Why Ryan Poles Sees Bears as More Dangerous
The Bears are a team with about three-quarters of their weak areas addressed this past off-season, according to GM Ryan Poles.
Whether it's enough is what the entire 2023 season is about.
"We're in a much better place than we were last year," Poles said. "I feel we've been able to move the needle and be in a position to go after our goals and to have more aggressive goals in terms of being a championship organization."
More specifically, Poles set a percentage on what he has been able to address with the most salary cap space in free agency and the draft.
"Again it's hard until you start playing—just being realistic, man, I mean on paper, 80%, 75%," Poles said about areas he addressed. "But at the end of the day, like when the lights come on and we play a real game, the energy levels differ, the speed is different.
"We'll be able to evaluate that as we go through the season. But I feel good again. Just on paper, I feel good about the progress and I feel we took a chunk out of what we needed to."
The addition of players on defense like Tremain Edmunds, P.J. Edwards and Yannick Ngakoue, and on offense with D.J. Moore, were changes Poles believes can make the big difference.
"I mean, if you really break it down, I feel like our defense in terms of takeaways is going to be in a better situation," Poles said. "I feel like explosive plays and run after the catch on offense is going to be better. I'll lean on that."
There has been evidence of run after the catch with Moore in preseason. Of the other three, only Edwards has practiced and played enough to provide tangible evidence of improving the team.
Bears fans will have to take the word of Poles or coaches on the others until the regular season begins because of injuries or, in Ngakoue's case, a late arrival with the team.
It's that way with some of the injured players on the offensive line, as well, particularly guard Nate Davis. The Bears haven't defined his injuries but Poles called it "a couple things."
"I will say when he has gone (practiced), it's everything that we saw on tape before," Poles said. "So I'm confident we're going to be in a good place.
"As coach said the other day, in football, you do have to play football, you've gotta practice football, and he's doing well now. But knocking that rust off and getting going, that's going to be the key thing. We've got a little time here, practice today, practice tomorrow, and then next week, so we're heading in the right direction."
The other concern on the line is Teven Jenkins, and their starting left guard will be on injured reserve for at least four weeks but will return. The bottom line is the line needs to protect better to give Justin Fields time to meet the goals Poles and the coaching staff set forth for him.
"Just to continue to improve," Poles said. "Want those sack numbers to come down, interceptions to come down, make good reads, protect himself, just see him take that next step."
And one other improvement: “Win more games," Poles said.
Poles obviously wasn't naming the areas he felt he couldn't address, those that remain real question marks, but those he did focus on included the few moves made on the day after cuts. In those cases, it involves players at the bottom of the roster or special teams.
They waived both Trevis Gipson and Terrell Lewis in the end and brought in former Colts edge player Khalid Kareem, as well as undrafted rookie safety Quindell Johnson, who had been waived by the Rams.
Johnson adds depth behind Elijah Hicks. Kareem is a former Notre Dame player with one sack in a career that spans three years with the Bengals and Colts. viewed more of a system fit than either Gipson or Lewis.
"With Kareem, we had a chance to see him a couple weeks ago in Indy," assistant GM Ian Cunningham said. "Just the athleticism, the motor, we watched him last night as well again, probably for the third time. His flexibility as a pass rusher, another Notre Dame connection to the Bears roster. And then with Quindell, we had a really good feel for him coming out. (Scout) Breck Ackley did a really good job on him evaluating him. We were in the process of trying to get him during the UDFA process but we weren't lucky enough to get him but we are now. He's a physical, downhill safety. He had 10 career interceptions in college so he's got good ball skills."
The other issue addressed at the end was punt returner. Poles said they're signing receiver Trent Taylor, a fifth-round pick by the 49ers in 2017 who was with Cincinnati the last two years and was waived. A slot receiver with 87 career catches, he has returned 89 punts for a 9.7-yard average.
Poles said he will be the No. 1 punt returner while both Tyler Scott and Velus Jones focus on gaining more experience.
"As we continue to develop our guys—Tyler Scott and Velus—we've gotta get Velus comfortable in that position," Poles said. "(Jones' camp) injury kind of hurt - the two preseason games where he could get more reps so we could feel comfortable, he could feel comfortable moving forward. But we believe in those guys and we're going to keep pouring into them to improve."
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