NFL People Expect Ryan Poles To Make A Big Splash In Free Agency

Ryan Poles survived what could've been his downfall. Matt Eberflus reached a disastrous end as head coach. Nate Davis was cut midseason. Caleb Williams was sacked 67 times. It was a complete fiasco, and much of the blame fell at the feet of the Chicago Bears GM. Despite this, ownership decided to give him another chance. They felt he'd done enough over the past three years to justify seeing this thing through. That meant finding a new head coach and shoring up the more problematic areas of the roster.

Poles got to work immediately, hiring Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to take over the team, a massive coup in the eyes of many. He should be an immediate help for Williams. Next is figuring out how to fix the offensive line, and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has heard from people around the NFL about what they think happens. Expect Poles to make a push to land free agency's top offensive lineman.

The NFL team executives, scouts and personnel figures ESPN spoke to in recent days have thoughts about the biggest storylines:

Bears will sign Trey Smith in free agency

Chicago is all-in on improving its offense with the hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach. High on general manager Ryan Poles' list of improvements will be an underachieving offensive line. Chiefs free agent guard Trey Smith could be an immediate fit.

"They need help there at guard after the Nate Davis fiasco, and Trey is far and away the best option," an NFL personnel evaluator said. "And they probably need more than him."

Ryan Poles has a clear path and an advantage.

Fixing the interior offensive line is the obvious course for Chicago. It was the primary reason the blocking fell apart last season. Smith is a Pro Bowler and exactly what they need. Ryan Poles also played a pivotal role in drafting him. He was in Kansas City as director of player personnel in 2021 when they took the Tennessee guard in the 6th round. That connection, along with the presence of Johnson, Williams, and a fat contract, are sure to convince the 26-year-old that he can continue his successful career here. There will be competition. Plenty of other teams have money to spend and major needs on the offensive line. Poles must be prepared to make the strongest possible pitch. Money can't be an object. Not this time.