Bears addition Drew Dalman dodging comparisons to elite center

Getting a center this young who has been this highly regarded completes the Bears offensive line for now, even if he is no finished product at 26 years old.

"He's still growing as a player," Johnson said. "So he has not hit his ceiling yet either. He's already asked me several times what did you see on tape that I can get better at? That’s the type of person we're getting.

"He just sees this as the next step as in his growth."

A report from CBS Sports said Dalman wanted to do his growing in Chicago instead of other potential locations even though he was offered less money. Dalman didn't want to talk about the money or other teams but did make it clear he's elated with where he wound up as a free agent.

"I think the things that are most important to me with football, about the culture that I’m playing in and the people I’m playing next to, kinda the vision for the team as a whole, all of those things were kind of top of mind for me as far as finding the next home," Dalman said. "And all of that stuff was assured to me and made me aware in the process.

"So that was awesome and gave me a lot of confidence in the decision, and made this place really appealing. You know on top of that the Bears are a historic team and this is an awesome town, so that’s something I think everyone wants to be a part of. So it’s made the whole thing really, really enticing for me."

Dalman's intelligence on the field should be no surprise because his father was a coach and former pro, Chris, the former 49ers and Stanford player who also coached for the 49ers, Stanford and Atlanta. 

"Yeah, I mean he was my high school O-line coach (Palma High), so that was like super, super formative, an incredible experience," Drew Dalman said. "I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

"So, really, really formational for that just, so like my techniques and kind of the way I see the game. In high school, you’re kind of just learning and so that was great. And then now, it’s much of a dad thing and someone that I can trust and bounce things off of and talk to and kind of just talk shop with. So like an incredible experience.”

Dalman enjoyed the dad-coach experience.

"I’m sure I frustrated him at times, but, like, when we were on the field, it was coach. When we were five seconds after, it was dad,” Dalman said.

Although Dalman is the quarterback of the line, he realizes he can have a big impact on his new quarterback, Williams.

"I'm really excited to learn from him and to work with him and take things off his plate so he can focus on the things he's great at," Dalman said.

He's been through a revolving door of quarterbacks in Atlanta since Matt Ryan left and learned about the impact he can have settling down new or inexperienced QBs.

"I think when you go through those changes, it really emphasizes, 'what can each individual do to help with the whole unit and help the whole thing run smoothly?' " Dalman said. "I feel like that process of self-evaluation—what can I do to help, help the team, the unit, individual players?—is definitely top of mind."

How he's going to attack that for the line and with Williams is by letting them know he can play, first of all. It's the same way former Falcons teammate and current Bears teammate Grady Jarrett said on Wednesday at Halas Hall, and one that also shows off his intelligence.

"I feel like I have to prove myself and prove that my process works and that I'm a good teammate and person, all those things, before that (leadership) even begins to enter my mind," Dalman said.