← Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Forward Progress - A Chicago Bears Podcast
Sam Roush’s NFL Roots, a D-Line Reset & the Latest from Springfield
00:37:46
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- [00:01]
Dan Bernstein
You're listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to progressive.com, answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings of $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary. Everybody talked about it since I first moved to Oregon. The big one. The earthquake that trashed the whole west coast. Total destruction. Officially calling it the largest natural disaster in American history. I just didn't know what would help me next.
- [00:54]
Matt Abaticola
So I took it all. Even the gun.
- [00:57]
Dan Bernstein
It was time cello see why American Afterlife is the number one fiction and drama podcast in America. Presented by pair of thieves. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Available now with Verbal's last minute deals, you can save over $50 on your spring getaway. So whether it's a mountain escape with friends, a family week at the beach or sightseeing in a new city, the there's still time to get great discounts. Book your next day now. Average savings $72. Select homes only. I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking forward progress. Come on. 10. 219, 219.
- [01:58]
Matt Abaticola
Forward Progress A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abaticola on 312 Sports.
- [02:08]
Dan Bernstein
Let's give you a little bit of Forward progress here on 3one2 Sports. I have it for you. And now we, we give it to you. You know what I forgot?
- [02:16]
Matt Abaticola
What'd you forget?
- [02:17]
Dan Bernstein
I forgot what it was like in this period where Bears football kind of goes away for a little while before it resurfaces. That whole post draft kind of gestation of this new iteration. Yeah, I forgot what it felt like to actually miss Bears football. Because usually we can't wait for them to disappear. And usually it's a welcome respite from worry. It's a welcome respite from nausea that they, they're gone. It's like, oh yeah, oh God, here we go again. The Bears are coming back. But now like, wait a second, when, when do they, when did it start? Right?
- [03:00]
Matt Abaticola
We've been, we've been counting down the weeks. Yes. No, for sure.
- [03:03]
Dan Bernstein
And it's so weird.
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Matt Abaticola
And it's probably got to be odd as well, too, doing a daily podcast where, like, in radio days, if there was no Bears news, you just didn't talk about the Bears. And generally you wanted to avoid talking about the Bears anyway during the off season. But now it's like, all right, we need to talk about the Bears every day because we have a Bears and NFL podcast.
- [03:24]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. It has changed the things where I'm looking at. Jesus. Does this count as Bears content? Interesting. I actually, I had. I had a friend of mine make a comment and I'm like, anything now When I think of anything could be content. Anything is discussable.
- [03:41]
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
- [03:44]
Dan Bernstein
I'm not going to say who this was, but there is a picture that. I think it was Getty Images or it was one of the. One of the sharing there, the sites for that such thing. And it's a picture of Caleb Williams. And you see, like that little practice clock thing behind him, but because they practice where they do, it was nothing but forest behind him.
- [04:07]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [04:07]
Dan Bernstein
So you see Chicago Bears quarterback, like, getting set to throw, but it's. But it's just trees and forest behind him. And I've got to find exactly what this text was. But I was laughing out loud because I know exactly what he was talking about when he said, this looks like such a great photo. It looks like Caleb Williams is working out with his receivers at Bussy Woods. And he said, if you just off camera, is the Mexican family picnic with volleyball going on there? It is. So I was just. And I looked at the picture and I'm like, yep, that's. That's probably it. And. And maybe you've got an opportunity. As the summer opens, the Bears could go to Cook County Forest Preserves and have a little seven on seven. They just kind of roll up and
- [04:59]
Matt Abaticola
run some routes and you can show up.
- [05:01]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, yeah. And then people are over. There's a couple people walking from a fishing spot. There's. There's the little picnic shelters that are there and a bunch of volleyball games and like the 5 on 5 soccer games where they're using the garbage cans for goals. And, you know, it just happens to be the next one is the Bears, and they're throwing passes to each other.
- [05:19]
Matt Abaticola
Have I mentioned to you that the public course here, right across street from my house, Pine Meadow, that Caleb Williams and Colson Loveland have been spotted there a couple times in the last few weeks when the weather's been nice?
- [05:31]
Dan Bernstein
No, I don't Think I've ever played Pine Meadow. Yeah.
- [05:35]
Matt Abaticola
So they've been getting out there and. And the. On the driving range and then on the course. Seen social media posts, people taking pictures of these guys.
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Dan Bernstein
An Illinois top 10 public course.
- [05:48]
Matt Abaticola
Pine Meadow is.
- [05:49]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Was it really? That's what it says. How expensive? Golf race. No, it's not. I play there because the kids coming home, so. Oh, geez. Oh, geez. That's not bad at all.
- [06:01]
Matt Abaticola
I mean, it's literally across across the street from like, I could put my clubs on my shoulder and walk across the street and go.
- [06:09]
Dan Bernstein
So you have two bass ponds and a golf course right by the house. Yes. Okay. That must be pretty incredible.
- [06:19]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, it can be if there's time to do either of those things.
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Dan Bernstein
Right. But then you're. You're in your basement playing Pac man or whatever, Galaga or whatever. You've got how many machines, how many different games are on that?
- [06:31]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, so there's multiple Pac man games. So there's Ms. Pac man and then multiple things of Pac Man. There's two Galaga games and then there's like Dig Dug maybe.
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Dan Bernstein
Yeah, yeah.
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Matt Abaticola
And then. And then the NFL Blitz is just the one by itself.
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Dan Bernstein
Okay. But I, I'm sure there's more probably hidden on that Pac man machine that you haven't found yet.
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Matt Abaticola
I would hope not because there's a menu and I would. I would hope they would put all the games on the actual menu.
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Dan Bernstein
So they hide stuff. Maybe there's someone that goes special like pornographic one they do just to entertain themselves and.
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Matt Abaticola
Yeah, but I need, I need some nice weather. Get across the street and I can see if I can run in the Caleb or.
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Dan Bernstein
I've never been invited up there to play golf. No one's ever invited me there. Well, okay.
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Matt Abaticola
Why don't you come up and play sometime?
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Dan Bernstein
Oh, really, Jason?
- [07:16]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
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Dan Bernstein
That's. That's so nice of you. We should do that sometime. Absolutely. Maybe before he leaves we can get up here and.
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Matt Abaticola
Please. But is he. Is he not. He's not very good, is he. Is he really good? I don't need to play with someone that's really good. I'm not interested in that.
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Dan Bernstein
Yeah, he's, he's really good.
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Matt Abaticola
Like, I need someone in like around 90, maybe like high 80s to 100. That's, that's my.
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Dan Bernstein
Yeah, he's, he's, he's low 80s. He's broken 80 like four times.
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Matt Abaticola
Okay.
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Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
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Matt Abaticola
And I just. If he can go on the other card, then it's fine.
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Dan Bernstein
I Just don't want to be around him. He's cool to play with, though. Like what we did when we played in a foursome, the three of us, just the other two people we didn't know. But at the turn, the other two guys came to me and said, how about the three of us play a best ball against him? Oh, that's what we did. Because we're just like, okay, so it'll be in. And we ended up winning. Actually, between the three of us, we beat him in a best ball.
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Matt Abaticola
Oh, I would hope so. You should.
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Dan Bernstein
I know, but it wasn't that easy.
- [08:16]
Matt Abaticola
There's Bears news about what happened downstate. Correct.
- [08:21]
Dan Bernstein
You know, you tell me if it's news. I think that it is. It's an update. But it's technically. This is exactly how you describe the gears of democracy turning right here, the gears of politics. This is how it all works. Because we know that the Illinois House passed their version of the pilot bill, and they're calling it the mega project bill, or the pilot payment in lieu of taxes, mega project legislation, whatever they want to call it. So they had announced that the version that they were going to bring up in the Senate was also going to have embedded property tax relief for homeowners, not just for big companies wanting to bring their projects here. And they also had a carve out that would not allow data centers to get involved in this, which I thought was great for them to just be like, yeah, okay, the businesses that everybody's incredibly concerned about doing horrible damage and pushing everything in the wrong direction for human existence, we're not going to allow them to apply for these. But it does appear that there's going to be work done on this, this bill. Now, on the pilot payments, 60% were supposed to go to rebates to homeowners in the taxing district, 40% into a statewide relief fund. And they're saying that Pritzker's office has found that a hypothetical $20 million pilot payment would only result in $1.29 of relief for a typical Illinois homeowner, and returns get smaller for smaller developments. So what the governor's office has said was change the math a little bit, move some things around to make it an actual stream of property tax relief. And that's what Cam Buckner said. He's in charge of this. And Cam Buckner basically said, once we figure that out, we can target this better, so we can't do nothing because we don't have the tools. So the governor's office, the House, the Senate, agree on that. We have to act, and that's what they're doing. So now it's a matter of tweaking and dealing with all involved to find that actual money within this bill. But it's all procedural at this point. It sounds like everybody is working together to just make this a little less wonky and make it work better. And then the moment it's done, it's done. So everything seems on pace for within whether two weeks, three weeks, within the four weeks that they have left to put this together, get it signed, and get the Bears committed to Arlington Heights.
- [11:06]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, so that's a good update and seems like a logical, intelligent way to view this and say, hey, let's. Let's get this straightened out.
- [11:14]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, that makes sense where it's been headed the whole time. Notice you're not hearing a lot about Hammond right now.
- [11:19]
Matt Abaticola
Right. Because Hammond wasn't a real legitimate landing
- [11:23]
Dan Bernstein
place for the Bears. And they. They know that. And I pointed that at the moment they started changing their timetable, that coincidentally happened to fit with exactly the time that was needed in the Illinois state legislature to get this all done. So here we are. And this is. This is how it looks. This is how it sounds. We'll keep an eye on it. But it's all positive movement toward the expected goal. Book a loved by guest property with
- [11:47]
Matt Abaticola
VRBO and you get a top rated vacation rental that's loved for all the right reasons. Ugh, I love my VRBO for the location. Good reason.
- [11:54]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, and for the pool. Cause pools are cool. I feel the love.
- [11:57]
Matt Abaticola
Book a VRBO that's loved by guests. If you know you verbo. I was looking at the Bears roster earlier today and specifically the defensive line, the tackles, defensive ends, edge rushers. And I wanted to go through and look at their contracts, make sure I had this right. So, okay, if I has. As I have it here, Javon Dexter, Kentavious Street, James lynch, one of the other.
- [12:25]
Dan Bernstein
That's the guy I keep forgetting. I keep forgetting James Lynch. I've got to just because it's. I don't know why it's forgettable after Kentavia street, perhaps, but okay, James lynch
- [12:35]
Matt Abaticola
and then Jonathan Garvin. So those four, their contracts expire after this season.
- [12:42]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
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Matt Abaticola
No real significant names there. I mean, Dexter, yeah, you know, but not really. So after 27, you have Montez, Sweat, Diode, Dangbo, Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, and Daniel Hardy. Isn't that the. Isn't it? So the. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. That's pretty much the majority of your defensive line, correct?
- [13:08]
Dan Bernstein
Yes.
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Matt Abaticola
So you know, Kentavia Street, James lynch, it's like, hey, you got one year opportunity here to show if you're worth keeping beyond this. Javon Dexter, this is really, this is your last opportunity. If you're going to be a Chicago Bear, you need to prove it this year.
- [13:27]
Dan Bernstein
Booker's on his rookie deal.
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Matt Abaticola
Booker's on his rookie deal. And then even in 27, after the 27 season, sweat Odangbo, Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, again, opportunity to prove yourself, Daniel Hardy, what he can do as an edge guy. So there's just gonna be there, I mean, potentially a lot of change. Good happen in the next year or two, Right? Exactly.
- [13:52]
Dan Bernstein
Good. Exactly. But they're not good enough to commit to more than they have.
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Matt Abaticola
Okay, but here's the thing though. It was a deficiency last season and it wasn't properly addressed. Like, is it going to become an area of priority or is it just going to be a thing where, hey, this is. These are the positions that we prioritize on defense.
- [14:20]
Dan Bernstein
Unless. Are they expecting now that they're coaching harder and coaching better, are they expecting that Austin Booker is going to develop into a frontline individual pass rusher worthy of a huge chunk of their cap, or are they?
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Matt Abaticola
Because you have a lot of other guys that you got to start paying coming up.
- [14:36]
Dan Bernstein
Well, you got one guy that you're going to have. That's the only guy that matters. And it may just be that rather than looking at individual cap numbers, the situation they're in now is pre Caleb deal and post Caleb deal and managing the roster. Pre Caleb deal is a completely different animal than managing it. Once you have given him all the money and then you've got to decide how do we pay pass rushers, where are we paying for. For sacks, essentially, who do we pay? How many sacks do we need to get? Who do we have to pay to get them and when? And you don't know the answer to that because that's, that's going to be, you know, half your cap is going to go to your quarterback.
- [15:20]
Matt Abaticola
Right.
- [15:21]
Dan Bernstein
And then you got to figure out where the sacks are coming from. So it may just be that simple that they, they can't have any entanglements that would be stressing them out when they're looking at the, at the post Caleb contract world.
- [15:34]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. So after this year, you're going to have a handful of new names come through the defensive line and we'll see what they do draft wise, but way too premature for that, and then even in two years after the 27 season, a lot of the names that you're counting on now to be productive won't be a part of it. It's gonna have a totally different look to it. There was a fun little thing I wanted to share with you on the Bears rookies, but before we do that, I want to see. Did you see who the Green Bay packers signed as a backup quarterback?
- [16:04]
Dan Bernstein
I did, and I will remember that it is to Rod Taylor.
- [16:10]
Matt Abaticola
Correct.
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Dan Bernstein
Is their backup quarterback.
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Matt Abaticola
Gerard Taylor was signed. They released Desmond Ritter to Rod Taylor. Drafted in 2011, wanted to go back through and look at his draft class. I love this. There are three significant names that are still active from that draft class. And maybe there's more if I. If I miss somebody, but these three names. Von Miller, still playing with the Commanders. Cameron Jordan. Now, did he. Did he sign a new deal with the Saints? Did you.
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Dan Bernstein
I think he. No, that's where he was predicted to go.
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Matt Abaticola
Or is he still available?
- [16:50]
Dan Bernstein
I think he's still available.
- [16:51]
Matt Abaticola
Okay, so maybe he didn't sign anywhere, but he's still active and wants to play at least.
- [16:57]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I believe so. His Wikipedia page just says he is an American professional football defensive end.
- [17:04]
Matt Abaticola
All right, and then last name, AJ Green from the 2011 draft class with Torod Taylor, who now gets the backup, Jordan Love in Green Bay.
- [17:19]
Dan Bernstein
I hope the Bears see a lot of them.
- [17:20]
Matt Abaticola
I do, too,
- [17:23]
Dan Bernstein
as I usually do. Whoever.
- [17:24]
Matt Abaticola
Well, it's. It's either Jordan loves bad or they're up by 40. So, you know, either way, I mean, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.
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Dan Bernstein
We're down by 40.
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Matt Abaticola
Well, yeah, but if the packers are up 40 and then, you know, let
- [17:35]
Dan Bernstein
me just see who else is.
- [17:36]
Matt Abaticola
Want to see that?
- [17:37]
Dan Bernstein
Who else is active? Okay. Cam Hayward is active from this draft.
- [17:41]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, he is. Okay.
- [17:42]
Dan Bernstein
Andy Dalton is active from this draft.
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Matt Abaticola
Was he with the Panthers? Where's he at? Where's camp? Where is Andy?
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Dan Bernstein
It says. It says Cincinnati now. Is he back in Cincinnati?
- [17:55]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, maybe.
- [17:56]
Dan Bernstein
And then, you know who was drafted one pick after Andy Dalton.
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Matt Abaticola
Who?
- [18:01]
Dan Bernstein
Colin Kaepernick.
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Matt Abaticola
Oh, was he really?
- [18:05]
Dan Bernstein
One pick after Andy Dalton. There's Tirod Taylor, who is 180th. He was taken in the sixth round. And that's it. That's it for active players. Although there was a third round supplemental draft pick that year, Quarterback Terrell Pryor was. Oakland used their third round pick in that upcoming draft in the supplemental that season. But that's. That's all I've got from pro football references. List of. Yeah. Cameron Jordan.
- [18:38]
Matt Abaticola
Cameron Hayward you added.
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Dan Bernstein
And then Von Miller. Yeah. It doesn't. A.J. green. Done. But he. They don't have him listed as active or they don't have him emboldened. As active, I should say. Okay. All right. Oh, there he is. I can't escape this dude.
- [18:53]
Matt Abaticola
Who?
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Dan Bernstein
Fucking Chris Przeinski.
- [18:58]
Matt Abaticola
That's two days in a row now.
- [19:00]
Dan Bernstein
Seriously, fourth round, 121st overall from Jacksonville. Why can't I get away from him?
- [19:09]
Matt Abaticola
Because you love him.
- [19:10]
Dan Bernstein
He's constantly making me think of bad white safeties.
- [19:13]
Matt Abaticola
You want him to be part of your life.
- [19:15]
Dan Bernstein
And his beauty queen wife. Didn't we find that out? She was Miss Wyoming.
- [19:20]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, was she?
- [19:21]
Dan Bernstein
Or he was Miss Wyoming? I.1 of them was Wyoming. I don't think. I think they got married in college.
- [19:27]
Matt Abaticola
Right.
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Dan Bernstein
I think he was like the college star and she was the Ms. White. There's only like six people in Wyoming. That's why I'm saying, like, he had. I think he came in second in Miss Wyoming. I think their dog was third. I don't. I don't know. Like, there aren't enough people that can
- [19:42]
Matt Abaticola
be that big a deal on the Bears website. If you go to the Bears website, they have a section for the rookies and it's like fun facts or fast facts with the rookies and so they ask them a series of questions. There's some fun stuff here I wanted
- [19:57]
Dan Bernstein
to share with you.
- [19:58]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, with.
- [19:59]
Dan Bernstein
About what? Just. I just. You always got to watch it with some of these fun facts because you may end up learning things you didn't want to know, but.
- [20:06]
Matt Abaticola
Well, there were some things I certainly did not know about Bears rookies.
- [20:09]
Dan Bernstein
Is one of them furry?
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Matt Abaticola
No, but Sam Rouse did. You know who's. He's related to Sam Rouse. Have you heard this?
- [20:18]
Dan Bernstein
I don't know. Henry Kissinger? Who.
- [20:20]
Matt Abaticola
No. He is the great nephew of Merlin Olson.
- [20:25]
Dan Bernstein
That. Okay. I think I knew that. Great nephew of Merlin Olsen.
- [20:30]
Matt Abaticola
So then his grandfather is. Is Phil Olson, who's Merlin's brother. Also played for. Played in the NFL with the Rams. 71 to 74. But the great nephew of Merlin Olsen.
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Dan Bernstein
I didn't. Okay, well, that's. No, it is clean bloodline. It is a. Yeah, that's what that is. He's got that good. He's got that Bajan bloodline. I don't know if.
- [20:52]
Matt Abaticola
I don't know it's that good. I don't hold.
- [20:54]
Dan Bernstein
Phil Olson was challenging people to arm wrestling matches out of the street, he set up a card table on the corner. Oh. Take out all comers.
- [21:01]
Matt Abaticola
All right, so here's a good one. So he. He's asked who's on his tight end. Mount Rushmore.
- [21:08]
Dan Bernstein
Oh. Oh, okay.
- [21:11]
Matt Abaticola
And I'm, as. I was reading through it, something I. I was thinking something I was like, oh, Sam. But then he. He got himself here. But he says, all right, who's on your. Your tight end? Mount Rushmore. So Zach Ertz is going to be on there. Stanford guy. I'm gonna put Jim Dre on there. Bears tight end coach and Stanford legend.
- [21:31]
Dan Bernstein
What?
- [21:32]
Matt Abaticola
You got to put Kittle, you got to put Kelsey on there. We'll go. Antonio Gates for sure. Gronk is going to be there.
- [21:44]
Dan Bernstein
Dude, that.
- [21:45]
Matt Abaticola
He says, I'm going over four. Yeah.
- [21:48]
Dan Bernstein
This is.
- [21:49]
Matt Abaticola
That's why I was like, all right. I guess Sam doesn't know what more is.
- [21:52]
Dan Bernstein
Sam, you went to Stanford. Now you're talking about Stanford. It's really, really hard to get into Stanford. You got to be really smart or really rich or some comb. But that. That ain't Mount Rushmore, which you got going there.
- [22:07]
Matt Abaticola
Well, at least he caught himself. He says, I'm going over four, because then he adds Tony Gonzalez. Gotta be on there. I put Mike Ditka on there. Bears legend, retired number. There's people that I'm leaving out. There's plenty of Stanford tight ends I'm leaving out.
- [22:21]
Dan Bernstein
There aren't.
- [22:22]
Matt Abaticola
He goes, those eight are definitely in the running for sure.
- [22:25]
Dan Bernstein
So what do you have, a second row of Mount Rushmore? You have to peel off the first. You gotta chisel away the first faces. And there's other. Underneath. Come on.
- [22:34]
Matt Abaticola
I guess.
- [22:35]
Dan Bernstein
No, Zach Ertz is not a. On the Mount Rushmore of anything other than being Zach Ertz. He's a nice player, but come on. Maybe, you know, Kelsey, nothing for Gronk.
- [22:51]
Matt Abaticola
Wait, no, he mentioned Gronk.
- [22:53]
Dan Bernstein
He's one of these. Okay, okay.
- [22:54]
Matt Abaticola
Gronk and Tony Gonzalez.
- [22:56]
Dan Bernstein
Gonzalez, Gates, Kellen Winslow.
- [23:03]
Matt Abaticola
Don't forget his. Jim Dre and Mike Ditka and George Kittle.
- [23:07]
Dan Bernstein
You start talking about the. Was it Dave Casper or Raymond Berry or Todd Christensen? You know, there's. There's a. There's a lot of great tight ends. Russ Francis. Can't forget Russ Francis.
- [23:20]
Matt Abaticola
Well, hey, that's. That's his. That's his Mount Rushmore, not yours. Okay, Dylan Thieman was asked what's one thing he wants to do when he gets to Chicago. Let me guess.
- [23:29]
Dan Bernstein
Okay, one thing he wants to do. He Wants to take a Chicago architectural boat tour. No, no. He wants to try Chicago style pizza.
- [23:45]
Matt Abaticola
Nope. Wants to go to a baseball game. Where?
- [23:49]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, Wrigley Field.
- [23:51]
Matt Abaticola
Wrigley Field?
- [23:51]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Yes.
- [23:52]
Matt Abaticola
Because one thing he wants to do.
- [23:54]
Dan Bernstein
The only thing you're allowed to say that you want to do regarding baseball, because if somebody said, I want to go to a dog game, they'd say, what's wrong with this person? But not now. Not now. Of course. You want to go to a Sox game.
- [24:09]
Matt Abaticola
So Logan. Logan Jones was asked, you know, about. About if he's ever been to Chicago before, and he said that he and his wife, they came up here for spring break not too long ago.
- [24:18]
Dan Bernstein
How long has he been married? How old is he?
- [24:22]
Matt Abaticola
He's like 42, I think I'm gonna
- [24:23]
Dan Bernstein
say, what are you doing, man? You're too young.
- [24:26]
Matt Abaticola
Married young. So. And then he and his wife come up for spring break, and he said all he did up here was eat, which I love that about him. Just ate. All he did is eat. So when he gets to Chicago, he wants. What he wants to do more is eat. He wants to eat more. Cool. I like that about him.
- [24:42]
Dan Bernstein
And. And that. What is that? The new. There's a new commercial thing where they. They're talking about. They get the Italian beefs from Johnny's in Elmwood park, and they send everybody out because they didn't get the right beefs or something like that. Can we. Can we move on as Chicagoans where everything in our identity has to do with either deep dish piz. No ketchup on hot dogs or Italian beef is there? Can't we be proud of something else? Can our identity, national identity, that.
- [25:11]
Matt Abaticola
That's there through sports.
- [25:13]
Dan Bernstein
It's local, but it's not national. It's even local. You're like, yeah, deep dish pizza. Does that still resonate? I love deep dish pizza. I love Giordano's. I love it. I adore it. I think it's not my entire identity as a human being.
- [25:31]
Matt Abaticola
No, I don't think it's identity type thing. I think with the Italian beef, that's like a point of contention between people. Like, where's the best beef? People fight about that.
- [25:39]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [25:40]
Matt Abaticola
People argue about that. Yeah.
- [25:41]
Dan Bernstein
Really, though? Or do we like to think that they do? I don't know. Have you ever gotten in an argument about it?
- [25:48]
Matt Abaticola
No, but I don't. I try to avoid people, so.
- [25:53]
Dan Bernstein
Which is great policy. Yes. But I can't. I don't think I've ever gotten into an argument about Any of these things. People have their preferences, and there's so many great options.
- [26:04]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, but I also don't get offended when people's preferences don't match mine. So maybe I'm not the right guy to argue with. Because if you were to say that you like Johnny's and you like bone of beef and you like one I've never heard of, I'd be like, great. I'm sure I'd like to try them all. I like. I like Italian beef.
- [26:18]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I do, too. I'm sure they're awesome. And put whatever you want on a hot dog. It doesn't affect me.
- [26:22]
Matt Abaticola
Logan Jones was asked, if football didn't exist, what would your dream job be?
- [26:27]
Dan Bernstein
He said, actuary.
- [26:32]
Matt Abaticola
No. He said, man, that's tough. I love football and I'm very blessed to be here. If football didn't exist, I don't know, maybe go play basketball. Basketball is a lot of fun. I think I could have been a good discus thrower or shot put. I always thought wrestling was so cool. So wrestling would have to be fun, too.
- [26:54]
Dan Bernstein
Is he. Is hitting your head with a cinder block a job? Because I just wonder. There's plenty of football players just like, well, where else can I smash my head into things for fun?
- [27:08]
Matt Abaticola
I don't know if they'd encourage this, but I don't know. Like construction jobs. Do people bang their heads against brick walls?
- [27:14]
Dan Bernstein
No instructions for that. No.
- [27:17]
Matt Abaticola
Well, maybe they do. They have helmets.
- [27:18]
Dan Bernstein
Maybe they, you know, helmets to protect from falling things.
- [27:22]
Matt Abaticola
I'm trying to. I'm trying to give you an answer to your question.
- [27:25]
Dan Bernstein
So they don't smash their heads on things while doing construction.
- [27:29]
Matt Abaticola
You never know. They could. It could be some construction companies that encourage that. What else? Oh, how about, like, a helmet tester? That's a. That's a good job, right? Like testing helmets out.
- [27:41]
Dan Bernstein
They have robots. I think they have those. I think. I think there's robots, like dummies.
- [27:47]
Matt Abaticola
Like crash dummies.
- [27:49]
Dan Bernstein
They wear the helmet and they make a guy take a series of cognitive exams, and they're like, nope, that helmet doesn't work.
- [27:59]
Matt Abaticola
And then he goes back to the Oval Office and he's fine.
- [28:05]
Dan Bernstein
Oh.
- [28:06]
Matt Abaticola
Oh.
- [28:06]
Dan Bernstein
You just made me eat my notes and I can't see what I wrote down.
- [28:08]
Matt Abaticola
Aced that one, though.
- [28:09]
Dan Bernstein
That's good.
- [28:12]
Matt Abaticola
What other jobs? I don't know if there's any other jobs that you can bang your head for a living.
- [28:20]
Dan Bernstein
You smash your head into stuff for a living. You could be a. You could be a. I don't know a heavy metal musician.
- [28:30]
Matt Abaticola
Heavy metal musicians don't smash their heads into things.
- [28:32]
Dan Bernstein
No, but they. But they. Head bang.
- [28:34]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, they head bang.
- [28:35]
Dan Bernstein
But it can't be good for your head.
- [28:37]
Matt Abaticola
No, probably not. It's probably not good for your neck
- [28:39]
Dan Bernstein
or your head because you got your brain sloshing around in your head. Probably bad, right?
- [28:45]
Matt Abaticola
I don't know. Can you think of anything else where you.
- [28:48]
Dan Bernstein
Where it's your job to smash your head? Anything? I mean, other than, like, other versions of football? Boxing. Head butter boxing.
- [28:57]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, yeah.
- [28:58]
Dan Bernstein
That's. That's why we used to make fun of Tommy Zibakowski. Remember when he was on the Bears, and then he wanted. He was boxing and, like. And then constantly getting punched. And so he said, like, what is his hobby? Like slamming his head in a car door just for fun. Like everything you have to do somehow has to involve brain trauma.
- [29:16]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
- [29:18]
Dan Bernstein
He doesn't have a doctor. I don't know. Yeah. Who knows? Because if I'm a doctor, I'm suggesting to a patient who does that to not do it anymore.
- [29:24]
Matt Abaticola
To stop doing it.
- [29:25]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Yes.
- [29:27]
Matt Abaticola
All right. All right, then. Oh, that'll be all with you. All right.
- [29:32]
Dan Bernstein
If I run? If. Can we just make sure of one thing when we talk football tomorrow? Do not make me somehow cross paths with former Bear safety Chris Prosinski.
- [29:43]
Matt Abaticola
We have a guest tomorrow for Ford Progress.
- [29:45]
Dan Bernstein
Of course it is.
- [29:46]
Matt Abaticola
It's former bear safety Chris Brzezinski.
- [29:48]
Dan Bernstein
Brzezinski. Yes, it's.
- [29:51]
Matt Abaticola
But we're not talking football. We're talking Wyoming pageants.
- [29:54]
Dan Bernstein
Cool. I'm good. Yeah, they were. They're. They're a UFL team, aren't they? The Wyoming beauty pageants.
- [30:00]
Matt Abaticola
Now, now I'm dedicated. I'm committed to finding a reason to have no stumble across.
- [30:07]
Dan Bernstein
Chris. No, no. And I was thinking about it, too, because when you were talking about the Bears, who were fate. Have famous relatives. Yep. Chris Conti's grandfather was Richard Conti, who was Barzini. Right.
- [30:27]
Matt Abaticola
Was. Was he really?
- [30:28]
Dan Bernstein
They're related. Yes. It's his grandfather. No. Yes. Yes. He. He plays Barzini in the Godfather.
- [30:40]
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
- [30:41]
Dan Bernstein
Barzini is a pimp.
- [30:46]
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
- [30:46]
Dan Bernstein
It says here Wikipedia's grandson is National Football League free safety.
- [30:51]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, yeah, you're right.
- [30:53]
Dan Bernstein
I didn't know that. So you made you mad about a cola. Made me think of both Chris Pruszynski and Chris Conti.
- [31:00]
Matt Abaticola
Well, they're both going to join us
- [31:02]
Dan Bernstein
tomorrow on White Safety Day.
- [31:06]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, by the way, there was some comments, too, that were left for us. Do you. And I. I'm. I'm. You know, I didn't even. We forgot someone last year who Wore
- [31:15]
Dan Bernstein
jersey number 31 last year. Oh, Byard did.
- [31:21]
Matt Abaticola
Yes.
- [31:24]
Dan Bernstein
Okay. So he was good. That's fine. So he could separate. It just. I didn't like much of the history. He was good that. That.
- [31:30]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And we both totally forgot that Kevin Bayard wore 31.
- [31:33]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, we did.
- [31:34]
Matt Abaticola
Last year.
- [31:35]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Yes, we did. We actually forgot that we went through
- [31:38]
Matt Abaticola
the entire history of the jersey of who wore 31 for the bears. Neither one of us could recall last season.
- [31:48]
Dan Bernstein
Well, it's a problem, but we'll be. We'll do better.
- [31:51]
Matt Abaticola
I wouldn't promise that.
- [31:53]
Dan Bernstein
I know. I'm not. I'm. It's an empty promise. But we're.
- [31:56]
Matt Abaticola
I think if we show up for this, I think that's a win right there. So.
- [31:59]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, just being ready to go and talking Bears football in any way we can. But this is. I'm. I'm. I'm looking forward to seeing the guys running around in shorts and throwing all these rookies there a lot.
- [32:09]
Matt Abaticola
No shirts on, right?
- [32:10]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. You know, it's weird, though, that I think I'm going to look at a draft class and apply the same rule that I do when it comes to the competitors in the super bowl, because there's so many opinions that can be cherry picked. Just like I always say, when you know who's in the super bowl, make your call, make your pick, decide, and then don't let anything that happens in the intervening two weeks sway you because it just floods the zone with shit. And the same thing happens with the draft class. If they. If they make the draft and you think it's bad or you think it was wanting, don't let anything that happens between then and the start of the season convince you otherwise. Unless there's an injury or unless there. There's. It's. You're probably going to be right. Your. Your first instinct is probably going to serve you well. Rather than saying, well, they're saying, in
- [33:06]
Matt Abaticola
this case, I'm done looking at drafts.
- [33:09]
Dan Bernstein
So for. You're not even on to 2027.
- [33:12]
Matt Abaticola
I'm not. I'm not looking at drafts anymore. I'm just going to wait until they make their selections and then we can talk about the players they actually pick. I mean, the fact that they didn't address the defensive line and that is all that every single person who talked about the draft said, this is what the Bears need to do. This is what the Bears are going to Do?
- [33:34]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, they didn't do it because I'm.
- [33:35]
Matt Abaticola
I'm done.
- [33:36]
Dan Bernstein
I'm. I'm already looking at a mock draft here for next year.
- [33:39]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I shared one last week and I got called out for by Strangles and so now I'm not going to talk.
- [33:43]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, no. Now what are you ever going to do?
- [33:46]
Matt Abaticola
Well, he showed up at the house.
- [33:47]
Dan Bernstein
So was I supposed to do.
- [33:48]
Matt Abaticola
He rang the bell, he's like, hey, you said you weren't going to talk about mock draft anymore and you lasted eight days.
- [33:54]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I hope your private security took care of him and took him to the special room.
- [33:58]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, he's still down here. He's with the committee. Actually.
- [34:01]
Dan Bernstein
He's actually. He's actually.
- [34:02]
Matt Abaticola
He's auditioning for something.
- [34:05]
Dan Bernstein
No, never. I never make it. Let's see. Dante Moore, number one. Arch Manning, number two.
- [34:10]
Matt Abaticola
See, I saw Arch Manning, number one on the.
- [34:12]
Dan Bernstein
Jaden Mayava, number three. Three quarterbacks. Look at all the damn quarterbacks. Darian Mensah, number eight.
- [34:20]
Matt Abaticola
All right, I saw Dante Moore going two and I think they had him to a bad team. Does he come out of the draft again? Is he still eligible or.
- [34:27]
Dan Bernstein
No car of number 2012. What? Drew Mestemaker. Now I like him.
- [34:35]
Matt Abaticola
All right, who do they have the Bears taking in this draft? And whose draft is this?
- [34:40]
Dan Bernstein
See, this is CBS Sports. They have the Bears taking Missouri offensive lineman Caden Green.
- [34:48]
Matt Abaticola
What number do they have, Matt?
- [34:50]
Dan Bernstein
Seventeenth.
- [34:51]
Matt Abaticola
Seventeenth. Okay.
- [34:52]
Dan Bernstein
Green plays with a sturdy anchor against power rushers. He needs to play.
- [34:56]
Matt Abaticola
Who's your guy?
- [34:57]
Dan Bernstein
Lower pads in the run game. But his high level awareness makes him a reliable, reliable blindside protector whose NFL future could be inside at guard. Well, then he's not a reliable blindside protector.
- [35:09]
Matt Abaticola
No, he's not. Hell is going on here. Hey, who's the guy that you liked? Was he drafted this year or is he not a senior? The guy who just falls down.
- [35:18]
Dan Bernstein
The Oregon guy?
- [35:19]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, he just falls down on his own.
- [35:21]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, I'm sure I misidentified that one.
- [35:23]
Matt Abaticola
II Was he drafted this year or was that. Is that too soon?
- [35:29]
Dan Bernstein
Was he number 75, is that right?
- [35:32]
Matt Abaticola
It sounds right.
- [35:33]
Dan Bernstein
No, I don't think that was right. Damn it.
- [35:37]
Matt Abaticola
This is gonna google Oregon offensive lineman that falls down on his.
- [35:40]
Dan Bernstein
I googled Oregon tackle and I get Oregon Tackle Outlet fishing gear. This is. This is when. This is when your algorithm is affecting your search results and needs to be turned off. If I put in tackle and get fishing tackle instead of football stuff, I. I have an algorithm problem.
- [36:01]
Matt Abaticola
Well, it came up on mine too, so.
- [36:03]
Dan Bernstein
It did.
- [36:04]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. It's a really good search engine optimization on their part.
- [36:07]
Dan Bernstein
Alex Harkey, my guy.
- [36:09]
Matt Abaticola
Yes, that's it.
- [36:11]
Dan Bernstein
Selected in the sixth round.
- [36:12]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, he was taken by who?
- [36:14]
Dan Bernstein
He was taken by the Chargers. Okay. Alex Harkey, sixth round, number 206. There you go.
- [36:21]
Matt Abaticola
They need offensive line help, so 206. Alex Harki. All right, we're gonna check on him. We're gonna keep an eye on that young man's progress and see. Falls down on his own.
- [36:31]
Dan Bernstein
I liked Alex Harkey. I did not like the part of the scouting report that says that he falls down sometimes. Son, get up.
- [36:40]
Matt Abaticola
Stop falling down.
- [36:42]
Dan Bernstein
What happened? Well, I fell. Yeah. What do you want to happen out there? I fell. Why? I don't know.
- [36:54]
Matt Abaticola
Keeps tying his shoelaces together.
- [36:56]
Dan Bernstein
Did you ever see. Did you ever see the spongebob episode where all. What?
- [37:06]
Matt Abaticola
No.
- [37:07]
Dan Bernstein
Okay, see if you can find it. It's where spongebob finally gets to work at the. What is it, the Crunchy Crab or the Crisp angry. What is it, Krispy Krab Patties? Yeah, whatever. And he gets the hat. He's always wanted to wear the hat. Okay.
- [37:27]
Matt Abaticola
No.
- [37:28]
Dan Bernstein
So he's working.
- [37:30]
Matt Abaticola
It sounds great.
- [37:31]
Dan Bernstein
Just hold on a second. Patrick keeps putting the hat on. And for whatever reason, every time Patrick puts the hat on, he falls flat on his face.
- [37:41]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [37:42]
Dan Bernstein
It's hysterical. It's just the way that it's like, you know, rule of three, rule of 17. He just keeps falling. Like the moment he just falls over. And I remember it was like, one of the first times I heard when Jason was, like, 4 years old, like, legitimate. Legitimately laugh out loud over something that was just obviously funny and it would not stop laughing. And we kept rewinding. It was that he saw it, and it was like the hardest I've ever heard him laugh was watching Patrick starfish fall down when he put the hat on.
- [38:19]
Matt Abaticola
Well, maybe Alex Harkey wears, like, a cinder block for a helmet.
- [38:22]
Dan Bernstein
He just takes the field and down.
- [38:26]
Matt Abaticola
I think my helmet might be too heavy, Coach. Why is that? I keep falling. All right, well, that's two mock drafts we've done now. No.
- [38:37]
Dan Bernstein
No Hat for Pat. I think that's what it's called. I think that's the one. I think that's what it's called.
- [38:43]
Matt Abaticola
That's the name of the episode.
- [38:44]
Dan Bernstein
I think it's called no Hat for Pat.
- [38:45]
Matt Abaticola
I'm gonna rush right upstairs and watch it when we're done.
- [38:48]
Dan Bernstein
You should, if you know what's good for you.
- [38:50]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I'm going to. Actually, I need to figure out lunch.
- [38:53]
Dan Bernstein
Don't eat lunch. We're having dinner tonight.
- [38:56]
Matt Abaticola
But I'm hungry, though.
- [38:57]
Dan Bernstein
No, no, no, no, no, no. You gotta.
- [38:59]
Matt Abaticola
This is.
- [39:00]
Dan Bernstein
This is a delayed gratification day. This is steak dinner. Boom.
- [39:04]
Matt Abaticola
All right, I'll just have more water.
- [39:06]
Dan Bernstein
Water. And coffee. Coffee is an appetite suppressant.
- [39:09]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, yeah. I'll have a. I only had one coffee today, so I'll do that.
- [39:12]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I've had, like, three pots of coffee.
- [39:14]
Matt Abaticola
I think I'll have coffee for lunch.
- [39:17]
Dan Bernstein
Sounds like a plan. All right. And that's that. That's Forward Progress.
- [39:21]
Matt Abaticola
You're welcome.
- [39:22]
Dan Bernstein
On 31 2, sports. Forward progress has stopped.
- [39:35]
Matt Abaticola
Forward progress, a chicago bears podcast with dan bernstein and matt abeticola.
- [39:41]
Dan Bernstein
On 312 sports. Support is available 247 with VRBoCare. We're here day or night, ready whenever you need help. Because a great trip starts with the right support.