A rebuild by any other name ...
While Ryan Poles may not like to use that word, it doesn’t mean the Bears don’t have several holes going into the NFL draft
If you’re part of the crowd that believes the Chicago Bears need to add help for Justin Fields at wide receiver, perhaps it’s encouraging that rookie general manager Ryan Poles omitted the position as an area of strength for Days 2 and 3 of the NFL draft.
Surely Poles didn’t want to tip his hand a little more than 48 hours before the draft begins Thursday night. He spoke for about 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon, praising the staff he brought with him and those he inherited at Halas Hall for their diligence in the process while not discussing any individual players.
Maybe Poles not mentioning the position is a good sign for those clamoring for a wide receiver with one of the Bears’ two second-round picks. Asked where he anticipates the draft having strength on Friday (Rounds 2-3) and Saturday (Rounds 4-7), Poles listed four other position groups.
“I would say the O-line depth is pretty good,” he said. “Some good depth at the DBs. There’s a couple good defensive linemen. The running back class may not be top-heavy but there’s a ton — it’s crazy how many running backs there are.
“I think a lot of it has to do with the COVID year. A lot of those guys are kicking back, so middle to bottom, definitely free agency, there’s a massive amount of players. That’s why it took so much time to get the board set not only at the top but at the bottom. There are a lot of players on this board.”
Poles mentioned multiple times that — in the right position and for the right return — he’s open to moving down in the draft to add to the current collection of six picks. The Bears own Nos. 39 and 48 in Round 2 and No. 71 in Round 3. They don’t pick again until No. 148 in Round 5, and it’s in that wide gap that Poles might like to add picks.
It’s also possible to envision Poles focusing on the offensive and defensive lines in Round 2 before exploring help at wide receiver, where the Bears added Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown and David Moore in free agency.
Poles stated a goal of improving the offensive line when he was hired, and the biggest addition has been the signing of center Lucas Patrick, whom the GM praised again for toughness and leadership. Expectations for Patrick also should be shaped by his two-year, $8 million contract.
The Bears could look to draft a guard to plug in on the right side, where they tried to add Ryan Bates as a restricted free agent. Or perhaps they see a future left tackle in Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann,
Tulsa’s Tyler Smith or Ohio State’s Nicholas Petit-Frere and would shift Larry Borom inside to guard. The Bears would have to feel comfortable about knee issues that teams have discussed for Raimann.
Unless Poles believes strongly in Borom at left tackle, Teven Jenkins at right tackle and Sam Mustipher at right guard, he has to make a move to buttress a line the Bears hope will be significantly better in a new offense under a new staff.
It stands to reason the Bears will seriously consider adding a defensive lineman with one of their top picks. They tried to commit the most resources in free agency there before nixing a three-year, $40.5 million deal with Larry Ogunjobi because of medical concerns. Coach Matt Eberflus wants to deploy his defensive line in waves with as many as nine players in the rotation, so the defense needs talent and depth up front.
Houston’s Logan Hall could be available in Round 2, and he has the versatility to play three technique — where the Bears would have used Ogunjobi — as well as elsewhere on the line. Hall could be a similar piece to DeForest Buckner, who anchored the line for Eberflus when he coordinated the Indianapolis Colts defense. Teams have said Hall has minor ankle issues, but the impression is they’re not serious.
Poles stopped short of using the word “rebuilding” when discussing the state of the roster he inherited.
“No, the rebuild thing is like super sensitive,” he said. “No, we’re constructing a very good football team. Regardless of how you use whatever term that is, we just continue to add talent. And young talent, older talent, whatever it takes to make the best team possible.
“You know, late night with the wife, you’re watching TV, you get like the home network where there are some rooms that are good. You might have to redo some countertops over here, some fresh paint
over there. Some rooms are good. You don’t need to touch them. It’s kind of the thought process there. That’s not a rebuild either.”
Maybe he doesn’t want to call it a rebuild, but the Bears are in the beginning stages of construction, and this roster needs to be rebuilt. They can go after a wide receiver if they see a dynamic player with the skills to be a major producer in the offense. Or Poles can keep the focus in the trenches because, as he knows, no good team is built without strength on both sides of the line.
“Anytime you just improve the team overall, you’re helping all of the players out,” Poles said
when asked about supporting Fields. “That can look different. You could say he needs receivers, receivers, receivers, but he needs blocking, too, and he also needs balance in terms of running the ball efficiently and getting that done up front.
“And then you can do some play-action pass stuff, then you can do different things. Turnovers. Maybe a returner to flip the field to score more points. So it’s all connected. That’s really why the mindset is to get the best players on this team as possible. If I get too lopsided and be like, ‘I’ve got to do this specific thing,’ I think that’s where you lead into big mistakes.”