One would guess a lot of the same reasons Holmes & Campbell did as well:
It’s clear that the vast intel-gathering process the Bears did on Carter told them everything they needed to know. Whether it was the lack of maturity, the questionable practice habits, a tepid love for the game, or the reckless driving incident, Carter was not a guy for them.
“Yeah, I won’t comment specifically on him but character’s always going to be important for us,” Pole said Thursday when asked about passing on Carter.
Ever since they took over, Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have told us what they prioritize in the players they want to be the foundation of this rebuild.
Big, strong, tough, explosive, and athletic. Well, Carter checked all those boxes. Jalen Carter, the player, is a home-run pick. On Madden, he’s easily draftable.
However, the other benchmarks – the intangible ones that show you who a guy is when the chips are down and tell you what he is really made of – well, Carter couldn’t clear them. It doesn’t even seem like he was close.
Poles declined to discuss why the Bears passed on Carter, but he did seem to indicate the reasoning behind the decision.
“Character is always going to be important to us,” Poles said Thursday night.