WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.679 Hey everybody, this is your GM, your bad girl, 00:00:01.720 --> 00:00:03.160 Dominic's your GM, who currently is not on the 00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:04.559 team right now, but don't you worry about it. 00:00:04.580 --> 00:00:07.040 Kale, here to bring you episode 14 of the Stack 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:09.240 and Shed series. Now, in this series, we're covering 00:00:09.240 --> 00:00:12.240 all 32 teams, so everybody gets a chance to be 00:00:12.240 --> 00:00:14.140 talked about, all right? Now, in this series, 00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:15.960 we're covering a few different topics, and they 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:19.820 include what went wrong, what do they need, stack 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:23.260 or shed, their draft picks, one move I would 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:25.559 do in their cap space. Right now, in this episode, 00:00:25.620 --> 00:00:27.519 we're talking about the Bears. So buckle up, 00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:37.439 it's going to be controversial. All right, let's 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:39.219 get into it. So what went wrong in the Bears 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:41.740 season? And I will venture to say it was an inconsistent 00:00:41.740 --> 00:00:45.159 defense that relied solely on splash plays. With 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:47.399 the hiring of Ben Johnson, I knew there was going 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:49.619 to be a philosophical change with this team. 00:00:49.719 --> 00:00:51.939 And that philosophical change was going from 00:00:51.939 --> 00:00:54.960 a defensive -driven team to now an offensive 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:57.039 -driven team. Whenever there's a change of this 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:59.159 magnitude, that means there's also going to be 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.679 a change on how they build the roster. And that's 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:04.140 what we're seeing in this offseason. From releasing 00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:07.219 Tremaine Edmonds to letting Kevin Byard hit free 00:01:07.219 --> 00:01:10.359 agency, as well as Jaquan Brisker. we're seeing 00:01:10.359 --> 00:01:13.239 that the Bears are serious about building up 00:01:13.239 --> 00:01:16.060 this offense and trying to keep the defense as 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:18.319 cheap as possible. Now, we can't say this is 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.840 the right move or the wrong move yet because 00:01:20.840 --> 00:01:23.219 it's still too early in Ben Johnson's tenure 00:01:23.219 --> 00:01:25.739 with the Bears. But looking at this defense last 00:01:25.739 --> 00:01:29.040 year, it relied solely on interceptions. If they 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:31.359 weren't getting a pick, if they weren't forcing 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:33.859 a fumble, if they weren't doing anything that 00:01:33.859 --> 00:01:36.840 is quote -unquote splashy, this defense is not 00:01:36.840 --> 00:01:39.140 doing anything. And we have the stats to back 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:42.040 it up. They had the 29th ranked defense and they 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:46.719 allowed 24 .4 points per game, 361 .8 yards per 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:50.340 game, 6 yards per play, and 47 touchdowns. They 00:01:50.340 --> 00:01:54.459 were 22nd in pass defense and they allowed 227 00:01:54.459 --> 00:01:57.760 .2 passing yards per game, 6 .8 passing yards 00:01:57.760 --> 00:02:00.519 per play, and 32 passing touchdowns. They were 00:02:00.519 --> 00:02:03.980 27th in run defense and they allowed 15 rushing 00:02:03.980 --> 00:02:07.180 touchdowns, 134 .5 rushing touchdowns, rushing 00:02:07.180 --> 00:02:09.680 yards per game, and five rushing yards per play. 00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.939 But here's some stats that show how much this 00:02:11.939 --> 00:02:14.900 Bears defense relied on interceptions. So in 00:02:14.900 --> 00:02:17.639 the 13 games that they had an interception, they 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:22.680 allowed 4 ,469 yards, 4 .7 yards per play, while 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:26.759 generating 27 sacks, 23 interceptions, nine forced 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:29.360 fumbles, and eight fumble recoveries. In the 00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:32.080 four games the Bears defense didn't have an interception, 00:02:32.219 --> 00:02:36.900 they allowed 1 ,681 yards, 5 .4. yards per play 00:02:36.900 --> 00:02:40.000 while generating eight sacks, three forced fumbles, 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.539 and two fumble recoveries. Now if we break this 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:45.199 down even more, here's the Bears defensive stats 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:49.840 per game with an interception. They allow 343 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:53.530 .8 yards per game. 4 .7 yards per play while 00:02:53.530 --> 00:02:55.930 generating two sacks a game while generating 00:02:55.930 --> 00:02:58.990 1 .7 interceptions per game. But when we look 00:02:58.990 --> 00:03:01.189 at the Bears defensive stats per game without 00:03:01.189 --> 00:03:04.349 an interception, this is what we have. They allowed 00:03:04.349 --> 00:03:09.110 420 .3 yards per game, 5 .4 yards per play while 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:11.590 generating two sacks per game. Although certain 00:03:11.590 --> 00:03:14.370 players had a really good season, as a collective, 00:03:14.449 --> 00:03:16.889 they underperformed. Because as we saw in the 00:03:16.889 --> 00:03:19.569 regular season going into the playoffs, when 00:03:19.569 --> 00:03:22.129 this defense didn't get an interception, guess 00:03:22.129 --> 00:03:24.349 what happened? They wasn't stopping the run, 00:03:24.509 --> 00:03:27.050 they wasn't stopping explosive plays, they wasn't 00:03:27.050 --> 00:03:29.229 converting on third down, and they definitely 00:03:29.229 --> 00:03:31.689 wasn't creating constant pressure on quarterbacks. 00:03:31.930 --> 00:03:34.030 Now with that being said, what do the Bears need? 00:03:34.289 --> 00:03:36.729 And that is a fundamentally sound defense. Now 00:03:36.729 --> 00:03:38.830 this can be accomplished in a few different ways. 00:03:39.050 --> 00:03:41.349 For starters, the coaches can emphasize a more 00:03:41.349 --> 00:03:43.550 balanced approach. So instead of you emphasizing 00:03:43.550 --> 00:03:46.750 turnovers, you can emphasize just playing better 00:03:46.750 --> 00:03:49.509 ball as a whole. The pass rushers being more 00:03:49.509 --> 00:03:52.009 consistent. The linebackers being more consistent. 00:03:52.189 --> 00:03:54.509 The secondary being more consistent. Now, the 00:03:54.509 --> 00:03:56.530 result is that the defense is going to play so 00:03:56.530 --> 00:03:58.430 well that it's going to put added pressure on 00:03:58.430 --> 00:04:00.449 offensive coordinators to find the weak spots 00:04:00.449 --> 00:04:02.949 in this defense. Another approach is bringing 00:04:02.949 --> 00:04:05.250 more dynamic playmakers for that side of the 00:04:05.250 --> 00:04:07.650 ball. Sure, you have Kyler Gordon. Sure, you 00:04:07.650 --> 00:04:09.789 have Grady Jarrett and Montez Sweat and Jalen 00:04:09.789 --> 00:04:12.289 Johnson. But I think you need a little bit more. 00:04:12.469 --> 00:04:14.449 Now, this can be accomplished via free agency 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:17.230 or in the draft. Now, with that being said, the 00:04:17.230 --> 00:04:19.170 question we all need to ask ourselves is stat. 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:21.800 or shed and I will eventually say stack and the 00:04:21.800 --> 00:04:23.959 reason why I say that is because what you have 00:04:23.959 --> 00:04:26.740 right now is a great foundation in Ben Johnson 00:04:26.740 --> 00:04:29.860 and Caleb Williams and some pieces on that defense 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:33.079 as long as you continue to build the right way 00:04:33.709 --> 00:04:35.810 you're going to be fine. But if you stir away 00:04:35.810 --> 00:04:37.709 from the current path that you're on right now, 00:04:37.810 --> 00:04:40.550 I guarantee you, you're going to fall right back 00:04:40.550 --> 00:04:42.810 into the same cycle of dysfunction that this 00:04:42.810 --> 00:04:45.170 Bears team has been in for the last 20 -some 00:04:45.170 --> 00:04:48.009 years. Now, in no way am I saying this Bears 00:04:48.009 --> 00:04:49.670 team is going to make it to the Super Bowl this 00:04:49.670 --> 00:04:52.189 upcoming season, but I do believe they are a 00:04:52.189 --> 00:04:54.870 playoff team. I will give them that. Looking 00:04:54.870 --> 00:04:56.470 at their draft picks, they have their first, 00:04:56.629 --> 00:04:59.529 two seconds, a third, a fourth, and two sevens. 00:04:59.529 --> 00:05:01.329 Now, I want to see what the Bears are going to 00:05:01.329 --> 00:05:03.310 do in the first round because they have the 25th 00:05:03.310 --> 00:05:06.310 pick. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad pick, but 00:05:06.310 --> 00:05:09.110 you are in a spot where at that point, one of 00:05:09.110 --> 00:05:11.100 two things are going to happen. Either the board 00:05:11.100 --> 00:05:13.279 is going to be devoid of the talent that you 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:15.500 really want, or there's going to be so many teams 00:05:15.500 --> 00:05:16.939 that are going to trade down that's going to 00:05:16.939 --> 00:05:19.100 leave you in a messy spot. Because what we're 00:05:19.100 --> 00:05:20.899 seeing in this draft class is that there's an 00:05:20.899 --> 00:05:23.519 inflation of value at positions that the league 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.160 has not valued in the past. Now, I want to see 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:27.839 what side of the ball the Bears are going to 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.040 address first, because I feel like the offense 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:32.660 is in a really good spot, and any needs that 00:05:32.660 --> 00:05:34.639 are on that side of the ball, I feel like you 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.740 can address that in the second and third round. 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:39.100 Now, the one move that I would do is draft a 00:05:39.100 --> 00:05:41.480 defense. a player. Now I'm leaning towards an 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:44.620 interior defensive lineman or maybe a pass rusher 00:05:44.620 --> 00:05:48.019 or maybe a linebacker. I don't really want to 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:51.019 do anything with the secondary yet. I would rather 00:05:51.019 --> 00:05:53.459 wait to do that maybe in the second, third, or 00:05:53.459 --> 00:05:55.079 maybe fourth round because I feel like there's 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:57.199 some hidden gems there. But my question is this, 00:05:57.240 --> 00:05:59.379 and I want to answer from the Bears fans on our 00:05:59.379 --> 00:06:02.100 YouTube page at Football Junkies Pod. Should 00:06:02.100 --> 00:06:05.829 the Bears emphasize the front seven? the linebacker 00:06:05.829 --> 00:06:08.329 core, or the secondary. Because I'm leaning towards 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:10.970 addressing the interior defensive line or edge 00:06:10.970 --> 00:06:13.089 rusher. Because what we see in the league right 00:06:13.089 --> 00:06:15.250 now is that you either have a guy at interior 00:06:15.250 --> 00:06:17.889 defensive line or edge rusher, or you have a 00:06:17.889 --> 00:06:19.990 collective sort of like what the Seahawks have. 00:06:20.170 --> 00:06:21.709 Now, if you want to take the approach that the 00:06:21.709 --> 00:06:24.410 Eagles have, hey, go at it. But I think if you're 00:06:24.410 --> 00:06:26.810 the Bears, if you just build out this defensive 00:06:26.810 --> 00:06:29.329 line, I think it's really going to help out. 00:06:29.430 --> 00:06:31.910 Because you already have Grady Jarrett. You have 00:06:31.910 --> 00:06:34.519 Javon Dexter. You have Montez Sweat. Looking 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:36.860 at their cap situation, they have a million dollars. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:38.920 Now the question is this, what are they gonna 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:41.160 do to create some cap space so that they can 00:06:41.160 --> 00:06:44.000 sign all their draft picks and maybe be players 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.139 in the second and third wave of free agency? 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.480 My guess is that they're currently trying to 00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:50.579 restructure some deals right now to create some 00:06:50.579 --> 00:06:52.720 more cap space. Maybe they're gonna try to give 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.439 some extensions. I don't know. Hopefully they 00:06:55.439 --> 00:06:57.300 figure it out because you can't have a million 00:06:57.300 --> 00:06:59.220 dollars going into the draft. You just cannot 00:06:59.220 --> 00:07:01.879 do that. You have to find a way to create some 00:07:01.879 --> 00:07:04.540 cap space. Even if it's just, five to six million 00:07:04.540 --> 00:07:07.199 that's perfectly fine but only time will tell 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:09.040 but i'm in this episode here if you guys like 00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:10.399 what you were listening please please please 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.259 please please make sure you guys leave a five 00:07:12.259 --> 00:07:15.000 star five star five star five star five star 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:16.439 review in anywhere and everywhere that you can 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:18.420 listen to this podcast okay we are available 00:07:18.420 --> 00:07:21.379 on apple spotify and a few other places now if 00:07:21.379 --> 00:07:23.519 you want to access those places go on google 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:26.899 type in rss .com football junkies podcast it 00:07:26.899 --> 00:07:28.699 should be the first link when you click on that 00:07:28.699 --> 00:07:31.339 link it'll take you to our rss .com page where 00:07:31.339 --> 00:07:33.310 you can listen to this podcast on your online 00:07:33.310 --> 00:07:35.610 browser, okay? There should be a box that says 00:07:35.610 --> 00:07:37.750 listen to. When you click on that box, it'll 00:07:37.750 --> 00:07:39.769 give you a plethora of different places that 00:07:39.769 --> 00:07:41.649 you can listen to this podcast, all right? Now 00:07:41.649 --> 00:07:44.550 you can follow us on YouTube at footballjunkiespod, 00:07:44.730 --> 00:07:47.209 footballjunkiespod. Make sure you guys like, 00:07:47.269 --> 00:07:49.129 share, subscribe, turn on the notification bell 00:07:49.129 --> 00:07:51.069 and leave a comment down below. Let me know your 00:07:51.069 --> 00:07:53.649 thoughts on this episode and other episodes that 00:07:53.649 --> 00:07:56.370 I put out. Am I right? Am I wrong? Let's talk 00:07:56.370 --> 00:07:58.250 about it, all right? Now you can follow us on 00:07:58.250 --> 00:08:00.750 Instagram at football underscore junkies pod, 00:08:00.949 --> 00:08:02.910 football underscore. junkies pod junkies pod 00:08:02.910 --> 00:08:11.629 is not what it is together not spaced okay it 00:08:11.629 --> 00:08:15.069 is together not space football underscore junkies 00:08:15.069 --> 00:08:17.990 pod you can follow me on tiktok at football junkies 00:08:17.990 --> 00:08:20.910 pod football junkies pod i've been posting a 00:08:20.910 --> 00:08:23.839 boatload of clips I got more. Just give me some 00:08:23.839 --> 00:08:26.620 time. I may even drop my mock draft. Just give 00:08:26.620 --> 00:08:28.220 me some time with that. All right. Now you can 00:08:28.220 --> 00:08:33.279 follow me on blue sky at G M kale, G M K a I 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:37.620 O E G M K a I O E. You can also follow me on 00:08:37.620 --> 00:08:42.840 Twitter at G M kale, G M. K -A -I -O -E. As always, 00:08:42.899 --> 00:08:44.860 I hope I gave you guys the fixes you guys need. 00:08:45.019 --> 00:08:46.820 I love you guys. I appreciate you guys so much. 00:08:46.899 --> 00:08:48.659 Thank you guys so much for listening to the best 00:08:48.659 --> 00:08:50.559 football podcast that you can listen to on a 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:53.059 week -to -week, day -to -day basis. And as always, 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:55.059 this is your GM Kale signing out. Peace and love. 00:08:55.399 --> 00:08:56.039 Later, guys.