Ryan Poles faces lots of challenges this off-season. He has more cap space than anybody in the NFL. He also has the #1 overall pick. That brings a lot of pressure but also a lot of opportunities. If he plays his cards right, the young GM can set this organization up for lots of success in the near future. It comes down to how he handles the outside noise. Plenty of people have opinions on how he should navigate the next few months. Most are calling for an ultra-aggressive approach. Attack the free agent market and build around Justin Fields. The time is now.
One person that doesn’t see that happening is Scott Pioli. The former Kansas City Chiefs GM knows Poles well. He was the one who gave the man his first job in the scouting business back in 2009. The two spent four seasons together. During that time, Pioli developed a good sense of the person Poles was and the executive he could become. One thing is for sure. That outside noise means nothing, as he told Chris Emma of Marquee Sports Network. Poles learned to navigate chaotic situations as an offensive lineman. By comparison, this type of pressure is easy. Once his plan is set, the Bears GM will execute it, even if it takes time.
“He’s trying to build a program and build something that sustains. He’s not just going to throw money and throw things around. He’s got a plan and it’s going to take some time.”
“He’s being methodical,” Pioli said. “He has a plan. He has an idea.”
Ryan Poles isn’t interested in quick fixes.
He openly stated that this was a constant problem facing the Bears. They’d build a foundation of young talent but then lose sight of their original vision. They’d start relying more on free agency and aggressive trades. Before too long, they’d run out of resources, the team would get old, and things would fall apart. It happened to Jerry Angelo. It happened to Ryan Pace. Poles has no intention of letting it happen to him. His goal from the outset was to build this team through the draft. That hasn’t changed.
In some ways, Ryan Poles is another version of Theo Epstein. He warned when he took over the Chicago Cubs that it would take time to rebuild the foundation into something sustainable. Three years later, the team embarked on their eventual push to a World Series championship. Poles is doing the same. He’s sacrificing short-term success for long-term stability. It requires patience. Not an easy thing to request from a fanbase deprived of winning for most of the past decade. Either way, Poles is determined upon this course.
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