Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson spoke Tuesday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Even though Johnson went on a whirlwind media tour after being hired by the Bears in January, this is his first appearance in a press conference setting since his introductory presser. As a franchise, the Bears are in the midst of changes — and Johnson is at the heart of it all.
Johnson touched on various topics in his first press Scouting Combine press conference as the Bears’ new head coach. I’ve pulled some quotes I thought were notable and shared them with some additional context. You can watch the entire press conference below. In the meantime, enjoy the highlights.
New Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine
HINTING AT THE BEARS OFFSEASON PLANS…
Two Ben Johnson quotes stand out to me as hints at what could be coming this offseason. The first is in response to a question about how feasible it could be for the Bears to rebuild the offensive line in free agency:
“I think it’s been done before. I think there are a number of teams that did that last year. The Panthers come to mind when they went out in free agency and got a couple of top guards and really changed the dynamic of their offense and you saw them clicking there in the second half of the season once they started to really gel. There is no question that you can change the dynamic of a room just like that. That particular room, it does take a little bit of time for five guys to come together.”
And then this quote, which gives a broader view of the team-building process:
“We feel really good about free agency and the draft and how the supply matches up with our demand. And so we’ve been able to dive into the film over the last few weeks, but now we can verify the personality, the football intelligence, and all of those types of things that you normally wouldn’t have known from watching the tape.”
THE BEARS ARE “ALL-IN” ON FIXING THE OFFENSIVE LINE AFTER HIRING BEN JOHNSON
I thought it was interesting to hear Ben Johnson reference the Carolina Panthers’ offseason plan last year, which included adding multiple interior offensive linemen in free agency. Johnson noted that it took some time for things to click in Carolina, but the Panthers finished strong. All in all, it felt like the new Bears coach was hinting at what his new team would do on the offensive side of the ball.
© Talia Sprague-Imagn ImagesBUT WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSE?
The following Ben Johnson quote vibes with what we wrote earlier this month about new defensive play caller Dennis Allen dropping a not-so-subtle hint about the Bears’ offseason plans (bold emphasis mine)
“Talking with DA has been very enlightening because we share the same mindset when it comes to defensive football, which is we want to effect the passer and there’s a lot of different ways you can do that. Certainly, up front, the pass rush is the priority thing you think of. But also, on the back end, it’s challenging the receivers and disrupting the timing. So, when we look at guys that are available, absolutely we want to upgrade the pass rush and we also want, on the back end, to be able to come up and lock down receivers as well. So it’s that fine balance and marriage between the rush and coverage that we’re looking to augment.”
It sure sounds like Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen are on the same page regarding what this team needs on the defensive side of the ball. Johnson cluing reporters in on his conversations with his defensive coordinator was enlightening. It seems as if Chicago’s head coach has an idea of which direction the Bears will go this offseason in terms of using its salary cap capital (and possibly the team’s draft picks). There is no denying this team needs help in the trenches. Good thing that the team’s most significant needs happen to be in areas where free agency and the NFL Draft appear to be strong.
BUILDING A STAFF
My favorite quote from Ben Johnson’s press conference might be this one where he discusses what went into building his coaching staff:
“What’s so beautiful about the coaching staff that we put together is I didn’t hire a bunch of my friends. I went outside of my circle, on purpose, because I wanted to collect a different mix of experience, of energy, ideas, and we’re all going to make it come together and it’s going to be the Chicago Bears going forward.”
It is so refreshing to hear that a coach isn’t relying on cronyism to build their staff. Additionally, hearing Johnson speak about how blending ideas from different philosophies will bring Chicago’s football team into a new era is reassuring. What a concept!
© David Banks-Imagn ImagesTHE BACK TO BASICS TOUR BEGINS
“The springtime — not just for Caleb, but for the entire team — is we’re going to go back to the basics. And that’s the fundamentals of each position. Blocking, tackling, catching the football, running after the catch, ball security. We’re going to break it down to the studs and work to develop it from there.”
After watching the fundamentals break down (and, in some cases, not show up) over the last two years, it is refreshing to hear that this coaching staff is emphasizing the basics upon arrival. But with that being said, I do not love that this coaching staff has to go on a back-to-basics tour with a new regime because of the shortcomings of their predecessors. Even still … going back to square one every once in a while is good for the soul because we (as humans) can lose touch when we venture too far from core principles. Hopefully, ironing out the little things early will lead to big things later in the year.
For more from new Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, you can watch the video of his Tuesday press conference below:
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