Bear Digest

Bears sitting in a place for this draft where they've rarely been

Analysis: Ryan Poles has done enough in free agency to set the Bears up ideally for the draft and anything more could actually challenge a desired balance.
Gene Chamberlain|
GM Ryan Poles has coach Ben Johnson's Bears almost perfectly situated to approach this draft.
GM Ryan Poles has coach Ben Johnson's Bears almost perfectly situated to approach this draft. | Photo: Chicago Bears video

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Chicago Bears

There are candidates available in free agency to fill out a few of the minor roster holes the Bears have.

GM Ryan Poles would be better off waiting to address those until after the draft in order to maintain his strategic advantage. He can fill all of those with draft picks, anyway.

There is a near-perfect balance to where the Bears sit approaching the draft after free agency, and the only way they'd be in a better spot would be to have the fourth pick overall.

With the signings Poles has made, he has positioned himself in a strategically strong place for the first round of the draft, and the fact he has two early second-round picks only reinforces this solid situation.

The real needs they have are another tight end, a running back, a swing tackle and another edge rusher, none in starting position except possibly the back.

Finding another guard in case they lose Joe Thuney in 2026 free agency is more of a possibility for later in the draft. The tackle situation is similar. The needs for this season take priority, although you can never discount a lineman in Round 1 if they see a truly special player available to them.

It doesn't look like this is the case. There is good talent everywhere, just not the Penei Sewell type.

They could opt to go for a running back but there are plenty of good running backs in this draft. There appears to be a special tight end but special at this position might not be the need as much as a specific skill set.

The position is a strong one from which to trade.

Go out and sign another tight end and there really is virtually no need to draft tight end Tyler Warren. Sign another running back from a large crop of free agents available and they'll make it apparent they're satisfied with the backs they have.

The same is true about the swing tackle situation. They're saying positive things about Braxton Jones. Signing another tackle removes the urgency to find a tackle of the future so early.

They have their top two edge players and a few backups already. The next edge would supplement the rush and not key it. 

Where the Bears came away after the free agent signings really did make Poles' quote after introducing his new players seem all the more ambiguous.

"This really opens the whole board for us," he said. "We're going to be able to sit back and look and say what's the best thing to do for the Chicago Bears?  Who's the best player that can impact?

"We got some tough decisions and a lot of film to watch between now and the draft."

Some of those decisions might not be to take a player at all but to trade back or trade ahead.

Never in recent years have they found themselves so completely covered at each position heading into the draft, whether it's all Poles' doing or the tag-team effort of himself and coach Ben Johnson.

They're positioned at a spot with the roster and in the draft to find players at any need position in Round 1 and later. They really could do anything and that's how Poles needs it to be.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.