Ryan Poles spoke with the media at the NFL combine this morning and discussed several topics related to the Chicago Bears’ offseason. It was difficult to impossible to hear the questions put to the Bears’ general manager by journalists at the press conference, but his answers were broadcast.
The first topic he addressed was Ian Cunningham’s hiring by the Atlanta Falcons for their general manager position. Poles noted that he hired Cunningham with the expectation that he would eventually leave for a general manager position. “It
was our vision to climb through the ranks and get a GM seat.” Poles made it clear he was happy for Cunningham and that “how we do that” has nothing to do with compensation.
However, Poles did make it clear that it was not only the Chicago Bears’ position that they should get the compensation for Cunningham’s departure because it “is the rule,” but also that they had communicated this position to the league through the “right channels.” Poles noted that in the case of his own hiring, the Kansas City Chiefs received compensation, and that he thinks the “rules put in place” are clear and that the Bears should be compensated. It has been reported that the NFL has already determined that the Bears will not receive compensation, but from Poles’ answers, it would seem that this is still an open question and that the league has yet to finalize that decision.
The next question was related to preparing for the Bears’ offseason and what the roster would look like as the team enters the new league year. Poles answered that the Bears have “more constraints” this offseason than last offseason. The Bears are drafting further back in the draft order, and from a cap standpoint, the Bears must clear room to begin to complete the roster construction for the 2026 season. Poles made it clear that they would adhere to their “guardrails” in making signings – which suggests that they won’t be willing to go much above their own initial offers to free agents this season. Poles praises Matt Feinstein as the Bears’ capologist in terms of giving him scenarios and maximizing their flexibility this year and three years down the road.
The next question was about what the Bears’ philosophy in the NFL draft would be, and Ryan Poles was unequivocal: “best player available.” He acknowledged that might be controversial, but he said in the early rounds, you need to stick to the BPA philosophy. He talked about what he is looking for in a draft pick: a good football player, one who is a good culture fit, and fits the playstyle of the Bears’ scheme. The Bears are looking for a player who “matches the DNA” they’re seeking.
Ryan Poles was next asked about the interest around the league about potentially trading for Tyson Bagent. Poles acknowledged that they anticipated there would be interest in the Bears’ backup quarterback. Poles said it was a tough decision for the Bears: on the one hand, they clearly would like to see Tyson get an opportunity to start, but that the Bears (both Poles and Ben Johnson) think highly of Tyson, that the locker room has a high opinion of Tyson, and thus letting him go would be difficult. And of course, the Bears have to think about how the Bears would replace him, having invested a great deal in his development.
Poles was then asked about Caleb Williams. Poles noted that, of course, Caleb Williams needs to continue to develop and get better within Ben Johnson’s system, but that it was a great thing that the Bears are “on the path” of eventually giving the young quarterback a second contract with the team. He said both he and Ben Johnson were excited about the prospect.
The next question addressed the hypothetical that I considered in my previous article – whether the Bears would attack the defensive line this offseason in the same way they attacked the offensive line last season. Poles said it was possible but that “things have to come together.” He said he did not think, with the current Bears cap situation, they would be able to “make all of that work” this offseason. He noted injuries caused some of the problems the Bears had on defensive line, but obviously additions to the defensive line should be expected. Poles said that, based on their assessment of this year’s crop of prospects, the Bears think the edge position is deeper than the interior defensive line position, perhaps suggesting the Bears will target an interior player early and look to get an edge in later rounds.
I believe the next question was about the state of the league in terms of what you need to do to build a championship team. Poles said that was a deep question and that it starts back at high school in terms of player development. He also noted that changes in the way the game is played, such as getting plays on a headset rather than throwing up a card (referring to young quarterbacks), makes the learning curve high and complicates the development process of players.
Ryan Poles was then asked about the defensive scheme and finding players to fit that scheme. Ryan says that he knew, with the hiring of Dennis Allen and the kind of players his scheme requires, that it was going to take a bit of time to get those kinds of players in position on that side of the ball. He noted that they have self-scouted their roster and stacked them against the UFAs (unrestricted free agents) and that they feel pretty good about their assessment.
He was then asked about how NIL, in particular, millions of dollars that some players are now earning in college, and how that affects his evaluation. Poles noted that young persons who suddenly get that kind of money can make mistakes, but that he focused more on what the learning process was from those mistakes rather than the mistake itself, as he thinks if he had had that kind of money at that age he might have done some “crazy things” himself. So, when evaluating a player in that situation, he wants to understand the kind of people the player has around them, what kind of structure they have in place for handling life-changing money and the attention that comes with it, and how they battle through adversity. Poles lamented the fact that, with the transfer portal, its now very easy for a player to leave a situation rather than battle through it and he thinks that hurts the resiliency of the players coming out of college now. He thinks that the NFL has to lean into educating players now more, whereas in the past colleges provided more of that education. He doesn’t blame the college coaches, given the competitive environment they are in with the NIL and transfer portal. The constraints of players coming and going means college coaches may have to simplify their schemes, which means a steeper learning curve for players coming into the league.
The last question Ryan Poles got at the press conference was about Jaquan Brisker. The journalist suggested that he raised his price point with his play towards the end of the season. Ryan said that when you win, “relationships get deeper.” But given that the Bears are over the cap, some hard decisions on cuts and trades are coming. Poles said that, in order to advance the organization as a whole, some players won’t be able to stay and “that sucks.” But, Poles finished, it is what makes the league “beautiful.” There is a constant roster churn in the NFL and that is the challenge of putting the best puzzle pieces together. It’s tough, but these are business decisions and you have to take your emotions out of it and make the best decision for the organization.
