Ryan Poles is already making enemies among the more outspoken of the Chicago Bears fanbase. They feel he’s making a huge mistake by not being more aggressive in free agency thus far. He is responsible for doing whatever he can to help Justin Fields improve. Yet thus far, the young GM has done little more than add a couple of former backup wide receivers and decent center. They may land a guard soon in Ryan Bates, but he brings limited starting experience.
Poles can’t possibly expect Fields to improve without more help. Not with the Bears operating without a 1st round pick in the 2022 draft. Free agency feels like the only avenue where they can get better immediately. Yet that is precisely the issue. Building through free agency is a losing proposition. It might give a team the necessary boost to get better for a year or two, but it tends to do more harm than good in the long run.
This chart illustrating free agent spending vs. wins helps show why.
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Look at all the teams above the $804 million average line. Only one of them has won a Super Bowl in the past decade. That was Tampa Bay, and much of that was thanks to their good fortune of landing Tom Brady. Only one other team, San Francisco, managed to reach the Super Bowl at all. Conversely, it isn’t a coincidence the teams that spend the least also tend to win more often. That is because they believe in a draft-first approach and stick to it.
That is the philosophy Ryan Poles believes in. It is the one he feels is the only way to ensure the Bears become a legitimate contender. Look at his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, for evidence. If though they do spend more often than others, it still isn’t anywhere close to the league average. Chicago has to embrace this philosophy. It isn’t easy, and it takes time to see results. However, if given some patience, the reward will be worth it.
