The Chicago Bears roster has come a long way from when general manager Ryan Poles was hired in Jan. 2022.
While Poles might share the same first name as his predecessor, Ryan Pace, Poles has been the opposite in every way. That started with tearing down the roster — getting rid of of expensive veterans and stockpiling capital to build through the draft.
In his second year as GM, Poles pulled off arguably one of the greatest trades in NFL history. He sent the first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a package that turned into wide receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, right tackle Darnell Wright, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, this year’s No. 1 pick and there’s still a 2025 second-round pick on the way.
Poles has also made big trades to acquire stars like Allen and edge rusher Montez Sweat. Not to mention, he’s about to land the team’s hopeful franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams at No. 1.
Speaking to Chicago reporters ahead of a franchise-defining 2024 NFL draft, Poles praised how far the roster has come in his short time with the organization — and there are still new players yet to join the roster over the next few days.
“We’re proud of where we’ve come from,” Poles told reporters Tuesday. “… It’s going to be hard to make this team now.”
When examining the roster, there are few holes compared to when Poles took over and went to work tearing down and rebuilding the roster in his vision. On offense, there are questions along the interior offensive line but the tackles are solid with Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones. On defense, there are two starting jobs up for grabs at edge rusher and three-technique. Outside of that, this is a strong roster.
Poles said the job is never done, but looking at how this roster has been built certainly puts a “smile on your face.”
Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
