The Chicago Bears got lots of praise from the NFL community when they hired Ryan Poles as their new general manager. By that point, he’d been a popular commodity, becoming a finalist for multiple other such jobs with other teams. George McCaskey became enamored with him almost immediately. When he realized there was a danger of losing Poles to the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears chairman took the unconventional step of picking the 36-year-old up from the airport personally for his second interview.
Shortly after that, Poles was put in charge of the organization. Since then, he has embarked on a massive renovation of the Bears’ roster. Several core veterans of the past few years were either cut, traded, or allowed to walk in free agency. He then executed a flurry of maneuvers to secure 11 picks in the 2022 draft. His intentions are clear, and his confidence in the approach seems unshakeable. That isn’t surprising to former GM Scott Pioli. He was the one who brought Poles into scouting back in 2009. It didn’t take long to realize the man was destined for great things in the league.
Pioli explained why on Good Morning Football.
Ryan Poles isn’t some staunch traditionalist.
He is the embodiment of the modern GM. While he embraces the classic mantra of building a team through the draft, he also keenly understands how different the NFL landscape is. Players are more outspoken than ever. It takes a particular type of personality to handle that new reality. There is also the fact that analytics have become prevalent in scouting with certain organizations. Poles has made sure to incorporate that into his approach as well.
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There is no telling whether Ryan Poles will be a success. Time will tell. Pioli seems to think he has all the tools necessary, including a relentlessly competitive mindset. If The Bears give him the time he needs to enact the plan, winning will follow. McCaskey seems ready to trust the process. When one has the trust of the owner, everything becomes easier. Here is hoping Pioli is right, and this is the start of something special.
I think R Poles has already done more for this team than the previous two GMs accomplished during the entirety of their terms. His commitment to the team as a whole, and commitment to building the team from the bottom up through the draft and UDFAs is refreshing. While he has had a couple of hiccups, overall he has already established a winning mindset and culture before a single game has been played. Poles and Eberflus will dramatically remake the Bears and push this team into playoff consideration for many years to come.
Sticking to his promises and doing the dirty work IS EXTRAORDINARY. It will be more extraordinary to tune out the lynch mob when a few losses happen. And extraordinary to create a culture where players can believe in the new as yet unproven system. Tough crowd indeed.
I tend to agree, I know it’s early but I love every move he’s made so far. Given time he will lead the bears to the promise land.
Another way to soon off season non story. What exactly has Poles done to be considered extraordinary? All he has done so far is tear down the team, can we at least wait until the season starts and see if any of his draft picks/FA’s can play?
Well, I like what I see so far. Real evaluations with no ego involved. Long term plan for building a roster. Sticking to the draft board instead of falling in love with a guy and trading resources to move up for him. Not trading resources for guys that will break the bank when you get them. It takes patience and an extreme commitment to your plan. You have to build an entire roster and then maintain it. The best way is through the draft and then calculated free agent signings once you have the core.