Chicago Bears free agency: Two underrated signings by Ryan Poles

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles surprised many with his first free agent signing. He then stood pat as other teams spent money like it was going out of style. Now he made two solid, if not sexy, signings that improve the roster.

We wanted to see how Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles handled his first free agency period. Fans waited in breathless anticipation for the legal tampering time to begin to see what moves Poles made.

Well, he surprised many people with his first move. Despite saying that the offensive line would be the top priority and giving quarterback Justin Fields weapons would also be emphasized, Poles went out and went with a defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

Many fans were caught off-guard with that move. It did solidify the defensive line and gave the defense a much-needed three-technique player. It was a surprise but was something the team needed.

That signing came very early on Monday afternoon when teams could negotiate. Poles then stood pat the rest of the day and all throughout Tuesday. Of course, fans started panicking as other teams signed players they felt the Bears were targeting. The fans got restless.

Then Poles started to make more signings. He didn’t make splashy, sexy signings, however. On Tuesday night, he signed former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Lucas Patrick. It wasn’t the big-name player fans expected but it was solid.

Patrick signed with the Packers as an undrafted rookie. He played with a chip on his shoulder. He went from an undrafted rookie, to practice squad player, to rarely-used backup, to a starter.

After signing and getting cut in 2016, Patrick came back and made the team in 2017. For the next two seasons, he played in only 29 percent of the offensive snaps. In 2019, it was just 15 percent.

Patrick persevered, though, and in the next two seasons, he became a dependable starter. He played in every game and started 28 of them. He even moved around on the interior of the line, stepping in and playing center when needed.

He’ll give the Bears that same flexibility in Chicago. He’ll keep that same chip and do whatever it takes to help win games.

Speaking of chips, Patrick also adds something Poles said he wanted on the line — some nastiness. If there is a questionable hit on Fields, Patrick will defend and protect him. Poles noted that the line sorely needed that. Here is what Packers offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said about Patrick’s enthusiasm.

"One thing about Lucas is he’s always got that chip-on-his-shoulder mentality, which guys have (that’ve) come up from undrafted to being a backup to earning a starting job. I love his mentality and I love the way he plays. He adds a nastiness to our room. I think other people see that and it feeds into other people, so it’s good."

Patrick will be a good fit with the Bears. He’ll bring more toughness and nastiness to the offensive line without having it hurt. He hasn’t been called for any personal fouls in his career. In fact, he only committed eight penalties in over 2,8000 snaps played. That discipline would be welcomed in Chicago.

Chicago Bears free agency: Poles goes for defense again

Poles wasn’t finished, however. Early on Wednesday morning, he made another signing. He went with defense again, signing former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow.

Morrow is another undrafted rookie. He signed with the Raiders in 2017 and played in 62 games his first four seasons before an ankle injury wiped out his entire 2021 season. He was designated to return but never played a down.

If he shows that he’s over that injury, Morrow could be an interesting pairing with Roquan Smith. Poles wanted to add speed to the roster and Morrow gives him that at the linebacker spot. Smith ran a 4.51-40 in the NFL Combine while Morrow ran a 4.52. Additionally, Morrow can play either the Will (weak-side) or Sam (strong side).

Now the Bears have that force at defensive tackle who can rush the passer or stuff the run. That opens up space for the edge rushers and the linebackers to do their own thing.

In addition to those two new faces, Poles also re-signed long snapper Patrick Scales. The Bears have had success the last couple of seasons with their kicking game. Cairo Santos and Pat O’Donnell have been great for the special teams. Keeping Scales results in maintaining the momentum. Now let’s see if they also retain O’Donnell, who Is also a free agent.

We’re seeing Poles building a roster of players with chips on their shoulders, ready to prove people wrong about them. Of course, a team filled with undrafted players won’t get you too far, but sprinkling some good ones on the roster helps give you some toughness.

It might not be sexy, but what Poles is doing could be what the Chicago Bears need. We saw a ton of sexy moves with the previous regime that flamed out.