Chicago Bears Training Camp: The only consistency in 2022 is change

Poles has a plan for the Chicago Bears that he won’t divert from

The one thing about Poles is that he won’t let the fans or so-called “experts” keep him from sticking to his plan. He decided to shed big contracts and make the team younger.

He did that despite not bringing in big-time names. If the 2022 season has to be sacrificed then so be it. He wants to build a team that competes year in and year out, not just a one-hit-wonder.

Poles’ moves resulted in the team having a lot of salary cap flexibility moving forward. The Bears have the most cap space in 2023 so they can make a big impact in free agency.

In order for Poles to do that he had to make some big decisions. He knew he had to part ways with popular veterans. In fact, 20 of the 53 players on last year’s roster are now gone.

Despite their popularity, some had big contracts that handcuffed the franchise. He ended up letting go of Danny Trevathan, Eddie Goldman, Bilal Nichols, and Roy Robertson-Harris. He also let Allen Robinson, James Daniels, and Akiem Hicks leave through free agency.

Finally, he pulled the trigger on a huge trade by shipping Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers.

By making those moves and signing players who haven’t yet made a big impact in the NFL, Poles positioned the Bears to be players next offseason.

He received a lot of criticism from fans and analysts alike, but it looks as though the rebuild is on the right course. We just might have to see another losing season in 2022.

This is a plan we haven’t seen from the Chicago Bears. Poles and his staff are changing things up so they build a consistent winner.