Chicago Bears normal supervisor Ryan Poles returned to a well-known phrase Wednesday at Halas Hall as he described his upcoming analysis of the workforce’s quarterback scenario.
As Poles prepares to find out whether or not the Bears will persist with Justin Fields in 2024, he stated he must be “blown away” by a QB prospect to draft one at No. 1.
Poles used the identical phrase final yr when he was trying on the quarterback class, and he in the end traded the highest decide.
But this can be a totally different draft, and Poles made clear he’s preserving his choices open because the Bears go into “information-gathering mode” on a crop of quarterback prospects that features USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy.
Poles stated his “brain has gone crazy” as he ponders the numerous eventualities that might play out. He vowed to remain “open-minded” and later added that he’s additionally able to take telephone calls on concepts for a possible commerce.
So whereas the Bears introduced choices about their teaching workers Wednesday — retaining Matt Eberflus and firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy — their quarterback choice remains to be up within the air.
“We are going to turn over every stone to make sure that we are going to make a sound decision for our organization,” Poles stated. “I did think Justin got better. I think he can lead this team. But at the same time there’s a unique situation where I and our staff have to look at everything.”
The distinctive scenario, in fact, is proudly owning the No. 1 decide for the second straight yr.
The Bears weren’t blown away final yr by a category that included Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Poles fielded presents for the highest decide on the NFL scouting mix, and he made the deal to commerce the decide to the Carolina Panthers on March 15.
But he’s not essentially on the identical timeline this offseason, which kicks into excessive gear with the mix Feb. 27 in Indianapolis.
“In my mind right now, I’m going to take this all the way to April,” Poles stated.
Some of an important homework the Bears will do over the following couple of months, Poles believes, is on the “person” behind every quarterback prospect. Poles stated that course of takes time — sitting down with the prospect to ask questions one-on-one and in addition reaching out to the individuals who know him finest.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in our ability to see talent on the field,” Poles stated. “The human being we’ve bought to determine. Especially to be a quarterback on this metropolis. You’ve bought to have it proper. You’ve bought to have psychological toughness. You’ve bought to have the ability to block issues out.
“Any time you have a passionate fan base, there’s pressure to be the best and to get over the hump and carry that team to the next level. This fan base is dying for that guy to do that. That’s part of living in the big city, that’s part of being a head coach in a big city and a GM in a big city. You’ve got to have thick skin and be able to block out the noise and go to work regardless of the ups and downs. Your family has to do that too. You want people that want to take on that challenge.”
Bears coaches have stated Fields has that skill to dam out the noise. It’s simply that his enchancment on the sector below Getsy and quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, who additionally was fired Wednesday, was sluggish.
Poles and Eberflus provided acquainted assessments of the place Fields’ recreation is at after he threw for two,562 yards, 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions and ran for 657 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023.
In the second half of the season since getting back from a dislocated proper thumb, Fields reduce down on sacks and turnovers and made some strides within the passing recreation, together with preserving his eyes downfield on throws, Eberflus stated.
But when requested the place Fields most wants to enhance, Poles pointed to the two-minute offense. Fields’ fourth-quarter stats this season included three landing passes, six interceptions and a 53.4 passer score.
“That’s a critical part that we’ve got to continue to get better at because that’s where you win games, close games,” Poles stated. “And a lot of times when you look at the playoffs and championships, that’s where you close it out.”
Several of Fields’ teammates, together with vast receiver DJ Moore, provided votes of assist for him during the last couple of months, however Poles stated he has to separate that from his analysis a bit bit.
“But I absolutely love it,” Poles stated. “I mean when you talk about building a team, I want that type of support in the locker room. I want those guys when they go take the field to believe in the player that they have at that quarterback position. I want them to believe in the person to the right and to the left, so I absolutely love that. With any decision, I got to take the emotion out of it and look at the whole deal there.”
Given all the work the Bears have forward, Poles stated he wasn’t prepared to find out whether or not the workforce would decide up Fields’ fifth-year possibility, which is a choice they have to make by May.
With the firing of Getsy, if the Bears need to hold Fields, he must play in his third offense in 4 seasons below a brand new coordinator. But Eberflus dismissed a query concerning the challenges that may pose for Fields, who hasn’t been dealt the most effective hand when it comes to organizational and roster assist in his three years with the Bears.
“Justin’s very smart, very intelligent,” Eberflus stated. “He’s able to adapt and adjust, so I don’t see that being a problem at all.”
There is one other situation for the Bears — one the place they’d hold Fields and draft a quarterback at No. 1, establishing both a contest or a yr of studying for the rookie behind Fields.
Poles didn’t shoot it down. It’s one of many many choices which have been floating via his mind as he weighs the choice forward.
“I’ll just stay very wide open with the different paths that we go,” Poles stated. “And as we collect information, if that closes some of those pathways down, then we’ll move to some of the other ones. But I’m going to be wide open about this.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com