Ryan Poles knew what he was inheriting when he took over. The Chicago Bears didn’t hire him as the new GM to take over a perennial contender. They had a roster that had underachieved yet again. Somebody was needed that could steer the ship in the right direction. Almost 40 years without a championship is way too long for this organization. Poles had a vision, and the McCaskeys loved it. The only challenge was whether they’d be willing to let him see it through.
They seem ready for that commitment. The same can’t be said for many Bears fans. They’re already breathing down Poles’ neck for how he handled the 2022 off-season. More specifically, they’re upset at how he didn’t do enough to help Justin Fields in the passing game. His wide receiver additions have underwhelmed. The offensive line hasn’t been bad, but it’s nowhere close to the higher tiers in the league. One NFL executive thinks the criticism is entirely unfair, though.
He told Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune as much.
“Look at what he inherited,” the personnel man said. “A bad salary-cap situation and an awful offensive line. The best receiver (Allen Robinson) was disgruntled, so he had to let the guy go in free agency. The Bears were short on draft picks. That’s not on Poles. The cupboard was bare. That’s why Poles is there.
“Everybody has to pause and realize the Bears are in a rebuild no matter what Poles says or Eberflus says. They are doing the smart thing by not putting the young quarterback in harm’s way and making him throw a ton behind that offensive line and without offensive weapons. That’s smart. They don’t want to hurt the kid’s confidence like Houston did with David Carr when it had nobody around him. Pump the brakes. It’s only two games.”
Ryan Poles is playing the long game.
That is something many people aren’t willing to accept. He stated the goal from the outset. This team was going to build through the draft. That is how most successful franchises are constructed. Unfortunately, such things take time. It means Fields would have to make do with what they could scrounge up for the time being. The worst thing to do would be asking him to chuck the ball 30-40 times every week when the surrounding personnel never made that feasible.
David Carr, whom the executive references, was sacked a horrific 249 times in 76 career games with the Houston Texans. The guy was so beat up and shell-shocked that he never had a chance to realize his full potential as a #1 overall pick. The Bears don’t want that to happen with Justin Fields. That is why they’re committed to running the football for the time being. It won’t always be pretty, but it should serve their long-term plans. Ryan Poles needs time to let his vision unfold.
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Waaaahhh, waaaahhh, Khalil Mack. Waaaaahhhh, wahhhhh, Allen Robinson. Waaaaaah waaaahhhh, Akeim Hicks. Sad to say but between injuries and Nagy that crew did not get it done and were too old, expensive, injury prone, etc. to last through the rebuild. Hard choices had to be made. Short on picks and cash this was absolutely the way to go. Start over. Clean slate. New young athletic guys, second chance guys, lots of late draft picks after trading down, waiver claims, etc. Nobody is safe. Prove it on the practice field and on game day. Next comes smart drafting and careful FA… Read more »
I like what Poles is doing so far, and the Cupboards Were Completely Bare when he got to the Bears!
A total rebuild takes time and is impossible to do overnight!
Anyone criticizing Poles is an idiot
Exactly what I have been saying!
Thank you