Caleb Williams Left an Impression on GM Ryan Poles and Bears

Linebacker T.J. Edwards, GM Ryan Poles and others feel the energy at Halas Hall as the team is getting set to add a new QB.

The process of introducing quarterback Caleb Williams into the Chicago Bears culture already began, even if they don't want to admit they're taking him yet.

When he made his top-30 visit, GM Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus decided he would be eating at the kids' table, so to speak. When they went out to dinner the night before the actual Halas Hall visit, Williams ate with some of his new teammates. The new quarterback needs to get to know the people he's leading.

"I think it just confirmed a lot of information that we got," GM Ryan Poles said Tuesday while discussing the upcoming NFL draft. "You know, there's a kind of test to where his football understanding is. That part, getting him with some of our players. That's important to us.

"We're in a really good place with our culture in our locker room. As much as I can I want those guys a part of the process of building this team. I trust their feedback and I think that chemistry is really important so that's why we did that."

Poles' own impressions of Williams from the visit to Halas Hall, the pro day at USC and the combine are exactly what he hoped.

"Yeah, really intelligent guy," Poles said. "He came across as a really good teammate. Easy to talk to, down to earth.

"You know, we've talked through this process about you know the whole Hollywood thing. He's all ball, wants to work, wants to get better, wants to win as a team. That's the No. 1 thing for him on top of being successful. So I think the biggest thing is does he fit with our culture and what we're trying to do and all signs were that he does so that's a positive."

What's more important is how he fits with the other players because, after all, Williams will be replacing a popular quarterback in Justin Fields. The locker room and the hearts of many fans belonged to Fields.

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"Whoever comes in and whoever's under center—whether it's someone who’s here already or a new guy, we're excited," linebacker T.J. Edwards said. "We'll embrace them and they'll fit into our culture. Because I know our front office does their research for sure."

The dinner, like all of the predraft talk, won't matter in a few weeks.

"At the end of the day, once we get people here and once whoever is signed will be here, we'll hit the ground running with that," linebacker T.J. Edwards said.

Edward admitted it wasn't easy losing a QB as popular as Fields.

"It's tough man," he said. "You grow with these guys. You go through a lot. Go through all those uncomfortable times of losing games but also the good times of winning. But sadly that is the NFL. That is the reality of what we do.

"You just wish him the best. Good people–like I said, anyone who comes in here is truly a good person. So with good people you want them to have great things moving forward and that's what we want for him."

As a Chicago area native and longtime Bears fan, Edwards knows what it would mean to the city if Williams turns out to be the real deal.

"It'd be incredible for all of us, right?" Edwards said. "I think that's the hope."

The energy is high at Bears offseason workouts going on at Halas Hall with the new faces from free agency.

"There's always a buzz when it comes to football time in Chicago," Edwards said. "There's so many great things happening here.

"We added a lot of great pieces. I think that first team meeting we had in the offseason was exciting—to see some new faces, some familiar faces. Whoever comes here, we're excited."

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Tackle Darnell Wright experienced the predraft and draft process just last year. The winner of this year's rookie Brian Piccolo Award thinks Williams will be more a part of the team after all the draft hoopla ends.

"There's a lot of media stuff that goes on during the draft," he said. "I think once all the media stuff dies down he'll get to work just like any other player would. He'll be good."

Then comes the hard part and that's learning everything to succeed in the NFL.

"When I was a rookie my head was just spinning, just trying to figure out the playbook and things like that," Edwards said.

The Pivot podcast recently put out its interview with Williams and in it he said he wanted to pursue Tom Brady's seven Super Bowl rings. People in Chicago wouldn't mind this a bit.

"I think we all should have huge goals," Poles said. "We have huge goals here—win multiple championships and that's what we shoot for.

"You're more intentional when you have these goals. You have to live a certain way. You have to practice a certain way. You have to go about your business a certain way, in order to accomplish those. If everything is aligned underneath that, that gets me excited."

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