PALM BEACH, Fla. – The energy and excitement that new Bears coach Ben Johnson has helped infuse into Halas Hall has been palpable to chairman George H. McCaskey.
"I've seen him in the weight room," McCaskey said Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings. "I think 'frenetic' would be the best description. He's intense. You can see the competitiveness. He looks like he enjoys life, which is important for an NFL head coach. And his résumé speaks for itself. We're very excited about everything he brings to Chicago."
Johnson begins his first season with the Bears focused on the present and future and not concerned about what transpired last year. McCaskey and general manager Ryan Poles are taking the same approach.
"Coach Johnson said it very well," McCaskey said. "The past is in the past. We're looking forward now. We're moving forward. It's his team now, and we like what we've seen from Ben and Ryan and the way they work together, the way they communicate. By my observation, it appears to be mutual respect and mutual admiration."
McCaskey was thrilled with the moves that Poles made in March to fortify the trenches. The Bears rebuilt their interior offensive line by trading for left guard Joe Thuney and right guard Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman. And they upgraded their defensive line by inking tackle Grady Jarrett and end Dayo Odeyingbo.
"I'm a disciple of Jim Finks," McCaskey said of the Hall of Fame executive, who helped build powerhouse Bears teams in the early-to-mid 1980s. "I like the big guys. So strengthening the offensive line and defensive line I think is great for any team."
McCaskey acknowledged that he read a recent article anointing the Bears as "offseason champs."
"The underlying message there is that means nothing unless you win in-season," he said. "We've made the moves that we think are necessary and proper to put us in a position to win. But we've got to deliver in September and beyond."
Paying their respects
McCaskey opened his media session with an emotional heartfelt message to reporters, thanking them for offering their condolences following the passing of his mother, Virginia Halas McCaskey, Feb. 6.
He later added that his mother had wisely set up a succession plan that already has been approved by the NFL.
"We've said for many years that we intend to own the Bears for as long as possible," McCaskey said. "Another 100 years would be great. She set it up for us to accomplish that. She gave us the playbook. She coached us up. Now we've got to execute the plan, and we're prepared to do that. We've got to stick together."
McCaskey doesn't anticipate there being any shift in the Bears' ownership structure.
"There shouldn't be," he said. "Like I said, she set it up for a smooth transition, and it's a credit to her. In law school, I heard stories about people who just couldn't contemplate their mortality, and as a result, it caused a lot of confusion and problems for the family, and she had the foresight to set it up so we don't have that problem."
Back to the future
McCaskey isn't surprised that the former Arlington International Racehorse property is a potential site for a new Bears stadium. In the 1970s, his grandfather was exploring the possibility of building a new stadium there.
"Well, George Halas identified it more than 50 years ago as an ideal place for a Bears stadium and I don't know if anything that's happened since then changed that evaluation," McCaskey said. "As [Bears President and CEO] Kevin [Warren] mentioned, it's pad ready, it's got the Metra stop, plenty of acreage, topography is good. It can be an outstanding, beautiful green space with enhancements to Salt Creek."
Warren revealed Wednesday that the Bears are focusing on sites in Arlington Heights and downtown Chicago for their new stadium. McCaskey described the land just south of Soldier Field on the museum campus as a "beautiful spot by the lake."
"It's idyllic," he said, "and if there were sufficient improvements in infrastructure to make that location accessible 365 days of the year, it can be a fantastic opportunity as well."
