The hallmark of general manager Ryan Poles’ rebuild of the Bears has been his discipline. It’ll take at least another year to see if his plan is prudent, but there’s no question that he has stuck to the course he plotted when he took the job in January.
That was to his detriment, it seemed, in free agency when he made only budget-friendly signings at offensive line and wide receiver rather than aggressively fortifying those positions to better facilitate quarterback Justin Fields’ progress.
But in the case of trading defensive end Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a fourth-round pick Wednesday, Poles reiterated that he’s looking far down the road with the rebuild. He did not fall into the trap of believing the Bears were better than their 3-4 record after the thrilling blowout of the Patriots.
It’s still a rebuild. And Poles is a realist.
That’s a key distinction between him and his predecessor, Ryan Pace.
Pace either couldn’t or wouldn’t see what mostly everyone knew about his recent Bears teams: They weren’t close. His inability or unwillingness to accept that led to the mess that Poles has had to clean up. Seeing clearly, rather than seeing what you want, is essential to the job. It comes down to facts, not feelings.
It’s another test Poles has passed. The longer he has been on the job, the more many of his moves have looked smart.
He staked his employment on hiring coach Matt Eberflus, who continually conveys competence. He played hardball with linebacker Roquan Smith and won. And now he has resisted the emotional rush of a big win and held steady in his plan for 2023 and beyond.
“In the moment it’s tough because you lose a guy who’s a captain who we all voted for, but you understand they’ve got business to do upstairs and they’ve got the best interest of the organization going forward,” tight end Cole Kmet said Thursday. “You understand that, but it sucks to lose a guy like Rob.”
Poles talks about running the Bears like he’ll be doing it for the next decade, and while this franchise isn’t known for giving general managers time, his actions have followed his words.
Here’s what Poles has lined up for the coming offseason: A full slate of draft picks for the first time since 2016, plus the fourth-rounder from the Quinn trade and an NFL-best-by-far $125.7 million in salary cap space.
That’s nearly double the next highest team, the Falcons, and while he’ll spend some of it on Smith, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and possibly Kmet and running back David Montgomery, Poles will still have plenty of resources to add talent.
A sensible timeline for the Bears is to use this season to free themselves from bad contracts, compete for the playoffs next season and ramp up to real contention in 2024 — all contingent, of course, on Fields being their franchise quarterback rather than having to reset that pursuit in the draft.
But make no mistake, this was the season to tear it down and start the rebuild.
Pace had that chance after the 2019 season but convinced himself the Bears were on their way up when it was quite the opposite.
Poles’ Bears actually are on their way up, but the important aspect for him to gauge is how quickly they’re moving. It’s still a multi-year rebuild, regardless of the win Monday, and veering from that approach would’ve been a mistake. As good and beloved as Quinn was, it always made sense to trade him. If there’s any criticism, it’s that Poles didn’t do it earlier.
As a first-time general manager, Poles still has to prove to everyone that his plan is a good one, but he’s already shown without a doubt that he’s committed to do it.
