Why Bears GM Ryan Poles deserves some major praise from fans and media
New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles hasn't had a "signature moment" during his first eight to nine months on the job. Most of Poles' job has centered around tearing down the Bears' roster and preparing for a rebuild. Not necessarily exciting stuff. There is one thing that Poles has done, however, that I think […]
New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles hasn't had a "signature moment" during his first eight to nine months on the job.
Most of Poles' job has centered around tearing down the Bears' roster and preparing for a rebuild.
Not necessarily exciting stuff.
There is one thing that Poles has done, however, that I think deserves some praise. And while it's not necessarily a signature moment, it's important.
I think Poles has handled the Roquan Smith situation perfectly.
Smith, as you likely recall, wants a new contract. Earlier this offseason, Smith publicly requested a trade before eventually reporting to camp.
That's a situation that could turn ugly — and Smith's comments when he requested the trade certainly made it seem like that's the direction the situation was heading.
Poles, however, has handled the whole ordeal better than most seasoned general managers. He's calmed the situation while providing a path to Smith landing a long-term contract with the Bears.
“First of all, he’s a good player — that’s never changed,” said Poles this week (via The Chicago Sun-Times). “And he’s a good dude. I have faith that he’s gonna have a good year, and we’ll work on our relationship and all that.
“It’s not even a bad thing, either. We’ve all been there, right? You have disagreements, and you have to come back together and be teammates.”
Poles even took the comment that Smith made about negotiations with Chicago's front office being "distasteful" in stride.
“It’s human nature,” said Poles of Smith's comment. “When things happen and two sides don’t agree on something, it’s gonna take a little time [to repair]. I’ve got a lot of faith that that’s going to happen.”
Everything about the way Poles has handled this situation has been impressive. He didn't damage the relationship, but he also didn't cave and give Smith an unwise contract. With the way Smith is revered in the locker room, it would've been really easy for Pole to give Smith an above-market contract just to keep from fracturing the locker room.
Instead, Poles eased tensions, welcomed Smith back, and never pointed fingers.
That's not an easy task for a veteran general manager, let alone a rookie general manager.
Poles still has to prove himself in a lot of ways, but he's quickly showing himself to be a top-tier general manager.
Of course, the win/loss record over the next few years will tell the true story. But for now, Poles should be applauded for what he's accomplished.
Featured image via Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
