Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Interviews of the Week on 104.3 The Score: Feb. 2-6

Episode Date: February 8, 2026

In Interviews of the Week on 104.3 The Score, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller joined the Spiegel & Holmes Show to explain how the Bears' biggest need matches up well with a strength of the 2026 NFL Draft class; Chicago Sports Network insider K.C. Johnson joined the Mully & Haugh Show to discuss the Bulls' direction after the organization made seven trades in six days leading up to the trade deadline; and CHGO host Adam Hoge joined the Spiegel & Holmes Show to share what he has learned about the Bears while on Radio Row as part of the Super Bowl festivities in San Francisco.

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance too, with the name your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance, and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates.

Price and Coverage Match Limited by State Law. Roots. Where you're from matters. What's up? At your boy, the Ted Smith. And I may be from the East Coast, but my roots are deep here in Seattle. Over 20 years deep, just like our pals and Pinkies Plumbing. They're rooted in Seattle, just like me. And speaking of roots, tree roots, are the biggest danger to your sewers and cost you thousands.

So let your hometown heroes, Pinkies, get to the roof of your plumbing problems. Pinkiesplumbing.com. Spring is here and the shopping list is long. Time to make a Lowe's run. Buy three bags get three free of stay green one cubic foot garden soil. Plus, right now members can earn four times the points on an eligible purchase. Start Spring off strong with these deals and more. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's.

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Joe Flashback, Flashback. We're our buddy Matt Miller. I wouldn't trade down, guys. I wouldn't do it. I would not trade down from 10th. I would draft Colston Loveland, the tight-in from Michigan, and be very, very happy about now I've got my Sam Leporta. I can run 12 personnel with he and Cole Commet because I can run two tight ends. And I would be whistling happy walking home on Friday night.

So with the 10th pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears select Colston. Loveland. You're sure. All right. All right in the first down. After the 36. That's the lovelin. Once again.

Love him out. He catches 137 yards. Man, it's like a great tight end. I had a little mini grong. I can't help but notice that the Guaggi hat has not been visible in the background. Why don't you leave this man alone? It's like, I'm just, it's like right there. I'm just saying it's the.

Oh, it is there. Look at that. It's up top. If you're watching on Twitch, it's beautiful. Appreciate you guys. I'm moving the hat right now. Oh, you're unbelievable. Tell me it's the best partner we ever had. Number one right there.

I've tried. He's like, I got to get out. I got to get out of here. I got to get away from these chumokes. I'm not going to let anyone see me move that calf. Oh, this is the worst-looking hat. I have a solo. Oh, it looks good on you, though. Spiegel and Holmes. You guys heard of Guaggi, go up and get it, guys.

Afternoons on the score. I think that it's fair for Matt to maybe take a victory lap on the Colston Loveland thing. That'd be fair, right? Matt Miller can take a lot of victory laps. He's really, really good at his job. And he joins us now. On the Circus Sports Illinois Hotline.

Is Laura Rutledge running from the sideline to the set? Whop! Hey, man, how are you? I'm doing well. I always forget how much of a smile that intro puts on my face, so I appreciate you guys. I need that to play like when I walk into rooms. We could get that sent over.

That'd be great. Well, you're walking into this room and we're appreciative of it. I'm not kidding. It's funny because you had said it. And then I got a text from someone of your ilk saying, hey, are you watching Colston Loveland tape? And I was like, no, I'm not. And they were like, you should.

And I was like, oh, okay. So having that and then the Bears ending up drafting him and him having the season, it looked like it got off to a lot. little bit of a slow start with him, but then as he healed up, we saw a player that could be very dangerous for a very long time. Yeah, great player. And I don't, you know, I don't want to give myself too much credit. I think sometimes we overcomplicate football. We overcomplicate, like, what I do for a living is, okay, watch football, find the good players. And then if you're watching the NFL, it's easy to slide them into those schemes. And when I watched Loveland, I saw Sam LaPorte.

And it says I think pretty much how he was used, especially down the stretch. But the both he and Luther Byrne. They were my guys last year. And I think I understand Ryan Poles is probably reading my mock drafts. Thank you, Ryan. I appreciate that. But those were the two players that I wanted for this offense. And it's, we saw it. You know, it wasn't every

week. It wasn't great. But I think we are way too quick to judge rookies in the NFL. Obviously, look at the judgment around Caleb Williams and his rookie season. And even the first part of this season, we're way too quick to expect greatness from those guys. When I'm evaluating rookies, I want to

Thanksgiving on. If you make an impact before Thanksgiving, that's just extra. But it's really Thanksgiving the rest of the season. That's when you start to get comfortable. That's when you're acclimated. Both Colston and Luther Burton were great from that stretch on. Yeah, you know, I'm thinking about the seasons because we watched it so closely because Matt, we had a good time this year. We had a really good time this year. But when Loveland really started to emerge, I'll never forget when Ben said, talked about his work ethic and talked about his mind and just how well he's been doing and then he said and his route tree has grown accordingly. He's like, well, there you go. So in part, they don't ask too much of rookies until they know

they can trust him, right? So that makes all the sense in the world, your Thanksgiving timeline. That's the smart way to do it. Instead of asking these guys to come in a drink from a firehouse, give them a straw, you know, like let them learn a little bit and then add on to it. I think where we do make mistakes is by expecting way too much mentally, physically. Let's think about, especially a player like Holson-Levelin, yeah, he has. get some injuries, but a lot of these guys are coming off a long college football season. And like, so this year, Ohio State players played 16 games. Indiana players, 16 games.

You've got that stretch. And then you go straight into a draft prep. You're at the Senior Bowl. You're at the combine. Then you have your pro day. You have rookie mini camp, training camp. Like you almost have like a urine change where you're just running nonstop. And then, oh, by the way, now you're adjusting to the NFL where it's a job.

You know, you're doing it 24 hours a day. The expectations are higher. The playbooks quadruple the size of what you're used to. You have lifts. You have nutrition goals you have to hit. And also you're trying to be an adult at the same time. So I just think, and we're going to see it this year because this next draft is really pivotal for Chicago. It's important for them to stay on top.

They've got to hit defensively in this upcoming draft. But I think it's keep that in mind. We don't expect rookies to come on half 12 sacks. If they do, it's, you know, that's just beyond expectations. Miller works over to ESPN. He was at the Senior Bowl and on Monday morning we woke up and we looked at your mock draft Matt. And what I love to see

is that someone knows the team they're discussing. Down at 25, you got the Bears taking an edge rusher. In the second round, you've got them taking a safety. Those are needs of consequence on this team. So you've done your research. Tell us about the edge rusher that you add the

bears mocked to and if there are others that you considered. Yeah, there's a great edge class. So I had Zion Young from Missouri, who was at the senior ball and had a really good week. I put him in there. I think the key is finding someone opposite Montez-Switt who has more of a power element to their game, someone that can be an edge setter in the run game. It was on a 6'5, 262 pounds. He can play on the left or right side of the defense. He has length. That showed up in Mobile. It also showed up during his time at Missouri. So he'll use a long

arm to lock out offensive tackles, but he does have enough agility to get around the corner and make pressures in the past game. Their expectations of them as very this year that Damon Wilson, the transfers from Georgia, would be the guy. He would be the tone setter. He'd be the elite edge player. Von Young got played him pretty quickly

and had a great season, which has kind of propelled him upboards. I think he's a lock as a top 40 player. So to get a three-down edge player at 25, definitely fills a need, right? That's a huge need for this team. Getting balance on the defensive line is key. Also getting young.

cheaper and having that upside of somebody that's 22 or 23 years old. But this is such a good edge fast. Answer your question like other guys that were considered. Yes, I think T.J. Parker from Clemson would be in that mix as well. I had him off the board already. I think to the Cowboys that picked 20, I would say that the guys that Cassius Hal from Texas A&M, more of that small speed rusher, not really a true fit for what my personal belief is that this team needs. But we're going to see a lot of edges in that cluster.

of 20 to 32. Those picks, it's going to be a lot of edge players because that's where the strength in this class is. And the safety in round two, why him to the Bears? What kind of safety is he and any others you might have considered? Well, I mean, the Bears have five safeties

that are free agents. I don't know. I don't know if you guys have talked about that a lot. Plenty. But it is. So if you're going to do a mock draft, go ahead and put safety to the Bears because they've got to figure something out there, right?

AJ Hall is just a playmaker. That's why he has been for LSU the past two years. He's got eight picks over the past two years. Every time you watch LSU play, you're going to see him doing something on the back end. You know, whether it's a pick in a big game, coming down hills and tackler.

So I think he is a versatile safety, but at six foot, two hundred point two pounds, he can play in the box. Like he can be more of that, you know, true strong safety, but he has range. He has great length. He's a really good tackle. He had 90 tackles last year, I think 75 the year before.

So there's a lot to like in his well-rounded game. LSU's got a pretty good track record of putting his safetys into the NFL, but go back and watch him against A&M. That was the game that in my notes was just like, you know, number 13, number 13, number 13. It was like every play. It felt like was the AJ Halsey show. He had double-digit tackles in that game. So he can play in the box.

He can be an enforcer there. He can match up the tight ends. But there's also plenty of times, especially in the red zone where he's making plays on the ball and can be someone that will flip the field for you. Matt, considering what it is that you do, and how coaches and executives in college and players and ex-coaches have talked about the calendar. What is the best calendar proposal that you have heard to make this better for everyone? Yeah, I mean, I like the idea of starting a week earlier and eliminating some of the buys that happen,

especially the Coxwell playoffs, but why are we giving these dudes two weeks in between games? And I understand there's students, they're young. But if you're going to run this like they're running it, I think we've got to start a week earlier. Week zero should be week one. I don't even understand the concept of week zero. I don't, why? Why are we doing that?

Just let everybody play week one. And then we'll go from there. I also think, you know, one thing that should be talked about is, you know, I don't know why we're playing so many games. You know, a nine game, we're doing nine game conference schedule. If you're the SEC, the Big Ten, play nine games, then do your three out-of-conference games. So we can still get some of the big matchups.

You know, like we've had Texas, Ohio State the last couple of years, Texas, Michigan, things like that. You want to keep those games, but I think nine games in conference, three out of conference, and then, boom, we get into the playoffs. And the buys get eliminated pretty quickly. You can realistically end this thing by January 1st, maybe January 7th or 8th at the latest. And so that's the key for me.

Next year of the National Championship game is January 25th. Like, we will be at the Senior Bowl when the National Championship. championship games happen. God. That can't happen. That absolutely cannot happen. And it will next year. And it's not going to change because, you know, the hotels and the flights are already booked. You know, the TV stuff is already set. But this thing's got to be moved back a couple weeks. And I think the only logical way to do it because, you know, every, no college starts on the same day. You know, it's not like, hey, everyone's in session August 17th. You know, so you can't have that finite start date. I think you can do it.

Start week zero and then cut some of the buys that we have throughout the college of a while playoff. You were at the Senior Bowl and you saw Quasi Adolfo Menta. And then what, two days later he was fired? What is that saying? I talked to him outside the elevators on Wednesday night. And he was like, you know, I was like, hey, what are you doing? He's like, I got to go watch film.

You know, it's a big draft. Got to go up, got to go grind the film. Oh, boy. I was like, cool. I'm going to go to dinner. See you later. And then, yeah, yeah. What, was that Friday?

Or Thursday? Then he got let go. Yeah, so, like, you get, no, it was Friday because we all left Thursday. So you get home and it's like, oh, goodness. You know, did they leave this guy on the tarmac at Mobile? Because that's an airport. You don't really want to get left at. As someone who's been stuck there before.

I mean, it's wild timing. I think if you were going to do it, why did you, why wait this long? Especially because you really had two other GM openings. So it's not like the candidate pool was wiped out, but as someone that lives and dies with the draft, I'm why such a big proponent of, like, get your front office in order so that you can go scout these events

and have that person who's in charge, have that figurehead who's dictating strategy and philosophy because it can change pretty dramatically. And they have a strong head coach there. I'm sure Kevin is really going to be even more influential in what they're looking for in terms of scouting, you know, prototypes and things like that. but it is the latest I can remember a GM being fired throughout the process.

Matt, as I was watching a lot of the college football playoff, because man, I loved me some Trinidad Chambliss, and then I fell in love with Miami, not the quarterback so much, but a lot of other parts of Miami. The defensive ends from Miami? Yeah. The wide receivers from Miami. For sure.

And also the coach and like all the old heads coming back. Like that was fun. And of course, just the majesty of Indiana, the whole way. I kept thinking as I watched, the quarterbacks, hold on to the ball and decide whether to do the handoff till so much later than you ever get to choose in the

NFL, because the rule about the lineman being able to be downfield, right? That rule difference strikes me as being a massive part of what makes quarterbacking so different from the college level to the pro that these guys are doing different

things in terms of looking at a defense and reading a defense all throughout their games. Do you think that's a bigger factor than maybe we've discussed? Yeah, definitely. I think scouting quarterbacks is always hard. It's never been easy. You know, I started doing this in 2010. It hasn't been easy since then.

But it does get harder because of things like that. And I think what I've had to do is focus more on traits and production in context. So, you know, with a player like Fernando Mendoza, there's a lot of RPO, right? A lot of RPO. They're pausing defenses.

So what you have to do, basically, is find the throws where he is throwing quote unquote on time, you know, where he is making more plays where it's boom, boom. The cool thing about Mendoza is he's one of the most accurate quarterbacks I can remember watching. Is it always, you know, does he have the best velocity or the best mobility? No, he's just incredibly, there's an incredibly catchable, accurate ball. I think I saw that Indiana receivers had six drops this year. It's a testament to those guys, but also to have catchable of a ball he throws and the placement that he throws with.

So it does make it more difficult. and a guy like Chambliss, you know, who's probably 5'10 and plays out of the pocket a lot. It's a lot of RPO there as well. It's just a matter of, okay, can that translate? You know, going and looking at offenses in college, how well they've translated to the NFL, whether it would be Lincoln Riley or Lane Kiffin or other guys.

But so much, this is why quarterback rankings change so much from now until April because it's not like there's more games happening. Why are we changing these things? Because that, you know, understanding the processing speed, aptitude, football IQ. Those things matter so much for these guys that the private workouts, the interviews, the pro days actually do matter. They actually do affect draft stock because his coaches and scouts getting around those players in a one-on-one setting and saying, okay, maybe Mendoza ran a ton of RPO, but he knows what he's doing. He can process,

he can break things down. Now we've got time to go back and watch the cut-ups of his throws where he is making plays on time. And that makes sure they're more or less comfortable with the player. I know I'm asking you to fix a lot of things in this segment, Matt, but I want to ask you to at least give me your perspective on something else that's been going on. And Speegs and I have been talking about it over the last couple of days. It's the hiring practices that have gone on in this cycle of the NFL. You talk to all sorts of assistance from every level. How are candidates for promotion feeling about the way NFL jobs are going?

Well, no one feels great, I can tell you that. And I think there's always going to be that idea of it's so much about like what's hot right now instead of what works. Because I think what works is you have your Ben Johnson's, right? Great on one side, innovative strategy, it's going to bring a ton of energy. But then you have your other guys. You know, you have like your Mike Rable, who's very good on defense, but also is more of a CEO type. You know, you have Mike McDonald, great on defense. So there's like everyone's chasing something.

But then, you know, to have Mike McCarthy. And no just respect to Mike. But for Mike to, that run in Dallas wasn't good. Nothing about it screams excellence to me. So for him to get a shot over a Brian Flores, you know, for him to get a shot over some of these other guys, like an Anthony Weaver, you know, who's now once again going to be a defensive coordinator.

I don't understand that at all. And it's, you know, it's crazy. There's 32 owners, you know, and it's up to them to make these decisions. And, you know, I think you can look at the lack of diversity and the NFL ownership group. and understand why there's a lack of diversity in NFL hiring practices, it's pretty easy to connect those dots.

Matt, you've been a great partner to the radio show and the station with your embracing of Goop and get it. Guwagi as a dedicated scouting trait, a term. You guys heard of Guagi, go up and get it, guys. I mean, you're the greatest partner we've ever had, and that's why we sent you. That's why we sent you a hat. It's why we'll get you whatever merchandise you want.

on in any sort of favors you want in Chicago. Is it catching on at all? Is there anyone outside of you and me that understands Guaghi and sees the wisdom that we have found in it? I think we just got to force it. We've got to force feed it to people. You know, we keep using it enough. And there's some guys this year, Malachi Fields from Notre Dame.

He's a go up and get a guy. So I think we just have to, you know, edge didn't catch on in a day. It wasn't, you know, people were calling defense against edge players. That's true. That's true. Yeah. We just got to, you know, keep driving at home. And I'll do my part to make sure that happens.

God love you. If there's anybody else, anybody at PFF, I mean, I don't know. Because that ought to be something that an analytics site, I mean, maybe Kwayzee would have been into it if it had a number attached to it. I feel like we can get Matt doing it. We could ask Kail and Kailer to start using it, I think. Like, really just talk to our NFL peeps. Carmen, have her start saying it. That's good.

I think that we can get a movement going if we do it that way. It's grassroots, guys. It's grassroots. And we're not buying likes over here. We're building this thing. Damn right we are. Matt, as always, we appreciate the time. Thanks so much for jumping on with us.

Of course, guys. Good to you. Thanks. It's Matt Miller. He's really, really great. It gets it on every level. Very thoughtful answers on a bunch of different subjects. Tune in tonight for the score's first Bulls broadcast on the FM signal.

It's Bulls versus Bucks. Gee, I wonder if there's anything to talk about with those two teams right now. Dude, it is all happening right now in the NBA. And the Bulls, if you haven't heard, they traded Nikola Vucovich. And are they putting together possibilities for a Janus? You know, aggressive push. It's conceivable. Anthony Simons is here.

It's a very interesting and exciting young player. Maybe Kobe White will get traded soon. Maybe even today. There's a lot going on. Jaden Ivy tweeted, hey, is anyone wearing number 23? That's funny. That's really funny. Alex is efforting Jaden Ivy's mom as well.

Niel, we can call the head coached. Coach Ivy. Yeah. Well, let's put a pin in that. There's a lot of guys moving, a lot of trip players on the move, a lot of moms to be efforted today, okay? We're not going to stop. Is he going to be on this team by Friday?

Don't just target all the moms. It's possible that he's not a bull. Is that Jaden Ivy? Yeah. Yeah, it's entirely positive. That's why I want to get the mom. We're trying to find out. Move fast on mom.

Pregame coverage begins at 645. Tip off at 645. seven on the score and the Fitzgerald equipment Bulls. Radio Network powered by Heli Forklis. How pregnant was that pause? About eight months. Man, getting it done. When we come back, we

will have our conversation about Matt Negi unless, of course, the Bulls make another trade during the break. Timer is set now. Which is fair. It'll be like the Trey Mancini segment. We're doing it at some point. I think. All right, that's next

here on the score. The score is officially live on the FM dial. A new era of sports radio has begun in Chicago. And we've got Pat, and he is now on FM. Good morning, Pat. Congratulations. You are the first caller to the scores. FM.

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deep here in Seattle. Over 20 years deep, just like our pals and Pinkies Plumbing. They're rooted in Seattle, just like me. And speaking of roots, tree roots are the biggest danger to your sewers and cost you thousands. So let your hometown heroes, Pinkies, get to the roof of your plumbing problems.

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and free returns. Have a great day. In the past, you've been seemingly hesitant to enact this much significant change in one instance to seemingly take a small step back in the short term for potential long-term game. What changed? I think the timing, the timing of stage that we're in as a team, you know, we started this last year, you know, and go into the time. this season, a lot of decisions had to be made without, you know, with a lot of free agents. And that was a great opportunity for us during trade deadline to address and get a lot of

draft capital and target very specific players. And, you know, take a look at them. Mully and Hall, Chicago Sports Radio 670 the score. That, of course, is the voice of our tourists Karna Shovas, the president of basketball operations, and we are delighted to welcoming the man who really runs Chicago's basketball

scene. He's Casey Johnson. He joins us on the Plummers 911 hotline. Plumbing Emergency, call 1833-Plum 911. Local 130 plumbers. Get the job done right the first time.

KC., good morning to you. buddy how are you holding up i run your show with dustin this week my god it's so true we we've been telling us everything that's going on but Casey did you see seven trades happening did you see this coming i mean i i i got to tell you it is just kind of insane that they've got this there's been a change of philosophy they they've got all these assets at second round picks which they didn't need before they've changed. And I don't know. Are these duplicate players?

Watching that game last night, it was kind of weird. It was, they said on the broadcast, it's like a pickup game at the Y, a bunch of guys just getting together. Yeah, Joe Colley actually asked Anthony Simon's exactly that in the post-game locker. I'm like, did that feel like a pickup game? So, yeah, it was a pretty surreal night, pretty surreal week. No, I did not see seven trades. You know, you kind of, I've gotten into a very healthy relationship with social media, but I got into loopy Twitter mode this week where I was just like, we, we, let's go,

you know, like, here comes another trade. I was fired off like goofy trade. It was goofy tweets. It was like pretty wild. That's why I asked that question you guys played. I mean, I told you guys multiple times leading up to the deadline, expect them to be active. people were skeptical. I did expect activity.

I did not expect this much activity. And I also did not expect them to trade both Iowa and Kobe. That wouldn't surprise me for sure. Casey, seven trades in five days. You have done a terrific job in chronicling them all. I guess big picture-wise, when you take a step back, you want to know, is the plan more clear now than it was before the trade flurry began?

and are the Bulls any closer to a championship? I mean, I don't know the answer to the latter part. As far as the former part, I mean, he detailed what he's doing. He's tired of being in the middle, and so he is trying a different combination of players. That's a phrase he kept saying a lot, and he went for it all by, you know, trading so many players that you have so many new players coming in. You barely know, like, I had to do a depth chart before, like, yesterday afternoon to, like, remind myself he's on the cheap.

I literally did. Now, that said, I mean, there's, there is, you know, other parts to this. I mean, he got nine second round draft picks, so he has 14 total. He's got all his own first round draft picks, five tradable firsts. You still have expiring contracts this summer. you have opportunity to audition some of the guys who are on expiring and see who fits and who doesn't. And then, you know, I've said this in other appearances with you guys or elsewhere. This is just one part of it.

I mean, this is a lot of change this week, but this is not obviously the roster that's going to report to training camp next fall. They've got a bazillion guards. They are thin up front. So he's not done. Like there's going to be more change this offseason. this was just one part of it. That's why you can't really answer the second question until you see kind of everything that he's gone.

I mean, I hate to say this. It's just when you're in this position, you really need to get lucky. And I don't know if that can be a plan, but they need to have the lottery, the draft lottery go their way. They need something to happen, someone to develop,

they need to fall into something. And I don't know how you go about arranging that when it's sort of just throwing your hands up and hoping the basketball God smile on you. Well, so I agree with the luck part for sure. And what I would say to that is two things. I mean, another part where you need is you need modest to just continue taking a huge jump. I mean, that's obvious. But I would actually question, like, I mean, are they for sure going to be in the lottery?

I mean, you never know. They have, now they are games. out and you certainly do expect them to take a step back, but I'm not like putting too much emphasis on one game last night, right? And obviously they couldn't guard anybody. But like they did acquire talented players. Like with no time together, they had close to 30 assists. They had six players and doubles. Simons can get a bucket. Um, Yabouselie probably isn't going to put up a double double every night. But like these are, these are like, they're not great players, but they're like talented NBA players.

Sexton is a good player. So I question after watching last night, like, are they for sure going to drop in the lottery? And Billy is going to coach to win, because that's what coaches do, and that's how he's wired. So maybe they'll take steps that I don't envision down the stretch to ensure them slide into the lottery.

I don't know, but we'll have to see how this plays out for sure. I did not expect to be coming in here this week or ever to espouse of the virtues of Gershon Yabaselli, but he had 15 and 11. High energy, man. He was high energy. And Simon scores 22, and Ivy looks like a guy that is reminiscent of the who came out of Purdue.

And Casey, as you said, there are pieces that you like individually. I don't know how they work together collectively, but what players do you think could be part of the long-term solution? or is this a 30-game audition to answer that question? No, I think it's definitely the latter, but I mean, I do, we all have, you know, feelings or educated guesses. I do feel like Ivy is a player that they went out and got as a restricted free agent that they can kind of control how they resign him.

So I would certainly pencil him in as a long-term fit. And then, I mean, just my guess, because both Simons and Sexton are like, you know, pretty talented but small. smaller guards. That they pick one of those two, depending on how they both play. That's, again, kind of a educated guess. And then

Dillenham will be here just because, well, not for sure, you never say never, but he's got money beyond this offseason. So I'd expect him to be around. Yaviselli, I mean, the fact that he amended his contract for ditch the player option,

people have read that as like a shot against the Bulls. It sounds like He has opportunities to go back overseas, which is where he's happiest. Right. So, but I don't expect him to be around. And then I'm kind of forgetting who else is coming to his team. Dillingham. Dillingham.

We haven't seen him yet. No, I said Dillingham. Oh, you did. I'm sorry. Yeah, he's got money beyond this offseason. So I'd expect him back for sure. Leonard Miller, I would not expect back. I think that's it.

I don't know. I've got to look at the depth chart. I'm curious. You know, he talked about. the core and he said Gidey, Matas, we know that, he said Akoro, which I wasn't sure, and I'm still not sure, he said Noah Essenge. What? And Jalen Smith. So he rattled off names and he said that they're intentional about surrounding that core with certain places. It was just to explain that, please.

Well, he's saying that because both those guys have money beyond this. Yeah, okay. And he likes, I mean, he went out and traded Lonzo Ball for a cora. I mean, he likes what, you know, he offers. And then Jalen has been a very solid reserve on a value contract. And then as far as the Senge, like, he's clearly, you know, on that front court of the future timeline for modest. But, I mean, in their mind, I mean, obviously 18 years old,

you don't know where his career is going. and then this was a very unfortunate redshirt season for him. But no, Essenge is definitely part of the future. So, Casey, they look ahead and, yeah, free agency, they'll have some cap space. And they're looking at the draft lottery. And, yeah, the bottoming out makes sense because you have a chance at the draft.

But if you're outside of five, you might be on the outside looking in. These are calculated risks. these are gambles? I mean, is Hope a plan? The thing about free agency is great, but are there other methods to get better than just relying on the free agent class that doesn't really look like it has as many stars or superstars in it as most seasons? Yeah, I mean, you can sign a restricted free agent to an offer sheet. That's something that I would not be surprised if they do. Because there's not going to be a lot of teams with CAST face this summer. So they can strategically utilize that CACTSA. face and you have to hope that this week

that they had charted out their next steps for the offseason and they have multiple pathways to try if the first avenue does not strike gold, you know? So as I keep saying, like this week is just part of it. This is clearly not the roster

that's going to be opening training camp next season. But yeah, I actually had an executive from another team text me. He texted. He chose chaos. I mean, I think the whole league was just like having fun with how crazy it was. Seven trades. It's just insane. I've never seen anything like it. Yeah. And I mean, it changed the team, obviously, significantly. Could they bring anybody back? Like, you know, David was saying

he thinks the I-O trade was, would IA want to come back? You could still sign them. I mean, I don't know if you did that, you know, if that's feasible, but I'm just curious. I mean, the answer to Can they is yes. The answer is, will that happen? I have no idea. What I will tell you is I have a pretty strong sense that Charlotte is going to resign Kobe. I don't have as much intel on the Iowa situation. But look, Minnesota, he's a great fit up there,

and they gave up four seconds for him. And Dillingham, whom, you know, management paid a pretty significant price to move up in the draft to get. Now, he never found his footing. in terms of playing time on the court, but management still believed in Dillingham. So my sense, given what they gave up for him from a Minnesota perspective, is that I would be resigned to, but I don't have as much intel on that. I do have a pretty strong sense that Charlotte plans to resigning Kobe White.

Casey, we talked about this a little on the Chicago lead, and then I heard Billy Donovan address it. I think it was post-game, but he did talk about just the NBA and looking at Detroit, and they turned things. around quickly. He referenced the Boston Celtics and his own work in Florida, he said he could, he's rebuilt before. And it sounded like a guy either talking himself into the idea that he's the right guy for this job. But I do wonder, is it viewed around the league? Is Billy Donovan the right guy for this job? Because it looks like it could be a big one. Well, he's the right

guy for the next 32 games because what you heard from him was genuine and passionate and competitive and real. I mean, I've been around Billy now a long time, and I feel like I have a pretty strong sense of him, and I can just tell you that in my conversations with him, yesterday, not even just in the press conference. You know, I talked to him casually at one point briefly, and he's just, like, focused on the task. I mean, he's like, okay, we got a lot to do, you know, and I need to get to know these players, and it's my job to figure out how to utilize the best. He did say this up on the day. It's not in our casual conversation. He said, you know, I told Anthony Simons, like, I'm going to meet with you tomorrow. I've barely

spoken to you. I want to get to know you. I want to know where you like the ball, what actions you like. And I assume he's going to do that with all the new players. That's just who Billy is. He's a consistent communicator. He's a relationship person. He's a consistent demeanor. And he's competitive. So I can tell you that he is all in and committed to this, and you heard our tourist reference multiple times on his Zoom call, even that he's concerned about how all the cohesion with all these new faces come together. But Billy and his staff are the right people to make that happen. So there's alignment there.

Long term, I'm not going to go there. Billy didn't seem to want to go there. And I can just tell you for the next thing. 30, 32 games, he's all in. What do you make of their draft status for next year? I know you're saying that they could, there's 30 games left. I mean, who knows? If they can get over 500 or if they can get to, they can't get over 500,

but they can, I'm talking about in the 30 games, that might be enough to get in. And I don't know that it, even if they're not in, I don't know if they can win the lottery. Do they have any other picks? Do they have any other, isn't there another pick somewhere? They should be cheering for Portland if you're a Bulls fan if Portland makes the playoffs, the Bulls get their first round pick.

And, you know, all you're looking for is more bites at the apple, whether they're, you know, in the draft lottery or, you know, in the first round to add a player or first round draft capital to trade. So, yeah, Portland, you should be cheering for Portland. And they added, they were mild buyers at the deadline. So we'll see, I mean, they're obviously in the wrong conference, but we'll see where their season goes.

But yeah, they potentially have the opportunity to have two first-round picks in this year's draft. And that New Orleans pick they got is like the first pick of the second. I mean, I'm just saying they could add players that could be able to play, make the team, et cetera, especially if you're, you know, this short of front court. or use those picks with the acquiring contract to trade or trade up

there's a lot of options and so yeah I can just tell you like we're having fun with this seven trades you know there's more trades and stuff coming this summer I can tell you that right now so well you can we'll be talking about this again

in the off season for sure I liked your reference to during the game I think you tweeted about now Matas after that nasty dunk realizes he is the third best dunker the team with two slam dunk champions as teammates. Well, a post script to that. Modest did not agree with that.

We just gave him, you know, what about that? He's the third best dunker on the team in the pre-game locker. Modest has an edge to him, and he jokingly did not like that. And then another post script to that, I joked, I told Simon's that later post game. We didn't get a chance to talk to Simon until post game. And I shared that with him, and he goes, no, man, that's not me anymore. That's modest, man. He already stepped down.

But I did not talk to McClung, but I guarantee you if I talk to McClung, he would say he was the best dunker. Oh, yeah. He's a cocky dunker and a very good dunker. Great job, Casey. Thanks, Casey. All week long. Thank you very much. All right.

Appreciate you guys. Take care. This episode is brought to you by Progressive. Most of you aren't just listening right now. You're driving, cleaning, and even exercising. But what if you could be saving money by switching to Progressive? Drivers who save by switching saved nearly $750 on average, and auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts.

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but enjoy free shipping on any U.S. orders over $75 and free returns. Have a great day. I'm done carrying around bulky drinks. And I'm definitely done cleaning melted candy out of my pockets. So yeah, I traded them both in for fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots. These little guys are as pocket-sized as any candy. But instead of a sugar crash, you get a zero-sugar caffeine boost.

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but actually want energy that works? Grab fruity rainbow five-hour energy shots. pocket-sized zero sugar, big flavor. Available now at 5-hourenergy.com or on Amazon. In Odyssey Sports Station. Hey, Ben. Adam Hogue, CHGO. Adam.

Who wants to step into Hubs, big shoes. Hey, George. Hi, Adam. Obviously, you can't step into HUB's shoes, but covering the Bears for CHG. Another Super Bowl week. We are live in San Francisco. We actually just taped an awesome interview with Kevin Byer, If all else is fair and all else is equal, everything is equal,

and I would love to come back to the Bears. I think just the city, the organization, has embraced myself, my family. We had such a great year this year. The hardest thing to do, I think, in this league, is to get the quarterback and the head coach right. And I think that's something that Chicago has, so I think that window is going to be open for as long as it needs to be. So obviously, I would love to come back and play for the Bears.

Adam Hoag. I'm Adam Hoag. I'm not Adam Hoag. He's Adam Hoag. We just need kick Adam Hodge off the show, letting him come back on Tuesday. Adam Hogi or Hogg, excuse me. how to pronounce the last name.

And there's so many others on here. Our own Adam Hogg says just found out. With Spiegel and Holmes. Coach, were you pleased with the, just the execution? Yeah, I was, coach. I really would. On 1043, the score. Big thanks to Adam Hogue of the Hogan John's podcast, C.HGO for joining us live from Radio

Roe at the Super Bowl. Look, whenever Chicago people go to a Super Bowl that the Bears are not in, they try to find Chicago angles. Maybe there's a player that used to play for the Bears. Maybe there's a coach they used to coach for the Bears. Hey man, they talked to both of those. We got Thomas Brown and Kevin Byard to discuss. A hundred percent. But I

love that Adam Hogue probably did the most Chicago-ish ever when it came to figuring out a way to connect Chicago to the Super Bowl. Catholic League football Hoger, is that what we're doing now?

You know what? I'm going to, I'm going to, I am going to give all the credit on that one to Adam Johns because that man loves the Catholic League in high school football even more than I do as somebody who coaches in it. And he knew the guys to go to. You know, I would have just been up there talking smack to Robert Spillane saying Carmel beat Fenwick this year. So I don't, you know, I would have caused problems. So that was that was Johns getting into his high school football bag a little.

bit and I love the response that it's gotten because a lot of people around Chicago that love the Chicago Catholic League seem to like that video. So I'm glad it all worked out. So yeah, Robert Spillane and Julian Love are Catholic leaguers and they both talked about it and it was just great because they both still care. And if you talk to anyone who is coached in or played with or against Catholic leaguers, you best believe. that there is a pride factor that goes into this stuff. Oh, without a doubt. I mean, well, in all seriousness, like, it's when you talk about the best high school football in the country, right?

Everyone talks about Texas and Florida and Georgia and California. But I think in the Midwest, I mean, you look at, first of all, Illinois in general, is underrated just in terms of the amount of great teams and great talent. and it's all over the NFL. It's all over college football. But especially the playing in the Catholic League, it's a gauntlet. I mean, you don't get any breaks on your schedule once you get into conference play. And there's just every team you play, there's somebody going, oh, this guy's going to, you know, he's going to a Big Ten school.

This guy's going to Big Ten school. You know, Fenwick had two twins. I don't know if they're twins, but the brothers, they must be twins because I'm pretty sure the same year, both going to D-1 schools when we played them. So it's just there's so much talent, and it's good to shout that out for Chicago and give it the recognition on the biggest stage, because now we're at the Super Bowl,

and you got players like this playing at a high level. He's one of ours, Adam Hogue. He was here in studio last week, helping us honor Terry Boers. It was great to see you do that, and it's great to see you out there killing it, and this week out there for CHGO at the Super Bowl. I want to ask you about Byard and Thomas Brown like we talked about.

But first, I'm sure you're having conversations about the Bears season and this offseason with like your brethren from around the country and that kind of stuff. And probably everybody's like, yeah, man, that was fun. And like, that was great. Anybody have concerns? Anybody voice a concern moving forward about Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams, or the Bears? I'm curious if anything like that has come up. No. And I think that specifically when it comes to,

to the head coach quarterback pairing. No, it's been a lot of praise. You know, whether it was, we had a great conversation with Chris Sims the other day, you know, on the national level, these analysts that are out there doing a great job. And he was like, Ben Johnson's a psycho, man. But that's what you need. You need psychos to be your head coach in this league. And he was starting a conversation that I'm sure we're all, we've been there before.

But this time it probably seems a little bit more real. you know sometime next summer when those MVP odds come out like that conversation's going to be can Caleb win MVP and it's probably a little premature but even Chris Kim we didn't bring it up Chris Sims brought it up and he was like if you told me right now that he could lead the league in passing next year and throw the most touchdowns of being the MVP conversation I believe it so I think that that is um that's been refreshing to hear the amount of respect I think Caleb earned it and I'll tell you what we right before I came here to talk to you guys We were just talking to Kobe Turner and Byron Young from the Rams,

who were on the field for Caleb Williams' miraculous throw to Col Kmet in that divisional game. And they were like, I don't know what to tell you. We did everything we could on that play. Our rush lanes were great. We collapsed the pocket. He had to run 20 yards backwards and throw the ball up in the air. And at that point, you're helpless. You just hope that he doesn't catch it.

And then he does. And now you've got to regroup. So little teaser for you guys Because we're going to air that interview tomorrow I did ask them what they thought would happen If Ben Johnson went for two So that is coming out tomorrow So yeah

So conversations like that It has been a lot of respect Thrown Ben Johnson's way Caleb Williams way And I don't think anybody's talking Like the Bears have arrived I think you know They get back to your question

I think a lot of people still think Like they have a lot of work to do There's no question But everybody for the most part Seems to think that the head coach quarterback combo is something that the Bears have. And we all know in Chicago, they've never had that. So it's a great place to be living in that world in the NFL.

How do you think candidates view the Bears' OC job? And how do you think it's evolved after Ben having a year and an apprentice like Declan? So I kind of laugh because we were trying to cover that angle today on our show. And we talked about some of these candidates. And Kyle Long happened to sit down with us as we were airing an interview about one of the candidates. I don't even remember which right now. And we come back from that. And Kyle's just like, they have their OC.

It's Ben Johnson. Like, what are we talking about here? This doesn't really matter that much. And I agree for the most part, except for the fact, though, that, like, I don't want to minimize what Declan Doyle's role was here with the Bears. And we shouldn't because he got to go off and be Lamar Jackson's OC and run his own offense, which tells you that the NFL viewed Declan Doyle as an important coach and somebody who was up and coming. And I think that that next person who has that position is going to be held in that same regard,

not unlike the Sean McVeigh tree that just keeps sprouting everywhere. And he just sent off another OC to go be a head coach of the Arizona Cardinals now in Mike LaFleur. So I don't think it's necessarily going to make or break the season, who gets hired as the OC. but nonetheless I still think it's a very important role when somebody Ben Johnson has to trust to really do the dirty work behind the scene so that he can be prepared

to install the game plans and go to whichever place he needs to go to in the game because that's his eyes and ears upstairs let's not forget that that's the guy he's trusting upstairs to really see the field from a different angle than he sees it down on the sideline. Yeah it's a lot of communication,

a lot of trust between Ben and that guy and then that guy communicates to the players a lot. So you need a good communication and Ben, I think, is really good at fostering communication among the assistants. Like, he coaches up the coaches, and he'll have to do it again. He might have to do it a lot, you know, along those lines. All right, you guys had Kevin Byard, incredible conversation, and he praised a lot of people who played the audio, the coach in QB combo,

as like something you love, and you know that makes it easier. So did you get the sense that Kevin Byard would like to be here, all things being equal? I do. Look, I've been, I've been covering this league long enough that I know that nine times out of ten when guys signed places, it's usually because they got paid the most money. I mean, there are more factors than that, but more times than not, the best offer on the table, that's where a player ends up. But that's not every situation. And Kevin said in that interview himself that, you know, he's at this point in his career that, I mean, he did say it. He's essentially maybe take a smaller offer from the Bears. Now, I think it still needs to be a level of respect and whatever that offer is and whatever they agree to without a doubt because you don't want to lowball them too much.

And then all of a sudden that can create animosity in these negotiations. But both sides at this point have voiced enough optimism that they want each other. And so for Kevin Byer to come at it from the angle of. how much it matters to be playing for a team that has the head coach quarterback combo right. That matters to him. And he's got the perspective of being in this league and the teams he's played on, knowing that this is maybe one of the best situations he's been in from that standpoint in having those two positions, the head coach and the quarterback right,

I believe him when he says that. And then I followed up and asked him, you know, if he thinks more guys should think about it that way, because really those more times than not, those are the teams that are winning in today's NFL. So I think he wants to be here. I think the Bears want them. I don't think it's 100% a slam dunk that it's going to happen.

But I would say more likely, I would be shocked at this point. Pretty surprised, at least, if Kevin Byer is not on the Bears next season. Speegs asked me last week about this, and we were talking about both safeties. And I want to know from you, how do you judge the value of the two? guys because I think there's a compelling argument to try and bring both of them back.

And I also think there's a compelling argument that either one of them makes sense to give something too. So, but considering some of the cap situations the bears find themselves in, that might be difficult. So how do you judge which one is the more valuable guy? Well, I think ultimately the guy that got his hands on the football more is the more valuable guy and that was Kevin Byard and I think his status as a captain in that locker room and you know we talked to Logan Ryan who played with him in Tennessee today and just

raves about him as a human being and somebody that you gravitate towards in the locker room and why how important it would be for a young team like the bears to have that guy still in there next year I think there's a lot of value to that I commend Jaquan brisker for playing every game this season I probably when the season started I would have said that would have been a long shot for him to do. It is a little confusing, though, because if he had played the way he played against the Rams all year, I mean, I think he's walking in a free agency getting a massive payday.

Now, how much his health and past history may be played into him not playing that way until, you know, the very last game of the season when everything was on the line? I don't think any of us can really know the answer to that question, but I did kind of sense a little bit of a hesitation from him in the style of play. I think you guys know what I'm talking about compared to how he used to play. I think that's probably a good thing for him in his career and his longevity in this league.

He was a player that played recklessly. And we say that with affection because those are the guys that make downhill tackles, guys who play reckless. And I thought I saw more of that come out in his game in the last, you know, in the playoffs than I did throughout the regular season. And that's okay. that's not a knock, but I do think it creates a little bit of confusion over what his market's actually going to be. So I view his situation, if you buyer to somebody, you probably want

to wrap up before a free agency even starts, knock that out, know what you have there, it's done. Whereas I think Brisker is a player that probably reaches the open market, you let the NFL tell you what the market is for him. And then if it's too much, because the bears have more information on him than any team in the league, then you let him go. You find a way to replace them through the draft or somebody else in free agency, or maybe the market is totally reasonable for what you can afford yourself and you can bring them back. Because I'm with you. I think it's okay if they bring them back at the right price. I think he's still a very good player. And you can still get a lot out of them at that position. So you spoke to Andrew

Janoko and to Thomas Brown, right? I mean, that's amazing. It takes us back to a very unfortunate time in our football lives, to be honest with you, Adam. But Thomas Brown, I got a lot of respect for that guy, really impressed with his work ethic and how he presented himself and the structure that he tried to provide. And even like how he stood up to Caleb, you know, when Caleb had some moments where, you know, he probably could have used it. So how's Thomas doing the passing game coordinator and tight ends coach for Drake May and the New England Patriots?

Right. And Janocos coaching Sam Darnal with the Seahaw. right now. So you see where those guys have ended up and they're coaching both of the quarterbacks in this Super Bowl, which is why we talk to them. But yeah, Thomas Brown, I mean, his name is on the list of head coaches in the history of the Chicago Bears. And it'll always be there. And I still think he can be a head coach in this league at some point. I really do. I think he should have gotten more looks than he did. I know he got an interview with the Cardinals and that might have been it this offseason. I think that's unfortunate.

because, you know, I look back at that as not maybe the ultimate what-if, but definitely a what-if, which is, I just think things could have been different with Caleb last year in his rookie season. It had a guy like Thomas Brown been his coach from the start. Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown could have been more opposite in their demeanor and their accountability and hard coaching, quite frankly. Thomas Brown's more similar to Ben Johnson in terms of head coached, coaching somebody hard.

And I think what we've learned from Caleb in the past year is it's not that he wants hard coaching. They just didn't set that as the baseline when he got drafted. It was the complete opposite with Waldron. And so for Thomas Brown to have to come in a situation where he brought up himself in that interview, we didn't even need to bring it up, that he held three different titles for the Bears in the same season, which is a very weird, you know, circumstance for any coach. But for him to come in after how passive Caleb had been coached to that point in that

season and to try to 180 that in such a short amount of time, I don't think that was going to be a viable situation for either of them. And I think the Bears probably made the right move at the end of the season that they were going to go in a different direction. Obviously, we know the history, they got Ben Johnson and all that. But that doesn't mean that Thomas Brown can't be a successful head coach somewhere else where he can be the guy from the very start to set the baseline, to set the culture, set the tone. He had no chance to flip that, really, when we look back on it.

And that's just how I look at that situation right now. So he's had that opportunity with Drake May this year. He's not tight ends coach there as well. They're having a lot of success. And I'm happy for Thomas Brown as well. I completely agree with the idea of him setting a baseline and setting a culture from the get-go somewhere. and Lawrence has been really good and passionate about the Rooney Rule and some of the failings of the NFL in terms of its ability to enable diversity with the head coaches. The fact that that guy only got one look, that ain't right.

That ain't right. Because maybe you don't think of him as a quarterback whisperer, but as a culture setter with an offensive background. Are you freaking a guy who just did it for five games in a terrible situation and learned from that? that's a guy I would want to interview. Absolutely. So thank you. Yeah, I totally agree. And I think it's a shame that he didn't get more looks.

And I don't really understand it. I would say that that is one guy that when you have some of these situations that I'm sure you guys have talked about, Lawrence, you've talked about it. It's just, well, why doesn't that guy get more looks? Well, then there's something wrong. Like there's something wrong with the system, I mean. That this isn't working the way it should work. 100%. Hoger, thanks so much for jumping on.

Everyone, the Hogan John's podcast from Radio Road. They've had great guests. You need to support them and support the work that they're doing on the pod and CHGO. Sir, have a great time out there. Thank you, guys. Always good talking to you and appreciate the support and love for our coverage out here. Thanks. You got it.

As Adam Hogue, I meant to ask him about Kairus Tonga. Yeah. You remember the Kairis Tonga? He played for the Bears for a season. Oh, that's right. He was like maybe like the... Oh, I forgot. He was almost Mr. Irrelevant.

Like, he's somewhere like late, like 253rd or something like that. Patriots use him in the backfield a lot, right? They use him in the backfield sometimes. They do. They do that with? Yep. Adam has logged off of the Zoom, just so you guys. He's had quite enough.

He's heard me ask about Kyra's time. He's like, I didn't talk to that guy yet. I'm not dealing with that. I don't want to do that. You guys stink. Whatever. Yeah. I'm Adam.

He's calling Alex right now to yell at him. That was not part of the deal coming on. That's definitely not part of the deal. He's never coming on again, guys. I understand. I get it. Lawrence, you've been dying to talk about this particular angle regarding the Super Bowl and our Ben Johnson.

Yeah, I think there's a version of Ben Johnson coaching in the Super Bowl. Yeah, one of these guys is, I read quotes about him and I was like, hey, that sounds like Ben Johnson. And then we got to confirm by someone that we trust. That's next here on the score. Breaking Bulls News, the Bulls Trade,

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