Ryan Poles got it done. Two trades and a free agency splash later, the Chicago Bears GM has completely revamped the team’s offensive line. It started with bringing in Jonah Jackson from Los Angeles following a falling out with the Rams. Next came possible future Hall of Famer Joe Thuney from Kansas City just 24 hours later. With the guard spots secure, the next phase arrived at the start of the free agency legal tampering period. There, Poles quickly locked up veteran Drew Dalman, securing the Bears with a much-needed solution at the center.
Everything came together about as well as a team could hope for. Chicago is now free to do pretty much whatever they want with the 10th overall pick in next month’s draft. However, insider Matt Lombardo indicated there may already be a plan in place.
If Jackson is healthy, adding him and Thuney along the interior could be transformational for a line that allowed 68 sacks last season for an offense hoping to break out under Johnson’s tutelage.
Now, with two guards in tow, Poles and the Bears are no longer forced to draft for need.
If one of the premier offensive tackles is on the board at No. 10 overall, perhaps they’ll be holding up a Bears jersey alongside Roger Goodell in the shadow of Lambeau Field.
Remember, Poles mentioned a need to bring in competition at left tackle after Braxton Jones failed to improve last season. Rather than sign a veteran free agent or gamble on a later draft pick, their best hope of upgrading that spot would be in the 1st round.
Ryan Poles is following a blueprint he’s seen before.
He came from the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2021, his final season there, they enacted an aggressive plan to overhaul the offensive line. In just two months, they landed four new starters. They traded for left tackle Orlando Brown, signed left guard Joe Thuney, and drafted center Creed Humphrey and right guard Trey Smith. It worked out well. That new offensive line eventually helped the Chiefs win another Super Bowl in 2022. The crazy part is the Bears can pull off something similar without needing the luck of hitting on a late round pick.
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They’ve already gotten three guys with Thuney, Dalman, and Jackson. Ryan Poles only needs a left tackle, and he holds a top 10 pick to get that done. His best options appear to be LSU’s Will Campbell, Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, and Texas’ Kelvin Banks. Armand Membou of Missouri is also one to watch. If one of them shows the Bears they have the capacity to be a great player in the NFL, it should not be shocking if they’re called next month.
