Browns' GM Sees the Bears as a Blueprint to Follow at NFL Combine

For the first time in years, NFL teams are looking at the Chicago Bears as a role model of success.

Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

For the better part of the last 15 years, the Chicago Bears have been looked at as a bottom-feeder, a steep fall from grace for one of the NFL's flagship franchises. However, that came to a screeching halt last season as the Bears climbed out of the cellar, clinched the 2025 NFC North championship, and even pulled off an incredible Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers.

Credit for this stunning one-year turnaround goes to several people and events. The hiring of Ben Johnson as head coach of the Bears is one, and the second-year leap from Caleb Williams is another. But arguably the biggest reason why the Bears found so much success in 2025 was a revamped offensive line that went from a Bottom 10 unit to arguably the best in the league.

In fact, the way in which general manager Ryan Poles remade his offensive line in just one offseason, turning a weakness into a strength, has become something of a benchmark for other teams to aspire to. Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry spoke to the media from the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, and he mentioned the Bears as a model for how to rebuild an offensive line in one year.

Browns GM Andrew Berry mentioned the Bears as the model for rebuilding their offensive line in one offseason. Chicago traded for two veterans, signed another and drafted one in the second round to go along with Darnell Wright.

— Josh Edwards (@EdwardsCBS) February 24, 2026

Cleveland needs even more help than Chicago did in 2025

Amazingly, Cleveland's offensive line is in even worse shape than Chicago's was a year ago. The Bears needed a lot of help, but at least Darnell Wright had the right tackle position locked down. On the other hand, the Browns are making NFL history as the first team since the merger to enter the offseason with its entire offensive line set to hit free agency.

Ryan Poles deserves credit for his role in Chicago's course reversal

If you had told a Bears fan one year ago that teams would call out Chicago as a franchise to emulate, they probably would have laughed in your face. For far too long, this historic franchise was the perfect example of what not to do in the NFL. But Poles, the front office, and ownership all apparently decided to finally start acting like the massive franchise that they are and got serious about building a winner. It paid off in spades already, and the rest of the NFL took notice.

Enjoy this time in the sun, Bears fans. You finally have a team to be proud of, and for the next six months, the Bears will be the toast of the NFC North.

David Banks-Imagn Images

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