Does Ryan Poles suck

[Moses Moreno]

Did taking a WR improve their roster this year? Is he going to be better than Watson or Doubs as a rookie? I doubt it.

Watson can't stay healthy and can't be relied upon. He hasn't topped 30 rec in the last two seasons and is about to be a FA. Replacing him makes a ton of sense.

 

[doctorbear]

The Bears needed an upgrade at LT but I dont think they had a shot to draft one with a meaningful chance to be better the current LT. Poles did grab a decent alternative to Kiran if he hasnt improved by leaps and bounds over last year in Trapilo. Theres allegedly a decent depth piece at iOL in Bates (although im skeptical as hell) and a promising young guy in Bill Murray. I would have liked Mbow instead of that LB in the 4th but i dont think thats a super big help in '25 either way.

Bears seem the most razor thin at DE or runningback. But you can grab a D'onta Foreman level guy off the street and be OK at RB - there is no help waiting in the wings for DE; one injury to either guy right now and youre playing 30-50% snaps to a guy who was on a practice squad the week before. Thats scary to me.

Ersery probably better than Braxton. Most players would be

 

[HearshotKDS]

Ersery probably better than Braxton. Most players would be

Maybe, but probably not.

 

[doctorbear]

Maybe, but probably not.

Bears fans with living in a warped reality

 

[Myk]

The Bears needed an upgrade at LT but I dont think they had a shot to draft one with a meaningful chance to be better the current LT. Poles did grab a decent alternative to Kiran if he hasnt improved by leaps and bounds over last year in Trapilo. Theres allegedly a decent depth piece at iOL in Bates (although im skeptical as hell) and a promising young guy in Bill Murray. I would have liked Mbow instead of that LB in the 4th but i dont think thats a super big help in '25 either way.

Bears seem the most razor thin at DE or runningback. But you can grab a D'onta Foreman level guy off the street and be OK at RB - there is no help waiting in the wings for DE; one injury to either guy right now and youre playing 30-50% snaps to a guy who was on a practice squad the week before. Thats scary to me.

I'm not getting into it that deep, I've wasted too much time on this team. But yeah, plenty of other needs to get TE at 10 unless it's a once in a lifetime player.

When the OTs went I figured DE. With the oline anyone including Poles or BJ have seen I wouldn't have thought more weapons we can't get the ball to is the answer.
More weapons or Williams busts has never been my thought.
The amount of talent we have in WRs and TEs should make any QB succeed if they have time to get the ball out and the OC isn't putting everyone in the same spot.

Time will tell.

 

[1COBearsfan]

Suck at what?

Being a mechanic? I’m sure I wouldn’t want him to replace the timing belt/water pump on my wife’s minivan

Being an NFL GM? I don’t know, he was one of the hotter names when he got hired but he had 0 experience.

 

[Rise]

He is so smart just ask him.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

Rounds 4-7 you're mostly drafting traits. Witnessing people melt down over fringe starters/ special teamers is pretty funny though. There's a reason those players are taken so late. Sure you can find a diamond in the ruff here and there but it's not the norm.

Good teams find good players late. Not every pick obviously. But you gotta find some.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

He’s won 15 games in 3 years.

 

[hyatt151]

What specifically did you dislike about his draft?

The 4th round pick linebacker was a headscratcher but he's a 5 star recruit and an excellent athlete.

Outside that, the first two picks were ben johnson picks(Loveland, Burden) and the other 2 2nd rounders look to be high upside tackles.

I personally love the draft so far outside of the headscratcher linebacker.

The trade down was smart too, netted back the 4th you traded for thuney. We can use that to trade for help midseason.

Get me a RB like martinez in the 5th and a safety or backup guard/DE in the 6th

Turner was a nice DL pickup. Hippolite was a stupid azz pick, don't think much of Trupillo either

 

[playthrough2001]

Good teams find good players late. Not every pick obviously. But you gotta find some.

I think Kyle is going to be a good player and Zah was a guy that opened my eyes at the combine.

Also, they may have found the one gem on a bad MSU line. That pick is growing on me.

I had much disdain for the LB pick. I’m happy for the guy because he’s seems like a real good dude. I hope they can turn him into something. He definitely looks like a missile for special teams. Still don’t like it…

 

[gallagher]

How in the **** can you give a guy with a 15-36 W-L record a B?

1. He's not the coach, not a player, so using the W/L to describe his job feels forced to me. His job is handling the money. I don't hold my finance team accountable for what the project managers fail to do.

2. Suppose the record is on him - he spent his first year terminating the Pace failures and cutting bad contracts, and it takes more than one off-season to build back up. We all knew what that was at the time, and complaining about it now is reactionary, "sky is falling" territory in my eye. You can't empty a steel mill of workers and sell off the machinery, and then go on to wonder why it takes more than two years to get new workers and new machinery.

3. My personal opinion on grading him is heavily influenced by the this off-season and last off-season, where he did a whole lot right. I'm not here to complain about not firing Flus the year before (though it is what I would have done in his shoes) because who knows if we get Ben Johnson then; At best, we land Harbough. And I'm a fan of the new HC. It does appear to me that the team is in a much better position today than it was two years ago.

4. Maybe this is just me in my ivory tower, but acceptable grades start at B. Not B-, not C+ with extra credit and favorable rounding. Anything else and he's on the hot seat to be replaced this year, and that's not my read. If C is acceptable in your house then you can give him a C.

 

[DanielCCSBears]

1. He's not the coach, not a player, so using the W/L to describe his job feels forced to me. His job is handling the money. I don't hold my finance team accountable for what the project managers fail to do.

2. Suppose the record is on him - he spent his first year terminating the Pace failures and cutting bad contracts, and it takes more than one off-season to build back up. We all knew what that was at the time, and complaining about it now is reactionary, "sky is falling" territory in my eye. You can't empty a steel mill of workers and sell off the machinery, and then go on to wonder why it takes more than two years to get new workers and new machinery.

3. My personal opinion on grading him is heavily influenced by the this off-season and last off-season, where he did a whole lot right. I'm not here to complain about not firing Flus the year before (though it is what I would have done in his shoes) because who knows if we get Ben Johnson then; At best, we land Harbough. And I'm a fan of the new HC. It does appear to me that the team is in a much better position today than it was two years ago.

4. Maybe this is just me in my ivory tower, but acceptable grades start at B. Not B-, not C+ with extra credit and favorable rounding. Anything else and he's on the hot seat to be replaced this year, and that's not my read. If C is acceptable in your house then you can give him a C.

The Pace failures?

Cole Kmet David Montgomery Roquan Smith Jaylon Johnson James Daniels Bilal Nichols Darnell Mooney Khyris Tonga Khalil Mack Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston Carson Larry Borom Teven Jenkins .

That's 12 players from the 2021 roster that should have stuck around or did stick around in some capacity because they weren't failures.

Add in his disastrous roster and draft class management since then .

Coaching hire is on him no matter who tries to spin it. Offensive coordinator hire also on him.

There was no reason for him to blow up the roster the way he did and the additions to the roster that have been in a constant state of turnover have been laughable. So yes, he wears the success and failures of his tenure.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

He’s won 15 games in 3 years.

This stat will confuse your common management is always right crew member

 

[Nelly]

In 2024, Ryan Poles drafts Kiran Amegadjie in the 3rd round and Austin Booker in the 5th round.

In 2025, fans complain that Ryan Poles didn't get suitable replacements for Kiran Amegadjie and Austin Booker in the 4th-7th rounds.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

In 2024, Ryan Poles drafts Kiran Amegadjie in the 3rd round and Austin Booker in the 5th round.

In 2025, fans complain that Ryan Poles didn't get suitable replacements for Kiran Amegadjie and Austin Booker in the 4th-7th rounds.

Wut? This is a bad take and not what people are complaining about

 

[Myk]

In 2024, Ryan Poles drafts Kiran Amegadjie in the 3rd round and Austin Booker in the 5th round.

In 2025, fans complain that Ryan Poles didn't get suitable replacements for Kiran Amegadjie and Austin Booker in the 4th-7th rounds.

Sounds like you're saying it takes time.

Like maybe if Poles would do his job instead of delegating to his HC we would have the center figured out with a vast upgrade to Whitehair who Poles thought was good.

 

[HearshotKDS]

In 2025, fans complain that Ryan Poles didn't get suitable replacements for Kiran Amegadjie and Austin Booker in the 4th-7th rounds.

People are complaining about the opposite of this.

 

[DanielCCSBears]

Rounds 4-7 you're mostly drafting traits.

People are properly mad about the linebacker from Maryland. That reeks of another Velus Jones Jr reach that was completely unnecessary. They could have addressed the offensive or defensive line again instead of grabbing some dude that's going to struggle to make the 53.

 

[DanielCCSBears]

Good teams find good players late. Not every pick obviously. But you gotta find some.

It's the perfect spot to upgrade Doug Kramer's spot and grab a guy healthier than Ryan Bates and his arthritic shoulder.