Insider Says Chicago Bears Aiming To Stack Future Compensatory Picks

Chicago Bears fans are left in somewhat of a limbo right now. They're excited but aren't sure what about. With just three days before the start of NFL free agency, the hype hasn't been there. Sure there's the usual anticipation, but with a new regime in charge led by Ryan Poles, they have no idea what to expect. Thus far, the only moves the GM has made involved trading Khalil Mack and releasing both Tarik Cohen and Eddie Goldman. Not a single noteworthy addition. Even the Bears' primary in-house free agents like Allen Robinson, James Daniels, and Bilal Nichols appear destined for new homes. It turns out this might not purely be out of disdain for those players. Poles could have a method to his madness. To this point, every move he's made has had the same goal in mind. To stockpile future assets. Getting rid of Mack, Cohen, and Goldman freed up cap space in 2022 but even more in 2023. He also made sure to add an additional pick for the 2023 draft. The meaning is clear.

Poles is altering the Bears' typical offseason strategy.

He said from the start that he aims to build this team through the draft moving forward. Now Ryan Pace said the same thing, but it quickly became apparent he planned to use free agency often to supplement the roster. That won't be the case this time around. At least not according to insider Benjamin Allbright of KOA Colorado. From what he's hearing, don't expect Chicago to do any big spending this week. Poles is focused on maintaining financial flexibility while also regaining a benefit the organization has too often ignored over the years.

Compensatory picks are extra draft selections awarded between the 3rd and 7th rounds. In simple terms, if a team loses more players that qualify as compensatory free agents than it signs during free agency, that team is eligible to be awarded compensatory picks in the subsequent NFL draft. It goes up to a maximum of four per year. While the Bears won't receive any for 2022, they could be in an excellent spot to get several for 2023. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Ryan-Poles-Were-going-to-take-the-North-and-never-give-it-back-1.mp4"][/video]

Chicago Bears can cash in if they're willing to wait

Since 1995 when compensatory picks became a thing, the Bears have accumulated just 17 in their history. Meanwhile, teams like the Ravens, Packers, Patriots, and Steelers seem to secure two or three every year. It probably isn't a coincidence those teams always have more success than others. They're committed to building through the draft. That is where Poles wants to be. After all, his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, has gotten a lot better with the compensatory formula in recent years. The key in this process is having several in-house free agents that might command good contracts on the open market. In this case, the Chicago Bears are in luck. Recent buzz suggests both Robinson and Daniels could command a lot of attention from other teams. If they end up landing lucrative deals, that will set the Bears up to receive multiple mid-round picks next offseason. At the same time, Poles would focus his efforts on signing players that wouldn't qualify for the compensatory formula—players released by other teams or players signing contracts not large enough to meet the threshold.

Jarvis Landry is one example they could pursue if he's cut as expected.

The Bears can still make themselves better now while stockpiling even more draft picks in 2023. They have six as of this moment. If Poles adheres to the strategy Allbright suggests, they could have eight or even nine by this time next year.