Speak Up: Marc Trestman Talks Draft Strategy and Much More at NFL Combine

Head coach Marc Trestman of the Chicago Bears addresses the media at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 21 in Indianapolis, Ind. (AP Photo/Johnny Vy)

New Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman talked to the media at the 2013 NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Thursday.

Here’s a brief summary of his Q&A session with the media, via NFL.com.

On how the last few weeks have been:

“Let me just start by telling you I’m unbelievably excited about being the Chicago Bears’ head football coach, and that’s a great way to start the day. A little bit about what we’ve been doing over the last five weeks. We started immediately on putting a staff together. I think we’ve done a fantastic job collectively and organizationally putting together a group of men who are not only great teachers but guys with great people skills.”

On what the main focus is of the coaching stuff is right now:

“Our coaches have spent a tremendous amount of time watching tape of our players and evaluating them as much as we can without having the opportunity to spent time with them on the practice field and meetings. Secondly, we’ve also done a very diligent job—our staff and our personnel people—evaluating the free agents that are out there as well. The process for both is ongoing and certainly that information will be kept internally as we move on into the offseason and we can get closer to those dates.”

On what he hopes to get accomplished at the NFL Combine:

“Early on the excitement is always to come to the combine to get a first look at these guys from my standpoint and from every organization’s standpoint. This is where it gets started. Certainly it’s been ongoing relative to the personnel department and our scouting department and things like that. But this is a first look from a coaches standpoint.”

On if Brian Urlacher will be brought back next season:

“You know, that is an ongoing process. We certainly have evaluated our entire football team as much as we can without seeing them work, having a chance to spend some time, some formal time with him on the field and again as we move forward in this process through the combine and through the spring, obviously all of these things are going to be resolved. But right now between Phil and the personnel department and myself and the coaching department, we continue to talk about these things and process the information. But at this time we are not going to go any farther than that in our discussions.”

On contract talks with Jay Cutler:

“I haven’t discussed any of that with Jay or Phil up to this point.”

On what he thinks about Cutler’s body language on the field:

“Everybody has an opinion on that. I am excited to coach Jay. I have had a couple of opportunities to talk with him on multiple levels and am excited to work with him in all facets of his game, I really am. He’s an extremely bright guy. He loves football. He’s got a great skill set. We’ve got to work hard to provide him the resources he can to maximize his ability and that goes into everything we’re doing in all three phases with personnel department and with our coaching staff.”

Emery Speaks:

In other news, Chicago Bears’ GM Phil Emery indicates that the team wants to re-sign Israel Idonije, Lance Louis, Jonathan Scott, all unrestricted free agents. This doesn’t mean the team isn’t looking at other top free agents Henry Melton, Brian Urlacher, Nick Roach or Kelvin Hayden at this point.

More news to come out of the NFL Combine this week.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Chicago Bears.