Caleb Williams was the story for the Chicago Bears throughout the NFL off-season. Everybody assumed they would draft the USC quarterback #1 overall. Despite many rumors to the contrary, those assumptions proved correct. After a detailed evaluation process, GM Ryan Poles concluded that Williams was the best prospect in the class by a comfortable margin. Experts have remained focused on that pick for months, believing it may finally pull the Bears franchise out of the quicksand they’ve been stuck in at quarterback for decades.
This has made it easy to overlook the history they made that day in Detroit. According to Grant Gordon of NFL.com, the Bears did something no other team has done in over a century once they drafted Rome Odunze 9th overall in the 1st round.
Per NFL Research, he’s the only first-round QB to join a team with multiple players who had 1,000 yards receiving in the season prior (Keenan Allen and DJ Moore) and also drafted a first-round wide receiver in the same class (Rome Odunze). The addition of running back D’Andre Swift and the emergence of tight end Cole Kmet should also solidify Williams’ skill position options.
Still, the stats and the history are daunting obstacles to hurdle.
In the Super Bowl Era, Bears quarterbacks are dead last in completion percentage (56.4), passing yards per attempt (6.5), yards per game (175), TD-INT ratio (0.9) and passer rating (71.4), per NFL Research.
For all the talk about moving on from Justin Fields to take Williams, people need to recognize the tremendous efforts Chicago went through to give him viable weapons. Trading down from #1 last year to acquire D.J. Moore from Carolina was the starting. Then they traded a 4th round pick to Los Angeles for Keenan Allen. Most teams would’ve been satisfied with that. Instead, the Bears went with Odunze anyway.
The Chicago Bears dared to be different.
In years past, there is no way the organization would’ve taken this approach. They likely would’ve been happy with Moore as the primary guy and either signed a decent free agent or drafted a receiver in the 3rd or 4th round. They would’ve saved that precious 1st round pick to give the defense another pass rusher. Poles had no intentions of doing things by the book. Not again. He intended to do everything in his power to give his young quarterback a fighting chance in the NFL. If that meant making a short-term sacrifice at the defense’s expense, so be it.
Finding the right quarterback is only half the battle for an NFL franchise. Building around him is the other half. The Chicago Bears have too often failed at both, frequently at the same time. Time will tell if Williams is the guy, but all signs point to that being the case. This also marks the first time the organization felt well-prepared for his arrival. The table was set. All he has to do is go out and serve. If things don’t work under these circumstances, it won’t be because the Bears made glaring mistakes.
Hey Erik —
How do you get the taste of Poles’ ass off your tongue?
Receivers often make quarterbacks. It is absurd to throw a ball in a dark hole and expect touchdowns and yardage. When the imperative is ALSO to cut down on interceptions . . . you can’t really call that kind of situation “supporting the quarterback.”
What the Bears have done is unique and difficult. KEEPING it, will be more difficult. As receivers establish their credentials, they will need to be paid. Creating newer, younger stars will keep this party going.