Why Bears GM wants to continue to add local talent
The Chicago Bears are dipping into their own backyard to find improvements along its roster. Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a handful of impact signing early on in the NFL’s free agency period. Two newcomers share one commonality: both are from the Chicago area. T.J. Edwards and Robert Tonyan are two splash signings Poles […]
The Chicago Bears are dipping into their own backyard to find improvements along its roster.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles made a handful of impact signing early on in the NFL’s free agency period. Two newcomers share one commonality: both are from the Chicago area.
T.J. Edwards and Robert Tonyan are two splash signings Poles made in the first two weeks of free agency.
Not only do both players provide immediate improvements to their respective position groups, but their ties to the city are another reason for Bears fans to get excited.
On Tuesday, Poles admitted that signing local talent is something he wants to prioritize.
“There’s something to it for me,” Poles said. “I think when you have pride of your local team that you grew up watching you knew what this club meant to the city and you saw some good times and some good players. I think you’re a little bit more motivated to perform at a high level and also lead because you’ve guys do it at a high level before you. I’ve always liked that aspect, I think it means just a little bit more.”
Edwards and Tonyan join Cole Kmet, Jack Sanborn and Doug Kramer as current players that hail from the Windy City.
Poles isn’t just dishing out contracts to players because they’re from Chicago. He’s going out and adding talented players who happen to have grown up following the Bears. It’s a convenient coincidence for Bears fans, who have become familiar with these players throughout their journey.
Poles and the Bears have already had a fascinating offseason, but the general manger continues to tally points with the fanbase with comments like this. While winning on the field is what matters most, Chicago has been one of the big winners of the offseason up to this point.
