Ryan Poles hasn’t yet gotten the Chicago Bears on the winning track. The job he inherited was always going to be a difficult one. Ryan Pace left behind an old, slow, and expensive roster for the most part. Its window to compete for a Super Bowl had passed years before. Rather than try squeezing maybe one more playoff run from it, Poles decided the best decision was to kickstart a complete rebuild immediately. Every player over 30 with an expensive contract was eventually released or traded.
While it was likely the right decision in the long term, it would cost the Bears in 2022. They finished 3-14, the worst record in the NFL. Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry told Courtney Cronin of ESPN that such moves showcased what will make Poles a success in Chicago.
“Anyone who’s in one of these major decision-making seats, at some point you’re going to have to make a franchise-altering or career-altering decision,” Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry said. “It can be easy in these roles, especially because they’re so public facing, to operate from a posture of being afraid to make a mistake, being afraid to make a bold move or even from the perspective of pure job preservation.
“And when I see what Ryan did, I see someone who is doing what he thinks is in the best interest of the organization.”
It’s obvious by now Poles has no such fears. In less than six months, he traded a star linebacker in Roquan Smith and then became only the third GM in the past two decades to trade the #1 overall pick. Most GMs wouldn’t have the guts to do those things.
Ryan Poles is bold but not reckless.
That is a critical thing to keep in mind. Yes, he traded Smith and traded the #1 pick. However, there were logical reasons for both decisions. He didn’t want to pay an off-the-ball linebacker $20 million per year, especially one with zero experience at the position he was playing. Moving down from #1 was all about stockpiling resources. He secured more high draft picks to help build a depleted roster while also landing a go-to wide receiver for his quarterback. This is in stark contrast to Pace, who kept throwing away picks on constant trades up the board for players that ended up being mostly disappointments.
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It’s as Berry said. Ryan Poles is only interested in doing what is best for the Bears. He will do it if he feels it will help make the organization a consistent playoff contender. This GM isn’t afraid of public backlash. That comes with the job. It should be appreciated that Poles isn’t afraid to present himself to the media as often as he does. While his decisions may not always yield results, he is at least willing to defend them publicly. That is more than you can say for his predecessors.
