Ryan Poles offers insight into Justin Fields trade, Caleb Williams lessons originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
ORLANDO — A little over 12 months ago, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles was fretting about the No. 1 overall pick he had in his back pocket and how best to utilize it to accelerate his rebuild.
Three hundred and eighty-two days after Poles sent the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to the Carolina Panthers, he once again finds himself with the No. 1 pick. But this time, there’s a sense of calm as Poles prepares to select the Bears’ future signal-caller with the top selection.
“This one, you feel a little bit more in control,” Poles told NBC Sports Chicago during a sit down at the annual NFL league meeting in Orlando. “Last year, knowing how far we needed to go, like, just who was that trade going to be with? Is this really going to help our team take the next step? Or do you take the quarterback? But like did you see enough from Justin [Fields]? Just a lot more questions. I feel like this is lining up really well where there is less anxiety. But at the same time we are really putting pressure on ourselves to continue to do the work. Because there is always some curveball that’s going to pop up out of nowhere. You want to stay ready and have a Plan A, B, and C.”
Lining up well might be an understatement.
Poles has quickly flipped the Bears’ roster over. The trade that sent last year’s No. 1 pick to the Panthers has netted him wide receiver DJ Moore, offensive tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, an extra fourth-round pick that he flipped for wide receiver Keenan Allen, and what turned out to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft which the Bears will presumably use to select USC star quarterback Caleb Williams.
This is Poles and the Bears’ moment. The gravity of what is and what could have been isn’t lost on the third-year general manager.
“We’re super fortunate,” Poles said. “What keeps me up at night is really…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ryan-poles-offers-insight-justin-120000216.html
Author : NBC Sports Chicago
Publish date : 2024-03-26 12:00:00
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