As players, coaches, and general managers have made their way to Indianapolis, most have been available to speak to the media.
Both Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus spoke to the Chicago media members on Tuesday and had a lot of things to say.
Here are my five biggest takeaways from the two pressers.
1. Jaylon Johnson will be a Bear in 2024
One thing that Ryan Poles hasn’t shied away from is talking about the contract situation with the All-Pro corner. However, this time, Poles did make sure to mention that he was confident that a deal would get done with Johnson.
"We are in the process of getting a deal done with Jaylon Johnson. Process is going well. We're excited to get a deal done."
This has been a nice turn of events since Johnson requested a trade back at the NFL trade deadline.
Poles also did mention that he will use the franchise tag if needed, but prefers to get a long-term deal signed before the franchise tag deadline.
The deadline to apply the franchise tag is March 5th.
2. Didn’t shy away from comparing Caleb Williams and Patrick Mahomes
While Poles didn’t go too far in-depth, he did acknowledge the similarities that those two quarterbacks possess.
Keep in mind, Ryan Poles was in Kansas City during the 2017 NFL Draft when the Chiefs were scouting Patrick Mahomes. So for him to say that he sees similarities between the two is very telling.
"There are pieces that are similar. Obviously, the one that stands out to everyone is just (throwing with) different arm angles. That’s a unique trait."
The ability to manipulate the arm angle is something that I’ve pointed out as well when comparing the two quarterbacks.
Poles also acknowledged that Bears co-director of player personnel, Jeff King, classifies quarterbacks into two categories, artists and surgeons.
"You can kind of see who is the artist that’s really creative, doesn’t draw within the lines. Then there’s more the surgeons who are like the Bradys and Peytons."
Poles also added that he believes Williams is an artist more than he is a surgeon.
3. Poles wants to do everything right by Justin Fields
It is evident that Ryan Poles loves Justin Fields as a person and they still have a great relationship. Poles made sure to mention that he doesn’t want to leave Justin in the gray throughout this process.
"If we go down that road, I want to do right by Justin. No one wants to live in gray."
Poles also said that he has been in contact with Justin’s team since the Bears’ season ended.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens over the next two weeks, especially before the March 11th legal tampering period, with Justin Fields’ future with the Bears.
4. The Bears will use the icebreakers again when meeting with prospects
Head Coach Matt Eberflus was asked if the Bears plan to use putt-putt and darts to open up their meetings with the prospects at the combine as they did at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
The Bears have been using this to figure out who the most competitive guys are because when you give them a challenge it brings out the other side of them that you wouldn’t have seen in the 15-minute interview without it.
5. Poles and Eberflus seem to be on the same page in the traits they are looking for in a QB
As you can expect, the Bears QB situation has been the talk of the town in Indianapolis, especially when you hold the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Ryan Poles mentioned that he looks for “winners” and guys who you can be dependent on when you draft them.
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