Bring on the DRAFT - Ben Johnson has changed how we view the NFL Draft

Summary

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Episode Overview

Title: Bring on the DRAFT - Ben Johnson has changed how we view the NFL Draft
Podcast: Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
Date: January 29, 2026
Main Theme:
This episode explores how new head coach Ben Johnson has dramatically shifted the way the Chicago Bears and their fans approach the NFL Draft. Dan and Matt break down how a culture of trust, player development, and strategic drafting have replaced the old desperate hope for franchise saviors, reflecting on what it means for team building, the off-season, and the Bears’ immediate and long-term outlook. The conversation also lands on the general NFL landscape, including coaching moves, free agency, and Hall of Fame debates.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Changing Bears Draft Mentality

• Old vs. New Draft Mindset:
  • In the past, Bears fans viewed the draft as a time for desperate hope—hoping to find players good enough to overcome organizational incompetence.
  • Now, with Ben Johnson as head coach and a competent staff in place, there’s a foundation of “trust” and strategic decision-making. The draft is no longer about clinging to hope but about targeted roster enhancement and trust in development.
• Importance of Every Draft Pick:
  • Despite moving up the NFL hierarchy and not drafting as high, every pick is now utilized for real, immediate contributions (e.g., 7th-rounder Kyle Monungai’s impact last year, reclaiming Shemar Turner is “like getting another draft pick”).
  • “Rookies play, rookies matter” (Dan Bernstein, 02:24)
• Rookie Impact on Good Teams:
  • Even playoff and Super Bowl teams need contributions from rookies and undrafted free agents, especially late in the season.
  • “If the Bears win the super bowl next year, I guarantee you there will be rookies who will matter.” (Dan Bernstein, 03:52)

2. Ben Johnson’s Impact & Draft Philosophy

• Shifting Perspective:
  • Ben Johnson’s arrival means the Bears’ leadership can be trusted to draft and develop talent at all levels.
  • “What I love about it, too, with Ben Johnson at the helm...is the versatility of what guys can do.” (Matt Abbatacola, 07:21)
• Versatility & Fit:
  • Prior iterations would draft “high-ceiling developmental guys;” now, they focus on immediate, versatile contributors with growth potential.
• Player Development:
  • The regime’s ability to maximize a player’s skills, experiment with positions/roles, and adapt in-season is highlighted as a new norm.
  • “We trust that…maybe you say, yeah, he’s a pretty good zone corner, but boy, if we need a safety, in a week we can have this guy as a playable box safety.” (Dan Bernstein, 08:20)
• Trust in the System:
  • “But now I trust them, though. That’s the difference.” (Matt Abbatacola, 08:18)
  • Draft strategies are shaped by real evaluations and communication between coaching and scouting, not just hope.

3. What the Bears Need in 2026

• Key Offseason Priorities:
  • Left tackle is Matt’s #1 priority: “Left tackle is the most important thing to address this off season.” (Matt, 17:03)
  • Dan prefers a “solid, unspectacular free agent” at tackle, trusting in pro scouting—referencing past successes like John Tate.
  • Both agree a true #1 edge rusher is also vital.
• Free Agency Obstacles:
  • The available tackle free agent market is thin, with current Bear Braxton Jones ranked 3rd among options, leading to concern about improvements from free agency alone (19:13).
• Roster Development:
  • The Bears’ depth and returning players, plus the continued development of younger talents like Austin Booker, are debated (18:52).

4. Bears Culture — Reflecting on the Past

• The “Lost” Eberflus Year:
  • Dan laments the wasted evaluation and development opportunities under the previous staff.
    • “How many guys…did they miss on or did they not get enough out of.” (Dan, 10:33)
  • Matt stops the speculation, noting that without Eberflus, Ben Johnson might not have arrived—a rare silver lining (11:04).
• No Evidence of Breakout “Misses”:
  • The duo reflects that few ex-Bears have found significant success elsewhere, suggesting minimal “untapped” losses.

5. Ben Johnson’s Nickname—Studio Banter

• BJ & the Bear Reference:
  • Fun exchange over whether “BJ & the Bear” (classic TV trucker show) is a viable Bears/Ben Johnson meme or reference, leading to laughs about thumbnail ideas and pop culture divides (12:33–16:40).
  • “A picture of Johnson and Caleb Williams, BJ and the bear would have been the headline.” (Matt, 14:18)

6. NFL Landscape & News

• Bill Belichick Hall of Fame Voting:
  • Discussion on the procedural flaws leading to Belichick’s delayed induction—voters assuming he’s a lock, so voting for “urgent” candidates (21:12–22:54).
  • “The entire thing is hilarious and completely appropriate for Bill Belichick.” (Dan, 23:01)
• Sean Payton-Bo Nix Injury Dispute:
  • Bo Nix reacts angrily to coach Sean Payton publicly discussing his medical history without knowledge; lack of clarity stirs up suspicion about Nix’s injury timeline and surgery count (23:15–25:02).
  • “He shouldn’t talk about the number of surgeries because he doesn’t know.” (Matt, 24:11)
  • “If you’re that mad and there’s that many [surgeries]? How many?” (Dan, 24:58)
• NFL Coordinator Hires:
  • Quick updates on Jets, Chargers, and rumors involving Frank Reich for Jets OC—questioning rapid staff turnover with new head coaches’ job security (27:25–28:07).
• Coaching Rankings List Segment:
  • ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked all head coach hires since 2021 (top 37, arbitrarily). Dan and Matt lampoon the list, guessing at inclusions (33:09–36:58).
• Teaser for Next Segment:
  • Tomorrow’s episode will cover their top 10 favorite Pro Football Hall of Famers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We hope some of the talent of these draft picks is enough to overcome the incompetence of the people running the Bears… now it’s the opposite. Now we think, ooh, this regime. Ben Johnson gets to pass judgment…and it’s based on that level of trust.”
  — Dan Bernstein, [05:52]

• “Rookies play, rookies matter.”
  — Dan Bernstein, [02:24]

• “With Ben Johnson at the helm…what I love is the versatility of what guys can do. Before, it was, let’s draft a guy who has really high ceiling…No, they have the ability now to draft guys to impact the 2026 season.”
  — Matt Abbatacola, [07:21]

• “But now I trust them, though. That’s the difference.”
  — Matt Abbatacola, [08:18]

• “Have you switched your position at all on what the most important position is going into this offseason?... For me, it’s left tackle.”
  — Matt Abbatacola, [16:55–17:03]

• “The Bears weren’t good enough to have somebody better than Jack Sanborn playing for him.”
  — Dan Bernstein, [12:05]

• [BJ and the Bear banter]

  • “A picture of Johnson and Caleb Williams, BJ and the bear would have been the headline.”
    — Matt Abbatacola, [14:18]
  • “I don’t like the imagery. That would be kind of…”
    — Dan Bernstein, [14:30]

• “It’s really fun to be able to go into an off-season and a draft with a different perspective as a Bears fan, with not doom and gloom…”
  — Matt Abbatacola, [10:01]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro/Set-Up: 00:32–01:54
• Draft Mindset & Roster Building: 01:54–05:52
• Trust in Ben Johnson & Bears’ Process: 05:52–08:20
• Player Versatility and Development: 08:20–10:01
• Reflecting on Eberflus Era & “Lost” Evaluations: 10:33–12:21
• BJ & the Bear Studio Banter: 12:33–16:40
• Offseason Needs—LT/EDGE: 16:40–19:36
• Free Agency/Tackle Market: 19:02–20:01
• Belichick Hall of Fame Process: 20:12–23:01
• Bo Nix/Sean Payton Public Injury Tension: 23:13–25:02
• NFL Coaching Hires: 27:03–28:07
• Coaching Hire Rankings Banter/Game: 31:17–36:58
• Preview—Favorite Hall of Famers List: 36:58–38:49
• Closing/Housekeeping: 38:49–end

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Summary Style & Tone

Dan and Matt’s conversation is passionate, analytical, and peppered with wit and offbeat pop culture asides. Their rapport is comfortable and genuine, equally adept at breaking down Xs and Os or riffing about 1970s trucker TV shows. The tone is optimistic—reflecting the Bears' improved footing—and skeptical toward old patterns and flawed NFL systems.

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Takeaway

This episode captures a moment of transformation for Bears fans, internalizing that organizational stability, smart coaching, and a modern outlook on the draft and development have fundamentally changed team and fan expectations. With Ben Johnson in charge, there’s real trust—a word that echoes throughout the episode—and hope that’s grounded in process rather than desperate longing.

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Transcript

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[Matt Abeticola]

I mean if you're a Bears fan.

[Dan Bernstein]

You'Re thinking forward Progress. Come on. 10. 219.

[Matt Abeticola]

219 forward progress. Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

We provide you with forward progress. We award you forward progress on this show on 312 sports. A Chicago be podcast and this time of year becomes a Chicago Bears and NFL podcast. And I was starting to read what's going on at at the Senior bowl. Like this is that time of year and we have these well worn instincts as Bears fans and observers where, ooh, Senior Bowl. Who could help restore the Bears to some kind of quality. Who isn't horrible? Who could be somebody there that the Bears could find with these high draft picks? Well, now they don't have the, the same kind of high draft picks because, because they were good, the Bears made the playoffs, they won a playoff game and now the draft, you'd think, well, it's not everything in the world of the Bears building it toward that. This, this will be the time for hope. They have hope. They have more than hope. They're actually good now and we have to start talking about what it's like in this new world. And my first thought was wait, I don't maybe have to quite think about the draft so longingly that I don't have to think, oh good, an influx of new talent and trying to adjust expectations to where they are in the draft and what they're going to get but what it's going to mean. And then I stopped myself and I said hold on, hold on, hold on. Kyle Menungai was a seventh round pick.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, he was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Kyle Menungai was immensely important in their efforts. And also look at all these other teams. Look at most good teams now in the league. Rookies play, rookies matter.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wasn't burden a third round pick.

[Dan Bernstein]

Second, second pick and the other and the end. Getting Shemar Turner back this year almost is like Getting a draft pick, all of a sudden, here's a second round pick who can contribute, you'd like to think is an active, aggressive defensive tackle. So that'll be for conversation for another time. But as much as I was thinking, well, I guess we don't have to be as excited about the draft, I then thought of the response to that and an alternative philosophy being, no, that's not true, Bernstein. If you look at contributors and if you look at this being increasingly a young man's game, the draft might matter more when the difference isn't going from bad to good. What if those same rookies, anywhere in that class, undrafted free agents perhaps, who knows who it's going to be. What if there is somebody who by the time we get into December and you're down to promoting practice squad guys, hell, we saw it in the, in the last game of the season. You didn't know damn Jordan McFadden was guys. Guys will matter late in the year when you're playing for things that are important. And next year's rookie class, if the Bears win the super bowl next year, I guarantee you there will be rookies who will matter who will be contributing to that effort.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, and I'm glad that you went through this, this thought process, this exercise for yourself and how it shifted the perspective and the thought shifted because your initial thought through it I was like, all right, well that's not quite right because that's not where the Bears are right now and that's not what the Bears have. So I'm glad to see the shift through it because I think this draft is more important than any draft where the Bears are trying to rebuild or let's see what we can find because you're right there. You're right there with the possibility of adding to the already young talent and Caleb Williams being a third year quarterback and a second year quarterback in Ben Johnson's system. Luther Burden having a year under Roma dunes a coming off a disappointing year, being a third year receiver. Colson Loveland being the one of the brightest, youngest tight ends in the league and what he's going to project to in his second year, the guys you can add are going to help you win games and that's why I think it's more valuable. And when you have the coaching staff in place that has the ability to develop NFL talent, what they draft is so important because these aren't guys that I've always said, I mean if you have a top 10 pick, they better start and impact your season that year, period. If you have a first round pick. That first round pick should impact your season. That year may not be at the start, but it should now with the coaching staff in place to develop young talent, where they draft, whether it's first, second, third or seventh, they can have an impact on what you do this year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, doesn't it all lead back to trust? Doesn't it all lead back to. Well, we hope some of these. It used to be. We hope some of the talent of these draft picks is enough to overcome the incompetence of the people running the Bears. We hope that some of these people can rise above everything because they're so good that eventually they'll figure out where to play them and they'll just be good. And now it's the opposite. Where now we think, ooh, this regime. Ben Johnson gets to pass judgment on all of these players and select, and he gets to select. And it's still all based on that level of trust. That the difference it makes, it's like flipping a switch. It's. It's like instead of, well, Ryan, polls will bring in a class of guys and hand it downward and say, here's what you have. Please, please, please use this to make everything better. But now that they've fixed that, now that they have a coach and a staff that you trust, that isn't just them talking out of their ass about what they're going to do, that we've seen it and say, okay, now it's like they, they're picking. They can say, we need this, we need this, we need this. We still need somebody who can do this. And we've inverted the way we look at it now that it's much more exciting to know who's doing it and that they know why they're doing certain things.

[Matt Abeticola]

Absolutely. And what I love about it, too, with Ben Johnson at the helm, not only looking at how they can impact the position that they played in college, what they project to in the future or in the NFL, what are they going to do where a guy can play multiple positions? Like this whole idea of this versatility of what guys can do. Yeah, he can do this, but he can also do this. You know, I look at, I love it how they understand a guy's talent because before it was, let's draft a guy who has really high ceiling and he's a, he's a, you know, he's a guy that we're the develop. He's a developmental guy. No, they have the ability now to draft guys to impact the 20, 26 season that still obviously have projections to grow and coached up and grow.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's always the balance. There are certain picks and it may just be that when it, when they're on the board for a fourth round pick that they have that internal debate and.

[Matt Abeticola]

But now I trust them, though. That's the difference.

[Dan Bernstein]

And maybe they'll. And I also trust that they'll tell us that they would say that was a traits pick that we just, we couldn't pass up that collection of traits. And he might not be a contributor now, but maybe see. And then when they say will be playing our best football in December, that has to do with development. That has to do with them believing that somebody like Colston Loveland is going to take time to figure it out at a very difficult position at which to be good as a rookie. That we trust that they say, you know, he might be on the practice squad, but we think that this guy can, can play right guard or if needed or the versatility comes in out of necessity. The versatility comes in not because you, you have to pick a position, you have to be right about the position. But maybe you say, yeah, he's, he's a pretty good zone corner, but boy, if we need a safety, we. In a week we can have this guy as a playable box safety.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right? Because we, they talked about that and you heard several players as well as Dennis Allen talk about the versatility of using guys in training camp at different positions. And that guy's got looks at different places around the field just to see what a fit was like, just to see what they could do. Just to see that if there was a necessity, a guy could move here and we could trust him in our scheme to be successful.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. And all teams should be doing all of these things all the time. I mean, really, this, none of this is specific to any team at any given point. It's in a perfect world. That's all. That's what a draft is, is all of this. But we've never had a reason to believe that the Bears were good at any of it, let alone all of it. Right?

[Matt Abeticola]

No, you're right that most teams or all teams should be doing this. I don't think all teams have the ability with the people in charge to do this. And I'm sure there are teams that have been doing this for years. They're not reinventing the wheel. It's just. It's new to us. You're correct. You're. It's. It's new to us and it's just. It's really fun to be able to go into an off season and a draft with a different perspective as a Bears fan with not doom and gloom and then eventually turns into, oh my God, let's hope and hope and hope. Now it's like, all right, what do we do to add to the talent we have to get even better than we were last year?

[Dan Bernstein]

And this unfortunately gets me back to the lost year of asking Eber Fluss to return and what that meant to everything. Not just the performance of the team on the field that year, but how many guys that were in camp that had bad coaches looking at them and bad coaches evaluating them and bad coaches deploying them. How many guys were. Did they miss on or did they not get enough out of.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, you know, it's an interesting question. I'll say two things on it. Number one, stop your brain from doing that because let's just end it with, if we don't have Matt Aberfluous, we probably don't have Ben Johnson. So that's number one. Number two, it's a really interesting question and it's one that I will actually want to dive into, you know, for another show because I can't think of guys off top of my head on the roster that were no longer there that have gone on to be successful somewhere else. And that's, I think it's a good, I think be a fun exercise to look at and see if there was a guy that played under evil flu for a year or two and then went somewhere this year and kind of was like, oh, I didn't know that guy could be that or do that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Like, I'll do that. That would be interesting to see.

[Dan Bernstein]

We know that he took with him Jack Sanborn. He took Ready Stewart or Ready. I think we know Ready Stewart ended up somewhere else. But the one that I like you clearly Eberflu saw some of himself in Jack Sanborn.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Overachieving, try hard, slow linebacker.

[Matt Abeticola]

I'm fine with that. That's, that's, that's okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Bears weren't good enough to have somebody better than Jack Sanborn playing for him. And that's why he went from Mistroli award winning preseason performer into folk hero strongside linebacker in a league that doesn't use strong side linebackers anymore. Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

And Mistroli to my favorite dish at Olive Garden.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, but, yeah, but I think now it's an endless bowl of Mistroli.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. Now they do the Parmesan Mistroli. It's just, ugh. When you bring your, Your.

[Dan Bernstein]

Your Uncle Vito who's coming from the old country, and you bring. Oh, the. I have another Bears question that I wanted to ask today, because this came up when you and I were texting and. Do people remember the show BJ and the Bear enough to make it worthwhile to make a reference to, To Ben Johnson as BJ and the Bears?

[Matt Abeticola]

I think I certainly remember it, and I think people of our age and older certainly would remember it. Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do you know how many times I've actually seen it?

[Matt Abeticola]

None. None.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've seen it zero times. But I remember it was Greg Evigan. And the only reason I remember was Greg Evigan was from his appearances on game shows. Oh, it's Greg Evigan of BJ and the Bear fame. And, And Bear was a chimp, right?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. I don't, I can't remember if I ever did. It was with my dad or my brothers, but I can't recall if I've ever seen it either, but. Very familiar with your what?

[Dan Bernstein]

From what I know about your brothers, they probably. Their taste was probably too good to run to trash like BJ and the Bear. But I just, It's. It's such a niche reference that it's not worth making jokes about because I, I. And I can't believe I only thought of it recently because people don't really refer to Ben Johnson as bj, but BJ and the Bears.

[Matt Abeticola]

But here's the unfortunate thing, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

Driver, right?

[Matt Abeticola]

He was a truck driver. And. But we internally and our studio in communication, we refer to Ben Johnson as BJ all the time. We've been doing it all year long.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know.

[Matt Abeticola]

And the fact that we didn't come up with it sooner is disappointing.

[Dan Bernstein]

It is, but it's still probably the value of knowing, and it's not like anybody beat us to it.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, but here's what's disappointing, though, because that's. That's a, That's a missed thumbnail opportunity for YouTube. A picture of Johnson and Caleb Williams, BJ and the bear would have been the headline.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but I don't like the imagery. That would be kind of.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, oh, please.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no. Okay. Greg Evigan, Claude Aikens, Judy Landers.

[Matt Abeticola]

That's too offensive for our audience. Matthew. I don't want to be that.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was Billy Joe BJ McKay, a professional freelance itinerant trucker who travels the country's highways in a red and white semi truck with his pet chimpanzee. Oh, Bear was named after Bear Bryant.

[Matt Abeticola]

And he wore a hat, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, they had him in the hat. Yeah. Huh. All right. The episodes deal with BJ uncovering or getting mixed up with crime in the. Crime in the area through which he's traveling. A local resident, usually a young, beautiful woman, appealing to him for help.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, yeah, Remember that? Mills Watson was the sheriff.

[Dan Bernstein]

Claude Akins was the sheriff.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, Mills was his deputy.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was Sheriff Lobo.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, that's right. Lobo.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I never saw it, and I don't really think I missed much, but that was just on my mind as something. Did we miss BJ and the bear possibilities? There.

[Matt Abeticola]

There's your guy. Now, let me see.

[Dan Bernstein]

What guy? Greg evigan. Yeah. He's 72. That's getting a whole hell of a lot better. You should. You should have him on from the 50, see how he's doing.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay, thank you.

[Dan Bernstein]

At some point, when you do. From the 70, if he's still alive.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. When he'll be. Yeah. And he's. When he's in his early 90s.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abeticola]

He'll be awesome.

[Dan Bernstein]

He'll be great. BJ. All right. He's.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. No, I'm disappointed that we didn't think of that sooner.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Too bad.

[Matt Abeticola]

And I would 100% would have made a thumbnail picture out of that. I don't like the image of that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know.

[Matt Abeticola]

Get over it, Grandpa. I.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, I don't. I. I think I might have a problem with that.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, anyway, it feels good, though, going into this draft and the different perspective and the whole off season. I still hold to the. I mean, have you. Have you. Have you switched your position at all on what the most important position is going into this off season? Whether it's draft of free agency, edge. It's not left tackle.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because for me, it's left tackle. Left tackle is the most important thing to address this off season.

[Dan Bernstein]

They showed that they can get through a season without it being. Without their left tackle being, like, good.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, they did. But I'd rather not do that again. I'd rather not do that again and hope that my guard, center guard, stay completely healthy and play 99% to 100% of the snaps. And my right tackle misses only one game with an elbow issue.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ideally, what I would like is a solid, unspectacular free agent that doesn't cost a ridiculous amount of money. Like what they did with John Tate, what they thought they were doing with Blake Brockermeier.

[Matt Abeticola]

He was some John Tate.

[Dan Bernstein]

John Tate was really good, and he didn't cost a ton. You know, they went to a Super Bowl. They bought both tackles. They bought Fred Miller and John Tate. Tate. But that's what say, Fred. I, I, I think that that is a perfect spot to trust your professional scouts.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're, you're the actual people in your pro scouting department who look at guys on other teams who can find like a, an above average, above replacement level, pro, veteran guy who can handle left tackle.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. And I'm fine, I'm fine with free agency. I just, I'm not demanding a draft or, you know, first round pick, but it just, for me, then 1A, 1B would be left tackle and then that edge guy, that's 1A and 1B like you have, you have to address that in a significant way. It has to be done.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, but I mean, I do think that getting Diode Dangbo back is, is great, but he's a rotational guy.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, I think you have, you have, you have several and we'll see what Austin Booker, how he continues to develop, but you have several number two guys. You need a number one guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know what's funny though? Guess who's listed as the number three available free agent tackle?

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, it's a former Bear.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's a current Bear. Oh, who? Braxton Jones. Oh, Braxton Jones is listed as the number three available offensive tackle.

[Matt Abeticola]

But I mean, has that ship sailed for the Bears? I mean, isn't, didn't they tell you enough?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, it just, it just the whole grass is greener thing.

[Matt Abeticola]

Well, then that doesn't really bode well then for free agency, does it? Who's 1 and 2?

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm looking at these names. No, it does not bode well. Rasheed Walker of the Packers. Okay. Is listed as number one. And Germain Elu Amenor of the Giants. Okay. Said a clear bright spot among the Giants offensive line, fifth in pff. Pass blocking. But they care about run blocking almost more than that.

[Matt Abeticola]

They do. I mean, seems like it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Well, okay. Just. All right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Interesting stuff. I have a couple follow ups for you too from yesterday's stories that we had.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, good.

[Matt Abeticola]

Here in Ford Progress. There's more on the Bill Bellich hall of Fame stuff. We saw all of the, all of the, the people that were so upset and angry that he didn't get in. We heard from Tom Brady who was doing, you know, a show in Seattle, Sports Talk, out there for the super bowl, and out in that area he was on, he was on a Seattle show, not in Seattle, but you know how upset he was and just couldn't Believe it. And I, you know, hearing from people who actually voted though, for the hall of Fame, a couple people wrote some articles, a couple of people did some interviews about it. And the overwhelming thing that I've heard is that there were, it's, it's really, it's his. And we said this yesterday, that Bill Belichick is a victim of a flawed system. Right now, if you want to say that. And it's just, it was a victim's too strong. Sorry for doing that. But he's just, it was the consequences of a flawed system. Bill Belichick didn't get in. He should have been a first ballot hall of Famer. There's, there's no argument to that. But the system doesn't allow the voters to do that. And the fact that several of them said there were guys that were going to get squeezed out by time that we thought deserved to be in the hall of Fame, and we could only vote for a certain number knowing that, and I said this yesterday, that I think people put their vote aside for Belichick knowing that there wouldn't be 11 people not to vote for Bill Belichick.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that was in that Mike Sando stuff that we read, that it made sense, like, hey, Belichick's getting in no matter what, that I've got a greater, more pressing responsibility now to.

[Matt Abeticola]

Acknowledge some of the senior guys.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, yeah. And to advocate for some people who aren't going to get multiple chances.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. And then. But to hear from people who had actual votes talk about that. And it was interesting, I thought, too, to hear that the longest debate on anyone eligible for the hall of Fame was Bill Belichick, that the most amount of time spent discussing was on Bill Belichick, which is contrarian to, oh, he's a first. He's a guaranteed first ballot hall of Famer. Then why are you discussing it? What are they discussing? If the cheating stuff, the spygate, wasn't really an issue. Oh, no, we didn't hold that as a grudge against him. Then what were you discussing? What were you debating? Like, what is their debate for nearly an hour, which was the longest amount of time spent on any, any one individual?

[Dan Bernstein]

I will find out eventually, right, that that'll.

[Matt Abeticola]

Who knows? Maybe, maybe not. So, no, quick follow up there. So again, is it, is it wrong that he's not a first ballot hall of Fame? I think it is. Is it something that they're going to have to address the way the system goes? I think they should. If they don't, I don't care. I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm going to hold to exactly what I said yesterday. The entire thing is hilarious and completely appropriate for Bill Belichick.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right. Then there was some follow up too, on the Denver, Bo Nix, Sean Payton stuff. I don't know if you heard. Bo Nix gave an interview, not very happy at all about what Sean Payton said.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh.

[Matt Abeticola]

That he shouldn't have been addressing the number of surgeries I've had because he doesn't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did he give a number?

[Matt Abeticola]

He didn't. He didn't give a number. He didn't clear it up. He also said that this wasn't a predisposed thing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, so he, there was no preexisting condition that caused any sort of structural issue.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes, he said this, this is not. This, this is not a predisposed issue. I'm going to be out four to six weeks back, you know, back to good as normal way, you know, when this all is, this is not going to prohibit me from moving forward in the offseason.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, those are different things.

[Matt Abeticola]

They are. They are different things that it may.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just be that this fixes it forever. And it also was something that could have been a chronic problem.

[Matt Abeticola]

But he said those words, though, that it was not a predisposed thing. Predisposed issue. He said that.

[Dan Bernstein]

So.

[Matt Abeticola]

And clearly the thing that came out the most clear was his anger about Sean Payton talking about his health.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's between you and your coach.

[Matt Abeticola]

Young man shouldn't have done that. He has. He shouldn't talk about the number of surgeries because he doesn't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, your scouts better have known.

[Matt Abeticola]

Somebody better have known within the organization.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or was this hidden from everybody? Was this a part of his injury history that simply did not come out before the draft?

[Matt Abeticola]

I mean, it's interesting and, you know, I'm sure the Denver people are on it to get more information on it because it's interesting to hear the head coach say, oh, he's had multiple surgeries. He's had a few surgeries. I should say a few surgeries going back to high school. Oh, he shouldn't talk about the number of surgeries I've had because he doesn't know. Which I would have preferred him to say. I've had this, this and this.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abeticola]

What he's saying, for him to not do that makes it worse. Makes it worse. Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Because now I'm imagining, wow, how many are there then?

[Matt Abeticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you're, if you're that mad and there's that many? What. How many?

[Matt Abeticola]

Or like, if it wasn't a few, was it half a dozen?

[Dan Bernstein]

And now we want to know everything.

[Matt Abeticola]

Because clearly if it wasn't a few, Dan, you would clearly say, you would come out and say, I haven't had a few surgeries I've had. This is my second one I've had. You. You would, you would address that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe it has nothing to do with football. Were you born with. Did this. Did something have to be corrected early in your life?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, but it's just, it's interesting to see the, the path the Broncos were on as the number one seed in the afc. They lose that game because your quarterback goes down in the divisional round, your backup comes in, you get the Blizzard game. And then just, just the. How things have changed in Denver from what the path they were on to where it is now with your coach and your quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're almost.

[Matt Abeticola]

Wait, is he. He's not the old. Is Bo Nix the older is he now? He's not the. Who's the guy. The quarterback we were talking about that is older. Is that Bo Nix? Oh, it is. So that is him. That will be 26 at the end of next. Next month. Yes. So now your, your quarterback and your head coach are having some issues in your off season where that's starting off with a rehab assignment for your quarterback who broke his ankle, who may or may not have had a predisposed condition.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ultimately, let's, let's just find out. Like that. That would be the best thing is somehow in this process you say, look, this is the fourth surgery. This is the fifth surgery. Either it's fixed or it's not fixed. Here's what the range of possibilities is for the, the remainder of his career. We may not know that, but certainly if you're the Broncos and, and you didn't know it before, you better figure it out now.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, it. It. And find out why we didn't know. That's. That's a significant issue. All right, so some other hirings too around the league. I don't know if you saw these minor things. The jets hired a new defensive coordinator. Okay. They took a guy from Miami. Now he's going to be a guy there because Aaron Glenn calls the plays and it's a guy who has no play calling experience. Brian, it's D U K E R. Would you Ducker or Duker?

[Dan Bernstein]

Duker.

[Matt Abeticola]

Duker. So he comes from Miami is their D.C. and then the Chargers hired Chris O' Leary from Western Michigan as their defense coordinator.

[Dan Bernstein]

Chris O' Leary from Western Michigan. And apparently the jets are looking for. They're looking at Frank Reich. Did you see this?

[Matt Abeticola]

I did not. Are there really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. They've got to hire an offensive coordinator because Tanner Angstrend is out and apparently nothing is Aaron Glenn's fault, at least as far as the ownership believes there. Or they don't want to admit that they made a mistake with their head coach, but they're changing absolutely everything else except their head coach. I wonder what he's done to earn this kind of trust already, that you're allowing a guy after one year to fire his entire staff and hire a new one.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

What is he. How has he so convinced the owner's grandchildren that he's the guy for this job?

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't know. He's done something, though. He's done something so good for him. Another name that I'm surprised about because he, he interviewed for three head coaching positions which have since been filled, but Chris Shula from the Rams, the defensive coordinator, I thought he would. And he got some looks, but I think he interviewed with Baltimore, interviewed with Miami.

[Dan Bernstein]

What I read was there was a dispute about his performance in his interview with the Steelers.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. So that's what I was going to ask about. If you'd heard anything about how he interviewed, how his interview went.

[Dan Bernstein]

What? Apparently Andrew Filiponi reported that Shula bombed that interview.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. That's what I was wondering.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then others have since pushed back and saying it's not true. I don't know. I am not judging. I don't know the people involved. I just know that there was one report that went very hard and said that he bombed the interview. And there are others who saying, well, look, he was, he had to take three hours out of his day in the middle of preparing for a playoff game. That it wasn't fair. It's sort of, it was kind of like the day that the Bears interviewed Russ Grim and oh my God. And remember, I, I, I came out just, we got, we were making fun of him all day for seeing McClasky family and showing up in that ugly sweater instead of putting a suit on the McClasskey family. Yeah. Who was it who got mad at. Oh, it was Covert. It was, it was Jimbo Covert who got mad at Terry and me.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, I don't remember him getting mad.

[Dan Bernstein]

For ripping his guy, Russ Grimm and say, well, you know, he was that that's just who he is. Or you can't get so mad at somebody who didn't maybe didn't speak all that, well, on one day, I'm like, no, no, you can't. It's an interview. It was the most important interview of his life. And he didn't properly say the names of the owners.

[Matt Abeticola]

Right. You got to say the owner's last name. Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

He. And he looked like a guy who was sleeping in a Greyhound station.

[Matt Abeticola]

You know, maybe the Bears brought him in on a bus. Who knows?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. But it was. I remember that. I remember Covert being mad because we were busted on his guy. But it happens. And you hope that people get enough chances that they can redeem themselves from such things. But there was at least one report that that was the issue with Chris Shula.

[Unknown Guest or Producer]

You notice this list? I'm always making lists. I make lists all the time.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, I got a list for you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Don't we do this tomorrow?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, tomorrow for dbu, we're going to do our. So in honor of the Bill Belichick non Hall of Fame induction, okay, we're going to look at the current members of the Football hall of Fame, the Pro Football hall of Fame. And we, you and I, are going to select our 10 favorite players that are currently in the Football hall of Fame. So our top 10 hall of Fame players.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just our favorites. Our favorites among those who actually are in the actual Pro Football hall of Fame.

[Matt Abeticola]

Looking at players only, our 10 favorite players currently in the Football hall of Fame.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, so it can be Bears, non Bears, doesn't matter.

[Matt Abeticola]

Anybody. You got to get. Get a list 1 through 10. And we're going to do no honorable mentions. It's 1 through 10 and your reasons why. These are your 10 favorite currently in the hall of Fame.

[Dan Bernstein]

No honorable mentions. No. Oh, this is going to be hard.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah, it's going to be really hard. But here's here. Here's my list, though, for you today.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay?

[Unknown Guest or Producer]

You notice this list? I'm always making lists. I make lists all the time.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, so this comes from Bill Barnwell at espn, and I thought that the headline caught my eye. Thought it was interesting and weird. NFL off season ranking. Every head coaching hire since 2021.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why?

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't know. I saw the headline and the first thing I said at my computer out loud, why? That's what I said. I said, why? I'm having coffee this morning. I'm on my laptop, and I was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, but why an editor comes to you. Here's what I want you to do. We're going to beat all our competitors of the punch. Go back to.

[Matt Abeticola]

I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Five years ago and rank every higher.

[Matt Abeticola]

Anyway, let's see.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure.

[Matt Abeticola]

Let me get this right. Guess how many that they list since 2021. I don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

50.

[Matt Abeticola]

You would think a good number like that would work, right? Yeah. No, no, no. Not this article. This list is the top. When we get to the bottom, the top 37.

[Dan Bernstein]

Of course, as one does give me the top 37 since 2021. And I needed stat.

[Matt Abeticola]

Why? I don't know. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to give you all 37. I'm going to give you the top 10. First I want to see if you think you can guess any of the top 10.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, God. And this was written when.

[Matt Abeticola]

This is just this week.

[Dan Bernstein]

So just this week.

[Matt Abeticola]

So looking at the coaching hire since 2021, I'm not going to ask you to give me the top 37, Dan. Just take guesses. The top 10.

[Dan Bernstein]

Since that. That's what makes it hard. And it's also. There could be some incompletes on there. There could be some people who are like guys like Ben Johnson or Mike Vrabel. You know, you could already make a case that variable should be on there.

[Matt Abeticola]

Maybe he is.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm going to save Rabel.

[Matt Abeticola]

Okay. Mike Vrabel is on the list at number. He is in the top ten. Mike Vrabel is number four. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. I'm going to say Ben Johnson, then.

[Matt Abeticola]

Ben Johnson also in the top 10 at number eight.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. How about Nick Sirianni?

[Matt Abeticola]

Nick Sirianni also on the list. Dan. And Nick Sirianni is number. Let me just scroll back down. Number two. Nick Sirianni, number two. You're doing good.

[Dan Bernstein]

For head coaching hires, I believe you could probably say Matt LaFleur should be on there.

[Matt Abeticola]

Matt LaFleur is not in the top 10.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not. Okay. Okay. How about Dan Campbell?

[Matt Abeticola]

Dan Campbell is number one.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. Wow. Even with last year considered, Dan Campbell is number one. Dan Campbell. Okay. Who else would be there? But in this is just. Did he give a rubric?

[Matt Abeticola]

No. If he did, I didn't read it because I just. I couldn't understand why they wanted to do it.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you couldn't understand why they did it?

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like why.

[Matt Abeticola]

Why would you do that? And then why make it 37?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, let me see if you want to ask the question.

[Dan Bernstein]

Geez. Let's see.

[Matt Abeticola]

Look at you looking at details.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm just trying to think about some others. Is. Is. Is Sean Payton on the list?

[Matt Abeticola]

He is on the list. Sean Payton is in the top 10, and he is. You're doing really good. I'm surprised you're doing so well. Sean Payton's number six.

[Dan Bernstein]

How about d' Amico Ryan's.

[Matt Abeticola]

D' Amico Ryan's number five?

[Dan Bernstein]

You.

[Matt Abeticola]

Are you looking at the article? No, we're not together. That would be great if you're just scrolling through.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I'm. I'm not.

[Matt Abeticola]

If you're like, man, let me. Let me take a stab at 11 through 37. Also, is.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is Mike McDonald on there?

[Matt Abeticola]

Mike McDonald is. Where's Mike McDonald not on the list.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, that. See, that's really interesting to me that he's not. Okay, well, I think I'm. I think I'm.

[Matt Abeticola]

Oh, I'm sorry. Mike McDonald. Yes. He's number three.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, good.

[Matt Abeticola]

Sorry, my bad. Yeah. Okay, good.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, well, then I think I got most of them.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. So number one.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this is their.

[Matt Abeticola]

Their. Their top 37 coaching hires since. Since 2001. Dan Campbell is one. Number two, Nick Sirianni. Number three, Mike McDonald. Number four is Mike Vrabel. Number five is Dimiko Ryan's. Number six, Sean Payton. Seven, Kevin O'. Connell. Number eight, Ben Johnson. Number nine is Jim Harbaugh. And number ten is Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that's kind of sketchy, I think.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. I mean, if you were going to put guys this first year, guys with maybe, you know, as you properly said, incomplete, I would have put Liam Cohen ahead of Dan Quinn. Liam Cohen, number 11.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's just a. Like I said, it's a weird thing to do to decide to do that. And now we've got guys who are already onto second jobs despite being hired relatively, relatively recently. When you're talking about, like, you know, five years, Kevin Stefanski already moving on somewhere, and everybody. Todd Bowles is.

[Matt Abeticola]

No, I just thought it was funny. And I like that your initial reaction was, why? Because that's the exact same thing I said. But, you know, you know what?

[Dan Bernstein]

I do. I do love it's the time of year. And this is. You know what? It's the fault of this super bowl matchup is what it is. I knew it. I knew this would be the. Another, like, knock on effect here. An additive effect of how weird stuff starts. Yeah, the weird stuff will be weirder when the super bowl is mid.

[Matt Abeticola]

But hey, you know, when all else fails, all you gotta.

[Unknown Guest or Producer]

I'm always making lists. I make lists all the time.

[Matt Abeticola]

Our lists are fun and creative.

[Dan Bernstein]

I got A lot of work to do this afternoon. If there's going to be. I'm going to be arguing with myself if there's going to be no honorableness mentions.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Let's just keep it top 10.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Top 10 and the reason why.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. But it is our favorites.

[Matt Abeticola]

Our favorites, current players in the hall of Fame. Our favorite hall of Fame players and not current players.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, like, not currently alive. It could be dead guys, too.

[Matt Abeticola]

No. Yeah. No, just got. Yeah, I. Yeah. Excuse that. Just members of the hall of Fame. Our. Our top 10 favorite members players of the hall of Fame.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yes. And we'll do that tomorrow. We do that every Friday on Dan Bernstein unfiltered here on 312Sports. That's also coincides with Friday Feedback Friday, where we take your voice messages, emails, Messages into the 312Sports app and we take the favorites and Dan harvests through all of the communications and picks his favorites out.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, there's going to be a lot of. Of Terry memories.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. Oh, rightfully so.

[Dan Bernstein]

A lot. And because I've been archiving them, because I'm going to curate all of them for when we. When we have a private event, I want to really make sure everybody's represented there. So maybe that'll be kind of a sneak preview that maybe this will be an opportunity for me to just pluck some of the little memories and little notes and things that made me smile and things that brought a tear to my eye.

[Matt Abeticola]

So I think you should curate those into a book and maybe put that book on your head when you share those stories.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ooh, that would. Then I get double protection. Yes. I like it.

[Matt Abeticola]

Yeah. So in case the ceiling collapses or a storm comes bursting through, you'll be protected.

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe I could put a copy in every room just in case. It'll be like the way that they make sure you have enough flotation devices. In a boat.

[Matt Abeticola]

In a boat.

[Dan Bernstein]

In a bro. The Coast Guard comes up and just checks you over, gives you. Gives you the up down, makes sure that you have enough. The Coast Guard.

[Matt Abeticola]

All right, we'll do that tomorrow on Dan Burnson Unfiltered. Make sure that you go to both YouTube channels, Forward Progress and 312Sports for Dan Bernson and Filtered. You subscribe both to those shows as well as click the little bell icon. That's how you get the notifications. But the easiest thing for you to do with the least amount of work and mental preparation for it, get the 312 sports app, Apple app Store, Google Play. You get the notifications right there. You can listen to all of the shows on 312Sports, Ford Progress, Dan Bernson and filtered organizations win championships. And from the 50 next week, the from the 50 episode I spoke to yesterday, I spoke to Lynn Jones, who was the reporter down in Jacksonville that met was in part of the media huddle that that gave that word of encouragement to Liam Cohen after the loss of the Buffalo Bills. So I had a, a fun conversation with Lynn Jones. I'll drop that next week on from the 50 every Monday they drop. Cool. She was a trip, dude.

[Dan Bernstein]

You told me.

[Matt Abeticola]

Absolute trip.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Like, how so?

[Matt Abeticola]

Just, man, she is. She is a ball of energy and man, it just. You just got to let her go. There really, really wasn't homeless. It was great. It was really good.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Matt Abeticola]

Good. Really good. All right. So hey, if you haven't done that yet, get the 312Sports app because there's lots of fun stuff in there for you to win as well. Two restaurant deals and we have concert tickets going on. But make sure you get the 312Sports app. Apple app Store, Google Play. He's Bernstein. I'm about a cola. This is Forward Progress right here on 312 Sports.

[Dan Bernstein]

Forward progress is stopped.

[Matt Abeticola]

Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.