Poles on drafting Williams, Odunze, future of the Bears |
CHICAGO—The NFL Draft helps define a general manager’s career. Fortunately for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles, the first round of this year’s draft went incredibly well.
The Bears were able to land their franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams and an elite wide receiver for the foreseeable future in Rome Odunze. “If you told me we would end up with both Caleb and Rome weeks ago, I would have said you were crazy. But, they were two guys that we’re obviously really excited to have,” Poles said. “Not only are they really good players, but really good people as well that are going to continue to enhance our locker room and our team moving forward.” It was no secret that the Bears would choose Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. No. 9 was a bit more of a mystery. There was a lot of speculation about where Chicago would go with the pick, and speaking with the media before the draft, Poles seemed open to trading up or down with that pick. Still, it always seemed inevitable that if an elite receiver, such as Odunze, fell to the No. 9 pick, the Bears would stay put and add to their receiving room. That is exactly what they did, although Poles was incredibly nervous. “I was nervous that he wasn’t going to be there at nine. Our simulations (were) about a 50-50 shot if he was going to be there,” Poles said. “But, as it started to unfold, (assistant general manager) Ian (Cunningham) had to hold me back from not trying to trade up and do something crazy to get him. But, it ended up working out really well.” Odunze came into this draft as one of the top receiver prospects available. In his final collegiate season, he had 1,640 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, as well as a rushing touchdown. While his on-field production is remarkable, Poles was also incredibly impressed with his personality and character. “What a great guy. Work ethic, just blue-collar in the way he goes about things. But as a receiver, he can line anywhere - inside, outside. You love his ability to finish in contested situations, plays strong, plays big. Run after catch is very good. He’s a punt returner as well,” Poles said. “The kid’s just put time in and gotten better and better every single year and he’s a winner. He can impact the game at any moment. If you’re a quarterback in doubt and you just want to go give a guy an opportunity to go finish, he’s your guy, he’s done that consistently.” Poles came to Chicago to rebuild the Bears. They now have a franchise quarterback, hopefully, with Williams, an elite receiving group, a new offensive coordinator, and a reimagined offensive line with the additions made in the offseason. The rebuild process appears to be almost complete, although the development of Caleb Williams will be essential for the future of the franchise and his career in Chicago. “I think we’ve done that part, to have the talent around our quarterback now. I think the other thing is it’s going to be our entire organization is going to have to be on the same page on how we handle this, on how we develop Caleb,” Poles said. “But I’ll also say that I think we have a really good approach with all the players and I think that’s different than maybe it was in the past that we take it really serious in terms of development from a nutritional standpoint to performance to mental skills to how our coaches teach. I think we’ve made some really good strides there. But it’s going to take everybody, and everybody has to be on the same page. We got to address the strengths and weaknesses that a player has.” The Bears do not have a strong history with quarterbacks as they are still without a 4,000-yard quarterback. Receivers have not been the strongest area in Chicago either, as their all-time leading receiver only has 5,059 yards; that player is halfback Johnny Morris, who has not played since 1967. While Poles is proud of Chicago’s history, he also knows that we cannot dwell in the past. “Obviously, we love our history here,” Poles said. “But, it hasn’t been smooth recently, and it’s time to change. So, I feel like we have to stop going back all the time.”
