What can the Packers expect from the Bears this season?

What Packers can expect from Bears: The new Bears’ general manager was not afraid to rebuild the roster.

The Chicago Bears were 48-65 with one NFC North championship, two playoff appearances, and no postseason victories in the seven season with Ryan Pace in charge.

He infamously traded up from the third pick to the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to take quarterback Mitchell Trubisky–passing on Patrick Mahomes.

Pace also constantly spent the Bears’ draft pick capital to acquire Khalil Mack or trade up to draft players like Leonard Floyd and Anthony Miller. Mack was an impact player on defense but battled injuries from 2019-2021. Floyd had to go to the Rams to realize his potential. Miller was a bust.

The record, the trading away draft capital, and busts with his first-round and second-round picks eventually caught up to Pace.

Now a new Ryan runs the show. He is showing his nothing like the man he is replacing.

Poles has decided to take a patient approach towards building the Bears into being a threat to the Green Bay Packers hold on the NFC North.

Poles comes to the Bears after putting in a lot of time with the Kansas City Chiefs front office. He worked under long-time Green Bay Packers executive John Dorsey when Dorsey was the Chiefs’ general manager from 2013-2017.

It looks like the Bears are not only looking to replicate what the Green Bay Packers do on offense but how they construct a roster. After years of spending big money in free agency, the Bears took to the draft and smaller free-agent deals to shape the roster for this season.

Some think that approach makes the Bears the worst team in the NFL and will not give Justin Fields much of a shot at developing at quarterback this season.

The Bears needed to try something different after all their failures with trying a win-now approach during the last four years of the Pace era.

Poles did have a good draft. He entered the 2022 NFL draft with no first-round pick and less than seven draft picks.

He used his two second-round picks on players who project to be good NFL starters in corner Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker. The Bears secondary was a major weakness last season so getting two upgrades at that position group is huge. Also, Brisker’s addition allows Eddie Jackson to go back to be a ball hawking safety.

He drafted 25-year-old wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. in the third round. He may be an older rookie but he does have the skill set to be like San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel.

He then wheeled and dealed on the draft’s third day to walk away with eight more players. Poles might have found the Bears’ future starting left tackle in the fifth round (Braxton Jones is slated to be the starter), a future pass rusher with his other fifth-round pick (Dominque Robinson), and a potential replacement for Montgomery if he leaves in free agency (Ebner was picked in the sixth).

Poles’ draft and free agent class is reminiscent of when Ted Thompson took over as Green Bay Packers general manager. The Bears seem to be going in the Green Bay Packers’ direction of draft and developing players.

For example, it was widely viewed that Rieff was brought in to play left tackle. Instead, the Bears are going with rookie Braxton Jones. Also, veteran guard Michael Schofield was signed right before training camp with the belief he would start at right guard. Instead, he was cut in favor of younger players.

Poles is not afraid to go with rookies as 13 made the roster.

Poles added three more rookies through waiver wire claims. Also, Poles appears ready to be constantly ready to add more players.

Poles did have some misses in the offseason. Ogunjobi was supposed to be his major free agent signing. The three-technique defensive tackle failed his physical. Pringle was charged with reckless driving shortly after signing with the team as a free agent. He tried to sign restricted free agent Ryan Bates to be the starting right guard but his offer sheet made it easy for the Buffalo Bills to match. Poles failed to sign star linebacker Roquan Smith to a long-term deal.

Smith had a training camp “hold-in” and negotiated without an agent. It led to Smith demanding a trade that ultimately resulted in Roquan agreeing to play out the final year of his deal.

Also, there was early training camp rumors that last year’s second-round pick Teven Jenkins was on the outs. Instead, he was moved from tackle to right guard and now appears to be in line to be a starter at that position.

Poles did not have the draft capital to move up in the draft and get one of the elite wide receiver prospects. He also lacked the same capital to trade for an established star. He was not going to overpay for a receiver in free agency.

So he is hoping one of his many wide receiver signings still has some untapped potential to help Fields put up points.

The offense is short on weapons outside of Mooney. During the preseason, the new offensive scheme showed third-year tight end Cole Kmet could be a factor. Outside of Mooney, Kmet, and Montgomery, the Bears have a lot of questions about who else can make plays.

They do have a lot of cap space next offseason so the hope is Fields (again, we are going to get to him next) still shows progress and then adds more impactful players in free agency and the draft in 2023.

For once, it seems like the Bears have a general manager with a logistically sound plan to build a winner. If Poles can execute on that, the Bears may be challenging the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North shortly. Although, that plan is also dependent on how Fields develops.