Ryan Poles' Comments Just Made His Plans For #1 Pick Clear

GM Ryan Poles met with the Chicago Bears media for the first time since the end of last season on Tuesday. There was certainly a lot to get through. His team has been the subject of constant rumors in recent weeks. That is the byproduct of holding the #1 pick in the draft and having more money to spend than any team in the league. He answered questions on several topics.

Regarding Justin Fields, his stance hasn't changed. The plan remains for him to be the starting quarterback in 2023, but Poles will proceed with his evaluations of the incoming draft class. That is his responsibility, and he will see it through.

Player preferences remain the same as well. Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus want good athletes who are long and violent. They want a fast and physical football team. However, the obvious topic of discussion was the #1 pick. Poles said his options are wide open. There is a possibility the team stays put and takes the best player. That said, he didn't try hard to disguise his desire to trade it. When openly asked if that was his ideal scenario, the Bears GM told the truth.

Ryan Poles speaks like a man who knows he has leverage.

There is no way he'd be that honest about his personal thoughts unless he were confident of getting a deal done. Adam Schefter and other insiders have already confirmed multiple teams are interested in the pick. It shouldn't be a shock. Several in the top 10 have no definitive option at quarterback. The #1 pick is their golden ticket to getting any of the top choices in this draft class. All they have to do is make Poles an offer he can't turn down. He isn't in any hurry.

One of his key hurdles is determining how many high-end players are in this class. How many carry a "blue" grade? Blue is the color designated to what Ryan Poles considers potential future stars. After that, it goes red, gold, orange, and gray. For example, if, say, seven players have a blue grade in this class, then Poles would likely not want to trade down any further than the seventh pick. He wants to keep the Bears in a good position to land a possible future star. That is what the combine and upcoming pro days will help determine.

Then again, if a team comes forward with a strong enough offer, he might take the money and run.