Alex Brown, Former Bears Defensive End

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Price and coverage match limited by state law. Odyssey app. Also against the Knicks and the Knicks will try to close out the Sixers tonight at the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. We'll talk some more hoops throughout the show, but now let's get back to the NFL gridiron. We welcome in a former NFL defensive end, played many years for the Chicago Bears, did make two pro balls and now does a great job.

NBC Sports, Chicago Bears in the news, very much so with Caleb Williams and Roma Dunze being two of the picks going to Chicago in the first 10 picks of the NFL Draft. And Alex Brown is kind enough to join us right now on the Zach Gelb show. Alex, appreciate it.

Thanks so much. How you been? I've been great, man. Thanks for having me, Zach.

I appreciate you coming on. So a lot of excitement in Chicago. They had seven wins a year ago. We know the brilliant trade that they made to get the number one overall pick the year prior. Now you add in Caleb Williams.

Now you add in Roma Dunze. How good do you think the Bears could be here in your number one of the Caleb Williams era? Oh, I think they can be damn good. Honestly, I think they can be as scary if not scarier than any offense that the Bears have ever seen that Chicago Bear fans have ever seen. Honestly, you finally have a talent at the quarterback position that truly I mean, and I said this before, that truly has the talent.

If everything goes well, if you hit it right, to be a Hall of Fame. And his floor be Jay Cutler. I don't think there's any way he throws less than 3800 yards.

I really don't. Not with the weapons he have, not with the office that they're running. I don't think there's any way and that's the most yards that Jay Cutler threw.

I think he threw maybe 28 touchdowns in a year. I think that is the floor for Caleb Williams, even in his rookie year with the weapons. They're just they're scary, man. As defensive coordinators, I'm telling you, Minnesota, Green Bay and Detroit lines there.

Hey, you're scratching their head right now. I tell you, I would be disappointed if this team doesn't make the playoffs like I'm not going to say go win a division, but nine and 810 and seven easily makes the playoffs. It feels like in the NFC. Now this is a team that seven wins a year ago.

We saw what CJ shroud did in your one taking over a team that was actually worthy of the second overall pick. It doesn't have the talent that Caleb Williams is walking into, so they don't make the playoffs. I'd be kind of disappointed at this stage.

No, I I'm right there with you. I'd be very disappointed. Honestly, I'd be very disappointed. They're not competing for the division title.

I mean, let's let's face it. When we're looking back at last year, this team is clearly a more talented football team. Now the chemistry and all that stuff has to come. It's good that they've been already working together as far offensively. The defense should take a step forward.

You got more explosive players on offense. They beat Detroit last year and they should have beat him twice. So you're telling me with that team last year. They beat him and this team right here shouldn't be in that in that running and Kirk Cousins is gone from Minnesota.

I'm not saying I just. I think it's their Green Bay is Green Bay, right there, Green Bay, and that's always the hurdle. I said a lot that back in 2001, I believe it was the Bears wind. I wasn't on the team at that time, but the Bears went 13 and three and they lost both games. They lost two or three to Green Bay. It's always that hurdle, right?

It's just there that hurdle. And then you go up to 2010. Who stops the Bears from getting to the Super Bowl? It is Green Bay because the Bears couldn't put them away at the end of the season. It's always Green Bay. So you know you're gonna have to go up there. But when we go up there, when they come to Soldier Field, we actually have an offense that if they want to get in a shootout, well, hell, we can get in a shootout to Alex Brown is here with us.

You look at this division from top to bottom. We know what Detroit is and what Detroit has built the last few years. They're a legitimate Super Bowl contender. We've talked about the Bears potentially being a playoff team. But even you look at Green Bay, right? Great year one as a starter for Jordan Love.

We'll see what year two looks like. But even Minnesota, I know they got some work to do defensively, but they got weapons on the offensive side of the ball top to bottom. This is just a well-rounded division right now.

It is. And I think the Bears competed last year, and I thought they needed some help in certain areas. I think they went out and got that help. When you add in Romo Duse, you add in Akina and Allen, you add in DeAndre Swift, you add in Caleb Williams. I mean, it's just your team has to take a step forward. And when you look at those games that we played against those teams, this is gonna be a totally different team that we're gonna put on the field this year. So the expectation is there.

I think that's something that you have to take into consideration because expectation puts a little more pressure on you. So I'm with you as far as them making the playoffs. I think they should. I'd be a little bit disappointed if they weren't competing for that division, though. I think they can win the division this year and everybody come back and say, oh, I think they're a year ahead, just like they were talking about with Houston. So I think we're a more talented football team than Houston.

If Caleb Williams can have a similar year to what C.J. Stroud had, there's no reason we shouldn't win the division. I know you're confident in the Bears, but does that mean you expect to drop off here from the Detroit Lions that maybe what they did last year isn't sustainable?

Oh, not at all. I think Detroit's good. I think they're a good football team. But when you mentioned last year, you bring up last year, well, we beat them. We beat them last year. The last game, I mean, they scored I think they scored 14 points in the last four minutes of the game to beat us up in Detroit. So I think we had the team last year to beat them twice.

I definitely believe we have the team this year, assuming no injuries and all that stuff. So that we can go up there and beat them at their place and beat them at our place. So if they're the standard now, which I always think Green Bay is the team that you have to kind of measure yourself on because they're always good.

And that's why I can't stand them, but they're always good. So you almost you just got to go beat them and we got a shot. Talking to Alex Brown, former Pro Bowl defensive end for the Chicago Bears. Let me take you to the ninth pick.

I think Roma dunes a like we did a segment. Who are the three best players in the draft? If you can't pick quarterbacks and mine were Marvin Harrison Jr. Joe Alt the offensive tackle. And then I loved Roma dunes a throughout this draft process. What he was able to do last year at Washington. Were you on board even though they already added Keenan Allen? You have DJ more. Were you on board with the ninth pick?

Or did you think that maybe they should have used it on a defensive player? Well, I think there's a couple of things that play a factor in this as long as Joe Alt one there. I'm I'm good. Like we trade back.

We take Roma dunes a I think he's a heck of a player. Don't get me wrong. And we're not in the meeting. We're not in that room with Ryan polls, taking those phone calls as far as what people are willing to give up to trade.

So you have to take that into consideration. Maybe just one getting what he wanted. And there was a hell of a player there. And then you have to take what they've been saying is that they didn't think this could ever happen.

And when he failed to him, they were just ecstatic about it. And there was no chance they were going to give that pick away without something absolutely crazy as far as an as far as an offer coming from another team. So I'm excited about it. The fact that we have it now, I think it's expensive for a third receiver. But if you're going to run through receiver sets and you're going to get out there and run it around me, our office coordinator come from come from Seattle, where you had DK Metcalfe, he had they added in Jigba with other Tyler Lockett. So you he's he's had experience with three receivers and being able to get them to football. So I don't think it's going to be a problem. DeAndre Swift in the backfield, he's a problem there.

This office is going to be scary. I really believe that if Caleb turns out to be what I believe he can be, and I think he's going to be a hell of a player. You're confident you should be confident. I wonder, though, is there a portion, a large portion of the fan base that's like, we've been told before that we have the guy, you know, Justin Fields is supposed to be the guy he's gonna get 4000 yards pass it. Now Caleb Williams, the number one overall pick. We know that there's been a long list of quarterbacks in Chicago where it's like, Oh, man, the standards pretty low there is there is the overall fan base pretty confident. So some people say and let's see him get on the field before we get all crazy and delirious.

Oh, no, it's let's see him get on the field. And before we get all crazy, but my thing is, it's, it's like a marriage. You go into the marriage, you go all in it, you just pray like hell, they don't break your heart, right? Like, that's it. Don't don't ease into it. Just jump right in and go by the damn Jersey like go do it. Like be happy that you have a quarterback that has that upside.

And hopefully, if we're lucky, and he actually reaches that upside or goes beyond it, man, we're going to be happy for a long, long time in Chicago. So I say go all in. And let's see what happens. I mean, we had our hearts broken before. So it's not like we're not used to it. Right.

So let's do it. And the other thing too, on the rookie contract. Hey, yeah, if this is a problem, you got to go give Caleb Williams in a few years, a five to six year extension, and you got to pay him 50 $60 million a year, you want that problem. But you got to be aggressive, like this team has enough to be a playoff team, you got to be aggressive early and not kind of have everyone operated with kid gloves on. Yeah, I think I put them I can't wait to see them kind of come together and they played them first couple games. But to make a run like what Cincinnati made when nobody thought Cincinnati would make that run a few years ago. It was just like, like, can they do that? They have the pieces, the defense, the defense play like a top five defense, the last half of the year, if they can pick up right there and be a top seven defense?

Oh, absolutely. I don't think they're just a playoff team. I think you better watch out in the NFC. He's Alex Brown, former Bears Pro Bowl defensive end now does a great job NBC Sports Chicago giving us a little perspective after the Bears. I think they won the draft getting killed number one and then Roma dunes in at number nine and now everyone get a little crazy in a good way with the Chicago Bears.

So Alex, we appreciate you coming on and giving us a few minutes today. Hey everyone, Boomer Esiason here. The NFL draft is behind us and your favorite team is now gearing up for week number one. The free Odyssey app puts you right in the middle of the pro football conversation with the biggest sports radio stations from across the country. The local voices who know your team the best giving you their unfiltered takes on the current state of your squad. It's always football season right here on the free Odyssey app.