Ryan Poles has proven one thing since he took over as GM. He sees the same concerns with the roster as Chicago Bears fans do. Unlike some of his predecessors, he is always active in trying to fix them. There were legitimate concerns going into the summer that the Bears didn’t have enough depth along their defensive line. It was why he traded for edge rusher Darrell Taylor and defensive tackle Chris Williams last week. However, that wasn’t enough. The injury to Zacch Pickens leaves the team thin on the interior.
Poles decided to stay on the attack. Shortly after roster cuts concluded around the league, he made a push to lure veteran Sam Roberts away from the New England Patriots to sign on the practice squad. The belief is he will get the call-up to the roster for week one.
While that might not be a popular name among casual fans, it appears to be a quality addition based on the reaction of some Patriots fans to the news.
Roberts is exactly the type of player Ryan Poles prefers.
For one, he’s big at 6’5, 300 lbs, and has 33.5-inch arms. He is also a solid athlete, posting a 5.14 time in the 40-yard dash. The production in college reflects this. Roberts had 18.5 sacks for Northwest Missouri State. It was enough to get him drafted in the 6th round two years ago. Though he hasn’t gotten much playing time since then, he did have a sack and seven pressures in 86 pass rush snaps between 2022 and 2023. There could still be some unexplored potential for the Bears to uncover. Ryan Poles knows he’s putting Roberts in capable hands with Eric Washington and Travis Smith, two proven defensive line specialists. If they can squeeze a pressure or two out of him each week this season, this will be a great addition.
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@Dr. Steven Sallie I don’t believe Poles kept that many unworthy players. In fact, I think the only reason Bates was not in their plans was that bodies at other positions of need were more important in the long run than another TE doing nothing. That is, of course, unless you don’t value Marcedes Bennet or think that Theo Benedet isn’t a good choice for OL depth. I like Bates, but I think it simply came down to exactly what you’re saying. It is not important to move players simply because of the room they’re in. But the TE room… Read more »
I must admit… I am one of the most ignorant stupid people out here, Doc.
I could mix cement or ride a horse. No I dont have a college degree. BTW, Im living comfortably, get my hands dirty and make an honest living. Hows ur degree working out for you? Seems like you are on here quite often, subtly looking for clients. And full of unhappiness. Im sorry to see you so miserable. Im quite happy with my situation. A thought. Clarity & communication go a long way in all aspects of life.
I guess it is stupid to sign more guys to the practice squad at our weakest positions than it is to keep a guy who is so good at the positions we feel are solid. I mean, yeah why make our DL better when we can keep a guy on our practice squad from being a stud somewhere else? I love that logic. Sometimes Erik uses the wrong traits to make his point. I accept this as part of his schtick of wanting to sound knowledgeable. Sam Roberts may be considered athletic for a half-dozen other traits like stability at… Read more »
TE Brendan Bates was lost because Poles decided to keep 4-5 unworthy players at different positions. Rocketass and Pure Hate are two of the most ignorant, if not stupid, people I have interacted with on any site. I bet they do not have a college degree among them. I suppose one can ride a horse. The other can mix cement.
rocketass is an ignorant fanatic who could only be popular with uneducated and authoritarian retired hyenas and Trumpsters. The players do not have to be at the same position, just part of the overall equation. Even your math is poor along with your English grammar. Good thing you inherited that business. TGena and TWTY are so much more intelligent than you, it is not even close.