NFL Execs Believe Ryan Poles Will Tear Down Bears Roster

When Ryan Pace took over as GM in 2015, he had the right idea. The Chicago Bears needed a full reboot. The roster was old, injured, and way too expensive. So he tore it all down and spent the next three years building it up. Somewhere along the way, Pace stopped operating with a long-term mentality in mind. He traded up for Mitch Trubisky in 2017 and then made the blockbuster deal for Khalil Mack in 2018. It didn't work. That is a scenario Ryan Poles wants to avoid. He prefers to operate much like Pace did during his first two years in Chicago. One where he was focused on finding team-friendly deals in free agency while seeking the real stars in the draft. Some are wondering exactly how far he will go in tearing down the roster Pace left behind. Khalil Mack is gone. Eddie Goldman and Akiem Hicks are gone. Tarik Cohen and Allen Robinson are gone. Who is next? According to executives Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with, it's clear Poles might be planning a true purge.

There will be few survivors.

“You take a job, you think you have a little time at first,” a GM said, “but a lot of that depends on whether you come in with a new coach like Ryan has done.” “Didn’t seem like they got much for Mack — they didn’t shop him to us,” an exec said. “They are just cleaning it, really knocking it down to the studs.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omoV4uiqJMg&t=5s&ab_channel=NBCSportsChicago This shouldn't be a big surprise to anybody. The Bears are in an almost exact same situation they were back in 2015. The roster is old, overpriced, and reaching the end of the playoff window that opened in 2018. Reports have insisted Poles was unimpressed with it. George McCaskey even called his comments "blunt." That should tell people how this is going to go. Certain names will be kept around for now, but as more resources are acquired moving into 2023, this team will look unrecognizable. The 2022 campaign will be simple from his perspective. It will be a four-month audition for everybody on the roster. If they want a job on this team, they'll have to earn it. The only ones that can be considered 100% safe are the players Ryan Poles picks in the draft later this month. For all the good things Roquan Smith or Darnell Mooney did last season, it doesn't matter. Everybody is starting back at zero with this regime. Poles doesn't seem like the kind of guy who fears tough decisions. Big name or not, he'll do what is best for the team. So every practice and every game matters for every player this year.