Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus Post-Draft Media Availability | Chicago Bears

just to uh recap today um at 122 took Tory Taylor uh putter on Iowa really excited about Tori uh one of the best punters I've ever seen just in terms of his placement um as well as his leg strength to be able to flip the field um and then we traded back in at 144 with Buffalo uh for a future fourth for Austin Booker um a guy that we thought had tremendous upside U we love his length we love how hard he plays um we just see a ton UPS he's 21 years old a lot of growth and development there um and then overall you know really excited about how the draft went this year everything fell into place um I would have never guessed that it would have lined up the way that it did so we're all excited um a lot of hard work went into it and and it paid off for sure um and now it's time to uh start a new chapter for this organization yeah so I just want to start off by thanking uh Ryan and uh his whole staff I mean this it's a big process to be able to get the right guys um on the football team that that are good teammates that love football um that's a that's a deep process that we have to go through and there's a lot of people that are involved in that um from trainers to Medical Doctors to uh strength and performance and and uh just want to thank him for that it's a it's a big process and then how we really connect with the coaches you know we really uh do that um in a deep way in a good way um and the communication has always been great since we've been here and we're just trying to get to the right answer and uh we definitely did that this time for sure and uh and we've done it the first three times you know we're two other times so I think it's uh it's exciting to look at the process we're getting better every single year as we go you know the experience with each other and I think it's uh it's it's really good to to uh just to say thanks to those guys that are all involved in that um so you know with the uh draft you know you you talk about Caleb you know you know and then Rome the first two I think it was really uh really cool how they got to fly you know you know just by happen stance fly together to Detroit and then get on a private jet with their families and fly here that's pretty cool you know to be able to do that all together get the bond a little bit with each other and uh I had all I guess it was 12 of them you know uh two two uh two draft picks and then the family members back back in the in my office to visit man it was it was a great process you know to be able to sit there and visit with those guys and and I just took time to thank their parents you know because to have the quality of men you have in Caleb and Rome um you know that doesn't happen you know you have to be raised that way and uh and I really wanted to thank their their parents they all were in there so um so and they they make good teammates you know why because they love football and and to me that's what's uh what it's all about are they talented sure they're talented no question but uh it's going to be fun to watch those guys grow up together you know and then uh you know with the next pick you know with uh with the Quran interesting story that uh a year ago he was at keer Lakes golf course I was you know I'm friends with the owner Steve over there and uh a lot of the guys over there so a really good track the last three holes are called The Gauntlet I mean and they ain't lying when they say that that's it's pretty hard but uh so I got off the actually I was making turn and uh he's standing there he says coach how you doing I said yeah how you do it's he's greatl looking guy right lean long fast you know for his position great feet and uh he said hey you're gonna you're gonna end up drafting me next year and I was like okay we'll take a look at you you know because you know I haven't seen him on film yet but uh but he did uh so it came true I mean you know how crazy is that and uh so now I got a good golf partner with his dad he's he's probably a scratch golfer but you know whatever um so and Tor you know tor's a weapon for the whole football team you know when you think about it I know when average you know last year was the high was 5.8 a game you know at uh 99 punts and the low was in the mid-50s at 3.3 you know per game average per Punt and uh those things count you can flip the field on those uh the punt and pins are huge and um you know this guy is this guy's a big Talent so we're excited to have him and then Austin you know great job by Ryan trading back back you know into it and getting him you know he's a he's a guy that's going to got a lot of upside you know he's long uh he's fast he's got a lot of burst to close uh you can definitely see that he plays an aggressive style and uh we're excited to have him too so with that with that open up the questions and does this draft feel to you like a big moment and a big accomplishment in your career um I don't really look at it that way but you know to have the opportunities we did this year um for everything to go what I think is in a really good direction um it's really big for a football team um I think we made huge strides forward um there's work to be done um but you know this is a an impact draft for this organization for sure Matt when you guys were at USC you said you sat down with Caleb just the two of you and you said tell me your story how did you uh find that his story shaped him as you were trying to get to know what made him well just when you go through the process with him you can tell that he's all ball I mean he loves football and he's diving into it you know when he was a running back and then switched over the quarterback as a youngster there and then the amount of time that he put into really studying the position and and really working his craft trying to master his craft uh really you saw that come you know when he won the Heisman so you know it's uh and where he is right now in terms of his game and and uh you can definitely see that he loves the game do some of that stuff at 10 111 12 that's unusual even by I level Athletics yeah yeah it is you know they got innate gift you know to be able to spin the football and uh it's exciting to watch for both of you guys Caleb's obviously not a perfect Prospect or a finished product as as he gets in the practice field here soon what are one or two areas of emphasis that you'll have for him at the very start of his career just said Caleb Caleb yeah yeah yeah it's really just the operation he's going to have to operate the offense he's going to have to spit the calls he's going to have to be clean with his uh Cadence you know and just operating the offense if it's in the Huddle from the no huddle um in all the situations and he's going to have to you know play point guard you know and that's what he does distribute the ball Ryan Ryan when Mahomes came out he had a losing record in college and I was wondering when did you guys in KC project that he would become this crunchtime winner who carried the team over the top and played his best at the end or was that just a benefit I'm just curious if you can project that that a guy will be that kind of guy referring to Caleb of course but as it relates to Mahomes that fact or did you see that then and can you see anything like that in in Caleb is can you project that that effect yeah it's hard to project to to that level but what you look for is what they can do what tools do they have the instincts their feel for the game you know obviously the the physical part of it as well um and then can you develop all of the other pieces that they may be missing based on the system that they're coming from or just some struggles that they have um but you know if they have a certain level of those physical tools that you know the sky's is the limit and it can be a really high ceiling and that that that's what we look for and that's what Caleb has he has a really high ceiling now we got to pour into him he's got to put in the time as well which we know both sides will will do everything that we can to develop him and those around him and then we'll see where that ceiling is Ryan what are you most proud of in what you've been able to do to remake the roster both sides of the ball and free agency the draft Etc over your three years oh um I would say the I think it's really rare to have the skill level be improve so much but the culture and the people be like topnotch as well like to bring really good people and really talented players in and for that to be the same I think that's that's really hard and you don't have to worry about you know having a bad locker room bad culture through adversity things going bad and it starts to eat at itself um these guys love being around each other they love football and that's you know come coming up through scouting those are the kind of the Staples you want to make sure guys are passionate about football they're good teammates and you lean into that and you got to have faith that when you put a bunch of those people together it can it can be special um so I'm just proud of the the people that we've brought in on top of the talent as well Matt what do you what do you appreciate Matt about Austin and the fact that he was able to produce so much despite only starting one game last year and a Senior Bowl specific how much did his showing down in Mobile turn you guys on to you know him and your draft board yeah we we definitely had our eyes on him down there for sure and uh he's got a slippery way about him you know some rushers just have the ability to uh you know work around the tackle on the outside and uh and there was a couple other guys that were like that in the draft this year but he's definitely one of those guys and he's just got natural ability to really rush the passer and understand when he gets to the top of the rush if he's stuck he can work back inside you saw a lot of that on tape as well um but I'm most impressed by his hustle and his his disposition the way he plays the position it's been pretty clear that you you identified Rome as one of those guys that has the talent and then the personality when did you find yourself particularly drawn to kind of his wiring and really is his demeanor and the way he just is on an everyday basis yeah so for that we really lean into our area Scouts that spent so much time in the schools um they did a great job getting the background and then you obviously you read stories and kind of pair everything together and realize how special the guy is and you can hear with the conviction that our guys talk about Rome um and then on top of that I had a really cool opportunity I think it was right after Thanksgiving flew out for the Apple Cup game I think he had 120 yards but then to see the player you know make plays like that um I think it was like rainy and cold and just out there making plays for his team and it was a a really tight game and I think they actually did a uh reverse or Jet Sweep on like a fourth and one um and they put the ball in his hands um and got it done so it was cool what do you think what do you think you can do with this collection of offensive skill players that you've been that's been put together now yeah I think it's going to be uh tough to defend um star with practice you know we got to we got to defend those guys in practice which I think is going to be really good um for our skill set you know on on both sides of the ball you know because if you look at the receiver receiving core they're all different um our halfbacks are all different and the tight ends are different they're different skill set so I think it's uh you know credit to Ryan to be able to bring those guys together you know acquire those guys and I think it's going to be very difficult to defend and specifically with the top pick coming in the quarterback coming in you have a long career but you only have these two years where you've really worked with the offense how much more prepared do you feel to to supervise the development of a Young quarterback than you did when you started yeah I think it's a group process you know and I really think that uh all of us together are going to do that at the same time you know um but I really believe that uh you know Caleb's in a really good spot and uh he's starting um at a good spot he's going to finish at a good spot we got to get him to the to the first game you know being the most prepared that he can be um up to that that point man specifically with Rome what do you like about what he brings to the offense yeah just the explosiveness you know the ability and and I love the work ethic you know his story is just all about work you know and I just love that and he's going to fit right in with our group um but just the explosiveness that he brings you know because it's fun to be able to throw you know DJ or or Rome or you know or Keenan you know a little five yard pass and also that turns to 20 or 25 looks pretty good on the stat line you know um but also explosive plays are about winning you know you win with explosive plays and those guys bring that to the table for both of you we know that the expectations as a team are to win now but uh even the best rookie quarterbacks have some Growing Pains so I'm just curious as it pertains to Caleb what are your expectations for him specifically yeah just the work get to work and he's gonna do that you know he's G to take one day at a time get to work go through the process uh get to know his teammates uh get the relationships going with every single guy uh which he's done and he's already called all our draft picks already and he's already reached out to a bunch of players you know some of the key players on our football team so um that's really it just take one day at a timean man you mentioned at the owners meeting that you and Ryan both knew when you took over it' be kind of a tough sting at the start to turn it around but now that this moment has arrived how do you describe the energy around this weekend now that it is kind of com to for both you yeah I was just uh say that really um it's it's exciting and we understand that uh we understand where we are and where we came from and uh and I'll just go back to it's one one day at a time now it's about putting the football team together and the guys coming together you know in terms of their relationships and and learning the scheme and let's get to work Matt there's probably a lot of young Bears fans who think they're gonna get drafted by the Bears after that interaction with Karan like when you actually looked him up what was sort of your reaction to seeing him on the film yeah it was good I mean he's good like I said he's a long lean and he's got a lot of upside uh with him so uh it was exciting you know and then I got a chance to meet him you know in person you know he's I spent about 30 40 minutes with each guy you on the 30 visit in my office talking to him and uh got a great story a great family and uh he's going to get it done than guys thank you

Channel: Chicago Bears

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Keywords: Football, NFL, Chicago Bears, sports, American Football (Sport), National Football League, Bears, CHI, Chicago, illinois, da bears, video, players, plays, highlights, mic'd, up, top, hype, 10, micd, bears highlights, spice adams, anthony adams, Justin Fields, Fields, Soldier Field, darnell mooney, eberflus, ryan poles

Id: TTRjo_gJszc

Length: 14min 30sec (870 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 27 2024