Ryan Poles has already proven one thing. He is a naturally curious human being. If he doesn’t know something, he’ll do the necessary research to find out. This is a big reason why he is such a successful personnel executive and is the new GM of the Chicago Bears. There is no such thing as too much information. To that end, it seems the 36-year old got in touch with an old colleague prior to taking over the team. None other than former head coach Matt Nagy.
The two worked together from 2013 to 2017. Poles in the Kansas City Chiefs front office and Nagy as the quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator. So they have a relationship. Like everybody else, Poles was curious where things went wrong with Nagy in Chicago. Especially after things started off so well in 2018. That is why the new GM contacted him. To get an idea of the missteps in order to make sure he doesn’t repeat them.
A sensible approach.
The contents of their conversation were kept confidential. Not a surprise. Still, it’s a fair assumption that Nagy would’ve told him everything he possibly could. For all his faults, the former head coach didn’t mind sharing the details with people close to him. He no doubt mentioned the shortcomings on offense in terms of personnel. Especially along the offensive line and at wide receiver. Perhaps he even had some critiques of former GM Ryan Pace as well.
Either way, Poles figures to benefit from the information he received. It better prepares him for some of the pitfalls that lay ahead. Already he is working to fix some of the concerns with the Bears scouting department and front office. He may soon bring in more of his own people as scouts while also expanding the analytics department. This GM isn’t interested in surrounding himself with friends. He is looking for smart people to help build this team. Something many believe Pace didn’t do enough of.
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Ryan Poles wasn’t seeking flash in Nagy’s replacement
The common complaint about Matt Eberflus among Bears fans was how boring he came across. A defensive-minded coach from Indianapolis. None of the “big” names many people had circled as guys that should’ve been the choice. The truth is Poles didn’t care about style. He cared about substance. To him, Eberflus exuded the primary attributes he wanted in a head coach. Leadership and the ability to teach.
People may have differing opinions on the man, but one thing is clear. He knows the exact sort of identity he wants for his football team. One built around hustle, intensity, intelligence, and physicality. This was always a problem that seemed to follow Nagy. Nobody ever knew what the Bears’ identity was when he was head coach. It felt like he was trying to be everything and was therefore nothing. Ryan Poles wasn’t about to make that mistake.
His guy would have a vision.
Eberflus knows the kind of team he wants to field. Poles’ job moving forward is obvious. Finding the necessary players to fit that vision. That will be challenging this first year as the Bears are operating with just five draft picks. Even so, with a clear identity in place, it becomes far easier to craft a plan of action.
