LAKE FOREST, Ill. — If that’s all Caleb Williams accomplished in the preseason – if 43 snaps in two games total is considered more than enough – then it was a good start for the Chicago Bears rookie quarterback.

From his early flashes in Buffalo against the Bills to his late response against the Cincinnati Bengals with several spectacular plays, general manager Ryan Poles was excited from the first pick. He saw a young player coming into his comfort zone.

“When the lights come on in the stadium, the atmosphere is completely different than it was during practice,” Poles said. “So what’s going to happen? Will it get better or will it crumble under the pressure? And for him, everything seemed to slow down a little bit when the Games started.”

“I just watched him in the locker room preparing, watching his routine, and then when the game came around, he just seemed more comfortable. And I think that’s a really good trait because you can see that composure.

“And I think you saw a really good start in Buffalo. It was a little rough the other day here at Soldier Field against the Bengals, and he overcame some of that early adversity until he got into a rhythm. So I think when game time came, you could see things slowed down and he was in his comfort zone, which is a great sign.”

It’s also a great sign for the entire Bears organization. Williams was one of the main topics during Poles’ annual training camp interview with the “Hoge & Jahns” podcast. Here are some other highlights from the 25-minute conversation in Poles’ Halas Hall office.

The Caleb conversation

In the second episode of “Hard Knocks,” Poles and Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham discussed Williams’ development – ​​and how he took her to a new level.

“We talk about the journey not always being a straight line, but he’s had a pretty straight line of development so far,” Poles said. “So what you love is that he takes feedback. He wants feedback. He learns from every moment in practice, in games, and just keeps getting better.”

What happens to Williams every day at Halas Hall confirms what Poles and his staff expected from him based on their evaluation in the draft. And then some.

“You have to see it in real life,” Poles said. “At this point, you’re just projecting, and he’s really exceeded those expectations in terms of his passion for the game, his commitment to being a great leader, being a really good teammate and just being hungry to be the absolute best he can be. He’s really impressed me so far with his approach.”

Missed Judun

The Atlanta Falcons signed defensive end Matthew Judon on Monday after acquiring him for a third-round pick from the New England Patriots.

The Bears had a competing offer for Judon on the table.

“You never feel like you’re missing out on anything, it’s just the competitive aspect of building a team,” Poles said. “But yeah, you can at least go to bed knowing you have some guys you trust that can help us.”

It starts with Montez Sweat. Poles signed him last season. But Poles also mentioned Austin Booker, DeMarcus Walker, Daniel Hardy and Dominique Robinson.

Because young players need to be developed, the Bears are very cautious about which players they sign. Or as Poles puts it, there are “various areas” and “checkpoints” that need to be discussed, including compensation when trading with teams and establishing any specific contract requirements or goals that come with a new player.

They always consider what acquisitions mean for the team, both in the short and long term.

As the Bears acquire Judon, they’ll surely be linked to other pass rushers who become available before or during the season. Poles knows that — and he’s OK with it. He’s seen the GIFs of him on the phone on social media.

“It’s a sign that our fans know we’re going to investigate everything,” Poles said. “We’re picking up the phone, making calls, taking calls and asking the questions I’ve raised, like: Does it help us improve? And then from a financial standpoint, draft picks – does that all make sense? So we’re being aggressive in that regard.”

“But again, if it doesn’t help us… you need to put the brakes on a bit.”

Understanding the line of attack

It’s always notable to discuss the offensive line with Poles, a former lineman. On the “Hoge & Jahns” podcast, Poles talked about what’s in store for rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie and second-year right tackle Darnell Wright. He also laid out the expectations for right guard Nate Davis and noted how Coleman Shelton has settled in at center.

However, Poles said he has also become a big fan of left guard Teven Jenkins, who said earlier this summer that the team would revisit a contract extension with him during the off week.

“I think back to when I got here and worked through some things and the reliability that you need in this game, especially on the offensive line. I’m proud of his approach, his growth and his development, both physically and mentally,” Poles said. “So he’s in a really good place right now and we’ve had some really good conversations about how we can have a good stretch where he’s playing at a high level and he’s available. So I think that’s going to happen.”

“And we will continue to have these discussions and see if we can get something done.”

Some parting words

“I love this team.”

The Poles said this unprompted towards the end of the interview.

He sees and feels clearly that something is coming together in Halas Hall.

“These guys … I’ve never been around a group like this,” Poles said. “They all like to hang out together and have fun at practice. They compete with each other. If you go to a restaurant in town, you see a whole team together just having fun with each other. And they all love football. It’s funny because when you prepare for this job, you always talk about culture. Everyone drops culture, culture, culture, but culture is made up of people. If you just bring in people with the same mentality, you end up creating your own culture. So it was cool to see that. That part is the most rewarding.”

(Photo: Daniel Bartel / USA Today)