Have the Bears done enough to replace 2025's defensive difference-makers?
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What are the Bears' recent changes in their defensive lineup?
Rahimi Harrison-Grody. Could you imagine Lovey Smith doing the whole good, better, best thing and saying bleep the Packers?
Come on, guys. Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Never let it rest. I'll see you on Tuesday. Middays 10 to 2 on 104.3 The Score. This is Rahimi Harrison-Grody on 104.3 The Score. Mark Grody and Layla Rahimi are in with you on this Thursday. And we are awaiting later today to hear from the Bears front office. Ryan Poles is speaking, and I think that that's important because we haven't heard from him a lot, which is really, really good to know. So we'll hear from him. I think we're also expecting to hear from some of the Bears' new acquisitions. So that'll be really helpful to help fill in our gaps over at Hallis Hall. But in the meantime... Marshall and I were talking about this yesterday, Mark, the waves of free agency and how you kind of time them.
I feel like this is the close of the first major wave of free agency. When the league tampering window opens on Monday, you get all the smattering of free agent news on the first day and then it kind of closes out. And then the GM speaks because it's a new league year. And then we'll get like the details guys signing like Nashawn Wright did last year. You know, that was the, the Bears have also added these guys and it's like 10 guys who they've signed or something. So now that this first wave of free agency is closed, do you Mark feel like the Bears have done enough in replacing the players who left with guys who can help this team improve on the record they had last year?
I think it's a good start to what they have done with, you know, specifically the signing of Kobe Bryant was a good signing. The fact that Kevin Bayard is not coming back to the Bears is bad. So there's another hole. And I don't think Jaquan Brisker is walking through that door either. I'm okay with Devin Bush as well to be paired with DeMarco Jackson and TJ Edwards and maybe the speedy Reuben Hippolite as well. You added a little depth on the line with Neville Gallimore. You went out and got your center, and then you got a bunch of depth pieces as well. To me, it's a good start. But there's still lots of holes as we sit here right now. There's no way I can say that this Bears team is better on paper than what they had, than what they won 11 games for them last year.
And that's where I sit with this is when I consider how many one score games the Bears won and how we talk about so much, how we discuss, you know, the plays that a guy like, yeah, Tremaine Edmonds may have not been what you wanted him to be in the totality of his career with the Bears. He got released in the last year of his contract. But he still led the team in tackles in the regular season despite missing four games. He had 112 tackles. He had four interceptions. That was near the top of the league. Thankfully, Kobe Bryant also had four interceptions in the regular season, so that puts him in familiar territory. But Kevin Byard was an outright playmaker last year. He obviously helped win you a couple games.
And then there's the play of Nashawn Wright, who helped you out in some close games, especially against the Vikings as well. Like, I think about that interception in the end zone. Well, when it's a two-point win, Mark... How can you tell me taking a touchdown away doesn't matter? So then when you try to put into place those performances and how they actually affected points on the board and wins and losses, it's really hard for me to see right now, based on who they've signed, how that's going to help the team. Because when playmakers go away, do you have enough playmakers in their places at the prices you need them to be under a salary cap?
The Bears had 33 takeaways last year, and you just mentioned the two key guys. Kevin Byard and Nashawn Wright were responsible for including fumbles, at least 12 interceptions, and at least, what, three fumble recoveries? So let's just say...
And then add in Tremaine's four interceptions. Oh, yeah, add in Tremaine's.
How has free agency impacted the Bears' roster decisions?
And didn't he have a fumble, too, I believe?
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Chapters
4 chaptersSpeakers
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