One thing about Ryan Poles is that every move he makes seems to have a straightforward, well-thought-out process behind it. He doesn’t sign players just to fill out roster spots. He asks a simple question: what does my team need, and who can provide a solution? That is how he came around to adding Yannick Ngakoue this past week. The Chicago Bears needed pass rush help. He was the best available on the market by a comfortable margin. However, the signing of tight end Marcedes Lewis was a bigger surprise.
It didn’t make much sense to several people why the Bears would bother adding a 39-year-old tight end when they already had two proven pieces in place. That being Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan.
Poles explained his reasons on Saturday.
“With such a young team I thought it was critical to get a pro’s pro, a leader, someone the guys can lean on to understand how to be the ultimate pros and win a lot of games in this league, how to stay healthy and take care of their body.
He’s gonna bring that as well as help us in the run game and help us stay balanced. It’s incredible at his age. His tape is still good. His ability to win on the edge and help us get on the perimeter and also get movement in the run game. That’s going to be critical.”
This sort of tactic was first popularized by Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh back in 1981. He surprised the San Francisco 49ers by signing 34-year-old linebacker Jack Reynolds. It didn’t make much sense at first glance. The guy was on the downside of his career. San Francisco was rebuilding. What was the point? Walsh’s reasoning was simple. He had a defense made up of several young players. They needed somebody who’d been around the league a long time. Someone who understood how to study, grind, and prepare. Reynolds proved that for years in Los Angeles.
Ryan Poles thinks Lewis can be a Reynolds for the Bear’s offense.
San Francisco’s defense had nine starters 26 years old or younger that season. Reynolds was by far the oldest. So it didn’t take long for everybody to listen to him. The benefits were immediate. That 49ers defense finished #2 in the NFL, helping the team win their first Super Bowl. Chicago faces almost the exact same situation. Ten of their projected starters on offense are 26 or younger. Lewis has been around the NFL forever. He’s played on several winning teams, including three that reached the conference championship. There is no shortage of wisdom he can impart to teammates.
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It’s why Robert Tonyan and Luke Getsy worked so hard for the past four months to recruit him. They knew Ryan Poles had the right idea from the start. Lewis would be a gigantic benefit to a young team, both on and off the field. He may not have the worst-to-first impact as Reynolds did, but he can teach guys how to care for their bodies, play with greater juice, and execute in high-stakes situations. Poles deserves credit for understanding the benefits beyond the Xs and Os.
