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The Bears have the No. 1 pick and a decision to
make about whether to commit to 2021 first-round pick Justin
Fields or select one of the top-rated prospects in the first
round in April.
Waldron said he's starting prep for the NFL Scouting Combine on
Thursday afternoon, including a more in-depth look at
presumptive No. 1 pick Caleb Williams of USC.
"The tape is obviously their resume as a player. What I look
forward to is understanding and getting to know -- what's their
why?" Waldron said. "The combine is the first chance to see some
people in-person and get to know those guys outside of just the
great displays of what they've put together Saturday afternoon
or night on the field.
Waldron said when he was hired that most of the conversation
about the quarterback position was lumped into his ability as a
coach to be adaptable and build a system around individual skill
sets.
"A lot of the conversation on offense revolved around
adaptability. What can you do with different pieces of the
puzzle? It's our job first to be great teachers and put guys in
the best position to have individual success and great team
success," Waldron said. "What concepts do we want to have when
we start our OTAs, that's the first part of it. You build it
around the player's skill set. That's been a part of my core
beliefs."
Waldron said he has "exchanged messages" with Fields and will
have more contact with him in the coming days.
Fields has one year -- and a possible fifth-year option for 2025
-- remaining on his rookie contract. Waldron is likely to have a
say in whether the former Ohio State standout is equipped to
move the franchise forward as the QB1. Waldron said he hasn't
done a detailed individual evaluation of Fields or any other
offensive player on the roster yet.
"In the past experiences with different quarterbacks with
different experience levels ... different quarterbacks have been
able to step into the system, learn it quickly," Waldron said.
"Without getting into specific personnel talk right now, it's an
ever-changing scenario this time of year with free agency.
Obviously at the quarterback position with the ability to be
explosive, work off-schedule."
--Field Level Media
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