The Chicago Bears began to prepare for their Week 15 opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, who they will play on Monday Night in Minnesota, following their blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers. General manager Ryan Poles has face increased scrutiny regarding his roster decision after the team lost by 25 points after the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus. With another head coach hiring incoming and a semi-reconstruction of a roster that was seen as playoff ready at the start of 2024, there are questions on whether Poles has been better in his role as general manager than his predecessor Ryan Pace.
Ryan Poles three-year roster construction has failed to provide homegrown talent discovered by the general manager
Poles replaced Pace after the Bears’ fired the former general manager following a six-win 2021 season, in which the team failed again to capitalize on their 2018 success. When Ryan Poles was hired in January of 2022, his first goal for Chicago was to overhaul the roster and rebuild by getting rid of some of the more expensive contracts while tanking to get the highest draft selection in 2023. The new general manager was able to move on from players like Khalil Mack, Roquan Smith, and Robert Quinn via trades to stockpile draft selections while the team obtained the number one selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The first overall selection allowed Poles to trade the pick to the Carolina Panthers for a plethora of selections and acquisition wide receiver DJ Moore, while the picks led to the drafting of offensive tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, quarterback Caleb Williams, and a 2025 second-round selection. Although executing one of the best trades in franchise history, Poles has little success via the draft and free agency compared to what Pace accomplished through three years in role. Through three draft classes, Ryan Poles has yet to have one of his selections be selected to the Pro Bowl.
Additionally, a lot of Poles’ cornerstone pieces on the roster, outside of Williams, have either been Pace holdovers or acquired via trade. Chicago’s two best defensive starters are defensive end Montez Sweat and cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Sweat was obtained via a trade deadline deal with the Washington Commanders last season while Johnson was selected by Pace in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Other players such as tight end and offensive guard Tevin Jenkins are other examples of prior draftees of the former general manager that are being relied on by the current executive.
Some of Poles’ most relied on selections have either failed to have any success or have had success but regressed in 2024. Cornerback Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker were seen as top-end selections by Poles as both players showed progress from their rookie season of 2022 to their next season. However, 2024 has been a regression year for both Gordon and Brisker, as both have missed significant time this year and have only combined for one interception in 2024.
Poles’ most glaring struggles has been building the trenches via the NFL Draft and free agency, as during his first free agency period, he had signed defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi only for the signing to be voided due to a failed physical. Chicago’s general manager would also lose out on signing offensive lineman Ryan Bates, as the Bills would match the restricted free agent’s contract offer, only to trade Bates to the Bears this past offseason. In the offseason before the 2023 season, Ryan Poles would sign veteran lineman Nate Davis to a sizeable contract only for the Davis to be let go earlier this year due to significant commitment issues.
Drafting offensive linemen and defensive linemen has been a growing concern tied to Poles as only offensive tackle Darnell Wright remains the lone standout via the draft. Through three draft classes, Ryan Poles has selected six offensive linemen, with Wright and left tackle Braxton Jones being the only starters of the six. Gervon Dexter remains the only defensive lineman that has provided production, as drafted defensive ends Dominique Robinson and Austin Booker have failed to record a sack this season, despite receiving lengthy playing-time.
Ryan Poles has failed to select quality talent via the draft like Ryan Pace did
Pace, despite overseeing a team that won 14 games during his first three years in role as general manager, he was finding talent via the draft and free agency which would lead to Chicago’s playoff appearances in 2018 and 2020. Through the first three draft classes, the Bears’ former general manager found several starters including Eddie Goldman, Adrian Amos, Cody Whitehair, and Nick Kwiatkowski, along with Pro Bowl running back Jordan Howard and All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson. Pace’s draft selections from 2018 have been even more impressive as the Bears drafted Smith, offensive lineman James Daniels, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and running back David Montgomery, all who are significant contributors to their current playoff-contending teams.
In free agency, Pace’s signings were also successful as he signed undrafted free agent Bryce Callahan in 2015 and defensive end Akeem Hicks, who would go on to become a Pro Bowl player in 2018. It was the successful under the radar signings paired with the draft selections that led to Chicago having the best defense in 2018 and wining the NFC North Division for the first time in eight years. Pace’s success allowed the Bears to have three consecutive non-losing seasons while Poles has overseen the three consecutive losing seasons since 2022.
The one success that Poles has had over Pace so far has been the execution of trades and the ability to secure the quarterback position with a first-round selection. Williams has outperformed 2017 first-round quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, as Chicago’s current signal-caller has broken all rookie franchise records including passing yards and touchdowns. Furthermore, Pace traded multiple selections to required Trubisky and fellow quarterback Justin Fields, while Ryan Pace obtained multiple selections along with the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Despite the success with trades and drafting Williams, Poles has struggled in every other area when it comes to roster construction in a year where the Bears were expected to complete for the playoffs. Ryan Poles’ predecessor had placed the Bears in a position to compete in year four of his tenure after building up the roster the prior three seasons. Chicago’s current general manager has been building his roster up the last three years, but could be on the verge of a semi-reshaping of his roster, which will likely keep the team from competing for the playoffs in 2025.
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