Ryan Poles Tells Charles Tillman One Competitive Advantage Bears Have

Ryan Poles knew his primary job was to evaluate and acquire the best possible talent for the Chicago Bears. However, the job of a GM goes far beyond that. It’s running a franchise from top to bottom. That means managing personalities and maintaining a healthy locker room culture. People often don’t understand how difficult that is, especially if the team is going through struggles. It’s one reason Poles deserves credit for last year after the Bears finished 3-14. It would’ve been so easy to see players grow frustrated and lash out in the media. That never happened.

Part of the reason for that is Poles’ consistent efforts to establish good communication between himself and the players. He believes that bridge is vital to team success. It’s why he believes the Bears have a certain advantage over other teams. The GM explained on the NFL Players: Second Acts show with Charles Tillman and Roman Harper. There is a certain makeup of the team’s front office that isn’t talked about enough. It’s not filled with big-wig executives who started out as young scouts. There are quite a few former NFL players in the mix, including himself.

Ryan Poles understands the brittle nature of locker room culture.

One wrong tweak to it can lead to a disastrous cascade effect. Remove one beloved leader or teammate and it can lead to a massive drop in morale or even an outright mutiny. Bears fans might remember what happened in 2007 when the team traded Thomas Jones. Several teammates admitted that decision was a catastrophe for the locker room and a big reason why it took multiple seasons before they got back to the playoffs. Poles can’t afford to let such things happen. This is where constant communication is vital.

It speaks to the Bears GM having a clear understanding of the human side of football. These aren’t gears in a machine you can just swap out at will. It doesn’t work that way. These are men with minds and emotions. They put their bodies through hell for money, winning, and love of the game. The least they deserve is respect. Some of Ryan Poles’ predecessors often failed to recognize this reality.