Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears underperformed the team in free agency.
Not everyone approves of the Chicago Bears’ free agency decisions.
I will be analyzing the great majority of general manager Ryan Poles’s decisions now that the first and largest wave of free agency has concluded. The Chicago Bears entered the free agency market in search of an edge rusher, a center, and more wide receiver depth.
It is safe to conclude that the Bears did not address many of these voids at all because nearly all of the impact players were signed. For yet another dull off-season, Ryan Poles will receive a very low mark from me because of this.
Poles Ryan Free Agency Rating: D+
Let’s tackle the unsightly first. The first of the two offseason trades involved the acquisition of Ryan Bates for a fifth-round selection. If the Bills did not cut down their whole roster twenty hours after the transaction, it would not seem like such a big issue. It was a very puzzling decision all around, and there was a good likelihood that Bates, who the Bears had traded for, would be cut loose the next day.
Given that D’Andre Swift only excels at sideline and backward running, paying him as a top-ten running back is about as terrible a move as you will ever see in the NFL. Despite his incredible potential, Swift hasn’t changed as a player since he graduated from high school. He also has terrible field vision. Since most educational systems don’t provide grades worse than an F, if I were to grade this maneuver, it wouldn’t even be on the scale.
Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates are hardly strong pass protectors, so adding them to Poles’ offensive line is just another half-measure. The Bears have been using “bandaids to bullet holes” at center since Cody Whitehair left the team in 2018. This is the last time the team has had strong center play. When Caleb Williams ranks among the top three quarterback sack takers and Bears supporters bemoan the offensive line for the fifth consecutive season, it won’t come as a surprise at all.
