It’s hard to thrive in the NFL without securing elite talent at the premium positions, and the Bears’ struggles to fill those spots with game-changers surely will be central to president Kevin Warren’s ongoing review of general manager Ryan Poles.
The inability to nail down those spots — quarterback, defensive end, offensive tackle, wide receiver and cornerback — was a big reason this job was open in the first place as predecessor Ryan Pace left the Bears with few long-term pieces at the positions that make all the difference.
Poles should’ve been finishing his rebuild this season and looking to add pieces to push the Bears into contention in 2025. Instead, they sit 4-11 on a nine-game losing streak heading into their home game Thursday against the Seahawks, and Warren recently gave Poles a read-between-the-lines ultimatum regarding next season.
It starts, obviously, with finding the right coach after Poles’ error of choosing Matt Eberflus and sticking with him too long before firing him last month. But his roster has been far from perfect.
As Poles contemplates how to use three draft picks in the first two rounds, currently Nos. 9, 40 and 41, and a projected $82 million in salary-cap space, he needs top-tier players at the premium positions. The Bears have other needs to address, but those spots must be the priority if Poles is going to turn this around.
Quarterback Caleb Williams has shown promise as a rookie, and there’s optimism inside Halas Hall that with upgrades at coach and offensive line, as well as Williams improving individually, he can prove to be a long-term answer. That’s yet to be determined, but he’ll get time to make his case.
The Bears’ pass rush has been an issue throughout Poles’ tenure. They’re tied for 19th with 34 sacks, and that’s the highest they’ve been ranked in his three seasons after finishing last in 2022 and second-to-last in ’23.
The absence of a second threat opposite defensive end Montez Sweat has undermined the massive investment Poles made in Sweat, first trading a second-round pick to the Commanders for him and then making him the team’s highest-paid player on a four-year, $98 million contract extension.
Second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter leads the Bears with five sacks, followed by Sweat at 4 1/2 and journeyman DeMarcus Walker at 3 1/2. The team can get out of the final season of Walker’s contract for less than $1 million.
There’s an overwhelming argument for Poles to use his first-round pick on a pass rusher or offensive tackle. He can handle one in the draft, but the other will require the kind of big spending he has mostly avoided in free agency in order to protect future flexibility.
There probably won’t be a future unless he changes course.
Darnell Wright, the No. 10 overall pick last year, can stay at right tackle if the Bears find someone sturdy on the left side or could move to left tackle if the Bears bring in a right tackle. Either way, current left tackle Braxton Jones isn’t the solution and rookie Kiran Amegadjie has a long way to go.
At wide receiver, the Bears seem to have a rising star in rookie Rome Odunze, but DJ Moore has compounded a down season with pouty body language that’s been unhelpful. As much as Williams raves about Keenan Allen, he’s about to turn 33 and is fifth among wide receivers in cap hit and 42nd in yardage.
Cornerback is perhaps the strongest and deepest unit, but even that comes with concern. Poles used a second-round pick on Tyrique Stevenson last year, and for multiple reasons, the team might be best served parting with him this offseason.
The Bears simply are missing too much at too many important positions, and it’ll be difficult for Poles to match resources with needs and fix it quickly. But it’s a challenge of his own making.