Ryan Pace was notorious for giving nothing away in regard to his draft intentions. He seemed to take an intense satisfaction in keeping everybody in the dark about anything and everything. That is how you get bombshell moments like the trade up for Mitch Trubisky or taking Leonard Floyd in the top 10. One thing is clear. His replacement, Ryan Poles, doesn’t have such impulses. The Chicago Bears GM has his secrets, to be sure, but make no mistake. When something appears obvious to everybody, he isn’t afraid to address it head on.

Last year, he openly stated the Bears had interest in trading the #1 pick. That ended up happening. This year, everybody seems to think Poles plans to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams with that same #1 pick. Poles stood in front of the media for the first time since the scouting combine in Orlando, Floria, at the annual Owners Meetings. When asked about Williams, his comments were more than a little telling about his impressions. It appears the young QB has the exact personality he’s looking for, in addition to his obvious talent.

Ryan Poles isn’t even bothering with deception at this point.
Let’s be honest. He doesn’t have to. Chicago holds the #1 overall pick. Nobody in the league can jump in front of them for Williams. Poles is free to talk about who he is probably going to take without any fear. The only thing that does is remove any mystery for the cameras once the draft starts next month. That isn’t his problem. He’s only focused on taking the best player for his franchise. These comments further cement what everybody already believes. Williams will be the Bears’ next quarterback.

One thing Ryan Poles did make clear was the decision to move on from Justin Fields had nothing to do with the incoming draft class. It was purely business-related. FIelds only had one cheap year left on his contract. Drafting somebody would give the Bears four more years of affordable quarterback play. It is a simple case of Fields running out of time. Evaluating Williams and the other quarterbacks in this draft class were against each other, not him. Whatever the case, it appears the Bears have the guy they want, both on and off the field.

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