The Chicago Bears are in the process of finalizing their 53-man roster ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, with several backup positions still up in the air. One spot that was a bit of concern at the beginning of training camp has now become one of the more secure, as backup quarterback Tyson Bagent has solidified himself behind Caleb Williams. Bagent’s emergence and development as a quality signal-caller, despite his undrafted free agent status in 2023, demonstrates how general manager Ryan Poles should be trusted for his scouting process and how it applies for Williams too.
Tyson Bagent’s rise demonstrates Ryan Poles’ ability to truly find NFL-level talent anywhere
Following the 2023 NFL Draft, Tyson Bagent was signed by the Bears as undrafted free agent, as he was overlooked due to playing at Division-II Shepard college. The rookie was given little chance to make Chicago’s roster during the 2023 preseason, but forced the team’s hand with an incredible performance. In each of the Bears’ 2023 preseason games, Bagent led the offense on touchdown drives in each contest, demonstrating an advanced knowledge of Luke Getsy’s offensive scheme while displaying a quick and accurate release.
It was because of the surprising performance that led the Bears to name Tyson Bagent their backup quarterback behind starter Justin Fields, which led to the team releasing veteran signal-caller P.J. Walker. Fans and the media were skeptical and concerned about Chicago’s decision to have a Division-II undrafted passer be a backup, who had never taken a snap in the NFL before. Poles and the front office were forced into a corner, as Bagent was too good to be placed on the practice squad as an NFL team would have likely signed him to their roster, yet his lack of any experience was a significant risk.
The skeptics and detractors were proven wrong when Tyson Bagent was forced into action in the second half of Chicago’s Week 6 contest against the Minnesota Vikings, when Fields went down with injury. The undrafted rookie then started the Bears’ next four games, leading the team to a two and two record, playing extremely well at time. Bagent was praised for his execution of the offense while also getting the ball out quick to avoid sacks, something that Fields struggled with during his time in Getsy’s offense.
Although Tyson Bagent did demonstrate some credible weaknesses, such as a lack of arm strength and an ability to counteract how opposing defenses defended him once they had enough game film of him, the rookie still did a good enough job to warrant having a backup job going forward. Before the start of the preseason at the beginning of August, many NFL analysts wondered if Bagent or Brett Rypien would be the backup behind WIlliams to start the season.
Through Chicago’s preseason games over the last three weeks, Tyson Bagent not only proved that he can be trusted to execute Shane Waldron’s new offense and be relied on to take over if Williams goes down with an injury, but many analysts believe that he could now be a starting quarterback for other NFL teams. The second-year passer improved on his arm strength completing multiple downfield passes for over 25 yards or more. Bagnet’s development is a testament to Poles’ impressive scouting capabilities, as the general manager was able to find a quarterback prospect that no other organization had interest in signing, and who could now garner potential draft picks in a trade, if a team is interested.
Ryan Poles’ experience in Kansas City with scouting quarterbacks should speak volumes for Tyson Bagent and Caleb Williams
It is the success in finding Tyson Bagent as a legitimate backup quarterback that should give fans confidence that Poles made the right choice in drafting Williams first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Being able to scout and research a signal-caller at the Division-II level with very limited film available is immensely difficult compared to having multiple scouts attend every USC game over the past two years to see their starting quarterback. Before being hired as general manager in 2022, Poles learned how vital and how thorough the process can be to find the right passer while he was working with the Kansas City Chiefs.
During Poles time with Kansas City from 2009 to 2021, he was apart of a franchise that had multiple Pro Bowl quarterbacks in Alex Smith and Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes has been an MVP and All-Pro during his career, as Chicago’s current general manager was credited with helping scout the future Hall of Fame quarterback during his time as the Director of College Scouting from 2016 to 2018. Seeing how signal-callers are scouted and developed at an elite level has now begun to manifest to an extent in Chicago with Tyson Bagent and Caleb Williams.
The discovery and development of Tyson Bagent matters because it solidifies why fans and media should trust Poles and the front office’s ability to develop Williams. Chicago’s general manager spent this entire offseason building the offense around the future first overall selection, whether it was the hiring of Waldron as offensive coordinator, or the flurry of additions made at the skill positions, including trading for Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. Finding a diamond in the rough with Bagent demonstrates the depth to Poles’ scouting capabilities.
Bears’ fans and the rest of the NFL will see the debut of Williams in two weeks against the Tennessee Titans, yet front offices could be interested in services of Tyson Bagent as the 2024 season progresses. If the second-year signal-caller is traded to a team in need of a starter later in the season or next offseason it will be a notable feat accomplished by Poles, equivalent to winning a lottery drawing. Bagent deserves praise himself as he has taken significant steps in a short period of time to become a respectable quarterback in the league, who may have not yet reached his full potential.
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