The Charter: A Chicago Bears Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 184: What should the Bears aim to accomplish at the NFL Combine? Feb 20, 2019

Show notes

With the NFL Combine starting next week, JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and Paul Aspan look at if the Bears should still focus their draft strategy on taking the best players available, or if needs at running back and/or kicker should supersede that. Plus, the gang dives into what questions they want to hear answered from Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy next week and wonders if the thought of trading a draft pick for a running back is a good idea.

1:00: What questions do we want answered by Ryan Pace & Matt Nagy next week?

7:40: Do the Bears need to shift away from taking the best player available to drafting for need?

16:20: Robbie Gould is likely to get tagged by the 49ers. Now what?

20:45: Thoughts on trading a pick for a running back…like Cleveland’s Duke Johnson?

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Ep. 183: Just how good has Ryan Pace been? Feb 13, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, Paul Aspan, Laurence Holmes, and Cam Ellis debate just how good Ryan Pace has been during his Bears tenure, wonder if Allen Robinson was underappreciated this year, and give their predictions on the likelihood of signing either Antonio Brown or Le’Veon Bell.

00:17 – Laurence describes not watching the rest of the NFL playoffs with the rest of New Orleans

02:46 – JJ polls the room on their confidence in Ryan Pace heading into the draft

05:11 – Laurence goes into why he’s not been as crazy about Pace’s tenure as others have

7: 30 – Ryan Pace’s mid-round picks have historically been great – but can they take the next step?

10:03 – Allen Robinson may have been underappreciated this year

11:15 – a deep, deep dive into the Bears’ kicking woes since Gould left

16:03 – How confident are we that Pace can find a suitable kicker?

21:28 – Cam defends Cody Parkey for some reason

24:15 – How likely are the Bears to sign Antonio Brown or Le’Veon Bell?

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Ep. 182: What lessons should the Bears take away from the Super Bowl? Feb 06, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, Paul Aspan and Cam Ellis look at how Matt Nagy can learn from Bill Belichick’s schooling of Sean McVay, and what Ryan Pace can learn from how the Rams went all-in to reach the Super Bowl. Plus, the gang wonders if a recent trend of second-year coaches reaching the Super Bowl is good news for the Bears in 2019.

1:20: Is it a total crapshoot to try to win the Super Bowl as long as Belichick & Brady are together in New England?

6:10: What should Matt Nagy have been watching for in the Super Bowl?

8:00: Should Ryan Pace follow the Rams’ blueprint in building the Bears’ 2019 roster? Can he?

18:15: Kudos to Matt Nagy for running away with coach of the year honors

24:00: Do we like Bobby Massie’s contract even more now that details of it have been reported?

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Ep. 181: We don’t appreciate Bobby Massie enough Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and Paul Aspan break down Bobby Massie’s four-year contract extension and look at why it was a smart move to retain him, even with Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos set to hit free agency. Plus, the gang likes what they heard from Chuck Pagano last week and offers up Super Bowl predictions for Sunday.

1:20 - Does keeping Bobby Massie mean the Bears believe their running issues weren’t the fault of the O-line?

6:10 - Why Massie is worth the reported $8 million/year salary

8:30 - Is returning all 11 starters on offense a good thing?

11:30 - Why not make Bryce Callahan the priority?

15:00 - What’s the priority now that Massie is under contract?

18:25 - Thoughts on Chuck Pagano?

27:00 - Super Bowl predictions

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Ep. 180: Mitchell Trubisky is a Pro Bowler! Jan 23, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, Cam Ellis and Paul Aspan wonder if Mitchell Trubisky’s trip to the Pro Bowl can be beneficial. Plus, they talk about the Bears going to London next year and how Ryan Pace can fix issues at kicker and running back in the offseason.

0:25: What if you had someone who both knew Sean McVay and was friends with Manny Machado? Would they be an NFL head coach or be playing for the White Sox?

1:20: Mitchell Trubisky is a Pro Bowler. Did he deserve it? Does it matter?

6:30: Why it’s cool to see Charles Leno and Cody Whitehair get Pro Bowl nods, too

9:05: The Bears are going to London! Neat opportunity, or cause for concern?

12:45: Did the NFC/AFC Championship games make you think the Bears are closer or farther to the Super Bowl?

15:10: Would you rather your team lose on Cody Parkey’s double-doink or on an absurdly missed pass interference call?

19:10: How should the Bears go about fixing their kicking situation?

23:00: What does Ryan Pace need to do to address the run game?

26:40: Sneaky positions of need for the Bears in 2019

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Ep. 179: Bears seem to close door on Cody Parkey, but not Kareem Hunt Jan 14, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis digest Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace’s end-of-season press conference at Halas Hall, including the pair leaving the door open for signing Kareem Hunt, Nagy’s criticism of Cody Parkey, the hiring of Chuck Pagano and more.

0:30: Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy leave the door open for signing Kareem Hunt

8:15: Nagy was not happy with Cody Parkey’s “TODAY” show appearance. Is he done in Chicago?

16:00: What should we expect from Chuck Pagano as he takes over the Bears’ defense?

26:00: Odds and ends on Bryce Callahan and Leonard Floyd as the offseason begins

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Ep. 178: Wrapping up the Bears’ season after locker cleanout Jan 07, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis report from Halas Hall after Bears players cleaned out their lockers on a somber Monday following their season-ending loss to the Eagles. Where do the Bears go from here? And how important will growth from Mitch Trubisky be in 2019?

0:50: An update on Trey Burton

3:30: The Bears did not save their best game for the playoffs

6:00: The honeymoon is over, so now what?

10:30: Hear from Allen Robinson about why he’s confident in the Bears’ offense moving forward

15:15: What changes may be made to this offense?

18:20: What will Matt Nagy learn from this season?

22:00: Looking ahead to Ryan Pace’s offseason

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Ep. 177: And just like that, the season is over Jan 06, 2019

Show notes

Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Alex Brown and host Laurence Holmes were in disbelief as Cody Parkey’s field goal hit off the uprights and the crossbar, ending the Bears season early. The guys break down what the team is feeling after a heartbreaking loss in the Wild Card round, whether or not Cody Parkey will still be on the Bears next season, and look ahead to the expectations for the team next season.

0:30 – What is the feeling in the Bears locker room after the loss?

4:45 – Can you believe that is how the Bears season ended?

7:15 – Does Cody Parkey have a job with the Bears next season?

9:00 –Bears need more accountability for lack of performance

12:00 – Evaluating what was a really good season for the Bears

13:00 – What to expect from Mitchell Trubisky next year

14:00 – Is there a way to keep Vic Fangio?

15:00 – What do Bears need to clean up for next season?

16:00 – Does sour end to this season dull optimism for next year?

17:15 – The Nagy/Trubisky tandem going forward

19:15 – Evaluating Trubisky’s game and season as a whole

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Ep. 176: A Philly Special with Dave Zangaro Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Dave Zangaro joins JJ Stankevitz to get a full scouting report on the Eagles, and what Bears fans should expect on Sunday from a team that seems to be peaking at the right time.

0:50: Is Nick Foles going to do it again?

2:40: How much does Foles elevate the play of everyone around him?

4:45: What to expect from an improving Eagles O-line against the Bears’ front seven

6:30: We know Golden Tate and Alshon Jeffery well here, how strong is the Eagles’ group of pass-catchers?

8:15: How quickly will Doug Pederson abandon the run if it’s not successful early?

10:25: Just how good is Fletcher Cox?

12:20: Is this defense as beatable as some people think with downfield throws?

14:15: Quick anecdotes about former Bears and current Eagles DB Cre’von LeBlanc

15:15: How have the Eagles handled going on the road defensively?

16:45: So…are the Eagles peaking at the right time?

18:00: How’s local product and kicker Jake Elliott getting on?

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Ep. 175: Breaking down Bears-Eagles Jan 02, 2019

Show notes

JJ Stankevitz, John “Moon” Mullin and Cam Ellis preview Sunday’s Bears-Eagles playoff tilt, complete with these questions: Will the moment be too big for Mitch Trubisky? And can the Bears’ defense counter Nick Foles’ pixie dust?

0:45: Is Mitch Trubisky ready for the playoff spotlight?

5:00: A blueprint for success for Trubisky against the Eagles’ defense

7:30: How big an impact can Jordan Howard make?

10:15: The biggest player vs. player matchup of the Bears’ offense vs. Philly’s defense

14:40: How good have the Eagles been since Nick Foles started playing again?

17:00: Is the Bears’ defense good enough to just play its game and stop Foles Magic?

23:10: Picks to click for Bears-Eagles

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