It is becoming clearer by the day what GM Ryan Poles is doing. In the absence of enough resources to take any big swings at marquee players. One of quantity over quality. Between the NFL draft and undrafted free agency last weekend, the Chicago Bears added no fewer than eight wide receivers. With few proven options on the roster, Poles seems intent on creating a massive competition. Maybe one or two guys will stand out as keepers with a little luck.
Amazingly it appears the GM isn’t done yet. Mere days after that frenzy, the Bears added yet another body to the mix. Once again, Poles reached back to his Kansas City Chiefs roots, claiming Chris Finke off waivers from his former team. San Francisco signed Finke as an undrafted agent in 2020 but he failed to crack the main roster. He’d hoped to get another chance in K.C., but he became expendable after the team added several bigger names to the receiver room.
The Bears have claimed WR Chris Finke off of waivers from the Chiefs.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 4, 2022
Never doubt Chris Finke.
Never.
No. 7 ND 10 – No. 3 UGA 7
📺 CBS #GoIrish #BeatBulldogspic.twitter.com/mypx8SrdPX— The Fighting Irish (@FightingIrish) September 22, 2019
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Chris Finke is just rude.
He doesn't like sharing the ball with the defense.pic.twitter.com/REbZrU2ECB
— 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 (@sportingnews) September 2, 2018
Chris Finke with the 54 yard touchdown! 💨 pic.twitter.com/5lwpE10tV2
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) September 14, 2019
Finke doesn’t look like much at first glance.
He’s only 5’9 and 190 lbs. His arms are short, and he ran a pedestrian 4.57 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. In that context, he doesn’t fit what Poles seems to prefer in receivers. Namely speed. It wasn’t a surprise he went undrafted. Yet when watching his tape, there is something about him. Finke has that Wes Welker or Julian Edelman vibe. What he lacks in size or speed, he makes up with quickness and strong hands. He has a knack for finding dead spots in coverage and displays remarkable hand-eye coordination when making tough catches.
The Chicago Bears may see him as somebody who can compete for the punt returner job. He averaged over nine yards per return over his final two years at Notre Dame. This might be another cheap flier by Poles, but the intent is obvious. He’s giving guys an opportunity. Finke never had a prayer of making the Chiefs roster. With so many spots unsettled in Chicago, somebody like Finke has a better-than-normal chance to make an impression.
