Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles gave clarity as to why he decided to trade Justin Fields this offseason. The decision had nothing to do with Caleb Williams.
Most NFL analysts expect the Bears to take Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after the team traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Most league experts consider Williams to be the top quarterback in this year’s draft class.
Things seem to be going well with the Bears’ due diligence on Williams.
USC has a high opinion of Caleb Williams
Per Courtney Cronin with ESPN, Poles said at the annual league meeting on Monday that Williams’ USC teammates have a high opinion of him:
“When you talk to his teammates, they don’t like him, they love him. His leadership, how he brings people together. He’s intentional with his leadership. Same goes with the staff. I’m having a hard time finding a person that doesn’t like him or even love him and thinks that he can reach the highest limits. The feedback’s been good.”
What did the Bears learn about Caleb Williams during their time with him in LA before his pro day ?
Poles: “When you talk to his teammates, they don't like him, they love him. His leadership, how he brings people together. He's intentional with his leadership. Same goes with the…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 25, 2024
The Chicago Bears didn’t trade Justin Fields to draft Caleb Williams
Poles made another statement about Williams that should provide fans with a better understanding of why the Bears traded Fields. The Bears didn’t decide to trade Fields because they wanted to draft Williams. In fact, Poles said the Bears haven’t made their final decision for the No. 1 pick yet.
According to Adam Jahns with The Athletic, Poles said the Bears wanted to reset the quarterback clock this offseason:
“It wasn’t Justin vs. one of these rookies. It’s really the timeline and how much runway you have.”
Bears GM Ryan Poles stressed how important the timeline of having a rookie QB under contract is: "It wasn’t Justin vs. one of these rookies. It’s really the timeline and how much runway you have."
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) March 25, 2024
One top prospect seems out of the contest
Per Jahns, Poles said the Bears will head to Baton Rouge to watch LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels at his Pro Day. That’s no surprise. However, Poles made a stunning admission that he will not attend North Carolina’s pro day to watch Drake Maye.
Bears GM Ryan Poles will travel to LSU's pro day (to see Jayden Daniels) immediately after the owners meetings in Orlando. He won't head to Chapel Hill (Drake Maye) but the Bears will still have a significant presence there.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) March 25, 2024
Poles was on hand for Williams and J.J. McCarthy’s pro day. Poles is choosing to miss one of the expected top-four quarterback prospects in this year’s draft. One would assume that speaks volumes about where the Bears are with Maye’s evaluation for the No. 1 pick.
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Ryan Poles takes partial blame for mismanaging Justin Fields in interview
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