Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson takes on first NFL Owners Meetings with NFL Draft in sight
Lou catches up with Bears head coach Ben Johnson at the NFL Owner's Meetings
For the first time, Ben Johnson is attending the NFL Owner's Meetings as a head coach. FOX 32's Lou Canellis caught up with Johnson in Florida on Monday about the Bears' recent moves and more.
At his first NFL Owner's Meetings, Ben Johnson had plenty of jokes.
The Chicago Bears went from belle at the ball the last two seasons, holding the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years, to surprising in the NFL with strategic moves.
Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles put their heads together and reshaped the Bears' offensive line. That opens up so many possibilities for the Bears at No. 10 overall.
Those kinds of possibilities can take some stress off a first-year head coach's shoulders.
"Is No. 10 too early for a kicker?" Johnson said jokingly. "We can do some fun things there at No. 10."
Still, plenty believe the Bears need to address the offensive line, even after acquiring Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman and Joe Thuney.
That will most likely happen. It just depends on what round. Johnson reaffirmed how aligned the coaches and front office are on Monday.
"The game's won and lost in the trenches," Johnson told FOX 32 on Monday. "Ryan acknowledges that. I acknowledge that. I think the moves we've made as an organization acknowledge that as well."
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That goes beyond the offensive line. The Bears added Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeynigbo to the defensive line, but the need for pass rushers will always exist.
The Bears will have chances to improve those areas, but Johnson knows he also has to improve the areas where the team faltered.
Johnson said he's met with a good amount of players who told him where the team excelled and where the team lacked in the last handful of seasons. That can help the new coaching staff when they start preparing to install new offenses and defenses.
That's not going to be a simple process, but the Bears will have all summer to get there.
"Each year's different, each team's different," Johnson said. "We're going to have plenty of challenges and issues that arise throughout the course of the spring, training camp and the season that we'll look to work through."
Johnson, as he's said since he was hired, will never shy away from that.
"That's also what makes it fun," he said.