Bears' Poles, Eberflus talk trading No. 1 pick, Fields trade talks at NFL Combine
CHICAGO (CBS) – It's a big week for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and his front office.
The NFL Combine is taking place in Indianapolis. The Bears have the first overall pick, for now. As CBS 2's Matt Zahn reported, there's more than one way to build a better team and the Bears are exploring their options.
Flexibility was the word of the day for both Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. The Bears have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft and the most salary cap space in the league.
"This is a really good opportunity for us this week for Ryan and I to evaluate these prospects," Eberflus said. "We're certainly excited about the opportunity that we have."
That No. 1 overall pick is the crown jewel. Poles acknowledged trading back is the ideal option, but he and Eberflus will spend the week evaluating players determining what players to target whether it's at the first pick, or a later pick.
"It's the numbers game," Poles said. "I talk about really getting our draft board set up. Seeing where if we move to this spot, who's available? I always talk about value. There are going to be certain players in a value bucket. How many are there? Which is going to dictate how far we can move back."
Ryan Poles says they have been in communication with Justin Fields about all the trade “noise” around him. Said nothing has changed in how they feel about him, but they are doing their due diligence. @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/cGQ8WwYFoc
— Matt Zahn (@mattzahnsports) February 28, 2023
And while Poles wouldn't completely rule out trading Justin Fields, he did say the plan is for Fields to be the team's quarterback.
"That's the plan right now," he said. "Like I've said, we're going to do our homework on this class. If something changes, and again, I'll use the same statement, we've got to be blown away to say, you know what, this is going to be best for the organization."
Poles said they have been communicating with Fields knowing there would be "a lot of noise" this offseason.
He also said that as of now, he has not been asked by any other team if Fields is available.
And while some coaches elected to skip the NFL Combine, Eberflus said he felt it was important to be in Indianapolis to evaluate players in person and work in lockstep with Poles and the rest of the front office.
"Just like free agency, I think I evaluated over 60 guys in free agency," Eberflus said. "I'm going to do the same thing in the draft. When Ryan and I talk, we will be on the same page."
The Bears have the most salary cap space of any team, but Poles said they will stay selective in who they sign.