Ryan Poles took a step back from the table holding a host of microphones and recorders in a small room inside the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve got to take a picture of this,” Poles said as he used his cellphone to photograph the array of equipment. “I’m not in Kansas City anymore.”
The new Chicago Bears general manager then sat down and talked about the fast-approaching new league year, the upcoming draft and the transition the organization is making under his leadership.
If you were looking for much in the way of tangible updates, you probably were disappointed.
Poles wouldn’t say if a second franchise tag is a possibility for wide receiver Allen Robinson. It would be stunning if the team even considered such a move at a price tag of nearly $21.5 million.
Poles said the team is taking things a day at a time with running back Tarik Cohen, who has been sidelined since September 2020 with a torn ACL. He said it’s premature to say where the team envisions 2021 second-round pick Teven Jenkins playing on the offensive line when the team hits the field next month for the first of two minicamps.
Poles reiterated he likes value that can be found in the second and third waves of free agency, targeting players who sometimes are motivated by short-term contracts that can improve their bargaining position the next time around.
It’s a theme he talked about during his introductory news conference Jan. 31 when he made it clear he wants the Bears to be draft-driven while being judicious with forays into free agency. There’s no reason to doubt Poles wants to build a foundation via the draft, which will make the first year challenging with only five picks and no first- or fourth-round selections. Savvy shoppers can find significant contributors in free agency after the buying frenzy has died down. It happens every year.
For the Bears to get the new program up and running and have a chance to plug their many areas of need, it stands to reason Poles could take a big swing or two when the league year begins March 16. In order to give second-year quarterback Justin Fields the best chance possible, they have to make a bold move — probably two — and that won’t happen two weeks into free agency when it’s a buyer’s market.
Sure, Poles doesn’t want to telegraph his moves, but there are enough clues out there to indicate the Bears will have to consider some potentially major deals. They’re not going to overhaul the offensive line, which Poles has talked about, with only a Day 2 draft pick. With the exception of Darnell Mooney, the wide receiver room is barren.
There’s a lot of heavy lifting to be done with just those two position groups, and that was evident when Poles was asked how he evaluated the offense.
“Bright spot was Mooney,” he said. “He stopped in (at Halas Hall) and I was really blown away by the person. So that was a bright spot. The running back situation is good. There’s good offensive linemen as well. It’s just continuing to tweak that and making sure we get everyone that’s fit and in the right spots. So that was a pleasant surprise.”
This isn’t even considering needs on all three levels of the defense, especially at cornerback, where there’s a critical need for talent to join Jaylon Johnson. But if you make a point of addressing the offensive line on your first day and if Mooney is your only wide receiver for a young quarterback you hope becomes a star, you better be prepared to make some big moves. Poles simply doesn’t own the draft capital to make it happen at the end of April and with some shrewd free-agent signings after the market has settled down.
A year ago, Poles was with the Chiefs as they plotted to overhaul their offensive line. The first of many moves was signing guard Joe Thuney to a five-year, $80 million, deal. The Bears will need a guard if they don’t re-sign James Daniels, who will be an unrestricted free agent and could command upward of $10 million per season, and they’ll likely look to provide competition for or replace center Sam Mustipher.
A good crop of guards and centers is slated to reach free agency, plus the possibility of left tackle options such as Terron Armstead, Orlando Brown and Cam Robinson.
Poles could make one or two signings for the O-line, but he also needs to perform due diligence on free-agent wide receivers to take some pressure off Fields, who never seemed to find a rhythm with Robinson.
“The playmaker piece, guys that can make plays,” Poles said. “I think a lot of the really good quarterbacks, especially the young ones, when things go crazy, who can they go to that they trust and is dependable and can make plays? We’re just trying to keep an eye on them as well.”
Two of the best options, provided they reach the marketplace, are coming off season-ending injuries. Chris Godwin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Michael Gallup of the Dallas Cowboys both suffered ACL tears. That’s the same situation Robinson was in when he signed with the Bears in 2018. Mike Williams, Christian Kirk and D.J. Chark are other potential options at a position that doesn’t look like it will be deep in free agency.
“There’s a lot of spots we’ve got to fill,” Poles said. “So that volume piece is important, and it really comes down to our evaluation to make sure that we’re right on there.”
He definitely is not in Kansas City any longer. He’s in Indianapolis, at the scouting combine, and before he leaves perhaps he will have set in motion plans to make a couple of headline moves at the outset of free agency.
