The Chicago Bears are four games away from the end of the regular season. If they lose all four, they are guaranteed at least the 3rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft. To many, that is all the incentive in the world for GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus to consider embracing the idea of tanking. Don’t try too hard to win any more games. Focus on evaluating younger players. Let the veterans rest. Logical or not, there is no way Poles would embrace such an idea. His goal is to win games. That message was clear from the outset.
As a professional scout for the past decade, one would think he’d embrace playing for draft position more than most. This would ignore the experience Poles has built during his long climb up the NFL ladder. During his stint with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 to 2021, the team made a top five selection three times. Two of them were absent on their eventual 2019 Super Bowl champion roster. The other wasn’t even a top five most important player on it. Here is a rundown of that core.
- Patrick Mahomes – 10th overall pick
- Tyreek Hill – 5th round pick
- Travis Kelce – 3rd round pick
- Eric Fisher – 1st overall pick
- Mitchell Schwartz – Free agent
- Chris Jones – 2nd round
- Frank Clark – Trade
- Tyrann Mathieu – Free agent
Ryan Poles knows great teams don’t need top five picks.
Good GMs can find good players in the 1st round regardless of where they’re picking. That is why they get paid the big bucks. Poles watched Brett Veach and John Dorsey do this repeatedly for years in Kansas City. Assistant GM Ian Cunningham watched Baltimore and Philadelphia do it as well. This new Bears regime isn’t losing any sleep on whether they may or may not miss out on a high selection next year. They’ll pick where they’ll pick. If they do their jobs, they should come away with a good football player when the dust settles.
History shows the top five don’t always guarantee great players. Go back and look at 2017 for a cold reminder of this reality.
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The Bears have made four picks in the top 5 since 1998 alone. None of them made it to a second contract with the team. This is why Ryan Poles is more interested in winning games. Getting his players used to that mentality is far more beneficial than stressing where he’ll pick a few months from now. Some may disagree, but that is the mindset to expect moving forward.
This is what I’ve been saying all year. Tanking is a repulsive idea. Good management finds good players.
who was the 4th top 5 pick outside of Enis, Benson, and Trubisky
I think we should trade our whole draft for a RB. Wait, that’s not me.
Ryan Poles may have solidified the tackle position for the next ten years and only spent a fifth round draft pick. (Jones and Leatherwood)
Bears can/should coach and play their azzes off, and just due to the remaining schedule, probably cannot win more than one game. Getting the #2 pick next year would be ideal though. Probably worth at least a couple 1sts and a couple 2nds (if trading down to mid-1st), since there are only two elite QB prospects in the next draft.