Ryan Poles expected Justin Fields to be more excited. Or at least to respond.
The Bears general manager texted his quarterback earlier this month upon deciding to trade the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers for two first-round draft picks, two second-rounders and standout receiver DJ Moore. It was, Poles hopes, a franchise-changing haul, and by far the best offer he got from four different teams when he shopped the pick.
When the GM texted Fields the news, though, the quarterback didn’t write back right away.
“I said, ‘Are you sleeping?’” Poles said. “And then he actually was. He took a nap. He woke up and he was pumped up. He got to connect with DJ, and he’s fired up.”
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“I think having [Fields] in the building and seeing the progress he made in this first year, getting familiar with our system — obviously there’s special and athletic traits,” he said “We’ve seen in college his ability to use his arm too. I believe when all that comes together, we can have something special.”
The Bears weren’t blown away by the quarterback crop. Poles said the NFL Scouting Combine was the “last step” that sealed his decision to trade the pick. His staff had watched game film leading up to the combine that they felt didn’t compare to Fields.
“It always starts with the tape,” he said.
Once Poles started shopping the No. 1 pick, he said that four teams presented him with offers. Others had clearly done their homework, too.
“Then there were a bunch where they were still thinking about it or still evaluating and it was, ‘Not for us right now,’” he said. “But I could tell they had done enough work where they were comfortable sitting it out for what we were asking.”
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Poles played teams against each other, but not overtly. He didn’t return to each team daring them to beat someone else’s price.
“I’ve had that happen to me in negotiating settings with agents, so I really don’t do that — specifically shop deals around,” he said. “I just I don’t like that. But if I have something better, I have something better. And we can keep talking.”
The Panthers were “motivated — highly motivated,” Poles said. They had a deal.
“The fact that there was a young receiver who had consistent production who had been healthy and was a great person as well to add into the mix really kind of took it over the top for me,” he said. “Where we can improve the roster now, improve our quarterback, but also set us up for the future. Right now, we don’t talk about it that much, but I guarantee at this point next year, having those two 1s, we’re going to be excited about it.”
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