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Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show

What are the Bears' top priorities?

09 Mar 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What are the Bears' top priorities during the legal tampering period?

1.718 - 11.796 Marshall Harris

Open the gates! There's plenty for everyone. No need to panic. There's plenty for everyone. There's plenty. Don't stampede. No need to stampede, sir.

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13.75 - 36.433 Leila Rahimi

It's not even open yet. We came back early. We've got 10 seconds. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy legal tampering period negotiation window. Pretend like teams didn't talk to each other and people didn't talk before this.

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36.616 - 40.403 Mark Grote

Doesn't it feel different? Wink, wink, nod, nod. How about that?

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40.443 - 41.485 Leila Rahimi

Doesn't it feel different?

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41.886 - 45.592 Mark Grote

I can't believe you just called it the legal tampering period. You hate that.

45.713 - 48.578 Leila Rahimi

Why do you think I did it with a mock countdown, Mark?

48.598 - 49.039 Mark Grote

Oh, okay.

49.059 - 79.448 Leila Rahimi

It's called tone. This news hit just a few minutes ago, and this is important. This per Ian Rappaport, the 49ers are now said to be open to trading Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams. Sources say if the situation doesn't get resolved, a resolution has not been easy and Williams is reportedly frustrated with the process. He is due $32 million in salary with a $38 million plus cap number.

79.428 - 82.875 Leila Rahimi

Because there's no such thing as a left tackle store.

Chapter 2: What is the significance of the 49ers' potential trade involving Trent Williams?

159.151 - 172.007 Mark Grote

By all accounts, still above average as a left tackle, not considered great or elite anymore if that's where he was at one point in time, but that's what you're looking at. So there's some expensive – but you do have to –

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171.987 - 185.371 Mark Grote

You do have to take care of left tackle, and you must take that seriously, even though they got away with Theo Benedetting it last year and Ozzie Trapillo-ing it last year and to varying degrees of success.

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185.752 - 195.505 Marshall Harris

Yeah, I see that. He's very Holiday In Express-y, and I don't mind a Holiday In Express. I had a refrigerator and a microwave. Yeah. So I knew I was living large.

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195.725 - 201.112 Leila Rahimi

You spent a long time downstate. You did. You did. Last week. We lost a lot of good mint out there.

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201.192 - 209.542 Mark Grote

I get it, man. I know the downstate world, man. I got you. Did you get that complimentary breakfast in the morning? Did you get some of those eggs in you?

209.642 - 211.004 Leila Rahimi

Did your face turn into a cinnamon roll?

211.825 - 222.779 Marshall Harris

Make yourself a waffle and a little waffle iron? What I did was grab fruit and leave with the fruit. I don't know if I'm even allowed to do that, but the fruit was there. I was like, I'm going to have it, not for breakfast, but for a snack later on. Smart.

222.799 - 222.919

Smart.

222.967 - 237.019 Leila Rahimi

I think they know who you are. They probably knew you were a guest and they were cool with it. Don't ever look like you're not supposed to be at the free hotel breakfast. That's how you give yourself away, right? If you look both directions and then run off with some waffles, that might show your guilt.

Chapter 3: How does the Bears' linebacker situation impact their strategy?

454.744 - 471.353 Mark Grote

A lot of us thought. I remember thinking in training camp just watching those two. It seemed like Caleb and Olamide. Like, he would have been the safety valve, and he was at times, but never quite what I had thought. But those are the types of guys that you're going to be bringing in now, having some pretty good depth there right now.

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471.333 - 482.135 Marshall Harris

You know what Olamide Zaccheaus ended up being, and I'm completely good with it, and it was functional, and it worked for a time, and he served a purpose. He was Caleb Williams' training wheels in Ben Johnson's offense.

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482.155 - 484.6 Leila Rahimi

Okay, so you said that linebacker's not your priority.

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484.9 - 499.827 Marshall Harris

No, linebackers, I feel like they will find what they need at linebacker. I'm not as concerned about them being able to find a linebacker. My priority is still up front. Give me an edge rusher. I think two things.

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499.847 - 502.892 Leila Rahimi

What do you do when you've already spent a lot of money on it, though?

503.007 - 527.441 Marshall Harris

I think you draft. I think you draft. And that's, you know, from a free agent standpoint, yeah, you got to sign the safety. I'm hoping it's Kevin Byard, two years, 10 per. That should get the job done. If it doesn't now, and this is why it can grow to be a bigger deal than what I think it is. I think they're absolutely going to get their edge rusher help from the draft more so than free agency.

527.501 - 533.167 Marshall Harris

Not that they won't sign someone in free agency, but let's be honest. It's not going to be Trey Hendrickson, I don't think.

533.187 - 560.571 Mark Grote

May I throw some names at you, Marshall? Yes. For possibilities, and this is a guy... In my work going through all of the defensive ends and interior defensive linemen drafted from 20 to 32, which I did over a couple of weeks ago, one of the names that popped up was Odafe Owe, who was drafted by Baltimore at No. 31 overall back in 2021.

560.551 - 580.873 Mark Grote

Last year he was traded midseason, but did have seven and a half sacks in 12 games for the Chargers. He is young, 27 years old, 30 sacks in five years in his career. He has not been an overwhelming guy, but he's a guy who can, you know, seven to ten sacks in a season. That's one name that you should keep an eye on.

Chapter 4: What are the Bears' needs at the left tackle position?

672.423 - 688.621 Marshall Harris

I don't think this is as much a theoretical, let's take the pressures and try to convert that into sacks. He's had sacks. He had seven and a half sacks in 12 games with the Chargers. He also has a double-digit sack season under his belt. You know who doesn't? Wait a second.

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688.722 - 698.811 Leila Rahimi

Was this Ian Cunningham's first actual order of business other than saying Kirk Cousins wasn't going to be there? Was his first signing Olamide Zaccheaus?

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699.128 - 701.931 Marshall Harris

Makes sense, right? Especially when you tie in that connection.

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701.951 - 713.842 Mark Grote

I didn't even tie in the connection, but I guess, yeah. Bear South. Bear South. Atlanta Bears. You know what that tells me? Is that Ian Cunningham was one that said, Hey, Ryan. Hey, man. I want a Lama De Zaccheaus.

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713.862 - 727.195 Leila Rahimi

If you're the Bears and you're trying to petition to the NFL and you're like, Oh, yeah? If Ian Cunningham didn't get a promotion, then why did he sign a Lama De Zaccheaus for his first order of business? Huh?

727.175 - 728.757 Marshall Harris

Because who in their right mind would do that?

729.057 - 735.967 Leila Rahimi

Look who he said. If that doesn't say give us two picks, I don't know what does.

735.987 - 752.028 Marshall Harris

Ian Cunningham is about to destroy the Falcons on his own. No, I'm kidding. I'm joking. I'm joking. Totally joking. I will say this. I rest my case. Olamide Zaccheaus is a lot cheaper than, I don't know, Alec Pearce, who just got a deal, according to Tom Pelissero, of four years, $114 million.

752.048 - 753.27 Mark Grote

Yeah, that was never going to happen here.

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