Bear Digest

Past says Ryan Poles must set unfinished business as draft priority

Analysis: The work is only partly done for Bears GM Ryan Poles through free agency and errors of ommission made in his first three drafts could return to haunt him unless addressed.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ryan Poles hasn't done enough yet to show his team's offensive line overahaul is done and the draft is where it can be fixed.
Ryan Poles hasn't done enough yet to show his team's offensive line overahaul is done and the draft is where it can be fixed. | Photo: Chicago Bears video

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Chicago Bears

A comment in one analysis of NFL offseason improvements should douse hopes Bears fans have of landing a splashy pick in the first round, or at least point them back in the direction of reality.

Excitement generated by the possibility of a top running back like Ashton Jeanty, a pass rusher like Mason Graham or even a tight end like Tyler Warren is probably wasted energy until the Bears take care of their greatest remaining needs.

One is the same need they had before free agency started and that is building up their offensive line.

Sure, they spent $42 million on a contract for center Drew Dalman, traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson but can they even afford to assume they've fixed their problems?

The festering problem

On paper, they have what could be a formidable front with tackles Darnell Wright and Braxton Jones added in, but SI.com writer Gilberto Manzano reminds everyone how this isn't exactly the first time GM Ryan Poles sought to address line problems.

Manzano called the Bears the fourth-most improved NFL team following initial stages of free agency before adding, "But GM Ryan Poles has made a few notable offensive line moves in the past that haven't panned out on the field."

Despite Poles' assumed expertise on offensive linemen as a former lineman himself, there was:

  • The Nate Davis fiasco.
  • The Lucas Patrick debacle.
  • Alex Leatherwood, what a depth piece he proved to be on waivers.
  • Ryan Bates' acquisition for a fifth-round pick—although in fairness to Poles he did suffer shoulder injury so severe it required stem cell therapy to help him. Bates might yet prove useful as the Tribune's Brad Biggs reported the plan is to go forward with Bates' second season as the backup center/guard.
  • Trading away a draft pick for Dan Feeney, and it wasn't even a seventh-rounder.

Then there were the stop-gap measures like $7.5 million for tackle Riley Reiff for one year and backup guard Michael Schofield.

General lack of quality depth to handle eventualities on game day have proven their biggest line problem, along with lack of general time together for starters due to the injuries. Thirty times in Poles' three seasons as GM they have switched the starting offensive lines, and almost all due to injuries.

Whether they have the kind of depth necessary to attack another NFL season now needs to be seriously questioned.

Counting on Kiran Amegadji

The best backup tackle is 2024 third-rounder Kiran Amegadjie, who never had a fair chance to display his skills last year after rehabbing from an injury and missing offseason and training camp.

They have Bates as the chief backup guard and center, although he has played only 135 snaps since 2022 in Buffalo. And that was the only year he ever was a regular starter in the NFL.

They have the promise of guard Bill Murray, a converted defensive lineman who had everyone believing they might have found the proverbial needle in the haystack with his play. However, he only played 42 downs before suffering a season-ending torn pectoral muscle. He's been in four NFL games, one with New England in 2022.

Then there is Doug Kramer, another backup center who gets used more as a fullback but did get some experience lining up at guard for the first time last year.

Beyond that:

  • Theo Benedet, the undrafted second-year "Canadian Eagle."
  • Chris Glaser, another undrafted guard/center who was on the practice squad last year and got into three games after five for the Jets in 2023.
  • Jordan McFadden, a former Chargers backup and a fifth-round pick
  • Ricky Stromberg, drafted by the Commanders in the third round and released after Week 4 of his first season.
  • Joshua Miles, a backup tackle briefly with Giants and Cardinals.

The Bears haven't addressed all their major needs when they still lack an edge rush candidate or even two for the rotation, and especially when they don't have enough high-quality offensive linemen poised and ready to come into games.

Ben Johnson's Lions had depth

Under Ben Johnson, the Lions' offense had times when they had injury issues but could fall back on a draft pick like Logan Stenberg, reliable center/guard
Evan Brown, fifth-round guard Colby Sorsdal and tackle Dan Skipper and sixth-round pick Christian Mahogany.

Skill positions are for show and produce little on their own unless the line of scrimmage can be controlled.

Thirty offensive line starting lineup switches in three years says the Bears haven't addressed this need until their fallback is bringing in draft picks with a ton of upside after someone is hurt.

They'll have plenty of opportunities to add quality offensive line backups to train in the first two days of the draft.


Poles needs to be serious and have the numbers of Kelvin Banks, Armand Membou, Will Campbell and Grey Zabel ready to go on Day 1, whether at No. 10 or after trading positions.

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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.