Ryan Poles: Justin Fields can take Bears to 'championship caliber'
Ryan Poles: Justin Fields can take Bears to 'championship caliber' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
After receiving the rights to the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft after the end of Week 18, Ryan Poles didn't leave any stone unturned when deciding how the organization would use that pick.
Poles admitted to Cynthia Frelund during his interview with NFL plus that the Bears took the time to evaluate the quarterbacks in the 2023 draft. In case any of the prospects knocked their socks off, they would have to consider using the No. 1 pick on a quarterback.
However, during Poles' explanation of that process, he complimented Justin Fields to the highest degree possible for a third-year quarterback.
"We took the time to evaluate the quarterbacks because, like I said in the press conference, I wanted to be blown away because I do believe in Justin Fields and I do believe he can take the next step to get this organization to a championship-caliber team," Poles said.
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It's been a rough go for Fields since arriving in Chicago in 2021.
The jury is still out on whether or not Fields is a franchise-leading quarterback. But the consensus on his freshman and sophomore seasons is that of most young quarterbacks – there is work to be done still.
Fields, while displaying his elite capability of rushing the ball last season, hasn't performed well in the passing game. He has just over 4,000 yards to his name over two seasons, along with a 24:21 TD: INT ratio and sub-60 percent completion percentage.
However, most would concede to the notion that both seasons' offensive rosters have not been up to par for Fields to create a productive offense. Fields was the most pressured quarterback in the league last season, evidence of the offensive line's inhibitions. And the wide receiver core failed to create enough separation for Fields to deliver the ball.
Questions rose midseason about Fields holding the ball too long, which were partially concerning and somewhat true. But one couldn't mistake the obstacles Fields faced over his first two years with the offensive line and the pass-catchers. Not to mention, the Bears fielded the worst-ranked defense in the league last season.
As a result, Poles spent time and money this offseason to invest in the Bears' offense. He enhanced the offensive line with Darnell Wright and Nate Davis. He stacked the running back room with fresh talent. And he polished the wide receiver core, including his incorporation of DJ Moore in the trade for the No. 1 overall pick.
"We went through the trade process and had conversations with Scott Fitterer and Carolina, there were a few components that I needed to have in there to make it feel right," Poles said. "DJ Moore was really the last part of it.
"I wanted someone to come in and enhance our offense, enhance our quarterback, and really take us to the next level to score more points, to be more explosive. Once those pieces came together, I was ready to roll."
