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Lunch-hour Chat with Chicago Bears GM Phil Emery
Comment From Guest
Phil, have you or anyone on your staff ever thought of bring back Brian Urlacher as some type of Defensive Coach?
Wednesday September 4, 2013
11:59
Chicago Bears: Greetings Bears fans! As part of Back to Football Week, Bears general manager Phil Emery will answer your questions live on ChicagoBears.com for an hour beginning right now. So please submit your question and include your name.
12:02
Comment From nick
Do you anticipate Kyle Long to move to a tackle position within the next few seasons or is he going to remain where he is?
12:03
Phil Emery: Kyle's done a really good job for us and made continued progress. We anticipate leaving him at guard. Eventually he will get some reps in practice at tackle. But for the foreseeable future Kyle will remain at guard.
12:03
Comment From Mal
Many players and coaches have talked up Marc Trestman and how he relates so well to quarterbacks and brings out their best. What changes have you seen in Jay Cutler under Coach Trestman so far?
12:05
Phil Emery: I see a guy with a smile on his face every day, so that tells me that Jay is excited about the direction of our offense and our team. He has a very good relationship with not only Marc Trestman but quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh as well and has greatly benefitted from Matt's tutelage.
12:06
Phil Emery: Clearly, they will be tested against the Bengals. The Bengals have one of best fronts in the NFL. It will be a great challenge. What I'm most excited about with our offensive line is how they're working together and the physicality that they bring on each and every play.
12:08
Phil Emery: The salary cap isn't a problem. It's the same for every team. We're close to the top of our rescources. However, our decisions will always be based on evaluations of the team and players. We don't base decisions on the cap; ultimately all decisions are based on evaluations.
12:09
Comment From Brett Y
Really just want to say thank you for overhauling the OL. One of your biggest problem is salary cap. Do you have plans in place to fix the salary cap issues going forward
12:09
Comment From bob from morris
What did you see in David Bass that caused you to go put him on the roster over all the guys that were in camp that were recently cut to get the roster down to 53?
12:10
12:11
Phil Emery: We see a player with a good upside. He has the length and size that we're looking for and his body frame still has 10-15 pounds of growth potential. He's a good point of attack player and we're also excited about the intanigbles that he brings. He was a three-time captain in college at Missouri Western and what also caught our eyes is that he had good tackle production in each and every preseason game that he played.
12:11
Comment From Tom
Hi Phil, how do you think the age of the defense will play into its effectiveness? Thanks
12:12
Phil Emery: Yes, I think the experience of the defense is really going to add to the unit's effectiveness. These are very good and very productive players who have continued to excel.
12:12
Comment From Maurice
What are your expectations for the team over the course of the season as they adjust to a new coaching staff?
12:13
Phil Emery: I've seen tremendous buy-in. I see a team that has gelled throughout the OTAs and training camp. We all want the same thing: to win and to win championships, and we all expect progress toward that goal.
12:13
Comment From Dan
Phil, it seems like it's been a while since the Bears have had a "traditional" fullback. Tony Fiammetta looked great in the pre-season, and I'm excited to watch him lead the way for Matt Forte and Michael Bush (and maybe even Michael Ford). How much do you think he'll be on the field this year?
12:15
Phil Emery: That will all depend on the formation and personnel groupings that coach Trestman and his staff put together. That will depend on what groupings are best to game plan for and defeat our opponent. Some weeks he may get 30 reps; others he may get only 5 to 10.
12:15
Comment From Neil
Are you at all concerned with the possibility of two offensive tackles being injured during the season now that Jonathon Scott has been released?
12:16
Phil Emery: Jon Scott is a player that we like. Getting ready for the first opponent dictated the moves that we made. There's always a possiblity that Jon will return to the Bears.
12:16
Comment From Jerry K.
Will the Bears consider bringing back Blanchard at QB after he heals from his hand injury?
12:16
Phil Emery: Matt is another player who made tremendous progress during his time with the Bears. He's a player that we will definitely keep tabs with and we will see what the future brings.
12:17
Comment From Brad
Jordan Palmer had a monster game against Cleveland. I was a little surprised he was released. Any chance of bringing him back?
12:18
Phil Emery: Jordan did an excellent job when he was here. It was amazing how much progress both he and Trent Edwards made while they were here. Our roster composition worked best when it included two quarterbacks and not three, and part of the reason for them being here was so they would learn and understand our system in case the need arose to bring them back.
12:20
Comment From Anthony
Are you guys considering bringing in a fifth safety sincce there is a history of injuries withe Major Wright and Chris Conte? Craig Steltz is a solid backup but after him there is a drop off.
12:22
Phil Emery: Like all teams, we have an emergency ready list. We continuously update that list and we will also bring in a number of safeties throughout the year for workouts so that we have current evalautions on them. So if the need arises, we will make whatever roster adjustments are necessary.
12:22
Comment From Kevin
Thoughts on Jon Bostic not starting? and how much will he play at MLB?
12:23
Phil Emery: Don't ever assume that our depth chart today reflects what will happen on Sunday. That evaluation is ongoing and we're excited about either player representing the Bears as a starter against the Bengals.
12:23
Comment From Wenk
How much does Larry Mayer pester you with questions?
12:24
Phil Emery: Larry scares me a little bit with the eye black. I do stay in the football-ready position at all times. I will say I do look forward to Larry's questions during our press conferences. He helps keep me on track.
12:25
Comment From Guest
Who is the backup swing tackle now that scott is cut?
12:26
Phil Emery: Going into this weekend it will be Eben Britton. Eben's been outstanding in his level of professionalism, toughness and smarts throughout camp. We're very glad he's part of the Bears. His versatility hellps us greatly.
12:27
Comment From Bryan - Lockport
I would LOVE to see Hard Knocks in Chicago. Any chance of having the show film the Bears in the future?
12:28
Phil Emery: As I spoke about in our first press conference at the start of camp, we are a traditional organization that feels our best connection with our fans is to come down to Bourbonnais and enjoy the live experience with us. There's nothing like seeing the team through your own eyes and how it's coming together.
12:28
Comment From Guest
what do you think about Tim Tebow? have you thought about getting him
12:30
Phil Emery: I had the fortunate experience to see Tim live in college in two games and several practices. Tim has a unique skill set. His intangibles are off the charts. Right now we have two quarterbacks and we're going to stick with where we're at with our roster. We have no future plans to consider Tim.
12:30
Comment From Bruce
What do you see in store this year for Marquess Wilson? Will he get playing time early on?
12:31
Phil Emery: Marquess has been a real pleasure during camp. His overall focus and skill set has been positive and intrigued us all. We're excited about his developmental upside and we see him contributing on the field at some point this season.
12:32
Comment From Jon
Will the Bears team prepare differently for Green Bay this year than they have in the past? Green Bay seems to still have the same scheme yet the Bears have been unable to beat them in recent years.
12:33
Phil Emery: The simple answer is yes. We're had a change in staff and overall philosphy. The other part is we've had a change in our overall roster, which gives it a different dynamic. And we've added offensive weapons including tight end Martellus Bennett, receiver Marquess Wilson and a different dynamic in protection with four new starters on the offensive line.
12:34
Comment From Jim
Do you have any pregame rituals?
12:35
Phil Emery: Since I've been in Chicago, I love taking up to an hour and a half walk in the streets of downtown the morning of games. It gives me a lot of energy going into the game. No city matches the city of Chicago. It's an absolute must in terms of rituals for me.
12:35
Comment From Josh
What type of role can we see for Dante Rosario? Will he line up in the backfield often?
12:36
Phil Emery: Dante's skill set gives him a lot of flexibility. Like our fans have seen with our tight ends, they will line up in a wide variety of spots. The reason we traded for Dante is his ability to perform multiple functions along with his upside as a receiver and his aggressivess on special teams.
12:37
Comment From Brett Y
I've been on a diet since the beginning of the year and would like to know how much of a factor nutrition plays with members of the Bears.
12:39
Phil Emery: It plays a very big role,. Our strength and conditioning staff led by Mike Clark and Jim Arthur spend a great deal of time working with our athletes in this area. It's a particular speciality of Jim Arthur. The investment that ownership has made in our cafeteria, our cafeteria staff and the high quality of the staff and they food they serve speaks of the importance that we feel nutrition has on our players' performance.
12:40
Comment From Bill
How has Lance Briggs responded to the responsibility of calling the defensive signals?
12:41
Phil Emery: Extremely well. It's a testament to Lance, of the high quality person and player that he is, that he asked for the responsibility before our staff approached him. He, along with our other key veterans such as Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Julius Peppers and one of our newcomers James Anderson, have been great working together to get our defense lined up properly.
12:42
Comment From Matt
Phil, what's for lunch?
12:42
Phil Emery: As usual, a good strong cup of Starbucks. Black, no cream; it's the only way to roll.
12:42
Comment From Thomas
Of all the QB's around the league, what made you bring in McCown as the back-up?
12:44
Phil Emery: We had the best experience with himn last year. Josh has proven that he can go into a game in a backup situation and win it, as he did against the Vikings in 2011. He has 33 starts in this league. Beyond his experience as a starter, he has good mobility and very good intelligence and leadership ability. He has and continues to be an under-the-radar leader who helps pull all aspects of our team together.
12:44
Comment From Clyde
Phil, what differences can we expect from Mel Tucker's version of the cover 2 versus Rod Marinelli's cover 2?
12:45
Phil Emery: No competitive secrets will be given. I really like how Mel has taken charge of our defense. He's a very positive, upbeat and intelligent person. He and our staff have done a great job of getting our players ready for this fall.
12:45
Comment From Guest
Who makes the decision of what team you play in the 4th preseason game?
12:47
Phil Emery: It's a cooperative decision between the two teams. Teams are responsible for scheduling the final preseason game. The Bears and Browns have been good for each other. It's a game that works for both sides. The travel is easy and both cities have a good fan base. I was tremendously impressed with the number of Bears fans and their enthusiasm for this past match-up against the Browns.
12:47
Comment From idiosyncronaut
Is there a prototype, or at the very least a certain level of baseline skillset, you are specifically looking for when evaluating developmental Quarterbacks?
12:49
Phil Emery: No. 1 they have to have a good live arm and good or better mobility. Most important when considering developmental prospects at the quarterback position is that they have very good intelligence and poise. These intangibles will allow them to develop their decision-making ability when they face higher-level competition. There is no single more important quality than their decision-making ability.
12:49
Comment From Brian
How many college games do you attend to scout in person and will you be one of the many scouts at the Norte Dame vs Michigan Saturday?
12:50
Phil Emery: I won't be there. I will start on the road in earnest next week after our opener. I did scout three teams during our recent trip out to Oakland. Overall this fall I will have seen over 40 teams play live at either games or practices.
12:50
Comment From Ben
What progress have you seen from Isaiah Frey this preseason? Do you expect him to start in the nickel role this year?
12:52
Phil Emery: Yes, we expect him to start in that role. He has used his developmental year wisely. He spent a lot of time developing his athletic ability along with his strength and investing himself into learning the nuances of the game. This has shown up repetitively during camp and preseason games with his production on the ball.
12:52
Comment From Chris
How much do 40 times and vertical jumps mean to you while evaluating and drafting a player?
12:54
Phil Emery: They're a part of the segment of what we evaluate in terms of the physical skilll set of a player. They're important that they're within an acceptable range of the position. We are always looking for playeers that have the highest developmental ceiling possible. However, it always gets down to the player being productive enough and skilled at the game of football from what we see on tape and in live evaluations.
12:54
Comment From Rick
What are your criteria for selecting practice squad players?
12:58
Phil Emery: There are several items to consider. No. 1, the outline is to make sure that you have enough players at each position to properly practice and prepare for your opponent. An example of this is we will always have at least 10 offensive linemen on the team when you include the 53 and practice squad roster. Second would be the developmental upside of the player. We're looking for players that have tools and traits that they can further develop so they have the ability to contribute on the 53-man roster at some point. Third, depending on our opponent, we will rotate the members of the practice squad to include players at positions that will pose the greatest threat to us, so at times we may carry two or three wide receivers instead of one depending on the strength of the opponent's receiver grouping. This is the aspect of the practice squad where competitive preparation is paramount.
12:58
Comment From Tristan
From a practice standpoint, how does college football differ from the NFL?
1:01
Phil Emery: No. 1, just the expanded numbers in college gives you a chance to practice longer and at a higher tempo and with more contact. There's no restrictions in college on the number of padded practices once the season starts, and that's a distinct difference in terms of being able to develop players throughout the year. I'm extremely impressed with the way that coach Trestman runs our practice with ones versus ones at a high-tempo and pace. This will allow our players to be ready at game speed on game day.
1:03
Phil Emery: I really enjoyed spending lunch with you. I greatly appreciate our fans and their love for the Chicago Bears. If you see me on the streets of Chicago on the morning of a game, please walk up and say hello. I'm very much looking forward to seeing our fans on Sunday, and go Bears!
_________________ Seacrest wrote: I rarely troll.
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