Ryan Poles has talking about building a support system around Caleb Williams since the Bears drafted him at No. 1 overall.

Turns out it was a two-year project.

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The 2024 offseason wasn’t enough to support Williams, despite some strong additions at the skill spots, or make up for hiring Shane Waldron or retaining Matt Eberflus.

Poles made a massive course correction this winter. The Bears general manager convinced ownership to spend big on head coach Ben Johnson, an ideal partner for a talented, sometimes headstrong young quarterback.

Then Poles and Johnson overhauled the interior offensive line with established veterans in their prime. They added speed to the receiver corps, and still have room to add a running back, tight end or both relatively early in next month’s NFL draft.

Those moves have, in theory, set up Williams to realize vast potential. He’s well protected up front. He’s partnering with cerebral center Drew Dalman to help identify and defuse pressure. He still has DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet outside. And he has unfettered access to Johnson’s offensive wizardry, which will be tailored some to his skill set.

All that sets Williams up for success. Now the quarterback must do his part. If he doesn’t, the Bears will be in another bad spot. This is a quarterback league and, even in a run-heavy system, the Bears won’t be competitive without production from the passer.

Williams understands that. The USC product knows he must be better after uneven first season where he was set back by coaching and some of his own rookie mistakes. He took responsibility for them after the season and vowed to get back in the lab and be far better heading into Year 2.

Williams filled a notebook with offseason projects to improve his technique, form and quarterbacking acumen.

“This offseason is going to be a big offseason for me,” Williams said back in Week 18. “I’m excited for it. I have things that, maturity wise playing the position, I’m excited about learning. Things are going to take time, I’m well aware of that and okay with that.

“I am definitely going to try to push myself to exhaustion mentally and physically this offseason to be able to withstand the long season. This has been the longest season I have played. Then, mentally being able to withstand the long season, playoffs and know a lot more about ball than I did a year ago now. I’m really excited.”

He’s crossing work on the list right now, before he and Johnson can formally unite next month when the offseason program begins. While he hasn’t commented publicly on the Bears free-agency acquisitions, Williams is pumped about Johnson’s addition. There’s faith he and his new head coach can form a lasting partnership that will improve his career and the Bears fortunes.

That must happen now.

Johnson said the Bears have “a lot of good building blocks” to help Williams thrive and produce consistently quality tape over the mere flashes of brilliance we saw last season. Williams won’t be perfect, but he needs to be much better managing the game, finding a rhythm throwing from the pocket and taking small profits over trying to produce magic at every turn.

Johnson’s schematics will create some guardrails for that. So will improved stability from the offensive line, featuring established pros at every position. That should set Williams up well to focus on things exclusive to him and make smart decisions and accurate throws.

All this talk is theoretical to this point. Williams has to show improvement this spring, summer and that leads to steady production this fall.

“Everyone’s excited about where Caleb can go,” Poles said on March 13. “We all know that there’s a lot of growth that has to happen and get him to where he needs to be. But that excitement (is there) in terms of what he can be obviously help get other coaches and players excited to be here and work with him and help get him to where he needs to be.“

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