Ryan Pace developed a reputation for being as vague as possible when speaking to the public. He never offered much in the way of what his plans for the Chicago Bears roster other than the obvious. The quarterback was most important. Outside of that, it was always about choosing the Best Player Available in the draft, regardless of position. Don’t overspend on free agency. So on and so forth. Ryan Poles seems somewhat different.
While he obviously won’t reveal specific names he may or may not target this offseason, the new Bears GM wasn’t shy about sharing his philosophy. He even detailed which position groups he views as the most vital to a successful team. He explained as such during his first meeting with the press, but it was glossed over at the time. Likely because people were more focused on his head coaching hire.
So here is what he said and why it is significant.
“You always want to prioritize from, really historically, what the supply and demand is. Obviously, it starts with a quarterback. Your tackles, your pass rush, your corners, your three-down linebackers and then your free safety.”
So really having a plan in terms of what the most important pieces are and how hard they are to get them, you can identify them and you got to get them. So that’s how we’re going to build is just identifying those position groups and making sure that those are the emphasis, but we all know that that doesn’t mean that they’re always going to be sitting there waiting for us, so we might have to maneuver around and go with different positions. But that’s an emphasis on how to build it.”
Ryan Poles may not approach the offseason as many expect
Those words were telling both for the positions included and also not included. Here they are again in the exact order mentioned.
- Quarterback
- Offensive tackles
- Pass rush
- Cornerbacks
- Off-the-ball linebackers
- Free safety
When examining the Bears’ current roster, some of those areas are settled. At least for the time being. Justin Fields fills the QB void. Teven Jenkins should plug either the left or right tackle spots. Robert Quinn and Khalil Mack are the pass rushers. Jaylon Johnson and Roquan Smith fill one spot each at cornerback and linebacker, while Eddie Jackson is the free safety. Some answers are already there but also lots of uncertainty. Particularly at tackle, cornerback, and linebacker.
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Then there is the other notable part in this.
No mention of wide receivers or offensive guards. While Ryan Poles doesn’t think those positions lack importance, it is now clear he doesn’t see them as necessities for top-tier resources. Not unless those other positions are taken care of first. This doesn’t bode well for James Daniels. The young guard is set to become a free agent, and reports are he’s looking at $10-12 million per year. There is also the Allen Robinson question at wide receiver. It was already unlikely the Bears would try one last time to keep him. Now it feels all but inevitable.
It is a given Poles will spend resources at wide receiver and guard this offseason. However, one should not expect him to break the bank. Big names like Chris Godwin, Davante Adams, and Mike Williams might be explored but prove too expensive. The same goes for guards like Connor Williams, Laken Tomlinson, and Brandon Scherff. He is far more likely to shop smart next month and then see what he can do in the draft with offensive tackle, linebacker, and cornerback suddenly looking like bigger priorities than first thought.
Nobody should be surprised he thinks this way either. Just look at what the Kansas City Chiefs have done for context. They found an All-Pro receiver in the 5th round (Tyreek Hill) and multiple starting guards in the 6th round (Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and Trey Smith). Poles feels it’s easier to find value at those positions later in a draft or free agency than others. It will be interesting to see how things unfold.
