The Chicago Bears had some critics of their approach to the early waves of 2023 free agency. It was felt the team wasn’t aggressive enough in the trenches. They did make some moves with Nate Davis at right guard, while DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings beefed up the defensive front. However, they failed to land any of the big names. Mike McGlinchey and Jawaan Taylor signed elsewhere. So did Javon Hargrave and Dre’Mont Jones. That has left the line of scrimmage in question for a team that was terrible in both areas last year. That said, not everybody thinks GM Ryan Poles did a poor job.
Far from it. Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with several executives, scouts, and coaches about the various moves made before and during free agency last month. One of them thinks the Bears did a really good job of acquiring good players and sticking to a clear plan of action.
“The Bears are interesting because people are like, ‘Do they really have to go all-in on off-ball linebackers?’” an exec said. “But in (Matt) Eberflus’ system, those guys are pretty critical. The good thing is, they have a plan. They had a ton of money. There wasn’t a top-heavy free agency class with a lot of big-money guys you are dying to get. Adding D.J. Moore is better than any receiver you are going to get in free agency.”
That speaks to a GM who knows his schemes’ requirements and directed his resources to the right spots. Yes, the Bears didn’t land much star power. Even so, they’ve set themselves up well for a productive draft.
Reports from several draft experts indicate this is a good year for teams that need edge rusher or offensive tackle help. It so happens that Chicago needs both. This makes one think Poles almost knew this already and had planned to use free agency to address other areas of need. Areas like linebacker, wide receiver, and the interior offensive line. All three aren’t exactly stacked in this draft. One can make a case Poles landed the best receiver and best linebacker in this free agency period.
He did all that while maintaining ten picks in the draft and still has the most cap space in the league. That is how smart GMs operate. Ryan Poles is under no illusions. He knew going into this off-season that he wasn’t going to fix every problem with this roster. That isn’t how rebuilds work. His goal was to overhaul the most problematic areas, improve the foundation, and get some help for his young quarterback. The Bears have done that. If they can put together a strong draft, this team will be much better next season.
