Ryan Poles started the new league year by getting ahead of the market. In the past few years, Ryan Poles has been notorious for being aggressive in the trade market early in March. This year was no different, as the Bears were hit suddenly by the retirement of Drew Dalman, Poles pivoted quickly to get ahead of an expensive Center market.
The Bears swung a 2027 5th-round pick to the Patriots in exchange for Garret Bradbury. Maybe not an exciting name, but Bradbury is an athletic center that fits the run scheme of Ben Johnson’s offense. On top of the scheme fit, Bradbury started all 17 games for the Patriots and contributed to a Super Bowl appearance. That playoff experience will be integral for this young Bears core. Bradbury can be seen more as a quick bridge fix to the Center position, and the long-term replacement could very well come through the draft. The Bears were in attendance at Kansas State Pro Day with perhaps heavy eyes on their stout center, Sam Hecht. Another name that makes sense is Florida’s Jake Slaughter. Both are great scheme fits and show the athleticism to stretch the field in Ben Johnson’s heavy Wide Zone run scheme. Losing Drew Dalman hurts, but Ryan Poles and the Bears jumped ahead of the curve and addressed the situation the right way. Tyler Linderbaum went on to sign a market-resetting contract for the Center position, garnering $27 million AAV. Adding Bradbury before the Free Agency period started allowed the Bears to allocate money to other areas of need.
Adding Impact Players
The Bears didn’t get off to a fast start in Free Agency like they have in past years, but they added impact players in the positions of need with the limited resources available. It’s clear the Bears wanted a rehaul on the defensive side of the ball as they let Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and Nashon Wright all walk. Turning the secondary into a position of need for the team. Poles’ first Free Agent acquisition of the period was a splash in the secondary, adding Super Bowl champ Coby Bryant on a 3-year $40 million deal. The shift of personnel under Dennis Allen is underway. Coby is an extremely versatile Safety who can fit the run and play great man-to-man coverage in a Dennis Allen defense that favors man. At times last year, the Bears had to move away from man coverage because they kept getting beaten on the back end.
Coby, entering his age-27 season, will simply provide more consistent and physical play for the Bears. Coby Bryant will be a cornerstone of this defense for years to come. Having found no trade partner for Tremaine Edmunds, his release from the team was imminent. With that $15 million the Bears freed up, Ryan Poles re-signed the midseason breakout D’Marco Jackson to a 2-year $7.5 million deal and brought in Devin Bush after a career resurgence year in Cleveland on a 3-year $30 million deal. Great value signings for merely the same price as Tremaine Edmunds. The vision is clear with the moves; the Bears want to get faster in the LB room, and Devin Bush brings that downhill speed and run fit the Bears desperately need. The additions to the Linebacker room didn’t stop there. Ryan Poles brought back a familiar face and fan favorite, Jack Sanborn. It’s safe to say the LB room is pretty much set for the upcoming year, barring an addition through the draft. I’d bet on this group being the guys heading into OTAs. The other notable additions include DT Neville Gallimore, WR Kalif Raymond (back with Ben Johnson), OT Braxton Jones, OT Jedrick Wills, DB Cam Lewis, and DT Kentavious Street. While none of these are flashy names, these are the depth moves that winning teams make.
The Bears were killed by a lack of depth on the defensive line down the stretch. Adding these depth pieces will give Dennis Allen more freedom to operate. Don’t be surprised if Kalif Raymond plays an integral role with the Bears this upcoming season. He’s the exact type of player Ben Johnson loves. Someone who blocks his butt off and gets his hands dirty. Kalif might not show up in the box score, but he shows up on the tape, constantly making winning plays. Kalif Raymond is a true football player and will be a key veteran for this young group of Wide Receivers. With Poles bringing back Braxton Jones and adding Jedrick Wills to the room, it looks as if the Bears have their bridge solution at LT until Ozzy Trapilo returns from injury. Wills, who has struggled with injuries the past couple of seasons, offers the Bears a low-risk move that could work in their favor. Wills has a chance to revive his career working with OL coach and household name Dan Roushar. All of these additions pre-draft give Ryan Poles and the Bears the opportunity to expand their draft board.
Draft Implications
The NFL Draft directly plays off of Free Agency. Great teams are able to address needs before the Draft, whether through trades or FA, to allow themselves to draft the BPA (best player available). It’s why the Bears had such a successful draft class this past year. Ryan Poles quickly attacked the offensive line before the draft, so come draft night, Poles capitalized on BPA. It’s not every year you see a Tight End go in the top 10 picks, but Poles and the Bears believed in the blue-chip talent and trusted their board. The Bears did it again in the 2nd round by adding Luther Burden. Some were confused
by the pick at the time, but fast forward to now, and it allowed Ryan Poles to shed the DJ Moore contract and build a young core on rookie contracts. While the Bears still have a hole at S opposite Coby Bryant, I strongly believe Ryan Poles should best set the team up to attack the best player on the board come draft night. With some needs still in the secondary and the defensive line, both of those position groups are deep in this class, which could open up the board for the Bears on day 1 and day 2. From the DJ Moore trade, Poles pocketed pick no.60, giving them two valuable 2nd round picks and 4 picks within the first 3 rounds. Some scheme fits and names to watch for the Bears include Zion Young, Christen Miller, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, A.J. Haulcy, and Gracen Halton. With the draft approaching in almost a month, Ryan Poles and the Bears are geared up to build off the success of the 2025 draft class. Until then, Ryan Poles will have his boots on the ground at pro days across the country, looking to add the next phase of impact players to this exciting young Bears roster.
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