If there were any lingering doubts that Ryan Poles was returning as Chicago Bears GM, that was put to bed when he showed up for the end-of-year press conference on Tuesday. He made it crystal clear that the decision to hire the next head coach was his. He would lead the search and make the call. The Bears will cast a wide net, meeting coaches from every possible background. Team president Kevin Warren and five others will assist in the process. Background does not matter. He's only interested in finding the best possible coach.
That led to the obvious question. What exactly is Poles prioritizing in the next head coach? He admitted that the research process led to Matt Eberflus probably not being thorough enough. This time around, he has four specific criteria he will focus on with the search. He listed them off before taking questions.
"Clear vision, developmental mindset, really good game management, and a plan to develop the quarterback."
At least Ryan Poles understands what the team needs.
The issues with Eberflus were many, but it's fair to say he didn't fit any of those criteria. His vision for the team was to play really hard. They had no clear identity. While he may have had a developmental mindset, he had no consistent way to implement it. His game-management skills were all-time bad, and his plans to help Caleb Williams led to a record-breaking number of sacks. Upgrading in those four categories is absolutely essential to getting this organization out of the doldrums.
The big uncertainty is whether Ryan Poles can pinpoint the guy who has those necessary traits. After what happened three years ago, Bears fans are understandably skeptical. It is rare for general managers to miss on the first coach but hit on the second. It's possible, but the odds aren't favorable. Everything depends on how much Poles actually learned from the first failure.
