Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Full Show — March 4, 2026

Episode Date: March 4, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote discussed how the Bears can fill their void at center after Drew Dalman's sudden retirement at 27 years old.

This hour is brought to you by Menards, everybody. Say big money at Menards. The views and opinions of Laila Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grody should not be taken too seriously. Especially when they give advice. Do not take Marshall's analogies, literally. Especially when it comes to Russell Dorsey. The sports thoughts of Rahimi Harrison Grody may change at any time. It's just sports.

Gay thanks, bye. Rahimi Harrison Grody, 10 to 2 on 1043, the score. Adam Schaefter is reporting. that Drew Dalman has informed the Bears that he is retiring at age 27. What? Dalman left Stanford in 2021 and after four seasons in Atlanta

and one in Chicago, he has made the sudden and surprising decision to retire. This is the worst. I cannot believe this and there must be some further explanation because, you know, I know about retiring early. We've seen so many

NFL players do this, but at the age of 27, this is. can't be happening. Okay, not, not totally, uh, totally panicking here, but this is a huge concern for the Bears. Everybody stay calm. What's the procedure, everyone? What's a procedure? Stay fucking car. Now, looking at the center position and how many times have we said, you know what, isn't it good not to worry about center? It was me. I said it. I said I was really happy that I didn't have to worry about the center and quarterback exchange. Ozzy is, obviously, he's not really Avengers, but Wolverine. I have, uh, Dr. Strain. I have Dr. Strain.

as left guard with Joe. I have obviously Hulk, as Center. I have the Red Hulk as Jonah. And then I have Darnell's Bucky because he has the one arm. I guess first and foremost, awesome guy, great teammate, great to have around, all those things. And then, you know, like all those curleaders as a player, like, as an O-line, can't tell you the amount of times

that he's helped us out when we've struggled or make huge plays for the team to keep us in games or to win games. And so I don't think, I don't know what else you can ask for. My goodness. Lela Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody,

midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on Chicago Sports Radio 1043, The Score. Hello and good Wednesday morning. This is Rahimi Harris and Grody on 1043, The Score.

And for everybody who took pictures and video of Marshall and I, because we were playing some audio from the White Sox and Instagram video that they had, and then we got Ray in our ear, telling us about Drew Dalman retiring. Yeah, yeah, that look was genuine.

We were shocked. It was sudden. And now we are trying to figure out what the Bears' newest priority is this offseason. Thanks for joining us here on 104.3, the score. Mark Grody in today with me. And Mark, I do want to get your reaction, just kind of picking up where we left off. Because as the Bears reporter for our station, you had a lot of conversations with Drew Dalman. And he is a guy who I always found him really interesting. You know, I feel like he had a

lot to say whenever he did speak. And number one, you hope he's okay. And then number two, you try to figure out why. And then number three, you also figure out what's next. Absolutely, all those things. And continuing on with the office theme, and I love anytime Tyler Buterbaugh, he's a real beaut, anytime he can put some office quote, into an open or throughout the show, you know I love it. Do you remember when Toby, the human resources man who Michael Scott hates, that's the running bit. He leaves for a while.

He goes to Costa Rica. He goes to Costa Rica. And Michael Scott thought he was never coming back. He does come back. Michael Scott didn't believe it. And then when he saw him, he just goes, no, no, no. That was kind of my reaction when I heard that Drew Dalman was no more, that Drew Dalman had decided to retire at the age of 27. So you and Marshall were, and I saw the pictures, you guys, that was the exact appropriate response.

No is the answer because right now, because we don't have an explanation about it, we all feel helpless right now. We want to get mad. We want to be sad, but we also want to know what's going on with the human being. So it's difficult for us to just be like, who do I get mad at? Who do I get? Who is responsible? I can't get mad at Ryan Poles for this because Ryan Poles probably did not see it. I'd like to think that Ryan Poles had no idea this was going to happen until probably a couple of weeks ago.

Same thing with Ben Johnson. Same thing with Dan Rocher. So right now, I feel a little bit helpless just like everybody else. As far as my relationship with Drew Dalman, I'm not going to overplay it. I probably had five or six or seven conversations with him throughout the year. I do remember when they rolled out Drew Dalman and a lot of their new players in a special day at Hallis Hall where the families come out. I do remember, like all these things start to resonate and you don't want to like overplay it.

But I do remember how important family was to him. His wife was there and it was clear that they were very close. Like she was looking on adoringly and all of that. So of course my brain. rain goes back to that very first day and knowing how important the family. But there was not a single second in that locker room throughout the season during practice sessions at games where I thought, like, sensed anything about, and why would you? The man played 17 games this season for the Bears, took more snaps than anybody. That's what he does. He actually, the one who snaps the

ball. As a matter of fact, all three of those offensive linemen on the interior played every single game. So That's another reason. I was like, no! And I understood, no, I understood what Ben Johnson was saying, what he said, it's never going to be the same again. But this was not what I had anticipated. And my guess is that Ben Jansen had not anticipated that either. Well, that's it, is that we talked about this.

And yeah, Brad Biggs alluded to it, too, that there was some scuttlebutt around the House of Bears around Hallis last week. But if that were the case, Tyler Bueberbaugh, this up. Would Ben Johnson have been at the Bulls game instead of at Offensive lineman Day at the Combine in Indianapolis on Sunday? Joking around. Acting like he's taking a shirt off, the comedy tour? I don't think so.

Probably not. And that's not really what's important, right? In the grand scheme of things, like we'll put it all together. We'll try to piece it together because you always want to know, too, retirement implies if you don't want to do something anymore, when you're really good at it, you want to ask why. but there's also the truth of football in this. And you can make a lot of money playing it, but at what cost to your future,

at what cost to who you are as a person? And, you know, I love the, whenever we bring up the idea of the bears, especially this front office being like, we've got to get somebody who loves football. Max Crosby also told you in so many different terms. It's not about how he loves football. It's about how obsessed he is with doing his job and doing it well.

There's a bunch of different ways. You can be productive. You don't have to love the game. There's the person you are, and there's the job you do. And salute to anybody who gets to separate those and have them be two very different things. Right. And for whatever it's worth, there was never a time where I sense that Drew Dalman was not into what he did. As a matter of fact, one of the most pertinent conversations that I had with him with Drew

Dalman was at the beginning of the year when things were not going particularly well if you got if you remember remember the bear's not able to get one yard on two straight downs on a third down and a fourth down. I think that happened multiple times where it was like, okay, now I got to go talk to Drew Dalman about this because there's some culpability there. And I just remember him giving a very thorough, complicated answer about what what was going on with the office. So, so in other words, I'm telling you that to tell you that this man cared a lot and he acted like an offensive lineman. Most offensive linemen are pretty smart guys who are easy to talk to and care a lot. And Drew Dalman fell into that category.

I don't think that anybody would disagree when you consider how many games he played. And that was such a level of calm that they brought. You know, that was so appreciated just how forever we had so many different combinations of offensive of lineman every season. The season before that, it had gotten up into the 20s as far as the various combinations of linemen. So that's not starting, obviously. That's during games and what happens in a game, whatever. So to have that calm and to have that be reliable and to also just not have a question about his play, how many times did you ever question whether or not Drew Dalman was off on something? I think I can name three times the entire season. When he was off on something? Yeah. Yeah. I mean,

some snap issues here. It wasn't perfect. For all of the Bears' cadence concerns that clearly were a problem the year before and additionally were a problem at the beginning of the season, I think Rudalman helped Caleb Williams with that immensely. Or they helped each other. Football is a team sport. But either way, I credit him with a lot of what made the offensive process so smooth and productive. Right. I mean, you have to have a center who can identify what the defense is doing with the line. are doing at the line of scrimmage. I mean, that is essential competency, I would say, for any center, but it would

appear that he did it particularly well, which guys took a lot of heat off of Caleb Williams. Not that Caleb Williams can't identify things, but he, of course, to some degree, was completely dependent on Drew Dalman for that. And really, one of the hardest parts of this is, I mean, you could make the argument that through the years with all the issues the Bears' offensive line has had, the center position is, and I'm here to hear arguments, was the biggest of the bugaboo's when we think about when they signed, when polls got here, and I will say, when they signed Lucas Patrick,

I'll raise my hand, I liked it. Like when they signed him, I was, they sold me on it. Lucas Patrick, I'm just saying at the time, Lucas Patrick did not work out. Sam Mustifer was never intended to be a starting center in this league. The Bears knew that. Sam Mustifer knew that. Coleman Shelton, obviously, not bad, but it has been, and I can go on and on, that position has been a difficult one to fill for the Bears over the last five or six years. So it just felt so good having that adult as your center for the for at least one year. Well, and how about Coleman Shelton?

I saw his name quite a bit during the playoff loss to the Rams. Yeah. Because he's the center for L.A. So Coleman Shelton, all's well that ends well. It also goes back to my theory that there's no such thing as a left tackle storm when it is the price is monumental. These guys are, they'll always find jobs, you know. I was reading earlier this week about Larry Boreham being a guy who could likely get a big payday just because of the lack of available offensive linemen. And he had started a good amount of games in Miami.

So I say all that to say, like, there's the sadness knowing that that was a really solid Bears offensive. of line. The concern knowing that you might not get to see something like that again, especially when left tackle is such a question. The offensive line was so good. You didn't worry about left tackle. Honestly, it was one of the number one reasons that I would push Ben. I've done this a lot on the podcast, on Take the North, pushing back gently on Ben Johnson

when he has gone through this whole thing of, hey, man, we ain't the same anymore. one of the big reasons they were the same to me was because you could depend on the offensive line. You have the quarterback coming back. You have the receivers coming back. You have the running backs coming back. But we all know that it started with the offensive line. And back to your point, too, about the tackles that you bring up Larry Borum, like you're

going to get paid if you are a left tackle or a right tackle or a starting caliber offensive linemen. And it always amazes me, like when I hear people talk about Braction Jones and say, well, maybe the Bears will give him a one-year prove-it deal. He's going to get an offer from somebody else in the league that's not a one-year. See Charles Leno who around was not, was not, and I was part of it. Charles Leno was not particularly valued in this town as a left tackle. He was all every year. It was like, replace him, replace him, replace him, then he goes and gets his three-year deal.

I promise you. He got paid to go to Washington. He did. He got a big contract. Bracton Jones is going to get paid too, and Bracton Jones should go. He owes nothing to the Bears. No, and also, again, the market value of capable left tackle. You know, that's it.

And unfortunately, that's when the domino effect occurs of how much this truly affects a Bears team who is over the salary cap. You know, that's the concern. And for every, that was one of my first questions. And I hadn't had to research how retirement and salary cap works. we were getting the information real time. So because of that, we didn't get to like research in the quiet and like take notes and write stuff down. It's hard.

A lot of people asking the questions. So this is according to over the cap. Yes. The bears will place Dalman on the reserve slash retired list. Yes. So they will keep his rights in the event, Dalman comes out of retirement in the future. I would imagine this is all-off Frank Ragnow last year. Dirty Frank.

That's a Pearl Jam reference. Thank you. It's not offensive to Frank Ragnon. Once that occurs, the Bears. will take on a $4 million dead cap money charge for the remaining portion of a $6 million signing bonus that they paid him in 2025. So that's big.

And his $14 million cap charge will vanish. So there's an exchange there. Delman will forfeit his $9.5 million salary guarantee for the year. So the team will then save $10 million in cap room, but we'll have a gaping hole in the middle of the line. Thanks for reminding us over the cap. I came here for cap news. The Bears will have the option to claw back $2 million in bonus money in 2026 and another $2 million in 2027.

Players forfeit signing bonus money when they walk away from a contract, though it is up to the team to enforce the provisions in the contract and try to recover the money. The Bears would not get salary cap relief for that the season as that would start to come next season. So that is why this gets real tough, real quick. you didn't have a lot of flexibility to work with previously. Your GM told you he didn't want to do the whole kick the can down the road thing. Like they just did in Dallas, by the way. Adam Schefter reported the Cowboys of Restructure the contracts of Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith creating $47 million in cap room per field Yates in him.

By the way, that still leaves 9 million that they're over the cap. 47 million they cleared up and they're still nine over. So Ryan Poles has talked about how he doesn't want to necessarily do the into perpetuity thing. So I take all of this into consideration and understand this team has now some very large holes to fill and some very big needs when it comes to how they put this together for next year. Your top need right now? Center. The end. That's my number one now because of this. It's replacing Drew Dalman with somebody capable. And yeah, the wish list, of course, is Tyler Linderbaum. But if he's, that's, that's, that's, you.

He can't get to a $20 million agreement with the team who drafted him in Baltimore. What on earth is the deal he's going to command? Yeah, that seems outlandish, not something the bears will be able to do. But it's funny because the question was asked backstage in our pre-show meeting. I hesitated for a second on the question of what's the most important. Because I went through my mind, like, a left tackle, a defensive end. but then I thought about everything and the importance like really to narrow it down to simplify it. The importance of Drew Dalman to the man who wears number 18 for the Chicago Bears, that would be Caleb Williams.

And there's myriad reasons why it's Drew Dalman, but that is number one with a bullet right there. That filling that center position was just huge this year. So yeah, the Linderbom thing seems like a dream will continue to bring up his. name and the possibilities of it, but the Tyler Biotish, that sounds more plausible. I know Connor McGovern's name has come up with the bills. And an old

friend, too, that I mentioned as well, that we all just sort of laughed at was James Daniels. James Daniels, who was only played, I don't believe he has been a center at all at the NFL. I believe he has been all guard, but he did play some center at Iowa.

I remember when he came to the Bears, there was some question as a second round pick by the way, whether or not he would play guard or center, he obviously played guard. I will say that when Ryan Poles was going through the rebuild, that was the one move to me that I was like, huh, really? Get rid of James Daniels? I didn't like it at the time, but I don't... For a guy like Nate Davis. So I don't actually think that James Daniels is going to be your center, but I just thought it was interesting that his name came up. Well, and also, I know people have talked about Luke Newman, but...

Newman. He didn't take a lot of... lot of snaps, like in game scenarios. I understand that most of his reps were in the offseason and during training camp to test versatility. So that's something that I think we try to figure out as well. But I don't know how you look at this and don't say this changes everything. It does. It does. Right. The chain reaction of all of this and being so locked in and with potentially getting Max Crosby, which we will talk about on this program later on in a couple of segments and the left tackle situation, what you could put into that. You're right. Everything has changed and we're going to discuss it all day here on Rahimi Harrison Grody. We are. We are on 1043

The Score. That is Mark Grody. I'm Laila Rahimi. Thank you for joining us, both on 670 and 1043. Or maybe you're hanging out with us on Twitch. Twitch.tv slash the Score Chicago. Our address did change. It is The Score Chicago. Our Twitch mob is up and chatting. They are emoting. We are also on YouTube. Shout out to our YouTube viewers at the Score Chicago there as well. Ray Diaz, Tyler Bueberbaugh and Brandon Fryer are our producers. Our video team is Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis. Cody Westerland helps us out as well. And we broadcast live through the score Hyundai Studios brought to you by your local Hyundai dealers.

Coming up next, someone who can offer a lot of perspective, both from Drew Dalman's standpoint and then also the idea of being one of the best in the NFL at your position. Joe Thomas, the Browns offensive tackle for 10 years. The Hall of Famer joins us next. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 104-3 The Score. It is Mark Grody and Layla Rahimi with you today. We're waiting for Joe Thomas in a conversation that I think not only he can give some real perspective on, but just understands how it sounds silly.

But I think we forget how hard it is to play on the offensive line. For all the study we do, for all we talk about it, just the day and, day out, toll it takes on your body. When we talk about Drew Dalman retiring here on 104,3, the score, I think that that, I could hear about that every day and still not fully understand how the hits that you take, like being in a car crash multiple times a day, how that affects your body every day. Right. And it's the lines, like I was just thinking about that quote, too, that we all throw around. but it's not like the safeties are having these car accidents on every single play. It's not like the cornerbacks are having these accidents on every place. Not the wide receivers. It's the damn linemen.

It's the defensive line. It's the offensive line. So, yeah, I think everybody should with a minimal education. You should understand why somebody would want to get out. But I do. I'd like to know, though, the specific. still on what's going out with Drew Dalman. Yeah, so we're awaiting Joe Thomas, so we hope to hear from him.

And in the meantime, just reacting to the news. And I said that I think this is the bear's top priority this offseason now. That changes everything. You can't have a luxury trade concept for Max Crosby or something like that when you spent so much money on the line. You know, what is the bear's cap number now overall? We talked about the cap implications. How does that affect what this year looks like for this team who was already

over. How does that factor in? And now you have four safeties, too, that you need to sign. All four your safeties came up in contract this year. Is Tremaine Edmunds a calf casualty? We think so. Okay, well, T.J. Edwards isn't healthy. Neither is Noah Sewell. You need linebackers. So think about all the priorities you have to have, and still, to me, number one is still now center because of what we saw out of the offensive production and Caleb Williams' development last year.

And just because of the Bears' issues previous to having Drew Dalman, it doesn't mean that the bears can't get it right two years in a row. It doesn't mean that you can't bring in another competent center, you know, talking about Tyler Beattish or the dream, it feels like now in Tyler Linderbaum. But it does mean that you're probably not going to be. as good at that position and let us face it. Like with Drew Dolman, he built up to something. I said it in the first segment that it was not pretty early with any of those guys,

quite frankly, on the interior. With Tooney, with Jonah Jack, I don't know, maybe, actually maybe Joe Tunney didn't not do anything wrong. I'd have to go back and look and I would acquiesce to those who really know offensive line play. He was probably perfect. He's like that straight-A student. He does everything right.

But it didn't look right early on with Drew Dalman. It didn't look great with Jonah Jackson. They couldn't run block. The line couldn't run block for the first couple of games. You couldn't get a yard. But that's what I mean. Like they, like with everything on that team, they progressed and built something. Before our very eyes, and it goes with so much about the 2025 bears,

that where they were at the beginning of the season, evolved in so many ways. and maybe more than any position, it was on the offensive line. With the lack of sacks, what, 26 for Caleb Williams this year, just off the top of my head is what sounds right to me right now. With the running game the way it was, top five in the league this year, and those were things, especially the running game, which until after the by-week heading into the Washington game, were not right early in the season, and that's the beauty of it.

They were coached up, they got better, they built something, And it was at a maximum point after, of course, the Bears lost in the final game of the season to the Rams. But that's the part that's so disheartening. This group had chemistry. They built a chemistry together. And now we have to talk about a new offensive line, essentially. 24. 24.

He had more touchdowns than sacks. And what was the number last year? 68. 68 sacks. So, of course, some of that goes to Caleb Williams's elite ability there. I said it again. People like it when I say elite. Elite's ability to elude pass rushers, but there was also the part where you had this lockdown interior of your offensive line and Drew Dalman might have been the biggest part of it.

And that's how I felt. So I thought he was the most important addition that the team made from free agency because of the exchange between the quarterback and the center. Wasn't DiO Dangbo? Very funny. I wonder if we're picking on him too much. He's going to get healthy. that Achilles is going to get healthy and he's going to run from

Halis Hall to pass rush us. Hey, you know what? Again, I mean, if we're talking about the ability for the bears to improve like they did in so many areas this year, then, yeah, we should probably say, hey, Dennis Allen, it's not inconceivable that Di-O-Dangbo is better.

That's your Mark Turner turns into something that Montez Sweat has 14 sacks next year. That's right. I just called it, 14 sacks this upcoming season. I think you wishcast a little bit. Really? Really? He had 10, but Drvon Dexter was the second was six. It felt like a grind to get the 10, too, didn't it?

It did. Didn't it? Let's go to our score hotline. He also joins us on Twitch. Twitch.tv slash the score Chicago. The Hall of Famer, the 10-year offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, six-time first team, all pro, 10-time Pro Bowl, part of the all-decade team. The accolades go on and on.

Joe Thomas, thank you for joining us today. Hey, thanks for having me. guys. Well, thank you. And I think you're a perfect person to talk to when it came to just this sudden announcement of the retirement of Drew Dalman. I said this just a couple minutes ago to my co-host, Mark, Joe, that for all the understanding of football we do, for all the research, I think until you've ever played NFL football as a lineman, we can't fully grasp even with description how hard it is on your body day in and day out. How would you do that for us if you could? it's a beating i mean i retired after 11 years i didn't miss a single play until my 11th season but that was all she wrote because by the time i'd finished 10 and a half years in the NFL

i uh was sliding down the stairs on my butt because i couldn't walk after games my knees hurt so bad they were so swollen i was getting injections every week and getting my knee drained and um it's a beating even if you're not getting the big injuries which i was able to avoid for 10 and a half years and I didn't miss any time. You're still accumulating wear and tear and beatings on the body and the mind. And it beats you down and really like mentally I was in probably a worse space than I was physically by the end of my career because dealing with all the rehab and wondering if you're going to be healthy enough to play on the weekend and trying to make up for lost practice time because you're injured, it wears on you because it's a stressful game as it is

when you're a young player. Not to mention when you get old and you're trying to deal with Can my body keep up with these young bucks? Oh, and by the way, I'm older and I'm dealing with some injuries. I'm dealing with some inadequacies because my body just isn't the way it used to be. So I totally understand it's hard for people to really wrap their minds around a guy who's so young in his 20s, just signed with the Chicago Bears to retire. But everybody's body ages differently. And it's hard to know what that beating was unless you're actually living inside of that person.

So what is your first reaction? then when you hear, you see the news that Drew Dalman, as you just pointed out, 27. I mean, and you mentioned it. You play 10 plus years in this league. He's younger. Three years, $42 million. First reaction when you read that. I was surprised.

I mean, it is very young, especially when you are just signing with a new team like he did last year with the Bears. You would expect that like if a guy's going to retire, you're going to hear some whispers about, you know, he's thinking about it. He's dealing well off-season surgeries. and he's struggling to come back. But really, it was all quiet on that front. I think it probably surprised the Bears almost as much as anybody. So it was definitely a shock. And Joe, I think you were probably the last generation of kids who grew up playing football

without the concussion settlement that had happened with the NFL. I think that had come out probably when you were actually in your NFL career at that point. And I do think there was a wave of parents. parents, you know, who said they were going to do things differently when it came to having their kids play like Pop Warner, for example, or playing high school football a little bit differently. I can understand why that would be top of mind for any NFL player, just the danger of what this game can do to your brain day in and day out, knowing that earlier in their career and having that understanding for so long. What do you think?

Yeah, it's definitely something that guys think about. One of my good friends from Wisconsin, and Chris Borland. He played one year, had an amazing season with the San Francisco 49ers as a linebacker, and he decided to walk away because he didn't feel like it was worth risking the health of his brain and possible long-term repercussions of the daily beatings that you take when you're a lineman, when you're a linebacker, when you're one of those positions that as a requirement of your job, you are smashing your skull against another human being 60, 70 times during practice, not just on the games. And so it's something that you definitely consider. I think they've done a great job of making the game safer. But when you're thinking about the brain, you only get one of them.

Last time I checked, they're not doing brain replacements. And I think that's something that people have to think about. And I think the reason you maybe see it a little bit more now with guys retiring early versus we didn't see it as much a while ago is they're making a lot more money. So a guy like Doug or some of these other guys who retired early, in four or five years, they're making what NFL players 10, 15 years ago, would have taken 20 years to make. So it's a little bit easier decision when you've already feel like you've got yourself set up for life. And at that point, you're just playing for the love of the game. I think that cost-benefit analysis changes a little bit when you're not doing it because you have to pay those bills like guys that were playing 20, 30 years ago had to consider.

And obviously, Joe, everybody cares about the person. We're being careful to some degree, too, because we don't know the why here of Drew Dolman. I'm sure the bears know more than we know. But the other part is, is the reality the bears no longer have a Pro Bowl center who it sure looked to us like was hugely important to the Bears this year. What kind of a loss is Drew Dalman from what you saw watching the Bears? I think it's a huge loss because Drew was the center of that offensive line.

And when you've got a young quarterback who's learning a new system like Caleb, who's coming into his own, had a really good year last season, that is the guy you lean on. He is the translator between quarterback and the rest of the offensive linemen. And so that position is something that the quarterback leans on. And that's something that the guards and the tackles lean on, because Drew is that guy who translates Chinese that maybe coming out of the quarterback's mouth to English that the offensive linemen are speaking. When that defense moves and they

shift from a four down to a three down, they drive safeties down, they rock safeties back, they change where those linebackers are. There's constant communication that has to happen. And it has to happen in a split second. And so for Drew at center, he needs to know what Caleb is thinking. He's in every single meeting with the quarterbacks when they're talking about protections. They have their own meetings a couple times a week so that they can get on the same page because a lot of times your quarterback is looking at the secondary. He's looking at the coverage. And it's the center that's looking at the protection. And so at some point during the play, the quarterback's not looking at that protection anymore. And he's trusting the center to be able to make any adjustments or changes

to protect him and his well-being and safety. And so that trust is not something that you just sign up for. That's something that's built during training camp. It's built during the battles that you go through on Sundays. And it's not a position that's easy to replace. It's one of those positions. If you don't know anything about it, it's usually a good thing. If you start hearing about it, you know there's a problem. And that is something that only time can fix when you're talking about that quarterback center relationship. Oh, that's so true. We are talking to the Hall of Famer Joe Thomas here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, the all pro, many time all pro, all decade, Brown's offensive tackle for many years. And he joins us on Twitch, twitch.tv, slash the score Chicago,

from your shop where I see you have like a million point antlers behind you, by the way. That's some nice work out of you. So that's a treat for everybody watching on Twitch. And I also want to ask you this, Joe, having done this for as long as you have, having been an analyst of the game the way you are. Oh, we get the, oh, my goodness. Look at the multi-point bucks over there. Okay, so as we admire the taxidermy of Joe Thomas's shop.

Yeah, absolutely. So I do want to ask you this because you are somebody who I think brought a lot of like modern stats to the conversation when it came to how to measure, you know, offensive line efficiency and things like that. If you were a general manager and you were looking for a center, what would be the qualities you would look for first? I think the first quality you got to have in any center is they got to be really smart. Because as I mentioned before, they need to be the guy that translates and that the quarterback trusts. He is the voice for the offensive line. he's the guy that makes sure everybody's on the same page. And it's something that's not the hardest responsibility of an offensive lineman,

but it might be the most important. And so you've got to find somebody who's very smart, especially running a complex system like the Bears do. They're going to be changing not only protections before the snap comes, but a lot of run-blocking assignments because they're running pinpole. If they're running some of the outside zone concepts, play actions, they have to count for nine guys out there, right? If a safety comes down to the strong side, now they have to count him and to be able to have a

blocker for that player. And so those are all things that are really challenging. They have to happen very quickly. And that's the first thing that I want out of any of my centers. And then the second thing is I need to have a good athlete. A guy that can get out and run. He can reach a nose guard if they're running zones. You can get out and pull if they're run pinpoles and crack G type concepts.

He's got to be able to run. You get a lot of help when you're in the center, which is the nice thing. You got a guard on either side of you. So in pass protection, you're rarely in a one-on-one matchup. But you need to be able to run. You need to be able to find linebackers and safeties in space and block them, especially in the bear system, which is always going to rely heavily on a really, really strong ground game.

All of that said about the center, Joe, you may or may not know the bears do have an opening at left tackle right now as well. which position center or left tackle for the Bears and Caleb Williams is more important right now. More resources should be used at. I would say you're going to want to use more resources on tackle because it requires a lot more draft capital or dollars in the salary cap to pay a quality tackle. And if you can't block the edges in pass protection, it doesn't matter if you've got all the guys assigned to the right protection. You're not going to be able to be very efficient and very effective protecting.

for your quarterback. So tackle is still the hardest thing to get, and it's still something you want to spend your most money on. Says the tackle, a likely story. We'll buy us. Joe, thank you so much for joining us. And you can check out Hall of Fame Beef by Joe Thomas. Yeah.

Man, this is a pretty impressive list of what you got here, Joe. 100% full-blood Wagyu, F-1 American Wagyu, and premium Angus Beef proudly raised in Wisconsin's driftless region by Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. You can visit Hall of Famebeef.com. Joe, I have to admit, I didn't

know about the Driffless region of Wisconsin. You should come visit. It's beautiful. It's not quite like the Rocky Mountains, but it's absolutely gorgeous. The last glacier period didn't come through here, so we got amazing trout streams. We got unbelievable wildlife. We got beautiful bluffs and hills. It's a great place to vacation.

That's why I first got here. And then it's also a great place to raise some of the healthiest, highest quality beef on planet Earth. You mentioned the Wagyu selling all those steaks, all those cuts, beef jerky, Hall of Fame beef sticks, summer sausage, hot dogs, cheddar worst, brats, you name it, anything

a beef cow has. We can provide it at Hall of Famebeef.com. Cheddar worst. Fantastic. That sounds good, man. Cheddar worst is off the chain. My kids won't even look at a regular hot dog anymore. And I've got something else to do, which is check that out. Joe, this has been

a wonderful conversation. Thank you so much for joining us. Hey, thanks for having me on guys. Anytime. Thanks, Joe. That's Joe Thomas, Hall of Famebeef.com for all of that. And I learned a geography lesson today. I've been meaning to ski in Wisconsin. I was a stupid head and started skiing in Colorado and Nevada first. To this day, I don't think I could ski because I started, I went from Colorado to Utah, which is another. Utah is tricky. The snow can get icy. We got to go up to this driftless region. There's no drifts. No drifts whatsoever. We got to check it out. What does that mean?

Driftless region. That's the thing. That's why I want to look this up. Okay. Curiosity is good. All right. Thanks again to Joe Thomas for joining us. We're going to do more on just, I think, listening to what he had to say and kind of absorbing that.

So we'll do that together as a team with you next. Rahimi Harris and Grody, Midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 The Score. And once again, we thank Joe Thomas for just a really interesting interview offering a a lot of perspective and knowledge when it came to the toll it takes on the body to play on the offensive line day in and day out, which I think we can never describe enough. And then also just what he would want in the center if he were the GM for the Bears. Like if he were Ryan Poles, what would he be looking for? And the athleticism was something that I think was a really compelling

comment, Mark. Oh yeah, athleticism. And I don't know. Joe was talking about how like the the identifying things along the line, identifying formations on the defense. He says that's not that difficult to do. But we've seen centers here in the past who were not as adept at doing that as Drew Dolman was. So honestly, and I don't know if we'll ever know how much exactly, like to quantify how much Drew Dolman meant to Caleb Williams and take, because we know that that Caleb Williams, especially early on in this season, needed things simplified.

He needed some things taken off of his plate before he could put that stuff back on, even though they put everything on his plate during training camp. But as the season went on, we saw Caleb get more autonomy and be responsible for more. And I think some of that was because of the aid that he had, and not just from Drew Dolman, but he obviously was a big part of it. So all the smarts that went in, that is Drew Dolman, I think was extremely. extremely helpful to Caleb Williams this year. Oh, I completely agree.

And we've gotten some really good texts about this. You can always text us at 312-644-67. You can call us to this from 815. We tend to forget the pre-NFL league beatings. I play tackle ball from six years old to 20 years old, and I've had over 10 concussions, a broken clavicle, broken fib, fib, fib, fibula, sprained ankles and wrists. I feel aches and pains all over.

My memory isn't what I imagine. It should be, I feel, for NFL players. Every play is a bullet, and you're using so many bullets from early ages to even get to the pros. And I think that that's very valid perspective. I've had high school kids tell me that they've had concussions and they came back because they didn't necessarily know what it was. They didn't even know they needed to say something. It's been a long time.

I think the research and the reporting has gotten better. but the toll it takes on the body is massive. Yeah, I mean, no doubt. I mean, I don't think, again, anybody who has read anything about the brain and concussions in the NFL, one should, if this is what's going on with Drew Dalman, because we're all assuming. We don't know that. It seems like the most logical thing to think that he is protecting himself from injury or there was an injury that occurred or something that didn't feel right. Maybe he wasn't remembering things. I mean, who knows?

We could all speculate on that. But that's the scary part. That's the part that we understand. But he has left just a huge hole here with the bears. Yeah. And his health does come first. People's health comes first. Joe also made an excellent point about the money.

Joe Thomas, how much would he have gotten paid now that the salary cap is over $300 million? How much money would he have gotten a year? If his NFL career were just 10 years, not even 10, like seven years later, just slide the entire set of years later, how much more money would he have made? Yeah, I think he did pretty well, but you're right. He could have gotten the real bundle. Oh, yeah, that's, yes. The real bundle is a secret cables package that you have to ask your cable provider for.

You want the real bundle, man. You know who gets you that? Dan Weeder. He's a man who gets you things. the weed man. You can get you that. He'll bundle you up. He'll take care of you.

You're just needling him now. I know. I know. I know. Do you miss him? Is that what's happening? You know, I don't know if I miss him. I like him.

And we'll be doing a take the north today. All in the name of Drew Dalman. Emergency pod? Kind of. Yeah. Yeah. So we waited a little while to do it to try to get more information. But it's funny.

The information has been slow. on this. And it's pretty rare when nobody really knew what the heck was going on. Like in terms of like that this was going to happen, except for probably the bears. The bears probably knew before all of us that it didn't leak though is pretty amazing. Well, and again, if we're trying to figure out a timeline on this and Ben Johnson

is at the Bulls game, I'm not saying Ben Johnson doesn't take his job seriously. I'm saying that if this were known on Sunday. Wouldn't he have been to the offensive lineman Day at the Combine? Yeah. It would make sense unless you know, polls was like, we got this, we've got our scouts here. We've got, so that's the whole part too. I believe. There should be some delegation.

There should be and that's another, this is another whole topic. But I understand that Ben Johnson probably has more influence on this general manager than predecessors or any Bears head coach. I could think of like Dave Wonstead. Like that's the last time I remember a coach really having some say in personnel when he was here. I'm sure Ben Johnson does, but it's not like Ben Johnson is out scouting and like pouring through stuff and doing what the scouts do and what Ryan Poles does. So in other words, Ryan Poles still is largely responsible for at least bringing a package of players to the coach.

I think it's a little bit overstated when we talk about Ben Johnson's job in the draft, even if he does have more power than his predecessors. Yeah, I agree with that, actually. Yeah. I think there are times where people think he's GM coach Bill Belichick and all the rest. It was hilarious. I don't get that impression. Like, Colson Loveland is one thing.

But when you look at the rest of that draft, that's a, that's a Ryan Pohl's staff type of draft. Right. You're not, he's not out there like looking at Luther Burlington. burden throughout the season or Ozzy, you think he's like checking out Boston College and Ozzie Tripillo? Do you think he knew anything about Rubin Hippolyte throughout the season? So yeah, Ryan Poles can bring him the package of players

and maybe he has like a big say in who they actually take, but he's not scouting like people might think he is. Here's some news. This is from Adam Schaefter. Oh? Yeah. Oh. Oh, man.

Okay, so the Chiefs and Rams are working on a blockbuster trade that would send all pro cornerback Trent McDuffie to Los Angeles for a package that would include the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. And when he says Los Angeles, he means Rants. Okay. So the Rams receive McDuffie. The Chiefs would receive a first round pick number 29,

fifth round pick, sixth round pick, and then a third in 2027. For a top corner. Man. Boy, I wonder if there's somebody we could talk to about that who covers the National Football League. Is there? Why, yes, we can.

If his name is Mike Florio and he is of pro football talk, he will join us next. The score! This hour is brought to you by Jule Osco. Ladies and gentlemen, joining us now is a man who's got a massive brain. Mike Florio. He used to be a lawyer, then he decided to take his talents to the internet. NBC sports. I'm sorry, I'm late.

I was talking to Robert Kraft. That is at the time for an airing of grievances. Pro football talk. I got a lot of bad. problems with you people. No, you're going to hear about it. On Chicago Sports Radio, 1043, The Score. I want to keep talking Legos.

Yeah, we want to keep talking Legos too, except there's been massive bears news that we have to get to. So we will discuss it with our guest. He joins us on our hotline. He is the creator, editor-in-chief of Pro Football Talk. It is Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk on X. And he's on Twitch. Twitch.tv slash the score Chicago.

How are you? Doing great. How are you today? Good. Oh, you got the fireworks. That's nice. Yeah, we enjoyed your conversation with Chicago guy, Carnell Tate, by the way, about Legos. That was fantastic. That was a lot of fun. And one of the things about having access to the prospects at Indianapolis, number one, it gives them some camera time. It's different than the stressful nature of everything else they do. And it gives us a chance to get to know a little bit more about them. So we have to have to, about their families, we ask them about their hobbies, and I'm a fan of anyone who enjoys a good Lego set. And that's exactly what Carnell Tate told us. He's working on the Titanic. He has been. He's got a five-foot rifle tower, and he's going to move on to the Star Wars collection next.

So it's good to see someone willing to open up about hobbies that some might wonder, is that really a hobby? For those of us who enjoy Lego, as you can tell by the Ghostbuster Firehouse that is back there somewhere. Yes, it's fun. I love that. And when you said working on the Titanic, I wanted to say, aren't we all? Just my drool attitude, Mike.

Hey, we got to, I guess you could say we kind of have a Titanic situation here in Chicago. It's been all Drew Dalman all the time, Mike. What do you think about? Your reaction to Drew Dalman playing in the first year of a three-year $42 million deal for the Bears and Dolman dropped a whopper on the world, the 27-year-old has retired. What is your reaction? Well, the way it works under the collective bargaining agreement, the signing bonus that a player would get on a three-year deal of $6 million,

the Bears could, if they choose to do so, recover $4 million from Dolman. So in addition to anything, he's giving up by not playing, he could have to give back the $4 million. And my thought last night, When you consider the timeline, this happens right after Indianapolis. Is it possible that Dolman and his agent looked at his performance last year, took every snap, every snap in the regular season, started 17 games and two postseason games, had his first Pro Bowl birth, arguably outplayed his contract. Is it possible this is part of a dance aimed at getting him a raise? The Bears say, no, he's in the final, just retire.

I'm told that that's not the case. He's just done. And I'm a big believer in any player. Once they decide they're done, then be done. Don't play if you don't want to play. The game's hard enough if you're all in. If you're anything less than all in, you shouldn't play. I remember when Vante Davis retired during a game,

and Sims and I argued about it on PFT Live. My point is, whenever that thought enters your brain that you're done, you shouldn't play. It's not in your best interest to play. You have to fully want. want it and desire it and be willing to do it in order to keep doing it. So that's his privilege, that's his right. He's entitled to walk away. But he may get a $4 million bill at some point that will go into the general stadium construction fund. Well, yeah, that's it, is that it really does

put the onus on the teams. And I guess that is the true idea behind a signing bonus. That is, that is one way that it is actually true to the concept, is that it's up to the teams if they want to recoup the money. That could get awkward. Well, and on the surface, the signing bonus is a payment now in anticipation of services later. It's in advance on what you're going to do in the future, but it's also a salary cap accounting tool. But this goes all the way back to Barry Sanders. Barry Sanders had to pay back money to the Detroit Lions when he retired abruptly in July of 1999. And it's a given that if a player retires, especially in the early years of a contract where there's bonus money that is yet to be allocated as to the ongoing years of the deal, it's a way for the teams to get some money back,

to get some caps base back, and it's just business at that point. And if a player makes a business decision to stop playing before his contractual commitment has ended, the team makes a business decision to collect money that had been paid under the assumption that the player was going to stay. We're talking to Mike Floreo of pro football talk here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, the score. Well, and of course, this sort of shifted our attention just for like a minute away from Max Crosby because of everything that is going on with Drew Dahlman. What are you hearing right now about Max Crosby and where he might end up, where he might stay, all of that kind of stuff? And is it a possibility for the Bears?

We were told last week, the scouting combine, two first round picks and a player is what the Raiders are looking for to trade, and which means they've not just entertained the possibility, they're engaging in conversations about what it will take. Now, I think, their best move because I've seen nothing to erase Jay Glazer's reporting from four weeks ago that Crosby is done with the Raiders and Glazer has a pipeline to Crosby. If Glazer says it, Crosby believes it. And that hasn't been rescinded or retracted over the last four weeks. And I think what the Raiders need to do, it's kind of like what the Texans did four years ago with DeShon Watson. I identify multiple teams, bring them to the table, basically pre-approved them as a trade

partner and then let Max Crosby pick his destination. That's the right way for the Raiders to handle it if you can get multiple teams to the table. They can drop the facade of we want to keep him once they know that they can get three or four teams. The question is, are they going to take less than what they supposedly want in order to get a deal done? Or will they be stubborn and say to Max Crosby, hey, we didn't get what we wanted. You play for us or you play for no one. Mike, Diana Rusini reiterated today that the asking price is still two first rounders and a player. You know, what do you think of just that return for Max Crosby? I think it's a good return.

It's what the Cowboys got for Michael Parsons. And they were trading Michael Parsons at a time when there weren't many suitors. No one in the AFC by the time we got to late August wanted Michael Parsons because it's a combination of giving up the draft picks and signing him to an acceptable contract. By then, plenty of teams' budgets have been obliterated. They've spent all their money that was allocated by the front office and ownership to the acquisition of players that year. You do it now, you get a better chance of getting more teams at the table. But there's another factor here because I've heard the argument, well, hey, two ones and a player, that's a good deal because Max Crosby's got a favorable contract.

Well, that assumes he's not going to want a new contract. A player of that stature, if he's traded for that kind of contract, compensation, he's going to want an adjustment because he got his current contract last year before Miles Garrett, before T.J. Watt, before Michael Parsons. So you've got Crosby at around 35, 36, top of the market's now 47. He's going to want a new deal. So that's going to be part of his two. And there's also a big difference between the first 10 picks of the round and the last 10 picks of the round. And that's why Tampa Bay is a team I'm keeping an eye on because they could give the 15th overall pick, which means more than the Bears' 25th overall pick, and maybe they could

throw in less come 2027 if they're giving a higher pick in round one in order to get Max Crosby. Yeah, the payment part is, that's very smart because we all remember around here with Kalil Mack giving up what they gave up, which was two first rounders, a third round pick, a sixth rounder, you know, future sixth rounder at the time. And then they had to pay Kalil Mack all the money, too. So that that is. is a smart thought on that. It's going to be interesting to see what happens. Another report that Leila just gave right before we went to the break

and wanted to ask you about this, Mike Florio, this from at least Ian Rappaport and maybe others as well. Shefter, yeah, Adam Schefter, too. Okay, okay. Yeah, citing sources that the chiefs are deep in talks on the trade of star cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Rams for pick number 29 and conditional compensation. Your reaction?

Well, I think it's since been finalized, and we know what happens by now. Here's how the sausage gets made. When the deal's close, an agent will text four or five different people. They'll all tweet it within 30 seconds of each other. That's how the word is out there before it's official. Apparently, it's now official. The Rams just said yesterday, through GM-less-Skneed, they're looking to acquire a Pro Bowl-level talent in their secondary,

and Trent McDuffie, I think, last year was the first-team all-pro slot corner. So this is a guy who has shown he has ability, and it comes down to how do you allocate your resources, how much are you going to pay a guy, what can you get in return for him. And, you know, the chief's making a very clear-eyed decision at a time when they've got plenty of needs that they need to address. They've got guys they need to sign. They've got guys they need to resolve their futures. They need to know what Travis Kelsey is going to do. They got a lot of needs. They got no running backs right now.

They could use another weapon at receiver. Their front seven needs to be bolstered. They've got some things to do while they try to improve this team. team on the fly, and as Patrick Mahomes recovers from a torn ACL. So it tells me that whatever McDuffie wants contractually, the chief said, we just can't do it. Let's go ahead and trade him. Much like they did four years ago with Tyreek Hill. Also, what about Trey Hendrickson, Mike? You know, the Bengals declined to franchise tag him. That seems like that was the most peaceful departure and breakup for both parties. But I have a feeling, number one, that he may have made a business decision.

last year when it came to his injury status. And then number two, that there's going to be a team that's going to want his services. I thought of Tampa there, too. Well, it got very ugly between Hendrickson and the Bengals in the last couple of years. He signed a contract, grossly outperformed it, and the Bengals are one of the teams that is cheap and highly unlikely to say, we'll wrap up your contract. Even though the teams have the ability to rip up the contract of a player who underperforms, Some teams don't like to fix a contract that is out of whack based upon the player exceeding expectations.

And it didn't make sense to continue the relationship, but I thought there was a chance that Bengals were sufficiently dysfunctional to apply the franchise tag just as a power play. Just to remind the players, specifically Hendrickson, but more broadly, everyone else who plays for the team now and will play for them in the future of who's in charge. And we have a device available under the CBA and we're going to use it. They decided not to do it. And I think that's the right decision for the team. They can reallocate the resources to someone who wants to be there.

And now Hendrickson is going to be one of the top players available. And we know how important pass rusher is. The most important position is the most important position is player who affects the opposing quarterback. Right here in our backyard, when I say that, I mean in the division, things going on with the Minnesota Vikings, that they are reportedly going to release Aaron Jones and Javon Hargrave. and now Jonathan Grenard's name has come up. What do you think about everything that's going on in Minnesota right now? Well, and with Jones and Hargrave,

it's just a matter of the Vikings are looking at their contracts and saying we can't justify this expenditure in light of being millions over the salary cap with 301.2 million. With Hargrave, he wants his contract to be adjusted and the Vikings can't do it, so they're looking to possibly trade him to a team that can. But this is the direct. result of going all in last year and being ready to go with a potential Super Bowl team at every position except one quarterback. And now they're in a mess. And now they got to, they got to slash and

burn the payroll. They got to create cap dollars. And as relates to the quarterback position, it makes Kyler Murray extremely attractive to the Vikings because, number one, I was told last year during the season he'd like to play for the Vikings or the Raiders at the time they had Chip Kelly's offensive coordinator. That's obviously gone now. So the Vikings are a team. that Murray would be interested in. And because the Cardinals owe him $36.8 million fully guaranteed for this year, he could go to Minnesota on a one-year $1.3 million deal, make the balance of that between 1.3 and 368 directly from the Cardinals

and stay in Minnesota for a year and see how it goes. And that would give the Vikings a very, very cheap option for someone who could come in, compete with J.J. McCarthy, or be the number two quarterback and play inevitably when McCarthy gets injured again. Well, and that's part of it too, is we were wondering what was going to happen to Kyler Murray, Mike. And then we get the news that he's going to be released from Arizona. And of course, you know what I thought about was all the conversations surrounding Tyson Bayesian that the Bears had at the combine. Ben Johnson with a glowing discussion of who he is and what he's meant to the team.

That hasn't changed, I think, from anybody in the front office. Does his market increase because of this possible movement that has been created by Kyler Murray? I think of anything, it hurts the market because someone would have to trade for Bayesian. And I saw last week during the non-stop activity at the scouting combine that the Bears may be looking for as much as a second round pick for Beijing. Why am I going to do that if I'm a team? Why am I going to do that when I can get one of these guys who's already available in free agency or is going to be cut?

Kyler Murray is going to be joined by Tuatoga-Loa, Gino Smith, most likely, Justin Fields. Kirk Cousins is definitely getting cut. So when you have guys you could pursue and not have to give up a draft pick, whether it's a two, a three, or a four, you have to give up nothing to get these guys. I think that makes it harder for the Bears to get what they want and to make them willing to move Tyson Bajent. But he's an interesting wrinkle in all of this because he's young. He's shown potential and he's got a favorable contract for the next two years. I want to go back to J.J. McCarthy really quick if I can. And just to ask, what did we all miss with J.J. McCarthy?

What did all the GMs at the Combine? What is happening? What did they all miss? You have a pop-up ad. Is it you or it's me? It's not you with me. You know what happens on YouTube? Like, if you're watching a video and then when it ends, it spills over into another one.

And then when that wins, it spills over to an ad. That's what happened. Sorry about that. Oh, that's okay. I remember two years ago, which feels like forever. When James McCarthy was coming into the draft, I didn't know where he actually fit in the pecking order with all those great quarterbacks. And then all of a sudden, Jim Harbaugh starts hyping the guy up. And we all knew why he was doing it.

He was the national champion quarterback in Michigan. But it seems to me like once Harbaugh really started banging the drum for McCarthy, then all of a sudden McCarthy is rising up the draft board. and the Vikings could have picked him or Bo Nix. They were trying to trade up to get Drake May. I don't know if they would have taken Michael Pennix Jr. If he had been there at 10, but they rolled the dice on McCarthy. He got injured in his preseason opener in 24.

And then last year, you know, the guy didn't throw enough passes in college. And one of the knocks on McCarthy, aside from the mechanics, he's got one pitch. It's a fastball. And when you look at a team like the Vikings that does so much of its passing game across the middle where you have to layer the ball in over the hands of a defensive back. You can't throw a speed ball, as Bruce Springsteen would say, right through a defensive back. You've got to be able to have different pitches. You've got to be able to put some arc on the ball.

And look, maybe they've ironed some of that out. The weird thing is they won five games to end the season. Do they see something in McCarthy based upon the end of the season that makes them reluctant to go out and get a guy who would supplant him? This next move by the Vikings is going to be very revealing. Is it going to be somebody who's there to be a high-end backup? Is it going to be somebody who's there to truly compete with him like Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson last year?

Or is it going to be somebody who, when he walks through the door based on the contract or whatever they have to give up to get him if they trade, is he going to be the starter? That's going to tell us what they think of J.J. McCarthy more than anything else. Whoever that next quarterback is, we will know what they think of J.J. McCarthy. Mike Florio, thanks as always for joining us. on Twitch. Thanks for the Lego Talk and thanks for all the latest news and notes. Thanks. Have a great week.

That is Mike Florio, creator and editor and chief of Pro Football Talk, joining us on Rahimi Harrison Grotie on The Score. And coming up next, the biggest question I think all of us had is not only why for Drew Dalman, but why now? Carmen Vitale,

friend of the score, Bears reporter, works on Marquis as well. She offered some big perspective that I think is worth a listen. Next. Rahimi Harris and Groot. Midday's tidal two on Chicago Sports Radio. I call Drew Dalman the Hulk.

He's the brains and all of it. But, you know, when he gets out there, you know, on the field, he's, you know, he's strong as can be, you know, fast. And, you know, the right guy for the job, you know, for us and my future and our future here. That was Caleb Williams talking about Drew Dalman. and he also reacted to the reported news about Dolman's retirement yesterday, tweeting Hulk with a sad emoji. Sad Caleb. Sad Caleb.

But he still got the two of the other guys, the one-arm guy or something? Wasn't there the one-arm guy? What are you talking about? Are you the Avengers? I thought in Tyler's open, I heard Caleb describing somebody with one arm. Or maybe I'm just so sensitive to, maybe I'm projecting. rejecting on one arm? Do you think Mark Grady

that you're walking around like in your mind like you have one arm? You're listening to an Odyssey through Mark Grotty's mind on 1043 the score. It's quite the Odyssey. Exactly.

I thought maybe I heard wrong. Not AUD ACY. Ozzy is obviously he's not really an Avengers but Wolverine. I have Dr. Strange as Lefgar with Joe. I have obviously Hulk

I have the Red Hawk I'm as Jonah and then I have Darnell's Bucky because he has the one arm That's it! That's it! See? I am very sensitive to one arm guys. I put this together and I didn't even hear the one arm thing.

See? All right, you're Bucky Grotie. Now it's you. The one arm player on family guy. Based on how you hear lyrics, this is actually a big win. I guess you're right. And Darnell Wright did basically play the entire

season with one functioning arm. Don't mess with me on one arm guys. You know, you guys are right over me a lot on a lot of stuff, but one arm guys, look at me, okay? Grody, who's on your Mount Rushmore of one-arm guys? Name them right now. Sykes? Bucky? Bucky Leroux?

But that's a no-arm guy, that's a no-arm. But Bucky, the Avenger. Oh, yeah, Bucky the Avenger. You got three? It's like one more. I got nothing for you. Who's my other one-arm guy? I'm trying to think. What about the other one-arm guy? 64, 67,

who's Grody's fourth one-arm guy? Well, we have a selection here from the text line from A-4-7. Winter Soldier has one mechanical arm. There you go. I have no idea, guys. My Marvel and that universe knowledge is terrible. I'm not great at it either, but I know a one-arm guy

when I see him. It's probably insulting to Lawrence that I called it that universe. See, if Marshall were here today, he would be able to help out with this conversation. That's true. Marshall. Do we have a way to get Marshall on the show? He's downstate. He's working on high school basketball.

Oh, is he in Bloom Norm? Is he in Bloomington Normal right now? Is that where he is? Is he in my own? Well, all of Central Illinois. I have been in all of the city. Well, I've worked in Lincoln. I've worked in Peoria. I worked in Springfield. I worked in Bloomington Normal. I have a, yeah, I got some anchors in Central Illinois. Shout out to all our one-armed guys downstate. Yeah, shout out of one-armed guys downstate, yo. 6-30 has the right answer. drummer from Def Lepp. Oh, that's it. That's it.

The one-arm guy from Def Leppard. Oh, A-47 says Winter Soldier is Bucky. I'm so sorry, guys. My Marvel Universe is really bad. With all the two-arm players that have existed in baseball, you put a why, why, why would you put a no-arm guy at second base? Why? Why?

That's from Family Guy. I know. Let's get the name wrong. Is it Bucky Leroux? I'm probably that's what's hope so it's it's some form of that there really is a family guy for everything but I think it's Bucky Leroux but we'll we'll figure that out no arms nothing how do you file stuff well I guess per mentally like how does that happen how to you're asking me to tell you how my brain works a little bit I mean I don't know you you would probably be better at telling me how

as a radio partner, like understanding my isms and the way I comport myself and things that come out of my mouth. I don't know. I don't know my own psychological profile. That's up to other people. It's Bucky LaGrange. Buckingie LaGrange. For family guy. Bucky LaGrage.

Thank you, thank you. Who is Bucky LaRue? Come on, I wasn't that far off. And he's back. As bad as I am at remembering lyrics and names and things like that, I wasn't like, I'll take close for me at this point. He had the soundbite correct. Caleb Leaves did mention it. Yeah. See, and nobody else knew. That's right. I was right. You were. Anyhow. I know. There's no good way to segue out of that. You want me to segue? You want me to do it?

No. Okay. Well, I mean, you can. I got us into this mess. So I can get us out of this mess. I can tell everybody here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie that Drew Dalman retired yesterday. and one of the voices of reason on the score yesterday on the afternoon show of Spiegel and Holmes was our good friend Carmen Vitale, as you teased. She joined the show and gave some of her insight as close to kind of maybe knowing what was going on as anybody. So here's Carmen Vitale. How was that? Was that good? Everything that I talked about with some people around the combine, I kind of became privy to.

this a few days ago, but without knowing if it was actually going to go through, because the Chicago Bears were trying to kind of steer Drew Dolman in another direction. They obviously did not want him to retire. This was not something that they inherently saw coming either. You know, he's at the height of his career. He's 27 years old. He just signed a contract last year and was, for all intents and purposes a part of one of the best units in the entire league last year. But the notion that I got from people kind of close to the situation close to Drew was that, listen, his dad was a player. His dad was a coach.

He has seen what this game can do to you in your life after football. And for better or worse, this man is a Stanford man and he's very, very smart. And he knows, you know, what that, like, what, that toll can be and he's seen it firsthand and I don't think there's any kind of substitute for seeing that and being faced with that reality every single day when it's a parent of yours. I mean, that's how you have to think of this is he's seen the effects and he sees them every single day and he has to constantly weigh whether or not it's worth it for him to end up like that and how much longer he wanted to push it.

And the answer was, I guess, not past this past season. Very good information from Carmen Vitale. And she also posted a tweet that got a massive amount of views talking about just that perspective itself. Drew's dad was a player and a coach. He's seen firsthand life after football and the effects the game can have. If anyone is going to make an informed decision on when it's time to hang him up, it's true. Happy for him and sad for the bears. And I feel like that echoed a lot of people.

He's lucky enough to be able to make this decision for himself. Absolutely. Absolutely. And the only thing I would say about this, and again, disclaimers needed, we don't know what's going on. We don't, if it's a health reason, and that is totally understandable why he would step away from it. From hearing what Carmen said, and it's all very reasonable. His dad played, he understands, and he was an office of alignment for the 49ers. He played in the league.

His dad coached in the league. She made a point, Carmen did, of saying the Stanford part. And we all just assume, you go to Stanford. You're pretty smart. You're a pretty capable human being. He's not just pretty smart. His major at Stanford? Mechanical engineering.

Okay. More fuel for what I'm about to say here is if you are that informed, especially as a father who played, who coached, who understands, who reads, and a son who was going to be a mechanical engineer. If it's health, you're worried about, why did he allow his son to play? football in the first place or encourage his son to play football in the first place. Why, with all of those smarts, with all of that going on for you, with all of the knowledge, why then would you have played in the National Football League to begin with? That's the part. Like he clearly could have

gone enough, you just said he could have been a mechanical engineer. He could have gone different directions with all those smarts, with all that knowledge, with all that Stanfordness, With all that coaching, why did you play football then? I think it's kind of like us, for example, minus the money. Bad job by us, choosing jobs with money. You know, I don't know about you, but I started out full-time on-air at a salary of $18,000 a year, no overtime, even though I worked about 60 hours a week. $25,000 a year in Lincoln, Illinois. Well, that's better.

So I say that to say, we joke about this not being a real job, right? like we pursue these jobs. There's a million people who want them. This is something that we decide we want to do until perhaps the business tells us when it's time to leave. Doesn't that sound similar to playing football? Like you may have a backup plan. You may know what you want to do.

Yeah. If he got hurt, if he is hurt, then yeah, absolutely. Step away, take all your money and go and have a quality of life. But to have had all of this information. before. And I'm like, I'm not mad at anybody, but just listening to hearing it in real time yesterday, what Carmen said, hearing it again right there. Yeah, it's, yeah, that's a well-informed family. Yet they still went the route of football. And if it's all about the money, then like, that doesn't seem very smart to me. I don't necessarily know if it's all about the money, but I know that that's a very quick way to make it. And even when you're a successful engineer, you might not make that much. money that fast for sure. Oh, I agree with that. So, so that, that's part of it. Joe Thomas said that too. You know, he said these guys make a lot of money quick and it would take us like 10, 12 years to make that

kind of money that they can make in five. And that matters in this. Also, like he grew up in the game. You know, just like Carmen said, he did grow up in the game. And if you look at his Stanford bio, it talks about all the other ways he was an athlete. You know, he was also, he competed in track. He was in National Art Society, as mentioned. He was a three-year starter, you know, when he was at his high school team. This is something that he grew up with. So I don't fault anybody for wanting to do something that, you know, might not be the best for your career, ultimately, like, long-term. You know, like you and I, for example, in this job.

Might not be, like, the most sound job. You participate knowing the risks of what it can bring. My brain clearly is fried already. But you know what I'm saying? Like I've lived in a bunch of different places. I've been married and divorced. Like I work nights and weekends. You know, like that's part of the job.

We know that going in. The risk of injury. The risk of knowing what it can do to your body. That's part of the risk you take going in. But we don't make that kind of money. We can't actually retire at 27 years old. Well, yeah. But you can still love something and know it's bad for you.

Yeah. I just think that if all things are equal, if we're talking about a situation where you got a three-year contract and you're 27 years old and walking away from it, like, and having all of that knowledge of what the business is, that it could bring you down, that this business that we're in, broadcasting and media is nuts. Like, you'd kind of, you should know that going into it. But there's so much we don't know still. I also think of like Earl Campbell and having had conversations with Earl.

and he would talk about how he was at peace with it but he had to come to peace with a lot of things and he talked about just understanding what it did to him and how he wanted he wanted to play anyway. Old Earl. Old Earl.

He was a 34, right? Wasn't Earl Campbell? He was the 34, right? A number 34? And just, you know, also like his, I remember talking to him and I think at the time he was seated in a wheelchair talking to me about it.

Oh, wow. Because, you know, it was hard for Earl to walk. He played like a mother bleeper though. He's a physical running back. That's the point. And Earl has always maintained. He knew what he was getting into and he loved it anyway. Now that's Earl. Everybody's different. But that's

I mean, I guess the bigger overriding point for me is that this player obviously had other options in his life. I get it with some players who are like football, football, education was not important to them. And I understand that football is the passion.

That is their whole life. It just felt like they had so much information in this family with Chris Dahlman and then Drew Dahlman as well that there could have been maybe better avenues but hey man you can make money fast I guess that's the way to go I'm sorry it just it's it's the problem you know how it is there's just no way to wrap this up like there's no way to put a bow on it because it's not our decision to make it's not and that's you know that's why all of this is difficult because we don't know the why I don't even know if We're entitled.

I'm sure the bears are entitled to why to some degree, like why he's doing this or why he's stepping away. But we're not entitled to it. No, I just, it would be cool to be at that point in my career to be able to have that option. I envy him, like to be 27 and have all the money and to be able to spend your life with your family, like pretty cool. But also having that education does afford you other opportunities. Exactly. That's true.

So that happens. And I'm a believer of we don't, what you do is not necessarily who you are. And he's allowed that too. 100%. But the quintessential question of why play football at all, well, we all know the risks too. And we brought that up with Joe Thomas.

You know, that's a bigger question too. So I don't know. It gets me into a wider universe of thought. And I don't know that we have time for that. So I won't ask you if you had a son, if you would allow him to play football. my brother wanted to play for a minute. We all kind of laughed at him about it

because he just didn't have the traits. So does that count? Sure. He eventually chose his own path out of football. Also did end up working for Stanford at one point. Oh, really? Yeah. Okay.

All right. Your bro's got some smarts too. He did. But we were like, why, you football? Really? He must have felt really good. You? Ha!

And it's your sisters, too, right? So you're a masculine. This poor guy. One sister and another brother. So yeah, we were like, you want to do what? You? Look at you. I mean, okay, like corner, wide receiver?

You got no traits. You can't be close to the ball. You, my brother, you have no traits. So does that count? Sure, sure. You asked an answer. Would you let Dave the cap play football? Absolutely not.

Your large furry son? My mom gently pushed us away from five, two brothers. We're all two years apart. Luckily, none of us went to football. route, but she, you know, gently discouraged us when the idea came up. Gene? Jean.

Gentle. Oh, yeah. She said, well, I would suggest that maybe you try something else. As opposed to shaming from your siblings like we did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was never told by my mom that I was traitless. You don't have any trades. Just play baseball.

It's better for you. He's tall and he's slender, but just that's why I'm like, what are your hops, man? Okay, we can't do this. He's doing well. That's what you need to know. Get Rahimi's brother on the line now. I want to make sure he's okay. He's also a Rahimi.

I want to make sure he's okay. Oh, he's fine. He's working right now, making a ton of money at a hospital somewhere. He's got no traits. He's going through life without traits. I feel bad. It's like the one arm guy. He's missing an arm.

This is not good. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I know that's your favorite sound bite of the season. Coming up next, it's halftime. And wouldn't you know, emotional crime doesn't pay? What time is it?

It's halftime and we've spent a lot of time just going over the now career of Drew Dalman and what it means for the Bears. We got to talk to Joe Thomas, the Hall of Fame offensive lineman from the Browns. Old Joe Thomas offered us a lot of perspective and showed us a really impressive taxidermy in his house. There's some incredible fish. I think I saw a sturgeon. So, you know, we had that going for us as well. But just really good conversation.

I think we've had all show. We also talked to Mike Fuller about some of the latest news from the NFL. And yeah, you're right, Mark. The Vikings were $43 million over the cap. And I didn't even think that was a real number. I had to like triple check it because I was like, wait, there what? Without a quarterback contract that's like a second contract? How?

So we'll try to figure that out as well. Well, wouldn't you know, when you're bold and when you're overconfident and you think that you can go about your business. Sometimes you get taken down a peg when you're doing something wrong the whole time. Ashley Madison, if you'll recall, there was quite the data breach that the Ashley Madison users went through

back in 2015. And that's what I call vigilante justice. First of all, let people know what is Ashley Madison. Oh, yeah, because you shouldn't know what I'm talking about. That's right. But you do. Didn't they even buy a Super Bowl ad?

This is what I'm talking about. That's when you went too far. Ashley Madison is a website for dating for people who are married or in long-term or significant relationships. It's for cheating. It's for cheating. And they got too bold. They got too bold with their cheating. They had Super Bowl ads and all this and that. And then the impact team took them down. And that, my friends, is what you call revenge. That's how you get it though. Impact. Well, it turns out that after that when people realize that giving a website their information when they were doing something to

or at least a social taboo. You know, they didn't want it out there. Wait, you guys were supposed to protect that. No honor among thieves, friends. No honor among thieves. They decided to rebrand. Are you surprised by this, Mark? No.

Ha ha ha. As we said here, a single. So Ashley Madison is rebranding from affairs to discreet dating. It's like going from diet to wellness. Do you think it's going to work? Discrete dating? I mean, probably. Let's listen to the crew who perhaps talks about these things the best.

The WGN team talk about this concept. The world's most famous cheating website, Ashley Madison, is doing a bit of a rebrand. The company's old tagline read, life is short, have an affair. That was before the infamous data link scandal. The CEO announced last week the platform is officially moving away from married dating. it will now embrace the world of discrete dating. The company says the idea is to keep their client's dating life out of the public eye. Ashley Madison's new official statement says,

whether they are single, separated, divorced, or non-monogamous. Our community is united by a desire to keep their private lives exactly that. Private. In other words, they're still accepting cheaters. Just be more careful about it. Somebody should hack them again. Just for kicks. I would suggest do your cheating in the wild.

Don't do it on. Do you mean, be honest about it is what you're saying? Be honest about your cheating. Do your cheating naturally and organically. I shouldn't tell this story, but I'm going to. Do it. So I have a group of friends in a city that is not here that I used to hang out with. And they had a buddy who was clearly the side dude of a woman who was married. And the joke was, hey, so-and-so bringing his wife to the wife to the, the party? No, he's bringing

a wife to the party. So cheating in the wild doesn't go well either. That's true. Or you could just not cheat. So I brought this up to you. Relieve yourself of some stress. There's other ways. There's other ways. Have some stones. Be them

internal like me or external like others. Don't be one of those guys. Bad. I was telling you. I was telling you. I just told you about this. The wife or a wife. There's a, I just got done watching something on Netflix called Love and Death.

Called Not the Other Guys, Mark. Oh, man. Hey, I just hung in my head in shame for not having watched the rest of it. And Marshall's listening right now. He's doing the same. It's a 2023 biographical crime drama about Candy Montgomery, a Texas housewife, who had an affair with her neighbor leading to the brutal axe murder of the, neighbor's wife, Betty Gore. Does that ring a bell to you at all?

No, and I'm kind of surprised because of the axe murder. Yeah. Yes, I just got done watching that seven episode series. To your point, that cheating in the wild does not go particularly well either when it comes down to an axe. I just love that. I just love the concept of, whoa, we want to do this, but whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, you were supposed to keep our information private. Yeah, right. Something told in confidence is never told in confidence. Especially by, like, the people who are, as your word, nefarious, that they're cheating, that this is, and they usually are together for a while, and then one of them gets cheated on again. Oh, really?

Shocking. And look, that's different from, like, whatever agreement two people have entered into among themselves. I'm not here to yuck people's yams, like, do you. But what did you expect? When I did this nefarious thing, I thought they would have a code. You? What? You and she and she.

She and you. So you expected integrity out of the place where you didn't want to have it? Interesting. And no, nobody I know has been on Ashley Madison. That you know of. How would you know? You think people are going to tell you that they're on Ashley Madison? Sometimes people tell me things they shouldn't.

Okay. I think that one they might even keep from you. I'm just saying. No, but I just laughed at the concept of, I don't want to have integrity, but I expected this website to keep it for me. Interesting. Interesting how you actually wanted integrity out of a party.

entered into an agreement with. Perhaps that should be the study here. But you are right. Yeah, if there's an agreement and everybody's cool with it, go have fun. Yeah, I'm not here to hate on that because that I don't understand. You know, like that is not my business. But if we could just give one lesson, don't cheat on your partner.

Don't do it. It is very, very, very bad and uncool and unnecessary. Yeah. And you're a bad person if you do it. That Mark told you. That's right. I just told you. That's it.

For other questions in our lives, five on it is next. The score! This hour is brought to you by vasectomy clinics of Chicago. I got five. It's time for five on it. Rahini Harrison Rooney. Bring you five topics on their minds today. Number one.

What are the Bears' top three priorities now that Center Drew Dalman has decided to retire? I said it earlier. I maintain. center because Drew Dalman is there. I'm sorry, Joe Thomas. I know you're a prolific tackle in our game. But center. And then for me, it's still defensive line.

I'm sorry. I know there are dudes there, but until a lot of you prove it to me and I'm going to need more proof, not you, Jervon Dexter. Not you, Montes, what? But I'm going to say focusing on the defensive line or trying to get some sort of pass rush. It's more based on the line rather than your secondary is still my number two.

And then I think my number three, and this is also maybe avant-garde safety. Am I wrong to want a safety on the team? They don't have safety. Under contract, like just one. I mean, I think four are preferable, but like that's still where I'm out with this. And people would say, Layla, how can you want a center as number one? And then left tackle is not because you still have people in the building who can play left tackle. So that's, if it wasn't as much of a priority to the Bears, then that's me following their lead.

Does that make sense? Yeah, it does, although I am going to go. You know that you and I are locked up on the center. I came to grips with that. And towards the end of the show meeting that, yes, center is number one. Okay, so you gave me a tease in the meeting. I know. I know.

I know. I know. Grady's like, I don't know. I may surprise you. What were you thinking about when you said that? Well, I mean, I thought about left tackle. Like, I thought to myself, okay, now you don't have a center. You don't have a starting left tackle, which still is pound for pound a more important position on an offensive line.

It is still a position that gets paid more. It is still a premium spot. Tackle is a premium spot in the NFL. How dare you believe Joe Thomas. So that's what was going through my mind because I wanted to be like right. with you there. Of course, it's centered. This is what we're talking, but I was like, wait a minute. But then I did. As time went on and I took a few deep breaths and stared out the window, I realized that, yes, number one has to be the center position right now

because of specifically of what he means to the quarterback, to Caleb Williams. I think all of these parts were really important in the season that Caleb Williams had in a season in which I proclaimed to myself because I needed to see it that, yes, Caleb Williams is your quarterback going forward. The Bears have a quarterback, and part of that is because of Drew Dolman. I will go left tackle as my second most important position then, because while they do have in-house potential candidates, you can't call it on those guys still. And do you want to go through another season where there has to be extra compensation physically at the let with an extra but extra offensive linemen out there often.

Cole Commet adding to the blocking or whomever helping out that person, or do you want a standalone left tackle, which I think that they were still missing last year, as well as Theo Benedet and Ozzie Tripillo played. Thirdly, so now it's between safety and defensive line. Or linebacker, don't forget, linebacker. I got to go defensive line again. And I'm going to ask you this.

I'll answer the question, too, as an addendum to it. When you say defensive line, would you prefer interior, linemen, if you could have the best possible player on the interior or on the outside, which one would it be? I'll answer my own question first. It's still the guy getting to the quarterback. It's still

the edge rusher. What would you say? No, I think it's edge. And maybe I'm a bit Pollyanna in this, but I believe that Grady Jared still has gas left in the tank. He got better as he got healthier last season. He has a sparkling reputation

for keeping himself in shape. being a man of routine and knowing how to keep his body right for football. So because of that, even far, I think, above and beyond, you know, that seems to be his reputation when it comes to that. So because of all of this, I feel like Grady Jarrett and Jervon Dexter are not my main concern. It's that opposite of Montess what? I like the optimism, but I think too. I think that's too. Like if I may say, Chris Hill him, he ain't going out like that.

You know what I mean? He's got a good year. Maybe it's just one really good year with the Bears. And it might be next year. Hopefully that would be the case. But I can see that too. Yeah, I just feel like he's earned that respect. So that's it.

I'm not used to talking about veterans earning respect on a team like this. But he's one of them. Number two. More on this coming up at 1225. But here's the question. Has Drew Dolman's retirement ruined your Max Crosby dreams for the Bears? Yes. I'm sorry.

Yes. It was going to be crazy the process to get from adding Max Crosby's $35.8 million contract to the bear's salary cap already. And now that you know that the center price has only gone up unless you want to go with a lesser than Drew Dalvin quality option, then that just makes me wonder even more how they put this all together. And I can't see a way through. That's not to say there is one, but I just,

I don't know that you can address luxury without addressing necessity first. And that's where I feel like we're out with this. Max Crosby is a luxury. It's like having Shohei Otani and Mike Trout on the Angels right now. That's how I feel. He's the Lamborghini next to the home that is not worth as much as the Lamborghini. My feelings about Max Crosby, I believe, have been temporarily stunted. I have not completely put away the dream for the potential of Max Crosby.

Obviously, this dented it. It stunted it just a little bit. I mean, even before that, even before this, like doing the math of it and considering what the bears are still trying to build. Do you want to give away your first round picks for the next two years of your football life? do you want to give away what would have to be what, your best offensive player or best defensive player, the side of Caleb Williams or Joe Tuny? I'm talking about somebody like DJ Moore. It would be very costly.

And I'm interested early in Ben Johnson's regime and this new life that Ryan Poles has. Let's see what he can continue to do with these first round picks as well. So I don't know if I'm as like it's over as it sounds like you are. I don't want to put words in your mouth, but definitely put on pause, stunted a little bit. It's taken a hit. It has taken a big hit. And then there was that Brad Biggs discussion this morning where he brings up the cowboys, who were, as of that point, $56 million over the cap. And Jerry Jones did some weird stuff.

And now they managed to move $47 million. of cap space with Dak Prescott's contract and one other. And I'm like that's cool. You're still $9 million over the cap. So how in the hell are you going to make room for Max Crosby on that? How? All because of Michael Parsons.

Like you can't you can't just throw money at this problem. You physically can't. Like there's only so much you can throw. Michael Persons. Michael. It's your team. Number three. The relevance is 1995.

You're responsible for that team. Actually irrelevant. since 95. Wow, that's crazy. This is five on it on 104. Three, the score with Layla Rahimi and Mark Grody. I'm going to take you,

give you a little backstage packs real quick, guys. This guy. Because I'm sipping on something delicious here. That's because Shamrock Shake season is officially back in Chicago land in northwest Indiana. You can grab the fan favorite

minty treat at your local McDonald's now through March 17th while directly supporting families in need. Local McDonald's owners and operators will donate 25 cents from every Shamrock Shake. sold to Ronald McDonald's House, Chicagoland, and Northwest Indiana.

So Tyler and I are sipping on those cheers, sir. Hey, don't spill any eye on the board. It's expensive, man. No, no, no, not at all. A little bit's okay, is what I was told. Grody. He spilled just a little bit. It's okay.

Tyler, don't listen to Grody. Don't spill any. Mitch will be mad. You know how Grotty spill stuff. Keep that Laquois away from your consumer. It's just water. Between Grody and Marshall, that side of the desk is very,

very dangerous. I thought that I was a klutz. What did Marshall did? What did I miss that Marshall? He spilled a 44 ounce or a Panera tea everywhere. Idiot. We love you, Marshall. Here's question number three.

World baseball. Love you, Marshall. World Baseball classic. Idiot. Exhibition games began yesterday. Team USA is Alex Bregman and Japan, San Suzuki, both hit home runs in their respective games. Are you expecting any kind of jump in power hitting from the Cubs this season? Okay.

This is Cubby brain for me in spring training. This is my question because I am a Cubs fan. I saw that Bregman and Suzuki both hit home runs and it led me to think and dream of the possibility that we will see more power hitting from the Cubs. So now I present it to you. Do you agree? Okay, so first of all, yes.

It was nice to see Sayas Suzuki hit a home run because Sea Suzuki benefited the most from having the protection of Kyle Tucker in the lineup. You have Regsy now. Yes, and if only they had had both. And that's where I'm still at with this. Peker Armstrong, if he makes adjustments, does his power return?

Does his hitting return in a consistent manner? I can't even take that seriously. I've got to give him more time. We just do. He had a terrible last couple months of the season. It was terrible. It was. His weighted runs created plus was only 45 the last two months.

So exactly. So I say all of that knowing there was a say a drop-off, knowing that Alex Bergman is consistent, but he's not the bopper that a healthy Kyle Tucker is. So will it go up? I don't think it's going up. I sure as hell hope it maintains. Is that fair?

That is fair. That is fair. Let me try it a different way. I'm just literally looking at the majority of the Cubs lineup here and looking at players that could hit, could Michael Bush hit more than 34 home runs. I don't know, man. More than 34.

Right. So I would not take the over on 34 for Michael Bush. So I'll now go to Nico Horner. He had seven home runs last year. I'd probably take the under. Because didn't a lot of his homers come late? Didn't it feel like he wasn't get a hit a home run last year for a while? Oh yeah, it was a couple months.

Yeah, so I would almost go under on him. Dansby Swanson hit 24 homers last year, over or under on Swanson. I'd again right around there. I like the over for Dansby, but I don't like it to the tune of like 30. I like it to the tune of like 27. Okay, all right, so there's a little there. PCA, like you said, can't call it, 31 home runs last year. They're going to need everyone.

one of those. But I'd go under on him. I'd go under on PCA. Sayah hit 32. I might go over on Seya. I might go, and I'm not saying like he's going to hit 40, like maybe 34.

Sayah Zika hits 40 home runs. We got ourselves a team. Yeah. And that Hap over there hit 23 home runs. Maybe over, maybe, especially since it's a, it is a contract year for Hap.

Yes. It is. And his on base percentage remained steady. How about B. Baruth at catcher. Carson Kelly couldn't stop hitting home runs last year. He had 17. Why are you trolling Carson Kelly like that?

Do you think Carson Kelly is going to have a what was his OPS in the first half of the season? Oh, wasn't it over a thousand? It was over a thousand. He was competing with ridiculous Hall of Famers. But he had 17 home runs. You got 17 home runs for him next year?

I don't know if I do. I mean, Ray, the catcher position when you consider Miguel Amaya, Yeah, Amaya too. Like, Amaya's going to play a hell of a lot more. Let's go. Amen. So I do see, like, the Cubs are powerful.

I don't know if there's like a big discernible jump in home. You lost Kyle Tucker. Look, I'm just dreaming. I'm just dreaming big over here. I love what you dream. I'm dreaming big over here. Max Crosby and the Bears is in my mind. The Cubs take it up on the jump in power hitting.

Ray, the Bears lost Drew Dalman. Okay. Do you understand what we're all going through right now? Is that your Billy Donovan? Do you see what I'm dealing with? I got four gods over here. You see what I'm in, we haven't practiced before?

I don't know any of these guys. I don't know who wants to score. Who wants to play defense? What am I supposed to do? Well, with all that being said, let's turn the page of something more positive. Were you worried for a second that the Bulls were going to beat the thunder yesterday?

Yes, I was. Yes, I was. It became a six-point game, and I was like, oh, no. Don't do this. Not like this. not with the thunder basically daring you to beat them when they decided to sit SGA

and I don't know everybody else so I was like no you can't do this you can't do this bulls you can't beat the thunder not like this not when the tank is so important when it got to 112 106 I was just like oh god oh no they might actually win this game

then there was a timeout taking Grotty don't act believe that's where we are. Don't act like you weren't thinking the same thing. Okay, here's what I was thinking, because I was, I listened to a lot of the game on the radio. Great job. Listening to Chuck and Bill Wennington, he was just in here, Alyssa Bergamini. And this is my problem, not Chuck's, but I am not familiar enough, like, with the names on the bowls to just rattle them off or to have them feel familiar to me. So I'm listening to Chuck and I'm like, here, Nick Richards and Miller and Sexton and all. I'm like, Gerson Jabeseli had a hell of a hat, man. He had a great half. I was like, which team was, I was like, who scored? Was that the Bulls that just scored? Or was that Oklahoma City?

No, Dork. Dort plays for Oklahoma City. Dort. So I couldn't like, I'm like, man, I'm in a bad place with the Bulls. I don't know who's scoring. I don't know who's stealing the ball. I don't know who. Dork played for the Bulls.

They probably would have won. Probably. Old Dort. So that's where I was with it. And then I did, was it. I got home in time to watch the fourth quarter. And yeah, they did get. frighteningly close.

You may as well just keep on losing. And then Caruso played. Like we saw Alex Caruso and I was like, I miss you, Alex Caruso. I do. I do. I'm sorry. He's.

So I was tuned in for a bit to the TV broadcast. I bounced between the score and CHSN yesterday. And I did hear the guys on the TV broadcast mentioned that Alex Caruso told Casey Johnson that he was texting his wife about being back in Chicago and he misses the city and there the city has an aura about it. Well yeah he does. Alex Caruso has an aura. True. He does. Alex Caruso like he makes things fun wherever he goes like he's just going to make it work on the court like remember when we didn't think Alex Caruso was particularly a three point shooting dude and then he's like nah you guys need to shoot these threes I'm going to do it and then he did. Alex Caruso has an

that's what that is. It's so very rare, too, to just be able to watch a guy and be able to know, oh, that guy's really good at playing defense. Like to see him, like, fundamentally play defense the way it's supposed to be played. Like, that was pretty cool to see up close with him. I mean, Chicago, yes, but also Alex Caruso.

Number five. This is five on it on 1043. The score. And here's our final question. Obviously, the theme of today's show is the retirement of 27-year-old. Drew Dalman. So the question is, if you could retire right now, what's the first thing you'd do?

Get off the damn grid when it comes to to some of the social media. Like, I don't need to be a punching bag for people constantly. Find another target. Ray, I would punch you. That's what I would do. Wow. The first thing? No, that's not what I would do. With the shamrock shake in his hand and everything?

Just not over the board. Not over the board. How could you do that to the shamrock shake? How could do that to me? at the Chevron's a second. That was pretty aggressive on my part of the day. I figured I'd try another distraction to see if it works. I'll answer this question the same way I answer the question of

what would you do? What was the first thing you'd do if you won the lottery? What I would do is I would go to the nicest, most beautiful hotel I could find in the city of Chicago and I would take a nap. I would sleep. I would just, because we all like... You have been hanging out with Dave the Cat too much. Maybe. Yeah, he does. Man, cats make sleep. look really good. They absolutely do. That's right. That's right. But no, like, I'm always in need of a little extra sleep. So I would just sleep and then wake up and be in a luxurious hotel and just

enjoy myself. But that first thing I would do is just sleep. I have a friend who did a staycation at the peninsula. That's nice. Yeah, they enjoyed it. Hey, I've always said, like, I would, I would love to live at a hotel in downtown Chicago. So that's what you would do. in retirement or win the lottery because living in nice hotels is very expensive. Yeah, for a fixed income, that's probably not a good idea. Yeah, I don't know. We'll see when we get to the end of this, whatever this is. I do wonder, like, and you know, you guys know over the past couple of years,

I've been really off of Twitter because it doesn't pay me to do this and I spend my time here giving opinions. You know, I'm going to do that on the things that pay me. So I just got to the point where I was like, there is no need for this. Like, why would I subject myself to this if it wasn't for the job? So that's how I feel. I would just use Twitter as a news source, which is pretty much what I do now. Like, if you want to hear what I have to say about this, come to the show. So you wouldn't, that's another whole question right there.

Would you get off of social media? Like, why would you need it at all? Yeah, I don't, I mean, I'd probably post more on Instagram because I don't have time to create Instagram posts. But why would you need to? Why do you need to create Instagram posts? some fun stuff, like traveling or something. Oh, okay.

Like, I've traveled. I just haven't told you guys about it. I just haven't posted. Well, you know, but like the people. Like, I haven't posted the picks of my travels because. Layla's secrets. I don't know. I just haven't.

I don't post a lot of stuff. Okay. Been living, not posting. It gets posted for us usually, whether we want it or not. Well, I mean, on here it does, but not, not my life life. And I'll just leave it at that. Okay, fine. Grotie will sleep.

and I will be on fewer social media. There it is. You know where to find us or not. Like, I don't care about being relevant after I retire. Because I've retired. You dig? Like, nobody cares anyway. You take those headphones off.

That's it. You're not going to ever see Layla again. Yeah, I used to say, and I've held served to this, that I'll be at a TV station 20 years. I'm not saying goodbye. Like, I'll be at a radio station 20 years and I would say goodbye. I just don't. Wait, what do you mean?

Like, you know how people would be like, this is my last show. You would just go and like. And I have multiple times. Oh, in honor of the Shamrock Shake, it would be an Irish goodbye. Nice. I do that in life. So viewers and listeners deserve nothing but the same. Ray, do you do that Irish dance?

You know the one? I don't know how to do it. Kaylee. Taylor does? Did you guys know that? Oh, yeah, I did. I think from you. Kail and Kaler, hit me up.

You got to teach me. I want to see you do. I want to see you skip it around in that hallway. I want to see that. I've wanted to learn so badly. Why just Ray? Well, just because of his Irishness today. He keeps talking about Irishness, so I thought I would bring another thing up.

He has a shamrock shake. You would have been the more appropriate person to ask, yes, because you're actually a dancer. But I don't have the shamrock shake, which is the Holy Grail today. Shout out to the new 104-3, The Score, Lamp, Light. What is it? What do you call it? Fly the Wood Designs did that. They do wonderful sign work, and they created us a new custom sign.

Yeah. All right, it's been enough time. spent a couple hours talking about somebody who is in Max Crosby. Guess what's next? But the difference is people who are legitimate beat reporters have added some fuel to the fire. So the latest on that next. Dance, Ray. Dance now.

Get out that hallway and dance. I want you skipping around. Lela Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, Rahimi, Harrison, Grody on 1043, the score. I don't know. Yeah, as long as this is a possibility, it deserves to be discussed. I like to say, you know when it comes to trades, Mark, dare to dream. And when it comes to trades and trying to figure it out, start with your ideal trade first,

and then you just have to work backwards from there. And as I know from learning from the texts that were leaked during the hacking scandal, both the Cardinals and the Astros, that's pretty much what happens. like James, they are a shooter shoot. They'll be like, hey, can I have Giancarlo Stanton? Yeah, for a unicorn and a billion dollars in gold coins. Or you know something. But you have to ask because you just never know.

Kind of like with Rob Polinka and Nico Harrison, he's like, you know, it would be crazy as if you guys traded Luca. I mean, we'll take them off your hands. And then look what happens. Right, right. Go for the 10. So because of that, I talk about some wild trade ideas. And then I go from there.

And we talk about Max Crosby. because dare to dream and then go from there. It's one thing if you do it, it's one thing if I do it. Ray just says Max every now and then just because that's how much he's on his mind. Max, you guy. Ray'll just be sitting there looking off into space and then suddenly Max. How about Irish dancing with Max? Oh, yeah.

He'd be your dance partner. We're really good to bring this thing to fruition, man. See, now that Robbie's not here to write things down, Grotty's just gone completely nails off. I have. Well, I'm enjoying Ray's Irishness today with the Shamrock Shake and he made a couple of Irish references. Well,

he's just laughing in the background, Chris Taney Hill. Tanny Irish, you're out here into Irishness too? Yeah. What? He said what? Tanny said his culture is not my costume.

Sorry, Tanny. I just love the Shamrock shake. I said that to a friend who posted a pick of a Puka shell necklace that looked like it was from 2002 and I was like my culture is not your costume. Puka. Nakuwa.

Nakuha. Max. That's the answer. Max. There we go again. Max! This is how it is. Get that man here.

So, you know, this is us, romper room, whatever you want to call it. Yeah. Kids table. That's us. We own it. Feel good about it. You're just jealous.

You're not sitting here at the kids table with us? You know who I don't think is jealous since it's at the adults table and likes it there? Brad Biggs. You think Biggs would not want to sit at the kids table? Brad Biggs is about business. He doesn't want to mess with us being sillyness. I think Biggs would love to sit in here with us.

Biggs. No, Biggs has a sense of humor. I know he does. I know he does. Like Brad is welcome any time. But like I would just waste his time. Well, not if he was, but he understands, he's hosted four-hour radio shows before. He understands that there's going to be times when it's just going to be fun times and we're going to be talking about one-arm guys.

I think Brad gets that. Well, I know, boys, what's going on? I know he gets it when I love the, I love Brad as the socks fan. That's always my favorite plot twist. Oh, Brad's a great baseball fan. Yeah, like, yeah. No, he's fun to talk baseball. See, Brad would be...

He's not very positive about the Cubs, that's for sure. Brad would be excited to hear about Sam Antonacci. Let me tell you about Sam Antonacci and the Verducci brothers. Sam Antinacci and the Verducci brothers. Or is it Vertucci? Hawkisms. Shout out to the Antonacci family. In Springfield and Sacred R. Griffin.

Oh, my goodness, yes. So, as we were saying, got a little off topic. But the point is, Brad Biggs, what he says has weight. And it's one thing for us to talk about the possibility of Max Crosby. another for us to gauge the price. Diana Rusini confirmed it earlier today of the athletic. But Brad Biggs, Brad Biggs put some fuel to the fire on this Max Crosby dream of ours.

The Bears are either keep it a close eye on the Max Crosby situation and potentially involved or someone out there is doing a really good job of convincing a bunch of folks that that's the case. Okay? You follow me there? And maybe the individuals doing that, perhaps being Clark County, Nevada, I don't know. But there's a sense that the bears are involved.

Yeah, but to what price, right? And I don't think that's something that the bears know now or the Raiders know. I think Dallas is involved. If you listen to people and the Cowboys, if you've been following some of that, I think they're really getting aggressive with some of their cap stuff to create space in an effort to win now. They're not kicking a can down the street with the cap. They're kicking like the dumpster down the street. Like it's going to get really full there in Dallas at some point.

But Jerry Jones, God bless his heart, is out to prove that he hasn't been a loser to cowboy fans for the past 30 years. and he wants to, you know, saddle up and ride for a Super Bowl. So I would think they would be a team to watch out for potentially with Crosby. The bless his heart was the truth. You're talking about Jerry Jones? Oh, yeah, yeah. Would that be something to see, though, wouldn't it? Parsons and Crosby?

Like, allow yourself to just think about the aggression. Ooh. Well, that's why I actually think that the intangibles come into play here. Not anymore, though, obviously. Why do you say that? Well, you're saying them on the same team. Yeah, if they had had that opportunity. I was thinking them on the same division because Max.

Oh, well, there's that. Yes. Because Max. So I think there's a couple things at play here. Number one, I believe Brad Biggs when he says that Jerry Jones is after Max Crosby, because that was some scuttle but at the trade deadline. And Jerry is talking in a way. he did a recent interview where he was seated at some

what looked like a cafe or something and he's just talking about it wasn't but it was that kind of scene where he was talking about how much he wishes he could win another Super Bowl and what I saw was a guy who realizes he may not have a ton of time left to go witness another Super Bowl. He's 80 what?

I got to look at all. He's in his 80. I'm going to guess that Jerry John. Just for the the guest, the sake of the guests, 83 years old. Now, God willing, he has a much longer life after this. Amen. But I think there comes a time for a lot of owners where, especially the ones who are emotionally attached to their team that way. You saw it a lot in baseball too, where guys would just stop at nothing because they wanted to see their team win. But in baseball, it's a little more easy

to spot because there's no salary cap. Not yet. That's not the case here. All of that said, after moving $47 million off of the cap in restructuring two contracts, including Dak Prescott's in Dallas this morning, reportedly, Cowboys would still be $9 million over. So where in there are you squeezing the $35.8 million? That's why they're dragging a dumpster. Or how did he put it? You're kicking the dumpster down the road.

Exactly. It's not a can. It's a dumpster. This is a problem that at some point will come to roost. Big dumpster. What? the what but the fact that Brad Biggs is saying that

this is a possibility gives it a little more understanding would you say the Cowboys part of or the Bears part of it? The Bears part of it? Yeah, I mean, well it... I don't think the Cowboys thing happens but I think there's probably intent there. I heard a little bit though

and maybe I heard it wrong but he said convincing people that it's true I heard Big say that. It felt a little ambiguous in terms of Are they just putting it out there to make it look like the bears are interested or the bears actually interested? Can I offer you his Q&A from this morning? Oh, God, yeah. Inappropriate.

The question is, if you're Ryan Poles, are you trying to package both Tremaine Edmonds and DJ Moore to Las Vegas with a pick to get Max Crosby? Or are you going to trade them separately? Now, we all know the likelihood of Tremaine Edmonds getting traded before he's cut is pretty low. But Brad replies, sure, that makes a world of sense from the Bears' perspective. The best intel I can provide you right now is either the bears are among a small group of teams exploring the possibility of a trade for Crosby or someone, the Raiders, is doing a good job of convincing people they are. Let's flip it around and examine it from the Raiders perspective. Fox Sports Jay Glazer reported a month ago and then that's when he goes into the same thing that we heard Brad mentioned on the morning show.

Okay, let's do the exercise. here. Could you handle the Bears giving up two first rounders and a player on the roster to get Max Crosby? And what player on the roster would you allow to go or think that would be worthy to the Raiders from their perspective that they would accept from the Bears? That's the question. I don't necessarily want to see DJ Morley of the building. I've maintained, I still think he's wide receiver one. I maintain he helped win you games even though he was targeted fewer times last year than near. passed. I think that would be the most enticing offer to the Raiders. Would you do it though? Like would you like do you think? That is a position where the bears have depth. So yeah.

Yeah. Probably so. But I'm trying to think like if I had a chance right now like hit the button, you're going to give up your first round picks for the next two years for this coming up draft and then 2027 and DJ Moore is going to be gone. But you get Max Crosby. I'd do it. But do you think the bears are one player away? Because if so, those draft picks become really important. Well, they... If you don't. That's a really good question.

I mean, they won 11 games last year with a pretty bad defense, right? In a lot of ways. I mean, there were some stars on the defense still, Kevin Byrd. They got a lot of takeaways. They got a lot of takeaways. So you managed to get 11 wins last year with the developing offense, which turned out to develop pretty nicely by the end of the season. And a poor defense? Would that be the right?

I mean... Underful. No, underperforming. Underperforming average. It wasn't average. I was below. So I'm building up to this. Maybe they are one player away.

Like if you got what you got out of that season last year and I now have to factor in the Drew Dalman, no left tackle. Perhaps that team was one player away. But we don't have that team on the field anymore. Because of the the extractions. Drew Dalman and then also the four safeties and the linebacker and left tackle. That's not one player away. But I do think about what they were able to, what that team did with a good offense and a mediocre defense.

So, like, depending on what you get out of the guys that were not as effective because of injury last year in Dio O'Dangbo. You talked about Grady Jared. I mean, you said it yourself. Grady Jarrett could, and I agree with you, could make, could actually give you a real Grady Jarrett year. Shemar Turner might be something. If he's healthy, I think Grady Jarrett's a different dude next year. So I'm not dismissing the possibility that they are, and you have other holes to fill, but that Max Crosby could be a difference maker on the team.

So that's what we think. That's what Brad Biggs had to say. Well, what about former NFL players? Taran Armstead talked about that with our afternoon show. We'll examine his opinion. Next. Rahimi Harris and Grody. Spears tight and Cole Kamet.

Cole, welcome to the party, pal. Well, thanks for having me. I heard it was a big day. So naturally, I dropped everything I had going on today. You've complained a lot through the years about not being able to hear the score on the 670 AM dial when you're inevitably cruising around downtown. And now that we have an FM signal, Cole, you can now hear the score all day, all the time, all you want. You can hear all the Bears hot takes you want. Well, that's perfect.

I'll make sure I blast that in the locker room. Rahimi Harris and Grody, Midday's Tyndle 2 on 1043 The Score. Hold on a second. Was that the Mark Grody pump up return music? Seriously. You give me rage against the machine. And then this song by Cage the Elephant, which I recently realized,

the song has been around forever, that it's a great blasted song. Maybe it was just the moment that I was having, just cranking it up. Come a little closer. I mean, like, that's life. I was putting new furniture together like a couple weeks ago

and I actually had this song blasting in my living room I was put it together Am I right? It got me really wanting to actually put furniture together Do you have a song, Leila? That you just got a blast

or is it just a momentary in the moment thing? Oh, first of all, a lot of songs. Yeah. Until I collapsed by Eminem is up there for me. Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Like if I want to get my butt off the couch and get to a treadmill or something, yeah, that's the way to go. Yeah, that's a whole thing. Like get up playlist. Stop being lazy. One of these days we'll have to put that in five on it or a fun segment on our workout playlist, except Marshall can't do that because he goes al natural, right?

He doesn't listen to music when he runs. Or it's R&B, he says. He's ridiculous. He likes to go against the grain. Actually, I kind of envy that. I wish I wasn't dependent upon music or activity in my years to have the momentum to work out. Yeah, that's it. I need the music. I don't have to. I'm dead. I'm done for.

I can do, you know, 45 minutes on the treadmill, but if it's without, it's like six minutes. I need that extra push. I just have enough challenges. I don't need that to be one of them, the no music challenge or something. It's unnecessary. I mean, to preserve your ears, I guess. Maybe Marshall's got better ears than us. I've hurt mine terribly from going to concerts, games, and doing this job. I don't even want to know. I don't want to go to the ear like and have them say, yeah, you're down to about a six right now. I don't want to hear that.

I don't want to know. Well, you're not going to hear anything if you don't go. That's a good point. Keep encouraging me. Getting back to our Max Crosby conversation that apparently isn't just us. Brad Biggs talked about it. So did Tehran Armstead. Hear what he had to say to Matt Spiegel and Lawrence Holmes about the concept of him coming to the Bears.

I got a splash. And this is just my thought. I have no insider information, nothing. But I was on my show last night on the set, live, and I keep hearing chatter about Max Crosby. We keep hearing Max Crosby potential move. That has Dennis Allen all over it, front, back. And he had that trade,

that situation has Dennis Allen all over it. I can see that. I can see Max Crosby coming to Chicago in a package for Tremay Edmonds, DJ Moore, first round pick, whatever. I can see that. Dennis Allen, what he was able to do in New Orleans, having Cam Jordan, he's able to build and scheme pressures away from Cam to where you have to block him one-on-one. Whether you know these safeties or corners or blitzing or not, you have to slide the line over there.

So this tackle got to dance one-on-one with Cam Jordan. If he can get that with Max Crosby, listen, the Bears, I don't want to hype them up too much. I don't, but I like what they're doing. I like what they're building, the way that they're building it. It's fun. It's been great to see the bearish process from last year training camp to now. Man, is that a hype up? Tehran Armstrong Armstrongstras is just a good storyteller.

Like the way he crafts the discussion is really artful and entertaining. But to understand a Dennis Allen prototypical player and then to visualize how they fit into a scheme like that, That's a ringing endorsement. And it lets you know that who might be really interested in him that we are talking about, and that's DA. Well, the only thing I was saying, it was a great interview. I listened to that. I loved his, Armstead's initial.

He had not heard about the Drew Dalman trade, so he literally processed it. Yeah, what did I say? Trade. Oh, man. Max is on your mind. Yeah, you're right. You're right. The Drew Dalman retirement.

He had no idea, and his reaction was just wonderful. in real time on Spiegel and Holmes. So great job by those guys. The only thing that I would say, the only hole that I would poke in what he just said right there, wouldn't this have most defensive coordinators name written all over it? Like as if, oh, yeah, this is Dennis Allen's kind of guy right here.

Well, we wouldn't draft an off ball linebacker at night. Yeah, that's true, Fluse. But I would think that most defensive coordinators, that's my kind of guy. How did that work out? I'm sorry. I'm talking about. Tremaine Edmonds over Roquan Smith essentially.

Yeah. Yeah. It was fine. Also, Tremaine had a good year last year. He did. Yeah. Tremaine Emmett was good. He was never as good as Roquan Smith.

It was never an upgrade from Roquan Smith. He was a serviceable player who really was kind of, actually, the trajectory had been disappointing for Tremaine Edmonds until last year. Yes. Yes. And then he got put in a position to succeed. He did. He did.

The DA is there. But I'm just saying most defensive coordinators would be like, yeah, that's my kind of guy right there. And in sympathy to Maddieber Fluse, not sympathy because I have not been a defensive coordinator who had a, who had an all-star, all-pro, one of the best defensive linemen in the leave. No, no. But in empathy to Matt Eber Fluse, I'm like, oh man, here you go thinking you're going to coordinate this defense with Micah Parsons. Oh, never mind. Yeah, you're out of there, pal. No, I felt for him in that moment. Did you?

Yeah. Yeah. His defensive coordinating resume speaks for itself. Yeah, it does, right. And I don't like to step on guys on the way out, even though that's what we do. But the confidence about your system over the actual talent of Roquan never sat well with me. Yeah, I mean, I'd listen, but it never made sense. Everybody knew Roquan was better.

But he did. I mean, I guess you can say that Iber Flues did have his. his paw prints on T.J. Edwards as well. So that's worked out. And I think he did get into, at least into the ear of Ryan Poles to say, here's some of the guys that I would desire. So I get that right. Which is why I think that Ryan Poles did listen to not one but two head coaches when it came to players that they thought would fit in their system. I think, you know, GMs always listen to their head coaches, right? Like allow their coaches to give a wish list, but at the end of the day, it's up to the GM. And I don't think that's

really changed. No, it's here's who we have, who best fits what you do. Yeah. You know, that's how I feel like that goes. Yeah, what can you work with? Yeah. And I think there's 32 defensive coordinators that could work with Mad Max. But it's true that Dennis Allen has a type, you know, and Tom Brady talked about it during

the broadcast, too, you know, just understanding the style and the hallmark that is a Dennis Allen defense and the players that are involved in it. Speed. Yes. Length, too. And then you hear to Ron Armstrong, like that's knowing living, breathing, existing in ball, where you know exactly who DA wants and why he wants them

and how they work in that system. That is, first of all, respect. And then secondly, it's a teaching point for the rest of us and trying to get that eye for the same player and what kind of coverage, for example, or what kind of blocking scheme they draw. Like, that's good stuff. Yeah, but can you also take the players that you have

and that you're, I guess, quote-unquote, stuck with and make them better. I don't know that I just go back to the timing of his hiring. He probably was he in the ear? You think he was in? Remain Edmins. Yes, he can. Look at Tramane Edmonds.

Good point. But who I'm getting towards here is Dio Dengbo. Can, and I don't know, like would D.A. have had anything to do with Dio Dengbo being here? I don't think so. I don't think the timeline meets up. I think that's a poll. The timeline does meet up, I think. That he could have been in polls as year on that?

Yeah. Yeah, I think so. It seemed like, you might be right, but it seemed like a Poles thing, just the way he was talking because they were projecting so much. I mean, they admitted it that I remember asking Ryan Poles at the press conference in the theater or whatever, the auditorium, as it were, when they rolled everybody out and they were talking about this and asking him, hey, you know, the sack numbers are not there for DiO Dangbo. And he said, got to watch the tape. Got to see what this guy does all over the place. And I heard him and listened to him too. Which means, I mean, like, and I have not,

just similarly to what you're talking about with Grady Jarrett, I have not given up on the idea that Diod Dangbo could be a really, you know, effective player for the Bears. I was skeptical when they drafted him, or drafted him, when they signed him because of the sack numbers and our obsession with needing guys who actually get the double-digit sacks,

but we'll see what the DA can do with him. The DA. The DA. The DA. It's like a doctor, but a different title. That's right. He is the DA. You know who I thinking of? You know which DA I think of? David Aldridge. I think they used to call him the DA at one point in time. Wonderful reporter. He really was. Is he? I don't know if he's still. He's with the athletic. He does a lot with them. Okay. Yeah. Still doing, is he doing like sideline stuff in the NBA? I think so. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I was like him. The DA. Agreed. My favorite DA. Love that. Well, Dennis Allen should be up there for you at some point. Maybe not immediately. Yeah. He's got, I'll give, I'll give him some bears, but I can't say. my favorite. We'll work on that. In the meantime, I can't wait to just hear Danny and Mark talk to each other.

That's it. That's really it. It sounds cheesy and silly, but it's true. Don't leave me alone with Danny. Don't make me do all the work. I do sometimes. I do like to sit back and just listen to people talk to each other. And then I'm like, oh, I'm the host. I'm supposed to say something. Yeah, you have to. Don't leave me alone. It's, you know, I'm getting tired here. You know, it's a long show. It is a long show. But you two are funny. We do, we do have a good time. Danny Parkinson. Mark next. The score! I could do Stephen A's job, guys.

It's not that hard. Denny Parkins. QB1 party. All are invited. Host of Fox Sports 1's First theme 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. Wade.

Wade is my favorite part. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043 The Score, and that is Danny Parkins' music. You can check him out on the newly expanded First thing's first OT from 4 to 5 p.m. on Fox Sports 1. He is at Danny Parkins on. and he's back for vacation. Hey, Danny.

Lela, Grody, how the hell are you? I'm good. I tell Grody, I just like it when you two mess with each other. So sorry in advance if I just listen and giggle for some of the time where you two talk to each other. It just makes me happy. I miss Grody a lot. He's good. But, you know, he has to say something ridiculous. So once he starts talking, you know, I'll tell us.

I swear to God, I was just about to say. Because I feel like, I don't know, Lela wants us to fight or something. I don't know what's going on here. No, I didn't say anything about a fight. Oh, just entertained. Yeah, no, but I was honestly, I was just about to say before you made the comment, you made it, I'm looking at you right now, and you look good. You look like you just got back from vacation. The hair looks good.

The tie is tight as if, like, you're just got off the air, but you're getting ready to go on the air. So you're looking good, my friend. Thank you, sir. You're looking good also. Don't say that. Yeah, you don't have to say that. No, I didn't mean it. Yeah, I, uh, no, you know, this, you know, this tie not as great because I don't tie it myself.

What? Yeah, they tie my ties. No, they don't. Are you serious? Man. Dude, of course I'm serious. I've told this story before. And I've not heard the story.

Grody, not only do they tie the ties, not only do they buy the clothes, not only do they set out the outfits. when I step into the dressing room, the belt is already through the loops. True story. And I asked our lovely wardrobe designer, Christine, like, you know, this was like a week into the job. So this is, you know, almost a year and a half ago. At this point, I was like,

why is the belt already through the loop? And she said two things that blew my mind. One, she was like, well, it's because our job is to make sure that all you guys have to think about is performing on the air, as if me having to put the belt through the loops was somehow going to take away from the takes. And then two, she said, she said, no one had ever asked her about that before. Of course. I was like, wait, what?

So all of these TV people are just so coddled and so spoiled that they think that that is normal? And she's like, yeah, you're the first person that's ever at. She's like, I've worked everywhere. I've worked at SNL. I've worked at Fox. I've worked at NBC. She's like, you're the first person who's ever asked me that before. I'm like, oh, wow.

Okay. Well, this is clearly different. So, yeah, I mean, people are, you look good since going into TV. I'm like, yeah, none of it's me. Well, okay, here's the question then. Do they then do they also de-robe you like a boxing trainer? Like you get off and then they pull the mouthpiece out? Like, do they de-rope?

Yeah. Yeah, no, good question. No, I have to do that myself. But on my next contract, that's something that I'm going to be looking for. Then what the hell does Triano do over there? If he's not derrobing you, what exactly the send him back? If that's all you can get out of him, then send him back. Why do you think I put in the recommendation? I mean, the guy is excellent at tying my shoes. He's really good at it.

See, this is what I needed. This is what I came here for. All right, ask him about Drew Dalman. Yes. Okay. So Danny, Mark Grady has instructed me to ask you, okay, what did you think when this happened? Yeah. Listen, obviously you're surprised and obviously your attention turns to, wow, that's like a huge loss for the bears and how is that going to impact their off season. Like I think those are like the instant reactions that anybody would have. But then like you think about it two seconds more and it's, I don't think it's very. difficult to get yourself into a headspace of like, I'm actually surprised it doesn't happen more just because clearly we know what the game does to the mind. Clearly we know what the game does

to the body. Drew Dalman, and I don't know why he retired, but he's a Stanford grad with a mechanical engineering degree with a father who won a Super Bowl who also went to Stanford. So he's seen in his upbringing the highest of highs that football can afford in a Super Bowl. And now his dad's in his mid-50s, so presumably he knows what the game does to you as you age. And Drew Da Ullman has made eight figures, like at 27 years old. So like if you've made eight figures and you are an avid reader with other interests and a smart guy, it doesn't strike me as a ridiculous decision to be sure that you can get out with your mind and body. intact because it's easier now than ever to do it because you're making more money at an earlier

age than any generation before who played the game. So, you know, I hope he's okay. I wish him nothing but the best. We can talk about the football ramifications for it. But, you know, I think the surprise in a story like this should actually be that it doesn't happen more often. Yeah, that's interesting. I mean, that is very rational, but there is the football part and the part where it just sucks. Like, and maybe it's good that Ben Johnson gave us that stern warning at the end of the season. He couldn't have done it more quickly to tell us everything's going to be different. But things are looking a little bit too different right now on the offensive line, Danny,

with the center and with the left tackle. How worried are you football-wise? Yeah, so there's a couple of things. I think it's totally fine to say that it sucks. I don't think that that means that you're callous or that you're being disrespectful to Drew Dalman. You can wish him the best and respect. his decision and then be a Bears fan and be like,

but what does this mean for Caleb Williams? I think that's totally, I think that's just like totally reasonable. I do have a lot of faith that Ben Johnson can figure it out. But, you know, I think that like that, this amount of like change or surprise or upheaval with previous Bears coaches hits me very differently than it does with this Bears coach because it's like, oh, well, we've got a genius as the coach of the bears. He's going to be able to work around it.

my initial thought, and I obviously do not know this is purely speculative, but we're just hanging out talking football so it's okay. Bears. Bears. I wonder if it just takes them out of the running for Max Crosby entirely. If that left tackle center, edge rusher, and other front seven piece X, whether it be, you know, three technique or Tremaine Edmund's replacement, it's just too many premium positions to fill that you cannot afford to give up a first round pick when you have that many holes to fill and that they maybe will pivot more into the Trey Hendrickson market where that's just money and then save the 25th overall pick to draft an offensive lineman. So that was like an initial thought that I have for sure.

And we can talk about Crosby and my feeling on some of the reporting on that if you guys want. But I do think that it creates such a premium hole that I do think it's going to make Ryan Poles maybe a smidge less likely to be hyper-aggressive. Yeah, that was also my thought, too, was that perhaps with Crosby's cap hit and then draft capital and personnel, because Dior Rusini, Danny this morning said she maintains its two firsts and a player, the asking price, that it might be a bridge too far. Don't believe it. Okay, so why don't you believe it? Precedent. So let me see if I can pull this up for you guys on the fly so I can, I just haven't committed it all to memory yet.

I could probably do 80% of it from memory, but I'll try to. So basically like Jay Glazer, Diana Rossini, really smart, really plugged in people, have said that they're looking for a Micah Parsons impact return. And it's like, okay, great. That's what the Raiders would like. But now let's talk about. reality. So in the last 10 years, these are the non-quarterbacks who were traded for multiple first-round picks and their age at the time. Soss Gardner, 25 years old. Micah Parsons,

26 years old. Jamal Adams, 25 years old. Jalen Ramsey, 25 years old. Laramie Tunsell, 25 years old. Kuliel Mack, 27 years old. Max Crosby turns 29 before the season starts, and he's coming off of a minor but a meniscus cleanup. Like, I see no earthly scenario where he gets two first-round picks and a player. And I understand that you do not have to give him a record-setting contract because he's already been paid. So that's, like, a little different than the Micah situation and some of those other guys who you had to trade for and then pay the Kalil-Mack situation that Bears fans know well. I get it. But I think the other two, the two years older and the coming off the injury offsets it.

So, like, Bill Barnwell's proposal of the 25th pick and DJ Moore feels much more in line with what I would think you would have to give up to get Max Crosby, given that he's 29. I see no way that the compensation even approaches Micah Parsons, where it's two first round picks and a premium player. I would be floored if the Raiders get that for 29-year-old Max Crosby. So you're saying that, thinking that that's the price for Max Crosby in a trade. And then I was thinking, well, because it's two firsts, then that may be the bridge too far now that Dalman's out. What makes you say that it puts it out of concept for the Bears? Well, listen, I think, you know, the most valuable thing you can have in the NFL is great players on cheap, cost-controlled contracts, right? Like, that's why Caleb is so valuable right now.

And that's why it is the time to go all in. But, like, premium positions outside of quarterback, left tackle, wide receiver, corner, edge rusher, and then arguably center, and they have huge question marks at three of those positions. But yesterday they had huge question marks at two of those positions. So I just think it's like, I think it's possible that because Ryan Poles now will look at it and say, man, I need to get another cheap, cost-controlled player for four plus years with that pick. I just think it's, I think it's little bit more likely that he holds the pick than trades the pick because another premium position became open. Not a guarantee, but I don't, I wouldn't trade two first round picks

and DJ more for Max Crosby. I think that's crazy. Like, I would trade one, but I would not trade two. Like, he's, he's 29 years old. And so it's just, it's a, it's a different, it's a different calculus for me when you're going to be paying for a guy in his 30s, as opposed to his athletic prime. But don't you think he's, you're right, 29. When you make these, you hope to get two or three really good years when you pay guys big bucks in the NFL. And that's about the length of a window, a winning window in the NFL.

Isn't it worthwhile? Don't you think the bears are on the doorstep of something special in the next two or three years? And don't you think Max Crosby is still going to be worth double-digit sacks for the next three years. I do. I do. Yes, I do. But I think, again, I think that the, like, that's what I, that is the best case scenario. Listen, we will, we've talked about this before. We will talk about this again. And I think there's a good chance he's traded before the next time you and I talk. Like, but I just, when Max Crosby gets traded, if he is traded for two first round picks and the player who has been paid or

about to be paid, I will be wrong. But if he is traded for one first round, round pick and a player or like one first round pick and a third round pick, then I will be right. And like I just, I just, my gut tells me that the reporting on this is Raiders centric. The Raiders want to Mikea Parsons Hall. The Raiders are looking for a, Mikea Parsons Hall. It's like, well, of course they are. But I just, he's not as good as Micah Parsons and he's older and he's more injured. I mean, not now because of the injury that Parsons has coming, is coming off of, but in terms of like

when he was traded. So I just, I don't think there is precedent for trading two first round picks and a player for a player his age that isn't a quarterback. Like it doesn't exist. So I just, I don't expect it to happen for Max Crosby. We're talking to Danny Parkins, host of First Things First on Fox Sports One, the extended edition from four to five here in Rahimi Harrison Grady on the score. Danny, if you had to, I know for me, ideally it's Tyler Linderbaum for the Bears Center wish list, but financially that seems steep. what do you think happens at center? I will be very surprised if the Bears pay Linderbaum. I'll be very surprised.

Not because he isn't great and not because it's not an important position. And you would be getting him for a long time and center is a position that can age for a long time. I just think that every team is going to try to get him. I think that he makes a ton of sense for the Raiders to pair with Mendoza and the anchor Clint Kubiak system. and it's a similar blocking scheme. I think he makes a ton of sense for the Chargers, who, you know, Jim Harbaugh and John Harbaugh,

that connection. The Chargers, Assistant GM was with the Ravens before when they drafted Linderbaum, so there's that connection. I just think there's like half a dozen teams in front of the Bears, both with cap space and need for Linderbom, that I will be, I just will be very, very surprised if that's what they do. And so, like, what they do at Center,

I think the 25th pick is very likely. And I think, again, I think it makes Trey Hedrickson a little bit more likely for the Bears as, you know, like a one or two year type commitment in terms of practical guarantees and just like throwing money at the problem as opposed to a trade. So, you know, those are best guesses at this point. But, you know, Linderbaum obviously should be discussed and it would obviously be something to really celebrate. But I'd be very surprised by it. Danny, have you been catching the off-season comedy tour that has been Ben Johnson, his hilarity at the Combine, talking about Tyson Baygent and needling Caleb Williams for being bad in the three-point shooting contest?

And then at a Bulls game pretending to take his shirt off. Are you enjoying off-season Ben Jonson? Is anybody not? I mean, I'm not saying that's a dumb question, but I am just being like, It's all right. No, no, no. I'm not saying that at all, but like I am just, I would love it so much if, like, you were like, no, actually, like, that's like 70, 30 approval in Chicago.

Like, like, who's the 30? Well, hold on, Danny. I mean, with all his center stuff going on, he's over at the United Center, taking his shirt off instead of going to the combine and looking at centers. Yeah. That's what I'm asking. It's been brought up. They're like, is it the equivalent of like, he should be in the playbook?

Like, you know what I mean? Like, Ben Johnson. has to have the highest approval rating of basically any not superstar athlete in Chicago in the last 20 years. So like the idea that anybody would not be enjoying the Bears rock star coach, needling the Packers, taking the shirt off, needling the quarterback, like all of it. All of it is great. All of it is likable.

You know, if they go six and 11, will it be less likable? Yeah, sure. But like, you know, let's cross that bridge if we never come. to it, you know? So yeah, of course I've been enjoying it. And the Caleb thing, you know, while not a huge deal is not no deal. Like there was a, Caleb said, I didn't know if this coach really liked me. And there was some reporting from like real people that was like, man, Caleb's not really like Jared Gough. Like is Ben Johnson really enamored with Caleb Williams? And now we have Caleb Williams wearing Ben Johnson's high school jersey to a game and the coach and quarterback having such a comfortable relationship that he can call his quarterback out and make fun of him for like obviously nothing that's really embarrassing.

But like still like take a shot at him publicly quote unquote on shot. And we all know that it's totally fine. This is literally what we've been dreaming of our entire lives in Chicago, having an elite quarterback talent with an elite quarterback. offensive-minded play-calling head coach, and there being no bad blood. Like there's no like weird Mike Martz-J-Cutler stuff. Like it's just like it is literally the platonic ideal of how you can win for a decade in the NFL. So yeah, I love it.

Well, that's a good note to end on. And I'm glad that, Danny, you're back and that you and Mark got to have a chat. We are. And I just saw that Ben Johnson's name on the Chicago Theater Marquis. He's performing there in a couple of weeks. So, Danny, I'm going to get you into the. city. Well, I'll find somebody to put your tie on and it'll be great. You and I have a good time. Yeah, dude. We got to get back to the Chicago Theater. You got to pass me the pen again.

Oh, oh, really, really. We're doing that now. We're pretending like that. That's happening now. Yeah. And then listen, this is like the soft announcement before the announcement because I'm not allowed to say when the radiothon is happening. But the radiothon is happening. And so don't you don't have to put this out on social media. I see you guys going to the one can. It's not what I'm looking for. I know what you guys are doing. I know what you're doing. Donald, putting on the one camera.

Yeah, I know. I get it. I get it. No, but as always, if you or your company want to be involved, it's coming sooner than ever before. It's going to hopefully be bigger than ever before. My DMs are open. You can call the score.

Ray will put you in contact with me. You can email me. you could DM me. We need more corporate sponsors than ever in order to grow this thing bigger. I'll have some specific announcements very soon whenever I get the green light from all of your bosses. I don't work for these people anymore. But, you know, these people. It's going to be, it's going to be great. It's going to be huge. It's going to be shockingly soon. And so you'll be hearing more about it in the days and weeks to come.

Shockingly soon. Okay. So that lights a fire. If you want to be a part of the Radiothon, and you know how wonderful of a production it has been. Please let us know at the score. Danny, we look forward to the next time we chat. Can't wait. Can't wait. Thanks, guys. Get them off the one camera.

Get them off. You don't direct this show either. None of us do. Thank God. That's Danny Parkins. And we also had a veteran friend text in who was Marine Corps. They had a comment they made about what they would do if they retired. Yeah.

They said that they retired at 38 and they just did nothing for a year. So I thought that was a pretty wonderful thing to do. That's not bad at all. And we thank them for their service. And if you know a veteran, please nominate a vet to be honored during every Cubs broadcast at thescoreChicago.com. It's sponsored by jeff buys your house.com veteran-led and trusted since 2007. So I thought that was a good way to remember it. And also, honor our friend who did nothing for a year.

So congratulations to you. And thank you for your service. That's a great idea. So we brought this up with Danny and it stands to be revisited because Brad Biggs also had some news about this. What is DJ Moore's fate with the Bears? Is it sealed? Does anybody know? He gives us some insight next.

Rahimi Harrison Grody. We are the best show in this town to have the coach and or quarterback sit right here. Because we're here for a good time. We are here for a good time. We're fun. We're funny. We're serious sometimes. Sometimes we cry.

sometimes we laugh, like this is perfect. If you wanted a high chance of a drink spilled all over the studio, we are definitely repeated. Middays 10 to 2. Maybe we're the show for you. On 1043, The Score. Truer words have never been spoken. This song just motivates me right now to spill one of my many beverages all over the studio.

Mitch, I hope you're not listening. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, The Score. And if you ever want motivation, by the way, just look at the YouTube comments on this song. Oh, yeah? Oh, my God. They will make you, like, when people say they're using it to get through cancer treatment and things like that. Ah, Mitch is listening.

Mitch, I didn't spill anything. I was told, as I said earlier, it's okay. You don't spill. If you can spill just a little bit, it's okay. Just not a lot. Are you trying to spill a little bit? Are you, like, trying to leave a mark? Just said, like if you spill your coffee on the keyboard, just a little bit and you're going to be okay.

You've got to stop hanging out with Dave the cat because I'm pretty sure. takes that approach to like spraying and marking his territory. Let me tell you about Dave, the cat and knocking stuff over. Cat owners know this. And if you don't know this, cats get something called the zoomies where they let every ounce of energy out of their body that they needed to let out. And they just run recklessly throughout the place.

And when that happens, man, I'll be laying on my couch. And he starts zooming. I am up and I'm standing and playing defense. Because he's running up. Because I've been laying down before and he runs over my face. clawed me real good. So now when the Zumi's come, I am up and in a defensive position, and he's

knocking over glasses all over the place. So I've had to Dave the cat Zumi proof my place. You know what I'm talking about, right? Why don't you just let him out in the hall? Oh, I do do that. Because then he can just run last. Well, that's, I try to let Dave organically burn

off all this energy, and yes, I do let him out in the hallway as much as possible, but still, cats have this thing where they want to go crazy for about five minutes every day, and it's like a tornado. You just can't, you cannot control it. I have a similar situation, but it's a 60-pound little terrier mix,

and she will just take out your legs when she gets the zoomies. She's running like 15 miles an hour. It's frightening, man. You're done. Sometimes I go in the hallway. Dave, you do what you need to do here. I'm going to go hang out in the hallway with some of the neighbors. You run roughshod over this place.

Just don't break anything. So you basically hit Let Em Rage. I mean, I have to, right? Yeah, my French Bulldog, Betsy, Betsy Bulldog. She also used to get the Zumi's, but then I just been like, hey, let's go out in the hall and run together. So then we just go out in the hall and run together. Oh, that's awesome. Up and down the hall.

Yeah, it sounds like a dog where you'd take into a park and just run that dog. She loved to do sprints. Yeah? And she liked the hallway because it was carpet. French bulldog you had? I did. Like, while living alone or a family when you were younger? My ex-husband and I had her together and then I had her for a little bit after we got divorced.

You got the dog? I did. Aw. I didn't know you had a French bulldog. Yeah, she was great. Happiness was a snoring French bulldog. bowl dog. She snored a lot like me. I would get one. If I was to get a dog, I would get one of those snicker doodles, I think it is. I don't know that that's a dog name. It's not. I think it's a

cookie. Oh, it is. A doodle mix, but what? The smaller, the smaller, the smaller doodles. Like a labruddle? Yeah, we see the, but not a labrude. But the smaller, like, they're beautiful dogs, the labradoodles, but I think at this point I would go for a smaller dog, even though I might like the bigger dogs better, but they just seem like really nice. Snickerdoodle is a poodle schnauzer mix. Say? I had no idea. I just knew it was a cooking.

Just making it up. Yeah. Yeah, you could be just making it up. I appreciate that. And often charming, intelligent and affectionate hybrid. I got to deal with the Butte here. When I say stuff, you back me up no matter what. I'll write that down.

You act like you're looking it up. You write it down. If you're ready for that, if you are ready to be my write that down guy, yeah. You once called his podcast, the Sniggle Puss podcast. How is the Sniggle Puss podcast? That's not the podcast name. What is the name of your podcast, Butte? Blow the whistle.

Blow the whistle! Yeah, I did. I didn't know what it was for some reason. How's the Sniggle Puss podcast going? So listen here, Snarky Snark. Before you get into telling people what to do, just remember Snickle Puss. Single Puss. I did not know Snickerdoodle was a real dog.

See? Sometimes I'm right. You are. 50% of the time. Someone who's right more often than we are is Brad Biggs. These are just the facts. Brad Biggs had a Q&A that you just definitely need to read in the Chicago Tribune. And then he had his 10 thoughts from the Combine, which was a must read for me as a Bears Observer.

And then there was this that he had to say this morning about DJ Moore when it came to the likelihood of him being traded on Mully and Haw. Does it change with the Dolman? I mean, it changes if they're going after a Linderbom, right? Like that, that would make it something I think where you could connect it. If they trade DJ, does that mean they're targeting Linderbomb? Uh, no, but the DJ being traded, they've been so transparent and candid about his situation that I think chances are better than not he's probably traded, right? Like if they were very disinclined to the idea of trading him, I don't think they would be so out front and center about it being a possibility. who's right though

I mean why would you put that ambiguity in everybody's minds at the combine unless you were seriously preparing people and DJ Moore and his family to eventually be traded or a very strong chance of it anyway it's just such a it's a slippery slope

because this is a real situation of to the victor goes of spoils you know and not in the good way but in the quite literal way when you consider that DJ Moore was able to get the contract that he deserved, the Bears paid him appropriately for his services. They gave him his third deal. He showed with multiple teams how he can produce multiple quarterbacks.

And because he's the highest pay player on the team, and he's a focal point. You know, he's the one you go to when the game is on the line. Multiple times we see that. Then now he's the one who's a part of this discussion in this way. He's the most valuable asset in a trade. he's also valuable to the team. It's catchy.

It's a catch-22 in a way. It really is. I mean, because I agree with you. And the fact that you can get caught on the problem, not like catchy like a fun hook in a song. Yeah, and I think it's not like the bears would be helpless without him, but there'd be some pressure, man. And like, there were no real heavy,

over-the-top expectations for Luther Burden this year. He performed very well. He was their second leading receiver this year behind Colston Loveland. But the pressure on Loveland and Luther Burden and Romadunzee, because he did not have a great year, even adding in injuries this past year, the pressure would go way up for those guys if you don't have DGIP. Because you look at him, you say, yeah, their bears will be okay. There'll probably be other receivers that will come in.

Maybe they draft a receiver. But a lot of pressure without. DJ Moore in that room, if that is the case. Well, but frankly, shouldn't that pressure go up anyway? Like, can't you see Ben Johnson putting that pressure on them organically? Sure. And when he said receivers need to catch the ball better, I thought about them as a core. I did not think about any one individual more so than another.

Did certain plays come to mind? Yeah, like, Rome dropping the touchdown ball against the Rams, but that's going to happen. But it was systematic across the group. Yeah, Colston Loveland. who was the darling of that offense at a lot of ways had some bad drops. Yeah. As well. Burden. Burden's problem is, in air quotes, if you want to talk about his drops issues,

he is so intent on running that ball with intention and aggression that sometimes he takes his eye off the ball. That's fixable, I think. I think, and I don't want to take away that aggression. No, I think it actually is fixable. Yeah, just a little, just a tiny, like a fraction of a second. of more focus. That's it.

Catch the ball. Then go do your thing. You know what else? I think that becomes just more reps with your quarterback. Yeah. Yeah. There's going to be a ton of that. Because then you're used to where the ball is going on certain plays and you kind of

know how to adjust for that. It's very much know your personnel, I think, too. Yeah. Because if he's looking for daylight, I don't want to take that away from him. No, I don't. I just don't want the daylight to close because you didn't actually get the ball. Yeah, I don't even like bringing it up because I don't like the idea of taking away because that's my favorite part about.

watching Luther Burtum. There's a lot of guys who are good after the catch, but the aggression with which he were the intentions that he has. He's ready to make contact. You don't always see that from receivers. Because he knows how to use his body. Yeah, he's strong. When you see a bigger body wide receiver like that,

able to know how to shield and use his shoulders and his core and really some pad level to his advantage like that, to know how to shield a defender, or at least like shake him off for enough time to get more yak and rack. That's an art. That is hard to find, and I think that is partially why the bears were so thrilled to get him where they did. Yeah, yeah, just hold on to the football. But yeah, no, you're right.

No matter what, even if DJ Moore is there, everybody goes up. Like what was expected out of Luther Burden this year will go up a notch. Roma Dunzee, come on, man, you know what I mean? Like, show us that you were worth where you were drafted. So it's a big year for Rome. I mean, that's a good question. Like, for whom is it the biggest year in that wide receiver room? Sounds like it takes the North Podcast slash Rahimi Harris Grody topic idea.

Ooh, by the way, I think the dog I was actually trying to think of is... Tyler, write that down. Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, this is your first day of writing stuff down. Congratulations. Wow. You hear it. You got a good palate over there, man.

I love it. Mini golden doodle. I think that's what it is, the mini golden doodle. There's a lot of dog mixes that I did not account for. I know. But I've always thought that if I got a dog, I would get a big dog. but I think that at this point more high-rise style, lifestyle, and having a cat, I'd probably go small dog.

Yeah, think about how much cardio Dave needs. And now think about a bigger dog. That's true, but I could run that dog. You know, I could take that dog out. We can go running, hanging out. I don't know if Dave would be happy about that, though. Well, you could take Dave along. There are cats I know who go on walks.

Dave is not one of those cats. You never know. peer pressure may get him to fold. Dave is scared of the outside world. He's a unique cat. Face your fears, Dave. Yeah, Dave. I know you're listening, bud.

Well, Mitch was listening when we threatened to spill everything all over the studio. Just a little. Little's okay. You really sound like a dog marking his territory. Spraying down the keyboard in here before Spiegel and Holmes come in. Hey, by the way, Lawrence Holmes and Matt Spiegel will continue the Bears' conversation this afternoon. They have quite the guest lineup. We've got to listen to this because we need to hear what they have to say.

What you got? Anthony Heron is at 325. Oh, he's always on. How dare you? Do you want to face Anthony Heron, aka Quadzilla? You want to go three-point stance on the line with him right now? I love you, Big Ed. That one was a kick in the nards.

What is that from? Nice job. Butte, you're having a day over there, buddy. That's amazing. Okay, well, how do you feel about this? Olin-Cruits is at four. Oh, gosh. Croutcy. And, and guess who's at five?

Mark Potash. Really? Yeah, Poppy. It's still my heart. Potsy. Tune in to Spiegel and Holmes from 2 to 6 right here on the score. You can watch live on YouTube and on Twitch. Okay. Can't wait. Next. Reggie Miller. Why are you, why is this the hill you're going to die on?

Why? Stop doing this to Caitlin Clark. Next. Rahimi Harris and Grooty. to two on 1043 the score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 The Score. This is the throwback right here. If you miss 1043 jams, I'm sorry,

but you might be pleasantly surprised to what you hear on B96. And maybe this song would pop in. I'm not sure. How Deep Is Your Love by Drew Hill? This is classic. Tomorrow we're going to have Jarrul in studio, too, just to satiate that itch, scratch the edge.

Jarl rule? Yeah. I mean, come on, man. We do request return music. Just like Jarl Rule was the identity of what it was Jams, 1043, wasn't it? Mariah. I feel like Mariah had a big steak in 1043. Oh yeah, Biggie, of course.

Yes. Tupac, you know the big Tupac painting. Where did that go, by the way? Somebody took it out of the hallway. Ray. Ray. I am a huge Tupac fan, but I don't know. With all due respect, it's Tupac.

So we get a lot of memorabilia in the state. because, you know, it's artist stuff that they'll give us a thank you or sometimes we have it commissioned like art and I am curious as to the whereabouts of that one. I can't believe Reggie Miller is doing this. So like Reggie Miller, a bit ago,

said on Sunday Night Basketball on NBC that this is his cop in the NBA for Caitlin Clark. She's a one of ones, but is there like a comparison of somebody that you played with that you guys watching the game right now? that reminds you of the young lady to your right. I like Peyton Pritchard from Boston,

the way he's able to handle the basketball. He makes big shots when the shot clock's running down. A lot like this young lady right here, isn't afraid of the big moment and is the champion like she's soon to be. Peyton Pritchard. Peyton Pritchard is not nearly as prolific as Caitlin Clark was. If Caitlin Clark had been healthy, she would have been in the top three and assists.

She would have been in the top 3% and in 3-point percentage. Like, what are we doing here? What is the comp? The NBA comp? Yeah. I mean, Caitlin Clark is at least a top, I'd say, seven talent in the WV? So, like, you got a comp her with like a NBA superstar. I'm trying to figure out the scale he was using, like, superstar and superstar,

or literally that skill set is similar to her skill set. Yeah. Well, it's got to be somebody who has higher assist numbers, but you'd think, okay, Reggie, that was a bit of a stretch, given that Peyton Pritchard is more of a specialist on a role player on a team. He doubled down on this with Dan Patrick for the career? Let's go back a couple of weeks. You're there with Caitlin Clark.

And you say to the other guys on the NBC set that her play reminds you of Peyton Pritchard. Okay. You see Peyton Pritchard last night. Does he say anything about that comparison to Caitlin Clark? Well, we had the conversation because when I said that, it was a Sunday night game. It was our first Sunday night game. It was in New York. It just so happened.

We had a game Tuesday in Dallas with Boston. And obviously, everything blew up after that because they're saying her look like she felt disrespected. This is people saying she felt disrespected. And the question from Maria to me was, who does her game remind you of? It wasn't the question of historically or stature-wise, who is she compared to? Because if that was the case, obviously the WMBA, she has brought so much attention and eyes like a Stephen Curry. So if that was the question, then I probably should have said Stefan Curry.

But I was going by game alone. Like, who does her game remind me of? And when I look at Peyton Pritchard, and if you've watched Peyton Pritcher, which you've seen a lot because you live in that area, they're very similar. Now, he's probably a better score once he gets into the pain. But I was talking about in terms she loves to go left

and that step back three, deep three. That's Peyton Pritcher. Throw ahead, get the ball back, big quick moves, assist. To me, that was Peyton Pritcher. I think people got caught up because, it wasn't a huge name. You know, people said, you could have said Damian Lillard, you could have said, Tray Young,

you could have said Stefan Curry. I was comparing the games, guys, not the stature of Caitlin Clark. Did you see her reaction, though? She was surprised with what you said. I didn't see her reaction until everyone was like, did you see her reaction? I was like, I was talking about the game.

What? Well, okay, one part of, of the game, but not necessarily the assists. You know, maybe Dame or Steph is a better comp because of the three-point plus what else they can do, like the pace. But just maybe he values Peyton Pritchard more than I possibly understand. Is that it? Who's the NBA player now that puts the most eyeballs on the screen on a day,

on a nightly basis in the NBA right now? because that's the cop. Like, it's not Steph Curry. I don't know who it is. Like, is it still? It might be Anthony Edwards. Is it Anthony Edwards? Like, like that people are obsessed over.

Also, by the way, did you guys see the story about Anthony Edwards saying that I would assume who has immediately improved the Minnesota Timberwolves' pace? Of course he did. I'm like, that's nice. Glad he did that for you. I was going to. I can't wait to like talk about I. Luca, I mean, Luca's the dude.

LeBron is still somebody who gets eyeballs. I would say SGA. say Shea Gilgis Alexander. But Anthony Edwards is probably the one that people really are gravitating. Yeah. From a highlight reel standpoint. Okay, then that's probably a better count.

But Ann's game is inside and stuff. He's a dunker. You know, he does shoot a three, but he's a run down the court, like his hair's on fire, and then high shooting for a sentence. Okay. Am I wrong on that? I feel like that's...

I think Ant is the person where my mind went to. I mean, I immediately thought of Luca with Caitlin, but the problem is I didn't know if that was me my bias. You know? Yeah, I get that. I get that. I got to check myself.

I have a update here from when we had Parkinson's on earlier. Parkins update. I mean, actually, this is from Bob. You ready for this? Yes. This is from Bob Tree. This is from Robbie Triano. Oh, God.

He says, I do tie his shoes. Take me back. He keeps me love. Locked in a dark basement full of goo. Lies, Robbie Triano lies. We see your posts on Instagram about how much you love New York and how you're out of all these shows. You're getting pizza.

I can't believe I'm in New York. Look at this. It's bad. And Robbie's like, I'm here in New York. And then he like shows some quintessential New York thing like Times Square or like, you know, fold will crust pizza or he's at some DJ show. Robbie, Robbie's out here living. You really is.

Where's this mythical basement you speak of? Yeah, Robbie, I'm concerned about. the goo you mentioned? Yeah. I don't know about that. I mean, it's like goo. I mean, goo. That sounds like a Parkins word.

By the way, Bute, don't worry. We ain't taking them back at this point. He left us. There ain't no coming back. So be secure. He accused Danny in the open of abandoning us. And then he abandons us. Right.

Hurt people. Right. Not only they abandoned us. As soon as he got there, he started telling everybody in Chicago how great Manhattan is. That doesn't go over real well here in Shytown. Oh, 630 with a good one. Maybe Pete Clay Thompson.

That's not a bad thought. The comp? Like as a player. Yeah. Okay. Was Clay the big assist guy too? Yeah. Like he's double double.

Smash Brothers, man. They would assist to each other. I just think of the shooting when it comes to Clay. How can you not? Yeah. God, that was a time. Shooter shoot because Clay dates Megan the stallion. So.

Does he really? Really? Yep. The stallion? That's right. How did I miss that? I'm slipping on my game. Yeah, I didn't know.

Clay Thompson's game is better than it's ever been. Man. Also, what an upgrade for her from her past axes, huh? Who was her most recent prior to that? Tori Lanes, but that ended poorly. She also did date a former bull. Bulls. Oh, wait.

It was a... Dragging tarlack. Tori Clark. I had 2001 on my mind. I don't know why. Tori Craig. You know I'm nostalgic. Tori Craig.

Oh, same thing. That's right. And like my favorite was when it said on People magazine she dates Bull Star Tori Craig and I'm like Bull Star John Lucas You better put Star on that name

Well the dumbest question I've ever asked out loud Was when I was like oh why does Tori Craig Have TC the Minnesota Twins logo on his shoulder And Patrick the PR guy goes His initials Tori Craig and I was like Aha there it is. Is that my bestie and a Tessie?

Yeah. What? Doja. I'm going to Doja now. Is that my bestie to Tessie? I say that to my niece all the time. Shout out to Madeline. You've gotten a dog recommendation.

We're besties. We are besties and we say that. Is that my bestie and a Tessie? Yeah. Tesla. Grosite's nieces. They're keeping us all young over here. They are.

815 says you need a bull mastiff. They have five minutes of energy. a day. They only want to go outside two to three times a day. Oh, that's great. It's my lifestyle. Perfect. That is. Siegel and Holmes join us next.