One would think GM Ryan Poles is feeling pretty confident right now. He has boatloads of cap space for free agency and holds the #1 overall pick. This is a golden opportunity for him to reshape the roster into a possible contender. It’s not like his job is in jeopardy after one year. Team chairman George McCaskey is fully behind him, as is new team president Kevin Warren. No, the pressure on Poles isn’t coming from fear for his job security. It stems from what to do about the most important position on his roster.
Justin Fields played better in 2022. Almost everything was an improvement from his rookie year. His running ability was outstanding. The sticking point for many was his passing. It underwhelmed for much of the season. Fields only topped 200 yards in a game twice. That isn’t good, even for average quarterbacks. Some blame goes to the Bears’ weak offensive line and receiving corps. Still, even Brock Purdy, a 7th round rookie, averaged more yards per game than him. That leaves Poles with a dilemma. ESPN insider Seth Walder explained it perfectly when asked which NFL team is the most interesting this off-season.
“Walder: Bears. Roll your eyes all you want, but choosing whether to keep Justin Fields and trade the No. 1 overall pick, or take another QB at No. 1 and trade Fields is a real decision. And it’s a tough one. That choice will have massive ramifications and set the direction of the franchise for years to come.”
Ryan Poles faces a possible lose-lose situation.
Say he opts for the obvious path. He keeps Fields and either trades or utilizes the #1 pick to bolster the roster elsewhere. That runs the risk of one of the quarterbacks in this class going elsewhere and becoming a star. Then people will lambast Poles for not having the wherewithal to make the change when he could’ve. On the flip side, say he makes the controversial decision to trade Fields and take his preferred QB at #1. Then Fields excels with his new team, and the replacement ends up floundering. Poles would be crucified.
It is a brutal spot to be in. A damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation. That is why Ryan Poles will spend the next month doing extra research on the top quarterbacks in this draft. He has to make absolutely sure that one of them isn’t an upgrade over Fields. If one of them makes a memorable impression, he must have the courage to make the hard decision. That is why the Bears pay him the big bucks. Previous GMs didn’t have the guts to make a change. Jerry Angelo could’ve drafted Aaron Rodgers in 2005 but stuck with Rex Grossman. Jim Finks bypassed Joe Montana to stick with Mike Phipps.
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This situation is obviously a bit different since Fields has shown more signs of potential, but the pressure is the same. Poles can’t afford to make the wrong decision.
Good publicity, Making teams offer more for the 1 pick.
People need to stop all the bs about Justin, he will be fine. Like any star player he just needs to continue to work on his craft. He threw the ball well for Ohio State. You can’t help receivers not coming back to the dam ball when they see their QB under pressure. The good ones do. MJ did’nt win nothing until the bulls put a team around him and the rest is history. So just stop it with the Fields trade nonsense plz!
This is a bad article. The situation is more like win-win. Trade #1 pick for a boatload return, including an extra 2024 first rounder. If Fields works out, then super awesome with all that extra draft capital. If Fields does not work out, Bears still would have extra draft capital including two 2024 picks to move up (if necessary) and draft another QB in a better 2024 QB draft class.
All I can do in regard to a Bears/Niners roster comparison is just laugh. Not a ha, ha that’s funny laugh. One of those awkward laughs, where I’m like, is this guy out of his mind? For real though.
Like a lot of the guys on here I don’t see how Poles has any pressure on him when it comes to the quarterback position. It’s already been said a million times how he didn’t draft Fields. It’s a much better deal to inherit a good quarterback than draft a bad one. If he puts a team around Fields and it doesn’t work out he can say he tried. At the very least it would be a much better situation for a rookie quarterback to come in. Btw, Williams looks a lot like Fields did when he was in college.… Read more »