round pick and two twos, I would say one to the offensive line and two to the defense would be like how I feel about it today. Yeah, I'm sure we'll talk about it in the coming weeks. And in the meantime, Danny, I know you got a show in just under an hour.

so we'll see you on Fox Sports 1. Thanks, Danny. Yeah, FS1 for the full three hours. Hit me up if you want to be involved in the Radiothon. Let's go. Hit me up. Companies, high net worth individuals, big announcements coming. Mitch, when can I make some announcements?

What can I make the announcement, Mitch? He was just in our producer's studio. Yeah, good question. And, of course, naturally, he's not there anymore. So we'll find out. Danny, thanks again. Around opening day, Mitch says he popped that in. Oh, opening day.

Around opening day. Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick. I mean, you got what, two weeks? Sounds like a conversation that might have to have an offline. Yeah, it sounds like an offline. Oh, that's true. Opening days in March, huh? They're going to be playing.

It's two weeks. It's two weeks in one day. Or no, today's Wednesday, yeah, two weeks from tomorrow. Yeah. Two weeks from tomorrow? Yeah. How long did you think it was away from? Dude, I don't know.

It's football season where I work. Hey, not on your network right now. It's world baseball class. It is. You know what's happening to Team USA. Yes. You know what? I'm going to have a hot world baseball classic take.

Yeah. Know the rules. Thank you. That's my take. You should know the rules. Especially if you're in a, I don't know, position of authority. Yeah, well, listen, how about one person? He has bench coaches.

Somebody. Yeah, like, can one person know the rules? That's embarrassing. Guess not. That is crazy. It is crazy. It's a big record scratch. Like, wait, what?

Like, and it wasn't like, oh, I misspoke in an interview and then like I corrected it at the, like a pregame interview I misspoke. And then I corrected it at a pregame press conference. It was like, no, we played a game. Like, a lot of time passed before they're like. like, oh yeah, my bad. So yeah, that was, that wasn't great. Danny, have a great show. Thanks for joining us today. See you, Danny. All right, guys. I'll see you around opening day in two months. Two months. Coming up next, the former bear, Roberto Garza. We will ask him about the physical process and more next. Are you looking for a money reset? With the new year upon us, the Jill on Money

podcast is here to help you take control of your financial life. Follow and listen to Jill on Money wherever you get your podcasts. The Chicago Bears are the oldest franchise in the NFL over 90 years of history. And in that history, no bear has started more games consecutively than Rio Hondo's own Roberto Garza. And now with a new contract in hand, the former Bobcat and Havillina has a chance to extend that record. They know I want to be a Chicago Bear.

They know I want to retire a Chicago Bear. Officially 49 yards. Friend Brad Biggs, friend of the show. I heard him on a score this morning and said he was talking to my guy out there in Texas, Roberto Garza. I remember the first time I got hit, the first time I gave a hit and was like, man, this is fun. I enjoy this.

With Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043 The Score. How about this? We ask and he appears. Roberto Garza, and yes, Rio Hondo's own, and I can't believe I heard a havelina reference here on 1043, the score. He went to Texas A&M Kingsville. That is their mascot. And the former Bears Center now joins us on our hotlight.

And he's nice enough to join us on Twitch. Twitch.tv slash The Score Chicago. Roberto Garza, thank you for joining us today. This is great. Of course, going to get the havelinas in there. Not too many people know what the havelina actually is, but it's between a rat and a pig. There's not much to it, man.

It's a wild boar. Yeah. Yeah, it is. It is. they run all over Texas and kind of just overrun, unfortunately, the wilderness population and get in the way of hunters when you're out there trying to hunt a white tail. And then all you hear is those havelinas kind of get in the way and scare your deer way. It's not a fun time.

Thank you for successfully explaining this. I have on my North Texas hoodie today. And I did not think we would get into havelina talk. And you even have a bear's backdrop on Twitch. So I feel like we're spraying to all fields today on the score. Thanks so much. I appreciate it, man. Thank you guys for having me and looking forward to talking you all today.

Well, us too. And I think you know the biggest news of the day, Roberto, is essentially a process that you know all too well. You know, in 2005, $7 million, three-year deal. And correct me if these numbers are wrong, because this is the report with Baltimore. And your physical didn't go through. And you end up in a different place. you end up ultimately becoming a Chicago bear. You know, take us through the mental process of going through all of that

and then ultimately ending up in a different place. Yeah, you know, you get excited. You finally get that first opportunity to sign the contract. I finished my rookie deal in Atlanta. And at that time, I had a one year of a tender, and then they offered a tender. I thought I was worth more. Went to Baltimore.

You know, everything's but just signing the contract. track. You know, they go through your physical. I just got done playing 17 games. That's the year we went to the NFC championship games with the Falcons, lost to the Eagles. So I literally just got done playing football and we're taking the physical. And they, I had surgery in my knee a year and some change from the day of the physical. And the doctors, like, you don't have an ACL. Like, what do you mean? I had surgery a year ago. I just got done playing 17 games. Like, what do you mean? I don't have an ACL. Nope, you don't have an ACL? So they did an MRI. And of course, I mean, it comes back. I don't have an ACL. So they obviously at that point were like they had some concerns. And just so, right? They don't want a 25 year old offensive lineman sign a new deal with a torn ACL.

But I just told them. I said, look, man, I just got done playing. I had no issues. After that, it was about two months and I didn't get a phone call. And it started to wonder, am I going to get a chance to keep playing football? Obviously, I love playing football. Wanting to keep playing the NFL. Not until Chris Ballard, who was at the time a scout for the Bears, now the gym for the Colts,

was one of my college coaches at Kingsville for the fighting havinas. Yeah, N&M alum, yeah. Absolutely. And he's the one that told Jerry's like, hey, man, give this kid a chance. We have at that time, I went to a doctor here in San Antonio that said that I had, I can't remember what the term he said. said that I could play with a tourney CL. I just put

a brace on it and at the time I signed a, if I was to get hurt by, if I have to hurt that right knee, the bears wouldn't be liable for that first year as kind of insurance for the team to take a risk on me and

you know, like to say, the rest is history. You know, at the time it happened, you kind of think about why did the ravens do this to me, but I understood it took many years to understand the big picture, right? At the time when you're young, you kind of just think about what they did and how they took that opportunity away from you. But obviously, in hindsight, it became a good thing because I was able to go and play for a great organization, a great team, and play with some of the

best guys that I could have played with in their locker room and obviously do some fun things in Chicago during my 10 years there. Roberto, it's so interesting because you didn't have an ACL, but apparently you didn't feel any adverse effects from it. And so it gets us to thinking about when we talk about physicals and players passing or failing physicals, do you think of that process completely different after having gone through that? And as you see news like this come out about what happened with Max Crosby?

Absolutely. Because, you know, the body is obviously limitless and how you prepare for the season and how your preparation is obviously the key, keeping your body as strong as possible, keeping your body to be able to do what do you ask a bit. And that's the key. For me, I was fortunate that I had, I always loved to squat.

I always loved to train. So that was a big part of my off-season work in preparation for the season. So I continued that, and I thought that was a, that gave me the ability to go out there and play without an ACL for those 10 years in Chicago. Obviously, I braced up and never had any issues. But your training and what your body can do is obviously, endless now. So, and the guy that you hear about that works as hard as Max Crosby, obviously, to get themselves ready to play. So obviously, you understand they have all the research and they have all the, you know, the background to say, obviously, if you have an ACL,

there's not many people obviously they play with a torn ACL. I mean, you know, they have surgeries for that for a reason, right? And they get the opportunity to come back and rehab and stay healthy. But fortunate for me, I was one of the guys that could keep playing, right? And I would imagine that Max Crosby, a guy that goes out and plays the way he does, does his offseason work just as intensely to get ready for the season. We're talking to Roberto Garza, the former Bears Center. He's also on Twitch with us here on Rahimi Harrison-Roddy, Twitch.tv.tv.tv.com. I think it is important, too, when you talked about what for you is a formality, because that process led you to then playing for the Bears and playing 10 years, like you mentioned. It was part of a means to an end for your. career. But I think you let us in on part of the process and how they try, executives try to just make sure what they're financially responsible for. You know, when you talk about that process and then what the knee means if there's a

financial concern or an issue, it sounds like there's liability there. Can you detail that process for us a little bit more just when it comes to what you experienced? Well, you know, in a case like Max Crosby, they're investing a lot of money into a player that you're hoping will change your franchise, right? It will be a franchise, obviously, alongside Lamar and some of the current players. But you're investing, obviously, in his case, probably over $100 million, right? So you want to make sure that you have your return on your investment. It would be the way the team looks at.

It's a business. If I put in this money, but it's a damaged product, where can this be, right? So they got to protect the interests of the team. Is that right? Is that wrong? I don't know. For a player like Max Crosby, that can be a difference maker is the key, right? And that's a gamble that you take because now I know I took it for myself that I was going to prove them wrong.

I was going to go on the field and obviously get the opportunity to compete and then get on the field and say, you know what? I'm going to go play for 10 years. Obviously, it all worked out. Obviously, not all cases happened that way. but you would think in Max Crosby's going to go out there and have a hell of a year next year and show Baltimore

that they should have picked him instead of the guy that they signed. Obviously, both incredible talents, but you get that chip on your shoulder. Like, all right, then this team doesn't want me. They don't want to invest in me. Then I'm going to go out there and prove myself that I can be that kind of player.

And the emotional side of it, as you know, can mean a lot because it can feel you to, oh, I don't know, be part of a Super Bowl team. But when it comes to the aspect of, you had to sign something when they separated the knee injury. Can you just describe a little bit more what that was? Like if you get injured because of this, then who's responsible? Is that along the lines of what happened?

Like, correct me if I'm wrong here. No, you are exactly right. So I signed a one-year deal. Any injury that came from the knee, the team wasn't going to be liable for that knee. So they wouldn't have to pay for my rehab. Anything like that, he could just cut me on the spot. not responsive for any other payment at that point. So after that year, when I signed a six-year contract, we took that out.

And then it was like, all right, you just proved that you can pay on that knee with no issues. And then that was taking out of the contracts from then that point on. But I had to prove to them that I wasn't going to be a liability, that that knee wasn't going to be a liability. They could count on me to go out there and compete a week in and week out and stay on the field, which for me was one of the most important things is to be able to snap up that helmet week in and week out. Roberto, I just got to ask you,

like, did you understand, like, how different were the feelings in your legs and does that persist today? I'm just curious, since you clearly didn't know that you didn't, that you had this problem. Right. Even, you know, actually,

my other knees is the one that hurt some more. I had a lateral meniscus years after against Green Bay. And that's the need that I get more. pain in than my knee that I don't have an ACL. I still haven't had it repaired because I haven't had any issues with it. But you know what's crazy is I think the year that I was cut in 2015, that September was the first time that knee swelled up on me. And then I guess it was just my time to retire or get asked to retire.

But, you know, it was just interesting that even to this day I still don't have any issues with it. So obviously I'm still a work. out and still kind of keep my body moving so I can not have the effects of playing as long as I did. But I do enjoy the gym, so it keeps me motivated to keep my body functioning the way that I can. And Roberto, one more thing. I know we're up against a break, but I have to ask you, when the bears got Drew Dalman, everybody said it was the first bona fide center since you that the bears had gone out and gotten in free agency.

11 years is a long time. And now that Drew's retired, the Bears traded for the Patriot Center, Garrett Bradbury, what do you hope for the consistency or just what you want to see in a center for the Bears? Obviously, what the offensive line was able to do last year was impressive, right?

What Poles was able to do with bringing all the guys in, so they'll find that position is impressive. Obviously, it starts with the offensive line coming from an offensive line, and that's what you're going to hear. But that team transformed last year and became a threat in the NFC and the NFL. So when you combine what Ben Johnson is doing with Caleb is doing with those receivers

and with a smart center that can go out there and change those protections, get everybody on the right page and give you 16 games, 17 games now in a row, keeping those guys on the field and working together and keeping that chemistry, that's what it's about, right? Making the right calls, getting those guys to go out there and compete together and have each other back. And that's what we saw this past year. And you would imagine they continue that.

They've set a standard for the way they play football in that building. And it starts with the offensive line and obviously the defensive line. And you expect the new center to come in and step in. And some of the older guys that were there last year and set that standard and practice a certain way and prepare a certain way to go out there and build on what they did this past season. Well, Roberto, this has been a really. great time. Thank you so much for joining us and providing some really priceless perspective on it all.

Thanks, Roberto. Thank you guys. You all. Have a good day, man. You too. That is Roberto Garza, the longtime Bear Center, as you mentioned, for 10 years. Nice enough to join us here in Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043 the score and on Twitch. We have big breaking news. This is according to Tom Pelliserro, three-time Pro Bowl safety. Kevin Byard is signing with The Patriots, a one-year $9 million deal. And it was negotiated by the famous agent, David Mugoletta, of athletes first. So that is the news regarding Kevin Byard, no longer a bear.

I don't know if it was as much money as we thought he was going to get and as many years, one year and nine million. Definitely a raise from the 7.5, but less guaranteed money. I mean, yeah. Fewer years. It's tough. A lot of people thought it would be. two in the neighborhood of perhaps 10 each, but this is cheaper than that even.

Clearly wanting to stay with a winner and getting a raise, I think he's probably at his age on a year-to-year basis now to get that type of money anyway. Sad. It's not great. He was such a respected leader on that team and what he did leading the NFL in Interceptions with 7 in the regular season. He will be missed. We will have more on that next.

In the meantime, join me. Layla Rahimi next Thursday, March 19th, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Old Crow Smokehouse in Wrigleyville for the finals of Bud Light's official mini-hoops mania. Hang out with Bud Light and the score as one Chicago winner heads to Vegas for a chance at $10,000. That's Thursday, March 19th, starting at 7 at Old Crow in Wrigleyville. We'll react to this and have more next. Looking for something smart, soulful, and full of heart? I'm Jen Hatmaker.

host of For the Love, the podcast where we talk about what really matters. Love and family, faith and purpose. Every week, I'm joined by incredible guests for honest conversations that invite all of us to live with more intention, more laughter, and more connection. Join us on For the Love wherever you get your podcasts. Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, The Score. This is appropriate music, because I will admit, I thought there was a chance. I thought there was a chance the Bears would keep Kevin Byard.

It didn't happen. Here's the thing, Lela. Marshall just looked at me and just slow blinked. No, but I really thought when he name-checked him at the press conference, at the end of the season, that Ryan Poles was going to make Kevin Byard a press. priority. And look, but the Kobe Bryant thing, I get it. I get it. He's a younger guy who's more versatile in maybe the things that Dennis Allen wanted to find on his defense when he looked up and down the roster. And that goes back to when he name checked Kyler Gordon at his introductory

press conference. And when you take into account that we all knew, it's funny, because a year ago, things we were saying about this team and this staff and this front office, we're like, well, you know how it usually goes. For most teams, that first year, you're just sorting out what you have on your roster, and a lot of these guys will not be back. But a couple of things. We didn't envision this level of success in year one. And I don't think any of us were like, and leading the way will be Kevin Byard, who will be a first team all pro safety for the third time in his career. And when you add all of that up and you let it soak in that now he's going to be on another winning team, a team that played in the Super Bowl last year. And they're going

to benefit from all of the experience, the expertise, and the still on a plateau play. It hasn't fallen off from Kevin Byard. That's what makes me, I guess that is the word for the bears, for the fan base for the city of Chicago understanding how influential and important he was, not only on the field, but just in that locker room and in that space. It's the room that I wonder about as well.

And that secondary group where he was very much an anchor when guys like Kyler Gordon and Jalen Johnson aren't as available because they're injured, you remember what Ben Johnson said when he said he felt like he didn't even know Kyler Gordon because he wasn't able to be

doing the same work as the rest of the team because he was having to rehab. haven't come back from his injury. And that's what made Byard's presence even more important, not just the 93 tackles that he had last year, but also the seven interceptions, which we've mentioned a lot because it led the NFL, led to him having that all-pro season. And so it was a renaissance for him, but it was also still in his age 32 season. And how much did that factor in to what Ryan Poles and what Dennis Allen ultimately wanted to do? Kobe Bryant. as 26. And we knew he had four

interceptions. And he's not going to have the same amount of tackles because he was playing on a defense that spread that around. But this is a loss for the Bears. He was a huge anchor for this team. He was a reliable presence. And one who showed not just leadership, as you mentioned, but success, walking out the door. And to go to the Super Bowl team who lost to the Seahawks and the Patriots lets you know good teams still think very

very highly of Kevin Byard's services. And I was wondering what it would cost to keep him around. I was like, ah, you know, two for 20. He ends up getting one for just nine. It makes me wonder what the Bears offered him, right? Like, what was the offer? Or did they just say, go out and do your thing, and if we can match it, we can match it. Obviously, you want to get paid and be in a good situation.

Clearly, he's in an excellent situation. And I think the real thing, the reason maybe why this makes me a little bit more sad than I thought I would feel because I suspected this would be the end result after the signing of Kobe Bryant. Is the answer to this question, are the bears better defensively than they were last year? And right now the answer is no. Well, and like you said yesterday, it's an incomplete. We don't know who the other three safeties are going to be on this team. Do we necessarily know if the cornerback group or even the linebacker group is a finished product?

The Bears added with two backups, what we think are backups on the defensive line. But do we know if this is going to be the team? Everybody's in the same spot when it comes to where we think the bears are going to add more defensively. It seems like we've all resigned ourselves to thinking they're going to have to essentially have this same kind of draft for the defense this year that they had for the offense last year, where the role players that you expect, everybody is seeing significant time offensively, at least intentionally, before Ozzie Tripullo got injured. from what we saw in last year's draft. They're going to have to have a symmetrical, similar type of year out of who they think is going to produce in this year's draft defensively.

I'm assuming that's where a lot of this is going to have to go. And remember when Ryan Poles was hesitant to say that they would go out and make a big splash in the manner that obviously they did on offense last year was what they did with the interior of the offensive line? And then, you know, it followed suit in the draft with getting three huge playmakers on offense when you look at Colston Lovin, Luther Bird and the third, and of course in the seventh round, Kyle Monongai, guys who are all instrumental in them winning the North in the first time and forever. I guess as I look at this, I hope Ryan Poles has one more move up his sleeve,

and I hope is the addition of Max Grosby. That's what I'm hoping. I know. I just took it there. But that's, I'm sorry, I'm going extremes today. Yes, you are. But because, you know what? You know what I'm probably sounding more extreme than I intend to sound? It's because that first wave of free agency is coming to an, and remember I marked us at, by the end of the day to day, I'll mark this as that first wave of free agency. Kevin Byer going during that first wave, there's not that many playmakers left that can make a huge upgrade

to what you have defensively through free agency. And so if it's draft or bust, that gives me a little bit of pause. I know you did it in our office. I don't know that I trust that you'll do it again on defense. Yeah, the defensive resume as a whole doesn't give you a ton of belief. although Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker were two of their very first picks as a front office. That was a long time ago. I hear you though.

I hear you. Still big factors on the team. There's been other picks. Injury precluded Brisker from playing more of the season that you know he wanted to play the year before last. I think my thing is just the recency of who have they drafted on defense that's been a high impact player. Yeah, especially on the line. Maybe Austin Booker. That's about all.

Well, Jervon Dexter at six sacks. That was second on the team. Everything's relative. But I get it. As an interior guy, that's a good number. Yeah. Yeah. They need more.

They signed out a free agency. Tremaine Edmonds, they signed out a free agency. You see what I'm saying. No, I mean, that's been the issue. But the fact of the matter is they got a deal on Kevin Byard when they got him. They knew it. So did they want to offer the same deal again? And if he goes to the Patriots for one,

year 9 million. It makes you wonder what they thought the deal really was. And Kevin Byard himself talked about how Ryan Poles mentioned him by name. So that let you know what he was thinking too. He led everybody down the same path that we were already going down. It's just unfortunate. Honestly, it's just unfortunate. And I hope Ryan Poles has more moves, like I said, up his sleeves.

One big move up your sleeve. I don't need like multiple big moves. But one, like, this dude is a difference maker. He's maybe short of a game. record at this point, but they got to get some more guys on defense. And it certainly makes sense as to why the Patriots after last year thought that they needed his services. Fair. That makes it make sense.

Coming up next year on Rahimi Harrison Grady, it is time to make way for our afternoon show. Lawrence Holmes and Matt Spiegel are next. What's up, Little Psychos? I'm Investigator Slater, host of the Psychopedia podcast. Psychopedia is a true crime podcast delivering raw, real, and absolutely gripping episodes every single week. I dig deep to uncover fascinating details of heinous true crime cases while exploring criminology and psychology theories. I take you into the absolute darkest corners of the human psyche, my favorite territory, and present cases like you've never heard them before. Follow and listen to Psychopedia everywhere you get your podcasts.