Ryan Poles officially became the new Chicago Bears GM on Tuesday, January 25th. A hire many around the NFL celebrated. The young executive has plenty of admirers both in the media and league proper thanks to his personality, work ethic, and intelligence. Nobody can dispute he comes from one of the top-shelf organizations in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs. What nobody can say for sure is if the 36-year old is ready for the challenge ahead.
In the end, his legacy will come down to the obvious. Whether he can build a strong enough roster to finally get the Bears to the promised land of a championship. Much of that hinges on whether he can help Justin Fields to become the franchise quarterback many feel he can be. Something Ryan Pace failed to accomplish given the current state of the offense. This is where a great story by Nate Taylor of The Athletic can help provide information.
He did a deep dive into the Chiefs’ recent 2021 draft process.
This is where he provides a glimpse of how Poles approaches player evaluation and his overall eye for talent. Going into the 2nd round last April, Kansas City realized that other teams weren’t likely to target a top center vs. other key positions. So they decided to pounce on a player they had eyes for. Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey. One of his biggest advocates was Poles who saw huge potential in the young blocker.
“One guy that came to mind, when I watched him over the last two years, is Ben Jones,” Poles said about Humphrey the 10-year veteran with the Tennessee Titans. “I kind of labeled him as the get-the-job-done type of guy. Highly intelligent, leader. That’s the first guy that came to mind while watching him.”
The Chiefs ended up landing Humphrey at the end of the 2nd round. He became their starting center from day one and has played in every one of their games this season. In that time he has allowed just 12 pressures and three sacks on Patrick Mahomes. For context, Sam Mustipher allowed 28 pressures despite playing two fewer games. The pick was an instant success.
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Poles went on to break down why the Chiefs’ draft plan worked.
Poles explained that the Chiefs’ approach worked because of the effective communication the past three months between personnel members, scouts and the coaching staff.
“You can do damage in terms of acquiring players that represent what you want to be as an organization,” Poles said. “That’s the biggest one. I have fun doing this. You can give your opinion and it never is taken personally. The way we work together is the best part.”
Ryan Poles sounds like somebody unafraid of frank discussions
If anything he embraces them. By getting the honest opinions of scouts, executives, and coaches out in the open, it improves the chances of an organization making the right decisions. Something that was a problem at times when Ryan Pace was in charge. Most famously during the Mitch Trubisky selection in 2017 when he kept John Fox out of the loop. It sounds like that isn’t going to happen under Ryan Poles’ watch.
The person that figures to benefit the most from his arrival is Fields. Poles had a big hand in selecting several quality offensive linemen, wide receivers, and tight ends during his time in Kansas City. These are all things the Bears need more of if they’re going to start performing like a viable offense. Rebuilding an offensive line that allowed 58 sacks in 2021 figures to be his first priority.
Fields won’t complain.
It will be easier said than done. Chicago is limited on draft picks (5) with no 1st rounder and isn’t exactly swimming in cap space either. Poles will have to find ways to improve his resources and then set about identifying the best way to fix this roster. The most logical approach is doing everything possible to help Fields. By making the quarterback a success, life becomes far easier for this football team. Just it is in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes.
