Press Conference

[DABEARSDABOMB]

A couple takeaways: 

From a leverage perspective - I walk away from this thinking it is 60/40 they stick with Fields, which might have been strategic.  Is going to force a team wanting #1 to blow them away and also force a team interested in Fields to call them with a pretty strong offer.  

But I get a sense from Poles of - I want to build a really good football team and he didn't seem as concerned with QB as maybe Ryan Pace was.  He seems like - I'll build a really good team and keep doing it and will figure out QB, whether Fields or someone else.  Don't get the sense that it has to be with #1 pick. 

Re: LT/RT  - Seems happy with Braxton Jones & Wright as the book end tackles.  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Poles:

"You want to make a call about the #1, I'm open, make a call."

"In my mind, I'm going to take this all the way into April"  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Warren is a confident and well spoken dude.  

[Stinger226]

31 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

A couple takeaways: 

From a leverage perspective - I walk away from this thinking it is 60/40 they stick with Fields, which might have been strategic.  Is going to force a team wanting #1 to blow them away and also force a team interested in Fields to call them with a pretty strong offer.  

But I get a sense from Poles of - I want to build a really good football team and he didn't seem as concerned with QB as maybe Ryan Pace was.  He seems like - I'll build a really good team and keep doing it and will figure out QB, whether Fields or someone else.  Don't get the sense that it has to be with #1 pick. 

Re: LT/RT  - Seems happy with Braxton Jones & Wright as the book end tackles.  

I agree, even if other teams think they stick with Fields, MHJ is a player worth a big bounty at the top. He will score another get bounty.

[AZ54]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

I agree, even if other teams think they stick with Fields, MHJ is a player worth a big bounty at the top. He will score another get bounty.

I agree that Poles leans toward Fields but not certain/sold.  The leadership and mental toughness aspect is a big part of his evaluation.  Same goes for the draftees.  He said he's taking the #1 pick all the way to April, I'd say it goes at least well into March to where he has to make a decision on the 5th year option.  Which leads to..

He didn't seem inclined to keep Justin and draft a QB 1 overall.  Although he said he'll consider all scenarios that one didn't seem to be something he's already mulled over.  

Jaylon Johnson was mentioned in his first sentence as a key player for the future.  He's going to get a new contract.  He backed that up later.  

Mooney does not seem to be part of the plan going forward.  He alluded to the fact some players we let test the market and then decide.  That seems to be what'll happen with Mooney.  My guess is he sees him and Scott as redundant roster pieces.  

For the OC role the ability to adjust to both talent on the field (i.e. QB strengths), adjust against a defensive strength, and in-game adjustments all seemed to be key.  Which, reading between the lines, is indicating what they didn't see from Getsy.  

Chris Morgan is definitely on the staff for next year and the few other remaining offensive assistants.  Team page appears to be updated:   https://www.chicagobears.com/team/coaches/.  

Poles gave a ton of credit to our training staff... .called them elite.  We do not have a single player needing surgery as we head into the offseason.  I'm not sure I've seen that before.  Certainly there is some luck to that but a lot of players returned from injury and stayed healthy.  That's an indication of a good rehab process IMO.  

Kudos to Brad Biggs (I think it was him) for asking Poles what he missed on with CJ Stroud last year.  

[Stinger226]

41 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

I agree that Poles leans toward Fields but not certain/sold.  The leadership and mental toughness aspect is a big part of his evaluation.  Same goes for the draftees.  He said he's taking the #1 pick all the way to April, I'd say it goes at least well into March to where he has to make a decision on the 5th year option.  Which leads to..

He didn't seem inclined to keep Justin and draft a QB 1 overall.  Although he said he'll consider all scenarios that one didn't seem to be something he's already mulled over.  

Jaylon Johnson was mentioned in his first sentence as a key player for the future.  He's going to get a new contract.  He backed that up later.  

Mooney does not seem to be part of the plan going forward.  He alluded to the fact some players we let test the market and then decide.  That seems to be what'll happen with Mooney.  My guess is he sees him and Scott as redundant roster pieces.  

For the OC role the ability to adjust to both talent on the field (i.e. QB strengths), adjust against a defensive strength, and in-game adjustments all seemed to be key.  Which, reading between the lines, is indicating what they didn't see from Getsy.  

Chris Morgan is definitely on the staff for next year and the few other remaining offensive assistants.  Team page appears to be updated:   https://www.chicagobears.com/team/coaches/.  

Poles gave a ton of credit to our training staff... .called them elite.  We do not have a single player needing surgery as we head into the offseason.  I'm not sure I've seen that before.  Certainly there is some luck to that but a lot of players returned from injury and stayed healthy.  That's an indication of a good rehab process IMO.  

Kudos to Brad Biggs (I think it was him) for asking Poles what he missed on with CJ Stroud last year.  

When he got DJ, Wright, Stevenson, this years 1st pick and a top 40 pick next year, he wasn't taken anyone with the first pick.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

55 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

I agree that Poles leans toward Fields but not certain/sold.  The leadership and mental toughness aspect is a big part of his evaluation.  Same goes for the draftees.  He said he's taking the #1 pick all the way to April, I'd say it goes at least well into March to where he has to make a decision on the 5th year option.  Which leads to..

He didn't seem inclined to keep Justin and draft a QB 1 overall.  Although he said he'll consider all scenarios that one didn't seem to be something he's already mulled over.  

Jaylon Johnson was mentioned in his first sentence as a key player for the future.  He's going to get a new contract.  He backed that up later.  

Mooney does not seem to be part of the plan going forward.  He alluded to the fact some players we let test the market and then decide.  That seems to be what'll happen with Mooney.  My guess is he sees him and Scott as redundant roster pieces.  

For the OC role the ability to adjust to both talent on the field (i.e. QB strengths), adjust against a defensive strength, and in-game adjustments all seemed to be key.  Which, reading between the lines, is indicating what they didn't see from Getsy.  

Chris Morgan is definitely on the staff for next year and the few other remaining offensive assistants.  Team page appears to be updated:   https://www.chicagobears.com/team/coaches/.  

Poles gave a ton of credit to our training staff... .called them elite.  We do not have a single player needing surgery as we head into the offseason.  I'm not sure I've seen that before.  Certainly there is some luck to that but a lot of players returned from injury and stayed healthy.  That's an indication of a good rehab process IMO.  

Kudos to Brad Biggs (I think it was him) for asking Poles what he missed on with CJ Stroud last year.  

Biggs is the best and I think you were spot on on Mooney and Johnson. Also on the OC - it was really clear they didn't like the game-planning and the play calling from Getsy.  There were also some comments about how you need to design your scheme to the players, which to me harken to, it wasn't optimized for Field(s) skill set, etc. With that said - Flus is the HC so I would have thought in the off-season he could have done some of that, but maybe he did and than by the time you get that far along it is too little too late, cause you can't retrain a play book, etc? I  don't know.  

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, AZ54 said:

Kudos to Brad Biggs (I think it was him) for asking Poles what he missed on with CJ Stroud last year.

What was his response?  

[ASHKUM BEAR]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

What was his response?  

He said he wouldnt give up Moore, Wright, Stevenson, this years #1, and a 2025 2nd for him. 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

He said he wouldn't up Moore, Wright, Stevenson, this years #1, and a 2025 2nd for him. 

Solid reply. ?

 

 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Social media is an buzz about a quote Flus made about Fields (in the clip below).  He essentially said ‘…and he will continue to grow…as we grow this football team.’  
 

This was in response to Poles saying just before that he'd have a hard time envisioning how he’d react to a hypothetical trade that “blew his mind”.  
 

https://x.com/adamrank/status/1745224267820835320?s=46&t=KrpJmhSTc4DI1sACtjisOQ

[TravD]

If he get's Caleb Williams, that was a hell of a Deal.  He knows what he is looking at going into the draft. If he doesn't he messed up hard on Stroud and Williams.  He failed with Stroud and Williams if he doesn't go that way. I was watching a thing earlier, someone asked Polian back in the day what it would take to get Manning after he got him. He said more than 10 1st rounders. Hitting on a QB covers up so many positions, and having one like Fields you have to invest into so many positions to cover him up. 

[Stinger226]

1 hour ago, TravD said:

If he get's Caleb Williams, that was a hell of a Deal.  He knows what he is looking at going into the draft. If he doesn't he messed up hard on Stroud and Williams.  He failed with Stroud and Williams if he doesn't go that way. I was watching a thing earlier, someone asked Polian back in the day what it would take to get Manning after he got him. He said more than 10 1st rounders. Hitting on a QB covers up so many positions, and having one like Fields you have to invest into so many positions to cover him up. 

Most so called experts said that Young was the prize in the draft last year, so what would be the conversation if Poles took Young? I suspect not good. Stroud stood out but no one expected that . Hindsight is a great view when you look for criticism. 

Clearly Poles thinks building a strong roster is critical for the success of any QB. In the second year we would be sitting where Carolina is right now if we took Young. If his evaluation of Williams shows some character flaws he may be trying to still upgrade the roster with a trade back. Poles took the job with a plan , yet so many people criticize him because he doesn't do what they think he should do. If he takes Williams and he fails , the same people criticising him now will be hammering him for taking the wrong QB. If Fields gets traded and flourish, he will get hammered . He doesn't win anyway he turns.

 

[Stinger226]

Poles plan is to

build the roster thru the draft that is impossible to do in 2 years. He traded away good players to correct the cap hell we were in which is amazingly done in one year, yet still criticized because we're not playoff bound. Most people picked 5-8 wins, and we made those expectations but is criticized because we didn't win more.

He's not perfect but he added core players in those 2 years. DJ, Braxton Jones, Wright, R. Johnson, (2nd QB) Bagent, Sweat, D Walker, Billings, Edmunds, Sanborn, Edwards, Gordon, Brisker, Stevenson. The jury is still out with Tyler Scott, Dexter, Pickens, Hicks, Sewell, Jaylon Jones, Terrell Smith, Nate Davis. 

I would give him a B+ for the job he's done so far. He will be remembered for keeping Flus and the upcoming QB decision. Those items have yet to play out. Next year at this time is the time to criticize or praise him. 

[ChileBear]

20 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

Most so called experts said that Young was the prize in the draft last year, so what would be the conversation if Poles took Young? I suspect not good. Stroud stood out but no one expected that . Hindsight is a great view when you look for criticism. 

Clearly Poles thinks building a strong roster is critical for the success of any QB. In the second year we would be sitting where Carolina is right now if we took Young. If his evaluation of Williams shows some character flaws he may be trying to still upgrade the roster with a trade back. Poles took the job with a plan , yet so many people criticize him because he doesn't do what they think he should do. If he takes Williams and he fails , the same people criticising him now will be hammering him for taking the wrong QB. If Fields gets traded and flourish, he will get hammered . He doesn't win anyway he turns.

 

Agree 100%. And I thought those questions about Stroud were useless. Hindsight is something no one has. Poles, and Warren, kept coming back to stability and the plan. I am trusting him on this. Of course, they made it clear next year needs to show much more, so I see that as Flus has got to coach or hit the road.

[Stinger226]

In his press conference yesterday, Poles said that JJ isn't going anywhere when asked about Johnson. I was happy to here that.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

2 hours ago, TravD said:

Hitting on a QB covers up so many positions, and having one like Fields you have to invest into so many positions to cover him up. 

That is until your QB gets injured because he doesn’t have enough quality linemen in front of him.  ??‍♂️

[adam]

2 hours ago, TravD said:

If he get's Caleb Williams, that was a hell of a Deal.  He knows what he is looking at going into the draft. If he doesn't he messed up hard on Stroud and Williams.  He failed with Stroud and Williams if he doesn't go that way. I was watching a thing earlier, someone asked Polian back in the day what it would take to get Manning after he got him. He said more than 10 1st rounders. Hitting on a QB covers up so many positions, and having one like Fields you have to invest into so many positions to cover him up. 

At the expense of Carolina, lol.

What's crazy to think is, there is a finite number of resources in the NFL, only so many All-Pros, Pro Bowlers, draft picks, salary cap, so when one team gets better, almost by default another team gets worse. Same goes for wins and losses, unless there is a tie, the entire league trades wins and losses every year. So the easiest way to improve is by gaining more resources than your opponents, thus taking those things away from them. CHI got a lot better, and CAR is borked for at least the next 5 years.

[Stinger226]

 I re listened to the press conference and clearly Warren isn't running the show. He sounded like a politician. Poles is clearly running the show . He showed us his vision and it sounded to me like Fields is coming back.

Poles likes allot Justin's intangibles leader, intelligent, hard worker, tough, strong character. He knows his passing ability is not up to par, but seen him get better. Fields first year was a shit show under Nagy. Year 2 he brings in Getsy to make him a pocket passer, when than wasn't working, roll outs, RPOs, play action , designed runs, he looked at lot better. Year 3 Getsy goes back to pocket passer and he slowly gets better. Realized that Justin needs a OC that adjusts to his strengths and fires Getsy.

Now if Williams is Joe Burrows, he's going to take him. The problem will be passing the character test, that is in question. If not up to par , I think he brings in a OC that works with Justin, get a haul for trade back and keeps improving the team. I don't think he think Justin is a tier one QB, but if he can elevate to a top 15, QB, I think he thinks he can win with him. I also think he going to draft a QB prospect to develop because in 2 years Justin gets expensive. In two years if Justin doesn't prove he's worth 40 mil a year QB, he has a guy in place. If not this year, he will 2 first round picks next year, he will draft one high.

I think next year he plans to be a winning team, 10-11 wins. If things go right a contender for a SB in 2026_ while Fields is at 22 mil a year. I think that's his plan. If he identifies a elite QB, he will take him and his long game changes.

[OmahaBear]

Did anyone else see that clip when they were asking about an OC.. and poles mentions being able sell their vision on what they would do with all 4 QBs.  Then someone asked him to clarify all 4 QB's and he kinda back tracked and said he didn't recall saying all 4. LOL. He either slipped or playing a master game of chess right there. 

[adam]

27 minutes ago, OmahaBear said:

Did anyone else see that clip when they were asking about an OC.. and poles mentions being able sell their vision on what they would do with all 4 QBs.  Then someone asked him to clarify all 4 QB's and he kinda back tracked and said he didn't recall saying all 4. LOL. He either slipped or playing a master game of chess right there. 

He clearly said 4 different types. My assumption is Williams, Maye, Daniels, and Penix.

[BearFan PHX]

17 hours ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

He said he wouldnt give up Moore, Wright, Stevenson, this years #1, and a 2025 2nd for him. 

Moore, Wright, Stevenson and this years #1 and the 2025 pick is a serious haul. It's the kind of thing that builds rosters.

But this league is all about QBs. Not that there are dominant GOATs easily found. But if you knew you had Joe Montana, or Tom Brady, or Payton Manning, they would easily be worth more than 3 firsts. Youd pay almost anything to get one. And they'd be worth the price.

Now maybe hes saying that Stroud isnt one of those QBs, and probably he;d be right. But given that Stroud did what he did in his first year, no one can say for sure that he isn't. And it's not like you could see it coming either. Every rookie QB is a gamble, and almost none will be a GOAT.

So while it's an easy thing to list all those good impact players, I think it's a little disingenuous. To be fair to Poles, there hasnt been a QB in years that fits the mold Im talking about, and Im surely not saying I know that Stroud is one. But until you find a QB like that, every team has to be looking for one, and if you find one you believe in, the price almost doesnt matter.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

18 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

Moore, Wright, Stevenson and this years #1 and the 2025 pick is a serious haul. It's the kind of thing that builds rosters.

But this league is all about QBs. Not that there are dominant GOATs easily found. But if you knew you had Joe Montana, or Tom Brady, or Payton Manning, they would easily be worth more than 3 firsts. Youd pay almost anything to get one. And they'd be worth the price.

Now maybe hes saying that Stroud isnt one of those QBs, and probably he;d be right. But given that Stroud did what he did in his first year, no one can say for sure that he isn't. And it's not like you could see it coming either. Every rookie QB is a gamble, and almost none will be a GOAT.

So while it's an easy thing to list all those good impact players, I think it's a little disingenuous. To be fair to Poles, there hasnt been a QB in years that fits the mold Im talking about, and Im surely not saying I know that Stroud is one. But until you find a QB like that, every team has to be looking for one, and if you find one you believe in, the price almost doesnt matter.

It could also be as simple as saying - I like who I'm going to take at #1 this year just as much as CJ Stroud (if not more), so I'm going to draft as good of a QB as Stroud (or better) plus have Moore, Wright, Stevenson and a 25 2nd rounder.  

[BearFan PHX]

20 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

It could also be as simple as saying - I like who I'm going to take at #1 this year just as much as CJ Stroud (if not more), so I'm going to draft as good of a QB as Stroud (or better) plus have Moore, Wright, Stevenson and a 25 2nd rounder.  

sure, and hes not gonna say anything "true" in this predraft period either. Im just saying, more good players is good, but a GOAT QB is everything.

Im not really criticizing Poles as much as making the point about the QB. And if it means he is thinking of trading down again, it's a similar thought from me. Of course all that hinges on there being a Tom Brady int he draft, and there almost never is. But then again, you never know who they are until you already have them, or have passed on them.

Im not saying it's easy. its about as difficult as anything is.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

58 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

sure, and hes not gonna say anything "true" in this predraft period either. Im just saying, more good players is good, but a GOAT QB is everything.

Im not really criticizing Poles as much as making the point about the QB. And if it means he is thinking of trading down again, it's a similar thought from me. Of course all that hinges on there being a Tom Brady int he draft, and there almost never is. But then again, you never know who they are until you already have them, or have passed on them.

Im not saying it's easy. its about as difficult as anything is.

Agree with everything you said. Its why I say if the reality was he had 3 QB's that graded similarly (and if your organizational philosophy was - hey we realize there is some element of uncertainty no matter what) - than I would be pretty supportive of moving down from 1-3 and take whichever guy is there.  Now if when you look at it - you have 3 guys, 1 grades out extremely high, the other two are just high, than given it is QB, I say take the extremely high one since you have a lot of conviction there (but it better be real conviction).

No matter what they do - even if the entire process is right - the reality is there is inherent uncertainty/luck that is a part of this whole equation.