Ryan Poles' #1 Pick Trade Is Looking More And More Genius

Of the top three faces of the Chicago Bears franchise, only one seems to be doing his job properly. Matt Eberflus is now 3-16 as head coach. Justin Fields had another disappointing performance on Sunday in Tampa Bay. If this keeps up, the team may not win many games this season. That said, GM Ryan Poles appears to have pulled off one of the better moves in recent franchise memory. While he may get criticism for passing on a quarterback with the #1 overall pick, new developments suggest otherwise.

The trade itself netted wide receiver D.J. Moore, who is the Bears' leading receiver through two games, including 104 yards on Sunday against the Buccaneers. He's caught eight of the nine passes thrown his way. The 9th overall pick Poles received from Carolina eventually became offensive tackle Darnell Wright. He has looked solid through his first two starts, overcoming some rookie moments to show steady improvement. Then there is the last part: Carolina's 1st round pick in 2024.

The Panthers are now 0-2 after a Monday night loss to New Orleans.

Ryan Poles' execution of that trade looks better by the day.

He knew some key details going in. By demanding Moore in the deal, he was depriving Carolina of their top wide receiver. Nobody else on the roster came close to his value. They would also be starting a rookie quarterback in Bryce Young. Rookies rarely post winning seasons right out of the gate. Last but not least is the good fortune of the NFC South. New Orleans, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay are all 2-0. That makes the Panthers' efforts to win games even harder. Their next four games are against Seattle, Detroit, Minnesota, and Miami. They can easily be 0-6 by their bye week.

Their best hope for wins comes after that, with three games against Houston, Indianapolis, and Chicago. After that, they get Dallas, Tennessee, Tampa, New Orleans, Atlanta, Green Bay, Jacksonville, and Tampa Bay again. It isn't a stretch to think they can end up with three or four wins at most. That would all but guarantee the Bears a top-5 pick. Considering how their own team is playing, they may have two top-5 picks next April. That could set Ryan Poles up with a golden opportunity to alter the course of this franchise.