We sit a week away from NFL free agency, and the Bears are the talk of the NFL. As they should be. They’re the team with the No. 1 overall pick and the most cap space. That buzz you heard all the way from Indianapolis was by design. Ryan Poles has spent the last week selling hope like he’s Saul Goodman. Now we’ll see if the Bears’ general manager will net the desired results.
Veteran NFL writer Peter King on Monday released portions of an interview with Poles in his “Football Morning in America” column. Poles came off as clearly confident about the position the Bears are in five weeks from the draft. He should feel good. It’s not hyperbole to say what the Bears decide will shape the NFL for the next five years or more. You don’t sit down with one of the biggest names in sports journalism for 50 minutes just to be nice. You use that platform to set an agenda.
One of the most interesting things to come out of the NFL Scouting Combine was the strong support that Justin Fields received. Former teammates, current workout partners and even TV pundits lent their voices to Fields and his plight as Bears quarterback. Fields’ ceiling, and whether he will ever reach his potential if he doesn’t get proper talent around him, remains a question. Until further notice, this is always how discussions about Fields should be framed. For a while there, it was getting a bit ridiculous how his 2022 season was being discussed. Last week, it felt like the football intelligentsia came back to its senses when discussing Fields.
Poles’ support for Fields was muted but present when he addressed reporters at the combine. That support grew louder as the week went on, with Poles telling King: “We’ve got to see it through.” Making the point that the team had witnessed enough to know that it has to surround Fields with more talent and see what happens next.
Removing the possibility of trading Fields opens a world of possibilities. Having the top pick and not needing a quarterback is a dream scenario. The Bears have a chance to gain more assets while still allowing them to draft a difference-maker this offseason. It’s important to note that Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter’s arrest warrant might change the way Poles and his staff see the draft board.
Throughout the week, Poles laid out possible scenarios that would have the Bears trading out of the No. 1 spot. It was refreshing to hear a Bears GM be so bold and open about the organizational blueprint, but remember: It’s lying season. We’re getting our first look at how Poles plays poker.
He has been clear about the floor for compensation for that pick and has even let it be known that multiple teams already have been in touch. Now he must decide on whether doing a deal before free agency makes more sense than waiting. Which will net the higher return? The specificity of what Poles wants may be a bit of a tell, but you only need one sucker at the table to flinch, and there are plenty of candidates.
Do I believe Poles? Not entirely. Why? Because it’s lying season! This is part of the job, and I’d give Poles an “A” for how he has manipulated the media into messaging the rest of the league. Hell, I’m doing his dirty work right now by even writing this column.
For 20 years, I’ve been covering the NFL, and I can’t remember a Bears GM being this visible or on the record as Poles has been the last few weeks. His strategy is willful and with purpose.
Saul Goodman said it best: “If you’re committed enough, you can make any story work. I once convinced a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked, because I believed it!”
It’s all good, man, because it appears Poles has been taking notes.
You can hear Laurence Holmes talk Chicago sports Monday to Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on 670 The Score with Dan Bernstein.
