Bear Digest

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles is building his roster the right way

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles has made it a point to reward homegrown players who've proven themselves with big contract extensions.
Pete Martuneac|
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Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles has been on a roll this offseason. On top of bringing in A-list talent to shore up the offensive line, he has now signed a key defensive leader to a lucrative extension. Kyler Gordon, Poles' first selection as general manager of the Chicago Bears, signed 3-year $40 million deal on Sunday to become the NFL's highest paid slot corner.

This follows the contract extension Poles gave to Jaylon Johnson last offseason, and the deal he reached with Cole Kmet the year before that.

The trend here is obvious: prove that the Chicago Bears were right to draft you, and you'll get the contract you've earned. Few concepts are more important to building a winning NFL roster than drafting and developing players, then keeping those players around for the long haul.

However, it appears that not every NFL team subscribes to this method of roster-building.

As Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team pointed out, the Miami Dolphins have lately been more interested in bringing in players from other teams while allowing homegrown talent to walk in free agency. While the Dolphins have certainly been better than the Bears in recent seasons, their strategy is showing cracks this offseason, with two of their biggest veteran acquisitions seemingly wanting out.

These are the kinds of roster management headaches that Poles should be fortunate enough to avoid in the future, given his current roster-building philosophy. Yes, he's made some big free agency swings, and a lot of the upcoming 2025 season hinges on that. But he could have let Kmet walk and try to land a splashy tight end in free agency. He could have done the same with Johnson.

Instead, Poles rewarded their efforts and locked them into long-term futures with Chicago. Now, in addition to their on-field contributions, they are both veteran leaders who help shape the locker room culture.

While none of this guarantees future success, it's a good thing for Bears fans to see their favorite draft picks stick around and for the players themselves to know that, if they end up in Chicago, their future will be in their own safekeeping. Perform to expectations, and you will be rewarded.

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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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