Whispers have intensified in recent weeks, painting a clear picture of shifting dynamics inside Halas Hall. First, Sport Mockery’s Jeff Hughes and then Tyler Dunne of Go Long reported that Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson appears to have more personnel power than people realize. Ryan Poles is still the general manager, and the team hasn’t indicated he’s lost the final say on roster decisions. However, the evidence and indications behind the scenes are that Johnson is now calling the shots.
That was reinforced this week. A source informed SM that Poles delivered a new directive to his scouts as the college evaluations continue. They are to focus heavily on three position groups: offensive tackles, edge rushers, and running backs. Other positions will be scouted, but those three are a priority. While Poles was the one to deliver the message, many in the building believe the directive came from Johnson. The head coach isn’t happy with the state of those positions and fully intends to attack them next spring.
Ben Johnson doing this shouldn’t be a surprise.
Just look at what happened in the opener against Minnesota. Braxton Jones allowed six quarterback pressures at left tackle. D’Andre Swift averaged 3.1 yards per carry at running back. Montez Sweat only had one pressure as their primary edge rusher. All three spots were crucial to the Bears’ loss. It doesn’t help that two of them are probably the two most important non-quarterback positions on the team. If you want to win in the NFL, you need good players at those spots. Even if Sweat plays better in the coming weeks, the team still needs more depth on the edge. Jones clearly isn’t 100% and may have already hit his ceiling. Swift isn’t a true workhorse back and is also a bad fit for this offense. Ben Johnson will want to bring in guys who fit his vision for the team. That mission is already underway.
