This Quote Proves Ryan Poles Knows He Has NFL By The Balls

Anybody that has listened to Ryan Poles talk can sense the young Chicago Bears GM isn't intimidated by much. That isn't shocking. The guy played offensive line during his football career. You're used to violent physical contact on 60-70 plays each week. By comparison, talking to agents and fellow executives is easy. Poles made a strong impression on George McCaskey when they met last year. His intelligence and self-confidence radiated like a beacon. The Bears chairman was smitten almost immediately.

Now it's becoming easier to see the appeal. As one of the most chaotic off-seasons unfolds, the GM doesn't show signs of somebody under intense pressure. Rather the opposite. It almost seems like Poles is enjoying it. That was never clearer than during an interview with Peter King of NBC Sports. The Bears GM didn't hold back in his comments about the possibility of trading the #1 pick. Not only is he comfortable doing so, he believes he'll get a huge package in return. Why? Let this quote sink in.

“I’m blessed to be able to read people,” Poles said about the QB market. “I can feel it. There’s urgency out there. There’s pressure.”

There are no attempts at misdirection in those words.

Only simple certainty. He's absolutely right. The veteran quarterback market is weak. Derek Carr is the only proven starter available in free agency. Daniel Jones and Lamar Jackson are likely to get franchise tagged. That leaves Aaron Rodgers as the lone wild card. Nobody knows what he's going to do. Assumptions are he'll be traded. After that, Jimmy Garoppolo or Geno Smith are your best options. Not ideal. It's making teams desperate to get high enough for a QB they want in the draft.

The three interested parties at the Combine, Poles said, included at least one “that’s further back than what I thought … But if I’m going to the next tier [on the Bears’ draft board], you’re gonna have to make up for that with more capital.

“The interesting part is having a conversation with one team, and then one hour later another team texts you wanting in on the trade and they’re not afraid of what the floor of what you’re asking for is.”

Poles doesn't sound like a man struggling to drum up business. If anything, the offers are coming in faster than he can count. It's the kind of noise that can overwhelm some men. Not him. He knows he has leverage and intends to use it.

“No one’s gonna rush me,” Poles said. “I know I can get a ’24 one and a ’25 one. You’re telling me for the next two years I’ll have two ones? That’s either four really good players, or if we’re cruising, we can still trade back.”

Ryan Poles has several avenues he can take.

The simplest would be taking the biggest package from whichever team offers it and moving down to that spot. Carolina sounds like the team to watch here. Their owner is desperate for a difference-making quarterback after multiple failed trades for Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. Rumblings also persist out of Tennessee, where the Titans are about done with the Ryan Tannehill experiment. They know division rivals Houston (#2) and Indianapolis (#4) are likely taking quarterbacks. They can't afford to be left behind, what with Jacksonville already having Trevor Lawrence.

There is also a possibility Ryan Poles executes multiple deals. He could swap places with Houston at #2, allowing them to get whichever QB they covet. Then the Bears could dangle that pick to any team hoping to nab one of the remaining quarterbacks. Such logistics are a significant challenge. Poles sounds like somebody more than ready for it. That should make fans excited about what's coming.