Bear Digest

Team Bosses Like Bears' Look But Proof Is in the Winning

Analysis: The Bears see a team coming together with more talent than they've had since the rebuild began but now they need the success to become apparent on Sundays.

Gene Chamberlain

Bears GM Ryan Poles thought it would be a roster difficult to make and this proved to be true on cut down day.
Bears GM Ryan Poles thought it would be a roster difficult to make and this proved to be true on cut down day. / Photo courtesy of Chicago Bears video
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Cut down day only gets tougher for Bears GM Ryan Poles from here on out.

He's finding out what happens when you improve a roster from the foundation up, and it was emotional when he started bringing in players to tell them they had to leave.

"I think the other thing that I really learned this year is when you're intentional bringing in the right type of people, when you invest in relationships, you invest in time in bonding and creating this group and this culture, it makes cut down day extremely hard emotionally," Poles said when he gave his 'State of the Bears' press conference as prelude to the season. "Because you care about the guys and you want to see them be successful, but at the end of the day there's business decisions that have to happen and you got to get this thing down to a 53-man roster. Which was difficult."

The Bears roster has had a metamorphosis since 2022, and it probably hasn't been more apparent than with wide receivers. None of the receivers Poles had to start out the first year are with the team, aside from two on injured reserve, Nsimba Webster and Dante Pettis.

Now, instead of Byron Pringle and N'Keal Harry, Equanimeous St. Brown or Chase Claypool, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams can throw with confidence to DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze.

"I think the big thing is there's a level of patience in there," Poles said. "One, because when you approach it, whether it's free agency or the draft, we really try to do the best available. I remember that first year, that was a big question, were you going to get a receiver, you need a receiver? We didn't have the first-round pick and we ended up with (safety Jaquan) Brisker and (cornerback) Kyler (Gordon)."

Some Bears fans have made it known via social media that they feel Poles should have drafted receiver George Pickens or some other receiver instead.

"We felt like that (Brisker and Gordon) was the best available and we knew that it was going to take time to really get all the pieces and there's still space for us to improve as well," Poles said. "We're just kind of in this kind of second phase of things, but really patience letting the (draft) board kind of talk to us and then being opportunistic.

"With the (DJ Moore) trade, drafting (WR) Rome (Odunze), there's a lot of cool things that happened. We used every different kind of way to acquire that talent, which was great."

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The offensive line has been pieced together, as well.

"This is the best depth I've ever had," said Poles, an offensive line expert as a former Bears lineman himself.

Poles cited a conversation with one of the waived linemen as proof.

"When we let one of the guys go on cut downs I said, 'Man you did an excellent job, I wish we could keep you here,' and he said, 'This is deepest (O-line) room I've ever been a part of.'

"We have more versatility, more depth. Shoot, we have 10 guys. I feel comfortable. Obviously, you want your starting five healthy and ready to go, but I feel more confident in our O-line than I ever have before."

Backup guard/center Ryan Bates is the only injury issue now, but overall Poles believes this offensive line could surprise people.

"I think the group can be really good," Poles said. "In terms of investing in it (tackle) Darnell (Wright) was a first-round pick, we traded for Bates who has versatility, we paid Nate (Davis)–who obviously needs to continue to work on his dependability and consistency-(center) Coleman Shelton is a great addition, he is a glue guy for up front with his ability to get everyone on the same page and execute at a high level has which been really good. I think (OL) Braxton (Jones) has improved and (OL) Teven (Jenkins) is playing his best ball too. I think that group has the ability to be special."

They were known as a run-blocking group. Poles sees otherwise now.

"The beautiful thing is all those guys strain and you could see that in the preseason too just trying to keep Caleb clean, it's important to them," Poles said. "It's a really strong group."

The team building process from the inside has occurred, as well.

“I think our team has done a really good job of coming together,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “That’s everybody on task in terms of, starting on April 15 until now, of bringing our team together.

“I trust the leadership of this team. I can feel the closeness and the bond that they are forming earlier than ever before. I can just feel that with these guys. That’s not just coaches, that’s players, leaders. That’s everybody–staff, front office, everybody.”

Eberflus had called the first year the laying of a foundation. Now Poles likes the way the construction looks, as well as the way they've done business.

"I'm proud of the process that we've set up," Poles said. "It's not just about acquiring the best talent; it's about acquiring the right talent. I think that's what you see in this building.

"I think it's special, like the group of guys, it's special and I talked a lot about that, but even when you go through cut down days and you're letting guys go and they're like, 'man, I just want to be here. I can feel it. I want to be a part of this thing.' I always look at it and I'm excited about it. But when you hear from people inside the building, but also outside, it kind of makes you feel good about the progress that you've made. A lot of hard work, a lot of time in developing the process so that it's sustainable."

The goal at the outset was building a sustainable winner. They think they've done this with Matt Eberflus' rough HITS principle. It's not easy on players.

"I don’t think there’s a lot of guys across the league that would necessarily fit in here, that could understand the way we work every day and kind of the grind we go through," tight end Cole Kmet said. "But you’ve got to have guys that are willing to accept that and take that challenge on."

The next step is proving what they have assembled can win because it's been five full seasons and a coaching and GM regime since they did it, and all the team building/back patting doesn’t mean much if the record says you’re a loser.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.