Insider Reveals Expected Ryan Poles Plans For The Bears
Ryan Poles came in with a clear plan of action. He wants to build a fast and physical football team with the Chicago Bears. Players should be hungry and never comfortable with their job security. Violence is encouraged. The tricky part is how he goes about making this vision a reality. His predecessor Ryan Pace loved to take big swings. If he believed in players enough, he wasn’t above spending extra resources to ensure he landed them.
After one off-season, it is difficult to get a gauge on Poles. Most of the time was spent unloading older players with expensive contracts. No big trades were made. No front-line free agents were signed. That has a chance to change in 2023 when the Bears have the most salary cap space in the NFL. One insider, though, made it seem like it might be wise to lower those expectations. Field Yates of ESPN explained what Poles’ approach would likely be.
“The Bears find themselves here after cratering in 2021 and having dispensed many resources in the past that proved ill-fated. GM Ryan Poles was hired to get this organization on track, and you can count on these facts: He will be disciplined, and he will pour endless hours into the draft. The fundamental reality of that is it will take time, and the Bears have an abundance of roster holes to fill.”
Ryan Poles already demonstrated this approach back in April.
He could’ve easily sat tight during the NFL draft, made his picks, and then moved forward. Instead, he feverishly spent the weekend turning six selections in 11 through multiple trades. It immediately became evident that Poles intended to follow through on the promise during his opening press conference. He plans to build the Bears via the draft. In the absence of many high picks, he opted for quantity.
If he’s lucky, the new GM will get three or four solid contributors out of the group. Early signs are promising. His top two choices, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker look like immediate starters. Fifth rounder Braxton Jones is already competing for the left tackle job. Velus Jones also has a chance to be a versatile offensive weapon. Nothing is certain at this point, but it looks like Ryan Poles is a man of his word.
He wants to win, but he wants to do it the right way. Making aggressive trades and signing expensive veterans might give the Bears a quick burst of winning for a year or two. In the long run, that isn’t sustainable. He needs a foundation of young talent to make this franchise a consistent contender. That requires time and patience.