The Chicago Bears found another brutal way to lose on Thursday Night Football. More than ever, they looked exactly like what they are: a rebuilding team. GM Ryan Poles indicated at every opportunity that he felt this roster wasn’t nearly good enough to compete for the playoffs. Forget about the Super Bowl. So he started unloading expensive contracts and overturned two-thirds of the roster. He is committed to hitting the reset button.
While the loss to the Washington Commanders was brutal to watch, it illustrated everything Poles could want in how this season is unfolding. That might sound crazy, but it makes perfect sense for somebody with an eye on the long term. There are a few reasons to think the Bears GM is quietly happy about how the season unfolds. Sure, it’s hard to stomach, but it could positively impact his overall strategy to restructure the team.
“We always get told that we are almost there, almost there. Me personally, I’m tired of being almost there.”
– Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields(Video via @ChicagoBears) pic.twitter.com/djDm9FBT8K
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) October 14, 2022
Ryan Poles has multiple options on Justin Fields.
This will sound harsh, but Ryan Poles didn’t draft Fields. People must keep that in mind. He’s committed to the former 1st round pick this year. That will not change. However, if the young QB continues to struggle, it leaves the door open for the GM to make a potential change next year. That doesn’t mean he will. Fields has shown enough to think he deserves another year with more help around him.
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Many GMs don’t get that option. Either the QB sucks and the team is forced to find a replacement, or he’s locked into an immovable contract. The Bears are neither. If Fields finishes on a high note, Poles can focus on finding more pieces to put around him. If he flounders, the Bears can consider alternatives with minimal consequences.
That’s nuts. Inches away. pic.twitter.com/mikWFY3ByN
— Sean Hammond (@sean_hammond) October 14, 2022
A top 5 pick is almost in the bag already.
Losing to Washington puts the Bears are 2-4. Now their reward is back-to-back road games in New England and Dallas. They are two of the best defensive teams in the NFL right now. It’s a safe assumption both of those games will be losses. Then they get Miami at home, a brief respite against Detroit and Atlanta, and tangle with the Jets and Packers before the bye. It isn’t hard to imagine this team winning maybe two more games in the next seven weeks. Last but not least, they get Buffalo and Philadelphia coming out of the bye. Yeah, Poles may have a top five pick next year already wrapped up.
He has the green light to sell at the trade deadline.
Presuming the Bears reach 2-6 as expected, the Poles won’t have to worry about his team being a borderline playoff contender. They will be squarely out of that picture and can focus on 2023. From that point, he’ll have some decisions to make regarding several veterans on the roster. Chicago only had six picks in the draft next year. Poles probably isn’t keen on that. He’ll want more. That means several key veterans with big contracts or looming extensions might be up for grabs. Robert Quinn and Eddie Jackson are two prime possibilities. Roquan Smith should also be monitored.
Absent complete disbandment…give us a re-build we can believe. In. Complete job! Root and branch. Herbert,Gordon,Justin, Fields( at least another year). EVERYONE else…trade what you can for a profit. Or, cut if there are no takers…but be willing to take anything that will get you more than some used footballs. This approaches the clean and total rebuild that with some shredders could result in a fine tea. Either that,or conduct a Jim Finks seance and go from there.
Guys need to stop saying WRs aren’t open, they are. Watch the all 22 that was offered with Amazon Prime last night, WRs are running open. The offensive line was garbage for many plays but not on all of them. This QB is struggling to see windows. Windows that should be open for NFL QBs feel closed to him. Playing behind this li e isn’t helping that either but it is what it is right now, you aren’t going to find help on the street. Justin is going to have to work through it and trust his receivers if he… Read more »
Listen it’s SIMPLE here. He has a two to three year gap window. Clear out. Trade away. Stack picks and build depth through FA and the draft. Nobody is safe right now. Fields, brisker, gordon a few others. But we need to clean house. And he’ll Ted Phillips and up can slide on out too. Man this thing is ugly right now. But don’t hold just players accountable. This crap has been going on for 3 decades. AT LEAST.
I don’t give a shit about Pole’s happiness!! Or how he analyzes this roster. Last night was the last straw for me , that’s it. I mean gimmie a frickin break, to lose to that Garbage last night they way we did is pure “Merda” as we say in Italian!! I know we’re not a playoff team or won’t even mention SB because we’re in the process of a rebuild I totally understand, but for God sakes where’s this relentless, fast, aggressive, hard hitting team that this coach has been preaching all summer long??? Where??? We have enough pcs to… Read more »
Only fools decide the QB has to go while simultaneously saying the OL and WR need to be upgraded. If he has an OL and decent WRs and still falters, then you replace the QB. Fields is the guy this year and next for that reason. Poles will focus on getting the pieces around him because those pieces are needed no matter who is the QB. I watched that s-show last night, theres was no separation by the WRs and a whole lot of bad blocking.