The Chicago Bears are preparing for an important offseason. They’ve finally cracked the postseason for the first time in years. Now comes the hard part: maintaining their grip on the division and making a run at the Super Bowl. To do that, they must try to keep the roster they have intact as much as possible while also adding to it. The issue is they’ll have to do it with limited salary cap space and draft picks sitting in the back end of every round. Unfortunately, there is also another problem for Bears general manager Ryan Poles to tackle.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently revealed some telling information on his podcast. From what he’s hearing, the opinions of both the free agent and draft classes for the upcoming offseason inside the NFL are lukewarm at best. He believes this will result in teams being more aggressive on the trade market than in other years. This could play into the Bears’ hands. Poles has shown a particular knack for wheeling and dealing since he took over the Bears in 2022.
Ryan Poles isn’t afraid to churn the roster via trades before the draft.
Since taking over, he has conducted seven trades in March. Some of them have had a significant impact on the Bears’ fortunes, often for the better. One of them took place just last year.
| Year | Trade details |
| 2022 | Khalil Mack to LAC for 2nd and 6th round picks |
| 2023 | #1 pick to CAR for #9 pick, 2nd round pick, future 1st, future 2nd, and WR D.J. Moore |
| 2024 | 5th round pick to BUF for OG Ryan Bates |
| 2024 | 4th round pick to LAC for WR Keenan Allen |
| 2024 | QB Justin Fields to PIT for 6th round pick |
| 2025 | 6th round pick to LAR for OG Jonah Jackson |
| 2025 | 4th round pick to KC for OG Joe Thuney |
It isn’t uncommon for Poles to target players who may fill a specific need for his team without risking them getting to free agency. Other times, he takes advantage of teams facing salary cap problems or a lack of leadership at the top. That is how he fleeced Carolina in 2023 and then got Thuney from Kansas City. He’s also not afraid to trade players if he feels it is necessary for the franchise’s long-term stability.
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Chicago has a few names on the payroll that they may consider shipping elsewhere due to cap issues of their own. D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, Tremaine Edmunds, and De’Andre Swift stand out as possibilities. Then there is the possibility of plugging a need with a player from another team. Here, it becomes about who is or isn’t available.
The Bears could have some intriguing options at the right price.
Players are often traded for specific reasons. Some become too expensive to keep due to cap constraints (Thuney). Others were supplanted on the depth chart by someone else (Jackson). Then there are some who just want out because of a toxic situation. Ryan Poles’ job is to find players who meet those criteria and make the necessary calls to see if they’re available. An initial look at the current landscape indicates a few interesting names.
| Need position | Name | Why available? |
| Edge rusher | Kayvon Thibodeaux | Contract coming up and Giants may not wish to pay |
| Left tackle | Walker Little | Benched for Cole Van Lanen |
| Defensive tackle | Kenny Clark | Became a luxury after Cowboys trade for Quinnen Williams |
| Safety | Budda Baker | Doesn’t want to endure another rebuild |
| Linebacker | Pete Werner | Snaps declined under new coaching staff in New Orleans |
Much of this depends on how big a risk the Bears are prepared to take. Thibodeaux only played ten games and had 2.5 sacks last season. Little gave up 50 pressures this past season, which was a considerable regression. Clark turns 31 in October. Baker has two years left on the $54 million extension he signed in December of 2024. Werner would be the cheapest, but also the least impactful. It’s a tough decision for Poles to sort through, not just with them but with other options as well.
