Ryan Poles understood the pressure on his shoulders when he traded Justin Fields. That was the clearest signal that a change was coming to the quarterback position. Every GM knows their entire legacy on the job is defined by whether or not they solidified that spot. Many of his predecessors learned this lesson the hard way. Mark Hatley, Jerry Angelo, Phil Emery, and Ryan Pace all had their chances to solve it. All failed to varying degrees. Poles felt the time was right to go after his guy. He’d waited three years for the right opportunity and opted to go with former Heisman winner Caleb Williams.
Multiple factors drove his decision. The USC star had arm strength, accuracy, and mobility. His instincts for playmaking outside the offensive structure rivaled Patrick Mahomes. After digging deeper, he found teammates and coaches adored him for his level-headedness, work ethic, leadership, and ultra-competitive streak. The word that kept coming to mind was “special.” After a couple of months of watching him in OTAs and minicamps, Poles admitted to Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network that those same qualities are already showing up.
Ryan Poles doesn’t seem to be second-guessing his decision.
That is one thing about the Bears GM fans should appreciate. While he’s been wrong in the past, he has always been quick to recognize it. When it comes to the draft, he trusts the evaluations of his scouting department. He isn’t the type of person with an ego to think he knows everything. The work done on Williams was extensive. While Poles may have liked him, he made sure there was a consensus among his top scouts and front office execs before making a decision. This wasn’t another Ryan Pace going rogue to take Mitch Trubisky situation. Everybody was on the same page.
Williams has plenty of proving to do before people can call the pick a success. Winning games and looking like a franchise quarterback are two difficult things. Ryan Poles knows this. It is why he spent the past three off-seasons working tirelessly to prepare the roster for his quarterback’s arrival. The offensive line is young, athletic, and stable. They have three genuine 1a options at wide receiver with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze. Cole Kmet is rock solid at tight end. If Williams can’t find early success with this setup, the hype on him may not have been justified.
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