Ryan Poles Just Proved He's Way Craftier Than People Think

People like to think that being an NFL general manager is about one thing. That is evaluating and acquiring talent for the roster. While it's true that job is the most imperative, the truth is a good GM understands his position is about relationships. He must be able to establish lines of strong communication across the league to get a leg up on opponents. People weren't quite sure what to make of Ryan Poles when he took over the Chicago Bears. At 36-years old, he is one of the youngest GMs in the league. People will inevitably equate that to inexperience. He can't possibly know any creative tricks to help the Bears. Except age has nothing to do with it. Some guys understand the game. Some don't. There is a reason every NFL team so highly thought of Poles he interviewed with the past two years. It is still too early to see his plans for the roster, but one thing is becoming clear.

He understands this can't be just about the players themselves.

It is also about the people close to them. Especially the agents. Few people have more sway in the NFL world than those men and women. They negotiate the contracts and can inform the players on where it might be best to sign. The last thing a team would want to do is alienate those people. Poles has taken it a step further. When the Bears announced their trio of free agent signings on March 16th, the Bears GM went above and beyond by thanking each of their agents by name.

This is not normal behavior.

No prior Bears GM did anything like this. It is unusual and also brilliant. Thanking the agents is a nice gesture by itself. However, there is a hint of genius to it. Poles is ensuring he'll be in their good graces by giving them credit. That could prove important down the line if and when Chicago happens to, say, want to sign another of their clients. Suddenly those agents might be whispering to their players that this team is one to sign with.

Ryan Poles is laying the foundation for future success

Remember, there is a strong likelihood the Bears could be aggressive next year in free agency. They are projected to have tons of salary cap space by that point. If this tactic makes a strong impression with those agents, Poles could score some really good players. For example, Brian Ayrault, who represents Ogunjobi, also represents left tackle Isaiah Wynn, who will become available in 2023 depending on what the New England Patriots do. He could be a viable target. That is not to say Ryan Poles will do big spending, but he'll have that option. For such a young GM, he understands how intricate the business of football can be. Agents are the gatekeepers to players. Ryan Pace failed to learn this lesson. He made some enemies during his time in Chicago. Not the least of which was Brandon Parker, Allen Robinson's representative. Maybe if he'd handled that relationship better, the receiver might still be a Bear. Poles is aiming to avoid such issues.