Former Execs Say Combine Interviews Could Shift Chicago Bears QB Choice

If you trust the national media guys, it sure sounds like the Chicago Bears have made their decision at quarterback. Justin Fields will be traded at some point in the next few weeks. Then they will take their guy at #1 overall, and everybody believes that will be Caleb Williams. GM Ryan Poles wants to restart the quarterback clock, preferably with somebody he drafted himself. What confuses a lot of people about this is that the most critical part of the evaluation process hasn't even begun. Teams haven't gotten a chance to meet with the quarterbacks in person yet.

Poles himself said he's scouted the players; now he needs to explore the people. Finding a talented quarterback is easy. His job is to find one with the necessary mental faculties to handle playing in Chicago. According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, two former NFL executives, Louis Riddick and Marc Ross, believe a pivot point could be coming at the scouting combine. The Bears will get to have 15-minute interviews with each prospect. While that may not sound like a lot of time, their experience taught them that great quarterbacks don't need long to make an impression.

The Giants didn’t pick until No. 23 in the 2017 draft and already had Eli Manning at the time, but they still interviewed the quarterback class. Ross had a lasting memory from those conversations.

“In retrospect, (Patrick) Mahomes lit up the room,” he said...

...Riddick also remembered the year prior, sitting down with Russell Wilson.

“He was just so statesmanlike. You just knew he had his s— together,” he said. “I remember when he was talking, I was like, ‘I would take this guy.’ I wouldn’t give a s— about his height. I would take him because he was just that composed and that smart.”

The Chicago Bears know what they're looking for.

Poles already has two good examples of the personality he seeks. One is Patrick Mahomes, and the other is Justin Fields. People can criticize the latter's inconsistency on the field, but nobody can debate the young man has handled himself beautifully both as a leader and a face of the franchise. If they can get that person in the body of a more capable passer, they'll have hit a home run. Maybe Williams is that guy, but it's possible somebody else could make a big impression during those interviews.

Jayden Daniels reportedly had an infectious personality at LSU. Drake Maye is described as a "lead by example" type of person. As for J.J. McCarthy, he's said to have the poise, moxie, and self-confidence winners need. His national championship ring proves that. All three are talented as well. The Chicago Bears might be fixated on Williams at the moment, but a strong enough impression from one of them could be a game-changer. That is why it might not be wise to pencil anybody in just yet.