One thing we know about the Chicago Bears these days is that every move they make will be heavily scrutinized. If they'd traded Jaylon Johnson at the October 31st deadline, it would've been slammed for giving away a good player. You should be trying to get better, not worse. Yet when the team decides to keep Johnson and add a legitimate pass rusher in Montez Sweat as a bonus, they're still sniped for stupidly giving away a prime draft asset when you're 2-6. Never mind that Sweat is significantly better than almost every 2nd round pick the Bears have made dating back to Matt Forte.
They also conveniently ignore how the team is poised to hold two top-10 picks in the 1st round. It's not like they won't have a golden opportunity to add blue-chip talent. They have already proven they're willing to move down from such high spots, collecting additional draft assets. The Bears want to get better. Sweat makes them better. Sure, it might not pay off immediately, but he should be able to help them for at least the next four seasons. Perhaps the bigger story is the message that move sent.
It is now evident that GM Ryan Poles isn't going anywhere. Having the green light from team president Kevin Warren and ownership to make such an aggressive move signals he will remain in charge going into 2024.
The Chicago Bears want to see Poles' vision through.
Yes, things haven't gotten off to the best start, with only five wins in 25 games. Being concerned is only natural. However, context remains important. Poles inherited the oldest roster in the NFL. He was left with minimal draft capital when he arrived, including no 1st round pick. Darnell Wright was his first addition from the 1st round, and he already looks like a keeper. Rebuilds take time, and there will always be bumps along the way. Abandoning Poles' plan after two years is almost riskier than giving him more time to see it through. There is no guarantee the next GM won't want to restart all over again.
Poles has made some mistakes. The Chase Claypool acquisition was a big one. Hiring Matt Eberflus as head coach is arguably the biggest. Still, he showed enough qualities over the past year and a half to suggest he understands the job. He demonstrates a good eye for talent. He has accumulated the resources necessary to drastically alter the trajectory of this franchise next year. The lingering question is whether the Bears can trust him to find a new coach, presuming Eberflus fails to improve over the final nine games.
