Chicago Bears Free Agency: Ryan Poles’ up and down start

At the start of his first free agency, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has some fans weary.

It certainly has been an interesting start to free agency for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. He’s trying to establish a new era of winning football to a franchise that dipped way below its storied history.

It is difficult to change the atmosphere of an organization that experienced a lot of losing for more than a decade. Some people want quick fixes but that seems to be the problem that other general managers in Chicago had. They went for quick fixes that didn’t work and set the franchise back years.

Poles is trying to avoid those pitfalls. We can clearly see that with his signings. He is going for the long haul, trying to build a consistent contender, not just once every few years or so. If he has to sacrifice a season (maybe two) that is okay, as long as he creates a winning environment that lasts long into the future. This is a franchise that once had swag. Poles wants to have it again.

So far, Poles has signed six players who weren’t previously on the team. Here is the list:

Chicago Bears free agent signings so far in 2022

Lucas Patrick, C
Nicholas Morrow, LB
Al-Quadin Muhammad, DE
Equanimeous St. Brown, WR
Byron Pringle, WR
Justin Jones, DT

Some fans question what is going on with these signings. These aren’t names that jump out on them when they think of top-notch players. Sometimes, however, you need players who fit the system rather than be great on their own. The whole is better than the sum parts.

One thing these signings have in common is that all except for one player was either drafted in the sixth round or went undrafted. Justin Jones was a third-round pick. It seems that Poles is looking to have players with chips on their shoulders.

While these players will play hard and add toughness, how much they succeed will be in question. Some of them haven’t really made a big impression in their time in the league so far. Even Jones, a third-round pick, has questions. He hasn’t played a full season yet.

If these players fit in the system the Bears now have in place, however, the 2022 season might not be as bad as some think. We just need to see how the roster fills out.

Then there is the question of what happened with Larry Ogunjobi. Despite the signing being a big surprise, the Bears needed a three-technique defensive tackle. Ogunjobi was one of, if not the, best available in free agency. It was a big pickup for Poles and the Bears.

Things went off the rails, though. Ogunjobi failed his physical and the Bears ended up not signing him.

Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury in the Cincinnatti Bengals’ Wild Card victory. He recently had surgery on it. Though there was no reason given for the failed physical, the foot injury may have been a part of it.

On the one hand, not going forward with a player with injury concerns is a good thing. When previous general manager Ryan Pace signed Pernell McPhee in 2015, there was also an apparent failed physical. He had a bad knee that ended up affecting him. It was a bad move for Pace to continue with the signing despite the concern.

On the other hand, could or should have Poles known something before announcing the signing? I’m sure there had to have been medical talks before the agreement. To make an announcement public only to have to renege on it later is a little embarrassing. But, as we know, it’s not like the Bears haven’t had to publicly deal with a botched signing. When it comes to the Chicago Bears, some people say it seems the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Yes, Poles could use 2022 as a throwaway season. He has about $28 million still in cap space and still has a ton of players to sign to fill out the roster. However, he has about $128 million in cap space to use in 2022 and $192 million in 2023. In addition, the Bears could be in play for some compensatory draft picks next year. He’ll really be able to make a mark in the coming years and build a true contender.

Of course, that requires patience from a fanbase that has already waited decades to have a winning team. Their patience is running thin. Hopefully, however, Poles is the guy who gets it right and we finally see an era of winning return to Chicago Bears football.