Tag: Matt Eberflus

WATCH: QB Caleb Williams gets the draft call from the Bears

Caleb Williams and Ryan Poles could not contain their excitement when the draft call was finally made.

There’s nothing like that one phone call at the NFL Draft that changes a player’s life forever. For quarterback Caleb Williams, he knew for a while that the call was going to come from the Chicago Bears at No. 1 overall.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL finally became a reality on Thursday when the Bears made Williams their top selection in the draft. The USC star becomes the next franchise quarterback of the Bears, and he is set to usher in a new era of football in the Windy City.

The team made sure to show how the call went between Williams and general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and team president Kevin Warren. Poles didn’t hide his excitement about how long he’s been waiting to make this call.

“Who is this?” Poles joked with Williams as they both laughed. “They told me to hold it for five minutes. I told everyone I’ve been holding it for a month.” Williams commented that he had been waiting longer than that. “Five months,” he said with a smile.

Eberflus couldn’t hold back his excitement either. “This day is going to go down as an iconic day in Bears history, my friend,” he said to Williams. He even told his new quarterback that he loved him.

Warren then made sure to acknowledge that he and the Bears are going to cross a few more items off Williams’ list that he has on his phone. “You can mark this next one off your list that you have; the next one we got to do is win a championship.”

All throughout the call, Williams couldn’t stop smiling and biting his lip as to what the next chapter of his life was about to be like. The newest Bears quarterback is excited for what’s to come, and his journey is just beginning.

Bears’ Matt Eberflus wants to add another pass rusher with Montez Sweat

Bears HC Matt Eberflus wants a 1-2 punch at pass rush with Montez Sweat and another player.

The Chicago Bears are a young team on the rise, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about their trajectory ahead of the 2024 NFL season.

Not only are they set to welcome young phenom Caleb Williams to the fray, along with a slew of dynamic weapons, but the defense is looking to build off an impressive conclusion to the 2023 season.

They have an ascending secondary that returns All-Pro cornerback Jaylon Johnson and other young talent, including Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Jaquan Brisker. They also have a star edge rusher in Pro Bowler Montez Sweat and a dominant linebacker tandem with T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds.

For Eberflus, the last piece missing on his defense is that dynamic pass rush duo that can affect the quarterback. While Chicago traded for Sweat, who had an immediate impact on defense, last year, they’re still looking for a complement. And Eberflus made it clear that he wants to add a playmaking pass rusher to make the defensive front dominant.

“It’s important that we get that piece because you have to have the 1-2 punch,” Eberflus said, via ChicagoBears.com. “It can be inside as well. You look at who affects the quarterback the most, I would also argue that the inside piece is also something that we should be looking at, and it’s important that we do that. Direct line to the quarterback. When they max protect, it’s a soft spot in the protection. We’re looking at all pass rushers. It can be inside, outside, all along the line. We’re having an open mind in that regard.”

At this point, most mock drafts have the Bears going wide receiver with that ninth overall selection. But, listening to Eberflus talk about the importance of adding a playmaker to affect the quarterback, you have to believe pass rusher is certainly in play. Whether that’s at No. 9 (Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Laiatu Latu) or in a trade-back scenario (Chop Robinson, Darius Robinson).

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Kirk Herbstreit: ‘Get ready because the Bears are coming’

Analyst Kirk Herbstreit believes the Bears are going to be a very good team in short order.

The Chicago Bears are one of the most intriguing teams this offseason. They have already made some big moves via trade and free agenc,y but now it’s time to start thinking about the 2024 NFL draft.

If they do well with their four selections (all in the first four rounds), they could be a very good team next year and beyond. They are going to begin the draft on night one with Caleb Williams as the number one overall pick and then they will make another selection at number nine.

Ryan Poles has been a master at this since taking over as general manager in 2022, but this is the offseason that he can define his legacy. If Poles does well, he will be known as a top GM in franchise history. If he doesn’t, he will be just another in a long list of disappointments.

One popular football commenter, Kirk Herbstreit, seems to think that the Bears are going to be a very good team in short order.

“You better get on the Chicago Bears right now,” Herbstreit said Monday on the Pat McAfee Show. “Get ready because the Bears are coming.”

One of the biggest takeaways from his segment were his comments on head coach Matt Eberflus. Herbstreit sees the players on this team playing hard for the head coach despite the narrative that surrounds him. That is something that could help them win in the near future.

Herbstreit also had high praise for Chicago’s defense following the trade for edge rusher Montez Sweat, which means that a new quarterback playing well could mean good things for the team as a whole. If the defense is supplemented by a good offense, they will in turn win more football games.

It’s refreshing to see the media’s positive praise about the Bears. While Chicago still has work to do, they aren’t a laughing stock right now, which is different than the last couple of years. If Chicago becomes a top team, they could be a big focus in overall NFL conversation because of how important they are to the league.

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Bears’ Matt Eberflus explains what impressed him most about Caleb Williams

The Bears took WIlliams to dinner recently, and head coach Matt Eberflus speaks on what they learned.

It seems that superstar Caleb Williams is destined to be the Chicago Bears next hopeful franchise quarterback. His future destination has long been speculated to be Chicago, with talks ramping up in fervor as soon as the team took hold of the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

But it would take some time and effort from both camps to embrace one another: the Bears had to make a decision on then-starter Justin Fields and Williams has been under siege by unrelenting questions on his fated partnership with Chicago.

It wasn’t love at first sight, but both sides have made meaningful strides to make Williams’ transition from the sunny skies of California to the often-unpredictable elements of Chicago seamless.

The team brought Williams and a few of his USC teammates to dinner recently, and head coach Matt Eberflus raved about Williams’ character when talking to media at the NFL owners meetings.

Eberflus’s biggest takeaway about Williams from the meeting was “his arm talent and how he got along with his teammates.”

Eberflus’s comments on working on install with Williams is interesting, as that’s a process that’s usually reserved for when the team actually drafts the player. The term “install” is a term used for teaching a player the playbook and going over different looks, plays and formations.

The insight should be used to dispel any doubts on who the Bears will be taking at No. 1 next month. Williams will undoubtedly be sporting the navy blue and orange when the 2024 NFL season begins.

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Jaquan Brisker organizing offseason workout with Bears secondary

Matt Eberflus says Jaquan Brisker is orchestrating a workout with the Bears defense in California.

It’s common practice for NFL players to enjoy the extended time off following yet another physically taxing season.

They’ll often make sure they stay in shape by participating in individual workouts before reporting to their team’s headquarters for the start of the offseason program in April and voluntary OTAs in May, taking their first step toward getting ready for the next season.

Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker didn’t want to wait that long. Brisker invited the entire secondary to work out with him in California, with head coach Matt Eberflus saying the safety is getting everyone together “as we speak.”

Eberflus also noted that he’s excited for longtime Titans safety Kevin Byard to join the defense this year — a unit that many project to be one of the NFL’s more formidable squads next season.

The players, coaches and front office are saying and doing all the right things this offseason. General manager Ryan Poles had made several smart and integral offseason signing and brought a decisive end to the Justin Fields-Caleb Williams debate, sending him to Pittsburgh; Eberflus is beginning to win the favor of the fans by being so involved in several pivotal moves in the last couple of months, and locker room leaders like Brisker are making the extra effort to build chemistry and allow new guys, like Byard, to get extra time with his new teammates.

It’s been a productive offseason so far, with even more firepower coming in the NFL draft in just under a month.

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Bears hint about direction they’re leaning with No. 9 pick

There’s little mystery about what the Bears will do at No. 1 in the NFL draft. The bigger question will come with the No. 9 pick.

The Chicago Bears are sitting in a prime position holding two top-10 picks in the 2024 NFL draft, where they’ll be able to land some top players to their talented, ascending roster.

While it’ll come as no surprise when the Bears draft quarterback Caleb Williams at first overall, there’s more mystery sounding the ninth overall selection, where there will be plenty of options.

General manager Ryan Poles mentioned three specific position groups when talking about options at No. 9 — offensive tackle, wide receiver and defensive end. Regardless of how the board falls, a top prospect at any of those given positions should be available for Chicago.

“I like the numbers,” Poles said at the NFL owners meetings. “I talked about it when I first got here, but we have different tiers on our draft board. I like the numbers in terms of the talented players that can get to 9.

“We’re gonna do some cool things when we get back (to Halas Hall), kind of break into teams. One team is going to talk about ‘the tackle position is the best to go after,’ ‘the wide receiver’s the best,’ ‘the defensive end’s the best’ — and use factual information to kind of spit that out. And we’ll have a debate in terms of what’s more impactful for our football team, short term and long term. I’m looking forward to that.”

When head coach Matt Eberflus met with the media Tuesday morning at the owners meetings, he reiterated as much. He said they’ll target players that either help the quarterback or affect the quarterback at ninth overall.

With four quarterbacks projected to go in the top five, there’s a good chance the Bears could have their pick between a top wide receiver, edge rusher or offensive tackle at No. 9. That could includes players like Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse and Joe Alt.

While it sounds like Chicago is set on landing two top prospects in the top 10, they could also elect to trade back — if the price is right. They currently have just four draft selections, so you know Poles will attempt to trade back at some point.

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Bears GM Ryan Poles: Trading Justin Fields ‘probably one of the harder things I’ve had to do’

Bears GM Ryan Poles said there was “a lot to unpack” when it came to trading QB Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears ushered in a new era when they traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, clearing the way for incoming rookie Caleb Williams (most likely).

General manager Ryan Poles met with the media for the first time since the Fields trade at the NFL owners meetings in Orlando, where he said there was “a lot to unpack” when it came to trading Fields.

“There was a choppy start in his rookie year,” Poles said, via Sun-Times. “And when I came in, we had some cleaning up to do, which delayed another year of adding talent and supporting. And then in terms of the game, I feel like he was making strides and improving.”

Poles also emphasized the importance of the timeline with having a rookie quarterback under contract, and it seems that played a huge role in the decision.

“It’s really the timeline and how much runway you have,” Poles said. “Because to get a guy up off the ground, you need to support him with as much talent as possible. And then that flips because it takes so much cap space.”

Poles went to Matt Eberflus’ house to call Fields together to inform him of the trade. Poles admitted trading Fields was “probably one of the harder things I’ve had to do” on a personal level.

“Having that conversation with my own son was hard,” Poles said. “His jersey’s up in his room.”

Poles and Eberflus also made sure to call Bears veterans before the trade was finalized to explain the move.

“They understand that there is a business part to it,” Poles said. “It’s not something that just because you trade someone, you don’t like them, you don’t appreciate them.”

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Bears WR Keenan Allen greets Caleb Williams at USC pro day

New Bears WR Keenan Allen was among a huge Chicago contingent at Caleb Williams’ pro day.

Wednesday is the day many have been waiting for: USC’s Pro Day, where quarterback Caleb Williams is set to workout in front of various NFL teams. Williams, the consensus top prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, has generated a ton of buzz and is the favorite to be selected No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears.

Naturally, Chicago has a large contingent in attendance to watch Williams, as well as other USC prospects. General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus are just two of the team members, but one of their newest players is also in attendance and made sure to say hi to his potential new quarterback.

Wide receiver Keenan Allen, whom the Bears acquired from the Los Angeles Chargers just last week, was spotted at USC’s Pro Day wearing Bears blue and orange by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and Darren Haynes of CBS Los Angeles. He and Williams greeted each other with a hug prior to the workout.

 

Allen was acquired last Thursday from the Chargers in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick. The six-time pro bowler has been one of the best receivers over the last decade since he was drafted in 2013. He’s coming off a season where he had 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns.

When asked about Williams during his opening press conference, Allen only had great things to say. “Hell of an athlete,” he said. “Obviously, he can make tremendous plays with his feet and with his arm. It looks like he knows the game really well. Really good.”

The Bears still haven’t made their intentions fully known with the No. 1 overall pick, but considering the trade of Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the large contingent in attendance for Williams’ Pro Day, and the fact Allen himself is there to see him, it feels like only a matter of time until these two start connecting on the football field.

Bears HC Matt Eberflus will continue to call defensive plays

Matt Eberflus will once again be calling plays for the Bears defense in 2024.

The Chicago Bears have a new defensive coordinator in Eric Washington, who was officially introduced during a press conference, but some things will remain the same on defense.

Head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters Thursday that he will continue to call defensive plays during the 2024 season. Eberflus assumed playcalling duties in Week 3 of last season after Alan Williams gave his resignation.

The defense made huge strides in the second half of the season with the addition of Montez Sweat and Eberflus at the helm, where they were a top-10 unit to close out the year.

Washington mentioned he’s called plays in the past and would like to do it again, but that’s not expected to happen in 2024. Washington did share praise for Eberflus as a playcaller.

“He’s situational. He knows his priorities,” Washington said. “He knows his players and the values. How to put players in the best position possible.”

Washington, who got his start with the Bears as a defensive assistant in 2008, brings 16 years of NFL coaching experience to the table and is ready to work with a talented group looking to ascend into a top-10 unit.

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Bears promote OL coach Chris Morgan to run game coordinator

The Bears offensive line coach is getting a promotion for the 2024 season.

The Chicago Bears overhauled their offensive coaching staff this offseason, namely with the addition of Shane Waldron as the new offensive coordinator. But one holdover coach from the last two years is getting a promotion for the 2024 season.

Offensive line coach Chris Morgan is being elevated to run game coordinator, head coach Matt Eberflus announced on Thursday while meeting the media. Morgan has spent the last two seasons as the offensive line coach and has yielded positive results while working with young players such as Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, and Darnell Wright.

Morgan was one of two position coaches who remained with the team after the 2023 season, along with tight ends coach Jim Dray. He will still coach the offensive line in addition to working with running backs coach Chad Morton and assistant running backs coach Jennifer King on the run game. The Bears did not have a run game coordinator the last two seasons, though their rushing offense led the league in yards per game in 2022 (177.3) and second in 2023 (141.1 yards per game).

With the promotion of Morgan, the Bears’ coaching staff is nearly complete. Eberflus confirmed the team is still looking for an assistant defensive line coach after Justin Hinds left to become the Seattle Seahawks defensive line coach.

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