Chicago Bears (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
To say that this first NFL offseason has gone well for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles would mean that someone truly understands his strategy and gives him the benefit of the doubt.
Poles has been extremely patient, to the point where it almost hurts from the fans’ perspectives. Sure, Poles’ desire is to be able to have a lot of freedom when the 2023 offseason rolls around and the Bears are currently set to have over $100 million in cap space.
But, some fans feel as though Poles has not done anything to surround franchise quarterback Justin Fields with enough talent to take a second-year leap.
Bringing in a decent, starting-quality center was a strong move. Lucas Patrick is a good football player. Even signing Byron Pringle was an above-average move, as he’s a quality slot receiver. But, are these two moves enough to help Fields take that jump?
There is plenty of time left for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles to turn this offseason around.
While a lot of the bigger offensive free agents have been signed, and the Bears seem to be left with the picked-over pile remaining, Poles does have some options moving forward.
Let’s set the scene, first. The Bears have three locked-in starters on the offensive line. They have a clear need at either their wide receiver one or two, depending on how you view Darnell Mooney. Now, whether they go after those needs with remaining players in free agency or via the 2022 NFL Draft is another story.
Those are the clear needs remaining if Poles wants to give Fields everything he possibly can in order to develop at the highest rate in year two. If we’re focusing mostly on the offensive side of the ball, Poles still has five moves he can make in order to make this Bears offseason a real success.